GAME #45 - THURSDAY, MAY 20, 2021 - BOSTON RED SOX @ TORONTO BLUE JAYS

BoSoxFanNY · May 20, 2021, 10:06:20 PM

WOW!
What a game.

I must admit I thought we were going to lose
this game AND this team came thru in the top
of the 9th by scoring 3 runs! Thank you JD Martinez.

And thank you - Matt Barnes for the save.
Strikeout, strikeout, walk (oh my) and strikeout!

GOOD WIN!
PHEW . . .

MongoLikeSox · May 20, 2021, 10:12:29 PM

Anyone else notice the direction of those hits? Nice to see them not yanking those bad maniac swings.

I thought we were about to see the re-emergence of the old Barnes. Nope. He got PO'd and rifled two heaters and game over. He'll be able to go back to that one for months. Awesome!!!

elktonnick · May 20, 2021, 10:18:53 PM

I think we have to recognize that this team is a better one than we (or at least me) thought they would be in March. Secondly playing in that ball park was a real throwback to playing in the old ball parks of the 30s, 40s or 50s. It was quirky as hell. The Jays knew the yard but Boston learned how to win there. Two out three from a good Jays team is a fine piece of baseball.

SeaBeachFred · May 20, 2021, 11:24:14 PM

Quote from: markj on May 20, 2021, 10:03:45 PM
And he does it. Sox pull off a win. How about that?

Yea, how about that. I was almost pleading with JDM through my TV set to keep the thing going and instead deposits one in the seats for an 8-7 comeback win after Barnes pitches a strong ninth inning to wrap it up. Didn't like the two out walk though. We win the series and I like that. Four teams are pushing against each other in the AL East and you wonder if one of the teams will finally break from the pack.

MongoLikeSox · May 21, 2021, 06:54:38 AM

Quote from: SeaBeachFred on May 20, 2021, 11:24:14 PM
Quote from: markj on May 20, 2021, 10:03:45 PM
And he does it. Sox pull off a win. How about that?

Yea, how about that. I was almost pleading with JDM through my TV set to keep the thing going and instead deposits one in the seats for an 8-7 comeback win after Barnes pitches a strong ninth inning to wrap it up. Didn't like the two out walk though. We win the series and I like that. Four teams are pushing against each other in the AL East and you wonder if one of the teams will finally break from the pack.

I was totally fine with JD swinging firmly enough to deposit one the way he did. It was his head down, drive it back through the middle type of swing that is him at his best IMO.
Good thought on the AL East. I'm not sure who it could be. Big holes everywhere. Kind of an ugly year.

MongoLikeSox · May 21, 2021, 07:11:08 AM

Quote from: markj on May 20, 2021, 09:38:47 PM
WTF? Hernandez stands at the plate with 2 on and no outs in the 9th inning and watches 6 pitches in a row go by to get called out on strikes? What is he thinking? iono thumb_d

I've been thinking about this. He was in similar positions plenty this year and was made to look foolish for wild swings. So now he tries to do a smart baseball thing by trying to draw a walk. OK, I'm down with that as part of an overall plan. Still gotta protect the plate, swing in control if all else fails.

In the end, I think this is all about him trying to do the new to him lead-off hitter thing that's asked of him and it's messing with his head. It's not how he got here. He's never been asked to do this and it's never been his game. This should sound familiar with how they messed with Benetendi.

Ask them and most other players to get more walks, practice patience, hit a pitch and it's a slow, gradual thing. Put a player in at lead-off and he had better get used to the idea my the end of April or there's hell to pay. Maybe it's time for Cora to admit defeat on the paradigm of manufacturing lead-off hitters.

longgame · May 21, 2021, 07:55:23 AM

Quote from: markj on May 20, 2021, 08:45:53 PM
Bases loaded and Cora brings in Darwinzon? This can't be good.

I was shocked too but somehow he held it. It just shows you we have nobody who can put out a fire.

