hogan873

Why is Stanton sporting a stache and soul patch? I thought they had to be clean shaven.

I saw that quote, too. It certainly could be the case. I'm not sold on Keuchel's one good start. I wouldn't mind seeing what Cueto could do for a start or two.

Don't want opposing players going nuts celebrating? Don't suck at baseball. Don't make 4 errors. Don't throw a fucking meatball to a guy who just hit a grand slam. Try scoring a run when you have the bases loaded with one out...twice.

Kopech’s fastball must be very deceptive. Some of the hitters look completely fooled.

Kopech’s control is iffy, but he’s also not getting the borderline calls…probably because his control is iffy.

Ok. That makes up for his error.

The league might get suspicious when he strides to the plate, bursting out of his jersey, using Leury as a bat.

The pitching is winning games for the Sox. That's a good thing, and it's exciting to see guys like Foster and Ruiz step up, Velasquez have a few good starts, and Cease be an absolute beast. But, the offense needs to step it up. Can't expect the pitching to go out and not give up more than 2-3 runs per game and hope to keep winning. Moncada's return will help. His return will help a lot if he's Yoan from 2019. His return will still help a good bit if he's 2021 Yoan. Abreu is starting to hit better. Robert will have a monster year. Even Leury is looking better...mainly because he's actually being used properly. There are still plenty of holes, but I'm definitely feeling better about this team.

Holy shit what a cannon.

We’ll take it.

Velasquez did what he needed to. Another good outing. Bullpen needs to hold them here. And, you know, maybe the offense can get another couple runs.

Is…is Velasquez good?

And/or when our pitchers plow through the opposition and get quick outs.

Yeah, that's...a bad team. They'll be picked clean at the deadline.

Looks like the games are still free, but you'll still need an Apple TV account.

Winning 6 or 7 in a row would be more indicative of turning it around, but we're seeing the attitude and spark returning after watching a really boring baseball team for about two weeks. On paper, the team is still pretty good even with the injuries. The problem was that they were woefully underperforming. Now we're seeing them perform a little better on offense (still overall sucking) and the pitching being awesome, and that's why they're winning games. Once the offense comes around, the long losing streak will seem like a distant memory. I hope...

Christ, Robert

Nice outing from Gio. Other than the two mistakes that ended up in the seats, he pitched really well.

He may have. Let’s see after the commercial break. Good effort, though.

What a catch by Robert.

Ok, Sheets

Kopech certainly seemed like he accepted it, based on his comments post-game. And I accept it...not sure why my acceptance matters though. My point was that nowadays we're seeing more starting pitchers not making it deep enough to win games that they had a big hand in winning. Starting pitchers don't go as deep into games as they had in the past. Partly due to caution for health, partly due to the additional wear and tear on pitchers now (increased types of pitches leads to increased stress on the arm), and partly due to shifting strategies. In 1965, the average outing for starting pitchers was 6.28 innings. In 2019, it was 5.26 innings. I understand the logic behind the rule. And I can see why it's viewed as important to get through 5 innings. But getting a win should not be one of the most important reasons for handling of the pitching staff. If wins are going to be one of the most important stats, then maybe how the win is determined should be changed. Back on subject though - Nice win and fuck the Cubs.

Meh. I don't think how wins and losses are determined for pitchers is a reason baseball is boring. The pace of the game is, by far, the biggest contributing factor. It's just a dumb rule though. A pitcher can go out and pitch his ass off for 4+ innings and leave with the lead and not get the win. But a guy can come in, finish the 5th by facing a couple batters, and if the team holds on and wins, he gets the win. The starter gets...nothing. There is and will continue to be less of an emphasis on wins for pitchers and more focus on all the other stats that actually tell you how the pitcher is performing.

Another nice DP. Good pitching from ReyLo.

That’ll leave a mark.