seabeachfred

Well Palodios, Jon Lester could do something about this if he will just go out there tonight and pitch like we expect him to and the way he did earlier in the campaign before he hit the doldrums. Which, BTW, I hope will be temporary. It does not mean five innings and four runs; it means seven or eight innings and two runs. That would leave Breslow, Miller and Mortensen to finish up with all of us having our fingers crossed and hoping for the best. In fact, Uehara only threw 16 pitches last night and could throw one tonight. Besides, the Rays also used up their pen last night so we're both in the same boat. Lester needs to step up and not throw a barfy game but a very solid one. He's capable of doing that.

How? How? Be real User. The guy is hitting in the 440's, has hit well against the Yankees, Angels, and just about every other team. His fielding has been magnificent, his attitude terrific. Hell yes, it is a slap in the face, better yet, a kick in the ribs. DFA's another player to keep him? What challenge was that? Ciriaco wasn't hitting worth a damn, was a disaster on defense with seven errors in occasional appearances, and showed no signs of the player we had last year. The league caught up with him. We again will have to agree to disagree but IMHO Iggy should be playing until he cools down.

From what I've been reading Webster hasn't exactly lit up Triple A Ball the last couple of weeks. He has even been ejected from two games according to one report. I know the guy has explosive stuff but he was in the Dodger organization and they always over-hype their prospects and most never amount to much save for Kershaw and Kemp, though those are two pretty good pieces to have on a team. I would like to see Alan pitch three or four solid games in a row before we think about bringing him up or talking about his long potential for our rotation. Then again, after Lackey's less than impressive performance last night we may need another starter besides the replacement for Doubrant if that guy doesn't come around. My hope was that this was just a hiccup for Lackey and next time he will pitch much better. That means more than ever that Buchholz must remain healthy and become a top winning ace for us, and that Lester get out of his recent doldrums and start pitching "ace" type baseball, like starting tonight.

Well Ted, after our "closer" blew the duke last night and forced into three more innings of toil before our seemingly gutty team won, the talk about Papelbon, should he become available, should make for an interesting piece of talksox talk. However, why on earth would you, me or anyone get touchy over a departed player. All someone has to do is say he didn't think all that much of him, tell why he didn't and agree to disagree on the topic. What is not on the table is for someone to take an opinion about a player and turn it into a personal attack on the person that wrote the missive. This board should be fair for diversity. Hell, I still miss Bill Mueller, my favorite Red Sox player of them all, and I couldn't figure it out in a 100 years why anyone would take umbridge at that.

SoxSport, I think making Iggy the "utility" man right now is a slap in the face to the young player. I was never a big fan of his hitting prowess but he has shown that can hit up in the Bigs. Unlike our friendly Yankee resident I won't expect him now to crash and burn, but he certainly is coming back down to earth. Until then he needs to play to stay sharp and Farrell has to find the right way to do it. Our defense has been good of late and moving guys around can derail that. I have seen it with the Dodgers out here where I live and I'm told the Mets have had similar problems as have a couple of more teams.

This is a case of after the horse left the corral but I wonder whether or not the Red Sox would have resigned Papelbon has they not nearly emptied the till to sign Gonzales and Crawford? You think Ted? Those two signings really took the wind out of our sails, one for a guy who was a carbon copy of Ellsbury and therefore a bad fit for us and another who though a solid hitter was suspect of not being the type of winning player Boston needs and their fans demand. Maybe Bailey will emerge this year for us as a solid closer but let's face it, we've been looking for a solid game-ender ever since we let Paps walk-----plus we never made one attempt so far as I know to sign him.

We certainly can't afford to lose Clay for any length of time. This time our historically less than competent medical staff must give him an MRI if it's necessary or a Cat Scan if that is needed. No guess work and no more screw-ups. Good to get the second game tonight. We needed it and we need to do what's necessary to win the rubber game tomorrow and win the series. Damn, I came so close to predicting the score. I said five or six to two and it was seven-two. Well maybe next time.:D:D:D:D:D:D

I take it that this is the Second Game thread since I was thinking of starting it myself. No matter; we need to win this game and we need a spark. Clay is our ace and our stopper and he first of all needs to keep the bases as empty as possible while his teammates go out and get him five or six runs. Then we can have a real rubber game tomorrow. I will predict a win for the Red Sox in the second game by something like 5 or 6 to 2. Now get it done guys.

