ALCS 2021: Red Sox vs. Astros Discussion Thread

redsoxedmunds24

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Aug 11, 2006
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Neither Whitlock nor Houck were good in the playoffs. Cora
well to get them up in key spots, but they couldn’t get it done.

It’s been a big jump in innings and responsibility for both of them, so I hardly blame them, but it is what it is.

But really, the story here is that the Astros adjusted and shut down the Sox offense after the first three games.

Whitlock gave up a HR in the wild card game. He had 6.1 scoreless innings before the Altuve HR. I wouldn’t call that not good. He’s been the most reliable arm the Sox have had all season. I mean in the end best case scenario they go to the 9th 2-0 and odds are they still lose but I would much rather go down with my best guy in the biggest of spots.
 

Sandy Leon Trotsky

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Bummer. But I’m not broken.
This feeling is similar to when you break up with someone who you really liked but it just wasn’t happening. It isn’t them…. It’s me.
The ‘03, ‘08 losses were like getting dumped by someone you wanted to marry.
I’m optimistic about ‘22.
Pulling for the fucking Braves (?!?!?! Ew!!!) now
 

gattman

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Jul 15, 2005
263
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Maybe it’s age or perspective or winning 4 WS this century or (more likely) several pumpkin ales (the Wormtown Table Talk Pumpkin Ales are terrific) but I feel less bad about this than other playoff losses. There’s hope for next year— some solid ML ready prospects like Casas, young pitchers like Houck and Whitlock, and some strong prospects on the horizon, along with prime MLB talent, I’m optimistic about 2022 and years beyond.

This year was way beyond what I expected. I certainly didn’t expect to hear A-Rod babbling about the Sox later than the Yankees. I’ll take that as a win.
 

geoduck no quahog

not particularly consistent
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This team brought us on a journey we never predicted. I love these guys.

One question that may be answerable: was it great pitching or poor hitting that sunk them?

I’m guessing a combination.
 

Pandemonium67

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Apr 17, 2003
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...Can someone please explain why Cora let Whitlock sit in the pen while Ottavino who has not been one of the go to guys during these playoffs comes in with the season hanging in the balance. I just don’t get it.
Down 2-0 in the 8th inning of an elimination game, Cora needed to pull out all the stops to hold Houston scoreless. Otto was a lousy choice, just as Perez was a couple of days ago.
This isn't to say the Sox would've scored two in the ninth, but at least we could've waited 15 minutes longer before writing their obituary.
 

mauidano

Mai Tais for everyone!
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Aug 21, 2006
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One run in 25 innings wasn’t gonna get it done. The luck finally ran out. Bad time to go ice cold. It was a good run, the Astros were just a better team and in 7 games series, the cream usually rises to the top.
 

Sandy Leon Trotsky

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I do worry about the offensive philosophy. Obviously when it works it REALLY works it I believe that they will continue to unravel and have long stretches of team-wide ineptitude. I’ve said it before but I think the way defenses and pitching and catching is situated, having A FEW guys that can and are able to bunt, steal and hit like Carew (slap singles where defenders aren’t) will be able to not just score an extra run here and there but uncork the bigger sluggers too.
 

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat

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Down 2-0 in the 8th inning of an elimination game, Cora needed to pull out all the stops to hold Houston scoreless. Otto was a lousy choice, just as Perez was a couple of days ago.
This isn't to say the Sox would've scored two in the ninth, but at least we could've waited 15 minutes longer before writing their obituary.
Sawamura in Game 1 is still the one that bothers me the most.
 

BaseballJones

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Houston was the better team. But, I mean, Kiké hits a 400-foot drive 20 feet up on the wall in center that misses a homer by a couple of feet, that would have been a homer in virtually every other park in baseball (maybe not Fenway...hard to say). Tucker, meanwhile, hits a looping 357-foot fly that barely clears their very short left field porch.

Kiké's shot was "better" in that it was more of a rocket, hit a lot further. But Tucker's was "better" in that while it was a homer, it was only a homer in a few MLB parks.

That's baseball though, right?
 

