GAME #3 - SUNDAY, APRIL 4, 2021 - BALTIMORE ORIOLES @ BOSTON RED SOX

[markj]

1:10PM Eastern

Red Sox

Garrett Richards (R)

1. Enrique Hernandez (R) CF
2. Alex Verdugo (L) LF
3. J.D. Martinez (R) DH
4. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS
5. Marwin Gonzalez (S) 3B
6. Hunter Renfroe (R) RF
7. Christian Vazquez (R) C
8. Bobby Dalbec (R) 1B
9. Christian Arroyo (R) 2B

Orioles

Bruce Zimmermann (L)

1. Cedric Mullins (L) CF
2. Trey Mancini (R) 1B
3. Anthony Santander (S) RF
4. Ryan Mountcastle (R) DH
5. Rio Ruiz (L) 2B
6. Maikel Franco (R) 3B
7. Freddy Galvis (S) SS
8. Austin Hays (R) LF
9. Chance Sisco (L) C

Gametime Temp: 53°F
Chance of Precip: 0%

[Bill-806]

Looks like DEVERS with a day off for REFLECTION !!!  3RD base is not for the "FAINT OF HEART" !!!!! 3 years now ??? Come on man,you can't keep HURTING the PITCHERS like this ....... TRADE HIM NOW, GRASSHOPPER !!!!! iono iono sigh sigh

[Sea Dog 23]

Looks like DEVERS with a day off for REFLECTION !!!  3RD base is not for the "FAINT OF HEART" !!!!! 3 years now ??? Come on man,you can't keep HURTING the PITCHERS like this ....... TRADE HIM NOW, GRASSHOPPER !!!!! iono iono sigh sigh

Devers is in his contract year I think.  His asking price is probably plummeting right before our eyes.   sigh

[longgame]

The good news is the pitching hasn't stunk too badly.  I figured they had depth in starting pitching, a terrible bullpen but a potentially good offense.  Clearly the worry has to be the offense, with most of the guys having some pop, but only maybe 3 guys who can hit for average and you're lucky to get them going at the same time (Bogey, Devers and JDM).  But the terrible defense can't continue either.

Not sure what's happening.  Guys got a lot of time in spring training.  Devers is a severe liability in the field but you don't JDM in the OF either, so they have two DH's.  Bogey has always been good, not great.  Arroyo and Hernandez don't seem to bring plus defense to 2B and I can't say much about Dalbec other than every play he seems to be doing a good job of grabbing throws that are going all over the place.

Sox need to wake up and get it in gear today.

[Sea Dog 23]

Well Richards crumbled in the 1st.  31 pitches, 3 runs, 4 hits.   I guess the covid quarantine set him back.  But they put him out there today.

[SeaBeachFred]

Looks like DEVERS with a day off for REFLECTION !!!  3RD base is not for the "FAINT OF HEART" !!!!! 3 years now ??? Come on man,you can't keep HURTING the PITCHERS like this ....... TRADE HIM NOW, GRASSHOPPER !!!!! iono iono sigh sigh

Devers is in his contract year I think.  His asking price is probably plummeting right before our eyes.   sigh

There must be no more talk of extending him a new contract.  He seems to be actually regressing on all fronts and CANNOT PLAY THIRD BASE.  He is a DH PERIOD!!!!!

[SeaBeachFred]

The good news is the pitching hasn't stunk too badly.  I figured they had depth in starting pitching, a terrible bullpen but a potentially good offense.  Clearly the worry has to be the offense, with most of the guys having some pop, but only maybe 3 guys who can hit for average and you're lucky to get them going at the same time (Bogey, Devers and JDM).  But the terrible defense can't continue either.

Not sure what's happening.  Guys got a lot of time in spring training.  Devers is a severe liability in the field but you don't JDM in the OF either, so they have two DH's.  Bogey has always been good, not great.  Arroyo and Hernandez don't seem to bring plus defense to 2B and I can't say much about Dalbec other than every play he seems to be doing a good job of grabbing throws that are going all over the place.

Sox need to wake up and get it in gear today.

Sorry Ted---not today.  Tomorrow maybe ....or maybe not.

