5/20 @ Toronto

[moonslav59]

Yup. Suddenly the knuckle curve just wouldn't stay in the zone.

 

I wanna poster of Vaz's finger. Forget the 2 three-run dingers.

 

Play of the day: Vaz calls first pitch right in his career!

[iortiz]

The highlight of the game was Vaz putting one finger down on that last pitch call.

 

Yeah! It’s called confidence!

[iortiz]

Compadre, I need your opinions regarding this team. I feel confident but you know way better than me. Edited May 21, 2021 by iortiz

[Maxbialystock]

I feel ya. All I’m saying we should believe them a little bit more. We have a very good competitive team regardless how this ends up.

 

Great win!

 

Are you kidding? It's been a great team so far and a great season. And I do not allow myself to forget that the Sox play in the toughest division in MLB with the best overall W-L record.

 

Nothing is easy.

[moonslav59]

@ the Phillies tomorrow night. JDM in LF. Cora gets to pick between Eovaldi and Perez.

 

I think we face Velazquez- a righty, so Renfroe should not start.

 

Maybe Kike in CF and Marwin at 2B? I might keep Chavis in the line-up. He's over .800, now, and hungry for a ML job.

[Larry Cook]

Good news today: we showed incredible heart and Martinez was clutch!

 

Bad news today: the defense is getting scary!

[moonslav59]

Compadre, I need your opinions regarding this team. I feel confident but you know way better than me.

 

This team looks magical. No doubt.

 

It's renewing my belief that Cora is the best manager in Sox history.

 

I'm very optimistic, but there's no denying we have some serious weaknesses, but as I said at the start of the season, so does everyone else.

 

If our 3-4-5 starters keep going strong, there's no doubt, we have a legit shot.

 

[moonslav59]

Good news today: we showed incredible heart and Martinez was clutch!

 

Bad news today: the defense is getting scary!

 

It's always been scary. We just hide it better, some nights.

[d-money]

I should stay away from this board. Everytime I leave they win. LMAO. Great win!!!!!! Need the starting pitching to right itself out.

[iortiz]

Are you kidding? It's been a great team so far and a great season. And I do not allow myself to forget that the Sox play in the toughest division in MLB with the best overall W-L record.

 

Nothing is easy.

 

Well said. We play in toughest division in baseball and we have lead it since April.

 

Nobody gave a damn cent for this team entering the season, and guess what? This team could be even (realistically) better when our guys from minors and Sale come up.

 

Said that, keep enjoying the ride Max. Good night.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

I'll be watching the BRUINS live tomorrow night and DVR'ing the SOX, so VAZ's only defender on this thread will be MIA. Btw, VAZ has a signal he'd like to send to all of yous; it's one finger raised skyward, the middle finger. That's the signal for a high, inside fastball.

[iortiz]

This team looks magical. No doubt.

 

It's renewing my belief that Cora is the best manager in Sox history.

 

I'm very optimistic, but there's no denying we have some serious weaknesses, but as I said at the start of the season, so does everyone else.

 

If our 3-4-5 starters keep going strong, there's no doubt, we have a legit shot.

 

I was in a dinner tonight and couldn’t catch up the game until the 8th inning when I arrived home, however time to time I was checking the score at the MLB App in the restaurant. Last Check it was 5-2 or something. I said we got this.

 

Looked at the scoreboard again when I arrived home and it said 3 errors and 7-5, and said WTF? Lol.

 

Seems like we were not good at defense tonight.

 

Said that I really enjoyed the last two innings. I celebrated that bomb of JD as we were in the WS — wife got scary lol.

 

I’ve been very optimistic this year. Aside 2013 and 2018, I have been very critical.

 

I’d like to read Ted’s takes of this team thus far and moving forward. He usually sees Baseball more objectively than me.

Edited May 21, 2021 by iortiz

[Bellhorn04]

I was in a dinner tonight and couldn’t catch up the game until the 8th inning when I arrived home, however time to time I was checking the score at the MLB App in the restaurant. Last Check it was 5-2 or something. I said we got this.

 

Looked at the scoreboard again when I arrived home and it said 3 errors and 7-5, and said WTF? Lol.

 

Seems like we were not good at defense tonight.

