Rays (Pepiot) vs Red Sox (Giolito): 6/10/25, 7:10pm

[Hugh2]

What a great win last night. 

Giolito did get by with some loud outs that last inning, but we've been on the other end of some bad luck so much this season I'll take it.  

1. Gio still goes 6. 
2. Story looks like he's been reborn as a guy who can actually play baseball.
3. Anthony, the ROOOK wins the game on both sides of the ball. 
4. To top it all off the Pen looked great. 

We just took 2/3 from NY, and have an opportunity to take a series against what was one of MLB's hottest teams coming in.  I was approaching giving up on the season, wasn't there but we had our foot on the gas.  A win tonight and a good series in NY could totally give this season a 360. 

Storys recent success is a very small SSS.  But 4 straight games with multiple hits is highly encouraging, and it's making the sting of Bregman going down minimal.  

[Nick]

First of all, good job by Whitlock. I don't care that he gets hit. I just care that he doesn't walk anyone. I despise walks, especially 7-8-9 hitters.

Have we ever have legit 4 rookies in the line up this early in the season?

 

[mvp 78]

21 minutes ago, Nick said:

First of all, good job by Whitlock. I don't care that he gets hit. I just care that he doesn't walk anyone. I despise walks, especially 7-8-9 hitters.

Have we ever have legit 4 rookies in the line up this early in the season?

 

This early? No. 2014: Vaz, Mookie, Xander, JBJ. 1987: Burks, Benzinger, Marzano, Horn. I hope this group is better than the '87 group though.  

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

13 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

This early? No. 2014: Vaz, Mookie, Xander, JBJ. 1987: Burks, Benzinger, Marzano, Horn. I hope this group is better than the '87 group though.  

That Magical '88 team also had Greenwell, in his sophomore season, finishing 2nd in AL MVP at age 24. 

Dang yo -- Mayer won't be 24 until 2027... when Anthony's only 23! 

Hope we're all still around by then...

 

[moonslav59]

7 hours ago, FredLynn said:

There are three major elements of the game: pitching, offense, and defense. I would rank them in that order in terms of importance-but you aren’t winning a ring without being good at all three.

I think you can win by being great at the top 2 and bad on D, but we aren't.

[Nick]

Youngest to the oldest, position players. (Age as of 9/30/25..end of regular season)

21 Anthony-(7 yrs of team control)

22 Mayer---(7 yrs of team control)

23 Campbell-(6 years of team control)

25 Rafaela-(7 yrs of team control)

25 Casas-(4 yrs of team control)

26 Abreu-(5 yrs of team control)-next guy we should extend.

26 Narvaez-(6 yrs of team control)

28 Devers-(9 yrs of team control)

29 Duran-(4 yrs of team control)

We have the guys that I want on our roster (Anthony was the sealer). I am good with this group.

Brez can add and subtract as he sees fit. Got to work on starting pitchers next.

Add Bregman and this group can be solid. Really too bad that Casas got hurt. But 1B seems to be in capable hands with Toro (28) and Gonzalez (28).

[mvp 78]

2 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

I think you can win by being great at the top 2 and bad on D, but we aren't.

2004 was the 29th ranked defense (Manny, Millar, Damon, Kapler, Nomar, McCarty, Mueller all had bad defensive seasons). You can win with a bad defense. You just really have to thread that needle. 

 

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

2004 was the 29th ranked defense (Manny, Millar, Damon, Kapler, Nomar, McCarty, Mueller all had bad defensive seasons). You can win with a bad defense. You just really have to thread that needle. 

 

It makes it easier with better D, but not impossible.

[Maxbialystock]

6 hours ago, Hugh2 said:

What a great win last night. 

Giolito did get by with some loud outs that last inning, but we've been on the other end of some bad luck so much this season I'll take it.  

1. Gio still goes 6. 
2. Story looks like he's been reborn as a guy who can actually play baseball.
3. Anthony, the ROOOK wins the game on both sides of the ball. 
4. To top it all off the Pen looked great. 

