World Series 2018--Red Sox vs. Dodgers

nvalvo

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Per today's Globe:

An MLB Scout's View of the Red Sox-Dodgers World Series



Out of the box question:

Do you consider a 5-man rotation with (the hypothetically good) Rodriguez back in the mix? (He obviously stinks rotting in the pen) This obviously isn't even a fantasy exercise if the Sox are down 1-3.

Tuesday - Sale
Wednesday - Price

Friday - Eovaldi
Saturday - Porcello
Sunday - Rodriguez

Tuesday - Sale (6-days rest)
Wednesday - Price (6-days rest)

I know, everything depends on series count and whether or not Rodriguez really sucks versus giving Sale and Price an extra day. Of course, it could also rain...

No, but I definitely consider using three LHSP in a four man rotation, and using one of Eovaldi or Porcello to shore up the bullpen.
 

Sam Ray Not

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I am miles out of my depth here.
Hah, sorry, my inner Italophile:

"La sorda" = the deaf lady
"La russa" = the redheaded lady

But also of course two of the more abrasive and polarizing managers in recent MLB history. Just wondering who grates on people here more. I'd personally vote for Tony La Russa, if only because he caused me far more suffering as a Sox fan (I still have PTSD from the beatings those PED Athletics teams laid on us). But then, I also was also pretty young during Lasorda's tenure, and kinda forget what was so bad about him...
 
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joe dokes

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But then, I also was also pretty young during Lasorda's tenure, and kinda forget what was so bad about him...
I never had a beef with Lasorda, he was just one of those baseball characters.......until he went off about drug addicts being weak people and later peddling complete denial about his son's homosexuality and death from AIDS.

FWIW--His brother was killed in a car accident a few weeks ago.
 

InsideTheParker

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Hah, sorry, my inner Italophile:

"La sorda" = the deaf lady
"La russa" = the redheaded lady

But also of course two of the more abrasive and polarizing managers in recent MLB history. Just wondering who grates on people here more. I'd personally vote for Tony La Russa, if only because he caused me far more suffering as a Sox fan (I still have PTSD from the beatings those PED Athletics teams laid on us). But then, I also was also pretty young during Lasorda's tenure, and kinda forget what was so bad about him...
Actually, LaRussa sprang to mind, but since he's on the Red Sox staff I decided I didn't get it.
 

InsideTheParker

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As if I needed another reason to hate LA, the Dodgers are crossing the hotel picket lines.
I'm sure the players didn't make this decision, management did. I can't imagine the guys, with all they have to think about, getting into a beef with management at this moment in time. But it's not a good look for their front office.
 

ookami7m

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Umpire Crew announced:

Crew Chief: Ted Barrett
Fieldin Culbreth
Kerwin Danley
Chad Fairchild
Jeff Nelson
Jim Reynolds
Tim Timmons
 

Wake49

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“Too small”. That’s what I heard Pedro say last week as the reason the Dodgers traded him. The Dodgers second highest BWAR player of all time is named Pee Wee. LOLOL.
There’s a 40-year difference between when Reese played for ‘em and when Pedro did.
 

Al Zarilla

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There’s a 40-year difference between when Reese played for ‘em and when Pedro did.
They also played different positions. Pee Wee Reese wasn’t even that small for a shortstop in his day though, listed at 5’ 10 by BBREF. I was also surprised he was second all time dodgers BWAR, ahead of Duke Snider.
 

Savin Hillbilly

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The wrong side of the bridge....
Ryu is much better at home, so having him lined up for two starts in Fenway is good.
Ryu has really been an all-or-nothing pitcher vs. RHH this year, especially on the road: 30%-ish K rate, but contact is crushed: 41% Hard rate, 19% HR/FB (with 40% flyball rate).

The AB of Mookie, JDM, Xander and Pearce against him at Fenway are going to be must-watch.
 

Dewey'sCannon

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As if I needed another reason to hate LA, the Dodgers are crossing the hotel picket lines.
I hope this jinxes (curses?) the Dodgers like it did the Yankees.

As a union guy, I find it appalling that union members would cross a picket line. Who the hell is the Dodgers MLBPA rep? And where the hell is Tony Clark?
 

staz

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The cradle of the game.
Red Sox played in that kind of weather just last week. I was at game one of the ALCS and it was definitely low-mid 40s by the middle innings. A few of us had a good chuckle at how bundled up some of the Astros were.
Well of course the Sox did. And had I looked at something other than the regular season, I would have realized this! Duh.

Temperature cannot be understated in these first 2 games. Baseball in a raw 45 degrees is a different game than it is in 75. Same conditions for both teams, but the Sox are far more experienced wearing the extra layer and playing in the chill.
 