JimD

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Nov 29, 2001
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I'll feel better in a few days or a week, but not right now. The ride was a blast, but 2021 is always going to feel like a missed opportunity to me. The AL East is going to be a dogfight for years to come and getting back to even the ALCS is only going to ge tougher in the coming seasons. While the Astros were undoubtedly the better team, we were nonetheless up 2-1 in the series with a very doable path to the World Series. Very frustrating to not only see the offense get completely untracked but also for Cora and his coaches and scouts to have no answers at all to Houston's adjustments. I hope that this is just a precursor to the next Red Sox championship season, but it's hard not to be a little worried that we may be left feeling like Yankees fans who thought that their team's surprise 2017 run was the beginning of something great only to look back now and realize that it was the high point of the current era.
 

NJ_Sox_Fan

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Hard to be too upset when the team wasn’t expected to be here but also if you think about it, they were a couple of bad pitches away from sweeping this series 4-0.
 

gryoung

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After last year, the 2021 season was a huge win for me.

1. They kept it interesting through the summer
2. They made the playoffs and went further than expected
3. The team has a pretty solid core of young field players
4. The pitching staff has upside
5. Chaim Bloom has done a good job rebuilding the overall farm system
6. There are potential impact players at the doorstep (Casas, Downs, Durran)
7. They drafted (maybe) the top-rated prospect

Already looking forward to the changes Bloom makes to the roster.
 

Monbonthbump

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Nov 6, 2005
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Thanks to team for a lot of high spots during 2021. My brain is too tired to think about next year so will move to another sport for awhile (college basketball and KC Chiefs). I am happy we were one of the last four standing and , after all, only one team gets to win it all each year.
 

lexrageorge

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Jul 31, 2007
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I'll feel better in a few days or a week, but not right now. The ride was a blast, but 2021 is always going to feel like a missed opportunity to me. The AL East is going to be a dogfight for years to come and getting back to even the ALCS is only going to ge tougher in the coming seasons. While the Astros were undoubtedly the better team, we were nonetheless up 2-1 in the series with a very doable path to the World Series. Very frustrating to not only see the offense get completely untracked but also for Cora and his coaches and scouts to have no answers at all to Houston's adjustments. I hope that this is just a precursor to the next Red Sox championship season, but it's hard not to be a little worried that we may be left feeling like Yankees fans who thought that their team's surprise 2017 run was the beginning of something great only to look back now and realize that it was the high point of the current era.
There is a real chance that next season's team does not repeat or build upon this year's success. This season was treated as somewhat of a "bridge year" by the management, bringing in a lot of low cost players to fill out the roster that had become a shell of a major league team in 2020. And the lineup got hot at the right time once it appeared that their season could come to an end in the nation's capitol. There will be quite a few holes to fill, especially in the bullpen, and there may inevitably be some performance regression. Eovaldi will be a free agent, and Sale will remain a question mark until the new season begins in anger.

It was a great run, with the team exceeding expectations. But I don't see the owner's agreeing to change the luxury tax structure very much in the next CBA, and GMs of even the big market teams go through great lengths to minimize the non-monetary penalties associated with being a serial repeater. And so I also expect Bloom to focus again on continuing to restock the minors with prospect talent. Good news is that they will have a high 2nd rounder to use again.
 

johnmd20

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Losing to the Astros sucks for obvious reasons. I can't remember a baseball team, non Yankee division, that I have hated more in my 49 years on this earth.

But this team overachieved and gave a lot of phenomenal moments. No tears.
 

tims4wins

PN23's replacement
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Jul 15, 2005
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There is a real chance that next season's team does not repeat or build upon this year's success. This season was treated as somewhat of a "bridge year" by the management, bringing in a lot of low cost players to fill out the roster that had become a shell of a major league team in 2020. And the lineup got hot at the right time once it appeared that their season could come to an end in the nation's capitol. There will be quite a few holes to fill, especially in the bullpen, and there may inevitably be some performance regression. Eovaldi will be a free agent, and Sale will remain a question mark until the new season begins in anger.

It was a great run, with the team exceeding expectations. But I don't see the owner's agreeing to change the luxury tax structure very much in the next CBA, and GMs of even the big market teams go through great lengths to minimize the non-monetary penalties associated with being a serial repeater. And so I also expect Bloom to focus again on continuing to restock the minors with prospect talent. Good news is that they will have a high 2nd rounder to use again.
Yeah what sucks is that while I fully expect next year’s team to be better on paper if not on the field, it will be really difficult to repeat this level of success. Winning 90+ and making the WC would be a good outcome in 2022 but it may feel hollow after this run.