Let’s see more of THIS Buchholz in 2015!

AP Photo – Chris O’Meara 

One of the big reasons why the Red Sox were awful in 2012, World Champions in 2013 and lousy in 2014 was the pitching. Anyone could see that if they were not distracted by Bobby Valentine and beards and Boston Strong.

For that matter, that caused the collapse of 2011 as well.

And the ups and downs are personified by Clay Buchholz.

Good Buchholz = Good Red Sox.

Crappy Buchholz… well you get the idea.

Buchholz was an All Star with a 12-1 record and a 1.74 ERA in 2013.

This year, he has been grotesque. After another bad start against the Yankees on August 3, his ERA reached 6.20.

But have you noticed something? GOOD Buchholz is making his presence known. 4 of his last 5 starts, he has gone 7 or more innings, giving up 3 or fewer runs. In his last start he took a shutout into the 9th before Koji blew the lead.

Today? No need for the bullpen. He went all 9, letting up no runs, no walks and just 3 hits. And the kids Christian Vazquez, Xander Bogaert and Mookie Betts all contributed to their 3 runs and the nominal defending champs won 3-0 in Tampa Bay.

Is there hope for 2014? No way and Buchholz’s ERA will never be lowered to “good.” Even with the current positive streak, it sits at 5.40.

But is this a preview for 2015?

Let’s hope so.

Meanwhile the A’s got battered in Anaheim and the Giants crushed Brewers hopes.

Time to update the Dodged Bullet/Teeth Grinder tally.

An explanation of what this is all about can be found HERE.

 

A’S DODGED BULLET – TEETH GRINDER Tally

49 Dodged Bullets 45 Teeth Grinders

TOTAL: +4

 

GIANTS DODGED BULLET – TEETH GRINDER Tally

50 Dodged Bullets 46 Teeth Grinders

TOTAL: +4

 

 

RED SOX DODGED BULLET – TEETH GRINDER Tally

Clay Buchholz wins a pitchers duel with Alex Cobb and completed a 3 hit shutout for a 3-0 win for the Red Sox in Tampa Bay. DODGED BULLET

Dodged Bullets 58 Teeth Grinders 70

TOTAL: -12

 

Giants finish a suspended game with Rockies tomorrow and the A’s mercifully get out of Anaheim. September baseball is starting. It is getting real.

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – August 31, 2014

AP Photo

It is Sunday… time for The Sunday Request.

@sullybaseball how’s it possible only 13,000 fans saw Butlers walk off HR and in Baltimore and Seattle the stadium wasn’t even half full?

— Tim Floor (@Tim_DutchSoxFan) August 27, 2014

Is it out of line to call out the bad attendance in Kansas City?
Or is this the result of decades of seeing a bad product.

Breaking down team loyalty in this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

Scott Feldman, Jake Peavy, Matt Holliday, Jimmy Paredes, Vidal Nuno, Victor Martinez, Jeff Samardzija and Jason Heyward all added to their totals for Who Owns Baseball?

21 is good for Black Jack… bad for scoreless inning streaks

Stephen Dunn – Getty Images

Seriously, all the talk of the A’s lineup being messed up after dealing away Yoenis Cespedes is starting to get some traction.

Being shutout for 21 straight innings makes that happen. It is one thing for a solid pitcher like Jered Weaver to do it. It is another for a parade of relievers, including one pitcher who had been out of the majors since 2008, to render the bats worthless.

Jeff Samardzija must be thinking “If I wanted to throw a complete game loss with no run support, I’d have stayed in Chicago.”

Meanwhile the A’s were 4 games up on the Angels 20 days ago.

They were tied with the Angels a week ago.

Now they are 4 games back. The Giants are closer to the Dodgers than the A’s are to the Angels. And if they want to add an emergency bat, they’ll have to do it today.

Try scoring a run.

Just one.

And with the bases loaded and nobody out, don’t hit into a double play.

Just a thought.

Time to update the Dodged Bullet/Teeth Grinder tally.

An explanation of what this is all about can be found HERE.

 

A’S DODGED BULLET – TEETH GRINDER Tally

A parade of anonymous pitchers kept the A’s from scoring and spoiled a solid Jeff Samardzjia start as the Angels won 2-0. TEETH GRINDER

49 Dodged Bullets 45 Teeth Grinders

TOTAL: +4

 

GIANTS DODGED BULLET – TEETH GRINDER Tally

Jake Peavy took a no hitter into the 8th and the Giants continued to beat first place Milwaukee, this time 3-1. DODGED BULLET

50 Dodged Bullets 46 Teeth Grinders

TOTAL: +4

 

 

RED SOX DODGED BULLET – TEETH GRINDER Tally

 

Dodged Bullets 57 Teeth Grinders 70

TOTAL: -13

 

This tally includes the A’s teeth grinder from Friday