http://boston.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2015/04/27/crossing-the-first-hurdle-playoff-chances-after-20-games/ Bringing BP-quality analysis to Boston Mon, 20 Aug 2018 04:19:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1 http://boston.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2015/04/27/crossing-the-first-hurdle-playoff-chances-after-20-games/#comment-125 Mon, 27 Apr 2015 23:46:52 +0000 http://boston.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=424#comment-125 […] A friend texted me this morning. He told me two things: “1) I am taking a coffee pod so I can have some morning java & 2) the Red Sox starting rotation is horrible.” One of these prematurely got my hackles up, as though I needed to defend my honor, and let’s be clear: I don’t feel that strongly about my coffee pods. But how can I disagree? The Red Sox starting rotation is, in a word, really ugly. Basically, the SPs aren’t giving the Sox enough innings. No one is [yet] asking for 7-8 innings. How about a quality 5 and 2/3? Or a quality 5 and 1/3? But no, the Sox do things like send Wade Miley and their bullpen out to get shelled [18-7] by the Baltimore, Oriels. I am just hoping that this loss does not portend something larger than what we all already know: the starting rotation is not nearly strong enough to produce all season or to get us *into*—let alone deep into—the playoffs. And the offense? They’re are not firing on all cylinders or clicking in a way that exploits the strength of every hitter in that line-up. It is a frustrating start to the season, but there is always this positivity—claiming the Sox still have a hope once they pass their 10th win in the first 20 g…. […]

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