Playoffs? Playoffs!??!?!?

brandonchristensen · Sep 1, 2019

Sandy Leon Trotsky said:
Oakland loses. Cleveland loses. Great.... and the Red Sox implode with a chance to get to 4.5 back. Could have been worse I guess... if they can at least take the series against the Angels, and have the same outcomes as yesterday for Oakland, Tampa/Cleveland then they'll still be in good shape.*
IMO they really need to be < 5 games back by the end of this set of series.
*4.5 back with 26 remaining.... not really good shape.... but basically the Sox have them right where they planned...... Price, returning from injury scheduled to start today... an exhausted bullpen.... exactly where they want them.....

Take 2 on the same set up.

Could have been 3.5 back without the implosion and a win today. I'll take 4.5 with almost 30 to go.

Red(s)HawksFan · Sep 2, 2019

Sandy Leon Trotsky said:
I thought it was 4.5 but the MLB standing have the Sox at 5 back.... ?

They're 5 back of Cleveland for the second WC. 5.5 behind the Rays in the first WC spot, 4.5 behind the A's.

brandonchristensen · Sep 2, 2019

One of those four teams is going to have a disappointing ending. The key is not being one of those, and playing well enough to inch above the others.

gedman211 · Sep 2, 2019

The Irrepressible Baltimores tie it with 4 in the 6th behind the guy from Barney Miller.

jon abbey · Sep 2, 2019

brandonchristensen said:
One of those four teams is going to have a disappointing ending. The key is not being one of those, and playing well enough to inch above the others.

Two of the four, right?

Al Zarilla · Sep 2, 2019

gedman211 said:
The Irrepressible Baltimores tie it with 4 in the 6th behind the guy from Barney Miller.

Rays win in 10 as a guy who walked came around to score. Dillon Tate the reliever, would fit right in with Boston.

Rays are 23 games over .500. We’re not catching them.

gedman211 · Sep 2, 2019

The O's somehow found a defensive alignment that precluded the possibility of turning a DP

axx · Sep 2, 2019

Al Zarilla said:
Rays win in 10 as a guy who walked came around to score. Dillon Tate the reliever, would fit right in with Boston.

Rays are 23 games over .500. We’re not catching them.

As mentioned they probably aren't catching Oakland. They do have 4 in Houston but the rest of their schedule doesn't look too bad. I don't think you can count on them going .500 the rest of the way.

brandonchristensen · Sep 2, 2019

jon abbey said:
Two of the four, right?

I meant in a performance way. Overall, yes, two will be disappointed. But I feel one will struggle down the stretch.

Al Zarilla · Sep 2, 2019

Sandy Leon Trotsky said:
You never what teams angrily play spoiler... Sox clearly have an almost impossible road... but somehow pulling a sweep in the head to head matchups against the Rays and some collapse from Cleveland or Oakland and Sox are in. bam.

Since you put bam in there, I'm back on board. I think. Let's do it.

budcrew08 · Sep 3, 2019

Al Zarilla said:
Since you put bam in there, I'm back on board. I think. Let's do it.

*insert Emeril here*

HriniakPosterChild · Sep 3, 2019

Sandy Leon Trotsky said:
Hoping.

I miss Manilla.

DeadlySplitter · Sep 4, 2019

I'm throwing in the towel after last night. Cora was in desperation mode using Workman trailing in the 9th, you got RISP for Mookie & Raffy to tie it or better... and once again, no clutch at home with this team.

Mueller's Twin Grannies · Sep 4, 2019

DeadlySplitter said:
I'm throwing in the towel after last night. Cora was in desperation mode using Workman trailing in the 9th, you got RISP for Mookie & Raffy to tie it or better... and once again, no clutch at home with this team.

Their shit-tastic starting pitcher putting them down 6-0 early is more the reason why they lost than the lack of clutch at the end. I would say to move Porcello to the bullpen but there's literally no better option to take his spot in the rotation.

I know I've beat this drum before, but this is only a couple bars of a refrain: they should have never had him on the roster to start the season. The decision to not unload him for whatever he might fetch and use some of the savings to bolster the staff with a fresher arm stands out, to me, as one of the worst personnel decisions made in the off-season.

Ah well, win the next two. Even Sandy's projections called for a loss to the Twins, so they got that out of the way.

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat · Sep 4, 2019

DeadlySplitter said:
I'm throwing in the towel after last night. Cora was in desperation mode using Workman trailing in the 9th, you got RISP for Mookie & Raffy to tie it or better... and once again, no clutch at home with this team.

What was wrong with using Workman in the 9th? There wasn't going to be a save situation, so why not use your "closer" to give you the best chance to win the game. Easy to criticize a lot of what Cora has done, but IMO he played that one correctly. Don't lose the game with your best reliever sitting in the bullpen.

joe dokes · Sep 4, 2019

DeadlySplitter said:
I'm throwing in the towel after last night. Cora was in desperation mode using Workman trailing in the 9th, you got RISP for Mookie & Raffy to tie it or better... and once again, no clutch at home with this team.

