GAME #150, BOSTON RED SOX AT BALTIMORE ORIOLES

Started by Bear, September 18, 2017, 12:28:52 AM

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Bear

RED SOX V ORIOLES

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2017, 7 PM AT ORIOLE PARK

TV:  NESN, MLBN, (OUT-OF-MARKET ONLY), MASN, MLBN

BOSTON, (85-64)........................................................................................BALTIMORE, (73-77)

BOSTON:

DOUG FISTER, RHP, 5/8, 4.40 ERA, 69K

Fister hit a bump in the road against Oakland, giving up six runs over
four innings in his last start.  Before that, he had thrown seven innings in
four straight starts, giving up five runs total in that span (a-1.50 ERA).

BALTIMORE:

DYLAN BUNDY, RHP, 13-9, 4.03 ERA, 150K

The righty struck out eight across six frames of one-run ball Tuesday,
taking a no-decision in the Orioles loss to the Blue Jays.

Sox look to tighten East grip behind Fister

Brittany Ghiroli

Doug Fister will try to put his first-inning ghosts behind him as the righty and the American League East-leading Red Sox embark on a key three-game series that they hope will put further distance between them and the Yankees.

Boston heads into Monday's three-game series with Baltimore, which has lost eight of its last 10, with a three-game lead in the division over New York.

Fister has posted a 4.00 second-half ERA, after recording a 6.14 mark in the first half. But he allowed four runs in the first inning on Wednesday night against the A's, lasting just four innings and giving up six runs total. His first-inning ERA this season is now 9.75, and Fister knows teams will try to get to him early.

"I have nothing to explain. I really have no idea," he said Wednesday. "I go out there with the same mentality, the same approach, first inning, last inning, it doesn't matter. It's one of those things, I guess I need to start kicking myself in the shins and being ready in the bullpen and just kind of get mad from the get-go. So I've got to figure that out for myself."

The Orioles will counter with Dylan Bundy, who is coming off a fantastic start. The righty struck out eight across six frames of one-run ball Tuesday, taking a no-decision in the Orioles' loss to the Blue Jays. Bundy will face a Red Sox offense that has averaged six runs per game over its past 10 games.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS GAME

• Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia is slated to be back on the field for the Baltimore series. Pedroia served as the designated hitter on Sunday to keep him off the Tropicana Field turf.

• Fister went seven innings against Baltimore on Aug. 27, holding the O's to five hits and two runs despite taking the loss.

• Bundy will be pitching on extra rest, which the O's have done to stretch out his starts in his first full year as a starter.

http://m.redsox.mlb.com/news/article/254741028/sox-fister-look-to-build-on-east-lead-vs-os/?topicId=26688836

Bear

#1
Red Sox v. Bundy:

Bogaerts SS,
Pedroia 2B,
Benintendi LF,
Betts RF,
Moreland 1B,
Vázquez DH,
Devers 3B,
Leon C,
Bradley Jr. CF,

Fister RHP.

Bear

Betts left Sunday's game with a thumb injury; claims he should be able to play Monday.????

Bill-806

OK Doug, we need a WIN for tonight !!  OH YES, we need more than 3 hits !!! slap rofl

SeaBeachFred

Quote from: Bill-806 on September 18, 2017, 05:02:02 AM
OK Doug, we need a WIN for tonight !!  OH YES, we need more than 3 hits !!! slap rofl

Those first inning problems have me a little concerned Bill, but when Doug has been right he has pitched terrific baseball for us.  I hope we get the good Fister tonight because we need a top notch performance against a team that seems to love to play us and give the Red Sox a bad time.  Hope Mookie is back too because, off season or not, we need him in the final two weeks.

Bear


SeaBeachFred

Quote from: Bear on September 18, 2017, 12:51:40 PM
Betts claims he will play tonite.

Always like to hear good news Bear....Now can you use your good vibes and get us a win tonight?

Rob from Mass

Quote from: SeaBeachFred on September 18, 2017, 08:55:55 AM
Quote from: Bill-806 on September 18, 2017, 05:02:02 AM
OK Doug, we need a WIN for tonight !!  OH YES, we need more than 3 hits !!! slap rofl

Those first inning problems have me a little concerned Bill, but when Doug has been right he has pitched terrific baseball for us.  I hope we get the good Fister tonight because we need a top notch performance against a team that seems to love to play us and give the Red Sox a bad time.  Hope Mookie is back too because, off season or not, we need him in the final two weeks.