 

Said that I really enjoyed the last two innings. I celebrated that bomb of JD as we were in the WS — wife got scary lol.

 

I’ve been very optimistic this year. Aside 2013 and 2018, I have been very critical.

 

I’d like to read Ted’s takes of this team thus far and moving forward. He usually sees Baseball more objectively than me.

 

Ted said we were a 72-90 team. I much prefer your takes.

[Thunder]

I will admit it: I gave up on this game and went to bed. But I also wasn't feeling good, so maybe I am justified in that decision.

 

 

Anyway, WHAT A GAME!!!! Much needed momentum heading into Philly where we face Nola tonight. Rays are going to have to wait at least one more day before taking over first.

[jung]

Game of 3 Years!

 

An interesting game...no doubt. Exciting???....In a way. Best game of three years??? We have had better games this year.

 

Hard to call a game that has us booting the ball around the lot for 3 errors while first guy out of the pen flat s*** the bed, Best game of the year.

Edited May 21, 2021 by jung

[moonslav59]

An interesting game...no doubt. Exciting???....In a way. Best game of three years??? We have had better games this year.

 

Hard to call a game that has us booting the ball around the lot for 3 errors while first guy out of the pen flat s*** the bed, Best game of the year.

 

Best game, in terms of excitement and ebbs and flows.

 

Of course, it wasn't our best- played game.

[a700hitter]

Ted said we were a 72-90 team. I much prefer your takes.

So do I. LOL!

 

Iortiz has always been an astute evaluator of talent and team construction.

[TylerD]

Didn’t realize how hot Tampa is. Sheeeesh. Right behind us those buggers

[Thunder]

Didn’t realize how hot Tampa is. Sheeeesh. Right behind us those buggers

 

Sweeping the Orioles isn't overly surprising. They did sweep the Mets before that though. Anybody can beat the Mets if you get to their pitchers, though. Interesting series this weekend in Dunedin between the Rays and Jays. A lot of interesting series throughout the league, as a matter of fact. Sox-Phillies, White Sox-Yankees, Dodgers-Giants, Cubs-Cardinals

[iortiz]

Ted said we were a 72-90 team. I much prefer your takes.

 

So do I. LOL!

 

Iortiz has always been an astute evaluator of talent and team construction.

 

LOL!

 

Well I guess very few were optimistic about this team entering the season considering the 2020 disaster and the fairly question marks tagged to the new additions. Geez we even started 0-3 against arguably the weakest team in baseball and most people were ready to call it season.

 

Speaking for myself, at the time I wanted some additions like Springer, Ozuna, Bauer, etc. who never arrived.

 

The only encouraging thing that I saw at the time (benefit of the doubt at least) was the hiring of Cora who splashed in 2018, and the team run by Chaim Bloom for second year in a row who btw is Friedman's prodigy boy —add to the equation the fact that he had very little time to work last year due the COVID thing. Friedman was a guy I wanted to run this team very hard since I have memory, but since he was hired by the Dodgers, at least you could expect kind of the same philosophy and execution under this talented young and hungry manager, who has very good references in TB and media. The management and philosophy seen in TB is not popular since they do not splash the market like large market teams. They are used to fix the broken and develop talent specially at pitching in order to build a team and fill holes. We can fairly say it has worked in TB. You can expect he keeps doing the same here but with a huge handicap; he will have plenty of money to spend once he clears the payroll and identify the core players moving forward.

 

Said that, thus far this team has been a pleasant surprise. It's still early (but not that early) and Ted's predictions shouldn't been taken lightly by any means, but I pray and hope mi Compadre is wrong this time LOL!

 

After 1/4 of the season maybe Ted is ready to reassess his predictions and mostly after seeing the production of the new additions specially Richards, and the bounce back of the core and big boys like JD.

 

Sure, this team still have to work and fix some things moving forward, but the most important and encouraging thing is that the talent is there and is palpable.

Edited May 21, 2021 by iortiz

[moonslav59]

I still see this as largely a bridge year. Only Kike was signed to 2 years.

That doesn't mean it has to be a wasted year. I thought we'd win 84-88 and with a little luck could make the playoffs.

