May is going to be difficult

[bmags]

April was a rough month on paper. We had 26 games in 27 days, including games against AL East strongmen Tampa, Toronto and Baltimore, and playoff hunt teams Angels and Rangers - many of them away.

 

And we came out 18-8! Much of that behind bonkers level pitching.

 

Well - May is likely to be harder. Our pitching has dropped off a bit, our hitting has picked up a bit.

 

However, if we can get out of May at .500, having not lost much ground in the division, our season looks pretty bright.

 

May Schedule

BOSTON - 3

MINN - 3

@TEX - 3

@NYY - 3

HOU - 3

KC - 3

CLE - 4 (DH)

@KC - 3

@NYM - 2

 

Series we need to come out ahead -

HOU

MN

 

Both had horrible Aprils, but are likely to regress. Houston's pitching is likely to be terrible, as is MN. Need to hope our batting pounds them.

 

Games we need to not lose ground

KC - 6

CLE - 4

 

I would really like to see us come out of this 5-5. KC has snake bit us, but we are a gvery different team. Cleveland has Brantley back but is out Carrasco, we need to continue to pound ALC.

 

Wildcards:

NYY

TEX

NYM

 

3 teams with good talent. Yankees have been hitting like garbage, and the Mets obviously have incredilbe pitching.

 

Prediction:

13-14

 

If we get out of this relatively square, I am super confident about this team being great.

 

[chw42]

I thought April was going to be difficult too, but look how that turned out. I'd be fine with 13-14 since we're already 10 over though.

[flavum]

May 3 - June 19...for Caulfield

 

3 vs Bos 2-1

3 vs Min 2-1

3 at Tex 1-2

3 at NY 1-2

3 vs Hou 2-1

3 vs KC 2-1

4 vs Cle 2-2

4 at KC 2-2

3 at NYM 1-2

3 at Det 1-2

3 vs Was 2-1

3 vs KC 2-1

3 vs Det 2-1

3 at Cle 1-2

23-21 the next 44 would be fine.

 

 

[bmags]

May 3 - June 19...for Caulfield

 

3 vs Bos 2-1

3 vs Min 2-1

3 at Tex 1-2

3 at NY 1-2

3 vs Hou 2-1

3 vs KC 2-1

4 vs Cle 2-2

4 at KC 2-2

3 at NYM 1-2

3 at Det 1-2

3 vs Was 2-1

3 vs KC 2-1

3 vs Det 2-1

3 at Cle 1-2

23-21 the next 44 would be fine.

 

Right, and it gets a lot easier after that.

 

Lucky for us half the NL is tanking and we don't get to face any of them.

 

Let's just hope DET and MN continue to freefall.

 

You know what would be nice? Being up 16.5 games at the all star break again

[bmags]

So, point is, for the game threaders inclined to panic, this team may not end up 36-16, and if they aren't, it doesn't mean they are terrible.

[Buehrle>Wood]

I actually think the April schedule was much tougher on paper. But May is very tough. So is June, too. Pretty ridiculous lopsided schedule but how can you complain at this point? Our July/August/September is going to be a cake walk in comparison. Any sort of lead on July 1 and we should be the favorites.

[flavum]

Hope they go at least 24-20 the next 44.

 

42-28 would have them at .600 with 92 games left. That would be sweet.

Edited May 2, 2016 by flavum

[caulfield12]

Where is the Detroit free-falling idea coming from?

 

They were, until the last five games...of course, facing Minnesota can help you get healthy in a hurry, but the Tigers still might end up being the 2nd best team in the division, if for no other reason than the additions of Zimmerman and Saltalamacchia to that core. Granted, the odds of Salty continuing to hit at the pace he's on, well, we said that about JD Martinez, too, but his career resurgence would be even more shocking if it went on for a full season.

 

 

At any rate, as the Astros and even the Twins showed last season, one hot stretch of baseball can carry a team for most of the year...even if you're naturally an 84-85 win team (probably the real Sox talent level barring any additional moves), that hot start has allowed them to be in the conversation at 88-90 wins, and it's also helpful that nobody in the AL is running away and dominating. As of right now, the AL West is the toughest division, but a week ago, it was the Central. Don't think many were picking the Mariners over the Astros.

Edited May 2, 2016 by caulfield12

[TheTruth05]

Keep winning series, all there is to it.

[YouCanPutItOnTheBoardYES!]

