Second Guesser's Club - North by Northwest

[absintheofmalaise]

Game 1: 10:10
Game 2: 10:10
Game 3: 10:10
 
[tablegrid= Probable Starters ] W L G GS IP K/9 BB/9 HR/9 BABIP LOB% GB% HR/FB ERA FIP xFIP John Lackey RHP 8 4 15 15 103.1 7.84 1.65 0.7 0.303 76.10% 45.60% 8.00% 2.96 2.9 3.14 Felix Hernandez RHP 8 2 16 16 113.1 9.69 1.51 0.24 0.292 71.20% 54.50% 4.30% 2.22 1.86 2.31                                 Jake Peavy RHP 1 5 15 15 93.2 6.82 3.46 1.35 0.298 75.60% 41.00% 12.30% 4.52 4.73 4.36 Erasmo Ramirez RHP 1 4 10 10 48.2 7.4 4.44 1.66 0.291 80.10% 41.60% 14.50% 4.62 5.39 4.63                                 Clay Buchholz                               Hisashi Iwakuma RHP 5 3 10 10 71 6.59 0.89 1.14 0.279 80.80% 55.80% 17.30% 3.04 3.57 2.86 [/tablegrid]

 

[absintheofmalaise]

Looks like it might be Buchholz on Wednesday. No formal announcement yet.

 

[chrisfont9]

Kinda crappy weather here in Seattle this week, apart from right now, which means closed roof (yay!) and maybe heavy air (boo!). Or maybe open roof and heavy air (BOO!). Anyway, if the Sox were looking for a cure to their offensive woes, they won't get it from the ballpark.

 

[absintheofmalaise]

Holt RF
Bogaerts 3B
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Napoli 1B
Nava LF
Pierzynski C
Drew SS
Bradley Jr. CF
Lackey RHP

 

[absintheofmalaise]

Chavez RF
Jones CF
Cano 2B
Seager 3B
Morrison 1B
Zunino C
Ackley LF
Miller SS
Bloomquist DH
Hernandez RHP

 

[BosRedSox5]

I know it's the best thing for the team, but part of the fun I've gotten out of watching this club was seeing Holt in a new position every day. In a way, I'm sort of sad to see him settle in to right field. Maybe someday our offense will be good enough that Holt's flexibility will be a factor again. 

 

[Sprowl]

It's mild and slightly damp in the Pac NW. Don't look for the ball to be jumping out of Safeco. Lackey can pound the strike zone.
 

I know it's the best thing for the team, but part of the fun I've gotten out of watching this club was seeing Holt in a new position every day. In a way, I'm sort of sad to see him settle in to right field. Maybe someday our offense will be good enough that Holt's flexibility will be a factor again. 

 
Victorino will be back from time to time, just long enough to give BROCK HOLT a chance to catch.

 

[HriniakPosterChild]

It's mild and slightly damp in the Pac NW. Don't look for the ball to be jumping out of Safeco. Lackey can pound the strike zone.

 
And well he should. At .667, the M's are dead last in the AL in OPS. And #11 in the AL in RS at 301.
 
(Oops, Sox are #13 at .690 and #13 in RS at 291).
 
Who's up for a pitcher's duel? Or perhaps an inept offense duel?

 

[chrisfont9]

 
Who's up for a pitcher's duel? Or perhaps an inept offense duel?

That would be your 2014 Seattle Mariners.

 

[HriniakPosterChild]

That would be your 2014 Seattle Mariners.

 
Whose?!

 

[chrisfont9]

 
Whose?!

Well, the royal you. Full disclosure, I live in Seattle, so I may bear some actual, if indirect, responsibility here.

 

[HriniakPosterChild]

And I live on the Eastside and am stuck listening to Dave Effing Sims on ROOT.
 
But to actual content, if Lackey was too lame to cover the bag on that 3-6-1 DP ball that should have gotten him out of the 4th inning, why was he left in the game?

 

[Sprowl]

 
And I live on the Eastside and am stuck listening to Dave Effing Sims on ROOT.
 
But to actual content, if Lackey was too lame to cover the bag on that 3-6-1 DP ball that should have gotten him out of the 4th inning, why was he left in the game?
 

