Sox win; split series @HOU

[Autumn Dreamin]

I might be wrong...but after a quick look at 2022 lineups, I think we've already surpassed in the opening series the number of games where all five of TA7, Eloy, Yaz, Yo, and Luis started in the entirety of last year.

As far as I can tell, this happened exactly twice last year: on 8/4-5, games 105 and 106, vs Texas. And they were both with post-wrist injury Robert, and still not fully healthy Yaz/Yo. TA would suffer his hand injury in game 107, the last of the series.

It might actually be impossible to overstate how much injury decimated this squad last year.

[bmags]

11 minutes ago, Autumn Dreamin said:

I might be wrong...but after a quick look at 2022 lineups, I think we've already surpassed in the opening series the number of games where all five of TA7, Eloy, Yaz, Yo, and Luis started in the entirety of last year.

As far as I can tell, this happened exactly twice last year: on 8/4-5, games 105 and 106, vs Texas. And they were both with post-wrist injury Robert, and still not fully healthy Yaz/Yo. TA would suffer his hand injury in game 107, the last of the series.

It might actually be impossible to overstate how much injury decimated this squad last year.

Sounds right, pretty amazing.

[Dick Allen]

Robert went 113 feet to catch the ball in the 9th.

[JTB]

59 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

Totally agree. Just running to 1B has changed dramatically. 

I noticed this as well.  Maybe I’m projecting but this, at least to me, says something about the managerial leadership.  Again, I may be seeing what I want to see.  It’s still encouraging in my mind.  
It’s fun to actually looking forward to watching games.

[ptatc]

3 minutes ago, JTB said:

I noticed this as well.  Maybe I’m projecting but this, at least to me, says something about the managerial leadership.  Again, I may be seeing what I want to see.  It’s still encouraging in my mind.  
It’s fun to actually looking forward to watching games.

Easier to run when you aren't coming off lower extremity surgery. 

[soxfan49]

29 minutes ago, Autumn Dreamin said:

I might be wrong...but after a quick look at 2022 lineups, I think we've already surpassed in the opening series the number of games where all five of TA7, Eloy, Yaz, Yo, and Luis started in the entirety of last year.

As far as I can tell, this happened exactly twice last year: on 8/4-5, games 105 and 106, vs Texas. And they were both with post-wrist injury Robert, and still not fully healthy Yaz/Yo. TA would suffer his hand injury in game 107, the last of the series.

It might actually be impossible to overstate how much injury decimated this squad last year.

But the issue is Moncada, Robert and Jimenez always seem to be hurt, so it should be any day now where 1 or 2 of them have some kind of issue

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

43 minutes ago, Autumn Dreamin said:

I might be wrong...but after a quick look at 2022 lineups, I think we've already surpassed in the opening series the number of games where all five of TA7, Eloy, Yaz, Yo, and Luis started in the entirety of last year.

As far as I can tell, this happened exactly twice last year: on 8/4-5, games 105 and 106, vs Texas. And they were both with post-wrist injury Robert, and still not fully healthy Yaz/Yo. TA would suffer his hand injury in game 107, the last of the series.

It might actually be impossible to overstate how much injury decimated this squad last year.

Good post and I have also been emphasizing that despite 2 years and 1 Covid year together Eloy and Robert have never really played together for an extended period where they both were hitting at their best. Most of the time one or the other was hurt and other times not performing at their best.

Of course we still haven't seen it but if they can both somehow avoid the long DL stints that have plagued them I hope to see each perform near the top of their ability for at least 100 games. Having your 2 supposedly best players live up to expectations would be HUGE. Then toss in every other year good Moncada, a better Vaughn a healthy Grandal and some lefties like Benintendi and Colas who also improve the OF defense there might be a lot more good on this team than we have experienced before in the window. The starting pitching still has to hold up over the long haul as does the health of all.

The success of the rebuild was based on players who were supposed to end up better than Abreu. It never happened but it has to happen and this might be the only year for it to happen before we lose the starting pitching.

[greg775]

Nobody in their right minds can be mad at the big picture right now. A split on the road vs. Houston is monumental. Keep splitting road series and learn to win series at home and the team could go .500 on the road and 10 over at home and be in contention with that kind of record.

[chitownsportsfan]

Luis is a freak.

 

[VAfan]

I posted this over on the Athletic.  Despite this point, I'm overall pleased with the series.  The offense is so much better. Moncada should hit 3rd in this lineup.  Seby should get more playing time.  I'd like to see Romy in for Andrus a fair amount. 

***********

Sox definitely need to work on bases loaded no one out.

I really wish the coaches would take the swing tendency away from young players in those situations sometimes.

I sat watching Sheets and Colas both up against a righty with the bases loaded and no one out. Three balls low and inside, none hittable, all swung at.

I said to my family before each pitch exactly where the ball was going.

If you watch the game instead of the ball out of the pitchers' hands, you know he's not throwing a strike there. He gets you to chase once, twice, three times and you are done.

Sox should be smarter. There are times the 3rd base coach should give the take sign. Force a young hitter like Colas or Sheets to just watch the ball. See the pitch. Watch it drop out of the zone.

Ball one, ball two, and now the pitcher has to do something else.

Who am I? I'm nobody. But it always gets me if I can call what's coming in certain situations, then the guys paid to do this ought to do it better.

Hitters shouldn't just be evaluating the pitch to decide whether to swing. They should be evaluating the situation and how they expect to be pitched.

It wasn't just Sheets and Colas. Vaughn was a victim too. Enticed to swing at balls with the bases loaded.

In that situation, batters have to make the pitcher come to them. Be MORE selective. Like Grandal. Look for the pitch where you want it. If it's not there, take it. Get them to 3 ball counts with the bases loaded.

