Sox Close out Series for the Ages with Detroit Tigers

What a series. I have never seen a series where:

 

1) There were so many good hitters - who didn't hit

David Ortiz - a postseason monster, with a .900 OPS in the postseason - went 2 for 22, .090, in this series. Miggy Cabrera- the best hitter in baseball - ended up in the .250s, with 4 RBIs, but stranded about 10 runners. And Prince Fielder was a simply a mess this series. A talented player who normally strikes fear in the hearts of opposing pitchers, he was a non-factor. Pedroia did very little. Salty did nothing. I mean, for the Sox, Xander Boegarts, who apparently doesn't know how to swing at a bad pitch, was an offensive highlight reel for the Sox, with a couple of doubles and some enormous timely walks. Ridiculous at bats where he simply wore down the opposing pitcher. And he only played in half the games.

2) There were so many good pitchers- who lived up to their billing

Two games were decided 1-0. But more incredible was the number of strikes. Every pitcher was determined to get ahead in the count, from the starters to the relievers on both sides. I've never seen so many 0-2 counts in a series like this. It must have been what watching baseball was like in the 40's and 50's, before the concept of OBP and the modern bullpen. Guys on the hill saying, "here's my stuff, now go hit it". Not a single Detroit starter had a bad night. Only Peavy really had a bad start for the Sox in game four. That's one bad start out of 12. Really, that's not something I've ever seen, nor do I expect to see it again.

3) Mental Mistakes, Grace under Pressure, defined the winners and losers.

How many runs did the Tigers leave on the field last night? 3? 4? 5? A LOT. How many runs scored through bad defense on the Tigers side? 2? 3? I know for sure defensive miscues ran up Scherzer's pitch count. I know for sure Prince Fielder should have been the Tigers third run. What a screw up! The Tigers made some great plays, for sure, but the base running blunders in this series were staggering. The errors in the field that they made were at the worst time. And the few mistakes they made pitching the Red Sox made them pay, in monstrous ways. 2 Grand Slams in one series? After the 7 inning? Where one put away the game and the other changed the outcome? Unbelievable.

 

 

These teams were not evenly matched on paper. On paper, the Tigers had the edge. The margin in these games was so thin, that things like pressure plays and fundamentals ultimately decided the victor. It was fun, fun, fun to watch, and my only regret is that I didn't get to watch every single inning. I'm sure I won't see another series like that for a long time.

 

Bring on St. Louis! Grit meets Grit

Who is happier this morning than St. Louis fans? They've been itching to take the sting out of 2004, where the Sox swept them out the door like so much dust on a rug, every since. They had a very good team that year, but the Sox were a slugging freight train that would not be stopped. I still remember Manager LaRussa at the end of the series staring blankly into the TV cameras, wondering what happened to his team. Stunned that it had all ended so quickly, so decisively. Really, I felt bad for them that year. There was no way they had a chance.

 

But 2004 was a long time ago. (How long? Back before I was married and had three kids! Sheesh!). These teams have little in common with those teams. David Ortiz, for the Sox, and Yadier Molina, catcher for the Cardinals, I believe are the lone carryovers on both teams, and both are still cornerstones of offense for their franchises.

 

Everyone else, though, is different.

 

This series will also promises to be a lower scoring affair. St. Louis pitchers sported a 3.42 ERA, good for fifth in the NL, while Boston had similar success at 6th in the AL. Both bullpens have great stuff, so these games will likely be decided early, with plenty of drama in the late innings - but I would think few lead changes.

 

I would also think the nod would have to go to the Sox offense, which has, it seems to me, more of a track record of hitting and power.

 

I see signs the Sox are starting to hit again. Certainly, as good as the pitchers are in St. Louis, they do not have the standing that Verlander, Scherzer, and even Fister have. Nor are we talking about Price, Matt Moore and Alex Cobb. They are good pitchers, but probably not the same level as many of the guys the Sox have already faced.

 

It will be fun learning about these Cardinals, who lack star recognition, but in many ways so did the Sox at the start of the year. Grit and fundamentals got them where they are, and I'll be St. Louis is a very similar team. Should be a good show!