LinkHas there been any speculation about what Papi might have been telling Hernandez after that PR? I can't imagine Papi would be giving base running advice but it was a long talk, a lot longer than "keep your chin up." MH looked really down, like somehow he had made a mistake.
Further info at the link.So what exactly did Ortiz say?
“He said to me, ‘You only have one decision. If you go, you go. But if you stay, make sure you do it the right way,’ ” Hernandez told WEEI.com. “I’m confident that was the right read. That run is the most important run of the game. If I get out on that play, the next hitter would have to hit a bomb to tie the game.”
There were no bombs. The Red Sox instead failed to score en route to a 5-4 loss to the Indians in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.
Ortiz was a bit more pointed in his rendering of the conversation.
“We were just talking about baserunning situations, just give him some ideas,” he said. “He’s got to be a little more aggressive and be aware of things a little better next time.”
Ya - I've read a few reports that his speed is just above average and he's more of a smart 1st to 3rd, take the extra base kind of guy. Not necessarily someone you green light at this stage of his career with that poor of a percentage.Benny 12 CS in 38 attempts in his Minor League career. He's fast but not an elite base stealer at this point. Holding him is the right move there.
And, as BMH suggested above, we don't know about Hernandez' instincts, game awareness.....all the things that Holt does well on the base paths. HIs reads are right up there with Mookie.Here we go, from WEEI
Dave Roberts ain't walking through that door.That's fascinating. It seems as though everyone but Hernandez himself thought he could make it to third. Whose instincts to you go with there?
So... you don't want to bench him yet. That's good, that's smart, benching him at all though would be asinine, but ok.Ah to be young again, where all screwups are swept under the rug. I'll say this much, if it happens again I'd bench his ass.
And, as BMH suggested above, we don't know about Hernandez' instincts, game awareness.....all the things that Holt does well on the base paths. HIs reads are right up there with Mookie.
Papi was giving base running advise, yes he was!
I've been thinking a lot about advance scouting in the aftermath of last night's disappointing performance by the Red Sox offense. One of the hallmarks of the Sox championship era has been the attention to detail that pays off in plays like the Kolten Wong pickoff. The Indians certainly seem to have had a game plan last night to attack the Sox hitters. I thought the Boston pitching staff besides Porcello did a good job, but too many of the young Sox hitters looked like undiscplined hackers. Very disappointed at the lack of in-game adjustments to what the Cleveland pitchers were getting away with. I hope this isn't a sign that X, Betts and JBJ are just not ready for prime time.Regarding the Benintendi play in LF, this was definitely some advance scouting by the Indians. I don't think it was a situational brain fart, but more of AB not realizing how slow he is throwing the ball back to the infield. I think the Indians players were aware of this, and were ready to capitalize. Kind of reminds me of how Koji picked off Kolten Wong in the World Series because they had timed the "jump" that he makes when he takes a lead.
Did Farrell mention anything about it? Did Benintendi? Did the media? Is he being excused because he's a young player?So... you don't want to bench him yet. That's good, that's smart, benching him at all though would be asinine, but ok.
You think his screwup was "swept under the rug." In an SJH world, what does "inexusable" entail, exactly? How is it being excused and how can that be changed for you? Just curious what you're clamoring for here, exactly. Getting chewed out by Farrell? Butterfield? You?
Because one is entirely avoidable, and one isn't, since the other guys get paid too. Porcello could pitch perfectly and still give up bombs because major league hitters are good.Not to single out SJH, but folks on this board have a strange preoccupation with mental errors rather than physical errors. The #1 reason why the Sox lost the game was because of Porcello's poor location in the third inning. You want inexcusable, giving up three home runs in one inning is way, way more inexcusable than being a little slow in throwing the ball back to the infield on a near-warning track flyout. And yet there's been something like 10x as many words written about Benintendi in this thread vs. Porcello.
The throw was bad because it was rushed. The throw was rushed because he was caught by surprise. He was caught by surprise because he wasn't focused enough on the game situation.Regarding Benintendi's lapse. Yes .. he was surprised and slow to react. However, even without the mistake I don't think he gets the guy unless he makes a perfect throw - which he didn't. So I didn't view it as "costing the game". At worst it cost a base. And maybe not even that .
I read it differently.Because one is entirely avoidable, and one isn't, since the other guys get paid too. Porcello could pitch perfectly and still give up bombs because major league hitters are good.
Benintendi losing focus in the outfield and allowing a free and ultimately crucial base advancement is entirely avoidable; all he had to do was be aware of the possibility and play the catch more crisply. What he did was essentially a double-fault in tennis.
The throw was bad because it was rushed. The throw was rushed because he was caught by surprise. He was caught by surprise because he wasn't focused enough on the game situation.
