How deep could these Sox REALLY go?

[vegasbob]

1 hour ago, UtahSox said:

what are your thoughts on lineup vs NYY?

game 1: vs Schlittler

Starter: Tolle

RH Reliever available: Bello, Weissert, Olds, Whitlock

LH Reliever available: Bennett, Miller, Crochet, Chapman

1. Anthony LF

2. Gasper DH

3. Contreras 1b

4. Abreu RF

5. Rutschman C

6. Durbin 3b

7. Rafaela CF

8. Sogard 2b

9. Story SS

 

game 2: vs Fried

Starter: Gray

RH Reliever available: Bello, Weissert, Olds, Whitlock

LH Reliever available: Bennett, Miller, Crochet, Chapman

1. Anthony LF

2. Jones DH

3. Contreras 1b

4. Abreu RF

5. Rafaela CF

6. Rutschman C

7. Durbin 3b

8. Sogard 2b

9. Story SS

 

Game 3: vs Cole/Rodon 

Starter: Suarez

RH Reliever available: Bello, Weissert, Olds, Whitlock

LH Reliever available: Bennett, Miller, Crochet, Chapman (high leverage situation), Tolle (Closer)

1. Anthony LF

2. Gasper DH

3. Contreras 1b

4. Abreu RF

5. Rutschman C

6. Durbin 3b

7. Rafaela CF

8. Sogard 2b

9. Story SS

I think even listing a Game 3 is wishful thinking.  The pitching of the NYY'ers vs the Red Sox lineup would be too much.   So, IMO , it does not matter too much how you organize the lineup or who is in it.  No one is in a positive mode at bat. 

Of course, agreed,  that if our pitching can keep the Yanks at 1 to 2 runs, or even a shutout like last night, then there's a chance for one win, and a Game 3 disappointment for the 99th time in history.

[moonslav59]

Baseball fortunes can and do change on a dime. We all saw that beginning June 25, 2026.

There is no reason to think we cannot heat things up again.

True, there is no hint we will, but were there hints on June 24th?

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

31 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Baseball fortunes can and do change on a dime. We all saw that beginning June 25, 2026.

There is no reason to think we cannot heat things up again.

True, there is no hint we will, but were there hints on June 24th?

What started on June 25th was more than a hot streak, it was a miracle. I believe a team is only allocated one miracle per season.

Beating the Yankems 2 out of 3 at Yankem Park, especially with the Sox current offense, would, IMHO, require another miracle.

 

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

On 9/19/2026 at 2:59 PM, moonslav59 said:

The Yanks are 41-25 when Judge players.

48-39 without Judge.

Maybe this is as or more important:

Team records in starts:

20-8 Gray vs Schlitter 20-11

17-10 Suarez vs Fried 11-8

15-10 Tolle vs Warren 19-9, Rodon 9-6 or Cole 10-11

So when someone starts besides the three you mentioned, the Sox are 33-45.

[moonslav59]

34 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

So when someone starts besides the three you mentioned, the Sox are 33-45.

And none of them are starting.

52-28 in the game the 3 started is pretty awesome.

Of course, other teams have better records when their three go, too, but I like our 3 as much or more than anyone else, especially in the AL.

I think it will come down to the bats and avoiding bonehead plays.

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, vegasbob said:

I think even listing a Game 3 is wishful thinking.  The pitching of the NYY'ers vs the Red Sox lineup would be too much.   So, IMO , it does not matter too much how you organize the lineup or who is in it.  No one is in a positive mode at bat. 

Of course, agreed,  that if our pitching can keep the Yanks at 1 to 2 runs, or even a shutout like last night, then there's a chance for one win, and a Game 3 disappointment for the 99th time in history.

The thing is, winning 2 out of 3 does not need a "miracle." We don't need to go 32-5 to advance far into the playoffs. We can win a ring by going exactly 13-9.

