sosh wanted to add to his pedigree as a “genius” and didn’t trust Aybar to hit the flyball. Two words Mike: Gene Mauch.

And Aybar wasn’t gonna strike out or anything, not the way that Masterson was pitching. Take your chances and let him take a rip, even a bleeder through the infield would work. It was so painfully obvious that Varitek was trying to protect against the squeeze by pitching Aybar inside.

It’s guessing. Guessing the next pitch is even bunt-able. Then executing. On one hopefully hittable pitch. Ball in the dirt, Pitch-out, runner is screwed.

Playing your ASS off all game and then leaving so much to chance. Taking all choice out of it.

I myself thought that they were going to walk Aybar to put the DP in order. My buddy thought it would be an intentional unitentional walk and thats exactly what it was. The bunt was made much more difficult because the Sox read it all the way and pitched around it. At the very least, on an 2-0 count, you let Aybar swing away to at least put some doubt in their minds.

Any advance scout can do a good just against the Angels because stubborn is the Soth’s middle name. At least he finally got GMJ out of the lineup, only took him the last game of the year to do that against lefties. GMJ should have never started this series, and Mathis starting makes Soth look like an undeniable moron.

I’m done.

M’s fans generally dislike both the Angels and the Red Sox, so I think I can be objective.

I think the squeeze was a good call. Aybar had 12 bunt singles during the season, so you know he’s a good bunter, and he’s not a very good hitter otherwise, so it’s not like letting him swing is a good option generally. The success or failure of a suicide squeeze rests entirely on whether you get that bunt down, and against a good fastball pitcher it was almost certainly your best shot at scoring there.

Scoscia made, I think, a good decision. It just didn’t work out. Some good decisions don’t.

I know HH is usually all about results-based analysis, but in this case look at Scoscia’s options. Letting Aybar swing produces predictable results, and they’re not good. He had a vastly better chance of getting that bunt down than hitting a single.

Lookout Landing has you covered.

cause I thought it was a great call! Everything up to that point was executed perfectly. Morales’ double, Willits pinch running. Howie’s sac bunt.

Aybar missed the bunt, that’s all there is to it. He’s the best bunter on the team, by the way. Who cares if Varitek saw it. It was the perfect situation to do it. 2-0 count. Delcarmen has to come in the zone with it. Aybar just missed the bunt. Honestly, I thought it was a good call. Willits did everything right, Aybar barely missed the bunt. That’s all.

just put the ball in play, with the infield in. I think the odds swing in the batter’s favor, unless you’re a big strike out guy

Stealing bases or putting a ball in play require the other team to execute and there’s probability they don’t.

Pressure is a great point. It put 99% of the pressure on the batter. Make the pitcher execute under pressure. Make the fielders execute under pressure. That’s Angel’s baseball.

When Frankie blows a save (e.g., JD Drew homer), I get over it because it’s our best shot and he’s competing, forcing their batter to perform under pressure to beat him. If he does, tip your hat.

I’m so pissed because I feel cheated. Soch let Boston of the hook.