For much of this year we grinded out losses as well, but instead of everyone playing poorly, many are "evening" out their year and playing more like we would expect. Nothing is easy though and everything is a grind. Sweeping the Red Sox is always rewarding, especially after dominating us earlier in the year.
The game:
I was texting with one of our readers and I spoke about Heaney. My one comment was "his stuff is OK. He must make quality 2 strike pitches or he doesn't do well." Later in the evening, I watched the game and in the first inning 0-2 pitch he allows a HR to Bogaerts. The pitch was probably a ball and Bogaerts went with it well, but it was up (making it much easier). Bogaerts is an excellent hitter (even better for a SS), but he seems to always be ready for a fastball. That concerned me, but Heaney's results were an excellent game. It is interesting because I do not think he controlled his pitches very well, but he mixed them up well and threw 4 pitches (FB, CB, Slider and change) keeping them off balance. Honestly, I don't think Boston has been swinging the bats very well. Devers had very poor AB's and he is usually a problem for us.
We were up 2-1 in the bottom of the 2nd and runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out and DJ up. DJ had a 3-1 count on him (remember an open base) after he didn't swing at a slider in the dirt. He then waived on a slider way outside rather than taking the walk. He then fouled off two fastballs that were grooved before swinging at 2 sliders that were both balls. He should have walked but hit a hard one chopper on the 10th pitch (fastball) into the ground in the hole between 3rd and short and Devers made a diving play, got up and threw out DJ. Sanchez was on 3rd and Valazquez was on 2nd; how did they not move up and get one run in there. Sanchez isn't fast, but that is a play I think you go on contact as long as it isn't a bullet or back to the pitcher. Worst case scenario is they make a good play and throw you out and you have 1st and 3rd instead of 2nd and 3rd. Yes, that isn't as good but they made a good play. There is zero chance Devers could have thrown out Sanchez if he went after reading the chopper, but again there isn't much downside. Also, the defense could try and go home and not get him or make a bad throw and then you have a huge inning. We were fortunate that the next batter was Rizzo and Dalbec didn't glove a ball he should have and 2 runs scored on the generously scored single.
Speaking of Rizzo, and this may be known but I don't listen too much to the announcers, but I was not aware he choked up with two strikes? I will watch him more, but in the AB against a lefty he choked up a little with 1 strike and then choked up a lot with 2 strikes. Later in his AB against Ottavino, he didn't choke up at all and had his hand on the knob.
I like DJ so much more at 2nd base. He will start to get more comfortable and we are seeing some of the plays he is making there. Tuesday night, he made an excellent sliding play to his left and threw a strike to Wade that would have been a DP if Wade didn't fumble his exchange and last night he used his height and length to go up and snag a line drive that perhaps only he could have caught as a tall 2nd baseman. I am not sure DJ is a gold glover there now, but he is solid.
While we are on defense and announcers...Rizzo's defense is a huge upgrade from Voits or anyone else we have there, but let's not praise him for what I think are fairly routine plays for a competent glove at 1B. The last play of the game, which was an excellent play (maybe game saving) by Valazquez sliding in the hole and dealing with Odor diving in front of him, was not such a tough hop for Rizzo. The ball skipped from the grass (not the dirt) so it wasn't much of an in between hop, it was a long hop. Rizzo fielded it so close to his body he almost turned it into a hit. I think he was ensuring he made the play and doing what he did allowed him to make sure he had it, but even no stretch would have made it a clear out instead of a very close play. Further, Kay was gushing about how great the play was from Rizzo and it was 99% Valazquez.
OK, Let me pile on Kay for gushing about what a great read Judge had Tuesday night on the ball that dropped in and Judge scored from 2nd. Judge made the correct read, but then wasn't sure and slowed up looking back. If the ball wasn't hit by the CF'r as he tried to grab the ball after he made a good effort on the pop-up, Judge would have been on 3rd only, but if it were caught Judge would have been doubled up. A good read, or an aggressive chance, would have been that he took off from the beginning and scored on the ball even if the ball was missed and picked up normally. I thought Judge took off and then sort of panicked.
Oneill also is always bringing up when the shift doesn't work and it drives me crazy. I also think he misses a lot. Cone is great on correcting him but not disagreeing with him. Example: Oneill was talking about Chapman and how he didn't trust his FB because he was only throwing 97/98 and allowed the HR off the FB and that is a problem for him. Cone just said something like, "and he may be throwing the slider because it may be the only pitch he feels he can throw for a strike." This simple exchange is why Cone gets it and O'neill misses a lot because that is exactly why he is throwing so many sliders.
Britton pitched a very clean 8th inning, but he is still struggling with control. The good thing is that he threw strikes and let his stuff work. His fastball has absurd sink on it and they either swung over it or grounded out. He has a good breaking ball, but he is not controlling that either yet. Also, he was throwing a fastball that tailed into lefties (not as much sink) earlier and I thought that was a great addition for him. However, I think maybe it is throwing off his release point and did not throw any of them yesterday. Perhaps he is saying let me control my sinker and breaking ball first?
Minnesota is not a good team, but they are 7-3 in their last 10.
