I took a couple innings off to gym it.
Mid did Roberts stay with Rhu too long?
Madson walks 1st batter to let a run in wtf?
No. Ryu was cruising. He was a strike away from a clean 5th inning until Christian Vasquez of all people hit a single. Then a single to Betts. Then he walked Benintendi. The Sox rally happened so quickly, Madson was late getting to the pen. I think Roberts should've went with Baez. Madson didn't look good last night and is ty working with inherited runners.
Baez mows down their heart of the order, including Devers who Roberts brought in Wood to potentially face. Can't make this up.
Boston bullpen is now right and Price has figured it out, as we saw against the Astros in the closeout. Team has no weaknesses. Looking like a historically great team.
3rd or 4th best Red Sox team of the past 14 years
Brutal.
The 2018 Sox won the most games in franchise history and have a higher run differential than any of the past Sox le teams. And their 2 out/2 strike devastation is something to behold. Not luck, either. They made a concerted effort to work on that during the off-season.
Those are certainly impressive statistics and their trashing of defending champ Houston stands out. A very young team with old fashioned approach in a Money ball era. However I don't see any Pedro, Schilling, Ortiz, Manny or even Pedrioa types out there. Very well rounded team but starting pitching especially stands out as lacking compared to previous staffs
Mookie Betts 2018 form - okay noted. But even guys such as Damon, Youkilis, Varitek, Lester, Beckett
IMO
2004
2007
2018
2013
The 00s Red Sox definitely had more HoF names, but remember that the 2018 Red Sox are still young. If Betts doesn't get hurt, he'll go down as the greatest player in modern Red Sox history (don't like comparing today's players to 40s, 50s, etc players). 10.9 WAR this season. The 00s Red Sox had no players as impactful. You forgot about JD Martinez, as well. His WAR this year was as high as Ortiz's WAR career high, but Ortiz obviously gets the edge since he's one of the GOAT post-season hitters. Bogaerts is another underrated talent. .883 OPS, 3.8 WAR, as good as Pedroia's '07 season. Benintendi is basically Johnny Damon reincarnated. Not really a notable catcher on this team, though. Varitek was definitely the heart of those 00s Sox teams.
Starting pitching edge definitely goes to the 00s Sox teams, but bullpen goes to the 2018 (which is a given considering how teams are built today).
What puts the 2018 Sox over the edge for me is how ice cold clutch they are when it comes to situational hitting in addition to the level of dominance they've showed throughout the year and in the playoffs. The 00s Sox had their infamous 0-3 comeback and a 1-3 comeback in '07. The 2018 Red Sox have only lost 2 playoff games so far, and should sweep or beat the Dodgers 4-1 at the very least.
But perhaps the 2018 Red Sox aren't really "special," and the relative ease they're having is more an indictment of the three true outcomes philosophies the Yankees and Dodgers (and many teams in the league) are built around. Astros are really the only other team in the league to play "speed and contact" baseball, and even though Boston beat them 4-1, that could've easily been a 7 game series if Houston got a couple of breaks. In any event, the Sox and Astros being the two best teams this year is good for baseball. Maybe teams will start hating strikeouts again.
The Dodgers simply dont score enough runs to even be compe ive. At least so far.
This Boston team is unreal. And now they seem to have their bullpen situation at least bandaged for now. But like I said, Boston is not going to win as many games on the road this time. The thing about streaks is they end and they end sudden and quickly.
They'll get 1 of 3 and finish business at home.
This is you right now midnightpulp.
I'm not against the analytical approach, I just think the Dodgers are behind the times when it comes to what's on the cutting edge of baseball analytics (I have no idea what that is right now). When two of the most analytical driven teams that most hardcore fans consider to be at the forefront (Boston and the Astros) are making efforts to reduce strikeouts and be tough outs through contact, other organizations should probably pay attention. The Dodgers are still going with the three true outcome approach that prioritizes power hitting and OBP above else, relying on heavy strikeout power hitters like Muncy, Grandal, Bellinger as their offensive core.
Astros were top 4 in Ks in 2016. During that off-season, they committed to reducing Ks. Next season, they struck out the least. Won it all. Yet, the majority of the metrics community still think "strikeouts are just another out." I think that idea is antiquated.
79 (or so) Dodgers down 0-2 to the Skunkies and came back to win.
Then the Skunks did the same thing to the Dodgers a year or two later. (I may have the order reversed).
Just sayin. It's possible.
Walker Buehler is the next Justin Verlander.
Cora wants to lose this game. Gave up on Porcello very quick.
Kid pitched an unreal game. Hope Kersh was taking notes.
Notes won't bring back his fastball.
Dodgers are just a low scoring team. Bad luck drawing the Red Sox.
I will still say they'll pull this game out..barely. The Red Sox offense has been...anemic. Gotta take this one now.
smh Jansens baseball IQ.
Or did he just miss with the pitch(s)? (Including going 2-0 with 2 outs nobody on)
All I've seen of him in detail is last years WS vs Houston and this years playoffs.
Used to getting away with that kind of IQ in regular season vs teams like the Padres?
More Dodger IQ.
Machados Macho used against him.
Ok well it's still 1-1 DodgerFan.
Kershaw and Jansen are like Peyton/Vanderjagt in the clutch.
I hear you. It's important to take one now.
I wanted to post this before Price had thrown even one pitch. He just gave up the leadoff single to Bellinger.
But if you guys can believe me I am like Price/Relief/1-1/bottom 9?
NO freaking way!
Update: Way to move the runner over low IQ Roberts/Puig.
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