jung

I have to go find the actual number but I think the Sox are 4-23 or something like that in games where they don't score four runs or more. I will go looking for it now. Hopefully they improve on that tonight. If you can't win close low scoring games at a better clip than that....you are kidding yourself to have post season aspirations.

Glad the A's did not bunt there...that was a stupid stupid decision thank God

Other than a few of the Pawtucket boys.none of them run the bases worth s***...none of them sacrifice worth s***...go look at the record...if the games are not 8-6, 10-8, the Red Sox generally lose and you can't lay all of that on Nick Punto.

Nicely done Punto...unbelievable....we want to project these guys into the post season....to do what....does any of us really think we are going to see some procession of 8-6 ballgames in the post season.

Sacrifice BTF there is an interesting word Sacrifice...Somehow I have to believe that the Sox have managed to have that word removed from any dictionary that might be available to any Red Sox player.

Great job but we still needed to plate that run last inning and we may end up needing it still.

Wouldn't one stinking lousy run look big right here. Second half of the season even though we won't see as much of this as we are seeing in consecutive series in Seattle and here there will be many many more games like this in the second half.

While I just commented that V was adapting at least in the way he handled pulling Lester last inning, we still seem unable to manufacture runs when we need them. Just heard it...we are 4 for 40 with runnings in scoring position on this road trip but to me we don't play for a run when we need a run. I don't know what we are playing for...what a 5 run rally in a park and against a team that just does not give up those kinds of runs?

Geez I would love to see the Sox do something with this situation to manufacture a run here.

Nobody on and Lester is finishing that inning and maybe even starting the next. The guy on base late with 107 was the deciding factor I would bet. How bad would it look if the guy came up and hit one out. The game is not only tied at that point but the A's would be up by one late in another one of these grind out the runs games. At least to me it says V is adapting to the park and the situation.

Was Baltimore's pitcher tonight pitching a perfect game up to some point late?

I think it will be interesting to see what the Sox do for the DH position after Ortiz...I suspect it will be something more like what is becoming more popular around the league...the DH role being shared by several players that are actually everyday players.

Lester has settled down tonight and has pitched very well after that shaky first inning. In this park against this team, another insurance run might do the job.

If you look at Salty's fangraphs fielding numbers, they are pretty nasty. The poster is trying to make the point that his framing numbers basically makes up for that and I don't buy it. We get to see Salty play so it is not like we have to look at the stats in a vacuum. He could be in the top 5 for catchers in framing and if he still let balls get past him like those two in Seattle I would still have issue with his defensive skill set. Catchers age pretty quickly as well so 27 is not as young for a catcher as it is for another position player. He is improving but big moment plays for a catcher generally involve something around home plate where runs are scored and he will have to improve a great deal there at least in my estimation for me think he is not a defensive liability as a catcher. In addition in truth the worst thing you can do with stats is try to mix stat processing from two different systems. You cannot take one statisticians processing of something like framing data and mix it with another statisticians processing of other fielding data and come up with a composite answer that means anything. It just does not work as they are not weighting the same, not using the same formulas, it just does not work. It might work for fangraphs to develop a view of framing and add it to their data for catchers but until then what the poster is trying to do is frankly meaningless.

If you look at Salty's fangraphs fielding numbers, they are pretty nasty. The poster is trying to make the point that his framing numbers basically makes up for that and I don't buy it. We get to see Salty play so it is not like we have to look at the stats in a vacuum. He could be in the top 5 for catchers in framing and if he still let balls get past him like those two in Seattle I would still have issue with his defensive skill set. Catchers age pretty quickly as well so 27 is not as young for a catcher as it is for another position player. He is improving but big moment plays for a catcher generally involve something around home plate where runs are scored and he will have to improve a great deal there at least in my estimation for me think he is not a defensive liability as a catcher. In addition in truth the worst thing you can do with stats is try to mix stat processing from two different systems. You cannot take one statisticians processing of something like framing data and mix it with another statisticians processing of other fielding data and come up with a composite answer that means anything. It just does not work as they are not weighting the same, not using the same formulas, it just does not work. It might work for fangraphs to develop a view of framing and add it to their data for catchers but until then what the poster is trying to do is frankly meaningless.

To be honest I think the thing that made a huge impact for Salty was that he stopped trying to do everything as fast as it could possibly be done or I should say faster than it could possibly be done. That more than anything has accounted for his improvement in most areas. The game still sort of goes to fast for him in the big moments which is why he has so much difficulty with plays at home with runs at stake. Notice for example he actually gets rid of ball on throws to second a bit more smoothly and less rushed than he used to yet his throws are now for the most part timely and on the mark. He used to try to throw the damned thing before he even had it out of his glove and his throws were generally less timely and off the mark.

Salty ranks 11th in that particular category....which is fine as far as it goes but he still makes to many mistakes around home plate...maybe if he was ranked in the top five the rest of his issues would be more acceptable but balls still go over him, past him, around him and through him at to high a rate to say that 11th in framing is that big a deal. His throwing has improved I would say as much as 100%..that is where he has made the most improvement.....Framing is probably second on the list....receiving is still a problem and and fielding his position is still an issue. Those two plays at the plate in Seattle were classic hands of stone Salty.

Boy I don't know about that...I really don't think Salty frames pitchs all that well but he is getting better at it....no question.

If the word on Lavs was that he was improving defensively at a faster pace then Salty then I would be more up on Lavs but Salty has improved a great deal defensively from about the end of May to today. Still makes some horrid mistakes and I really don't know how they are going to cure some of this...can't have the kinds of defensive lapses he has when they score runs over the place on the field that is your responsibility. Hitting home runs at a relatively low BA is fine for a catcher but said catcher has got to play better behind the plate than Salty has played so far. Hopefully his defensive improvement has not peaked here.

Way ta' go Salty...we can at least hope that Colon will make as many mistakes to the Sox as Lester is likely to make to the A's

Cause our starting pitching is awful...it is not adequate...it is not OK...it is not improving it is awful.

I know...Salty is all but laying down at home plate trying to get Lester to keep the ball down but he is getting to much plate inside and not quite low enough in many cases. I really thought he would leave one up to Cespedas

Lester is getting very close to grooving one to Cespedas

Oh my God. I know I can be a prick but Holy Cow...all that has to happen for whatever enthusiasm you have worked up to get blitzed is for the game to start.

I just cannot fathom how these guys can continue to just go out there and serve this s*** up. It is scary how much this looks like last year when the roof caved in....we were behind in the first inning every night....