GAME #85 - SUNDAY, JULY 4, 2021 - BOSTON RED SOX @ OAKLAND ATHLETICS

[markj]

4:07PM Eastern

Red Sox

Nick Pivetta (R)
1. Enrique Hernandez (R) CF
2. Alex Verdugo (L) RF
3. J.D. Martinez (R) DH
4. Rafael Devers (L) 3B
5. Christian Vazquez (R) C
6. Marwin Gonzalez (S) SS
7. Danny Santana (S) LF
8. Bobby Dalbec (R) 1B
9. Michael Chavis (R) 2B

Athletics

James Kaprielian (R)

1. Tony Kemp (L) 2B
2. Elvis Andrus (R) SS
3. Matt Olson (L) 1B
4. Matt Chapman (R) 3B
5. Jed Lowrie (S) DH
6. Ramon Laureano (R) CF
7. Seth Brown (L) RF
8. Chad Pinder (R) LF
9. Aramis Garcia (R) C

Gametime Temp: 79°F
Chance of Precip: 0%

[Schloicka]

Santana, Dalbec & Chavis in the same lineup? That's 9-10 automatic outs. Most likely k's. Oh almost forgot Marwin.

[markj]

Superb effort by Pivetta. Let's hope they don't waste it.

[markj]

Whitlock done good. Now we need an insurance run or two.

[markj]

Santana, Dalbec & Chavis in the same lineup? That's 9-10 automatic outs. Most likely k's.

Gonzalez with 4k's today.

[markj]

Ugh. No insurance runs. One run lead going into the bottom of the 9th. Do your job, Barnes.

[Schloicka]

Xman should of hit in the 9th for someone.

[Schloicka]

Hell of a series. 3 very close games. Could of gone either way. 2 of 3 is nothing to sneeze at.

[elktonnick]

Nice win considering the automatic outs that littered the Sox lineup.

[SeaBeachFred]

Hell of a series. 3 very close games. Could of gone either way. 2 of 3 is nothing to sneeze at.

No George, two of three is nothing to sneeze at, and I'll take that most any time.  I can't speak for anyone else but last night's loss left me in a deep and angry funk while I waited today to see if we could have a game we would love.  Scary but I really felt great about our win today, especially considering that Renfroe and Bogaerts, two of our better hitters, were on the pine.  Couldn't understand that but w ith the win I will keep my opinions on that to myself.  It is great to win those low scoring one run games even if you're a nervous wreck waiting for it to hopefully with your team getting the win.

[Sea Dog 23]

I think Bush and Cora fear tired arms in the bullpen.  We used Andriese last night instead of Barnes, and he choked. But Barnes was fresh today when called on.  I think we’re still missing a setup guy in the pen.  Andriese  never will be the answer.  Brasier is still out and hasn’t pitched all year. 
When Sale returns, I think they’ll put Perez or Pivetta in a bullpen spot with maybe Houck as a backup.

But Pivetta has been a blessing.  The Sox have been in three 1-0 games this year, and Pivetta pitched all of those.  The win over deGrom and the Mets. Nick’s no-hitter, lost on Barnes wild pitch.  And today’s gem, giving only 4 hits.

[MongoLikeSox]

Man, what a series. Three tight ballgames.
Barnes is struggling like others this past month for obvious reasons, is my guess.
I had a different emotion when Andriese waltzed out the other night. It was more desperation than anger. I already knew Barnes was unavailable. I couldn't believe this was it. Alas......

So, With Andriese being very close to the get fixed or get gone deadline, there looks to only be one choice. Houck. I say that, because with Pivetta's history, that's the last thing I would do. They fixed a pitcher the Phillies could never get through to. Part of the reason was letting him be a starter right up front, and that's that. No way he's to be sent out to the pen when he's pitching decently enough to keep his job. That would ruin everything.

I think they go to a 6-man when Sale comes up.

We can't afford 4 #9 hitters in the same lineup. Something has got to give with those options.

[Schloicka]

Lucky to get a win Sunday as our 1st 4 hitters were a combined 5/15 in hits with 1 walk and 1 k & our 5-9 hitters were 1/18 in hits with 0 walks and 10 k's. Luckily the other team was just as bad Sunday. I can give Vaz a break but I never want to see Gonzalez, Santana, Dalbec and Chavis in the same lineup again. We may have been giving Xman and Renfroe the day off but when we needed an insurance run after Devers doubled to lead off the inning it was time for them to pinch hit. Not send up Gonzalez and Santana as 2 of your next 3 hitters.

[MongoLikeSox]

speaking of Vaz, did you see him cost Barnes a possible called 3rd strike on Chapman(IIRC)? Low, outside corner almost all the way in the strike zone and he chooses that pitch to do a fake snap-throw to first. That should have been the second out and could have been if the umpire had any time to see any sort of minimal framing.

[longgame]

Lucky to get a win Sunday as our 1st 4 hitters were a combined 5/15 in hits with 1 walk and 1 k & our 5-9 hitters were 1/18 in hits with 0 walks and 10 k's. Luckily the other team was just as bad Sunday. I can give Vaz a break but I never want to see Gonzalez, Santana, Dalbec and Chavis in the same lineup again. We may have been giving Xman and Renfroe the day off but when we needed an insurance run after Devers doubled to lead off the inning it was time for them to pinch hit. Not send up Gonzalez and Santana as 2 of your next 3 hitters.

I was about to point out the same.  Those bottom 4 guys are beyond awful.  As I've been saying, at least Dalbec has potential.  Chavis was once promising but can't see him sticking around much longer.  There's nothing more any of us can say about either Gonzalez or Santana.  They're both just not worthy of being in the majors and certainly not on a first place team.  Just imagine having two guys who can hit and don't embarrass themselves in the field and on the basepaths, pretty much every single freaking game they are in. 

Pivetta is having a great season.  With Eovaldi and Pivetta, we just need to get E-Rod's head screwed on right and hopefully have Sale later in the year.  I have no faith in Richards from pitch to pitch and Perez is a pretty good number 5 guy. 

Big plus of this game was rebounding after a tough loss.  Even though they practically gave that game away on multiple occassions, it's pretty tough to get through 3 extra innings against the home team with the new baserunner rule.  They won the night before in extras so I'll take that.  Plus I'll take winning 9 out of 10 any time.