GAME #132 - SUNDAY, AUGUST 29, 2021 - BOSTON RED SOX @ CLEVELAND INDIANS

[elktonnick]

Even though it really doesn’t matter, I hate when O’Brien starts going on, as he did in the 7th inning, about ¨how if the Sox win this it will be their 6th season sweep¨ Any baseball player hates the mentions of streaks and statistical anomalies.  Just bad luck to mention stuff like that.

I hate when O'Brien goes on period.  I find him intensely annoying even when the Sox are winning.  When they are losing he is insufferable.

[elktonnick]

Today is what happens when your manager manages the previous two games as if he had 9 good pitchers in the bullpen.
Kudos to upper management for the Robles trade.
I'm not sure I've ever seen two players screwed with so much as I have with Houck and Chavis.Then again, walk 9 times in 73 games (20/21) and, well - two way street to a large extent. Still, it's not pretty.

If Arauze is injured - Munoz (OF'er by trade), Shaw (couple years ago when the Brewers traded for Mustokas) and , um, Santana? Wong played a game there and only had 3 errors. Marwin just signed with the Astros yesterday, so he's not even available for re-hire. Santana has a couple dozen games at 2b. Duran played there in college, but no way they'd do that. Maybe they can sign Sawamura's interpreter to a deal. He's a young man (not Sawamura) and ......  kidding, of course.

Cora's handling of the bullpen has always been his weakest link.  What I can not understand is how Red Sox relievers can consistently walk the leadoff batter.  It defies the law of averages.

[Bill-806]

Another  blown 4 run lead ?????? PITCHING & MANAGEMENT are at the ROOT CAUSE !!! thumb_d thumb_d iono iono sigh sigh sigh sigh

[MongoLikeSox]

Today is what happens when your manager manages the previous two games as if he had 9 good pitchers in the bullpen.
Kudos to upper management for the Robles trade.
I'm not sure I've ever seen two players screwed with so much as I have with Houck and Chavis.Then again, walk 9 times in 73 games (20/21) and, well - two way street to a large extent. Still, it's not pretty.

If Arauze is injured - Munoz (OF'er by trade), Shaw (couple years ago when the Brewers traded for Mustokas) and , um, Santana? Wong played a game there and only had 3 errors. Marwin just signed with the Astros yesterday, so he's not even available for re-hire. Santana has a couple dozen games at 2b. Duran played there in college, but no way they'd do that. Maybe they can sign Sawamura's interpreter to a deal. He's a young man (not Sawamura) and ......  kidding, of course.

Cora's handling of the bullpen has always been his weakest link.  What I can not understand is how Red Sox relievers can consistently walk the leadoff batter.  It defies the law of averages.

I can't help but think what a better hitting team would have done to us over the weekend.

[Sea Dog 23]

There are still key holes showing up on this team,  it would take an HR whiz to keep track.  I saw a good observation, the bullpen has a group of pitchers who are handicapped as far as can’t pitch on consecutive days, and (2) can’t pitch multiple innings. That is a lethal combination when the starters are out of gas in the 5th inning in every game.

[longgame]

I'm really struggling with the idea that a guy can be called a "starter" and get paid big bucks to throw 5 innings on a good day.  This has become pathetic across the league but especially on the Sox.  Houck was great, until the third time through and they lit him up like a switch had been flipped and he turned into Martin Perez.  The bullpen is just bad.  I used to always say that these guys that weren't good enough to be starters.  With the bar so low on starters, why would you expect a reliever to be able to get anyone out or go for more than three batters?  On a related note, I haven't noticed but does anyone think the three batter requirement has hurt the Sox with their poor relief options.

We also have talked a ton about the walks by relievers.  For years.  I just don't get it.  There is not a single reliever in that pen who I feel good about.  Not one. 

So last chance to make a run at first place and I doubt they'll sweep two series from the Rays.  In fact, I'd be surprised if we didn't get swept in each of those.  The Rays are good, the Sox are not.

