Sox @ A's 7/1 Game Thread 9:05CT

[Frankensteiner]

I love the way the Sox make mediocre pitchers like Calero look great.

 

Well, it's not really all that surprising. Sox are horrible against RHP and Calero just happens to be right-handed.

 

We should really look to replace one of Dye-Everett-Uribe-Crede-Rowand, all guys who have horrible splits vs. RHP.

[jackie hayes]

How retarded is it that Frank won't see any action in this game?

 

Due to make outs in the ninth, Rowand, Konerko, Everett.

 

Should one or more of them fail to make an out, Dye and Pierzynski will be up next.

 

Ozzie will not pinch hit for any of those 5.

Agreed. Plus Uribe's spot would have been a great place to use him, have a good on-base guy to start off the inning, plug Ozuna in the next half inning.

[Rowand44]

Why I am just repeating what everyone is saying.  I just trying to get on the popular side. 

 

Lets just tip our hat to a better pitching performance.

No, you're being sarcastic and it's old and dumb.

[Dick Allen]

A couple positives in this game, Vizcaino was effective again, and Shingo has been pretty good as well. If Marte comes back healthy, the bullpen should be as good as any in baseball.

[fathom]

Harden is a flat out filthy pitcher who has been good of late. We knew going in it'd be tough. You're not going to put up 6 on a good pitcher in a pitcher's park. We'd have been in very good shape had Buehrle, Garcia, or Garland pitched however.

 

We had our chance to make Harden only go 5 innings tonight after the first inning, but our hitters seemed to get less patient as the game went on. The biggest problem with the bottom of our order is their inability to draw a walk.

[southsideirish71]

No, you're being sarcastic and it's old and dumb.

 

 

I am confused. I am trying something new. Being uber positive. Trying to think half-glass full here.

 

Harden pitched a great game. We just got a bit unlucky with an ump who was squeezing our pitchers tonight.

[DBAHO]

A couple positives in this game, Vizcaino was effective again, and Shingo has been pretty good as well. If Marte comes back healthy, the bullpen should be as good as any in baseball.

Vizcaino and Shingo have been getting the job done lately, which has been good to see, making our bullpen a whole lot deeper.

[Milkman delivers]

Wow, 10 walks. That's a shame.

[fathom]

Marte's injury really hurts us a lot more than we thought. The difference between Marte and Walker is huge, and the effect it has on our bullpen roles is bad. Instead of the lights-out Cotts being put in for the 5th inning in the crucial situation of this game, we had to bring in Walker, who hasn't done a f***ing thing to deserve a spot on our roster. Just sucks to lose a game when you lose with your worst player on the roster f***ing up (bases loaded walk) with the game on the line.

[CWSGuy406]

As bad as Contreras was, the Sox aren't going to win many games scoring 2 runs. After the first inning, I don't understand the offensive approach. It seemed like no one really had a plan at the plate. And Kendall's thrown out 7 of 61 coming in. Except for Konerko and AJ, if anyone else gets on first, they should have been going.  Maybe the'll do the unimaginable and score a few of Street in the 9th.

 

I agree. Everyone talks about getting a stud SP, or that guy at the back of the bullpen -- what about an upgrade at 3B?

 

I realize you're gonna lose a little defense if you trade for someone, but we gotta get more production out of the offense. It simply isn't that great -- adding a bat like Aubrey Huff would do a lot, IMO. But that's not for this thread, so I won't talk a whole lot about it.

[ZoomSlowik]

Well, it's not really all that surprising. Sox are horrible against RHP and Calero just happens to be right-handed.

 

We should really look to replace one of Dye-Everett-Uribe-Crede-Rowand, all guys who have horrible splits vs. RHP.

 

Everett's numbers against righties the last three years are .288/.361/501. Sounds like someone we should keep to solve that potential problem.

[Dick Allen]

We had our chance to make Harden only go 5 innings tonight after the first inning, but our hitters seemed to get less patient as the game went on.  The biggest problem with the bottom of our order is their inability to draw a walk.

 

Exactly. Moneyball means 100 pitches and you're done. The patient approach worked great the first inning, and then it was forgotten.

[Gene Honda Civic]

Vizcaino and Shingo have been getting the job done lately, which has been good to see, making our bullpen a whole lot deeper.

Viz is walking a tightrope. He's looked terrible in every outing.

 

Shingo has looked useful, despite the last walk. (He was just trying to fit in)

[DBAHO]

Marte's injury really hurts us a lot more than we thought.  The difference between Marte and Walker is huge, and the effect it has on our bullpen roles is bad.  Instead of the lights-out Cotts being put in for the 5th inning in the crucial situation of this game, we had to bring in Walker, who hasn't done a f***ing thing to deserve a spot on our roster.  Just sucks to lose a game when you lose with your worst player on the roster f***ing up (bases loaded walk) with the game on the line.

