1:35PM Eastern
Red Sox
Michael Wacha (R)
1. Enrique Hernandez (R) CF
2. Rafael Devers (L) 3B
3. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS
4. J.D. Martinez (R) DH
5. Alex Verdugo (L) LF
6. Trevor Story (R) 2B
7. Bobby Dalbec (R) 1B
8. Jackie Bradley Jr. (L) RF
9. Kevin Plawecki (R) C
Twins
Bailey Ober (R)
1. Luis Arraez (L) 2B
2. Carlos Correa (R) SS
3. Jorge Polanco (S) DH
4. Max Kepler (L) RF
5. Gio Urshela (R) 3B
6. Trevor Larnach (L) LF
7. Gary Sanchez (R) C
8. Miguel Sano (R) 1B
9. Nick Gordon (L) CF
Gametime Temp: 45°F
Chance of Precip: 7%
Chilly day for baseball.
Five solid innings from Wacha. Not a bit of run support from the bats.
Some good chances in the 1st, 2 singles, 2 on, and 1 out. But JDM and Dugo left them stranded. Only one hit since.
Wacha went 5 innings. 0 runs. has a .96 era this year in 9.1 innings.
Sox finally get a couple of runs and now Brasier is going to blow it.
Brasier got out of the inning with just one run in. Lucky.
Sox get 2 runs on sac flies, Twins answer with a sac fly. A tough day in the cold. Yanks are scoreless in Baltimore.
Sox bats finally come alive. Now up 6-1 in the 8th.
6 run inning for the Sox. Now up 8-1. Need the BP to close this one out quickly.
And indeed they did. Sox win 8-1.
Decent game. Pulled away late. Good game to watch.
Quote from: markj on April 17, 2022, 01:54:18 PM
Five solid innings from Wacha. Not a bit of run support from the bats.
The pitching was impressive though markj. We need to get our jollies any way we can until the hitting comes around-----and hope when the hitting erupts the pitching follows suit. Another good sign was that we have lost the first game of the recent two series----vs Detroit and Minnesota---but we have a Patriots Game tomorrow morning and the team can show they are a team to be watched. What we don't need is the team coming out flat tomorrow and looking like a 500 team in way, shape and form. They must not let that happen by playing a solid game on all fronts tomorrow and to WIN!!!!!
Quote from: markj on April 17, 2022, 02:34:57 PM
Brasier got out of the inning with just one run in. Lucky.
Brasier is one pitcher I can do without. The guy has a good fastball but it is as flat and straight as line and is very hittable. He rarely fools anyone and often burns Red Sox fans. It is up to our new relievers to pitch well enough to reduce him to a mop up man OR WE MIGHT BE IN SOME TROUBLE IF WE HAVE TO DEPEND ON HIM.
I am digging some of their recent situational hitting. Line drives up the pike with 2 strikes. What, 4 sac flies in two days? Good for them. I hope it's a trend.
Quote from: MongoLikeSox on April 17, 2022, 06:46:31 PM
I am digging some of their recent situational hitting. Line drives up the pike with 2 strikes. What, 4 sac flies in two days? Good for them. I hope it's a trend.
Good points Mongo and forgive me for being remiss on bringing this up myself. It was nice to see us cash in the sixth with two clutch SAC flies to break the scoreless deadlock. More of that might go a long way in a tough division. Very early sure, but it doesn't seem any team in the AL has been able to jump out ahead by two or three games so that means we can be in this thing if we be consistent on both ends of the game---defense and offense. Still, though, I would love to be able to get one more good starting pitcher for our club. The bullpen so far has held their own, but, yes, it is very early and what need to hope for is more consistency and improvement-----like how about starting the new week off with a win tomorrow on Patriot's Day.
Quote from: MongoLikeSox on April 17, 2022, 06:46:31 PM
I am digging some of their recent situational hitting. Line drives up the pike with 2 strikes. What, 4 sac flies in two days? Good for them. I hope it's a trend.
I listened to most of the game in the car and they were commenting on how Cora had said we need to be hitting more up the middle and the team responded. Heck of a win yesterday with a close game until the 8th and then batting around.
I'm with Fred, there's something about Brasier even though his numbers always seem to look better than what I see with my eyes. He seems to be one of those guys who lets in inherited runners with great frequency.
Quote from: longgame on April 18, 2022, 08:07:54 AM
Quote from: MongoLikeSox on April 17, 2022, 06:46:31 PM
I am digging some of their recent situational hitting. Line drives up the pike with 2 strikes. What, 4 sac flies in two days? Good for them. I hope it's a trend.
I listened to most of the game in the car and they were commenting on how Cora had said we need to be hitting more up the middle and the team responded. Heck of a win yesterday with a close game until the 8th and then batting around.
I'm with Fred, there's something about Brasier even though his numbers always seem to look better than what I see with my eyes. He seems to be one of those guys who lets in inherited runners with great frequency.
As far as the hitting up the middle, if you're a pull hitter and can't learn to hit the open spots in a shift, you're failing your ball club. Tampa hitters have been winning games of late by beating the shift.
Brasier was reported to be working on his mechanics a couple weeks ago. His fastball velocity is down to about 93, off from 97 prox in 2020. Last year he was lost for most of the season until the Sept games. We've got a couple of guys who can throw heat, but have little command and are down in AAA for too many years. A Cincy guy Hunter Greene, the other day recorded 39 pitches over 100.
I've been mixed on Brasier. Decent enough numbers overall, but can certainly get hit. I think he had a good year when his stuff matched his determination. Other than that, though, Maybe a back up set-up man role at the most. When the others are tired, but we don't need a bed-wetter in there.