• Changing RCF's index page, please click on "Forums" to access the forums.

2024 Season | Series #6 | Guardians @ Red Sox | April 15-18, 2024

Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Game 4 preview:

Up 2-1 the Guardians try to win the series behind Carlos Carrasco. The Sox have scored 9 runs in three games, 8 if you don't count their ghost runner that scored in the 10th on Tuesday. But Tyler O'Neill may be back and they'll probably have Conner Wong DH considering the way he hits the Guardians.

The Red Sox will go with a bullpen day, which they are able to do thanks to Houck's complete game Wednesday. What a time for it! They really needed it badly.

Brennan Bernardino, a lefty, will start. He has allowed one earned run in 5.1 innings. His longest outing this year has been 29 pitches. Current Guardians are 2-for-16 against him. They have two other lefties in the pen and we'll probably see both of them.

I hate bullpen days because the opposing manager can bring in whatever reliever is the best matchup based on who is coming up that inning. It's tough to score on bullpen days unless you run into one guy who just doesn't have it. Vogt will probably alternate left- and right-handed batters.

I think this is an important start for Cookie. His first three starts were:

5 innings, 3 runs
3 innings, 1 run, 1 hit
4.2 innings, 1 run (but 5 hits and 5 walks)

He's getting better little-by-little. I want to see if he can take the next step which is 5 innings and 1 run, or even get an out or two in the 6th.

Current members of the Red Sox are hitting .353 against Cookie (6-for-17), but all six of their hits have been singles and none of them have an RBI. Connor Wong is 2-for-2, of course. He's 10-for-21 against the Guardians lifetime with three home runs, two of which were hit in the last two days.

It would be really nice to go 3-1 against Boston in their house.
 
Last edited:
TxBuckeye said:
Was there ever an explanation of the balk?
Click to expand...
Vogt said afterward that Lively was penalized for not declaring that he was going to pitch from the windup with the runner at third, rather than coming set. A new rule in Major League Baseball requires pitchers to make the declaration to the home plate umpire for each new batter. - Joe Noga

“I felt like I said something,” Lively said. “But it happens.”

It shouldn't have. But at least it didn't cost us the game. I thought we would tie it and lose in extras, but no.

But that’s the rule. So we learned. - Steven Vogt
 
Last edited:
Vogt on Ben Parsons...

“He was outstanding,” Vogt said. “Really thrilled that Wes is with us, and he’s going to get a lot of meaningful outs for us this year. That was electric stuff he showed tonight.”
 
Wham with the Right Hand said:
Vogt said afterward that Lively was penalized for not declaring that he was going to pitch from the windup with the runner at third, rather than coming set. A new rule in Major League Baseball requires pitchers to make the declaration to the home plate umpire for each new batter. - Joe Noga

“I felt like I said something,” Lively said. “But it happens.”
It shouldn't have. But at least it didn't cost us the game. I thought we would tie it and lose in extras, but no.

But that’s the rule. So we learned. - Steven Vogt
Click to expand...
Found this:


I’m still struggling a bit to see the spirit of the rule here. There was no advantage to be gained that I could see from Lively going from the windup, not sure how that’s meant to be deceiving the runner.
 
If our guys pitched every night like Houck just did, it wouldn't matter what the offense did or didn't do.

We'd win 130 games.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lee
Wham with the Right Hand said:
Vogt said afterward that Lively was penalized for not declaring that he was going to pitch from the windup with the runner at third, rather than coming set. A new rule in Major League Baseball requires pitchers to make the declaration to the home plate umpire for each new batter. - Joe Noga

“I felt like I said something,” Lively said. “But it happens.”
It shouldn't have. But at least it didn't cost us the game. I thought we would tie it and lose in extras, but no.

But that’s the rule. So we learned. - Steven Vogt
Click to expand...
WTF. When did this become a rule? and what difference does it make whether he pitches out of the stretch or the windup?
 
Welcome to the game of modern baseball! Where we like to go real fast, implement new rules, pay attention to crazy amounts of cockamamie analytics, and pay our players insane amounts of money!

Take me out to the balllll game (but not too long), Take me out with the crrooowwwwd (where we sit behind nets and drink lots of beers at the corner bars), Buy me some (expensive) peanuts and craaaacker jack, I don't care if I ever get home from my Uber cuz it's root root root for the hooooome team (unless you're a Yankees or Red Sox fan), If theyyyy don't hit homers it's a shaaaamme, Cuz it's ONE TWO THREE throws to first in the NEWWWW BALLS GAME!
 
Last edited:
Wham with the Right Hand said:
Game 4 preview:

Up 2-1 the Guardians try to win the series behind Carlos Carrasco. The Sox have scored 9 runs in three games, 8 if you don't count their ghost runner that scored in the 10th on Tuesday. But Tyler O'Neill may be back and they'll probably have Conner Wong DH considering the way he hits the Guardians.