InsideTheParker

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Well of course the Sox did. And had I looked at something other than the regular season, I would have realized this! Duh.

Temperature cannot be understated in these first 2 games. Baseball in a raw 45 degrees is a different game than it is in 75. Same conditions for both teams, but the Sox are far more experienced wearing the extra layer and playing in the chill.
Did you mean overstated?
 

geoduck no quahog

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I’m convinced the Red Sox need to sweep the first 2 games because the Dodgers have such an extreme home field advantage in LA. Everything to do with the DH, which will force the Red Sox to weaken their outfield...meanwhile the Dodgers have an entire bench full of DH’s available in Boston.

Maybe I need a history lesson, because I’m so used to Ortiz playing 1B and not impacting the team as much as losing 1 of Bradley or Benintendi in baseball’s best outfield. Betts playing 2B is another defensive downgrade (sorry, I don’t think he’s actually Superman) and losing all the defensive runs saved in the outfield.

Ok it’s a short series and odds are a small loss in defense isn’t going to mean anything...but in this World Series the National League DH rule, combined with 3 games in a row, really disadvantages the Red Sox.
 

DeadlySplitter

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I’m convinced the Red Sox need to sweep the first 2 games because the Dodgers have such an extreme home field advantage in LA. Everything to do with the DH, which will force the Red Sox to weaken their outfield...meanwhile the Dodgers have an entire bench full of DH’s available in Boston.

Maybe I need a history lesson, because I’m so used to Ortiz playing 1B and not impacting the team as much as losing 1 of Bradley or Benintendi in baseball’s best outfield. Betts playing 2B is another defensive downgrade (sorry, I don’t think he’s actually Superman) and losing all the defensive runs saved in the outfield.

Ok it’s a short series and odds are a small loss in defense isn’t going to mean anything...but in this World Series the National League DH rule, combined with 3 games in a row, really disadvantages the Red Sox.
we went 9-1 in NL road games this season.

extreme HFA is really overstating it. Cora will find his times to double switch, too.
 

nvalvo

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I'm sure the players didn't make this decision, management did. I can't imagine the guys, with all they have to think about, getting into a beef with management at this moment in time. But it's not a good look for their front office.
They're also workers, many of whom are fantastically wealthy solely because of trade unionism.
 

soxhop411

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Do we use Porcello as a PH during NL games? He seems to be our best hitting pitcher.
 

timlinin8th

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Temperature cannot be understated in these first 2 games. Baseball in a raw 45 degrees is a different game than it is in 75. Same conditions for both teams, but the Sox are far more experienced wearing the extra layer and playing in the chill.
Not only is comfort a factor, but the ball won't carry in the cold air like it does in the heat, and thats bad news for a home-run centric lineup like LA boasts. The Sox offense is perfectly capable of manufacturing runs.
 

barbed wire Bob

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I’m convinced the Red Sox need to sweep the first 2 games because the Dodgers have such an extreme home field advantage in LA. Everything to do with the DH, which will force the Red Sox to weaken their outfield...meanwhile the Dodgers have an entire bench full of DH’s available in Boston.

Maybe I need a history lesson, because I’m so used to Ortiz playing 1B and not impacting the team as much as losing 1 of Bradley or Benintendi in baseball’s best outfield. Betts playing 2B is another defensive downgrade (sorry, I don’t think he’s actually Superman) and losing all the defensive runs saved in the outfield.

Ok it’s a short series and odds are a small loss in defense isn’t going to mean anything...but in this World Series the National League DH rule, combined with 3 games in a row, really disadvantages the Red Sox.
Dodger Stadium is an extreme pitchers park so a downgrade in outfield defense may not be much of a factor ( and JD is actually not a bad outfielder). Conversely, because Dodger Stadium is a pitchers park, it would make sense to field the most potent offense available and Kinsler and Nunez haven’t been hitting well. So I really can’t see how the Sox are going to be at a major disadvantage when playing in LA.
 

oumbi

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I’m convinced the Red Sox need to sweep the first 2 games because the Dodgers have such an extreme home field advantage in LA. Everything to do with the DH, which will force the Red Sox to weaken their outfield...meanwhile the Dodgers have an entire bench full of DH’s available in Boston.

Maybe I need a history lesson, because I’m so used to Ortiz playing 1B and not impacting the team as much as losing 1 of Bradley or Benintendi in baseball’s best outfield. Betts playing 2B is another defensive downgrade (sorry, I don’t think he’s actually Superman) and losing all the defensive runs saved in the outfield.