Sawamura looked like he was going to keel over? Looked like a 50 something guy mowing the lawn on a 95 degree day. His motion starts him way off on the left of the rubber and he falls downhill to the third base line. That has his arm slot moving from the left side of the plate to the far right side as he releases. When he does this he has no control but when he falls off more forward he throws strikes. You can see it pitch to pitch.

longgame · May 21, 2021, 07:57:31 AM

Quote from: markj on May 20, 2021, 09:38:47 PM
WTF? Hernandez stands at the plate with 2 on and no outs in the 9th inning and watches 6 pitches in a row go by to get called out on strikes? What is he thinking? iono thumb_d

One of the worst at bats I've seen. Good pitches, terrible plate protection. I couldn't believe he was just watching them sail by like that. Thankfully they rallied for a change. I was get concerned that much like when they win 2 games of a 3 game series, they also let up when they get ahead figuring the lead will hold.

Sea Dog 23 · May 21, 2021, 08:31:28 AM

I was thinking at the end, if this game was at Fenway, do they fold and just lose 7-5. But this team has resilience on the road, for whatever reason. I was impressed with Valdez coming in to rescue Darwinzon and go 1.1 giving up just the one hit.

MongoLikeSox · May 21, 2021, 09:25:22 AM

Part of the road resilience might be trying too hard at home. Just looking at two games, the approach was different in the 9th.

On to Philly. Talk about a team having some issues. Segura snubbed Girardi by refusing to join the group hug on the mound thing is just the beginning. Just primed to get ticked off and pick us off after a riding high win. (last statement was offered to appease the baseball deities....)

SeaBeachFred · May 21, 2021, 03:16:39 PM

Quote from: MongoLikeSox on May 21, 2021, 06:54:38 AM
Quote from: SeaBeachFred on May 20, 2021, 11:24:14 PM
Quote from: markj on May 20, 2021, 10:03:45 PM
And he does it. Sox pull off a win. How about that?

Yea, how about that. I was almost pleading with JDM through my TV set to keep the thing going and instead deposits one in the seats for an 8-7 comeback win after Barnes pitches a strong ninth inning to wrap it up. Didn't like the two out walk though. We win the series and I like that. Four teams are pushing against each other in the AL East and you wonder if one of the teams will finally break from the pack.
I was totally fine with JD swinging firmly enough to deposit one the way he did. It was his head down, drive it back through the middle type of swing that is him at his best IMO.
Good thought on the AL East. I'm not sure who it could be. Big holes everywhere. Kind of an ugly year.

Well I was sitting in desperation city with JDM at the plate in the ninth inning and a home run was the last thing I expected MLS. I just wanted the inning to continue so we might just catch lightning in a bottle. I wound up getting the ultimate prize when he went deep. It was a great comeback win against a very good team in my opinion. Sometimes you get more than what you hope for. I only wishwe would get that kind of good stuf more often.

SeaBeachFred · May 21, 2021, 03:22:55 PM

Quote from: elktonnick on May 20, 2021, 10:18:53 PM
I think we have to recognize that this team is a better one than we (or at least me) thought they would be in March. Secondly playing in that ball park was a real throwback to playing in the old ball parks of the 30s, 40s or 50s. It was quirky as hell. The Jays knew the yard but Boston learned how to win there. Two out three from a good Jays team is a fine piece of baseball.

You're so right Elk but what I would love to know is if we are really a decent team that can challenge for an AL East Title. Right now I have some doubts because of the weakness and depth of our bullpen. That is why I was encouraged by what Valdez did last night as compared to the shoddy work of others of late. I think we will need two more solid relievers, either through trade or for two to suddenly emerge to help Barnes and Ottovino out. Hernandez scares the shit out of me with his control or lack of it while Saramura (sic) looks like he's pitching softball much of the time. I hope that in this upcoming Phillies series we can show the same hunger and determination we showed in these last two games after looking so crappy in the opener against the Blue Jays.

SeaBeachFred · May 21, 2021, 03:26:36 PM

Quote from: Sea Dog 23 on May 21, 2021, 08:31:28 AM
I was thinking at the end, if this game was at Fenway, do they fold and just lose 7-5. But this team has resilience on the road, for whatever reason. I was impressed with Valdez coming in to rescue Darwinzon and go 1.1 giving up just the one hit.

We needed Valdez to hold the fort so we could rally in the ninth---which was most certainly not a foregone conclusion that we could. If he had failed JD's homer would have been for naught. One of the mysteries of this season is how we seem to play better on the road that at home, but that was the way it seems to have been since that great 2018 season.