The Red Sox will go with a bullpen day, which they are able to do thanks to Houck's complete game Wednesday. What a time for it! They really needed it badly.

Brennan Bernardino, a lefty, will start. He has allowed one earned run in 5.1 innings. His longest outing this year has been 29 pitches. Current Guardians are 2-for-16 against him. They have two other lefties in the pen and we'll probably see both of them.

I hate bullpen days because the opposing manager can bring in whatever reliever is the best matchup based on who is coming up that inning. It's tough to score on bullpen days unless you run into one guy who just doesn't have it. Vogt will probably alternate left- and right-handed batters.

I think this is an important start for Cookie. His first three starts were:

5 innings, 3 runs
3 innings, 1 run, 1 hit
4.2 innings, 1 run (but 5 hits and 5 walks)

He's getting better little-by-little. I want to see if he can take the next step which is 5 innings and 1 run, or even get an out or two in the 6th.

Current members of the Red Sox are hitting .353 against Cookie (6-for-17), but all six of their hits have been singles and none of them have an RBI. Connor Wong is 2-for-2, of course. He's 10-for-21 against the Guardians lifetime with three home runs, two of which were hit in the last two days.

It would be really nice to go 3-1 against Boston in their house.
Click to expand...
Carrasco’s back? When did THAT happen?
 
petes999 said:
Fry in the OF for 1st time this year .... Haven't seen Avila addition to 26 yet... Arias still in the line-up ... anyway he can.
Batters CLEBHRRBISBAVGOPS
Gimenez2BL092.286.744
FryLFR171.304.941
Ramírez, JoDHS3150.250.690
Naylor, J1BL4120.3281.001
Freeman, TCFR282.184.588
Naylor, BCL251.186.653
LaureanoRFR003.176.599
Arias, G3BR171.314.876
RocchioSSS031.212.595
Click to expand...
If Vogt had started Arias in LF, Gabriel would have played every single position on the diamond other than pitcher and catcher in 2024.

Pitcher, catcher and LF remain as the only positions he hasn't played in a MLB game.
 
CATS44 said:
If our guys pitched every night like Houck just did, it wouldn't matter what the offense did or didn't do.

We'd win 130 games.
Click to expand...
I agree, and if they all hit like Juan Soto every night it wouldn't matter what the pitchers did.

I don't get your point.
 
petes999 said:
Fry in the OF for 1st time this year .... Haven't seen Avila addition to 26 yet... Arias still in the line-up ... anyway he can.
Batters CLEBHRRBISBAVGOPS
Gimenez2BL092.286.744
FryLFR171.304.941
Ramírez, JoDHS3150.250.690
Naylor, J1BL4120.3281.001
Freeman, TCFR282.184.588
Naylor, BCL251.186.653
LaureanoRFR003.176.599
Arias, G3BR171.314.876
RocchioSSS031.212.595
Click to expand...
Kwan finally gets a day off after going 0-for-4 and ending his hitting streak. I knew Fry would be in there somewhere with the Green Monster and all. Same with Arias, Freeman, and Laureano. Vogt is putting as much right-handed power in the lineup as possible.

The Sox are starting a lefty and so far this series they have used lefties as much as possible. I think Vogt is expecting they will use all three today so he's stacking the batting order with right-handed hitting. Kwan, Brennan, and Florial are out. It will be interesting to see if the Sox go with right-handed relievers after Bernardino is pulled, but they would still have to face Gimenez, Jose, Rocchio, and both Naylors from the left side.

Interesting lineup with Gimmy leading off and Fry second. You'd never see Tito get this creative.

Freeman, Bo Naylor, and Laureano are all below the Mendoza line. We need to get them going. Freeman had a double and home run Tuesday so hopefully that gets him out of his slump. Bo is 4-for-30, but he does have six walks. Ramon needs to either start hitting or keep sticking his elbow in front of inside pitches. I wonder if the scouting report is to bust him up and in.
 
I'd rather rest Jose than Kwan right now, but otoh it's nice to have him off the bench late.

Arias deserves this string of starts, but looking at his BABIP, OBP, xwOBA/wOBA gap and 5 Ks in past 2 games, the regression will hurt at some point. Not sure we're looking at a fundamentally improved player. He's still early count see ball hit ball masher. We've seen with Oscar how far that approach gets ya.

And please spare us all the hater comments, as I'd rather Arias just gets the SS starts for a while, since Rocchio is struggling at the plate (at least much improved defensively). I just don't like giving him reps at the expense of others who deserve to play too. Freeman bangs 2 XBH and gets benched. Not cool
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Video

Episode 3-14: "Time for Playoff Vengeance on Mickey"

Rubber Rim Job Podcast Spotify

Episode 3:14: " Time for Playoff Vengeance on Mickey."
Top