Ok it’s a short series and odds are a small loss in defense isn’t going to mean anything...but in this World Series the National League DH rule, combined with 3 games in a row, really disadvantages the Red Sox.
Why only in this World Series does the NL gain such an advantage? Also, in 3 of the last 5 World Series, the AL won, and the Sox were one of those winning teams. So I am not sure how much of an edge all these things really are for the NL.
 

gedman211

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Just don't pitch to Machado and make someone else beat you. Everyone else in that line-up can be pitched to.
Buehler looks a little scary. Best approach is to wait him out. Kershaw is the opposite: be aggressive early in the count.
 

gedman211

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Sounds like my time in Washington Heights might have overlapped with yours. We were up there from 1990 to August 2005, the last 13 years on Bennett at 190th Street. When we first moved up there, Manny was starting to get noticed in high school.
I was at the Pedro 17k game in August of '99. After the game, there were a couple hundred Dominicans marching around the Stadium chanting "Pedro, Pedro.." It felt like a revolution was happening.
 

Al Zarilla

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Dodger Stadium is an extreme pitchers park so a downgrade in outfield defense may not be much of a factor ( and JD is actually not a bad outfielder). Conversely, because Dodger Stadium is a pitchers park, it would make sense to field the most potent offense available and Kinsler and Nunez haven’t been hitting well. So I really can’t see how the Sox are going to be at a major disadvantage when playing in LA.
Wouldn’t you want your best outfielders playing in an extreme pitcher’s park? Actually, I think I’m happy with our three jackrabbits all playing at Fenway because of all the outfield quirks. If JD does play RF in LA though, after seeing at least an excellent athlete if not a good fielder in Yasiel Puig look foolish in RF a few times, oh mama. And JD may not be a bad outfielder, but he’s a big comedown from the three regulars. He may not take terrible routes or have a bad arm but he’s slow and will field balls on a bounce for hits that Mookie or Benny would catch easily. JD has to play though.
 

JohntheBaptist

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I've been looking at their roster and the one thing that jumps out is their bullpen seems a lot like the bullpens this offense just waited on in close games and then annihilated. If they can get their lefty starters to work in these RHH ABs I think they win because that plays into what seemed to be a strength. I think at least one of Kershaw, Ryu, or Hill is getting lit up.

The road games should be interesting but then this team has been a road beast all year, right through the playoffs.

Machado is the key. Keep him in check, as noted they can be pitched to. I've lived here for the better part of Justin Turner's prime and its real but then for some reason I never believe it (which means nothing, just an observation). Their depth really is impressive, though in some configurations their defense does tick back.

This should be fun.
 

keninten

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Just don't pitch to Machado and make someone else beat you. Everyone else in that line-up can be pitched to.
Buehler looks a little scary. Best approach is to wait him out. Kershaw is the opposite: be aggressive early in the count.
Justin Turner is the player I`d be most worried about.
 

BlackJack

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Ayup. I meant overstated.
Both work IMO.

‘You can’t understate it’ works as an instruction, ie don’t understate the impact of the cold.

And it works as a statement: You can’t overstate it, ie it is impossible to overstate the impact of the cold.

:D
 

Average Reds

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Max Power

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Is Machado even that scary a hitter? The Red Sox have seen more of him than just about any other team and have handled him quite well. He's had a sub .800 OPS for his career, including barely over .800 this season. The Dodgers seem to be the second rate Yankees with more speed. Keep them in the ballpark and they don't have a chance in the series.
 

manny

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Is Machado even that scary a hitter? The Red Sox have seen more of him than just about any other team and have handled him quite well. He's had a sub .800 OPS for his career, including barely over .800 this season. The Dodgers seem to be the second rate Yankees with more speed. Keep them in the ballpark and they don't have a chance in the series.
Yes, to the extent hitters are "scary," Machado is one of those. His OPS this year was .905 (I think you were only looking at his LAD OPS). He also came up as a 19 year old, which skews his career OPS (although he did have a 'down' year last year). He's probably a top 10-15 hitter in the game.
 

Max Power

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Yes, to the extent hitters are "scary," Machado is one of those. His OPS this year was .905 (I think you were only looking at his LAD OPS). He also came up as a 19 year old, which skews his career OPS (although he did have a 'down' year last year). He's probably a top 10-15 hitter in the game.
I was looking at his Red Sox splits. He has 415 plate appearances in his career with a .277/.321/.475 line. If you look at just this year, it's .278/.333/.472.
 

manny

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I was looking at his Red Sox splits. He has 415 plate appearances in his career with a .277/.321/.475 line. If you look at just this year, it's .278/.333/.472.
Got it. He's had 39 PA against the Sox this year, so not sure it's a useful sample size - for example, his line in 30 PA at Fenway is .310/.330/.552. Not sure his career line against the Sox is any more useful - his stats against the 2012-2014 Sox do not seem particularly relevant. In any event, I suppose a hitter's scariness is in the eye of the beholder and, for me, he's the scariest hitter in the Dodgers lineup.