That's not desperation. That's using your best pitcher to preserve a 15% chance of winning at home. Bringing in a fancy-ass closer to preserve the 97% chance of winning when ahead by three after 8 at home (the cherished "save situation") is wasting a good pitcher.

E5 Yaz · Sep 4, 2019

Bob Montgomery's Helmet Hat said:
What was wrong with using Workman in the 9th? There wasn't going to be a save situation, so why not use your "closer" to give you the best chance to win the game. Easy to criticize a lot of what Cora has done, but IMO he played that one correctly.

Yeah, that's precisely when you use Workman when trailing at home.

Don't lose the game with your best reliever sitting in the bullpen.

aka "showaltering"

Plympton91 · Sep 4, 2019

joe dokes said:
That's not desperation. That's using your best pitcher to preserve a 15% chance of winning at home. Bringing in a fancy-ass closer to preserve the 97% chance of winning when ahead by three after 8 at home (the cherished "save situation") is wasting a good pitcher.

What’s the chance of winning when you’re up 6 in the 9th? Nats! Nats! Woooo!

joe dokes · Sep 4, 2019

Plympton91 said:
What’s the chance of winning when you’re up 6 in the 9th? Nats! Nats! Woooo!

In so many ways, the Mets are the exception that proves the rule.

DeadlySplitter · Sep 4, 2019

Bob Montgomery's Helmet Hat said:
What was wrong with using Workman in the 9th? There wasn't going to be a save situation, so why not use your "closer" to give you the best chance to win the game. Easy to criticize a lot of what Cora has done, but IMO he played that one correctly. Don't lose the game with your best reliever sitting in the bullpen.

nothing wrong with it. it just underscored that Cora really wanted to win the game, it turned into a must-win at that point it felt like. and two of their best hitters put up bad ABs when the game was about to swing.

DeadlySplitter · Sep 4, 2019

Mueller's Twin Grannies said:
Their shit-tastic starting pitcher putting them down 6-0 early is more the reason why they lost than the lack of clutch at the end.

my frustration is there have been a handful of games with a major pitching failure that the offense has come just short of overcoming. over 162 you gotta salvage some of these games, and they''ve basically salvaged none of them.

in summary their overall talent level has dropped, injury luck was much worse this year, and they're really unlucky in distributing their hits to key runs. all adds up to this ~20 win decline from last year.

let me post this again, something I found on soxprospects as of last Sunday:

"Since May 1, Devers, JDM, and Benny have now come up 50 times with the tying or go-ahead run on base from 7th onward, and have made 50 outs. 2/48, 2 BB, 4 GDP. "

add another two outs for Devers last night.

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat · Sep 4, 2019

joe dokes said:
In so many ways, the Mets are the exception that proves the rule.

So many rules

joe dokes · Sep 4, 2019

DeadlySplitter said:
nothing wrong with it. it just underscored that Cora really wanted to win the game, it turned into a must-win at that point it felt like. and two of their best hitters put up bad ABs when the game was about to swing.

It is borderline managerial incompetence *not* to use your rested best reliever for the top of the 9th when tied or down by 1 run at home. The only thing it underscored was that Cora is not borderline incompetent.

Rovin Romine · Sep 4, 2019

Starting 9-15 was something they never recovered from. Still, they fought back to 59-47 on July 27, 8 games behind the Yanks and more or less exactly tied with Oakland and Tampa for the second wild card spot, about 4 back from Cleveland for the first wild card slot.

Then they lost 8 straight to the Yanks and the Rays and that sealed their fate. Since then 15 and 9, even with Cora batting Owings leadoff. An improvement, but this (unfortunately) is what the 2019 team looks like when the jets are on.

Rovin Romine · Sep 5, 2019

Sandy Leon Trotsky said:
I'll at least be doing this everyday (although I'll be without internet from next Friday for a week). Bolding latest update.

Cool. Consider adding a brief key detail about each of the games themselves? An exceptional start or a blown save - that sort of thing.

axx · Sep 5, 2019

Cleveland lost again, maybe the Sox will get lucky and they will collapse. Of course they still have to catch the Rays.

NJ_Sox_Fan · Sep 5, 2019

I think catching Cleveland will be possible. Problem is they'd also have to catch TB or Oakland.

bankshot1 · Sep 5, 2019

F'ing A's-7 in the 7th.

brandonchristensen · Sep 5, 2019

Sandy Leon Trotsky said:
I'll at least be doing this everyday (although I'll be without internet from next Friday for a week). Bolding latest update. I'm seeing Oakland as the likely host of the WC game, so they could win straight out and not really affect where I think the Sox will be. I'm watching Cleveland and Tampa. I have a few friends here that are Indians fans that see a collapse coming on. I don't know enough about their roster to make a projection... but I like that spirit!

