WHITE SOX V RED SOX
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2017, 7 PM AT FENWAY PARK
TV: NESN, CSN-C
CHICAGO, (41-65).......................................................................................BOSTON, (60-49)
CHICAGO:
CARLOS RODON, LHP, 1-4, 5.23 ERA, 40K
Rodon is coming off one of his best starts of the season, allowing one run in 6 2/3
innings and striking out nine. He credited his success to a strong side session, and he said
he's getting a better feel from his pitches.
BOSTON:
EDUARDO RODRIGUEZ, LHP, 4-3, 4.16 ERA, 84K
The left-hander has yet to return to his old form since coming back from the DL last
month with a right knee subluxation. Rodriguez has a 6.75 ERA in his last three starts
and hasn't recorded a win since his return.
Young LHPs Rodon, E-Rod face off at Fenway
Scott Merkin
Eduardo Rodriguez has made three starts without a victory since coming off the disabled list due to right knee subluxation. The southpaw tries to end that winless streak Friday night against lefty Carlos Rodon and the White Sox at Fenway Park.
"Lot of pitches. Lot of foul balls. Deep counts," said Red Sox manager John Farrell of Rodriguez before Thursday night's series opener. "This is a very aggressive fastball-hitting team where a change of speeds might have a little bit more of an effect.
"As Eddy does he gets a lot of swing and miss up, they fouled off a lot of those pitches, they took some pitches. The pitch count climbed on him. His night was cut short, but he gave us everything he had."
Rodriguez, 24, threw 107 pitches in four innings over his last start against the Royals.
Rodon, also 24, gets the call for the White Sox, making his seventh start since returning from the 60-day disabled list June 28. Rodon has struck out 20 over his past two starts combined, although he did not pick up a victory in either one.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS GAME
• Matt Davidson continues to experience soreness in his right wrist and is unlikely to play Friday.
• This season, Rodon's rate of four-seam fastballs has risen from about 32 percent last season to 52 percent, and he is getting 47.5 percent of his strikeouts with the pitch, up from 18.5 percent. Of the three times in his career he has recorded at least five strikeouts on four-seamers in a single game, two have come in his past two outings.
• Rafael Devers has homered in two of his past four games.
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170803246249226/young-lhps-rodon-e-rod-face-off-at-fenway/?game_pk=491725
Red Sox v. Rodon:
Betts RF,
Benintendi LF,
Nuñez 2B,
Ramirez 1B,
Devers 3B,
Bogaerts SS,
Young DH,
Vazquez C,
Bradley Jr. CF,
Rodriguez LHP
E-ROD concerns me.....He has put on the LB's.... Keep an eye on him ...... BTW, what a difference when WE score early, shifting the pressure to the other teams pitcher & defense !!! thumb_u
Rondon is a great talent. I saw him pitch in college. iirc he reached the ChiSox during his first year after the draft. Howver he has been plagued by tendenitis in 2017.
Quote from: Bill-806 on August 04, 2017, 01:01:27 PM
E-ROD concerns me.....He has put on the LB's.... Keep an eye on him ...... BTW, what a difference when WE score early, shifting the pressure to the other teams pitcher & defense !!! thumb_u
A lot is riding on E-Rod pitching a good game here. Otherwise, we have a problem.
E-Rod has the modern pitcher's problem - can't stand to throw something a guy may swing at on 0-2. He gets great swings and misses, then throws the ball all over the place, then has to throw a strike. It's like pitchers are conditioned to use as many pitches as possible within 6 innings.
Setting up for another walk-off win I hope!
Where is everyone tonight? I guess I'm the only one stuck at home watching the game! sigh
Kimbrel shaky again tonight.....
Kimbrel is slipping lately. And I've been seeing a lot of hits get between 1st and 2nd since Pedey's been out.
Kimbrel settles down and gets out of that jam. Walkoff time.
Or not.
Maybe Vaz can do it again? Ellsbury did it in two consecutive games once.
Nope. Guess not.
Helluva play by Vaz to pick off the runner at 2B.
Moreland comes through with the walkoff homer.
Need these type of wins when scoring is low. Good pitching again. Might not of looked pretty all the time but they did the job.
Yankees lose again, so Sox gain another game. Now up by 3 (2 in the loss column).
Quote from: longgame on August 04, 2017, 08:57:01 PM
Setting up for another walk-off win I hope!
Where is everyone tonight? I guess I'm the only one stuck at home watching the game! sigh
Ted---I think I might have a decent excuse for making myself scarce tonight even though I usually don't post during games since I'm a bundle of nerves. This morning as I entered a car wash I tried to avoid a car that was trying to cut me off, so I thought. I ran into a pole. My left fender is history, the glass over the light there was shattered so I was on the phone with my State Farm Rep and then with Claima Rep and then my mechanic. Round and round and round and round I went so you will excuse me for not having my head in this game as I usually arm.
