GAME #56 - TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 2022 - BOSTON RED SOX @ LOS ANGELES ANGELS

[markj]

9:38PM Eastern

Red Sox

Garrett Whitlock (R)

1. Enrique Hernandez (R) CF
2. Rafael Devers (L) 3B
3. J.D. Martinez (R) DH
4. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS
5. Trevor Story (R) 2B
6. Alex Verdugo (L) LF
7. Christian Vazquez (R) C
8. Christian Arroyo (R) RF
9. Bobby Dalbec (R) 1B

Angels

Reid Detmers (L)

1. Luis Rengifo (S) 2B
2. Shohei Ohtani (L) DH
3. Mike Trout (R) CF
4. Jared Walsh (L) 1B
5. Max Stassi (R) C
6. Brandon Marsh (L) LF
7. Juan Lagares (R) RF
8. Tyler Wade (L) 3B
9. Andrew Velazquez (S) SS

Gametime Temp: 72°F
Chance of Precip: 0%

[Sea Dog 23]

A lefty is starting.  Normally that would bench Bradley, Cordero,  the ghost Duran.  If Kike' is leadoff, Arroyo shows up again in RF and Dalbec at 1B, that is a pitiful lineup based on what was working.  Theyve jerked Duran around again to AAA after a good game or two as leadoff.

The slugging right handed outfielder is still an after thought for this team.  We're beating some woeful teams now, but its Toronto in a couple weeks, and  all the ALE arrive in early July.  As the farmers say, now is time to make hay.

[SeaBeachFred]

A lefty is starting.  Normally that would bench Bradley, Cordero,  the ghost Duran.  If Kike' is leadoff, Arroyo shows up again in RF and Dalbec at 1B, that is a pitiful lineup based on what was working.  Theyve jerked Duran around again to AAA after a good game or two as leadoff.

The slugging right handed outfielder is still an after thought for this team.  We're beating some woeful teams now, but its Toronto in a couple weeks, and  all the ALE arrive in early July.  As the farmers say, now is time to make hay.

Duran should ask to be traded and I am sick and tired of seeing this young man get screwed over and over by these front office shitbuds.  He gives us speed at the top of the lineup and he showed he can hit in those two games. As I see it they are going to do all they can to keep their pet  Bradley in the lineup no matter what.  True JBJ has hit somewhat better of late but he is at 222 and don't anyone tell me Duran couldn't do better if given a decent chance.  It really pisses me off.  As for the lineup tonight, perhaps if Bogaerts, Martinez, Devers, Story and Verdugo hit in sync instead of two of them being hot and the o ther three taking a night off as has been  the case so often we'd still be ok.  JD, Raffy and Bogie are all in the top ten in hit ting in the league and when you have three hi tters like that it should be more than enough if a couple others would do their part instead of shitting the bed.

OTOH, how about Wacha last night.  A real gem and he made that 1-0 lead hold up, and kudos  to Alex for leaving well enough alone and let the guy finish.  A bullpen call by Cora most likely would have cost us the game so he handled it real well.  Better hitting tonight and a good job from Whitlock like Hill and Wacha accomplished and we should be in good shape.


One more thing.  In our three game series with the Angels at Fenway we won the first game and then lost the next two, and in our last series with them last season, we did the same thing.  We cannot afford to do that again, or for that matter, to anyone for the rest of the season.

[Sea Dog 23]

Maddon won’t get to turn in the lineup today.  He was fired before the first pitch.  0-12 does have consequences.

[markj]

Sox blowing chances to score and Diekman is digging the hole deeper.

[markj]

Story with an RBI to tie it up.

[Schloicka]

Sox win 6-5 in 10 innings.

[Sea Dog 23]

Some pluses in this game.  Dalbec with two hits and two rbi's.  Vaz on a hot streak, up to .288.  Bullpen, three guys after Diekman, come in to finish off the Halos. 

[longgame]

Nice surprise to see they won this morning. They weren’t looking great when I went to be with a lot of lost opportunities.  Diekemann has to go, but nice jobs by Houck and Strahm.  Extra innings win on the road no less. 

[markj]

For the second half of the season to date, the Sox are playing .700 ball. Where was this team the first half? Is it all about the schedule? Still remains to be seen if they can keep this up against the better teams.

[Sea Dog 23]

And the song and dance of Chris Sale …

Chris Sale, Red Sox

Sale had to cancel his scheduled bullpen session on June 7 due to a stomach bug. He was originally supposed to face live batters on June 10, but that could now be pushed back a day or two.

[MongoLikeSox]

Well, I made it through maybe 3 innings before conking out. I woke up on the couch with Strahm pitching with the ghost runner on second and 1 out.

I hope XB is OK. Cora said his normal 'we'll see how he feels tomorrow and go from there' thing.

So Cora finally got to put Houck in for a pair of stress innings like he was trying to do in Oakland before we scored all those late runs. A walk(IBB) and a hit in 2 IP. I'm kind of hoping we don't get to see him tonight. Prevent some burnout.

4IP for Whitlock. Strikes out the side in the 4th to end the night with 71 pitches. Curious to know if he was starting to cruise, or did Cora tell him it was his last inning and to air it out.

[longgame]

I got a little further but not much.  I heard some talk that Houck may be a closer candidate and they're working him into higher leverage situations. 

I think Whitlock thinks too much about being a starter and doesn't pitch as aggressively as he does when he's a reliever.  Hopefully they'll encourage him to get the same mentality and take it a batter at a time.

[SeaBeachFred]

Strahm might be auditioning for closer if Alex can't convince Whitlock to take the role.  He came into the game in the 10th with a runner on second and went right through the Angels order, one, two, three.  Hard to remember that  happening very often and he did very well and the team came back  to win on the road for its fifth in a row away from home.  Just a warning to you Cora if you' re tuning in.  When you get your pet Hansel Robles back, you DO NOT PITCH HIM IN THE NINTH INNING WITH A ONE RUN LEAD......NEVER, EVER.  I hope you remember that since the guy has failed just about every time in that role.  OTOH, it was a good win and guarantees us nothing worse than an even break in this series.  Now it is up to the team not to let down and for Nate to go out there and help the team keep this line moving.  If we keep playing like this we ought to be in pretty good shape tonight.

[Sea Dog 23]

I’ll cut Whitlock some slack.  He gave up a 2-run blast to Trout in the 1st.  That’s ok, many pitchers get abused by a big timer like Trout.  BTW Trout is supposed to miss tonight.  Shoulder I think.