GAME #55 - WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2, 2021 - BOSTON RED SOX @ HOUSTON ASTROS

[markj]

8:10PM Eastern

Red Sox

Nick Pivetta (R)

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

Astros

Framber Valdez (L)

1. Jose Altuve (R) DH
2. Carlos Correa (R) SS
3. Alex Bregman (R) 3B
4. Yordan Alvarez (L) LF
5. Yuli Gurriel (R) 1B
6. Kyle Tucker (L) RF
7. Robel Garcia (S) 2B
8. Myles Straw (R) CF
9. Martin Maldonado (R) C


Gametime Temp: 65°F
Chance of Precip: 2%

[SeaBeachFred]

8:10PM Eastern

Red Sox

Nick Pivetta (R)

Astros

Framber Valdez (L)

Gametime Temp: 65°F
Chance of Precip: 2%

Bring us some good tidings tonight Markj-----PLEASE!!!!!!!

[longgame]

Kike "First Out" Hernandez still leading off.

Then the 4 guys who can hit.

Then we slide down Vazquez to 8th so that there's a chance to break up the chasm from Renfroe back to Hernandez. 

[Sea Dog 23]

Actually we’re having struggles getting anybody to hit past Verdugo lately.  From JD, Bogey and Raffy they were 0-12 last night.  Same guys 0-9 on Monday.  That tells me we’ve been scouted and are getting nothing but pitcher’s pitches.

[Schloicka]

Pivetta pitched very well tonight. Cost himself a run with a wild pitch but can't complain. Looks confident. Just goes after it.

[markj]

Vaz guns down a runner to keep the Sox in range. Now's their last chance.

[markj]

Dead bats = No win.

4 runs in this series after 3 games. Pretty sad.

[BoSoxFanNY]

CRAP - another loss.
They had the Astros pitcher in a tight spot in the 1st inning
AND only scored on a walked in run.

DANG IT!
WHAT has happened to our bats?

Pivetta pitched well enough - 2 runs.
Can't win games without run support.

Meanwhile the Yankees beat the Rays again . . .

[SeaBeachFred]

Four runs in three games tells us all we need to know, and now we see when we need Bogaerts the most he folds like a tent.  I knew we would lose tonight, you can just feel it.  Tomorrow the filthy Cheater will have Cruddy Kiki back at leadoff to and to his recent 0-28 run and don't be surprised if he puts his pet Marvelous Marwin back in the lineup as well.  I will NOT watch the game tomorrow because I know what is going to happen and it won't be pretty----and get ready to lose three more this weekend to a suddenly resurging Yankees.  We are headed for a free fall but it may help send the filthy Cheater out of Boston.  As all of you know I never wanted him back in the first place.  You fire a cheater and then you hire him back?  Does Prune Face have shit for brains?

[MongoLikeSox]

So, is it just me, or has there been a bit of attitude coming from these little zoom meetings when Cora is asked questions that he doesn't want to talk about. Sadly, if he can't get these guys to get out of this selfish, jumpy style of hitting, nobody can. I think. Or, maybe that's what's coming down from upon high.

Watching the Astros with bases loaded - contact first baseball. In related news, the AL raised their batting average 3-4 points in May. up to .237 . The Sox dropped 15-20, down to .257 now.

This team is pressing again. Maybe it's still pressing. Can't seem to get any traction. All's it took was a rain-out and a plane ride to get these guys to go from feeling on top of the world to the state we're in.

We're at least weeks away from seeing Duran, as has been mentioned. He's got Olympic Qualifiers this week. Him and Casas. I'm sure they'd want him to hit a couple more weeks in AAA to make sure he's back to some sort of routine. He's not been consistent, though I think his K numbers might be down. Part of me wishes there was still a path for the .300 hitter version of him to get to the bigs. He was a big average guy before revamping his swing in an effort to match the desires of the baseball world. Can't blame him a bit.

[Sea Dog 23]

I don’t know what all caused the Sox offense to nosedive, but Sox batters are now last in the AL in drawing walks and poor Kiké’ remains at leadoff.  I’ll also give credit to Brent Storm the Astros pitching coach.  He’s figured out all our flaws in one series.  Cora a magician, not so much.

[longgame]

After 4 runs in 3 games we've got the notorious dreaded getaway day game which means they've already mailed it in and now are thinking about losing to the Yankees.

Nothing says a bad Red Sox team like having a lead over the Yankees and then blowing it just in time to go to NY.  Third place by the weekend, maybe 4th.

SeaDog it's simple - these guys hack at everything.  They face a guy who is all over the place with a breaking ball and they swing like he's throwing a fastball every time.  Then there's my pet peeve of swinging right away when you see a guy for the first time.  Let him throw you a strike and see what his pitches do.  Of course we also have the swing for the fences syndrome once someone gets on base.  Get a base hit, move the line, get the ball in play.  These are simple concepts.

The bottom line is there are a few talented guys who are slumping and the rest just aren't very good.

[elktonnick]

Your bottom line says it all.  Watching the Astros foul ball after ball should have told Boston hitters something.  But they were all stuck on stupid.