It would have been a complete washout of a day but it turned out to be a very good one baseball wise.....car wise with my beloved Mustang, not so much.
Sorry to hear about the car woes, Fred. I hope it works out ok with the insurance company.
Same here, Fred. Car bang-ups can put a damper on the day. Mustang, too. Hope you work it out with insurance and mechanic.
Well, the Sox got another dramatic walk-off into the night. With a solid outing by E-Rod. So, good omen for getting the car back to good as new. thumb_u
Quote from: markj on August 04, 2017, 09:59:51 PM
Yankees lose again, so Sox gain another game. Now up by 3 (2 in the loss column).
Things may be starting to look up. We have been fortunate to win a number of extra inning games, something we failed miserably to do in 2014 and 2015. Tonight we faced a pretty good lefty in Carlos Rondon so our hitting was just average but our bullpen did the job even though I'm getting a little nervous about Kimbrel and hope it is just a bad streak he is in and of short duration. Moreland seems to be coming around but Betts, Benintendi and Ramirez still are firing and falling back. Hanley has to get with it because we cannot carry a bat like he has produced the rest of the season or definitely for next year. We need a hitter, either for average or power at first base. Good for Moreland tonight. He made us all happy and the bullpen did its job again.
Quote from: markj on August 04, 2017, 08:59:37 PM
Kimbrel is slipping lately. And I've been seeing a lot of hits get between 1st and 2nd since Pedey's been out.
Yes, he has. 3 blown saves in the past month. This dramatic escape jam tonight will hopefully right his ship.
Quote from: markj on August 04, 2017, 08:59:37 PM
Kimbrel is slipping lately. And I've been seeing a lot of hits get between 1st and 2nd since Pedey's been out.
I don't think much has gone through that should of been caught. Nunez plays a pretty good 2nd. Not great but does the job. Sometimes he's playing shifted towards 2nd in a dp situation or he might be covering the bag on a steal attempt and the ball goes through the hole. I think we are just spoiled by Pedroia.
Quote from: markj on August 04, 2017, 10:47:51 PM
Sorry to hear about the car woes, Fred. I hope it works out ok with the insurance company.
Thanks markj. You're a real stand-up guy. I have full coverage and $50.00 deductible so barring some unforseen circumstances it ought to be a fairly smooth outcome. We'll be on vacation while the car is being worked on. Besides, a Red Sox win and Yankee loss takes a lot of the sting out of today's unpleasant surprise.
Quote from: Schloicka on August 04, 2017, 10:57:12 PM
Quote from: markj on August 04, 2017, 08:59:37 PM
Kimbrel is slipping lately. And I've been seeing a lot of hits get between 1st and 2nd since Pedey's been out.
I don't think much has gone through that should of been caught. Nunez plays a pretty good 2nd. Not great but does the job. Sometimes he's playing shifted towards 2nd in a dp situation or he might be covering the bag on a steal attempt and the ball goes through the hole. I think we are just spoiled by Pedroia.
That's my point. Pedey makes plays that others don't. It shows when he's not there.
Quote from: ipot on August 04, 2017, 10:52:38 PM
Same here, Fred. Car bang-ups can put a damper on the day. Mustang, too. Hope you work it out with insurance and mechanic.
Well, the Sox got another dramatic walk-off into the night. With a solid outing by E-Rod. So, good omen for getting the car back to good as new. thumb_u
It also helps to have my friends on this board watching my back IPOT. And good omens are fine by me.
Quote from: markj on August 04, 2017, 10:58:47 PM
Quote from: Schloicka on August 04, 2017, 10:57:12 PM
Quote from: markj on August 04, 2017, 08:59:37 PM
Kimbrel is slipping lately. And I've been seeing a lot of hits get between 1st and 2nd since Pedey's been out.
I don't think much has gone through that should of been caught. Nunez plays a pretty good 2nd. Not great but does the job. Sometimes he's playing shifted towards 2nd in a dp situation or he might be covering the bag on a steal attempt and the ball goes through the hole. I think we are just spoiled by Pedroia.
That's my point. Pedey makes plays that others don't. It shows when he's not there.
Pedroia probably make more great plays but I didn't see anything tonight that having him at 2nd would of mattered defensively.
Quote from: Schloicka on August 04, 2017, 11:10:08 PM
Quote from: markj on August 04, 2017, 10:58:47 PM
Quote from: Schloicka on August 04, 2017, 10:57:12 PM
Quote from: markj on August 04, 2017, 08:59:37 PM
Kimbrel is slipping lately. And I've been seeing a lot of hits get between 1st and 2nd since Pedey's been out.
