CentralChamps21

Those percentages are very weird given that hockey and baseball give actual tactical advantages to the home team where football and basketball don't.

Sox have yet to play a series against a potential playoff opponent with less than 2 starting position players missing and less than one pitcher getting a start who won't be starting in the playoffs. We can't judge based on the product that was on the field against those teams.

One good thing that came out of losing these last two games is that it makes the Yankees less likely to overtake Tampa for the division and the Sox less likely to overtake Tampa for the #1 seed, so the chances of facing the Yankees in the ALDS just went way down.

Regular season games are more important up to the point that you are qualified for the playoffs (or 99+% likely to qualify), and then playoff games are more important. The great unanswered question is whether the best chance for playoff success is a more rested team playing more road games in the playoffs or a less rested team playing more home games in the playoffs. I think home field advantage is worth pushing for but we won't really know until we get there.

Yes but at the same time depth helps you win regular season games and not playoff games if your starters are healthy so that depth might have gotten better playoff seeding but those guys wouldn't be a real factor in the postseason.

Every position player on the Sox has had a 3 week stretch with a similar OPS and every single reliever has had a 3 week stretch with a similar ERA. If those numbers aren't better in 3 more weeks then I'll worry a little.

Ruiz doesn't need to be playoff ready. Neither do Lopez, Burr, Bummer, Wright or Keuchel. As long as Tepera/Crochet/Kopech/Hendriks are playoff ready that's what's needed, and I think Kimbrel gets himself straightened out by then. Those other guys only see playoff innings if the starter has already blown the game.

In the regular season, you have to worry about your reliever workloads, but in the playoffs, you never play more than 3 days in a row (and only even do that a maximum of twice) so you can shorten the pen. If they pitch even close to their season averages you can have Tepera/Crochet/Kopech/Kimbrel/Hendriks covering the 5th-9th every day and that's lethal.

If it's LaRussa's decision then why the fuck are we paying Hahn?

It's close enough to the end of the season that you just DFA Lamb if you don't want him on the roster anymore.

I am done starting game threads in the last game of a series. I think the Sox have lost the last 3 times I've done that.

Looking forward to seeing Kopech hit 161 on the radar gun at least once over the next four days.

Leury works as a bench guy if you also have both of the following on your bench: 1) Someone who can play 2B/SS/3B that's a better hitter than Leury. 2) Someone who can play all 3 outfield positions that's a better hitter than Leury. That we he's never the first backup at any position. You have to be two guys down before you have to start him.

Yes, the Sox need a lefty or switch hitting 2B who can also handle SS. Push Cesar to the Leury Garcia role.

I don't think he'll get one. I think they'll carry 12 pitchers, and they will be Lynn/Rodon/Giolito/Cease starting and then Hendriks/Kimbrel/Kopech/Tepera/Lopez in RH relief and Crochet/Bummer/Keuchel in LH relief. For me Ruiz lines up 2nd behind Burr as next in line in case of injuries.

That was his 8th batter. He doesn't go that far very often.

Nobody on: .273 AVG, 10.6% BB, 20.6%K Runner on 1st only: .313 AVG, 7.7% BB, 24.2%K RISP: .195 AVG, 6.9% BB, 20.8% K So no, he doesn't K more, but he walks less and hits far worse.

Vaughn needs to realize they're going to be careful with him while Goodwin's on deck.

It's really unfair that teams won't throw lefties without great sliders against the Sox.

Both All three runs have come after the defense gave them an extra out.

If Lopez can get through 4 innings allowing 2 runs or fewer then he's done his job, and if the offense can't top that then fuck them.

He's one of many pitchers who won't be saddened by this.

No TA again. This has to be more than just resting.

I think they go with 12 pitchers in the playoffs and Ruiz is the odd man out.