SoxFanForsyth

That's tomorrow

Quiet in here tonight.

KNOCK KNOCK RUN BABY!!!!!

Atta boy Aviles!!!

Alex Wilson just came in the game for Pawtucket out of the bullpen. I've heard from Chris Mellen and Mike Andrews (SoxProspects.com) on twitter that Wilson can be a 7th/8th inning guy for the Red Sox.

I agree, I think they are going to be a duo as well, but it's lined up as though Shoppach would have caught each game anyway. Beckett has faced Price and Holland in his past 2 outings (both LHP), and Shoppach crushes Blackburn (8-16, 3 HR), so I think he would have started all 3 of these games regardless. So it's a little deceptive for now.

Remember last year, when the Guardians were 12-4 and then 20-8?? Then they ended up below .500.

72 AB on the season (77 Plate Appearances, 5 BB). 2 AB tonight. 1-2, Triple, Run.

Middlebrooks just smoked a triple to CF in the PawSox game. .375, 1.193 OPS.

Manny is 300X more athletic than Youkilis.

BP meaning bullpen sessions, not batting practice. He's been getting his timing down that way when pitchers were throwing their pens.

Curious. Wonder if this was just a follow up to his first trip to see if there has been any improvement. I would say if there was any ligament damage, he would have been completely shut down the first time. May just DH for an extra week or something, but I don't think this is much of a set back. It only takes 2-3 games for him to be in game shape defensively.

Uh. What?!? Youk couldn't play LF when he was moving well. He can't even play 3B because he can't move well enough. That's a horrible, horrible, horrible idea to put Youk in LF.

Are you really going to try to sit here and tell us that it's the FO's fault that the bullpen couldn't get 9 outs without giving up 8 runs?? Are you kidding me?!? The FO went out and acquired a proven closer in Bailey. They went out and got a guy in Melancon who had success last year as a late inning reliever, and don't give me that "He was a good player on a bad team" because Hunter Pence doesn't seem to be struggling in Philly. It's not the FO's fault that Bailey had a freak injury or that Melancon is throwing the ball flat and straight right now. It's not their fault that Aceves is overthrowing and is suddenly throwing with no movement after posting a 2.03 ERA out of the bullpen last year. There is some blame to be placed on management and the FO, but they've got players who have been successful in the past. I'm sorry, but the team is failing because the pitchers are failing. Buchholz isn't a 9.00 ERA guy. Lester isn't a 6.00 ERA guy. Aceves isn't an 18.00 ERA guy. Beckett isn't a 5.86 ERA guy. Morales isn't a 6.00 ERA guy. Melancon isn't a 49.50 ERA guy. Adrian Gonzalez isn't a .715 OPS guy. Is Youkilis a .533 OPS guy? This team is full of underachievers right now, and the FO had no reason to believe any of these things would happen based on their track record and history. That's a joke. It's 90% on the players.

The only thing the Sox can hope for is that Rich Hill can come in and be that 7th inning piece with Morales as the 8th inning piece, and Aceves can somehow calm down as the closer. One thing that Cafardo was saying on the broadcast yesterday (he was filling in for Remy in the late innings) was that a lot of scouts are wondering if Aceves is overthrowing. He's throwing 95-96, which is nice, but his ball is straight. He needs to tone it down to the 93-94 range and get the movement back on his pitches.

In terms of Aaron Cook - One has to wonder how much of his success hinges on an extremely strong defensive left side of the infield with Middlebrooks and Iglesias over there, whereas it's the polar opposite in Boston with Youk and Aviles. And for what it's worth, I'm ready to call Middlebrooks up to replace Youkilis.

I'm not a big platoon fan. Too many players need to get into a groove.

Not if Bard is the closer.

He's hitting .283 with a .973 OPS and leading the team in HR with 5. He's more than a role player right now. Let's not forget, when he gets regular playing time, he's able to rake (i.e. his time with the Marlins).

Don't get me wrong - I do not approve of the offseason by any means. Taking both Bard and Pap out of the bullpen is unacceptable. As soon as Bailey got hurt, Bard should have moved to closer and the SP project scrapped. It was very unfortunate, but they can't be without Bard, Bailey, or Papelbon and have a successful team.

We agree about making it competitive. I just think they should have traded for a SP like Garza, and then move Bard to the closer. But regardless, this all snuck up on them because they got a proven closer in Bailey. He should have been the closer and we wouldn't be having this discussion. It was a stupid, freak injury that crushed this team.

Stomach is slowly moving back down from throat.

And who better to help set that record than the Boston Red Sox, who already have millions and millions of mistake dollars on their books.