jung

Not surprised if Drew is the game 3 SS. If WMB was a lead pipe cinch to hit, then you maybe can afford to cut Drew out of that infield. But so far in this post season, so much momentum is being generated out of mistakes. Regular season momentum usually requires runs or at least a run and base runners etc etc. These teams are generating momentum out of an error. "We got an extra out...yea we got an extra out". For the team that made the error, the guy responsible feels like digging a hole and burying himself and his teammates drive themselves nuts trying to make a play that mitigates the mistake. Neither of those are terrific ideas. Drew and Pedey have made just a ridiculous amount of plays and while Peavy is not as much of a ground ball pitcher as some other guys are, I still expect to see Drew and Pedey getting a lotta' work.

I don't think WMB can do much with Kelly. I would keep XB and Drew in the Game 3 lineup.

As good as Drew's defense was during the season his post season defense has been staggering.....frankly I did not expect it because it is at least a notch if not two notches better than his regular season defense. He has looked so smooth doing everything over there. The ball is just flowing into his glove and flowing out of his throwing hand. His defense during the regular season was more one or the other.....to date this is an unbelievable post season SS defensive performance. I just think this needs to be understood....something has happened to this guy as a consequence of post season play and he has turned into a defensive monster. If that were not the case, I would be more willing to accept the XB/Drew exchange at SS. Not sure if I would immediately go to Will at 3rd in game 3. Would without question go to Will if we see Wacha again and wanted Farrell to go to Will for Game 2 against Wacha.

It was the bottom of the order and Farrell came with a set up man that has just done his job of late. I said pages ago as Bres was warming on the mound that I thought Farrell left Lackey one batter too long and I then explained why I thought so. I still think that is the case. Bres would have come into a far less pressure packed situation with one out and one on and likely would have had a much better shot at getting the job done against the bottom of the order LH bats. I even said I understood Farrell going the one last batter with Lackey because its Farrell but I will never think it makes sense in that situation. If the chances are 100% that you are going to remove the starter if that last batter gets on, then what the hell are you doing letting him pitch to him. Although Bres does not have the greatest of lefty to lefty stuff, he has gotten his lefties out of late as well, almost breezing through them and these guys were bottom of the order lefties. Still and all, it took a convergence of some of the weakest aspects of the Sox defense to set that whole mess in motion. Salty should have nailed the runner stealing 3rd but bobbled the ball. Gomes did not set himself well enough to make an accurate throw and he didn't. Salty had no reason to hold the plate as once the throw was off line the play was dead but he did. Bres did have a play on the guy running to 3rd but not by the time he had crow hopped around Salty and pitchers throwing to bases is such a known issues that even Cadaver was on top of it. As for all the post game praise for Wacha, the Cards won so I guess it should be expected but he really left a ton of those change ups in very bad locations, awful locations and if you are ready for the change and it comes in a bad location, it is frankly about the easiest ML pitch to hit. It is not like his use of the change in those situations was surprising. Even with that when he throws it in a good pitcher's location it is a very tough pitch. But he left many of them in horrid locations and we did nothing with them except for Ortiz. When a guy has as few pitches in his arsenal as Wacha has your chances of guessing right are much better. Not sure what some of our guys were doing but I would have gone with WMB instead of XB for one as Wacha has no slider. However as I said as Wacha went later into the game I was really worried about the arms the Cards have in the pen and they just shut the Sox down.

I am so f***ing sick and tired of the media trying to bury this team. What the f*** is so special about the f***ing Cardinals...nothing...that's what...nothing.

Now that did make me laugh...thank you Would love to turn back the clock and see how that would have gone if Farrell did bring Bres right after the walk. If Bres failed there, then Farrell could have brought Taz at some point in that inning. Two on with only one out is a way tougher spot than one on and one out. Farrell says in the presser "Nava is likely to continue to factor in here". What the f*** does that mean John...start Nava for crying out loud!

Not sure about that. If we went RH pitcher against LH batters and Taz gave it up we would have been asking why on earth Farrell went that way. Salty really f***ed us royally if you must know. He would have had the runner dead at 3rd if he got the stupid ball out of his mitt and then if he had not tried to hold the plate (for no good reason) Bres would never have gotten the ball to throw it into LF.