My point is, this is a coaching issue as much as it is a player issue. Sox have some young hitters, and some impatient veterans. There is a lot of room to grow.

 

[hogan873]

Hard to complain about a series split at Houston.  However, the Sox had a chance to win all four games.  The lack of hitting with runners in scoring position is frustrating, and the bullpen is shaky.

Lots of good stuff, though.

Moncada looks like a completely different player.
Luis looks healthy, and the home run yesterday was really nice to see.
All four starters looked solid.
Yaz looks healthy.
Vaughn with a couple clutch hits.
Bummer's inning yesterday...would like to see more of that!
Lopez in a save situation was good.  Not so much in a non-save situation.

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

7 hours ago, VAfan said:

I posted this over on the Athletic.  Despite this point, I'm overall pleased with the series.  The offense is so much better. Moncada should hit 3rd in this lineup.  Seby should get more playing time.  I'd like to see Romy in for Andrus a fair amount. 

***********

Sox definitely need to work on bases loaded no one out.

I really wish the coaches would take the swing tendency away from young players in those situations sometimes.

I sat watching Sheets and Colas both up against a righty with the bases loaded and no one out. Three balls low and inside, none hittable, all swung at.

I said to my family before each pitch exactly where the ball was going.

If you watch the game instead of the ball out of the pitchers' hands, you know he's not throwing a strike there. He gets you to chase once, twice, three times and you are done.

Sox should be smarter. There are times the 3rd base coach should give the take sign. Force a young hitter like Colas or Sheets to just watch the ball. See the pitch. Watch it drop out of the zone.

Ball one, ball two, and now the pitcher has to do something else.

Who am I? I'm nobody. But it always gets me if I can call what's coming in certain situations, then the guys paid to do this ought to do it better.

Hitters shouldn't just be evaluating the pitch to decide whether to swing. They should be evaluating the situation and how they expect to be pitched.

It wasn't just Sheets and Colas. Vaughn was a victim too. Enticed to swing at balls with the bases loaded.

In that situation, batters have to make the pitcher come to them. Be MORE selective. Like Grandal. Look for the pitch where you want it. If it's not there, take it. Get them to 3 ball counts with the bases loaded.

My point is, this is a coaching issue as much as it is a player issue. Sox have some young hitters, and some impatient veterans. There is a lot of room to grow.

 

Risp and bases loaded production is pretty much always just statistical noise and I wouldn't worry much about it being a problem. 

The optimism should come from having that many opportunities this early in the year. They'll cash in sooner than later.

[Tnetennba]

Getting out with a split, having a lead in every game, starters mostly good, big positives considering the opponent.  Bullpen, situational hitting, and what I’ll call some growing pains from Grifol in the dugout are definitely areas of concern.  The bats broke through late, but they still fail far too often with runners in scoring position.  There are still areas of concern that feel too reminiscent of 2022, but Houston is a tough matchup so it’s hard to read too much of anything after the first four games. 

[35thstreetswarm]

48 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Risp and bases loaded production is pretty much always just statistical noise and I wouldn't worry much about it being a problem. 

The optimism should come from having that many opportunities this early in the year. They'll cash in sooner than later.

This x 1000.  We got like 50 hits in the series against excellent pitching.  Nobody should be complaining about the offense we’ve seen so far.

[Harry Chappas]

6 minutes ago, 35thstreetswarm said:

This x 1000.  We got like 50 hits in the series against excellent pitching.  Nobody should be complaining about the offense we’ve seen so far.

I think I am still shaken by he failing of last year in this department.   There are a lot of things from last year that have shaken me. 

[bmags]

Just now, Harry Chappas said:

I think I am still shaken by he failing of last year in this department.   There are a lot of things from last year that have shaken me. 

I think the core of that problem was largely our groundball rate and lack of power.

Our groundball rate is still kinda high, and really there is no reason to believe it would improve that much aside from a relatively speedier team mitigating it and replacing Leury (hit a grounder) with Romy (strikeout a relative improvement).

Before we'd put together bases loaded with some singles and grounders. Then you need to hit it in the air and nobody could do it. Now having moncada, grandal showing power, Luis showing power, that's what will cure this. We may still have quite a few left on base situations, but at least we should cash in more.

[JoeC]

1 hour ago, Tnetennba said:

Getting out with a split, having a lead in every game, starters mostly good, big positives considering the opponent.  Bullpen, situational hitting, and what I’ll call some growing pains from Grifol in the dugout are definitely areas of concern.  The bats broke through late, but they still fail far too often with runners in scoring position.  There are still areas of concern that feel too reminiscent of 2022, but Houston is a tough matchup so it’s hard to read too much of anything after the first four games. 

Yeah the way I see it, we're still trying to figure out the bullpen pieces - who can pitch in what conditions, when can we jettison Diekman, etc.

Houston has a "set" bullpen at this point. They're going to have an advantage this time of year.

Yes, Houston is playing shorthanded, but all things considered, I'm happy with a split. Hell - the team was in all 4 games, which is more than we can say about the 2021 Division Series matchup when the Sox were clearly overmatched.

[Dick Allen]

For those saying Grifol has "growing pains? using his bullpen, what was he supposed to do? He has to use what he has.

[Tnetennba]

1 hour ago, Harry Chappas said:

I think I am still shaken by he failing of last year in this department.   There are a lot of things from last year that have shaken me. 

It's going to take some time for this to wear away for me too.  

[CentralChamps21]

4 hours ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Risp and bases loaded production is pretty much always just statistical noise and I wouldn't worry much about it being a problem.

I disagree. With RISP, especially bases loaded, pitchers tend to throw more pitches down and/or out of the zone and that exploits this team's weaknesses in swinging at too many bad pitches and hitting too many grounders.