[Sea Dog 23]

After the debacle of Richard's and Taylor today, there was one shining moment, Garrett Whitlock in a relief appearance.  One scout really did their homework, and the Yanks gave up on him.

"Garrett Whitlock is the first Red Sox pitcher ever to allow 0 runs, issue 0 walks, and strike out 5+ batters (3.1 IP) in a Major League debut. He had never pitched above Double-A in the regular season prior to today."

[elktonnick]

Besides the pitching collapse, I thought Verdugo misplayed the ball in the first which did not help the pitcher any.  I think Cora needs to have his outfielders play one field until they get acclimated to Fenway.  I have seen more misplayed balls in the outfield this ST and now than in the last ten years.

[SeaBeachFred]

Besides the pitching collapse, I thought Verdugo misplayed the ball in the first which did not help the pitcher any.  I think Cora needs to have his outfielders play one field until they get acclimated to Fenway.  I have seen more misplayed balls in the outfield this ST and now than in the last ten years.

And Verdugo was batting second again, a position in the order that he has not done anything in except to embarrass himself.  He hit leadoff last season and hit 308.  Can't Cora or any of the coaches see second spot in the order is kryptonite to the guy?

[Sea Dog 23]

The batting leader's in the Grapefruit League can't translate that to Boston.  Is playing in Fenway that intimidating for the new guys and some vets?  Something is amiss and I don't think it was that great O's pitching, including Matt Harvey.

Leadoff (Hernandez) - 1/10, 2 BB, SF, 0.331 OPS
Second (Verdugo, Franchy PH) - 0/12, 0.000 OPS
Clean-up (Xander) - 1/12, 0.167 OPS
5th (Devers/Marwin) - 0/9, 2 BB, 0.222 OPS
Renfranchy Platoon - 0/11, 0.000 OPS
9th (Dalbec) - 0/10, 1 BB, 0.091 OPS
at least JDM (1.500 OPS)

[Bill-806]

ZERO & THREE , what a start !!!!!!!!  What a mess  !!!  B T W  , tell  manager CORA to take care of his TEAM and stay out of the FOOLISH/STUPID  MLB politics !!!!   iono iono sigh sigh sigh :losers :losers :losers 

[longgame]

Besides the pitching collapse, I thought Verdugo misplayed the ball in the first which did not help the pitcher any.  I think Cora needs to have his outfielders play one field until they get acclimated to Fenway.  I have seen more misplayed balls in the outfield this ST and now than in the last ten years.

Agree 100% on this and have been wondering why we have roving outfielders.  Just because guys can play multiple positions doesn't mean they should.  While I was happy with Spring Training already it appears there needed to be some competition for spots.  Gonzalez vs Devers at 3B.  Arroyo vs Hernandez at 2B.  One guy wins, the other is a bat off the bench.  Unless of course you decide your 2B and 3B can also play OF and then you start moving those guys around.  Maybe some of it is Cordero not being ready yet but they need to decide on who plays what field.

The starting pitching and immediate relief were horrible.  Yes Whitlock was a nice upside.

[longgame]

Then there is the "hitting" or lack thereof.  I'm less worried about batting order at this point, but yesterday the O's pitcher threw 10 or 11 pitches every one of the first 5 innings.  The Sox aren't just going down, they're going down easy.  I had it on the radio and the Sox announcers were saying the pitcher looked very hittable. 

An interesting side note that I heard on the O's broadcast the other night.  MLB did not use the new balls in ST but they are in play now and are supposed to be a little deader.  The Sox radio crew noted about 10 fly balls to left, most of which didn't even reach the wall, which is pretty much unheard of.   The Sox rely on fly balls being wall balls and this could hurt. 

Also, when I had it on the radio I was with my Yankee fan buddy.  At that point both teams were behind 3-0. We kept it on the Sox game until they gave up 6 I think in one inning.  Then we listened to the Yankees lose for a while.

[SeaBeachFred]

I could say something but won't and keep my feelings to myself.  All I will say is that Cora is using his players like a chessboard pieces  and there seems to be no continuity to where many of them are playing.  Plus, I never wanted that cheater back managing the team in the first place.  Well, I guess I said more than I should have.