Rotation Changes Coming for the Sox?

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The Red Sox starting rotation exceeded expectations in the first month. The staff posted a 3.34 combined ERA, which ranks fifth in the MLB. Porcello leads the team in ERA, Sale leads the team in strikeouts, and Price has had his best start in Boston. However, Eduardo Rodriguez and Drew Pomeranz have both struggled mightily in their returns.

Drew Pomeranz

Pomeranz has only made two starts, and he usually takes time to get into his rhythm. In April, he posts a 4.09 ERA, but in August, he posts a 2.92 ERA. Pomeranz was the second best starter on the team last year, so things would have to get very ugly for him to be moved to the bullpen. However, if he does not rebound eventually, Cora will have no choice but to explore other options. I think he will figure it out because he usually does, but there is still no guarantee.

BOSTON, MA – JULY 19: Drew Pomeranz #31 of the Boston Red Sox high fives teammates in the dugout after being relieved during the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park on July 19, 2017, in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Eduardo Rodriguez

Rodriguez has more of a sample size than Pomeranz, starting five games with a 4.78 ERA. He is considered to have lots of “potential”, but he has not lived up to it so far. The best ERA he posted with the Sox was 3.85 in 2015, and his ERA has been in the 4’s after 2015. He has also missed substantial time due to injury, including the first few weeks of this season. With his inconsistent play and injury risk, it might be time for Alex Cora to make a change in the rotation.

But who would they replace him in the rotation with?

Hector Velazquez

Valazquez put up a 2.25 ERA during his five-year stint in the Mexican league. He got his first major big league opportunity and has not disappointed thus far. The right-hander has a 4-0 record this year, including two starts. He also has been effective as an innings eater. On Friday, he threw for 3.1 innings, giving up no runs, which gave the Sox a chance to win. On Monday, he threw two innings, giving up zero runs, which was a big reason why the Sox won. Want to know who started those games that Velazquez bailed them out in? Drew Pomeranz and Eduardo Rodriguez. Interesting.

Will Alex Cora Do It?

After Friday’s game, the first year skipper was asked if he was considering a change in the rotation. He replied with a simple “no”. I get why, and I agree with his reasoning. Pomeranz and Rodriguez have not made many starts, so they do deserve time to rebound. Also, there is no guarantee that Velazquez keeps up the pace he is on. More scouting will come out on him, and he could cool down. I do not think a change should be made now, but it is something that Alex Cora should have on his mind for the future. I would put a deadline on June first for Rodriguez. If he still has a poor ERA, and Velazquez still has an outstanding ERA, then why not make the change?

Red Sox – April in Review

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It was a fun month to be a Red Sox fan. It’s only April, but our 2018 Boston Red Sox are already in the record books. In the month, the Sox went 19-6, which is a new franchise record. The public criticized the Red Sox for their lack of changes in the offseason, but one would like to believe that they silenced those critics. Let’s go in-depth on the 2018 Red Sox’s performance.

Alex Cora

Image result for alex cora

Photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images

Alex Cora went into this season as a rookie manager, and no one knew what to expect of him. Many of his decisions heading into the beginning of the season were controversial, but these decisions have paid off so far. Cora has done a tremendous job of making his mistakes public, and admitting when the team is not meeting his standards. On April 8, after a game they came back to win after being down 7-2 in the eighth inning against they Rays, he admitted to forgetting to bring in Jackie Bradley Jr. as a defensive replacement. It is not just criticisms from Cora, for he also gives his players their due. After a four hit game on April 29, Alex Cora said about J.D. Martinez, “We didn’t only get a slugger, but we got one of the best hitters in the big leagues”.

Offense

The Red Sox played extremely well this month, scoring 151 runs in April, which leads the majors. The Sox also lead the majors in batting average as a team (.278), team hits (248), team slugging percentage (.457), and team OPS (.802) in April. They are also second in the majors in slugging percentage (.451) and OPS (.790) as a team. They averaged 6.04 runs per game in April, which is remarkable. From April 7 to April 14, The Red Sox didn’t score under six runs in any game. This offense also hit the long ball. The Red Sox hit six grand slams as a team before May 1, tying a record set by the 1996 Montreal Expos. The Sox were not able to hit one grand slam in all of 2017, so that is a big improvement.

