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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2011 7:46:07 GMT -5
[shadow=red,left,300]Boston Red Sox (27-19) @ Texas Rangers (25-21)[/shadow] Bos: Justin Verlander (4-4, 4.71) Tex: Neftali Feliz (6-2, 2.61)It's hard to understand Texas' reasoning for trading away superstar Tyler Matzek. Here is a young juggernaut of a team in a scuffling division trading away a young ace. While one of the main motivating factors in moving Matzek was to rid themselves of Ian Kinsler's hefty contract, Texas lost one of the game's premier pitchers. You could also argue that Matzek wasn't the best starter on his own team. Neftali Feliz gets better with each passing year---and each passing start, as he's gone 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA and a 0.77 WHIP in May. He's locating his fastball better than ever, and his curveball's ankle-breaking movement is sickening. Better than ever, Feliz has learned how to pitch, often throwing his curveball in fastball counts, while setting up hitters with pitch strategy and not just raw stuff. While Feliz' is getting great grades for his pitching, the Red Sox lineup proposes a nearly impossible exam. Boston leads baseball in runs scored with a murderer's row of potent bats. Hanley Ramirez comes in especially hot, having blasted the Rockies (as he usually does) for a .400 average, a home run, three driven in, and five walks in a Boston sweep. Hanley, like most of Boston's hitters, has also had success against Feliz in the past. Assuming Angel Sanchez takes over for Kevin Youkalis at third, Boston's starting lineup is a combined .321 against the star righty, with Jacoby Ellsbury leading the assault with a .450 average and a home run in 20 at bats. Boston had success against Feliz in his only start against the Rangers this season smacking 11 hits and two walks off him in 7.2 innings, but Feliz stranded five runners in scoring position, seven overall, to escape with only three runs allowed in a 7-3 Rangers win. Should Boston grab the lead, it has the second best bullpen ERA in the AL, with Daniel Bard building on last year's fine season and looking like a repeat AL All-Star. To secure that lead, the Sox will need Justin Verlander to stop giving up the long ball. Verlander gave up 29 long balls last season between Minnesota and Chicago, and has allowed eight already this year. He surrendered seven runs in a previous start against the Rangers and will need to locate his fastball against one of the top three offenses in baseball. Phenomenal flamethrowers. Explosive offenses. Big ticket teams. It doesn't get much better than Rangers-Red Sox on the PBL Game of the Week! Questions for the GM's. For Derek Bobola, the last time your team met Feliz, you banged out 11 hits, but scored only three runs---mostly because Kevin Youkalis struck out three times against Feliz and was overmatched with runners on base. Were he not injured, would you have perhaps given him a day off for this one game? The Ballpark in Arlington is a haven for home runs, and Verlander's been no stranger to the big fly this season. With your bullpen as sharp as its been, do you perhaps keep Verlander on a tighter leash? Carl Crawford and Elvis Andrus are a combined 5-27 against Verlander in their careers. Why does Verlander have so much success against those two speedsters? For Randy Pickard, your top two hitters, Andrus and Crawford, have had no success against Verlander, and Verlander is prone to the long ball. Do you limit your running game in this contest and look to hit three-run home runs, or do you stay aggressive? What was the thought process in trading Matzek and not possibly Feliz? Do you value Feliz more? Your offense really struggled in a recent three game sweep by the Pirates. How do you jump start your offense against the Red Sox?
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Post by Derek _ Red Sox on Jun 6, 2011 8:43:52 GMT -5
1 - NO
2- Maybe
3- Lucky?
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Post by Derek _ Red Sox on Jun 6, 2011 8:44:32 GMT -5
Only kidding... Here is my response.
The last time your team met Feliz, you banged out 11 hits, but scored only three runs---mostly because Kevin Youkalis struck out three times against Feliz and was overmatched with runners on base. Were he not injured, would you have perhaps given him a day off for this one game?
If Youk did not suffer an unfortunate injury prior to this big series, he would of resumed his place in the lineup against Perez. We value Youk too much and feel unless injured or simply needs a day off then he will be in the lineup as we feel like if Youk struggles against sometime last time around, he will make the proper adjustments and have success the next time around.
Unfortunately, we don't have him to pencil in to the lineup for the next 5 weeks and we are coming off a big series with Colorado and this week we face Texas then Tampa in what definitely looks like the toughest week of the season for us, especially after the blockbuster trade. That being said, we look forward to the challenge and will do so without Kevin but we do have enough players to keep things competitive until he is fully ready to return. I think Angel Sanchez will remain in his role as utility infielder as he is most valuable there. We might take a chance and see how Hanley can handle third base, as if he does so with success, this could be a position for him down the road.
After placing Youkilis on the Disabled List, we called up, Eliezer Mesa to give our outfield a little more depth for this week. We had a a handful of other alternatives we could of used but I feel like we needed a little more depth in the outfield this week and Eliezer offers good contact, speed and defense. James Loney might see more time at DH as well, and a call up for Wang-wei Lin (who is killing it in AAA right now) is a definite possibility as well.
The Ballpark in Arlington is a haven for home runs, and Verlander's been no stranger to the big fly this season. With your bullpen as sharp as its been, do you perhaps keep Verlander on a tighter leash?
Our bullpen has definitely been sharp but to be completely honest the past two weeks were a little bit tougher than we liked. Our team ERA looks great but that can be attributed to the dominance they had to start the season. We are giving up quite a few runs over the last week or two but we still feel like we have a great group of guys and we would not hesitate in the least to go to them if it came down to it.
