2016 Sox

[craigk217]

Okayyyyy ...

Just swept the mighty Rangers (top tier offense) at home and we're almost to 20 game mark leading the whole AL at 13-6! Who'da thunk it?

We've been winning with stellar pitching (starters & pen) in spite of our typical anemic bats. Too many of our guys hovering around Mendoza, but the pitching saving our butts, so far.

I was holding off posting anything of this sort until we played a top O team and that came & went with Texas. Held them to four runs over these three games with a shutout.

Now, if our bats start waking up, we could be dangerous.

"Ya hear me, Abreu, Frazier, Jackson, Garcia, Navarro?"

Gonna enjoy this start and keep



DON'T STOP NOW BOYYYYZZZZ!

 

[richig07]

Okayyyyy ...

Just swept the mighty Rangers (top tier offense) at home and we're almost to 20 game mark leading the whole AL at 13-6! Who'da thunk it?

We've been winning with stellar pitching (starters & pen) in spite of our typical anemic bats. Too many of our guys hovering around Mendoza, but the pitching saving our butts, so far.

I was holding off posting anything of this sort until we played a top O team and that came & went with Texas. Held them to four runs over these three games with a shutout.

Now, if our bats start waking up, we could be dangerous.

"Ya hear me, Abreu, Frazier, Jackson, Garcia, Navarro?"

Gonna enjoy this start and keep



DON'T STOP NOW BOYYYYZZZZ!

Yeah man...

It's about that point where you can't help but get your hopes up. This was a legit sweep. Our staff, most notably the bullpen, has been lights out. The fact we're doing this with Abreu hitting .180 and Frazier just getting going... man... I'm pretty excited.

Let's see how we fair against the potent Toronto lineup now, on the road. Sale bumped until Tuesday. Probably Erik Johnson tomorrow. Regardless, this team has found ways to win games, that we would have most assuredly found ways to lose the past couple of years. I hate cliches, but this team seems to really have a winning attitude. I'm really starting to like this group... (BTW... I can't be the only one falling for Brett Lawrie over here... How do you not like that guy being on your team?)

Let's go baby! Keep winning!

 

[craigk217]

Yeah man...

It's about that point where you can't help but get your hopes up. This was a legit sweep. Our staff, most notably the bullpen, has been lights out. The fact we're doing this with Abreu hitting .180 and Frazier just getting going... man... I'm pretty excited.

Let's see how we fair against the potent Toronto lineup now, on the road. Sale bumped until Tuesday. Probably Erik Johnson tomorrow. Regardless, this team has found ways to win games, that we would have most assuredly found ways to lose the past couple of years. I hate cliches, but this team seems to really have a winning attitude. I'm really starting to like this group... (BTW... I can't be the only one falling for Brett Lawrie over here... How do you not like that guy being on your team?)

Let's go baby! Keep winning!

Miguel Gonzalez getting spot start vs Stroman
Sale vs Dickey
Q vs Estrada

This is the beginning of a seven game road trip, along with 19 straight days of baseball without a day off. This is gonna be interesting stretch, here, I believe.

If we can just get 2 outta 3 in Toronto, I'll be satisfied.

 

[idseer]

Miguel Gonzalez getting spot start vs Stroman
Sale vs Dickey
Q vs Estrada

This is the beginning of a seven game road trip, along with 19 straight days of baseball without a day off. This is gonna be interesting stretch, here, I believe.

If we can just get 2 outta 3 in Toronto, I'll be satisfied.

get back to me in 19 days!

i'm still torn. imo two things are likely. the pitching will come back to earth ... and the hitting will improve. of the two, i believe the pitching coming back to earth is 'most' likely. last season the sox pitching gave up 4 runs per game. currently they're giving up just 2.3 rpg. all 4 starters are pitching well above their norms at this point (this includes rodon with that 1/3 inning disaster exception). the hitting should get better but will it match the pitching in change? i kinda doubt it. for one thing, catching will not improve and i don't believe ss will improve either. jackson might get better and maybe get up to the high .250's, abreu should get better but ... will he get back to the guy we had even a year ago? idk! why is he so bad right now? is he one of those guys who's age is inaccurate and in fact is starting his decline? none of us knows. he's perfectly healthy so why isn't he hitting? i think cabrera is playing well above his norm and i suspect he will not continue as he is. there's no reason to believe lawrie won't drop back to nearer his .264 lifetime average. eaton hopefully will continue as he has and frazier should hit better but let's not forget that he's a .250's hitter. his power and rbi potential is his only saving grace. we still have no dh and garcia is a major disappointment and i no longer believe he will ever be any good.

hitting ... 3 positions won't get much/any better (c, ss, dh); 3 positions should get better (1b, 3b, cf); 2 should get worse (lf, 2b); and 1 should remain about the same (rf). overall this doesn't show much improvement potential.