Pitching

Our pitching also excelled in the first full month of the season. The Red Sox are second in the American League in team ERA (3.40) and are fourth in the league in team batting average against (1.16). The starting pitching has gone deep in to games, and has been able to give the bullpen leads late in the game. This has paid dividends. The rotation should be getting back 2016 All Star knuckle-baller Steven Wright, and the bullpen should be getting back Tyler Thornburg this month. This should mean that our pitching is only going to get better in the coming weeks.

Best Players in April

  • Mookie Betts – lead the majors in batting average (.367), runs (29), slugging percentage (.797), and OPS (1.255) in April.
  • Xander Bogaerts – although he missed time in April, he still hit .333/.357/.564/.921 in 39 at-bats, all while hitting 2 grand slams.
  • JD Martinez & Hanley Ramirez – they have made for a great middle of the lineup, driving in 39 runs combined of the team’s 151 runs in April.
  • Hector Velazquez – this is a surprise, but he was under-the-radar good in April. He posted a 2.05 ERA in 22.0 innings pitching in 2 starts and 5 relief appearances.
  • Rick Porcello – he was excellent in April, going 3-0 with a 2.31 ERA in 35.0 innings pitched.
  • Joe Kelly – he did not give up a run in 11.1 innings pitched in 10 relief appearances in April.

The Lee Nguyen Trade Is Perfect for the Revs

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At 12:08 AM on Wednesday morning, many fans in New England laid fast asleep. Many were unaware of the brewing deal concocted by Mike Burns and the Revolution’s front office. The Revs came out and stunned fans when they announced that Midfielder Lee Nguyen had been traded to LAFC for up to $950,000 in allocation money. While officially the deal went through at 11:59 PM on Tuesday, the deal wasn’t announced until Wednesday morning.

Lee Is Better Gone Than Here

Lee was very clear that he did not want to be here. It was also clear a lot of Revs fans didn’t want him here either. Head Coach Brad Freidel made it clear that he wasn’t going to be playing either after he left him out of the 18 for the first eight games of the season. Brad gave the excuse that Lee wasn’t good enough, which fans quickly pointed out was most likely a lie. If that wasn’t a giveaway that he wasn’t going to be playing here, find me a better example.

Along with the fact that Lee didn’t want to be here, it became apparent quickly that the Revs didn’t need him. Standing at fourth in the East, sixth in the MLS, you couldn’t ask for too much better of a start. With the addition of Cristian Penilla and the development of Diego into the 10, there wasn’t any need for Lee. Essentially, Lee has just been a $500,000 salary being wasted.

Why Is This Trade so Good for the Revs?

With Lee gone, the Revs have accomplished three things. They have freed up $500,000 in salary cap, and have gotten rid of any bad chemistry still in the locker room. Finally, and most importantly, The Revs now have $700,000 in allocation to spend this summer. To summarize, the Revs got rid of an asset they weren’t using and didn’t seem to be using anytime soon. In the process, they also cleared salary cap and got free money in return. Also, now that they have freed up cap space, they can really get out there and make a splash on a summer signing.

The icing on the cake is that the Revs managed to send Lee to a Western Conference team. Revs fans were not shy to express their disappointment if the front office did in fact trade Lee to Eastern Conference team where they would have to fight for a playoff spot.

The Revs Fallout?

The best part of this is the Revs will receive almost no fallout from this trade. The little backlash they could get is what separates this trade from perfection, and a great trade. While the cap space freed up is great, and the money received is great, there’s one little problem. The Revs play LAFC on the road later this year on September 15th. As we learned last year, every point counts in MLS. A game coming so late in the season could be a momentum changer.