Sox vs Twins (Sox 2-1) Sox win (series is 1-1), need another victory tonight to keep on target.
Sox vs Yankees (Sox 3-1) EDIT- Ugh... actually.... who knows? Maybe this is a good thing? https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/david-price-scratched-with-left-wrist-injury
Sox vs Jays (2-1)
Sox vs Phillies (2-0)
Sox vs Giants (3-0)
Sox vs Rays (3-1)
Sox vs Rangers (2-1)
Sox vs Orioles (3-0)
Finishing September with a 20-5 record (94-68)

Rays vs O's (1-1) Split (check)
Rays vs Jays (2-2) Starts series tonight. Hoping for at least a split.
Rays vs Rangers (2-1)
Rays vs Angels (2-1)
Rays vs Dodgers (1-1)
Rays vs Sox (1-3)
Rays vs Yankees (1-1)
Rays vs Jays (2-1)
Finishing September with 12-11 record (93-69)

Indians vs WhiteSox (2-1) Indians won last night... so series tied at 1-1 right now. Obviously losing 1-2 would help. But at least my "realistic" projection is on target even if they win
Indians vs Twins (1-2)
Indians vs Angles (2-1)
Indians vs Twins (2-1)
Indians vs Tigers (2-1)
Indians vs Phiillies (2-1)
Indians vs White Sox (1-2)
Indians vs Nationals (1-2)
Finishing September with 13-11 record (93-69)

Oakland vs Angels (2-1) Oakland wins (Angels need to get 1)... but I do have them hosting so they could win outright and wouldn't affect projection.
Oakland vs Tigers (3-1)
Oakland vs Astros (2-2)
Oakland vs Rangers (2-1)
Oakland vs Royals (3-0)
Oakland vs Rangers (2-1)
Oakland vs Angels (1-1)
Oakland vs Mariners (3-1)
Finishing September with 18-8 record (96-66) Wild Card Champs- host Boston

Well the Sox saved you from having to do this. You’re welcome.

DeadlySplitter · Sep 5, 2019

yeah. they kicked away a sweepable series here by the Twins. they just have lost so many games they had no business losing, it's really insane.

BaseballJones · Sep 5, 2019

Have to believe there’s zero hope now. Pretty much have to win out the rest of the way which we all know isn’t happening.

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat · Sep 5, 2019

DeadlySplitter said:
yeah. they kicked away a sweepable series here by the Twins. they just have lost so many games they had no business losing, it's really insane.

How did they have no business losing tonight's game? They walked 9 batters. They were lucky it was so close.

E5 Yaz · Sep 5, 2019

Bob Montgomery's Helmet Hat said:
How did they have no business losing tonight's game? They walked 9 batters. They were lucky it was so close.

You don't get it ... it's the Twins, so the Sox should win

DeadlySplitter · Sep 5, 2019

Bob Montgomery's Helmet Hat said:
How did they have no business losing tonight's game? They walked 9 batters. They were lucky it was so close.

that's one way to look at it.

anti-clutch, whatever you want to call it... I am gamethread posting here and apologize, I'll go cool off elsewhere.

Lose Remerswaal · Sep 6, 2019

E5 Yaz said:
You don't get it ... it's the Twins, so the Sox should win

They'll get 'em back in the Mayor's Cup

Mueller's Twin Grannies · Sep 6, 2019

Not to be a Pollyanna, but theoretically they could still go 3-1 against the Yankees and then sweep the Jays to get right back on track. It's unlikely, but theoretically possible.

That said, there's pretty much no way they go 3-1 vs. Tampa. And I don't see them sweeping Philly or the Giants.

So, yeah, it's pretty much over.

The good news is there will be no need to coddle professional athletes and grown men - who have spent literally years throwing baseballs in an unnatural motion - during spring training because they'll have plenty of time off to recoup after the regular season ends.

Wallball Tingle · Sep 7, 2019

Yeah the series loss to the Twins killed all but a molecule of my hope. ("Nevertheless, there will always lurk, around a corner in a pocket of our knowledge of the odds, an indefensible hope...") The math is ugly at this point.

brandonchristensen · Sep 7, 2019

I’d love to see Francona finally get one (again).

fiskful of dollars · Sep 7, 2019

It's Francona or Dave Roberts for me this year.

dano7594 · Sep 7, 2019

Here comes something that will be very unpopular, and I will accept my beatings.... Anyone but the Indians. I have really soured on Francona the last few years, like everyone here I was devastated when he was let go in '11. I am a Sox fan living in Northeast Ohio, last year my and I saw Francona at an autograph signing. When we got up to him, I said I am a Red Sox fan and I just wanted to thank you for 2004 and 2007. He said nothing to me, stared at me and we moved on.

I feel he is beyond bitter still how it ended and I know the Hohler piece doesn't help. I feel he enjoys it here because there is no pressure whatsoever to win.

As a Sox fan living here, when the Yankees play the Indians, I pull for the Yankees. I have a friend that is a Yankees fan that pulls for the Sox when they play the Indians. I know its crazy.

bigq · Sep 7, 2019

Sandy Leon Trotsky said:
Well.... that's it.
I'll leave this thread with my absolute album by my absolute favorite artist.
It's so hard.... to be on the losing end....
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm5YbPa-Px4

Don’t let it bring you down. It’s only castles burning.

6 games out with 21 to go is a tall task. I will be rooting for the Red Sox until the end and will feel good about the outlook for next season if they finish this one strong. Patriots and Celtics are right around the corner.

Playoffs? Playoffs!??!?!?

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