Fred,  I sure hope it's an offseason fro Mookie or last season was one not to be seen again. As usual and in all sports when a player comes out of nowhere with a monster season he is dubbed a superstar. Coming into this year he was listed right below Trout which was actually funny to see. I see him being a possible .290 plus hitter but not a 30 plus HR guy.
Sox need to have Raffy work on his defense over the winter. I realize he is young but 35-40 Es in a season has to come down. That's the pace he is on between the minors and the Sox.

Bear

Counting tonight's game, we have 13 games left.

ipot

Quote from: Bear on September 18, 2017, 02:34:41 PM
Counting tonight's game, we have 13 games left.

Oh boy.  Crunch time indeed.  I don't know what to expect with Fister tonight.  He's like Wakefield, except with a sinker ball.  Either on or off.  The bats have to pounce early - again, something that's a tall order.
"Baseball is simple. All you do is sit on your butt, spit tobacco and nod at the stupid things your manager says."
--Bill 'Spaceman' Lee

longgame

Here we go:

1. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS
2. Dustin Pedroia (R) 2B
3. Andrew Benintendi (L) LF
4. Mookie Betts (R) RF
5. Mitch Moreland (L) 1B
6. Christian Vazquez (R) DH
7. Rafael Devers (L) 3B
8. Sandy Leon (S) C
9. Jackie Bradley Jr. (L) CF


Rob from Mass


SeaBeachFred

Quote from: Rob from Mass on September 18, 2017, 02:27:17 PM
Quote from: SeaBeachFred on September 18, 2017, 08:55:55 AM
Quote from: Bill-806 on September 18, 2017, 05:02:02 AM
OK Doug, we need a WIN for tonight !!  OH YES, we need more than 3 hits !!! slap rofl

Those first inning problems have me a little concerned Bill, but when Doug has been right he has pitched terrific baseball for us.  I hope we get the good Fister tonight because we need a top notch performance against a team that seems to love to play us and give the Red Sox a bad time.  Hope Mookie is back too because, off season or not, we need him in the final two weeks.

Fred,  I sure hope it's an offseason fro Mookie or last season was one not to be seen again. As usual and in all sports when a player comes out of nowhere with a monster season he is dubbed a superstar. Coming into this year he was listed right below Trout which was actually funny to see. I see him being a possible .290 plus hitter but not a 30 plus HR guy.
Sox need to have Raffy work on his defense over the winter. I realize he is young but 35-40 Es in a season has to come down. That's the pace he is on between the minors and the Sox.

I'm starting to wonder Rob if the ailments Mookie suddenly said he'd been suffering for two months could be a cause of his less than stellar season (for him anyway) that he's having this year.  He said yesterday that he has not been right for two months.  If so I feel like a fool for getting on him the way I did last week.  You can't play this game hurt.  A shoulder, thumb, hand and leg can lessen a player's hitting prowess and that may be the case with Betts.  Personally I think he is better than he has shown but perhaps not as stalwart as he was last season.   I can see him being a 305-310 hitter with about 25 homers and 30 stolen bases.  If he plays the defense he plays that's plenty good for me.  As for Devers, maybe DH is in his future.  We do have a young MIchael Chavis who had a big year this season down in the minors and he is a pretty good fielding third baseman and a right handed power hitter.  Possible we could get both in the lineup down the road with Travis finall put on first base for a long long look.  That will play itself out one way or another Rob.   Right now I am concerned about this series with the O's.  The swept us in Boston their last go-round with us and I would love to win this series to show them we can beat them too.

Bill-806

Quote from: Rob from Mass on September 18, 2017, 03:12:52 PM
Interesting to see Vaz as the DH.
  I like Vaz's SWING..... Taylor made for Camden yard & Fenway PAAAK  !!! thumb_u rofl

Schloicka

Quote from: Rob from Mass on September 18, 2017, 03:12:52 PM
Interesting to see Vaz as the DH.

Can use Vaz now as a DH because the Sox have Swihart as a 3rd catcher. Gives a lot more flexibility to use Vaz.