Officially in the “stretch run”. Every win throughout a year is important of course, but IMO, time for “testing” players is over. Put out the best lineup every day. Put our your best relievers in close games the Sox are down by < 3 runs, etc…
Thanks. Will removeFWIW, there are no one game "play-in" scenarios any more. They're going to use tiebreakers like head-to-head to advance teams to the wildcard round.
Tell that to the 2004 red sox in the ALCS.4 picks for WS victor????
You mean the team that won 98 games, the franchise's highest total in 26 years? I'm not seeing the comparison...Tell that to the 2004 red sox in the ALCS.
(Aka anything can happen)
Also they were much better than this by Pythagorean run differential after the August 1 moves, clearly a top 3 team in MLB if not higher.You mean the team that won 98 games, the franchise's highest total in 26 years? I'm not seeing the comparison...
Its probably recency bias talking, but every WS team that the Sox have had since I've followed them (1975), I felt the Sox had a chance to win every game that they played, even against the blue chip teams of the league... even Al Nipper's start in Game Four of the 1986 WS.Also they were much better than this by Pythagorean run differential after the August 1 moves, clearly a top 3 team in MLB if not higher.
They absolutely do not need a run like they did earlier to make the playoffs. 85 wins give them a good shot at the playoffs, that's finishing the season 31-23, which is a 93 win pace.I see no scenario where this team goes on a run like they did earlier in the season which is what is required for them to make the playoffs.
There are still serious issues with the starting rotation and bullpen, and the vaunted offense which was supposed to carry the team has not.
There is no spark, no life to how this team is playing right now. When the guy who seems to be the only one playing his ass off is a recent trade acquisition (Pham) it is not a good sign.
I hope I'm wrong, but this team killed its chances with the two horrible months of baseball that they played. At a certain point, you have to go Dennis Green on them.
I still think they actually will.Look at the game they are playing now against the Royals. The Royals! The Sox are NOT making the playoffs.
3-3 in the fourth is bad?Look at the game they are playing now against the Royals. The Royals! The Sox are NOT making the playoffs.
They don't need a run like they did earlier yet they need to play .575 ball over a 54 game stretch?They absolutely do not need a run like they did earlier to make the playoffs. 85 wins give them a good shot at the playoffs, that's finishing the season 31-23, which is a 93 win pace.
To put the bolded in perspective against the remaining schedule, prior to last night they would have had to go .500 against all contending teams and sweep every game that they have against non-contending teams in order to go 34- 20. Anything less than a sweep of the flotsam of the league (of which they have only 13 games left) will require an off-setting win. With last night's loss, they now have to go one win over .500 against contending teams the rest of the way.They don't need a run like they did earlier yet they need to play .575 ball over a 54 game stretch?
Their best stretch this season from May through June they went 34-20. That is three wins different than what you say they need except in the same breath you say they "absolutely do not need it."
They went on a ridiculous run over 26 games in June going 20-6 but that is still only over 26 games. They were not good enough to sustain that either before or after. The only reason why they are even in spitting distance of doing what you are saying they need to do is because of that run. That run was the only way the team was able to approach .575 ball over a 50 game stretch.
So which is it?
This is where I am. They’re not good. They’ve proven this. They’re also missing key guys. Stick a fork in this season and prepare for a big offseason.This team just isn’t very good. I suspect they’ll scuffle along at the .500 mark for the rest of the season.
Since I'm the only one who misspelled his name, I'll answer you. Mild dyslexia. The brain knows, but the fingers don't always follow along.Why is it so hard for people to correctly spell Winckowski? It's only one extra letter.
Last night felt like the dagger. Cora used Whitlock to maintain a tie to give the offense a chance to grab the lead, and even that backfired. Could they get the 6th seek and take 2 of 3 from the AL Central winner? Sure ... although the way Eovaldi and Piveta have looked recently that's not a safe bet.This is where I am. They’re not good. They’ve proven this. They’re also missing key guys. Stick a fork in this season and prepare for a big offseason.
I will take C: None of the Above. The pitching staff and to a lesser extent the offense have been racked with injuries, and they don't yet have the farm depth to replace that many men down.A question for the much more informed: Is Chaim just misplaced and is a superb frame director but not GM? Is the GM part of him because Henry has handcuffed him, or he just can't cut the mustard there? I would love to hear any and all opinions.