[vegasbob]

My only point is that while all things are possible,  the skills necessary to win 2 of 3 vs NYY are not evident right now

I would love to see the Sox take the first 2 and end the Yankees season but they will need to do what they have not done in September. 30th in runs ? Bad juju

[notin]

2 hours ago, vegasbob said:

My only point is that while all things are possible,  the skills necessary to win 2 of 3 vs NYY are not evident right now

I would love to see the Sox take the first 2 and end the Yankees season but they will need to do what they have not done in September. 30th in runs ? Bad juju

And in June when the Sox were on a 5-11 stretch, they didn’t look like a team poised for a 32-5 run…

[JoeBrady]

5 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Yanks have almost twice the amount of runs in September as the Sox. Even if the Yanks are limited, the Sox should be even more limited. It will really depend on guys coming back from the IL and producing (Contreras, Rafaela) which isn't a safe bet. 

There are no safe bets.  If the NYY played a 3-game set v the LAD, at home, with their three best, rested SPs, I'm pretty sure the NYY would be favored.

[vegasbob]

3 minutes ago, notin said:

And in June when the Sox were on a 5-11 stretch, they didn’t look like a team poised for a 32-5 run…

Right now I am looking for a sports book that will let me bet the Sox will score no runs while dropping 2 straight in a parley. Probably get  25 to 1.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

2 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

There are no safe bets.  If the NYY played a 3-game set v the LAD, at home, with their three best, rested SPs, I'm pretty sure the NYY would be favored.

Joe, I hope you're not comparing the Sox to the Dodgers. Offensively, it's not even close.

Using your scenario, I would pick the Dodgers in 3.

[JoeBrady]

4 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Baseball fortunes can and do change on a dime. We all saw that beginning June 25, 2026.

There is no reason to think we cannot heat things up again.

True, there is no hint we will, but were there hints on June 24th?

I'd also throw in that we are 6-7 against the NYY this year.  And while the NYY top 3/4 are really good, our top-3 stills rolls in with a 2.99 ERA.

[JoeBrady]

5 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Joe, I hope you're not comparing the Sox to the Dodgers. Offensively, it's not even close.

Using your scenario, I would pick the Dodgers in 3.

No, but we did sweep LAD in LA.

[moonslav59]

Anything can happen in any 3 game series. Baseball is not totally random, but it's closer than most other sports. It's one reason there is a 162 game season.

It's easy to feel like "the way we are playing now we don't have a chance," but the way we are playing now hardly ever continues for very long. That's baseball.

[NHNative]

6 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Anything can happen in any 3 game series. Baseball is not totally random, but it's closer than most other sports. It's one reason there is a 162 game season.

It's easy to feel like "the way we are playing now we don't have a chance," but the way we are playing now hardly ever continues for very long. That's baseball.

This

[moonslav59]

Just now, NHNative said:

This

We played nearly 3 months of the worst baseball in MLB, this year- then we didn't.

Now, a few weeks of batting poorly becomes insurmountable?

[NHNative]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

We played nearly 3 months of the worst baseball in MLB, this year- then we didn't.

Now, a few weeks of batting poorly becomes insurmountable?

I see as taking a power nap and waking up strong.

[mvp 78]

10 hours ago, notin said:

And in June when the Sox were on a 5-11 stretch, they didn’t look like a team poised for a 32-5 run…

Holding out hope for another historic run from this group seems like an unsafe bet. 

[mvp 78]

8 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

We played nearly 3 months of the worst baseball in MLB, this year- then we didn't.

Now, a few weeks of batting poorly becomes insurmountable?

Played 3 months of horrible baseball. They are back to showing that offense again. Is it a surprise that people are a little worried? If they showed a little sign of life here, maybe people would have a sense of relief. 

[NHNative]

There are those negative waves again.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

6 minutes ago, NHNative said:

There are those negative waves again.

We got our own ammunition. It's filled with paint. When we fire it, it makes pretty pictures. Scares the hell out of people.

[moonslav59]

27 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Played 3 months of horrible baseball. They are back to showing that offense again. Is it a surprise that people are a little worried? If they showed a little sign of life here, maybe people would have a sense of relief. 

Not surprising at all. I'm worried, too.

It's the tone of certain or near certain doom that I question.

I'd feel better and more confident, if we were hitting better, too.

[NHNative]

See ball, swing bat, hit ball.

Sometimes we forget these are semi-grown men playing a game like when they were kids. Sometimes they forget also.