Sox vs Mets game thread

[caulfield12]

Sox are a botched play by Getz away from getting shutout for 3rd time in 4 games. They're the worst offense in the AL, and it's not even close.

 

 

Which is a recipe for disaster playing 81 homes games at USCF.

 

Worse, it's horrible for business.

 

 

[caulfield12]

No.

 

 

It was pretty good, with exception of Veal, until the last couple of weeks.

 

The cracks are starting to show without Santiago to rely on.

 

Plus, when you only have starters going through the 5th inning, forcing the bullpen to go 4 innings simply isn't going to work on a consistent basis.

[Marty34]

Come on Marty, it's obvious you're seeing red right now.

 

The Sox can't put together a bullpen that's good enough to win a division. It's not an easything to do, but look since 2005, the years with good pens are few and far between.

 

[LittleHurt05]

The Sox can't put together a bullpen that's good enough to win a division. It's not an easything to do, but look since 2005, the years with good pens are few and far between.

 

And that bullpen in 2005 was arguably the least talented of them all. Bullpens can be such a crapshoot.

Edited May 8, 2013 by LittleHurt05

[caulfield12]

The Sox can't put together a bullpen that's good enough to win a division. It's not an easything to do, but look since 2005, the years with good pens are few and far between.

 

 

Do you really believe they came up short in 2006, 2010 and 2012 because of their bullpens?

 

There are 10-15 other areas you could pinpoint before casting blame in that direction.

 

You can say that 2007, KW went "on the cheap" and it led to a disastrous season and he overcompensated by paying a ton to Dotel and Linebrink, and later Crain.

 

But that bullpen in the first half of 2008 was the main reason we ended up surviving and winning the division...even though Linebrink was never the same pitcher after returning from injury in the 2nd half.

Edited May 8, 2013 by caulfield12

[Chicago White Sox]

At least Birmingham won by slaughter rule today. Makes feel little bit better about tonight's awful offensive performance.

[Marty34]

And that bullpen in 2005 was arguably the least talented of them all. Bullpens can be such a crapshoot.

 

Absolutely. What bothers me is it's the same make up every year. Hard throwers who can go 1-inning. They need to find a guy who can pitch multiple innings and 3 times in 4 days. Yes, easier said than done. Just tired of the same plan every year.

[Jake]

We've had bottom 5 in AL bullpen by ERA twice in the recent past (2006, 2007) and top 5 twice (2005, 2010). The other years from 1999 till now have been from 6-9 in the AL. I don't know that ERA is the best way to measure bullpens, but that's one way to chew on it. Doesn't seem like a major problem. There are always good teams with bad bullpens and bad teams with good bullpens.

[Chicago White Sox]

Absolutely. What bothers me is it's the same make up every year. Hard throwers who can go 1-inning. They need to find a guy who can pitch multiple innings and 3 times in 4 days. Yes, easier said than done. Just tired of the same plan every year.

But at the same time a manager needs to know how to most effectively use his relievers. I know that's easier said than done, but we saw plenty of times in the past where Ozzie completely ignored a pitcher's splits or tonight with Robin going two innings with Nate despite the fact he hasn't pitched well in multiple inning outings. Relievers are volatile and if you over-extend them too frequently you're likely to get burned.

[cabiness42]

The Sox can't put together a bullpen that's good enough to win a division. It's not an easything to do, but look since 2005, the years with good pens are few and far between.

 

The offense got one f***ing baserunner and people are b****ing about the bullpen. Unbelievable.

[fathom]

The offense got one f***ing baserunner and people are b****ing about the bullpen. Unbelievable.

 

Yep, this offense gives the pitching staff no breathing room at all. We can't even b**** about starters giving back the run after the offense scores because it happens so infrequently.

 

[cabiness42]

Absolutely. What bothers me is it's the same make up every year. Hard throwers who can go 1-inning. They need to find a guy who can pitch multiple innings and 3 times in 4 days. Yes, easier said than done. Just tired of the same plan every year.

 

They have two of those guys, and they are currently using them both as starters because Danks and Floyd are on the DL.

