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Why the Red Sox Will Go As Far As the Pitching Will Take Them In 2018

There’s an old saying in baseball that a team will go as far as it’s pitching. This can be applied to the 2018 Red Sox. If David Price can resurrect and pitch like Davis Price then they should be ok. Also if the bullpen can be dependable then the team should qualify for the postseason. In this article,  we’ll discuss three areas which will determine the team success.

Why the Red Sox Will Go as Far As the  Pitching will take them in2018                                                                                                                                                                                                The Price Factor;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               If there’s any hope of postseason in2018 a lot hinges on the health of David Price.  Midway through last season Price came back and proved to be a very effective coming out of the bullpen. Regaining his old form could determine  who will win the AL East in 2018.  With managers cutting down on the starters innings, the team should be ok.                                                                                                       Coupled with a dependable bullpen the Sox should be serious contenders all season long.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            The Stanton Factor,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             This year’s free agency market saw a huge demand for relief pitchers. The Yankees however, snagged the biggest fish of anyone by signing Giancarlo Stanton.   Stanton and Aaron Judge could combine for over 100 homer uns. The Yankees are gambling heavily on power over pitching.                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Also, the Angels were active by signing Japanese phenom Shohei Otani  Both teams spent money on power rather than pitching.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Skillful Managing;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             With both teams having first _year managers a lot _depends on their decision making.  Like Alex Cora Yankee skipper Aaron Boone have no managerial experience. Both will be under heavy scrutiny if either one of the teams doesn’t perform.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 This season should be very interesting for both teams. Each is extremely talented .But with two rookie managers, the outcome may not only be determined by pitching or power but which manager makes the right decision.

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The NFL Dtaft 2018 Analyzing the Patriots Needs

Now that the Patriots have moved on after suffering a 41-33 loss to the Eagles it’s time to restructure through the draft. Currently, the Patriots have six picks whether Bill Belichick keeps his first_ round pick remains to be seen. In this post, we’ll analyze the Patriots needs.

  The Nfl Draft 2018 Analyzing the Patriots Needs

  Pass Rush,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             For those of us who witnessed the Eagles run wild against the defense .it’s safe to say the team lacks an effective pass rusher. Eagle running back LeGarrette Blount averaged 3.1 yards per carry   This is truly an embarrassing statistic whether it’s the Super Bowl or a regular season game.Some quality defensive tackles that may be available at 31 are Michigan’s, Maurice Hurst. Hurst had  56 tackles last year 12 which went for a loss An interesting prospect is RJ McIntosh of Miami Fla also could be available.He had 56 tackles to his credit 12 which were for a loss.  Mc Intosh was one of the best players in the country last year. Another name to keep an eye on is USC’s Rasheem Green. Green had 46 tackles last year and had an impressive 10 sacks.                                                                                                                                                    Pass Coverage;                                                                                                                                                                            Not only did the Eagles run all over the Patriots Foles had one of his best days as a pro by throwing for 300 yards. Even though cornerback Malcolm Butler was benched by Belichick moments before the game New England’s secondary was lost.  This year’s secondary class is deep with quality cornerbacks and safety’s.  Two names to keep an eye on are Pittsburgh’s Jordan Whitehead and Stanford’ s Justin Reid. Reid was one of the best safety’s in the country last year has he had 99 tackles and six interceptions.  Whitehead is one of the most physical defenders in the country who can also play receiver. Ronnie Harrison of Alabama could be a mid _round pick. Harrison had 70 tackles last year plus 2 sacks.
Offensive Line;

The Patriots suffered a huge loss in free agency with the loss of tackle Nate Solder signing with the Giants. With two second round picks look for the team to draft a tackle and a blocking tight end.  Brian Oniel of Pittsburgh is one of the best linemen in the draft who can also play tight end. Wisconsin’s Troy Fumagalli is one of the best blocking tight ends who could be available.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         As we have seen many times in the Belichick era, he has a history of trading his first pick for mid _round picks. This year may be no exception since the Patriots traded Jimmy Garoppolo in October.

