jung

I don't think you can really make a case that Aceves has been overused as yet. He is the "closer" at this point. If he pitches again tonight then he might need a break in the final game in Toronto. That might actually give the Sox a chance to see what one of these other guys does as a closer. I would not put Melancon in right now with the game on the line. Aceves in my view was not pitching until last night. He was throwing. So I could see what was happening to him. Melancon is throwing batting practice out there. So I would do anything but put him into games with the game on the line at this point. However I do think he is better than what he has shown and I do think he will stop throwing lollypops at some point. Morales is probably the guy who has shown promise while not having pitched much and maybe he would get a shot to close in the last game in Toronto. Padilla should be ready to go again at that point as well I would think.

I really think it will take the warm weather coming around for Youk to really come around if he is going to come around at all. He may be coming up on the end of the line even faster than some of us that have been expecting this would have imagined. I hope not because we do likely need at least another year out of him. Hopefully Boston will see some warm weather when they return.

Ya' but location seems to be his calling card anyway. What does seem different is that on occasion he has enough of a fastball that combined with the other pitches in his arsenal really makes him tough to deal with. Like tonight....while he does not have great velocity he was able to muster enough velocity that his fastball was on the hitters sooner than they expected. Other times, his fastball is not that effective but when it is, he is obviously very frustrating for the hitters.

Hell if this were the Royals I would be dissatisfied with Salty as my catcher...never mind the Red Sox.

OPS only speaks to Salty's hitting. Says nothing for his catching which is truly terrible.

I don't know how Atchison is doin' it. Maybe the opposing hitters look at him and can't believe that old man is going to throw well enough to pound them out but he is doin' it. Tonight he even had a decent FB and was close to unhittable at least for the Jays. So now Morales, Padilla and Atchison has given them decent enough performances to stay I think. Melancon can't continue to pitch this badly. As I wrote earlier he is throwing lollypops up there. It would not surprise me to see them send him down for a couple of weeks just so that he can throw someplace until he stops throwing lollypops. Maybe give him one more shot here to throw and if he still throws lollypops I would send him down to let him work this out.

Clearly the Sox will have to make some choices with regard to the pitching staff because what makes no sense is carrying 13 of them. It is not like they are carrying 13 to use them. They are carrying 13 because they don't know what to expect from any single one of them yet. However it just handicaps them to much. V can't do anything. He really only has two bench players since the 3rd is his backup catcher...backup to Salty. The only title Salty is ever going to compete for is worst catcher of all time. I am sure there are cases when V would like to hit for Salty cause he can't hit and then get him outta' there cause he can't catch. As soon as he hits for Salty and then brings in Shoppach he has used two of his three bench players. So the Sox have got to make some choices about this staff. They do not appear strong enough offensively to just go out there and bash with the best of the bashers which means they need to be able to use more players on occasion in order to win games.

I don't think one start for Bard will change anything in that regard. If Bard does not do well tomorrow they will give him a few more starts beyond that before deciding anything in his regard. People keep grudgingly giving ground and wavering on this point as if the FO is wavering right along with them and I just don't think that is the case at all. I would say that Bard will get at least 5 starts at a minimum and if he does even reasonably well will continue to start at least until dice comes back. Same is to some extent true of Aceves in the closers role although if Aceves had spit the bit again tonight I think he was much closer to losing that job than Bard has been to being pulled from the rotation. Aceves was not just bad...he was terrible and it was plainly obvious that until tonight he was not even pitching in that role, but instead was just throwing the damn ball and that is I think what the Sox would not have tolerated much longer. If he was so overwhelmed by the closers role that he could not even pitch but continued to just throw then I think they would have had him on a very short leash.

Great all around win especially for the pitching. Aceves work tonight earns himself another shot at closing. Now if he can just remember to breath and pitch instead of just throwing the ball like he did the first two times out he might just be OK closing. I thought Doubront was terrific especially considering the starting pitching needed a boost from somewhere.

Notice if you will this was the first time Aceves actually pitched in the closing role as opposed to just throwing.

an actual out by Aceves in the 9th. Isnt that the first one?

Salty walks Salty walks ....oh be still my heart.

Thank God for the WP. Salty looks like no shot at a hit here

Yea....rbi and a lead

Youk should be dropped down in the order. Don't care who they put there.

Well hopefully we make a run at them in the 9th.

I know it is lefty/righty but it is the 8th inning and the Sox are behind. Why start the inning with Salty. He can't hit

Atchison has looked really good. Don't get why our vaunted offense is not doing anything with opposition bullpens though. Even the middle of the order has been kinda' tame.

God damnit. Ortiz out! Although that is the difference between the fielder being in position and not. I thought Ortiz got in...but 99% of the time that play will go to the guy makin' the tag.

Ortiz beats the shift 5 times in 4 games....love it

Atchison must have gotten a cortisone shot.....everywhere!

Oh look, Youk actually lifted one to the outfield. It is not a matter of Youk getting off to a slow start...he looks weak....swinging like a rusty gate....he has not been selective and generally just looks like he is the guy that aged 5 years in 1 year as opposed to Ortiz who looks great.

Way ta' go Pedey.

Doubront has been very impressive for a first start. Look at Darvish...blew up in Texas today And Yes I would take Iggy's everyday SS play over Aviles bat cause he is never going to hit enough to make up for the plus defense Iggy brings. Pitchers are going to start pistol whipping some of these guys for their defense.

And Salty swings at the first pitch and does nothing...gotta love him...best catcher I ever saw