But is that what happened? I don't think so. You're excusing Porcello's bad pitches because "the other guys get paid too"? The whole point about having a Cy Young candidate on the mound is to prevent those other guys from scoring runs. That's his job. If it were David Ortiz or Mark Trumbo at the plate, that would be one thing. But this was Roberto Perez (3 HR on the season), Jason Kipnis (23 HR), and Francisco Lindor (15 HR).Because one is entirely avoidable, and one isn't, since the other guys get paid too. Porcello could pitch perfectly and still give up bombs because major league hitters are good.
Not only didn't he get squeezed, but the first pitch strike was a gift.Thoughts on pulling Price in the 4th? Six hits, but three of them were BABIP specials (two infield hits and a blooper), and the HR was Pesky-like. I didn't see the last walk, but Gameday made it look like he got squeezed by the ump. I don't see the benefit of going to Barnes there.
I don't see too many injuries as being a major factor. Getting full seasons from Ortiz, Pedroia and Hanley is better than could have been reasonably expected prior to the season. Top two starters never missed a start. Cleveland got hit with more significant injuries near the end of the season. At full strength, the Indians have 4 of the 5 best pitchers in this series. 2 of the 4 are off their playoff roster due to injury.Not quite enough pitching and too many injuries to get set up for a deep postseason run.
The bullpen has been better than OK. They've been excellent, and it mattered yesterday, keeping them in the game until the end.I guess the bullpen has been OK. It hasn't mattered though.
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My comment wasn't so much a comparison of CLE vs. BOS.I don't see too many injuries as being a major factor. Getting full seasons from Ortiz, Pedroia and Hanley is better than could have been reasonably expected prior to the season. Top two starters never missed a start. Cleveland got hit with more significant injuries near the end of the season. At full strength, the Indians have 4 of the 5 best pitchers in this series. 2 of the 4 are off their playoff roster due to injury.
Man that is concerning to read“@TimBritton: Pedroia: ”They’ve played better than us…. We’ve lost who we are. We’ve lost the Red Sox.“”
Sad part is he is right. They have to get back to grinding out every at bat and laying off bad pitches as step one.Man that is concerning to read
What do you think this means? Ominous.“@TimBritton: Pedroia: ”They’ve played better than us…. We’ve lost who we are. We’ve lost the Red Sox.“”
Wait, what? Farrell I can see, but Dombrowski has had exactly one year to transform this team from a last place team to a first place team. They're trending in the right direction and he inherited the coach. That's a silly viewpoint.I can't blame Farrel for a single decision in these two games, but if they lose in the ALDS he should be gone as should Dombrowski.
I hope this doesn't mean there is something rotten in the clubhouse.“@TimBritton: Pedroia: ”They’ve played better than us…. We’ve lost who we are. We’ve lost the Red Sox.“”
I'd love to see all seven HRs overlaid on top of a picture of Fenway Park field. I wonder how many of them would have still been HRs.Lot of BABIP luck by the Indians and some short distant HR's to RF in these 2 games.
Be sure to tune in every day between 2-6 on Boston's sports hub...I can't blame Farrel for a single decision in these two games, but if they lose in the ALDS he should be gone as should Dombrowski.
Only because it's harder to win two games than to win just one.My prediction is it will be harder to get to game 5 than win game 5. If they square it up, they'll win in Cleveland.
Losing homefield over the last few games is really feeling like a big deal.I'd love to see all seven HRs overlaid on top of a picture of Fenway Park field. I wonder how many of them would have still been HRs.
I remember saying something similar about Theo and Duquette in Theos his first few years I guess you could give him credit for calling up Benintendi early, supporting Pablos benching, Hanleys move to 1B. Kimbrel to his credit has been very good in save situations. Price has been very good against non Yankees teams (3.4 ERA) and Pomeranz provided a sorely needed boost for the rotation that was important to winning the division. I remember folks being pretty down on the Josh Beckett deal in 2006 and losing Hanley and Anibal. Sometimes these things look a bit different in year 2. Heck, we were all up in arms about Porcello being a bust and he is in the running for CYA. And Hanley couldn't hit, until he couldFlawless - not to speak for the poster above, and it's not realistic - but DD's resume for the season is 4 prospects including a very good one for a closer who couldn't throw strikes at year end, 217 million for someone who craps his pants in big games, and the # 1 pitching prospect for a guy who is pitching mop up middle innings in the playoffs. The trend is due entirely to players developed by the Epstein and Cherington admins. Obviously you don't hand the keys to a guy and dump him after one season in which the playoffs were made, but this guy's first season was Don Sweeney-esque.