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Bruins Hoping For Deep Playoff Run After A Flurry Of Activity

 With, fifteen games remaining the Bruins are hoping for a deep playoff run. At the trade deadline, the Bruins welcomed Brian Gionta, Nick Holden, Tommy Wingels, and Rick Nash. So far all four have contributed to Bruin victories.          Bruins Hope For Deep Playoff Run after A Flurry Of Activity                                                     Injury Woes;

The new faces could not have come at a better time as injuries continue to mount for the Bruins.  Injuries to Patrice Bergeron, David Backes, Charlie McAvoy,  and Brad Marchand have kept the Bruins at bay.  Out of the four McAvoy’s is the most serious. Despite injuries, the team has remained competitive trailing Tampa Bay with 98 points                                                                                                                                                        So far the moves are making General manager Don Sweeney look brilliant considering he didn’t have to give up that much.  This season is a big difference from last year has the Bruins made only one deal at the deadline That player turned out to be Drew Stafford who is no longer with the Bruins.
Solid Goaltending;                                                                                                                                                             Aside from getting quality play from the veterans the Rask is having one of his most clubs has gotten excellent goaltending from Tuukka Rask and Anton Khudobin. Rask is having one of his best years as a  Bruin with a 29-11-and a 2.31 Goals against. Backup Anton Khudobin is also contributing with a 15-5  record and a  2.48 Goals against average.
By resting Rask the Bruins have been one of the best teams in the NHL this season. The past two seasons Rask has been a victim of being overused. By the time playoff time comes around Rask has been burned out which results in an early Bruin exit from the playoffs.
           Playoff Experience;
With 94 points the Bruins should be in excellent shape for the playoffs. There are however two factors against the Bruins. One is getting to the Washington Capitals. Two is having Tuukka Rask getting some playoff series victories under his belt.   Since their last Stanley Cup in 2011 Rask has not won a playoff round. Hopefully, if McAvoy can return healthy, the results may be different this year.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Head coach Bruce Cassidy has the Bruins believing in themselves.  Since the trade deadline, the team has gone 7-1. If the Bruins expect to get by Washington then it will have to be a total team effort. Playing smart and not getting foolish penalties is just one area it takes to beat the Capitals.   The other area is playing good in transition. Beating the Capitals will be no easy task but keeping Rak rested maybe the Bruins best strategy.
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Strong Minor League System Makes The Astros The Team To Beat For Year’s To Come

With the 2018 MLB  spring training officially underway. since coming off their first world series in club history the Astros are a club well stocked for the future. In this post, we’ll cover the Astros as a whole and minor league system.                                                                                                                                                                                Strong Management;                                                                                           Team manager AJ Hich guided the Astros first world series title ever. Hinch has still basically the same team as last year look for the Astros to return to the 2018 World Series.  General manager Jeff Luhnow should get the executive of the year award. Luhnow pulled off on the slickest moves ever last year by prying away Tiger ace Justin Verlander. Verlander was the main force in last year’s postseason run to the World Series. Verlander, Colin McHugh, and Dallas Kuehle.                                                                                                                                                                              Minor League System; Currently, the Astros rank second behind the Atlanta Braves.and the New York Yankees third. According to Baseball America, the Astros have ten players in the top 100. Youngsters Frances Marte, David Paulino, AJ REED and Franklin Perez, are all grade A  prospect. By being a grade A prospect that usually means that the player depending on injuries has a good chance of being a  star player. This means that if other teams are sellers at the trade deadline, the Astros have a considerable amount of bargaining chips.

Strong Nucleus; The nucleus of Alex Bregman, Jose Altuve, George Springer, and Carlos Correa remains intact for many years to come. During the offseason, the Astros added relievers Joe Smith and Hector Rondon to bolster the relieving group. Every team in any sport has to battle injuries, with a deep minor league system there no reason that the Astros shouldn’t repeat as world champions in 2018.                                                                                                                                                                              For year’s Houston fans have not much to cheer about as the Astros were constant cellar dwellers. Other than Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell Houston was a team struggling just to get out of the gate. With the tragedy of hurricane, Harvey  Astro fans now have a team they can be proud of