We just took 2/3 from NY, and have an opportunity to take a series against what was one of MLB's hottest teams coming in.  I was approaching giving up on the season, wasn't there but we had our foot on the gas.  A win tonight and a good series in NY could totally give this season a 360. 

Storys recent success is a very small SSS.  But 4 straight games with multiple hits is highly encouraging, and it's making the sting of Bregman going down minimal.  

Agree on all.  Riveting game, low score, so every play counted--and in his second MLB game Anthony made 3 of them, especially the double off an outside changeup.   I especially like this happening at the Fens, where  the Sox fans have been disappointed too many times this season.  

Like your peek at the future.  That is, there just might be one this season.

I could be wrong (and often am), but I think Cora is the perfect manager for a Sox team this inexperienced.  

 

 

[dgalehouse]

Summer hasn't even begun , but the mood swings are everywhere.  

[Maxbialystock]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

It makes it easier with better D, but not impossible.

I would rather have great hitting, which the Sox had in 2004, than great fielding. 

By the way, far and away the weakest position defensively for the Sox are the pitchers with 10 errors, almost uncountable wild pitches, etc.  Bernardino is the worst.    I mention that because you have written repeatedly that errors and missed outs are such a heavy burden for the Sox pitchers.   In their defense I think their first focus must be on their pitching, plus I think wild pitches are unavoidable if you are trying to work the bottom of the strike zone.  

[Maxbialystock]

13 minutes ago, dgalehouse said:

Summer hasn't even begun , but the mood swings are everywhere.  

I'd rather have "swings" than unremitting depression and negativity.  

 

[mvp 78]

10 minutes ago, dgalehouse said:

Summer hasn't even begun , but the mood swings are everywhere.  

Some people live or die with every game. I didn't believe they had a legitimate chance of making a run this season, so I'm trying to be a little even keeled and looking long term at it (i.e. playing the younger guys, making in season moves to clear out roster logjam)

[mvp 78]

9 minutes ago, Maxbialystock said:

I'd rather have "swings" than unremitting depression and negativity.  

 

True! 

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, Maxbialystock said:

I would rather have great hitting, which the Sox had in 2004, than great fielding. 

By the way, far and away the weakest position defensively for the Sox are the pitchers with 10 errors, almost uncountable wild pitches, etc.  Bernardino is the worst.    I mention that because you have written repeatedly that errors and missed outs are such a heavy burden for the Sox pitchers.   In their defense I think their first focus must be on their pitching, plus I think wild pitches are unavoidable if you are trying to work the bottom of the strike zone.  

Yes, and poor pitcher D makes it hard to feel sorry for them, when they need to get more outs due to their own fielding mistake(s.)

Of course Offense and pitching are more important, as the variance between teams who make the most makeable plays and those who make the least is not as stark as the best vs worst hitting and pitching teams. The amount of plays that show a difference are way less on defense.

I just cringe when I see a dumb play on D, or a botched easy play- more so than when a batter chases a ball way out of the K zone, of a pitcher walking the weakest batter.

[iortiz]

17 hours ago, Duran Is The Man said:

what blows my mind is it's a different set of players every year and they still make mistakes. doesn't matter who it is, whenever they put on a Red Sox uni, it's like all of a sudden, they have no clue on how to throw or catch a f***ing ball.

It speaks volumes about this coaching staff for sure 

[dgalehouse]

3 hours ago, Maxbialystock said:

I'd rather have "swings" than unremitting depression and negativity.  

 

I think there is a third option. Steady, even keel and positive.  A baseball season is long. Plenty of ups and downs. The Red Sox have a good amount of talent. It is absurd to give up on the season in the month of June. 

[Hugh2]

Taking 2 out of 3 from NY and then Tampa was just what this team needed.  And just what I needed to get me to come down from the ledge. 

We need Bregman back, and hopefully that comes to fruition soon.  I think the hitting could eventually work itself out and I can see the talent ripe at the right time going into October.  But what this team will really need then is a Catcher and a starting pitcher.  Narvy is great, but Wong just ain't it.  We need someone else to share the workload with Narvaez, at the rate he's being used he's going to burn out. 

I wouldn't hate a 1B either, but I'm not breaking the bank for one.