Batter's Box Interactive Magazine - Game Thread

Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down, kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em all around

Allen Webster (0-2, 11.25) and Josh Johnson (1-2, 4.60) and get down and dirty in this one. First pitch is 7:10 pm Eastern.

Tonight's @BlueJays lineup: Reyes-SS Bautista-RF Encarnacion-DH Lind-1B Rasmus-CF Davis-LF Arencibia-C Izturis-3B Bonifacio-2B

Posted by #2JBrumfield on Friday, June 28 2013 @ 03:02 PM EDT.

Game Thread — 6/28 @ Boston | 31 comments | Create New Account

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Mike Green - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 03:14 PM EDT (#275330) #

mlb.com lists Allen Webster as the starter for the Sox. I thought that Doubront was supposed to go on Saturday.

Mike Forbes - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 03:21 PM EDT (#275331) #

It is Webster tonight.

China fan - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 03:26 PM EDT (#275332) #

It's a bit early to speculate, but: if Wang implodes in his next start in the rotation, do the Jays call up Thad Weber for a start or two?

Mike Green - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 03:37 PM EDT (#275333) #

Wang has pitched pretty well overall. Throwing against an all-lefty lineup (save for Pedroia) in Boston is a very tough context. In hindsight, it would seem ideal (with an 8 man pen including four lefties) to pull Wang after an inning and then run out a lefty for 4 innings to get some platoon advantages and force the use (probably) of some pinch-hitters early. I am not a fan of an 8 man pen, but if you're going to have it, you might as well use it in this kind of way (going forward at least).

Weber has been pitching well in Buffalo, and I am certainly not opposed to him being given a shot if the need arises.

BalzacChieftain - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 03:43 PM EDT (#275335) #

Mike, that sounds like a great idea. It's too bad that it would be such a non-traditional decision that most managers would probably refuse to try it. Have there been instances where this has been done before?

I would assume the conditions have to be perfect: starting pitcher a team is not attached to and could reasonably be expected to be ineffective (Wang), an 8 man bullpen with ample left-handers (Jays), and an opposing team that believes in platoon splits (Red Sox). Seems like the conditions were right last night!

Mike Green - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 03:52 PM EDT (#275336) #

Howser did something like this in Game 7 of the 1985 ALCS, pulling Saberhagen throwing a shutout in the 4th inning for Liebrandt to knock out all of the lefties in the Jay lineup. Wang, 2013 is not Saberhagen, 1985, so I think you can justify taking him out after 1 inning in the context.

Mike Green - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 04:59 PM EDT (#275339) #

Fenway has always been a great place to hit for a LH hitter with good plate discipline. It pains me to not see either of Kawasaki or Thole in the lineup tonight. Tomorrow is an afternoon game with a lefty (Doubront) going for the Sox; that is a natural game for Arencibia, with tonight being Thole's.

Nigel - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 05:25 PM EDT (#275340) #

There are two reasons why today's modern manager is going to resist employing Mike's idea (I think it does have some merit):

- its a stragegy that is ripe for second guessing - if you pulled Wang after the 1st last night (3 outs on 9 pitches) and brought in Perez and he struggles, the immediate media and fan reaction will be why did you pull your starter who was going so well?

- you will have used your pen's (likely) only long man (modern pens tend not to have multiple long relievers) - if your starter gets knocked out in the first or second inning of the next game you may genuinely be taxing your pen (even if you have 8 relievers)

Mike's strategy would be more workable where you had some tandem starter or multiple 3 or 4 inning type relievers. Interesting thought though.

Magpie - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 05:50 PM EDT (#275341) #

pulling Saberhagen throwing a shutout in the 4th inning

I'm pretty sure Howser pulled Saberhagen because he'd been hit by a line drive. I don't think Howser wanted to bring in Liebrandt to pitch to Bell and Barfield, who were due up the next inning.

Alex Obal - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 06:42 PM EDT (#275342) #

Jays: Reyes, Bautista, Encarnacion (DH), Lind, Rasmus, Davis, Arencibia, Izturis, Bonifacio
Sox: Ellsbury, Victorino, Pedroia, Ortiz, Napoli (1B), Nava, Salty, Drew, Iglesias (3B).

Gerry - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 08:51 PM EDT (#275343) #

Former Blue Jay Justin Miller has passed away at age 35. Miller was a relief pitcher with heavily tattooed arms.

greenfrog - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 09:20 PM EDT (#275344) #

Re the Moosehead ad being played over and over during the games. Those hikers might have had a more enjoyable time if they'd tossed a couple of six-packs in their packs instead. Who goes hiking in the mountains with a cooler full of bottles and/or ice? And if they love nature so much, what are they doing starting a campfire in pristine country at high altitude?

Richard S.S. - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 09:29 PM EDT (#275345) #

I didn't see it but what happened to Josh Johnson?