pitching ... latos will definitely get worse (face it. he's no 0.74 era pitcher when he was his best).; sale .... i don't know. he has the potential to keep it up .... but he never has maintained this (1.80) in any given year.; quintana ... as much as i'd like to think he's this good (1.82), he's not!; rodon ... he should continue just about as he is. potential to be better but remember how long people said that about garcia? i have to see it first. danks ... i expect no improvement. could win maybe 8 game with a 4.70 era.
the BP ... duke is the only guy i expect to maintain. robertson, albers, jones, petrika, jennings are all throwing out of their minds. this cannot continue.

manager and f.o. ... still among the worst and i expect that to continue.

so as much as you don't want to hear it .... the hitting will get a little better overall. the pitching will get much worse. unless GOOD improvements are made along the way ... i expect about a .500 record when all is said and done.

having said this ..... i am really enjoying the victories so far.

 

[podsox]

A comeback like tonight has to open a lot of people's eyes. We haven't seen this in yrs. I'm hoping they go get a bat to dh asap

 

[nebearsfan70]

This game tonight was awesome. The arrows are definetly pointing up.

 

[msgkings322]

Bats picked a great day to wake up, and holy smokes was that pen work amazing tonight. Those guys have been nails in this very early part of the year. Pitching matters. On the road vs a very good team. Signature win of the year so far IMO.

Not gonna win 112 games of course so they will have bumps along the way but they are 20 games in and you can see the outline of a playoff team.

 

[craigk217]

Awesome comeback & win last nite against a quality offense.

Wasn't expecting that after getting down 5-1 with Gonzalez just getting called up for a spot start.

Pitching & pen .... wow.

 

[richig07]

What a win... The bullpen continues to be lights out. Frazier really heating up. Hopefully Abreu follows not far behind him.

Sale vs Dickey tonight, good chance to keep this train rolling.

 

[nebearsfan70]

The pitching was outstanding tonight. Great win!

 

[richig07]

Sale DOMINATING that Toronto lineup in their building tonight.

Would love if Q could come out with a good performance tomorrow, and we pull off a second straight sweep.

Especially since... ya know... Danks is throwing Thursday, so we're probably going to lose.

 

[idseer]

seems to me that with this quick start the sox should be seriously considering finding an above average catcher for the longer term. how long can this team go with such garbage behind the plate?>

 

[craigk217]

Sale DOMINATING that Toronto lineup in their building tonight.

Would love if Q could come out with a good performance tomorrow, and we pull off a second straight sweep.

Especially since... ya know... Danks is throwing Thursday, so we're probably going to lose.

 

[richig07]

seems to me that with this quick start the sox should be seriously considering finding an above average catcher for the longer term. how long can this team go with such garbage behind the plate?>

This, and we need a DH...

I don't know what will be on the market here when it comes time, but if we could at least solve one of those issues. I'd be pretty happy. If we could upgrade both, we could really be in serious business.

 

[msgkings322]

seems to me that with this quick start the sox should be seriously considering finding an above average catcher for the longer term. how long can this team go with such garbage behind the plate?>

I think if they are in the mix come July they will make moves, and yes a catcher would probably make sense. Not that good ones are just growing on trees. Gotta think of a team that will be terrible but with a decent catcher to deal. Norris on the Padres?

 

[msgkings322]

This, and we need a DH...

I don't know what will be on the market here when it comes time, but if we could at least solve one of those issues. I'd be pretty happy. If we could upgrade both, we could really be in serious business.

Catcher is way more important. DH if anything is a way to give guys a rest.

 

[richig07]

Catcher is way more important. DH if anything is a way to give guys a rest.

Yes, definitely. I should have worded all of that better.

 

[craigk217]

Another gut-it-out win last nite against a division leader and a good hitting ball club.

Sale vs Jimenez today. Should be one of those games as we are decent against Jimenez and Sale needs to be careful against Trumbo & Jones.

Fun fact: Sale-Quintana first lefty starter teammates with at least 5 starts & ERAs below 2.00 in April since Dodgers' Osteen-Koufax in 1966. That's some pretty dayum good company.

 

[richig07]

Another great performance form Sale, and another game tonight where Q pitches great and the boys come through for him. Finally.

National TV tomorrow night. I get the feeling Rodon has a good outing. He's been close lately, but gave up one bad pitch (well... an inning, I suppose) in Baltimore. I just think we hit Bucholz and get to our 20th win.

 

[craigk217]

Another great performance form Sale, and another game tonight where Q pitches great and the boys come through for him. Finally.

National TV tomorrow night. I get the feeling Rodon has a good outing. He's been close lately, but gave up one bad pitch (well... an inning, I suppose) in Baltimore. I just think we hit Bucholz and get to our 20th win.

Buchholz has sucked bawls this year, so far, too. Please don't 'wake up' against Rodon.