Well we both agree on a couple of points User. We certainly could use a couple of righty power hitters since we haven't had one since we let Jason Bay walk; well, of course, I forgot, Adrian Beltre. However, you are on he money with the pitching aspect. That's the main part of any team, especially starting pitching and they are not on the market so we have to develop our own or hope we trade for one and catch lightning in a bottle. Still, get me a couple of RH power hitters and hopefully two that can drive in runs instead of leaving them on the bases as we did today in the first game against the Angels----14 at last count.

I think you hit the nail on the head OrJu ( I don't want to call you OJ for obvious reasons). IF WE LOOK TO BE A LEGITIMATE CONTENDER AT THE TRADE DEADLINE. Right now I don't have a clue on that. My heart say one thing, remembering 2004. My head says something else, remembering 2012. Cherington should keep his ear to the ground and see what is developing and formulating a plan in case we do make a bid. If we a Sept. 2011 and fall in the tank, the answer would obviously be no.

You have a right to get an answer from someone so I'll throw my hat in the ring. Lester was once an ace-type pitcher, a lefthander with a big contract. Lackey has one too, and now Dempster falls in that category. They would have to really suck badly to be taken out of the rotation even though Lester is now trying to return to his miserable 2012 ways. We can't do it to Buchholz because he is our new ace. That leaves Doubrant. That would go by the boards if he starts pitching top flight baseball as he will get the chance to do tomorrow against the Angels. Let's hope he makes that decision very difficult. To me, though, the one who isn't doing the job should be the one to go, but, then again, I'm not the one signing the pay checks and we all know that in most cases money triumphs talent or common sense.

Sorry, you assume wrong. How about Murphy, Fuentes, Ellsbury, Reddick, Kalish, Hazelbaker for a start. I wish I had the Red Sox yearbook with me because they've had even more than that. Who was the last good RH hitter we drafted for the outfield? Brentz? Are there more? Were there more? No, User, I follow the Red Sox minor league system, and you notice I didn't even mention first basemen......like Anderson and Rizzo. We need a couple of horses from the right hand side and pretty soon. It is ridiculous for a team that plays half its games at Fenway Park is so devoid of right handed power hitters.

We need Gomes to get hot and stay consistent User. Batting in the second position he needs to hit and get walks and produce for the run producers. His strength is supposed to be hitting left handers and a high OBP. We've got nothing even remotely resembling that this season. Possibly his breakout game yesterday is his Red Sox coming out party. We'll see.

Glad to see someone back me up on the Morales vs Yankees issue. Lefties usually do very well there and Morales has to get his s*** together when he faces the Yankees no matter where he pitches against them. As for Trey Ball the Red Sox had better guess right about whether this guy is a pitcher or a hard hitting outfielder---and we need to start drafting some RH hitting power hitters and shitcan all these lefties we've signed the past decade. We now have more than enough of those. Good to hear from you Sox Sport.

Once again, you hit a real sarcastic home run Ted. I'm still laughing at it. Well, he finally got back in tonight and got four hits.....and so did Gomes....double glory hallejujah. If the tin man can go on a tear I will stay off him and root him on like the rest of the crew.;);)

Well BSN, you can't and I guess most people on this board might agree with you that you can't sell on someone because of two starts against the Yankees. However, I can and I do. To me if a Red Sox pitcher can't beat the Yankees I have very little use for him. THAT IS MY OPINION and I will express exactly that. If and when Morales stops being a pinata when he faces the New Yorkers and starts beating them, then I will come on board. Not until then. Once again, we will just have to agree to disagree on a point.

Just put this in your diddy bag User......my derogatory terms apply only to players, not to any posters on the board. You seem to keep forgetting that. No nasty remarks are directed against fellow posters unless I'm attacked first for attacking some players. Keep that in mind----and I will continue to operate that way. I have little use for Gomes and Ross and that is my opinion and will express that. Disagree if you wish but do NOT attack me for that. Then it becomes personal and war ensues. Let it lay and there will be no flamage from me.

