GAME #79, SUNDAY, JUNE 23, 2019, TORONTO BLUE JAYS @ BOSTON RED SOX

[SeaBeachFred]

I’ve been trying to be positive about the team but they left me nothing to be positive about this weekend.  Losing last night was bad enough but yet again they didn’t show up today.  You’re always going to lose some close ones, but these guys go flat in a hurry.

They’ve got some definitive stretches still to come if they can hang around.  I’m concerned about the London trip -  you may have heard Dave O’Brien mention it and I can imagine his booth mates are thrilled to hear him brag while they stay home.  Apparently the fences are really short. Facing the Yankees it could get ugly.

As aggravating as watching this listless bunch play absolutely crappy baseball, listening to O'Brien prattle on with his endless boring nonsense makes this impossible situation so much worse.

Bring back Don Orsillo.  OOOOOOPPPPPPSSSSSS forgot; he is too independent of thought for the Boston brass.

[elktonnick]

Fred,  I think you are right.  O'Brien is a nothing but a shill. 

[Sea Dog 23]

Besides the inconsistent starting pitchers , batting woes, and fielding mishaps, us the simple reality the bullpen is getting dead arms before mid season.  Considering Workman, Walden, Brasier, Barnes, Hembree have all pitcher 30 or more games. 

Cora is still babying the pitchers, as starters rarely go over 5-6 innings, leaving a bunch of innings for an over used staff.  I'm not sure what trade options are available for a steady reliever, but it will cost us same value in prospects.

[longgame]

I’ve been trying to be positive about the team but they left me nothing to be positive about this weekend.  Losing last night was bad enough but yet again they didn’t show up today.  You’re always going to lose some close ones, but these guys go flat in a hurry.

They’ve got some definitive stretches still to come if they can hang around.  I’m concerned about the London trip -  you may have heard Dave O’Brien mention it and I can imagine his booth mates are thrilled to hear him brag while they stay home.  Apparently the fences are really short. Facing the Yankees it could get ugly.

As aggravating as watching this listless bunch play absolutely crappy baseball, listening to O'Brien prattle on with his endless boring nonsense makes this impossible situation so much worse.

That's so true.  He just freaking drives me crazy about how he'll go on about a play from a few days ago and talk about it seven times in a game.  Next time Sale pitches we'll be hearing about an "immaculate inning" if he gets the first two strikes in an inning.  Plus if he goes on again about Brandon Workman's BAA while ignoring that he walks every other guy he faces I'm going to throw something through the TV. 

[longgame]

Besides the inconsistent starting pitchers , batting woes, and fielding mishaps, us the simple reality the bullpen is getting dead arms before mid season.  Considering Workman, Walden, Brasier, Barnes, Hembree have all pitcher 30 or more games. 

Cora is still babying the pitchers, as starters rarely go over 5-6 innings, leaving a bunch of innings for an over used staff.  I'm not sure what trade options are available for a steady reliever, but it will cost us same value in prospects.

This just seems to be baseball in the modern era.  Drives me crazy and you're right, the pen will be burnt, it not already.  I'm just amazed that guys seemed to be able to blow away batters for 9 innings and now they get paid 1000 times as much and can't throw more than 100 pitches per game. 

Right now the Sox are not putting in the effort.  They seemed to be on a roll and then came crashing down with a thud. 

[rkarp]

the goal is to get into the playoffs, healthy and ready
the goal is not to win 109 games
this staff will improve once Eavoldi, Wright and Hembree are back
the offense will also improve as Devers, Moreland and Pearce make their way back

[elktonnick]

the goal is to get into the playoffs, healthy and ready
the goal is not to win 109 games
this staff will improve once Eavoldi, Wright and Hembree are back
the offense will also improve as Devers, Moreland and Pearce make their way back

That may all be true. BUT, Manager What me Worry will still be making out his crazy lineups and Dave O'Brien will still be driving us nuts with his senseless prattle behind the microphone.

[Bill-806]

the goal is to get into the playoffs, healthy and ready
the goal is not to win 109 games
this staff will improve once Eavoldi, Wright and Hembree are back
the offense will also improve as Devers, Moreland and Pearce make their way back

CONCUR …… HOWEVAAA,  July 4th is about a week &1/2 away …….  As DAD would say, "SON, TIME & TIDE waits for NO MAN"  !!!!! iono iono rofl rofl rofl

[longgame]

the goal is to get into the playoffs, healthy and ready
the goal is not to win 109 games
this staff will improve once Eavoldi, Wright and Hembree are back
the offense will also improve as Devers, Moreland and Pearce make their way back

In general I agree but the goal should be to win the World Series.  Plan A would be to have the best record in baseball, Plan B would be to win the division, Plan C would be to host the Wild Card Game and Plan D would be "get into the playoffs" as the away team in a one game playoff.  As of today they are none of those.

The real problem isn't those guys coming back although it will help, the real problem is that while Betts and Martinez and Sale - the big three stars on the team - don't stink, they aren't excelling either.  This weekend they got two hits from Betts and Martinez (both by Betts who also walked a bunch) and they're supposed to be the run producers.  Sale is also pitching okay but not good enough.  All of the starters seem to be prone to a bad inning which may not lose the game for them, but runs up the pitch count and God forbid a pitcher throws a few more than 100 pitches in a game.  And the bullpen seems to have okay numbers in spite of what we watch. 

Good stat I just saw - Sox have lost 7 games when leading after the 7th inning.  The Yankees, Astros, Rays and Twins have 4 between them. 

[SeaBeachFred]

Besides the inconsistent starting pitchers , batting woes, and fielding mishaps, us the simple reality the bullpen is getting dead arms before mid season.  Considering Workman, Walden, Brasier, Barnes, Hembree have all pitcher 30 or more games. 

Cora is still babying the pitchers, as starters rarely go over 5-6 innings, leaving a bunch of innings for an over used staff.  I'm not sure what trade options are available for a steady reliever, but it will cost us same value in prospects.

Cora was babying the team from the start of ST so it is no surprise to me, nor should it be to any of you, that his babying seems to be inbred.  The starters should be stretched out to six or seven innings.  They can do it IF THEY ARE NOT BABIED OR ARE NOT A PACK OF CANDY ASSES.  And let's hope the team sheds most of the those crappy relievers as soon as possible, especially Metball Barnes.  In over four seasons he has yet to show the ability to be a consistent reliever and he will never be a closer.  He isn't fit for that.

[SeaBeachFred]

Sorry guys, BUT I DON'T CONCUR!!!!!!!!!  We've been running in place since the season began and every time it seems like we're turning a corner with a four or five game winning streak we arrive at a game where it looks like the team is suffering from a total physical collapse, diffident, lazy, flat and completely unfocused.  Betts has been a bitter disappointment this season, Martinez not the same guy he was last season, Bradley is in the midst of his one good steak a year after spending the first two months being a total disaster at the plate, Vazquez has done some good hitting for us, true, but defensively he is has been prone to some very debilitating bumblings, most physically and mentally.  The bullpen ain't worth shit, Cora has been out to lunch, the starters are running hot and cold, and we cannot seem to beat even the team we know we should beat.  I see nothing now that indicates to me that this club is ready for a big push, and while I admire r-karp's very upbeat outlook, reality is telling me that for whatever reason this team just can't seem to turn it on and keep it on.  Time is starting to pass us by and if we want what many of you think should still happen it has to start now----NOT IN LATE AUGUST OF SEPTEMBER.