Rays (Scholtens) vs Red Sox (Early): 5/8/26, 7:10pm

[Tedballgame]

Now only 2 teams in baseball haven't been shut out.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

It ain't how, it's how many. The Sox won their 2nd game in the last 3 with only 4 hits in each win.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

It's been a long time since the Sox strong points were their starting pitching and their defense.

[vegasbob]

Early showed up on time and pitched his 7 inning shutout. Whit and Chappie sealed his win.

Good game and win

[JoeBrady]

Great game!  Very enjoyable.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

14 minutes ago, Tedballgame said:

Also have to give Breslow credit for signing Chapman. He has been the best reliever in baseball since they got him.

Re-signing Chappy was a no brainer.

[iortiz]

15 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

It ain't how, it's how many. The Sox won their 2nd game in the last 3 with only 4 hits in each win.

We won despite having Story there. 

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Although the Sox are getting beat, at least, they haven't been beating themselves. Unlike recent years. If a team is going to beat the Sox, they're not going to get much help from the Sox defense.

Giving credit where credit is due.

[FredLynn]

24 minutes ago, Tedballgame said:

Also have to give Breslow credit for signing Chapman. He has been the best reliever in baseball since they got him.

BresLOW didn’t whiff on everyone he signed. But I sure expect a lot more from the guy responsible for constructing the roster. He’ll be gone at the end of the season-if he makes it that far.

[Tedballgame]

10 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Re-signing Chappy was a no brainer.

But signing him before last year was not a no brainer or else everyone else would have been after him.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Just now, Tedballgame said:

But signing him before last year was not a no brainer or else everyone else would have been after him.

I agree with that. I thought you were referring to re-signing him. 

[iortiz]

5 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Although the Sox are getting beat, at least, they haven't been beating themselves. Unlike recent years. If a team is going to beat the Sox, they're not going to get much help from the Sox defense.

Giving credit where credit is due.

If Durbin starts hitting like he did last year, this team will be interesting. Guy is locked in the hot corner with that glove. 

[Larry Cook]

11 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

1. DFA Watson. Add Tayron Guerrero and call him up. 

2. Move Story to 2B. Move Mayer to SS. 

3. Start Masa every game possible. 

4. Kelly gets the Watson mop up role. 

5. Weissert is NEVER brought in with runners on for the remainder of the year.

Have you watched Guerrero pitch???  Not sure you are going to like what you see if he gets to Boston!!!

wholeheartedly agree with number 5! 

[Larry Cook]

2 minutes ago, iortiz said:

If Durbin starts hitting like he did last year, this team will be interesting. Guy is locked in the hot corner with that glove. 

7 drs already!   

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

A big thank you to Caminero for hitting into that inning ending DP in the 3rd 

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

2 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

7 drs already!   

Sox lead MLB in DRS.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Early and Tolle. Pitching wise the future looks good.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Has Yaz ever been in the Sox booth during a game? I don't remember ever seeing him there.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Williams, Yaz and Rice. What are the odds that all 3 consecutive LF's would  be elected to the HOF?

[moonslav59]

Just finished watching. Big game by Early, plus some long ball action.

We need to put together something long term.

[iortiz]

1 hour ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Early and Tolle. Pitching wise the future looks good.

Add Bennett. Kid is legit. 

[moonslav59]

26 minutes ago, iortiz said:

Add Bennett. Kid is legit. 

He does look good- better than I expected, and quicker to the bigs than anyone but him& his Momma dreamed of.

SP'ers:

5-6 more seasons: Crochet (5 + Option)

Top pitching prospects w no MLB experience: 3 Eyanson, 4 Witherspoon, 5 Phillips. 6 Bennett, 8 Valera, 11 Holobetz, 14 Uberstine

Pre-arb: Early, Tolle & Bennett

4 more seasons: Suarez & Bello (3 + option)

2 more seasons: Crawford

1 more season: Gray ($30M option & SG can opt out) Oviedo & Houck

Bye-bye: Sandoval

[iortiz]

16 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

He does look good- better than I expected, and quicker to the bigs than anyone but him& his Momma dreamed of.

SP'ers:

5-6 more seasons: Crochet (5 + Option)

Top pitching prospects w no MLB experience: 3 Eyanson, 4 Witherspoon, 5 Phillips. 6 Bennett, 8 Valera, 11 Holobetz, 14 Uberstine

Pre-arb: Early, Tolle & Bennett

4 more seasons: Suarez & Bello (3 + option)

2 more seasons: Crawford

1 more season: Gray ($30M option & SG can opt out) Oviedo & Houck

Bye-bye: Sandoval

Pitching is going to be good, they had the golden opportunity to add elite bats this offseason and they didn’t. Anthony is still a project with serious injury prone concerns. Story is done. Yoshida is meh. Duran and Rafaela  are above average at best. Narvaez, Wong, and Durbin average at best. Mayer is also a project. Offensively we are cooked. We need at the very least 2 elite bats to open the WS window. 

[Oscars]

Story’s bat is completely MIA, with another 3  K’s today. 

He has struck out in 34.4% of his ABs.

How long is his leash ?

[mvp 78]

9 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

Have you watched Guerrero pitch???  Not sure you are going to like what you see if he gets to Boston!!!

wholeheartedly agree with number 5! 

Have you seen Watson pitch?

[Yaz Fan Since 67]

Connerly Early knows how to pitch. It was a pleasure watching him work the zone last night.  Whit and Chapman are the only pen arms I trust.  Trevor Story can't get out of here fast enough, one of my least favorite players of all time. How many more LOBs did he have last night?  Get this guy out of here.  

[Duran Is The Man]

1 hour ago, Yaz Fan Since 67 said:

Connerly Early knows how to pitch. It was a pleasure watching him work the zone last night.  Whit and Chapman are the only pen arms I trust.  Trevor Story can't get out of here fast enough, one of my least favorite players of all time. How many more LOBs did he have last night?  Get this guy out of here.  

i know some like what Bloom did, but to me, signing Story was just another in a long line of failures by Bloom. i hated the deal then and it's only gotten worse.

[notin]

12 hours ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Although the Sox are getting beat, at least, they haven't been beating themselves. Unlike recent years. If a team is going to beat the Sox, they're not going to get much help from the Sox defense.

Giving credit where credit is due.

… which doesn’t change my mind about flipping Story and Mayer on the diamond…

[notin]

59 minutes ago, Duran Is The Man said:

i know some like what Bloom did, but to me, signing Story was just another in a long line of failures by Bloom. i hated the deal then and it's only gotten worse.

Story has been a flop, with multiple injuries and by the time he got healthy, straight decline.

He’s not likely to be traded, and he probably won’t be DFAd/released.  If he keeps up the lackluster D with the replacement player offense, will Tracy ever bench him?  IKF at least brings the D.  Monasterio isn’t good at either but is probably better than Story right now.

But that’s sort of the main issue wuth free agency.   Teams spends tons of. O su for players over 30 that see the downside of their careers more easily derailed by injury but still tie up payroll that prevents subsequent improvements.  This happens all the time, yet fans still demand teams do it more often snd for longer contracts…

[JoeBrady]

10 hours ago, iortiz said:

they had the golden opportunity to add elite bats this offseason

No, they didn't.  The top infield bats available:

• Bichette  .571 OPS/ -0.6 bWAR
• Bregman  .677/0.5
• Alonso  .786/1.1
• Suarez  .663/0.0
• Polanco .532/-0.3

And all these guys were discussed in here.  The total OPS looks in the range of .650, and the total bWAR is 0.7.