There is hope though, as five out of the six games after playing LAFC are against Eastern Conference teams. That would give the Revs multiple chances to win six point games regardless of the result in LA. Then, there is the idea of “what if”. What if the Revs find themselves in the MLS Cup Final going head to head with LAFC. The idea is not out of this world as both teams are showing strong candidacies for playoff contention so far in 2018. Overall, this really is a GREAT trade for the Revs.

Nov 29, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Revolution midfielder Lee Nguyen (24) runs with the Eastern Conference Championship Trophy. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

 

Transaction

According to the Revolution, they will receive $700,000 in allocation money which could go up to $950,000 based on compensation yet to be determined. The Revolution also could receive LAFC’s natural 1st round pick in either the 2019 or 2020 MLS SuperDraft.

Red Sox – Royals Series Recap

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Monday- The Royals fall to the Sox in Game 1

In their 21st win of the season, the Red Sox won 10-6 over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night. Xander Bogaerts hit his second grand slam of the season, and sixth for the team. Mitch Moreland hit a solo home run, going three for four with a homer, a double, three runs, and two RBIs. Andrew Benintendi hit a sacrifice fly into center field to drive in Jackie Bradley Jr. in the bottom of the fourth. Eduardo Rodriguez didn’t have a fantastic start as he pitched five hits, five runs, three walks, and striking out only six in the Royals lineup. Hector Velazquez hit the pitcher’s mound after Rodriguez and only allowed one hit. Mookie Betts was still not present in the lineup, but Cora said that he should be playing tomorrow.

“He’s been pretty amazing for us all year, obviously with the injury, not knowing what to expect coming back, but he’s picked right up where he left off… it was a nice night”. Said Moreland on Bogaerts performance

“I didn’t hit a grand slam in my career, so it’s not because of me”, said Alex Cora on the 6 grand slams hit since he became manager

Tuesday- Sox Fall on Sale day

The Red Sox fell to the Royals 7-6 on Tuesday night. Eduardo Nuñez homered in the 12th inning to tie the game. Royals reliever Kevin McCarthy pitched three scoreless innings to allow the Royals to gain control. A wild pitch in the seventh allowed Benintendi to run home and lead for a portion of the game. Tuesday night’s game was only Benintendi’s second time batting lead off in his career, as Mookie was still on the bench. Sale added another loss after pitching seven innings, allowing two runs, two walks, and only six strikeouts. Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning and allowed the Sox to keep the 3-2 lead. Ultimately, the Royals won the 13th inning game. Tomorrow Drew Pomeranz will pitch for the second time this season at Fenway against Kansas City’s Danny Duffy.

Wednesday- Sox take the Series against Royals

With it being nearly 90 degrees in the city, it felt like a typical summer baseball game. Mookie Betts again proved why he’s the lead-off man for the Sox. Betts surpassed Ted Williams to hit the most three home run games in franchise history. The Gatorade shower made an appearance, and Mookie definitely deserved the spotlight. The Sox beat out Kansas 5-4 to take the series. J.D. Martinez also hit a two run homer to tie the game in the third. Drew Pomeranz picked up his first win of the season. He is showing improved velocity and an improved curveball since his time on the disabled list. Joe Kelly also returned from his six game suspension from the bench clearing brawl against the Yankees. He pitched a scoreless seventh inning to show that his time off did no harm.

“It was pretty cool, I’m just trying to shut them down long enough to let Mookie get at-bats. When he gets hot like that, we’re all cheering for more at-bats for him. They keep throwing him pitches, but he keeps sitting on everything they throw him. It’s pretty awesome to watch.”-Drew Pomeranz on Mookies performance

Sources

Red Sox Twitter

MLB.com

Celtics vs Sixers: The Rivalry Renewed

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photo cred- phillyvoice.com

 

Celtics vs. Sixers: NBA Playoffs Round 2

In every sport there are rivalries that always have fans hooked to the TV. In the NBA, one of those rivalries have come back to life after the 76ers turned themselves, along with the C’s, into one of the better young teams in the NBA. After years of tanking and being the laughing-stock of the league, the Sixers are FINALLY back to being a top-tier team. This renewed rivalry with the Celtics is great for the NBA and its fans.