I don't think much has gone through that should of been caught. Nunez plays a pretty good 2nd. Not great but does the job. Sometimes he's playing shifted towards 2nd in a dp situation or he might be covering the bag on a steal attempt and the ball goes through the hole. I think we are just spoiled by Pedroia.
That's my point. Pedey makes plays that others don't. It shows when he's not there.
Pedroia probably make more great plays but I didn't see anything tonight that having him at 2nd would of mattered defensively.
Not tonight specifically, but since he's been out, I've seen a few where I thought, "Pedey would have had that."
Fred, happy that you weren't hurt....well, shook up yes, and a bundle of nerves, yes.
But your car can be replaced; you can't.
Sox are starting to play ball; about time.
Walk-offs, great to see and they're so exciting.
Eleven innings! Gotta cut those out and how about a day game soon?
I believe Rob of Mass had tickets for all three games with the White Sox.
Another nice final result "W" ...... Read where E-ROD had 120 pitches over 6 innings ??? If true, CONCERNING !!! Also, Han/Ram ??? What's the medical report on him ???? Nice walk off by Moreland !!! Stay at it boys, "make Hay" while the YANK$ are on a skid !!! thumb_u rofl
B T W , NUNEZ just continues to play/do great things !!! What a nice deal that was !! thumb_u rofl
Quote from: Bear on August 05, 2017, 03:07:58 AM
Fred, happy that you weren't hurt....well, shook up yes, and a bundle of nerves, yes.
But your car can be replaced; you can't.
Sox are starting to play ball; about time.
Walk-offs, great to see and they're so exciting.
Eleven innings! Gotta cut those out and how about a day game soon?
I believe Rob of Mass had tickets for all three games with the White Sox.
The Moreland walk off was electric to say the least.
The fans love Devers.Seeing him play 3rd in person he doesn't look all that BAD. Charging the ball good and has a strong arm .Needs help with his footwork but all in all he doesn't look as bad as hid minor league stats show.
Bogaerts on the other hand looked terrible on his E.At the plate not much better
New guy Reed has a NASTY slider and will offer help when Kimbrel needs time off.
Beni needs to take a lot of balls off the monster .It appears he is lost out there .I don't know if he loses the ball or turns the wrong way but he gets to close to the wall.
Nunez and Devers - are they the spark? Next 20+ games will tell us. Bullpen looked good against a 3A team, but take the win. NY has had back-to-back losses with the new guys pitching.
Yes they are.A different story had they not been here the last few weeks .So much for wanting Frazier .
Nunez is hitting .429 since mid-June. Devers avg just dipped below .400. DD is a genius. Well at least last two weeks.
E-Rod pitched a nice game.
Quote from: SeaBeachFred on August 04, 2017, 10:45:21 PM
Quote from: longgame on August 04, 2017, 08:57:01 PM
Setting up for another walk-off win I hope!
Where is everyone tonight? I guess I'm the only one stuck at home watching the game! sigh
Ted---I think I might have a decent excuse for making myself scarce tonight even though I usually don't post during games since I'm a bundle of nerves. This morning as I entered a car wash I tried to avoid a car that was trying to cut me off, so I thought. I ran into a pole. My left fender is history, the glass over the light there was shattered so I was on the phone with my State Farm Rep and then with Claima Rep and then my mechanic. Round and round and round and round I went so you will excuse me for not having my head in this game as I usually arm.
It would have been a complete washout of a day but it turned out to be a very good one baseball wise.....car wise with my beloved Mustang, not so much.
Geez Fred, sorry to hear that. I hope you are okay! What year Mustang? Can it be repaired?
Quote from: ojdidit on August 05, 2017, 07:25:43 AM
Nunez and Devers - are they the spark? Next 20+ games will tell us. Bullpen looked good against a 3A team, but take the win. NY has had back-to-back losses with the new guys pitching.
I don't know it's so much that they are a spark, but those are two solid bats in the lineup where we didn't have solid bats, whether at 3B, 1B/DH or filling in for injured or resting players. When you're replacing .200 hitting with .400 hitting in 2 spots, that's another couple of hits every game, plus it takes pressure off of everyone else.
They give a bump, but they'll need consistent play from everyone the rest of the way and they are starting to get it.
Quote from: longgame on August 05, 2017, 12:59:20 PM
Quote from: SeaBeachFred on August 04, 2017, 10:45:21 PM
Quote from: longgame on August 04, 2017, 08:57:01 PM
Setting up for another walk-off win I hope!
