Post by Commissioner Erick on Jun 18, 2019 7:23:10 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox (58-65) @ Tampa Bay Rays (78-43)
BOS: Michael Shawaryn (0-0, 3.38)
TB: Brent Honeywell (11-3, 3.16)
Starting with today's game, the Tampa Bay Rays play 19 of their next 23 games against teams with losing records. Three games ahead, they can really put a ton of distance between the competition in the AL East.
Boston will send four guys to the plate with 20 home runs or more to try to stop them.
The AL East leading Tampa Bay Rays will look to put distance between themselves and the Yankees when the Rays take on the Boston Red Sox in the Game of the Week.
With the exception of a pair of Stephen Matz clunkers, or Chris Archer getting shelled by the Padres, Tampa Bay's starting pitching has been excellent since their last Game of the Week, two weeks ago. They've allowed three runs or fewer in eight of their last 12 games, really showcasing how stifling their staff can be.
Brent Honeywell will be the member of the staff who takes the ball tonight. 11-3 with a 3.16 ERA that's second in the American League, Honeywell has been just another ace in Tampa Bay's deck. Honeywell's strikeout rate and home run rate are the highest of his career. An extreme strike-thrower, Honeywell has allowed more walks this year, but aiming for the corners has also lowered his BABIP. His screwball has always messed with platoon splits, and as his command has gotten better, his overall profile has taken a jump.
His one weakness is that he seldom goes deep in games, an issue that may trouble Tampa Bay with a couple of injuries to its pen. Brandon Waddell and Ryan Yarborough will miss the game, meaning Tampa Bay may need some Triple-A pitchers to chip in. They'll also need to rely a little more on the short relievers they already have, like Jaime Schultz.
Schultz is fascinating as a pitcher with a huge wind up to throw fastballs up in the zone and sliders down in the zone, though he often has little idea where the ball is going. His fastball is straight and wild, and his pitches break violently, not late. If a hitter tees Schultz up, it could go a long way.
However, Schultz has compensated by just striking out everybody he's faced. He's fanned 91 batters in 50.1 innings, an absurd ratio. Hitters have just 28 hits against him also, so he has a WHIP of 1.03 despite 24 walks in that timeframe. The outfield defense and dimensions helps Schultz when he makes a rare mistake, and he's blowing hitters away when he's not. He's a wonderful story, and someone who has given a nice boost to the team.
They'll take on a Boston lineup with some punch in the middle. Eloy Jimenez, Derek Fisher, Kyle Schwarber, and Javier Baez each have at least 20 home runs so far, and the last three each hit 30. If Jimenez got the bats last year, he may have joined them. However, Boston is still digging out of years of poor ownership and management, so the cupboards surrounding that core are barren.
This is exacerbated by Jose Ramirez' decline. Ramirez produced 4.3 WAR as a 24-year old, and has produced more than an 89 OPS+ just once since then. He had just 12 home runs with a .300 OBP last year, and has just two home runs in about a half season's worth of at bats this year. He's become a backup-caliber player, but he'll make $11 million next year.
Boston's also been done in by an almost comical amount of injuries to the pitching staff in particular. Seven pitchers currently have some kind of malady, including their first round pick this year, Joe Caulder. They're trying to make due with a 10-man staff, but it's produced a 5.96 ERA this month. Anonymous minor leaguer Michael Shawaryn will make the start, despite this season being the only one where a minor league stop resulted with an ERA under 4.49. He's walked nine batters in 13.1 innings so far, but he has just a 3.38 ERA.
If he can outduel Honeywell, he'll earn a lot of praise from me and his teammates.
Questions for the GM's:
For Stephen Strzepek, you took over a team with a scouting and development apparatus in shambles. How do you plan on restoring your minor league system?
Many of your better players are going to be 29-years-old this offseason. Will you use them to start a rebuild, or will you try to add around them?
Jose Ramirez has a bruised shoulder. Will you put him on the DL or see if he can gut through this?
For Graham Stratford, with a few relievers banged up, what, if any, roster moves will you make?
Andres Gimenez continues to struggle in August, while Willy Adames is on a tear. Will Adames get the start today?
Casey Gillaspie is having the best year of his career. How happy are you for him, considering he went from an All-Star to losing his job last season?