The only question mark for me going to St. L is what do we do with Buch? Does he pitch or not and how capable is he whether he starts or not. As for lineups...this ******** with Gomes has got to stop...especially since we are losing Napoli for two and possibly Ortiz for one. While this game would have been a good game to try Will, I am not sure there is that same opportunity in St L. Have to look at the numbers to see how I feel about XB vs Will there but I am inclined to think it would be and should be XB. If we get Wacha again in this series I would definitely vote for Will.

I really do wish that Farrell had played WMB in this game instead of XB. This might have been the one game where Will could have really been an asset and he would have felt so much better about this situation if he was tapped to start a game. Of course Farrell's binkie had to bat there. God help us if we ever were to PH for Gomes.

The Cadaver (can't even put the Mc in front of that) is arguing that the Sox will have a decision to make in St. L regarding 1st base. Its Ortis...Period!

Right or wrong I think the Sox were trying to make the case that MLB should have made him honor his signed contract with the Sox. Why was it the Sox fault that the kid did not use his real name on the contract. So I think the Sox were caught between the rock and a hard place in that they were trying to make their case to have MLB honor their contract with him. Hence they did not bid for him because the bid process said their contract was null and void. I have to agree the Sox there. f***ed up decision by MLB I think...if I have my facts right.

The reason I am always a bit mystified when a manager leaves a pitcher in for "one more batter" as Farrell did there with Lackey is because I often find it hard to understand what it to be gained. Was there any possibility that Farrell was going to leave Lackey in if the first LH hitter got on after that walk? Answer....None what so ever. Right??? None. So if that is the case, why are you leaving him there to pitch to the first LH batter? All we did there is dig a deeper hole for Bres who at least this time, didn't dig out of it. I can understand the perspective of giving you starter his due by letting him pitch to the last possible batter you could and can definitely swallow Farrell doing it cause.... well its Farrell...However I don't really think it makes sense. It is the WS.....You get out of that inning...probably you are very very close to closing the door on the Cards in this game cause you have gotten it to the 8th and you can probably bring Kpji for 4 outs when th time comes or just for the 9th when the time comes.

Could not have brought Koji there. Managers can only do so much. You want Farrell to dig out his crystal ball and determine that Koji can go 8 outs? IMO, taking Lackey out after the walk and bringing Bres at that point was the only other logical call besides the one that Farrell made. Bres may actually have been able to pitch out of that if he had one more out ala' the first LH batter and one less base runner....again ala' the first LH batter.

Double steal is what cost them here. Salty couldn't get the damn ball out of his glove. Decent throw and the lead runner is out at 3rd. Clearly Farrell was not going to allow Lackey to continue if that first LH hitter got on which is why I actually thought Farrell was one batter late not one batter early. If you are not going to allow Lackey to continue in that situation, then take him out after the walk for the first LH hitter. That hit set up the double steal situation......where Salty failed to get the ball out of his glove...followed by the complete cluster f***. Not sure why Salty tried to hold the plate either. He had no shot once the ball was tailing toward the first base line. Easy to say from the comfort of my couch but ....you know how it is.

And this is why I would have wanted bres one guy earlier...now we have to bring the infield in...might get out of it anyway

Only reason I would have wanted Bres one guy earlier is that I think bres would get both of these turkeys and we would be out of the inning with the lead headed to the 8th. You could almost call that ball game.

Had to give Lackey his shot to get through 7 as well as he was pitching. Could argue that Farrell should have gone right to Bres after the walk with two LH bats coming up. But I can live with this just as well even with the hit. Funny game baseball.

I Well if you can force the opposing pitcher into the middle of the plate, you crush him there. Strategy does not work if you are swinging at pitchers pitches, be they balls or strikes.

Man was Ortiz on Wacha's ball that AB. Somebody was going to get that s***** location change.

No real spot to rescue Drews bat at least not in this game. Considering Wacha's pitch repertoire this might have been a good night to come with WMB as opposed to XB. WMB would not be nearly as vulnerable to Wacha as he would be to other RH pitchers and XB seems not to be able to get onto that change.

Can see why Wacha has better numbers against LH batters. His location is excellent against the lefties. The RH bats just have to get on the same page with him.....like Pedey

To bad XB was not looking for that particular change. That is a baaaaddddd location for a change

Lackey looking for a second career as a goalie

The Gomes stuff is a irritating. But the game is starting to slip away from Wacha. I don't see him running the table on the Sox at all. More concerned with the arms the Cards have in the pen if Wacha takes the game into later innings.

Sox squander there. If Naps is going to hit into a DP he invariably picks the worst possible moment for it.