This will be the 20th playoff match-up between the two teams. The Celtics have gotten the better of these match-ups throughout their rivalry, with a 54-46 record in the postseason. This rivalry goes back to the days of Bill and Wilt, Larry and Dr. J, and now our young guns vs. their young guns. With guys like Simmons, Embiid, Saric, Tatum, Brown, Rozier, and veterans like Horford and Reddick, this series has ALL the makings of an INSTANT CLASSIC. Let’s not forget that the C’s are on this playoff run with All-Star players out of the lineup (Kyrie and Hayward) and with a banged up Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown.

NBA FANS GET YOUR DINNER TRAYS READY, TAKE THE FOOD OUT OF THE OVEN AND FIND A SEAT IN THE LIVING ROOM… THIS SERIES IS GOING TO BE INCREDIBLE!

GAME 1 WRAP-UP

photo cred- www.sbnation.com

The Celtics took Game 1 at The Garden 117-101, which saw three Celtics players with 20+ points. Terry Rozier was absolutely on FIRE after continuing his dominant play at home, shooting a CRAZY 7/9 from three point land. Al Horford posted a solid line of 26/7/4, while Tatum contributed 28/3/2. Tatum did not show signs of being a rookie at all (as mentioned by C’s great Kevin McHale). There were contributions all around in this game both on offense and defense, and the Celtics bench outplayed the Sixers bench. Overall, we basically ran them out of the gym all while missing TWO SUPERSTARS!

Game 1 was neck and neck for a while, with the Celtics losing some double-digit leads but ultimately got it together. Trust me, I have my doubts with this series because of the talent the Sixers have compared to the injuries Boston has. But after last night I am convinced we can STEAL this series. However, it’s going to take ONE thing: WINNING ON THE ROAD, which the Celtics have failed to do so far in this postseason.

Predictions & X-Factors

Celtics fans have to be happy with getting an early jump on this young, athletic, and talented Sixers team. Although we are missing key players due to injuries, I believe we match-up better in this series with their starting five and bench than we did last series having to deal with Giannis and Middleton.

The X-factors in this series are multiple guys who will need to help this team win. In my opinion, the Celtics need Rozier, Horford, Smart, Tatum, and Brown to continue playing well at home and on the road. The bench production will be hot and cold for both teams. But, ultimately it will come down to how the starters play both at home and on the road. Plus they need to make sure the defense contains Ben Simmons and J.J. Reddick because let’s face it, Joel Embiid is going to do WORK!

I love the way this team is playing now with young guys firing on all cylinders. There is one guy I think that should get more playing time against Embiid, and that’s Greg Monroe. Monroe hasn’t played since early in the Bucks series. I think he can be a huge compliment to Baynes and Horford when it comes to an inside presence. However, like the old saying goes, “If it aint broke, don’t fix it”. Another X-factor for me will be the atmosphere inside the Garden, which was electric last night. The fans always seem to pump this team up, and last night they hit Ben Simmons with a “Not A Rookie” chant, which was an absolute classic!

Series Prediction

My prediction for this series is the Celtics FINALLY get a road win and they take the series in 6 games, moving on to the Eastern Conference Finals where they will meet LeBron James and the streaky Cleveland Cavaliers. Yes, I get it, the Cavs aren’t what they use to be, but they still have LBJ and Kevin Love mixed with championship experience that I think will get them by the Toronto Raptors.

Judging by the picture below of the Sixers bench completely leaving the court with 10.5 seconds still remaining. It seems that Scary Terry did his job and had them retreating to the locker room in FEAR.

LETS GO CELTICSSSS!!!!