[Bill-806]

I'm really struggling with the idea that a guy can be called a "starter" and get paid big bucks to throw 5 innings on a good day.  This has become pathetic across the league but especially on the Sox.  Houck was great, until the third time through and they lit him up like a switch had been flipped and he turned into Martin Perez.  The bullpen is just bad.  I used to always say that these guys that weren't good enough to be starters.  With the bar so low on starters, why would you expect a reliever to be able to get anyone out or go for more than three batters?  On a related note, I haven't noticed but does anyone think the three batter requirement has hurt the Sox with their poor relief options.

We also have talked a ton about the walks by relievers.  For years.  I just don't get it.  There is not a single reliever in that pen who I feel good about.  Not one. 

So last chance to make a run at first place and I doubt they'll sweep two series from the Rays.  In fact, I'd be surprised if we didn't get swept in each of those.  The Rays are good, the Sox are not.

Tampa Bay Rays have done very well without the "TRADITIONAL STARTER " !!!  Matter a fact , they make it look easy ??? iono iono

[MongoLikeSox]

We've been chatting about the basic problems with the game that's happened the past 5-10 years due to the previous 20 years. The marathon aspect of the pitching staff has changed. The roster sizes and freedom of movement up and down from the Minors and the joke of a 10-day IL puts far less emphasis on game to game duration of a starting pitcher. If you've got 5 out of 9 pitchers in your pen ready for that day, your starter throw as hard and as nasty as he can for 4 innings. Screw pitching to contact.

Then days like yesterday happen when those available in the pen are not the good ones, and you've made zero - and I mean ZERO effort to lengthen the starting pitcher to that he can go 105 pitches on his last start in August. There was no way yesterday does not happen.

All of that hard throwing inning by inning may reduce innings and all, but it is not reducing injuries. Look at all the TJ surgeries being done nowadays. I suggest that it's a result in how nasty you have to be for each and every inning. It's not reaching back for that gas or the nasty pitch when you need it. It's doing that each and every time.

And that's the same mentality that has some super-stud swinging so hard that he's dislocating his shoulder many times per year. On a related note, anyone see oblique injuries like we see now 20 years ago?

Basically, a lot of rules allowing this all to happen combined with a system that encourages zero self discipline. Force the game back into the game. (think about it)

[Sea Dog 23]

We've been chatting about the basic problems with the game that's happened the past 5-10 years due to the previous 20 years. The marathon aspect of the pitching staff has changed. The roster sizes and freedom of movement up and down from the Minors and the joke of a 10-day IL puts far less emphasis on game to game duration of a starting pitcher. If you've got 5 out of 9 pitchers in your pen ready for that day, your starter throw as hard and as nasty as he can for 4 innings. Screw pitching to contact.

Then days like yesterday happen when those available in the pen are not the good ones, and you've made zero - and I mean ZERO effort to lengthen the starting pitcher to that he can go 105 pitches on his last start in August. There was no way yesterday does not happen.

All of that hard throwing inning by inning may reduce innings and all, but it is not reducing injuries. Look at all the TJ surgeries being done nowadays. I suggest that it's a result in how nasty you have to be for each and every inning. It's not reaching back for that gas or the nasty pitch when you need it. It's doing that each and every time.

And that's the same mentality that has some super-stud swinging so hard that he's dislocating his shoulder many times per year. On a related note, anyone see oblique injuries like we see now 20 years ago?

Basically, a lot of rules allowing this all to happen combined with a system that encourages zero self discipline. Force the game back into the game. (think about it)

It will be interesting to see what the CBA negotiations will be this off-season.  There was progress in theCOVID protocol, but  I have a feeling nothing advantageous to pitchers was done this year as it would be changed during CBA. 

[longgame]

Of course the players would never go for it, but even something as small as making a 6 inning requirement for a win would be a good start.  These guys are ego driven and they'll insist on finding a way through a rotation a third time (horrors).  Another thing is get rid of these freaking flash cards.  If you can't remember what to throw a guy, then maybe you aren't major league material.   Heck at this point I'd go for 3 ball walks.