Morales? A lot of people seem to like him but I right now am not one of them. Reason? Simple!!!! The Yankees beat the living s*** out of him both times he started against them last season, and I believe the one time he relieved against the New Yorkers they pasted him as well. If he can't beat the Yankees I haven't a whole lot of use for him. More to the point....I think we may need to upgrade our lineup more than get another pitcher. When we have to play Ross and Gomes against lefties we are naked to the world. Both stink with the bat and both strike out way too much for what little they give us. I still wonder when "Damaged Goods" Victorino will get back in the lineup, as well as t hat candy ass tin man who seems to be made of paper mache.

You can take that one to the bank BSN....I'm now off the Peavy bandwagon. Is there somebody else out there though? I still believe we will need another solid starting pitcher. What about Garza? He has pitched in the AL East with success and he seems over his problems now. If not him, then who?

I've keep saying over and over that I'm convinced we need another solid starting pitcher if we want to make a move for something worthwhile this season. It would be swell if you and others would say hee hee, too bad SeaBeachFred, you were wrong and we didn't need another one. However, I would like to have a solid starter in addition to what we have now. Will Buchholz stay healthy, will Lester start pitching well again, does the trio of Lackey, Doubrant and Dempster have what it takes to give us a decent back of the rotation? I've always liked Peavy and like Palodios would like to see him with the Red Sox because I think he would be a big help to us. He seems to have recovered from his ailments and may be ready for two or three big seasons. Frankly, the White Sox talk a lot about trading off players if things don't go well and often they don't, but they still don't trade off those players. I think the Pale Hose front office is a pack of all talk and no action jokers. Such a trade most likely won't happen, but if it did I don't want to see the Red Sox trading three or four prospects for him either.

No mystery Sox Sport. Johnny Gomes, who used to hit them like a pinata, can't seem to hit the broadside of a barn this year. David Ross is totally useless with a bat in his hand and should be arrested for loitering around the plate. We also have WMB and DG Victorino on the shelf, not to mention that Napoli was pretty cold until the Yankee series. You get these guys hitting and southpaws would no longer be a problem, but it would be nice if we could trade for a solid RH hitter with a little sock.

I still can't help feeling that we need another dependable starter for our rotation. Admitting that Lackey, Doubrant and Dempster pitched better the last time out, the fact is that it looks like Lester has hit a skid and we don't know how dependable the other three are going to be. In this game you win with starting pitching and I would think Cherington will be keeping his eye out for someone like this who can help him. I'll tell him and all of you who my man is......Garza!!!!!!

It would be nice to see Nava make the AST but to me it is of little importance. The important thing is that it is June and the guy is still playing solid and dependable baseball. He also impresses me as a tough gamer. Hell, look at his dismal Friday night performance against Sabathia. What was it, three strikeouts and an uncomfortable 0 for 4. He didn't go in the tank but came back snarling with four hits and a three run homer the next night. He seems to have his head on straight and if I have a bone with him it is that I wish he could hit better from the right side because we have been vulernable against LH pitchers, especially with Victorino and Middlebrooks on the shelf. And let's not minimize our comeback against the Yankees in this past series. We lost the first game of a series last season and the chances were nill that we would come back and take the next two. We did it this year and maybe this season will be different after all. I do want to see this team for another six weeks or so before I go over the edge though.;););)

This board has its supporters of the front office Sox Sport and even a few who will support them no matter what they do, but I wonder how many of the would agree that you bring up our best young player and let him rot on the bench while you put a journeyman in the lineup instead. Well a few like us know that is absolutely stupid and harmful as well. We're told the front office knows what it is doing, but speaking only for myself, if this is what passes for sound thinking our leaders in charge need a brain transplant likity split.

Oh boy User, here we go again. OK---how's this--- you have a right to your opinion which you hinted I didn't allow you to have and I have a right to have mine. And we will just have to agree to disagree----again. I like Lavarnway and you don't. You like Salty and Ross I suppose and I don't. Anyway, I'm a little pissed tonight that we f***ed up again. TB and Baltimore are catching up. We cannot afford another long losing streak. We've got to stop it fast.....like tomorrow.