Look at Ray Ray Run

Imagine writing a thread complaining about how Abreu, Anderson and Robert have performed this post season.

The top of the order has balled out in the playoffs. Next.

The comedy is you thinking the red Sox wouldn't trade Devers (4.7 fWAR) for moncada (4.5 fWAR) and kopech. Or you thinking the sox would do something so stupid. I swear to God the moncada slander on this board is so f'ing dumb.

This shit is just too funny not to share. I honestly cannot believe people think the solution for 6 era kimbrel was to replace the best closer in baseball with him. You can't fix this level of idiocy. This narrative that kimbrel can't get people out or throw strikes because it's not the ninth inning is one of the dumbest things I've read this year.

I always root for Chris still, but man he has been bad the last 3 weeks. I have a hard time rooting for the Rays because ownership is such scum, but Randy is a lot of fun to watch in the playoffs. Really rooting hard for the Giants. Buster is my guy, and a lot of other good guys on the team/in the organization.

Oh look, Harold pretending LaRussa did nothing wrong again. Weird to see.

Sorry about the pup loss man. My dog is what kept me calm and relaxed today, really not worth getting fired up during a baseball game. Love the Sox, but happy to be in the playoffs. I'm going to enjoy the playoff games regardless of outcome because it's not like we're a spoiled fanbase experiencing them every year. As we both said, the series isn't over. This team is a different beast at home. Would not at all be surprised to run over the Astros the next two games at home. I trust Dylan and Carlos a lot too. Could easily see a 10 spot dropped on Sunday.

I hope you're right, but this year put a really sour taste in my mouth. His approach has just been disastrous at the plate.

Yeah, he put all his guys in the worst position possible to succeed, as if he was trying to. Crochet? Been bad with inherited runners and bad in back to backs. Leury? Been awful in RF and has no business playing the OF in the playoffs. Hernandez? Hasn't hit at all but has really struggled versus velocity. Vaughn? Can't hit a slider from a righty to save his life. Kimbrel? Been bad in any pressure spot. It's just bad managing.

To be fair, I think this is his floor which isn't a bad floor but it's also not a crazy outcome to expect which is a bummer to an extent given the tools and abilities he has. He does have more power than Carlos though.

Yeah, and I honestly think he could adjust and it could click for him. The power is undeniable, but for a guy who pitchers clearly fear a bit, he gets himself out so often it drives me absolutely crazy. He really needs to learn to attack his pitches. If he would stop getting himself out he could be special, but I didn't see it this year at all. You can have fun, but you have to take the game seriously too, these guys are really really good. Tim has fun but understands the work required and the focus required at all times to be great. Hopefully Eloy finds that gear; maybe the injury hurt him. Maybe he was pressing. I honestly don't know, but I have not been impressed at all this year. He should look across the dugout at Robert. He changed his approach because people were attacking his aggressiveness and he became an unstoppable force.

I have really really really soured on Eloy Jimenez this year. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't like the approach at the plate at all. He'll hit homers because his power is huge, but he hasn't adjusted his plane to get more lift, and he's a guess hitter with a bad idea about what pitchers are doing to him. It's not a good combination. I hope he shuts me up next year, but I would listen to offers for Eloy. And I hope to god I'm wrong; really like Eloy the guy, but his game just doesn't appeal to me.

Dusty isn't putting together positional cards. I've been harping on the White Sox defensive alignments all year. They're atrocious. They're one of the three worst teams in baseball in runs lost to positioning. The Sox aren't a terrible defensive team (they do throw the ball around too much), they're simply not positioned properly and metrics are against things like xBA. LaRussa has screwed them there, all season. His explanation for the defensive positioning today was comical. Look at the charts, the Sox went against what everyone else did multiple times. They're stuck in the stone age because their manager is a complete moron. And honestly, I like Hahn for some things but I'm not excusing him for this. He knows it's bad, I guarantee it, and he doesn't have the balls to push and override the horrible decision making defensively.

Everyone talking about holes being exposed and it being problematic for the future... I honestly came away from this game realizing that this team is a good manager and strategic analyst away from being tied 1-1 going home. Those are certainly much easier to find than good players. Team hasn't played well and with proper leadership and decision making could honestly be in a great position to take the series. The players are fine. It would be nice to have a better RF and 2B, sure, but the Sox have a SS, 1B, CF who have balled out. They have a Catcher who is fine and a weapon easily when compared to others, and a 3B who is flashing leather and making big plays. Teams problem is they're a little sloppy, and they have not been put in a position to succeed.

lol. I swear this has to be a troll job at this point. I literally pointed out in the trade thread that Kimbrel was not the same pitcher and had a good stretch of baseball but he was the same volatile guy he had been the two year prior and was just on a good streak of 30 innings. He had been trending downward for 5 years. His volatility was very well known at this point. I'm amazed someone could possibly come in and say "can't blame the front office" for giving up 12 years of control for a guy who has been one of the worst relievers in baseball since the acquisition. It's literally their job to do that. "Who could have possibly seen this coming?" Uh, like 10 random strangers on an internet message board.

There's zero chance the sox didn't tell the person who is starting that they're starting days ago. If he changed off of cease, who was clearly the guy told, to save face then he is even worse than I thought

"We're stretching kopech out so he can play and andrew Miller role for us in the post season." Postseason happens. "If we needed kopech to win (a game we lost) he'd have pitched." Proceeds to pitch zero innings in 2 games lol. He'll be really rested next year.

Were not still on this kimbrel should have closed nonsense are we? Closing is about pressure. He literally came into a huge spot in a playoff game. Is that not pressure?

It is much worse than renteria.

Lololol

He's defending the move right now. He really learns from his actions. That's why he's special and a hof'er

Can we all just talk about Luis Robert and how he's a fucking god.

Imagine being a manager and knowing you have 5 fresh relievers and 1 who hasn't been successful on back to back and pitched yesterday and say to yourself, let's go get the former in the biggest moment of the game and season. It's honestly amazing. I can't get over it. I was cracking up

Sox can still make this a series. They really are a different team at home. I wouldn't be shocked at all to see them push this series to 5. Just not sure how they win in Houston with TLR in charge.

Kopech should have started the 5th.