Keep winning series, all there is to it.

Exactly.

 

Take 2/3 from every series and we'll be in good shape.

[bmags]

Keep winning series, all there is to it.

 

OHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[BaconOnAStick]

If I were the White Sox I would avoid losing to Kansas City a bunch of times.

[Dick Allen]

They are going to lose 4 or 5 in a row at some point and 8 out of 10. Just stay with the leaders of the division, and add some help.

[bmags]

Luckily Sox may be facing Soria in the 7th and that just happens to be our sweet spot already.

 

Definitely need to score early vs. KC.

[cabiness42]

They are going to lose 4 or 5 in a row at some point and 8 out of 10. Just stay with the leaders of the division, and add some help.

 

They may have long stretches that are under .500, but with Sale and Quintana in the rotation a losing streak of 5 or more games is pretty unlikely.

[SCCWS]

They are going to lose 4 or 5 in a row at some point and 8 out of 10. Just stay with the leaders of the division, and add some help.

 

 

Every team has stretches of ups and downs. Hopefully though we stay healthy with our main core. Every night it seems ESPN is running on the bottom of the screen another player heading for the DL or out for the season.

[StrangeSox]

OHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

I have discovered this little-known secret to winning games:

 

score more runs than the other team! it's so simple!

[southsider2k5]

I have discovered this little-known secret to winning games:

 

score more runs than the other team! it's so simple!

 

You should bottle this up and sell it. You could be rich.

 

 

[Dunt]

Maybe I'm crazy, but I think this month is a lot easier than April. Only series that have me concerned right now are Boson and @TEX. That stretch where we get MN, NYY, and HOU is time to get fat.

[bmags]

Maybe I'm crazy, but I think this month is a lot easier than April. Only series that have me concerned right now are Boson and @TEX. That stretch where we get MN, NYY, and HOU is time to get fat.

 

It has me nervous only because of regression. Are the Astros really this bad? Minnesota? NYY hitting?

 

These are teams with a lot of talent who are underachieving mixed with the teams with less talent that had good april's, like BOS.

 

Point is, if we can get through May looking square, then it's on.

 

But the other point is, certain people, please please don't panic.

[gosoxgo2005]

I'm deathly afraid of what Boegarts, Betts, Ramirez, Shaw, Papi, and Pedroia are gonna do to Danks on Wednesday.

[Texsox]

They are going to lose 4 or 5 in a row at some point and 8 out of 10. Just stay with the leaders of the division, and add some help.

 

This.

 

 

[Bigsoxhurt35]

Where is the Detroit free-falling idea coming from?

 

They were, until the last five games...of course, facing Minnesota can help you get healthy in a hurry, but the Tigers still might end up being the 2nd best team in the division, if for no other reason than the additions of Zimmerman and Saltalamacchia to that core. Granted, the odds of Salty continuing to hit at the pace he's on, well, we said that about JD Martinez, too, but his career resurgence would be even more shocking if it went on for a full season.

 

 

At any rate, as the Astros and even the Twins showed last season, one hot stretch of baseball can carry a team for most of the year...even if you're naturally an 84-85 win team (probably the real Sox talent level barring any additional moves), that hot start has allowed them to be in the conversation at 88-90 wins, and it's also helpful that nobody in the AL is running away and dominating. As of right now, the AL West is the toughest division, but a week ago, it was the Central. Don't think many were picking the Mariners over the Astros.

 

 

The Tigers can hit surely but their pitching sucks (without looking at their stats). Their pen is shaky at best and their rotations is suspect. I don't see how Detroit is a threat at all. I could see the Tigers free falling.

[Bigsoxhurt35]

They are going to lose 4 or 5 in a row at some point and 8 out of 10. Just stay with the leaders of the division, and add some help.

That is true, so having any sizable lead in the divison will surely help. They've done well so far. I'm not scared of anyone in the AL. Not saying we will roll over KC and others but this team has proven so far that it can hang with the best offenses and some good teams. KC is the important matchup for me. Time to show the kings of the division that were for real.

[Bigsoxhurt35]

Maybe I'm crazy, but I think this month is a lot easier than April. Only series that have me concerned right now are Boson and @TEX. That stretch where we get MN, NYY, and HOU is time to get fat.

Yup. Just keep winning series. We'll lose some sure, but those three teams suck right now. As Hawk says, "it's not who ya play but when you play them."