Cotts would have never pitched in the 5th anyways, they'd save him for the 7th or 8th.

[southsideirish71]

I agree.  Everyone talks about getting a stud SP, or that guy at the back of the bullpen -- what about an upgrade at 3B?

 

I realize you're gonna lose a little defense if you trade for someone, but we gotta get more production out of the offense.  It simply isn't that great -- adding a bat like Aubrey Huff would do a lot, IMO.  But that's not for this thread, so I won't talk a whole lot about it.

 

 

The offense is fine. We score plenty of runs. No need to upgrade.

 

The difference between Randa and Crede is 15 hits a season.

[Gene Honda Civic]

Exactly. Moneyball means 100 pitches and you're done. The patient approach worked great the first inning, and then it was forgotten.

Harden's 100 pitches tonight have nothing to do with Moneyball, and everything to do with it being only his third start off the DL.

[fathom]

Exactly. Moneyball means 100 pitches and you're done. The patient approach worked great the first inning, and then it was forgotten.

 

Especially with Frank on the bench, this Sox team isn't going to have a lot of success trying to be patient. What puzzles me is how Pods had the great AB in the first inning, and then had 3 simply miserable ABs after that.

[DBAHO]

Viz is walking a tightrope. He's looked terrible in every outing.

 

Shingo has looked useful, despite the last walk. (He was just trying to fit in)

Viz has always been walking that fine line, but compared to the way he started off the year, well he's been better.

[Rowand44]

I agree.  Everyone talks about getting a stud SP, or that guy at the back of the bullpen -- what about an upgrade at 3B?

 

I realize you're gonna lose a little defense if you trade for someone, but we gotta get more production out of the offense.  It simply isn't that great -- adding a bat like Aubrey Huff would do a lot, IMO.  But that's not for this thread, so I won't talk a whole lot about it.

Aubrey Huff has been just as bad as Crede this year. I used to love Aubrey as a hitter but to me just watching him play now I think there might be something wrong with him, his bat speed has looked to slow imo.

[ZoomSlowik]

I agree.  Everyone talks about getting a stud SP, or that guy at the back of the bullpen -- what about an upgrade at 3B?

 

I realize you're gonna lose a little defense if you trade for someone, but we gotta get more production out of the offense.  It simply isn't that great -- adding a bat like Aubrey Huff would do a lot, IMO.  But that's not for this thread, so I won't talk a whole lot about it.

 

I'm not sure Huff is the answer. He's a butcher at 3rd and hit his 6th homerun of the year recently. History says he'll be a better hitter, but that doesn't help the D.

[fathom]

Cotts would have never pitched in the 5th anyways, they'd save him for the 7th or 8th.

 

If Marte was healthy, you can bet your ass Cotts would have been in to face Johnson in the 5th inning.

[Milkman delivers]

Marte's injury really hurts us a lot more than we thought.  The difference between Marte and Walker is huge, and the effect it has on our bullpen roles is bad.  Instead of the lights-out Cotts being put in for the 5th inning in the crucial situation of this game, we had to bring in Walker, who hasn't done a f***ing thing to deserve a spot on our roster.  Just sucks to lose a game when you lose with your worst player on the roster f***ing up (bases loaded walk) with the game on the line.

 

Didn't take him long at all to f*** things up, huh?

 

Like I said before, I hope he gets hit by a car and breaks both of his arms.

[Gene Honda Civic]

Cotts, you're fired! Quit throwing strikes!

[Dick Allen]

I agree.  Everyone talks about getting a stud SP, or that guy at the back of the bullpen -- what about an upgrade at 3B?

 

I realize you're gonna lose a little defense if you trade for someone, but we gotta get more production out of the offense.  It simply isn't that great -- adding a bat like Aubrey Huff would do a lot, IMO.  But that's not for this thread, so I won't talk a whole lot about it.

Huff's average isn't much better than Crede's and he's only hit 6 homers. I like him, but I heard a scout talking about him on the radio, and they said he isn't the hitter he was a couple of years ago. His bat has supposedly slowed considerably. He may be a right handed Ben Grieve.

[CWSGuy406]

Aubrey Huff has been just as bad as Crede this year.  I used to love Aubrey as a hitter but to me just watching him play now I think there might be something wrong with him, his bat speed has looked to slow imo.

 

Zoom and Rowand, I just looked at the stats -- sub-700 OPS.

 

Wow, I didn't realize he's been that bad this year. I'll keep my mouth shut.