JB21 - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 09:36 PM EDT (#275347) #

Maybe we should've kept Casper Wells? Apparently he was hitting 93 on the radar gun in his inning of mop up duty tonight and check out this pitch to K Asdrubal, wow.

http://gamereax.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/wellscabrera.gif

greenfrog - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 10:07 PM EDT (#275348) #

Mixed game defensively for the Jays so far. Nice plays by Davis (catch) and Bautista (throw). But the dropped ball by Rasmus, the passed ball by Arencibia, and the missed chance by Izturis on Gomes's hot shot with the bases loaded have been costly.

Eephus - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 10:13 PM EDT (#275349) #

I admit I find it funny when someone describes (as Jerry Howarth just did) a 75 mph curveball as slow. If most of us ordinary people were up there in an at-bat trying to hit a 75 mph curveball I guarantee our swings would be late every single time, even if we knew it was coming.

Needless to say, major league hitters are very, very good.

JB21 - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 10:40 PM EDT (#275350) #

Looking at Jays stats on Fangraphs for the season and by month and at what point do you DFA Emilio Bonifacio? Is he actually going to be claimed at this point and time? When Lawrie and Melky come back he can't possibly be on this team.

Alex Obal - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 10:55 PM EDT (#275351) #

Having two OBP sinkholes makes it pretty hard to win in Boston.

hypobole - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 11:34 PM EDT (#275352) #

"Looking at Jays stats on Fangraphs for the season and by month and at what point do you DFA Emilio Bonifacio?"

You sound like Marc Hulet :)

Ryan Day - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 11:50 PM EDT (#275353) #

I don't know how you let Bonifacio hit for himself in the 9th inning of a close game - Kawasaki would be the obvious choice vs a RHP, but you could try using Thole now and then, too.

JB21 - Friday, June 28 2013 @ 11:55 PM EDT (#275354) #

haha touche

Eephus - Saturday, June 29 2013 @ 12:33 AM EDT (#275355) #

Clearly the Blue Jays front office must be smitten with Bonifacio's speed and athleticism. Yet when was the last time we saw Emilo beat out a ground ball for an infield hit? And he's surely not a fearless basestealer in the mold of a Rajai Davis (for better or worse.) The athleticism is nice for those occasional "how'd he do that?" kind of play, but his lack of familiarity at any position has produced more bad moments than good.

I dunno. Maybe in a good year he's a platoon player who can give guys a day off because of his versatility. But this is not a good year and there's absolutely no reason why he should be playing everyday.

scottt - Saturday, June 29 2013 @ 06:29 AM EDT (#275356) #

His BABIP is down from a career 329 to 263 AND his walk rate is down from a career 7.8 % t o 3.3%.
Could really use some time at AAA.
When it comes to fringe utility players around the replacement level, it's weird to stick with one guy having a terrible year, because there is almost no upside.

92-93 - Saturday, June 29 2013 @ 08:05 AM EDT (#275357) #

"The athleticism is nice for those occasional "how'd he do that?" kind of play"

I'm struggling to recall any of these sort of plays from Bonifacio. He should not be batting in the 9th down 2, and if he is it speaks to poor roster construction.

Mike Green - Saturday, June 29 2013 @ 08:32 AM EDT (#275359) #

Of course, it is very bad luck to give up 7 runs per game and does make it a touch difficult for an offence to overcome...

Jose Reyes swung wildly at a few pitches way out of the zone last night. He's normally a very disciplined hitter. We saw that from Lind earlier this week. Gibbons really does need to clear some of the wild swingers from the lineup if for no other reason than to set a better tone. It would also be good if Jose Bautista rediscovered right field.

Mike Green - Saturday, June 29 2013 @ 08:40 AM EDT (#275360) #

...as a possible destination for balls he hits (to be clear). His defence there has actually been much better this year, Thursday's misread of a fly ball notwithstanding.

92-93 - Saturday, June 29 2013 @ 12:05 PM EDT (#275363) #

I'd like to see Bautista rediscover LF first.

uglyone - Saturday, June 29 2013 @ 04:41 PM EDT (#275370) #

This was a tough, tough loss....but actually quite an enjoyable game to watch.

We simply need our SP to be better than they were these first two games. You're not going to beat the good teams with SP like that.

scottt - Saturday, June 29 2013 @ 05:22 PM EDT (#275374) #

Except it's the pen that lost the second game. But yeah, I understand what your saying.

scottt - Saturday, June 29 2013 @ 05:40 PM EDT (#275378) #

Bad typo there. Also the Jays are making Boston's SP looks better than it is.
Maybe they do better against the relievers because they throw more strikes?

hypobole - Saturday, June 29 2013 @ 05:59 PM EDT (#275385) #

"Except it's the pen that lost the second game."

If you go by the ridiculous way wins and losses are assigned in baseball yeah.

Starter - 3.1 IP, 5 runs allowed
Bullpen - 4.2 IP, 2 runs allowed

There were also 2 runners with one out when the pen took over, both of which were stranded. No matter who took the loss, it's the starter who has to pitch better for chances of future victories.

Game Thread — 6/28 @ Boston | 31 comments | Create New Account

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.