GAME #20 - THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2022 - BOSTON RED SOX @ TORONTO BLUE JAYS

[markj]

3:07PM Eastern

Red Sox

Garrett Whitlock (R)

1. Trevor Story (R) 2B
2. Alex Verdugo (L) LF
3. Rafael Devers (L) 3B
4. Enrique Hernandez (R) CF
5. Jackie Bradley Jr. (L) RF
6. Christian Arroyo (R) SS
7. Bobby Dalbec (R) 1B
8. Travis Shaw (L) DH
9. Christian Vazquez (R) C

Blue Jays

Alek Manoah (R)

1. George Springer (R) DH
2. Bo Bichette (R) SS
3. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (R) LF
4. Raimel Tapia (L) RF
5. Matt Chapman (R) 3B
6. Alejandro Kirk (R) C
7. Santiago Espinal (R) 2B
8. Gosuke Katoh (L) 1B
9. Bradley Zimmer (L) CF

Gametime Temp: 46°F
Chance of Precip: 0%

[markj]

Earlier start time.

[longgame]

So take out the hottest hitter, Bogey, who is hitting .398 with an OPS of .955 and had 4 hits, with the 0-for-the-season Shaw.  Dalbec outslugs him with his 10 hits in 62ABs which is right there with Bradley at 9 hits in 60 ABs.  Add in a day game/getaway game, the Sox will be swinging early and often and on the plane home by 5:30.

[Sea Dog 23]

I don’t know for sure but Bogey fouled a pitch off his shin bone in the 1st or 2nd inning Wed night. It might have been real tender overnight. Just guessing. But he is about the only batter that can see the ball right now.  Maybe add JDM, but he’s just getting back and swinging at everything.  All of a sudden Raffy is missing fastballs.

[longgame]

Meanwhile, Martin Perez took a no-no into the 7th.  7IP, 2 hits, 1 run against the Astros.  Maybe we should hire the Rangers' pitching coach?

[Sea Dog 23]

Both teams must have tired legs playing at night, then follows the early start today.  It's 1-0 Jays in the 6th.  Our makeshift lineup is showing as well.

[markj]

The only way to win with one run is to play a deadbats team like the Red Sox.  sigh

[elktonnick]

Your team isn't hitting so let's sit our best hitter and play a guy who hasn't gotten a hit all year long.  Genius managing

[longgame]

Predictable result.  Maybe the Sox should petition the league to start every inning with a runner on 2B to give them a fighting chance?

[Sea Dog 23]

Based on my math Sox are 6-11 vs ALE so far.  They haven’t played O’s yet, but they have to play the other three clubs about another 45 times.  A tough start for a team that had such a good ending last year.

[elktonnick]

Cora continues to parade out pitchers for three or four batters.  You can not maintain a sharp bullpen when you limit your starters to three or four innings and change relievers every inning.  Like I have said for the last several years, the Sox approach towards the way they manage their pitchers is unsustainable and just plain nuts.

[SeaBeachFred]

Cora continues to parade out pitchers for three or four batters.  You can not maintain a sharp bullpen when you limit your starters to three or four innings and change relievers every inning.  Like I have said for the last several years, the Sox approach towards the way they manage their pitchers is unsustainable and just plain nuts.

But Cora considers himself the smartest man in the room when in actuality he has developed a bad case of hubris.  Besides I don't like the guy at all which makes it even worse from my point of view.  A seemingly know-it-all who is nothing better than a rotten cheater and he is getting his just desserts now.  Unfortunately Elk and the rest of my colleagues on board, he's taking the rest of us down with him.

[Sea Dog 23]

Cora is surely a flawed manager.  But if the Sox lose the series to Baltimore, the blame game could fall on Bloom.  He is likely to take the fall for this mess of a team and get himself fired.

  Jon Thomase article today doesnt find much of anything Bloom did right in the off-season.  Its early yes.  But Id have to be a glass spilling over the top guy to see anything in this dysfunctional group of pieces that Chaim has put his name on.

[elktonnick]

Right on! He has the NLs best defensive shortstop playing a poor defensive 2nd base. He has an excellent 2nd baseman playing centerfield. He has an outstanding defensive centerfielder and terrible hitter playing right field.  He has an awful hitter and very mediocre defensive 1st baseman starting.  His off season moves were all headscratchers

[longgame]

Right on! He has the NLs best defensive shortstop playing a poor defensive 2nd base. He has an excellent 2nd baseman playing centerfield. He has an outstanding defensive centerfielder and terrible hitter playing right field.  He has an awful hitter and very mediocre defensive 1st baseman starting.  His off season moves were all headscratchers

And it's not like these issues creeped up on him, we all were talking about this all last season and into the offseason. 

The best CF they have is in RF and can't hit.

They have two 1B who can't hit.

2B and CF are out of position.

Two of their best pitchers on paper are out for at least half of the season and there's not guarantee they will be able to contribute.  See also Chris Sale last year, but we're repeating that times two.

The bullpen continues to suck with no answers - they need a closer.  We've been through this in other seasons.  Closer by committee has never worked because it means you don't have someone good enough to be a closer!

Our starters often can't pitch efficiently and even if they do, they get yanked earlier.

The good news is it's early, the bad news is I have no faith in Bloom and Henry to make any effective moves.