Tom Brady Respects Belichick but Feels Unappreciated

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Everyday Is Something with the Patriots

The Patriots seem to still be making headlines because of their drama. The latest flame in the fire comes from Tom Brady. Brady did an interview with Jim Gray at the Milken Institute Global Conference and was asked about if he felt appreciated by the Patriots. Brady swiftly answered with, “I plead the fifth”. Second, he was asked about the Super Bowl loss his response was “last year sucked”. I can’t really he blame him there because they could’ve won had Belichick put in the one guy on defense that could’ve turned the game around. Instead, he put it all on Tom and the offense.

Tom Brady Is the Leader of the Pack

The plead the fifth comment though was uncalled for. There is really something going on, because Tom isn’t the only one speaking this way about Belichick. My question is what happened to the Patriot Way? It used to be everything was kept in the locker room and nothing got out. The players were coached to tell the media little as possible. That ship seems to have sailed, and it looks like Tom Brady is the leader of the pack. Brady got his way when Garoppolo was traded, but that’s still not enough. He wants Alex Guerrero in the locker room too. For Brady to feel unappreciated and tell Jim Gray he pleads the fifth is a complete diva and selfish move.

Tom Brady has five heads. I believe Tom Brady is bigger than Belichick when it comes to Robert Kraft. It’s like when a kid goes to the parent that lets them do what they want. Then the other parent gets mad because the nicer one lets the kid go out. Which is what Brady did to Kraft about Brady telling Kraft to make Belichick trade Garoppolo.

Belichick then said Guerrero couldn’t be in the locker room as punishment. Now, Brady is getting his own teammates current and former on his side. At the end of the day, he knows he’s bigger than the team and he’ll say and do whatever he wants. He doesn’t care what Belichick has to say. If I’m Belichick I’d leave after this season, which is what I continue to believe is happening.

Brady Talks About His Relationship With Bill Belichick

At the end of the day, Tom Brady respects Belichick as a coach. His quote to Jim Gray yesterday about his relationship with Belichick was,”He’s very respectful to me, We’ve had a great relationship. A very respectful relationship for a long time and I feel like he’s the best coach in the history of the NFL.”

Brady went on to say “He would say, ‘look, I’m not the easiest coach to play for’ and I agree, he’s not the easiest coach to play for, but he’s the best for me. I think what he’s proven is that whatever talent that he has he maximizes talent. I mean what more can you ask of a coach than that? That what I want as a player. Belichick is an incredible coach. He’s been an incredible mentor for me. He’s taught me so much football Like I said, being a 22-year old kid to come and learn from him, I mean I wouldn’t be sitting here without his coaching.”  However, all of his loyalty is to Robert Kraft. If he really felt appreciated he wouldn’t have pleaded the fifth when asked.

Cavs Solve Problem

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The problem is that it is almost too good. SBG Global Sportsbook agrees there has been a misconception since James returned to the Cavaliers in 2014 that their greatest issue was building a defense. While that was, and remains, a major issue, a far greater one has plagued them in the postseason.

In 2014-15, the Cavs had a net rating of +9.8 with James on the court and -6.9 when he was off of it. In 2015-16, it rose to +11 with him on the court and -5.4 with him off of it.

On paper, the Kyrie Irving trade seemed likely to aggravate this problem. Remove the best scorer from a team that was missing ball-handling beyond James and they had no obvious means of scoring. But a funny thing happened when the season began. The bench ended up carrying the Cavs.

Is that a model that can win a championship? Perhaps not. The sample is so insignificant that it’s hardly sustainable anyway. But it has become apparent that James can’t rely on his teammates for much support when he’s playing. If he can’t rely on them to steal a few minutes of rest per playoff game, they aren’t going to last much longer. James has always done his job. It’s time for the rest of the team to follow.

By N.Cermak

Shaquem Griffin’s NFL Origins

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The stage was set; the crowd had been alerted of his impending arrival; boxes of Seahawks hats were waiting for him and his family members, Backed up on by he’d brought with him for the biggest weekend of his life. There was one last reminder, from one NFL staffer: “Make sure his brother is right next to him.” According to BetNow sportsbook

Shaquem and his twin brother, Shaquill, were born back to back in June 1995. They chose to attend the University of Central Florida because it met the most important criteria—the football team wanted both brothers. Always they were as, Shaquill says, a package deal.