We've had some luck and some pleasant surprises, very few injuries and great leadership from our coaching staff and veteran players.

[Thunder]

I still see this as largely a bridge year. Only Kike was signed to 2 years.

That doesn't mean it has to be a wasted year. I thought we'd win 84-88 and with a little luck could make the playoffs.

We've had some luck and some pleasant surprises, very few injuries and great leadership from our coaching staff and veteran players.

 

I saw this as the start of a rebuild. I thought JD would opt out at the end of the year (or get traded before then), and that we would deal either Devers/Bogaerts at the deadline. I figured we would be fighting the Orioles for last most of the year. Last year's bullpen was the main motivation behind my beliefs, and I never expected the starting pitching to be anywhere near as good as it has been. 80 wins for me would have been great. I always hope for more, but I was preparing myself for a very down season. I'm glad I've been so wrong, and I think Cora has been a huge part of that.

[moonslav59]

I saw this as the start of a rebuild. I thought JD would opt out at the end of the year (or get traded before then), and that we would deal either Devers/Bogaerts at the deadline. I figured we would be fighting the Orioles for last most of the year. Last year's bullpen was the main motivation behind my beliefs, and I never expected the starting pitching to be anywhere near as good as it has been. 80 wins for me would have been great. I always hope for more, but I was preparing myself for a very down season. I'm glad I've been so wrong, and I think Cora has been a huge part of that.

 

I call it "bridge" not "rebuild," because we did not add any player for the long term, except prospects, which I guess is part of a rebuild.

 

To me, once we sign or trade for someone for the long term, the rebuild has started. I know this is a narrow view. We actually started the rebuild when we traded Betts.

[Thunder]

I call it "bridge" not "rebuild," because we did not add any player for the long term, except prospects, which I guess is part of a rebuild.

 

To me, once we sign or trade for someone for the long term, the rebuild has started. I know this is a narrow view. We actually started the rebuild when we traded Betts.

 

Interesting point. Hopefully then, our rebuild looks a lot like the Yankees in that we never bottom out and most of our young talent develops earlier than expected. Houck, Duran, Casas, and Downs all seem to be moving along nicely. Mata is the only real setback in that department.

[redsox87871]

I'm on the West Coast. I was up until midnight watching this game. Fast forwarded to the Top of the Ninth and OH what a Reward! Starting to believe in this team!

[moonslav59]

Interesting point. Hopefully then, our rebuild looks a lot like the Yankees in that we never bottom out and most of our young talent develops earlier than expected. Houck, Duran, Casas, and Downs all seem to be moving along nicely. Mata is the only real setback in that department.

 

I call it a "bridge year," but it is really in the midst of a rebuild that I would claim started with the Betts trade, where we actually did get a ML player with 4+ years of team control plus prospects.

 

Bloom went about it the right way- first rebuilding the farm and strengthening the bottom of the 40 man roster, which mostly happened this past summer & winter, as our bottom of the 40 man roster sucked last spring. The 40 man roster will improve even more as players who reach rule 5 status or are just too good to "keep down" will be added in the coming year or more.

 

Here are this winter's Rule 5 candidates:

 

Jecorrah Arnold

Brayan Bello

Cole Brannen

Gary Calvo

Marco Cardoso

Pedro Castellanos

Felix Cepeda

Kole Cottam

Kutter Crawford

Ricardo Cubillan

Osvaldo De La Rosa

Tyler Dearden

Jonathan Diaz

Danny Diaz

Jeter Downs

Jarren Duran

Tyler Esplin

Durbin Feltman

Ryan Fernandez

Ryan Fitzgerald

Antoni Flores

Frank German

Rio Gomez

Devlin Granberg

Gilberto Jimenez

Jose Larez

Dominic LoBrutto

Bryan Lucas

Charlie Madden

Alan Marrero

Elih Marrero

Joan Martinez

Alexander Montero

Robinson Montero

Oddanier Mosqueda

Brendan Nail

Brett Netzer

Tanner Nishioka

Kaleb Ort

Michael Osinski

Yusniel Padron-Artiles

Aaron Perry

Beiker Pineda

Antonio Police

AJ Politi

Ceddanne Rafaela

Oscar Rangel

Tyreque Reed

Jesus Rosillo

Yasel Santana

Zach Schellinger

Alex Scherff

John Schreiber

Gregori Segovia

Chase Shugart

Miguel Suero

Jake Thompson

Wilker Vargas

Thaddeus Ward

Grant Williams

Josh Winckowski

 

A lot of these guys will make the 2022 forty man roster. That's one reason we signed so many players to just one year deals or one+ options.