 

[oldsox]

This is absolutely the worst offensive Sox team in a very long time. Of course, they'll keep the same lineup for tomorrow I'm sure.

and next year.

[greg775]

The offense got one f***ing baserunner and people are b****ing about the bullpen. Unbelievable.

 

True, but Nate Jones was so horrific it's laughable.

[caulfield12]

Mike Baxter's pinch-hit single off reliever Nate Jones ended the misery that started with Harvey, who struck out a career-high 12 batters in nine innings with a 98 mph fastball and three quality secondary pitches.

 

"He has pretty much dominant stuff, as much as anybody we've seen," manager Robin Ventura. "Kind of the Verlander stuff."

 

The Mets selected Harvey six spots ahead of Sox ace Chris Sale in the 2010 draft, and his performance came one day after the Royals' James Shields held the Sox hitless for five innings and three days after Jeremy Guthrie shut them out.

 

The Sox's American League-worst batting average dropped to .223.

 

"You just have to deal with them because we're going to face good pitching and we just can't have any excuses," Rios said.

 

Rios admitted he was fortunate to get a hit on an 0-1 pitch from Harvey, barely beating the throw from shortstop Ruben Tejada.

 

"It was a slider, middle away, and I rolled (my wrists) over," Rios said. "But it got the job done. I got to first, and that's what we were trying to do — get to first and make our chances to score better."

 

But that was the extent of the Sox offense. Harvey's control and command left many batters swinging early in counts, as he needed only 105 pitches through nine innings.

 

"I'm OK with that," Ventura said of the Sox's approach against Harvey, who has allowed only one hit in at least seven innings in three of his 17 major league starts. "When you get to a guy with the stuff he has tonight, you might as well get to the first thing you like and take a hack at it."

 

Santiago matched Harvey for seven innings in his second start in place of Gavin Floyd while pitching in front of at least 100 family members and friends. Santiago relied on off-speed pitches to retire the final eight batters he faced.

 

With left-hander John Danks returning within two weeks, the Sox could have a difficult decision after Santiago struck out eight and limited the Mets to four hits.

 

"We're going to have to see as we go along," Ventura said. "We have pieces moving around as far as when Danks comes back. You like what you see. (Santiago) is making a strong case for himself."

 

 

www.chicagotribune.com/sports (Gonzales)

[cabiness42]

True, but Nate Jones was so horrific it's laughable.

 

He gave up a walk and a single in his second inning. It happens. Relievers aren't going to be perfect. That's why you need to have an offense that can hit and score runs and stuff so then you can have 2+ run leads when your relievers give up those runs.

 

Sox relievers are under the microscope right now because every single run they give up either loses or ties the game. That's not how it's supposed to work. The bullpen has a 3.39 ERA, which is pretty remarkable considering that almost every single inning they pitch is high leverage.

[Marty34]

He gave up a walk and a single in his second inning. It happens. Relievers aren't going to be perfect. That's why you need to have an offense that can hit and score runs and stuff so then you can have 2+ run leads when your relievers give up those runs.

 

Sox relievers are under the microscope right now because every single run they give up either loses or ties the game. That's not how it's supposed to work. The bullpen has a 3.39 ERA, which is pretty remarkable considering that almost every single inning they pitch is high leverage.

 

What more needs to be said about the offense? If anything, it has masked how awful Nate Jones and the bullpen construction is.

[southsider2k5]

What more needs to be said about the offense? If anything, it has masked how awful Nate Jones and the bullpen construction is.

 

Amazing what happens to a pen when you start taking starters out of the rotation, and take your best swing man out of the mix.

[LittleHurt05]

I'm not trying to give the s***ty offense a break, but Harvey has given up 7 runs TOTAL in 7 starts. A similar outcome would have happened against the Tigers, dude has been straight dealin'.

 

 

[Marty34]

Amazing what happens to a pen when you start taking starters out of the rotation, and take your best swing man out of the mix.

 

I was lead to believe the Sox had the pitching depth to withstand trading Floyd this offseason.

[southsider2k5]

I was lead to believe the Sox had the pitching depth to withstand trading Floyd this offseason.

 

They did not have the depth to lose Floyd, not get back Danks, and lose Peavy.