 
For punishment. Farrell is a Puritan at heart.
 
 
 
 
 
And we are the damned.

 

[E5 Yaz]

I'm looking forward to TBA being able to salvage a game in this series

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

It's mild and slightly damp in the Pac NW. Don't look for the ball to be jumping out of Safeco. Lackey can pound the strike zone.
 

 
Victorino will be back from time to time, just long enough to give BROCK HOLT a chance to catch.

Shit, I think I'd like to see him pitch.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

After two more pathetic ABs against them last night, A.J. Pierzynski is now hitting .192/.217/.244 against LHP this year. If it could get any worse, the OBP-BA gap is the result of three HBPs - he has not drawn a single walk. His LD% against them is a robust 11.8. When he's not hitting all those rockets, he's using his blazing speed by hitting the ball on the ground almost twice as often as in the air. I understand the hesitation to bring the backup catcher into the game, but how many times is Farrell going to continue to just give away outs with men on base? He's DHd Pierzynski four times this year (including three times against lefties) and PH for Ross in one of them, so he's not afraid to use both catchers and burn one. He PH for Drew against a lefty last night (even though doing so with Herrera is putting lipstick on a pig at best), so he's not afraid to do it to established veterans. I realize him actually PHing for Pierzynski has next to no chance of happening, but Farrell's incompetence cannot be understated. 

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Per Pete Abe this morning:
 
Sox were 0 for 9 with RISP last night.
They are 4 for 41 with RISP on the road trip.
They are 6 for 70 with RISP in the last 11 games.
 

 

[HriniakPosterChild]

The bright side is that there were already two outs when he swung at the first pitch with the bases loaded last night. So there was no chance for him to GIDP.

 

[Otis Foster]

After two more pathetic ABs against them last night, A.J. Pierzynski is now hitting .192/.217/.244 against LHP this year. If it could get any worse, the OBP-BA gap is the result of three HBPs - he has not drawn a single walk. His LD% against them is a robust 11.8. When he's not hitting all those rockets, he's using his blazing speed by hitting the ball on the ground almost twice as often as in the air. I understand the hesitation to bring the backup catcher into the game, but how many times is Farrell going to continue to just give away outs with men on base? He's DHd Pierzynski four times this year (including three times against lefties) and PH for Ross in one of them, so he's not afraid to use both catchers and burn one. He PH for Drew against a lefty last night (even though doing so with Herrera is putting lipstick on a pig at best), so he's not afraid to do it to established veterans. I realize him actually PHing for Pierzynski has next to no chance of happening, but Farrell's incompetence cannot be understated.

 
I think you meant 'overstated'. Other than that, I agree. The season is effectively lost and there's nothing to be gained by continuing to utilize guys who are effectively bench or role players, if they're anything. We need to see what else there is in the system.

 

[absintheofmalaise]

Tonight's hitless wonders:
 
Holt 3
Nava 9
Pedroia 4
Ortiz DH
Gomes 7
Pierzynski 2
Bogaerts 5
Drew 6
Bradley 8
Buchholz RHP

 

[Plympton91]

Why is Holt playing first base instead of Nava? Not that it matters much, but at least so far, I like what I see of Holt in the outfield, and I didn't like what I saw of him at 1B. Whereas Nava has always struck me as a competent 1Bman.

 

[Darnell's Son]

Why is Holt playing first base instead of Nava? Not that it matters much, but at least so far, I like what I see of Holt in the outfield, and I didn't like what I saw of him at 1B. Whereas Nava has always struck me as a competent 1Bman.

We'll probably never find out, because no beat writer would ask a question like that. It might be as simple as Holt is more comfortable in the infield and Nava is more comfortable in the outfield.

 

[Plympton91]

We'll probably never find out, because no beat writer would ask a question like that. It might be as simple as Holt is more comfortable in the infield and Nava is more comfortable in the outfield.

I guess another reason is that Holt has become Nava with the ability to play 2B, SS, and 3B too. So, why not let Holt continue to build his versatility in a season that is basically over before it started.

Remember those fun days in March when we thought we had a right to make fun of the Marlins? Who knew they'd be 10 games better than the Red Sox.