I suspect that Bloom is under a “control spending but don’t lose the fan base”!!! type of direction from Henry so I think it handcuffs Bloom a little. I think his strength is to create a long term sustainabile farm system but the “compete every year” directive with budgetary limits is contradictory to a quick turnaround. Generally I think he’s doing the best he can but he SERIOUSLY whiffed on the RF situation.A question for the much more informed: Is Chaim just misplaced and is a superb frame director but not GM? Is the GM part of him because Henry has handcuffed him, or he just can't cut the mustard there? I would love to hear any and all opinions.
FWIW, Brian O'Halloran is the GM and Chaim is the Chief Baseball OfficerA question for the much more informed: Is Chaim just misplaced and is a superb frame director but not GM? Is the GM part of him because Henry has handcuffed him, or he just can't cut the mustard there? I would love to hear any and all opinions.
The trade that is likely to forever define Chaim's tenure here is the Betts trade.A question for the much more informed: Is Chaim just misplaced and is a superb frame director but not GM? Is the GM part of him because Henry has handcuffed him, or he just can't cut the mustard there? I would love to hear any and all opinions.
Why were the Red Sox uniquely impacted by these things? Were the teams they were playing not similarly bothered by cold temperatures and dead baseballs? Did the Sox individually and as an organization get uniquely blindsided by the labor settlement? So many excuses for the lame performance of our boys this season...After a rough start (unprepared players, cold weather, new dead baseball, or whatever)...
It's been said here before but apparently few care to notice - when you build a pitching staff out of injury prone players, you can't be surprised when those pitchers get hurt. In fact, one could argue that the performances of Crawford and, to a lesser extent, Winckowski in filling those rotation holes has been one of the few bright spots this season.I will take C: None of the Above. The pitching staff and to a lesser extent the offense have been racked with injuries, and they don't yet have the farm depth to replace that many men down.
Who is making excuses? I honestly don't know.Why were the Red Sox uniquely impacted by these things? Were the teams they were playing not similarly bothered by cold temperatures and dead baseballs? Did the Sox individually and as an organization get uniquely blindsided by the labor settlement? So many excuses for the lame performance of our boys this season...
Can't argue with any of thisThe trade that is likely to forever define Chaim's tenure here is the Betts trade.
Jeter Downs is hitting .202 in Worcester this summer in his age 24 season. He is not a major leaguer.
Conner Wong is 26 an posting a .729 OPS in Worcester. He is not a major leaguer.
Alex Verdugo launched his 7th bomb of the season last night. Great. He is a major leaguer but not a very good one.
Mookie Betts has won the Dodgers won World Series and may be on his way to a second. He is doing all of the Mookie Betts things this season.
Henry is absolutely at fault for Betts not being here. Bloom is absolutely at fault for trading a diamond for 3 pieces of quarry stone.
Their best stretch as you said was the stretch in June where they went 19-4. If they have another 19-4 stretch they'd be pretty much a lock, but they certainly can make the playoffs without a run as hot as they were for June. And they couldn't sustain it because the entire pitching staff got hurt which meant instead of reverting to being a solid team which would have been fine they fell to a terrible team in July with half their roster hurt.They went on a ridiculous run over 26 games in June going 20-6 but that is still only over 26 games. They were not good enough to sustain that either before or after. The only reason why they are even in spitting distance of doing what you are saying they need to do is because of that run. That run was the only way the team was able to approach .575 ball over a 50 game stretch.
So which is it?
As much as I agree that they've been bitten by the injury bug since mowing through the competition in May and June, the guys that they're hoping to get back were on the roster in April and early May. Why do you think that they'd do any better in August and September than they did at the start of the season? Everything about the 2022 edition screams they are what their record says that they are.Their best stretch as you said was the stretch in June where they went 19-4. If they have another 19-4 stretch they'd be pretty much a lock, but they certainly can make the playoffs without a run as hot as they were for June. And they couldn't sustain it because the entire pitching staff got hurt which meant instead of reverting to being a solid team which would have been fine they fell to a terrible team in July with half their roster hurt.