TRIVIA: Since 2018, how many qualified pitchers have produced an ERA under 4.00 for the Red Sox?
BOS: Michael Shawaryn (0-0, 3.38)
TB: Brent Honeywell (11-3, 3.16)
Starting with today's game, the Tampa Bay Rays play 19 of their next 23 games against teams with losing records. Three games ahead, they can really put a ton of distance between the competition in the AL East.
Boston will send four guys to the plate with 20 home runs or more to try to stop them.
The AL East leading Tampa Bay Rays will look to put distance between themselves and the Yankees when the Rays take on the Boston Red Sox in the Game of the Week.
With the exception of a pair of Stephen Matz clunkers, or Chris Archer getting shelled by the Padres, Tampa Bay's starting pitching has been excellent since their last Game of the Week, two weeks ago. They've allowed three runs or fewer in eight of their last 12 games, really showcasing how stifling their staff can be.
Brent Honeywell will be the member of the staff who takes the ball tonight. 11-3 with a 3.16 ERA that's second in the American League, Honeywell has been just another ace in Tampa Bay's deck. Honeywell's strikeout rate and home run rate are the highest of his career. An extreme strike-thrower, Honeywell has allowed more walks this year, but aiming for the corners has also lowered his BABIP. His screwball has always messed with platoon splits, and as his command has gotten better, his overall profile has taken a jump.
His one weakness is that he seldom goes deep in games, an issue that may trouble Tampa Bay with a couple of injuries to its pen. Brandon Waddell and Ryan Yarborough will miss the game, meaning Tampa Bay may need some Triple-A pitchers to chip in. They'll also need to rely a little more on the short relievers they already have, like Jaime Schultz.
Schultz is fascinating as a pitcher with a huge wind up to throw fastballs up in the zone and sliders down in the zone, though he often has little idea where the ball is going. His fastball is straight and wild, and his pitches break violently, not late. If a hitter tees Schultz up, it could go a long way.
However, Schultz has compensated by just striking out everybody he's faced. He's fanned 91 batters in 50.1 innings, an absurd ratio. Hitters have just 28 hits against him also, so he has a WHIP of 1.03 despite 24 walks in that timeframe. The outfield defense and dimensions helps Schultz when he makes a rare mistake, and he's blowing hitters away when he's not. He's a wonderful story, and someone who has given a nice boost to the team.
They'll take on a Boston lineup with some punch in the middle. Eloy Jimenez, Derek Fisher, Kyle Schwarber, and Javier Baez each have at least 20 home runs so far, and the last three each hit 30. If Jimenez got the bats last year, he may have joined them. However, Boston is still digging out of years of poor ownership and management, so the cupboards surrounding that core are barren.
This is exacerbated by Jose Ramirez' decline. Ramirez produced 4.3 WAR as a 24-year old, and has produced more than an 89 OPS+ just once since then. He had just 12 home runs with a .300 OBP last year, and has just two home runs in about a half season's worth of at bats this year. He's become a backup-caliber player, but he'll make $11 million next year.
Boston's also been done in by an almost comical amount of injuries to the pitching staff in particular. Seven pitchers currently have some kind of malady, including their first round pick this year, Joe Caulder. They're trying to make due with a 10-man staff, but it's produced a 5.96 ERA this month. Anonymous minor leaguer Michael Shawaryn will make the start, despite this season being the only one where a minor league stop resulted with an ERA under 4.49. He's walked nine batters in 13.1 innings so far, but he has just a 3.38 ERA.
If he can outduel Honeywell, he'll earn a lot of praise from me and his teammates.
Questions for the GM's:
For Stephen Strzepek, you took over a team with a scouting and development apparatus in shambles. How do you plan on restoring your minor league system?
Many of your better players are going to be 29-years-old this offseason. Will you use them to start a rebuild, or will you try to add around them?
Jose Ramirez has a bruised shoulder. Will you put him on the DL or see if he can gut through this?
For Graham Stratford, with a few relievers banged up, what, if any, roster moves will you make?
Andres Gimenez continues to struggle in August, while Willy Adames is on a tear. Will Adames get the start today?
Casey Gillaspie is having the best year of his career. How happy are you for him, considering he went from an All-Star to losing his job last season?
TRIVIA: Since 2018, how many qualified pitchers have produced an ERA under 4.00 for the Red Sox?