One year earlier, Shaquill, had been drafted by the Seahawks with the 90th pick, in the third round. The 2017 season was the first one they had spent apart, Shaquill starting 11 games for the Seahawks. Living miles away from one another prepared them for what they thought was the inevitability of playing on different NFL teams.

“I continued to tell him,” Shaquil said, “it was a one percent chance that this could actually happen.”

Soon his music began playing—Drake’s “Do Not Disturb”—and it was time for Shaquem Griffin to take his much-awaited walk across the stage in front of a roaring crowd. He took a deep breath, patted his heart and looked over at his brother, who was standing right next to him.

Family, friends, and Seattle fans are looking forward to the 2018 NFL Season.

By N. Cermak

J.D. Martinez Is Proving His Worth

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The city of Boston is all too familiar with big name players failing to meet expectations. Just look at guys like Daisuke, Pablo Sandoval, or Carl Crawford to name a few. The pressure of playing in Boston isn’t for everyone, but J.D. Martinez is looking good.

 

AN OFFENSIVE DYNAMO

Manager Alex Cora has slotted Martinez in the clean-up spot all season, and it seems to be paying off. His 32 hits through 97 at-bats accumulates to a .330 average, which is good for fourth on the team. Martinez is also leading the Sox with 22 RBI’s. This puts him on pace for 143 by the end of the season.  He won’t keep this rate up, but it’s exactly what you want to see out of your cleanup hitter.

He’s been driving in runs, but power is his biggest asset.  Martinez is second on the team with five home runs, but it’s only April.  He’s a righty at the plate and he’ll send plenty of balls over the Green monster as the season progresses.  He’s coming off a career high 45 home run season, and should be able to take full advantage of Fenway Park.  This is an area where the Red Sox desperately need help, finishing 27th in the league last season.

Martinez also puts up consistent batting averages.  He’s hit over .300 in each of the last two seasons and three times in his seven-year career.  Eduardo Nunez was the team’s only .300 hitter in 2017, so Martinez will add some depth on that front as well.

MARTINEZ IS FILLING THE VOID

There will be high expectations during his first year in Boston, but so far J.D. is living up to the hype.  He’s a solid all-around hitter and will fill plenty of gaps in the Red Sox lineup.  It looks like this might be a golden acquisition for the Sox.

The New England Bulldogs?

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In the first round of the 2018 NFL draft, the Patriots selected two Georgia players: LT Isaiah Wynn and RB Sony Michel – both filling a need of those departed in free agency. Wynn, although undersized, was a dominating pass protector for the Bulldogs in a division filled with elite pass rushers. Michel was electric on the field for Georgia, averaging 7.9 yards per carry and has even received comparisons to Alvin Kamara.

Image result for sony michel and isaiah wynn

Photo Credit: Boston Herald

The chemistry between these players will be amazing. Michel and Wynn have known each other since high school and were roommates in college. They are both thrilled to start their career together. When they entered Foxborough, the pair had heard from the Georgia alumni. “David Andrews shot me a text this morning,” Michel said. “Ran into Malcolm just a while ago and it was just great to know Georgia players are back together…”

The Patriots’ Affinity for Georgia Players

Past Bulldogs, such as Malcolm Mitchell and David Andrews, have strived in the Patriots’ system. Mitchell was a fourth-round pick who was a key part of New England’s 2016 Super Bowl win. Andrews went undrafted and worked his way into a starting role in 2015. One other note of importance is that Patriots’ legend Richard Seymour, was also a Bulldog.

Georgia’s Response to the Draft

On Twitter, the Georgia Bulldogs, apart from congratulating their players, posted this in response to the Patriots’ first-round selections:

 

It seems that Gillette Stadium has just been a second home for former Bulldogs.