I don't think it will come down to that though as Verlander has really started to settle in despite a very difficult first three games in a Red Sox uniform. I know there is concern as one of those struggling starts did come against Texas but I'm chalking that up to him finding his way a bit in the early going. Since that Texas loss, he had one more poor showing against Chicago (5 ip, 6 runs) but has pitched great since then in games against Toronto (8 ip, 4 hits, 1 r, 10 k), Baltimore (7 ip, 9 hits, 3 r, 6 k), Kansas City (8 ip, 6 hits, 2 r, 6 k), Seattle (8 ip, 4 hits, 1 r, 6 k) and his last game against the Angels (8 ip, 8 h, 0 runs, 4 k).
Carl Crawford and Elvis Andrus are a combined 5-27 against Verlander in their careers. Why does Verlander have so much success against those two speedsters?
Crawford and Andrus are two players that every pitcher has to worry about as they can get on base in so many different ways and that will be no different tonight for Verlander, even though he had success in the past with them. These two speedsters can really alter a game as a walk can turn into a double in a second with their speed on the bases.
But let me not take credit away from Verlander here too as he is a great pitcher and his ability to have such good success against guys like these are the exact reason that we brought him to Boston.
He just knows how to pitch and more often than not hitters (good or bad) struggle to hit him. Justin has a mid to high 90s fastball and a very good changeup but his most effective pitch is his curveball which is probably one of the nastiest pitches in all of baseball. He throws a 12-6 curve around 75-79 mph that breaks 13.3 inches down and 5.7 inches to the right so once he has you thinking fastball and he comes back with that then he has you.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2011 10:04:13 GMT -5
Comon Texas!!
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Post by Derek _ Red Sox on Jun 6, 2011 11:15:31 GMT -5
Yanks, if you don't pull ahead of me this week by a couple of games, I think it might be a long summer in the Bronx. I have an incredibly tough week and if we can play .500 ball this week it would have to be considered a success.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2011 15:39:54 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2011 17:33:38 GMT -5
Yanks, if you don't pull ahead of me this week by a couple of games, I think it might be a long summer in the Bronx. I have an incredibly tough week and if we can play .500 ball this week it would have to be considered a success. I've had tough weeks all season and I've played Texas and Tampa 12 times combined! oh, what's my record against them?? 9-3.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2011 20:46:21 GMT -5
It has come to my announcement...that a massive trade has been made involving one of these two teams only adding to the intrigue of this week's Game of the Week!!!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2011 20:49:15 GMT -5
It has come to my announcement...that a massive trade has been made involving one of these two teams only adding to the intrigue of this week's Game of the Week!!! Bajesus news travels fast! Erick has got eye's and hears everywhere!! I bet he's still got the "Rocky Mountain God" on the payroll as a consultant!!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2011 8:10:46 GMT -5
Postgame Wrap:
[shadow=red,left,300]Rangers 6 - Red Sox 1[/shadow]
They say good pitching beats good hitting.
Neftali Feliz dominates good hitting.
Feliz pitched a second straight gem where he worked into the eighth inning, allowed one run, and struck out at least nine, fanning nine Red Sox players on the way to a 6-1 win.
After striking out the side in the third, he ran into a second and third situation in the fourth, but James Loney's shallow fly ball to center was caught by Edward Alfonso, Hanley Ramirez foolishly tried to score from third, and when Ramirez was tagged out by Hank Conger, the mini-crisis was averted.
Wladimir Balentien popped a single to the right side with two outs in the eighth to score Boston's only run, but Derek Holland came on to get James Loney to roll over to Travis Adair and end the threat.
Meanwhile, as has plagued him since leaving San Francisco, Justin Verlander had trouble with the extra base hit. Carl Crawford doubled in a run in the second, while Ryan Braun smashed a solo home run in the third.
The run Verlander allowed in the first was more a product of small ball. Elvis Andrus led off the game with a well-placed bunt base hit, and Carl Crawford singled him to second. Ryan Braun later lined one through the hole on the left side scoring Andrus with the game's first run.
Braun's solo home run made it 4-0, a score that wouldn't change until Balentien's RBI single in the eighth. Mitch Hillgoss and Andrus added RBI hits in the bottom of the 8th to stretch the lead to 6-1. Holland worked the final three outs for his first save.
Questions for the GMs.
For Derek Bobola, Verlander was ineffective, surrendering 12 base runners in 7 innings. If the playoffs started today, where would you slot Verlander in your rotation and why?
Even after being down 4-0, your team ran itself into two outs on the basepaths. Are you upset with your team's lack of knowledge of the score situation when trying to take extra bases?
Finally, Balentien is now hitting .347 with 32 RBI's. How big has he been in making your lineup special?
For Randy Pickard, there have been rumblings that a trade of Neftali Feliz could be on the horizon. He's young, explosive, and still on a rookie contract. What could possibly motivate you to put this kid on the block?
Carl Crawford had been scuffling a bit with only two hits in his last 17 at bats. In that span, the Rangers scored only an average of just over 3 runs. Not coincidentally, Crawford banged out two hits and Texas scored six. Would you say that Crawford is the key to your offense?
Finally, it seems that every day Alfonso is making a spectacular play with his defense. Would you say he's a Gold Glove candidate in center field, or is he still too young and out of the voter's minds?
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