Where is everyone tonight? I guess I'm the only one stuck at home watching the game! sigh
Ted---I think I might have a decent excuse for making myself scarce tonight even though I usually don't post during games since I'm a bundle of nerves. This morning as I entered a car wash I tried to avoid a car that was trying to cut me off, so I thought. I ran into a pole. My left fender is history, the glass over the light there was shattered so I was on the phone with my State Farm Rep and then with Claima Rep and then my mechanic. Round and round and round and round I went so you will excuse me for not having my head in this game as I usually arm.
It would have been a complete washout of a day but it turned out to be a very good one baseball wise.....car wise with my beloved Mustang, not so much.
Geez Fred, sorry to hear that. I hope you are okay! What year Mustang? Can it be repaired?
Thank you Ted. It's a 2003 Mustang, light navy blue and it is my baby. Yes, it can be repaired my mechanic says and I will take it in on Monday and Sam will work on it and have over a week to take care of the job. I'm fine physically but I was bummed out when it happened. A nice Red Sox dramatic walk-off win and a Yankees loss mitigated that bummed our feeling pretty well.
Quote from: longgame on August 05, 2017, 01:03:17 PM
Quote from: ojdidit on August 05, 2017, 07:25:43 AM
Nunez and Devers - are they the spark? Next 20+ games will tell us. Bullpen looked good against a 3A team, but take the win. NY has had back-to-back losses with the new guys pitching.
I don't know it's so much that they are a spark, but those are two solid bats in the lineup where we didn't have solid bats, whether at 3B, 1B/DH or filling in for injured or resting players. When you're replacing .200 hitting with .400 hitting in 2 spots, that's another couple of hits every game, plus it takes pressure off of everyone else.
They give a bump, but they'll need consistent play from everyone the rest of the way and they are starting to get it.
Still worried about Bogaerts. When Pedroia returns, which can't be soon enough, Nunez has to go to short or become the DH. If he isn't the DH he plays short and we take our chances and Xander sits. He is neither hitting or fielding, and that may go for Hanley too. I really expected Ramirez to be firing on all cyliners by now. His injuries are either much worse than we've heard or his injuries over his career has slowed him down badly. Bogaerts should have no such excuses.
Quote from: SeaBeachFred on August 05, 2017, 01:44:10 PM
Quote from: longgame on August 05, 2017, 01:03:17 PM
Quote from: ojdidit on August 05, 2017, 07:25:43 AM
Nunez and Devers - are they the spark? Next 20+ games will tell us. Bullpen looked good against a 3A team, but take the win. NY has had back-to-back losses with the new guys pitching.
I don't know it's so much that they are a spark, but those are two solid bats in the lineup where we didn't have solid bats, whether at 3B, 1B/DH or filling in for injured or resting players. When you're replacing .200 hitting with .400 hitting in 2 spots, that's another couple of hits every game, plus it takes pressure off of everyone else.
They give a bump, but they'll need consistent play from everyone the rest of the way and they are starting to get it.
Still worried about Bogaerts. When Pedroia returns, which can't be soon enough, Nunez has to go to short or become the DH. If he isn't the DH he plays short and we take our chances and Xander sits. He is neither hitting or fielding, and that may go for Hanley too. I really expected Ramirez to be firing on all cyliners by now. His injuries are either much worse than we've heard or his injuries over his career has slowed him down badly. Bogaerts should have no such excuses.
& The days of Dustin Pedroia could be # .....There are a lot of miles on that 5' 10" frame !!
Quote from: SeaBeachFred on August 05, 2017, 01:44:10 PM
Quote from: longgame on August 05, 2017, 01:03:17 PM
Quote from: ojdidit on August 05, 2017, 07:25:43 AM
Nunez and Devers - are they the spark? Next 20+ games will tell us. Bullpen looked good against a 3A team, but take the win. NY has had back-to-back losses with the new guys pitching.
I don't know it's so much that they are a spark, but those are two solid bats in the lineup where we didn't have solid bats, whether at 3B, 1B/DH or filling in for injured or resting players. When you're replacing .200 hitting with .400 hitting in 2 spots, that's another couple of hits every game, plus it takes pressure off of everyone else.
They give a bump, but they'll need consistent play from everyone the rest of the way and they are starting to get it.
Still worried about Bogaerts. When Pedroia returns, which can't be soon enough, Nunez has to go to short or become the DH. If he isn't the DH he plays short and we take our chances and Xander sits. He is neither hitting or fielding, and that may go for Hanley too. I really expected Ramirez to be firing on all cyliners by now. His injuries are either much worse than we've heard or his injuries over his career has slowed him down badly. Bogaerts should have no such excuses.
Fred XB has a lot of work on both sides of the ball .As you mentioned maybe injuries .He really looks bad now .Keep him towards the end of the lineup.Beni is not a whole lot better.