GAME #82, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 2019, CHICAGO WHITE SOX @ BOSTON RED SOX

[elktonnick]

You always go into a game with a plan, or at least you should.  It appears that the Manager had slotted Barnes to close from the outset.  O'Brien himself noted how little success Barnes has had in a closers role.  Braisier had only thrown 16 pitches the day before.  Barnes had also pitched yesterday as well.  He had 19 pitches. So it came down to Braisier vs Barnes. 

Coming into the game Braisier had 7 saves and 3 blown saves whereas Barnes had 4 save vs 5 blown saves.  It is no secret that the Manager favors Barnes relying him for the heart of the order and I have no problem with that except when it comes in the final inning.  Based on performance figures for thus far this year, Barnes fails more often than not in save situations.  The results seem to overwhelming suggest that Barnes can not handle being the closer, hence Braisier was the better choice unless injured. 

Admittedly the manager did not have a lights out closer at his disposal as Red Sox managers have had in years past but given the data, he clearly chose poorly today. 

[SeaBeachFred]

Who else should Cora have put in there?  I agree Barnes isn’t the guy but the problem is they don’t have that guy.

Who should have Cora put in?????  How about who he should NOT have put in!!!!!!!!  Simply put, anyone but Barnes.  HOw many God damn games does he have to blow for us  for Alfred E. to learn that this is NOT the guy.?

[BoSoxFanNY]

16 BLOWN saves.
IF the Red Sox had won just half - 8 of those games,
the Red Sox would be in first place in the AL EAST.

FRUSTRATING!

AND this game -
SALE gives up 5 runs -
WHAT is going on with him?
Sox come back in the bottom of the 8th inning
AND the bullpen BLOWS it again.
DAMN

[Sea Dog 23]

So we need a dedicated closer.  There's some sentiment about  Eovaldi returns as the closer.  After the ASB it's gonna take time to get him in starting shape.  The BP gives him that lane.

If that's the solution, we need to trade for a middle or back end SP.

[longgame]

So we need a dedicated closer.  There's some sentiment about  Eovaldi returns as the closer.  After the ASB it's gonna take time to get him in starting shape.  The BP gives him that lane.

If that's the solution, we need to trade for a middle or back end SP.

Interesting idea but you have to wonder if getting him up and down every other day is the best thing for his recovering arm as well.  But they need to do something and I'm not sure of his timetable yet.  Last I head he was throwing off of flat ground.   I think they need to trade for a closer.  The sooner the better. 

[SeaBeachFred]

I'm not at my wits end guys but I'm getting closer to it with every disappointing game and blown save.  One thing should be clear.  Cora's insistence that Barnes be the closer is a house build on loose sand.   The guy is NOT closer material.  He does at times pitch well in the seventh or eighth innings but  the thought of this guy coming into the game to save it in the ninth gives the fans, teammates and Barnes himself a bad case of the shakes.  On thing Cora has to understand now is that he must NOT ever use Barnes in the ninth inning ever again.  We might try one of the young guys in that role once in awhile because we know Meatball and Brasier are not of the stuff to do that job even though the Brasman  has on some occasions....but many times he hasn't.

[longgame]

I'm not at my wits end guys but I'm getting closer to it with every disappointing game and blown save.  One thing should be clear.  Cora's insistence that Barnes be the closer is a house build on loose sand.   The guy is NOT closer material.  He does at times pitch well in the seventh or eighth innings but  the thought of this guy coming into the game to save it in the ninth gives the fans, teammates and Barnes himself a bad case of the shakes.  On thing Cora has to understand now is that he must NOT ever use Barnes in the ninth inning ever again.  We might try one of the young guys in that role once in awhile because we know Meatball and Brasier are not of the stuff to do that job even though the Brasman  has on some occasions....but many times he hasn't.

What I don't get is that it's clear to anyone who is a fan of this game for some time, and that includes everyone of us, is that "closer by committee" doesn't work, never has, never will; and also that the closer takes a certain mentality.  My problem is we don't have that guy on our staff.  Not Brasier who is too inconsistent, or Workman who walks to many or any of the other guys who still can't seem to get a clean inning in any situation. 
I'll continue to maintain that Dombrowski is guilty of GM malpractice by not filling out a full roster on a championship team.  He didn't have to do much - shore up the rotation, get a closer, get a second baseman.  Those were the needs in November and remain the needs today.   They got bailed out with Chavis coming up somewhat on the infield issue. 

[markj]

Maybe they should consider Eovaldi in the closer role. Less stress on his arm and he seems to be the one person on the staff who may have the mentality required.

[SeaBeachFred]

Eovaldi can be one of our best starters if he is healthy and comes back soon.  We need to trade for a closer, and if we have to trade someone e like Bradley, Vazquez, or Nunez and a prospect or two then it must be done.  We cannot go this "closer by committee any more.  For God's sake didn't this team learn a friggin' thing from 2003 when we tried this stupid way of figuring out who to close.  You know?????  If we had not blown just half of those 16 potential saves we would be right in the thick of  the pennant race for the AL East crown.DD has done a very good job as our head of    Baseball Operations for the most part, but, remember, he could not build a good relief staff when he was in Detroit and it cost him two WS titles.  Hr needs to improve on this.