Has Thome changed anything against LHP this year?

 

He seems much better vs LHP (including ST). Of the 6 HRs he hit in ST, I know a couple were vs LHP. Now he has two more. Yet going into this season he only hit a HR against LHP every 23 AB's and only 6 all last year vs LHP.

I don't know. Whatever he did, if it happened, I welcome it. Because he sucked pretty bad against LHP the last couple years. But he puts up damn Babe Ruth numbers vs. RHP.

Even if you throw out the final result of Nick Massetts outing, a day like today is why you need the guy in there. You have to have someone who can come out and give you those innings in garbage time. Even if Nick gets his ass kicked, it saves the pen for a day when they do have a chance to win a game. We had luck on our side and Massett was unhittable today, but in the focus of the rest of the series, we hardly touched the important guys in the pen. Those guys would have all had to log time today to make up for Buehrle getting smacked around. Even worse is that Danks, the 4 and 2/3 IP specialist from last year is going in the third game... think about the pen after a day like today, plus Danks getting shelled... It wouldn't be pretty. Just like you don't build a line up with 9 power hitters, you don't build a pen with 6 one inning guys. You need a mix.

Holy s*** that is just plain eerie, I didn't read this until just now. lol

Haha yeah, I'm quite proud of that one, even if it was entirely unintentional and came at the expense of the Sox.

 

Anyway, Masset made it and it was the right call. Woo! Just please don't use him when it matters, Ozzie...this outing did not convince me he's anything more than Mr. 2nd-6th Inning.

I voted Masset based on the Cubs game he started. Even after his s*** outings in the spring, a damage control reliever is more valuable than a specialist (Wasserman), especially with the question marks we have in out 5 man rotation this year. The effort he put forth today pretty much solidifies (in my mind) that he's the backup plan for Floyd or Danks. I never doubted his making the team, based on options alone, but I think eventually he could become stable- in the reliever sense of that word.

Edited April 1, 200817 yr by ChiSox35