 

We might also start seeing some 2 or 3 for 1 deals to prep for clearing space on the 2022 40.

[Maxbialystock]

I'm on the West Coast. I was up until midnight watching this game. Fast forwarded to the Top of the Ninth and OH what a Reward! Starting to believe in this team!

 

I'm not going to say "you gotta believe" because hat was the 1969 Mets. On the other hand, as with them, this team so far has indeed been amazing.

[mvp 78]

I call it a "bridge year," but it is really in the midst of a rebuild that I would claim started with the Betts trade, where we actually did get a ML player with 4+ years of team control plus prospects.

 

Bloom went about it the right way- first rebuilding the farm and strengthening the bottom of the 40 man roster, which mostly happened this past summer & winter, as our bottom of the 40 man roster sucked last spring. The 40 man roster will improve even more as players who reach rule 5 status or are just too good to "keep down" will be added in the coming year or more.

 

Here are this winter's Rule 5 candidates:

 

Jecorrah Arnold

Brayan Bello

Cole Brannen

Gary Calvo

Marco Cardoso

Pedro Castellanos

Felix Cepeda

Kole Cottam

Kutter Crawford

Ricardo Cubillan

Osvaldo De La Rosa

Tyler Dearden

Jonathan Diaz

Danny Diaz

Jeter Downs

Jarren Duran

Tyler Esplin

Durbin Feltman

Ryan Fernandez

Ryan Fitzgerald

Antoni Flores

Frank German

Rio Gomez

Devlin Granberg

Gilberto Jimenez

Jose Larez

Dominic LoBrutto

Bryan Lucas

Charlie Madden

Alan Marrero

Elih Marrero

Joan Martinez

Alexander Montero

Robinson Montero

Oddanier Mosqueda

Brendan Nail

Brett Netzer

Tanner Nishioka

Kaleb Ort

Michael Osinski

Yusniel Padron-Artiles

Aaron Perry

Beiker Pineda

Antonio Police

AJ Politi

Ceddanne Rafaela

Oscar Rangel

Tyreque Reed

Jesus Rosillo

Yasel Santana

Zach Schellinger

Alex Scherff

John Schreiber

Gregori Segovia

Chase Shugart

Miguel Suero

Jake Thompson

Wilker Vargas

Thaddeus Ward

Grant Williams

Josh Winckowski

 

A lot of these guys will make the 2022 forty man roster. That's one reason we signed so many players to just one year deals or one+ options.

 

We might also start seeing some 2 or 3 for 1 deals to prep for clearing space on the 2022 40.

 

I have a hunch that Groome will be traded.

[Maxbialystock]

For me, the future is now and next year completely off the radar.

 

I still think the wind affected the play last night because MLB players are not used to that kind of intrusiveness. MLB ballparks all have at least two decks surrounding the field. It looked as though the wind was blowing from left field to right field, which would have affected Barnes' knuckle curve, the one that missed outside (to a righty batter) like 4 times. I also think the wind could have thrown Pivetta off.

 

Matz and Pivetta both gave up 5 runs last night, but only 4 of Pivetta's runs were earned. Sawamura gave up the other 2 runs and both of those were unearned. So, to me, anyway, the position players owed. Those 3 runs in the 9th, incredible and delightful and even heroic as they were, were payback.

 

Worth noting, therefore, is that the bullpen pitched 4 innings while giving up no earned runs. The Jays bullpen went 3 and--thank you very much, Mr. Dolis--gave up 3 earned runs.

 

About the errors. Chavis's was the most egregious; Devers' could actually have been 2 errors because he mishandled an earlier one that was a single, and Renfroe was the victim of a weird situation in right center trying to recoup a ball Hernandez couldn't get to.

[moonslav59]

I have a hunch that Groome will be traded.

 

I could see Chavis, Groome & Ward traded.