Yaz Fan Since 67

Imagine if just one of the following occurs in September and carries through the playoffs: Abreu gets hot again and puts up numbers that can carry a team like he does to start the season. Story returns (at DH) and does something similar. It's rare and it's been a while but it has happened. Rutschman returns to all star level play. Now we are looking at a really dangerous team. Let's assume everyone else returns to expected performances. Ceddanne and Durbin cool off but Duran gets back to where he has been the last 2 years, getting on base and created havoc. Everyone else stays the same. They would roll out a playoff team with a lineup that is much improved and would produce runs. Every one of their starting pitchers can be counted on for a solid outing, if one starts leaking oil Bello can come in and shut the door for 4 innings keeping them in the game. Assuming Guererro continues his magical ride the game is now we turned over to a guy who is throwing dancing 103 MPH sinkers and a left handed flame thrower before we get to Whit and Chapman. Even if he doesn't hit Rutschman behind the plate will turn one of the best defensive teams in baseball into perhaps the best. They have speed and have shown the ability to create runs by playing small ball, they can beat you in a number of ways. Pretty exciting and a post I never imagined writing a month ago.

That throw was a lolipop from 190 feet. Such a weak arm, I continue to be amazed at how poor outfield arms are today. You rarely see a throw at the plate, it's nearly always up the line even if the arm is strong. Someone posted that Durbin is the best defensive 3rd baseball in Red Sox history. I honestly can't think of a better one. I would like to personally apologize to Sonny Gray. After his first few starts I thought we had acquired a lemon. The beat goes on. How much fun is this?

Is this real life? I see I'm not the only one who thought of Money Ball last night. Are Duran and Abreu finally heating up? Imagine this team if that happens. Bello once again was amazing in relief, 3 perfect innings. Can we stop with the nonsense of forcing him as a starter again? It's obviously mental but I'm not buying the 4 days off to think about it theory. Was he not aware that he would be coming in after the opener several days before? Nobody can explain it, I say f*** it just use him in a role he excels at. I would go back to using him after the opener and make that part of the rotation, at least for the regular season. This will allow them to stretch out the starts of the young starters who are on innings restrictions. The guy who caught Durbin's grand slam appeared to be my age, I liked that. If Story every plays shortstop for this team again I'll be very disappointed, I'm fine with the shortstop play so far. If playing time is actually determined by performance as it is in other sports there is no way Trevor Story deserves to start. We are now the talk of baseball and have been for a while now. This feels so good after we were laughed at for months to start the season. New reliever was awesome. I loved this trade, I was done with Marco Mayer, and he is signed for 3 more years. What a great trade. I can't stand the way Sandoval pitches, nothing but junk balls. We still mismanage the ball/strike appeal system. Can't be out of challenges late in the game, This is very important to get right when the games really matter. Skubal took the loss in his debut. I'm still not over how we embarrassed the mighty Dodgers in their house.

Tek was the last all star catcher for the Sox, that was nearly 20 years ago. When was the last time our catcher could even be considered a good player? I loved Vaz and I guess he fits, but that's a stretch. This is in incredibly important position and RH's defense alone should get fans excited. If he can get healthy and they can extend him, and the O's tried and failed twice so no certainty, they could have very well landed a cornerstone player at a premium position for prospects who most often do not pan out. I just don't understand all the hate.

This is my take as well. We've seen first hand how prospects fail. A 3 time all star catcher in his prime is an incredibly valuable asset. I'd roll the dice that he becomes healthy and productive again over a few minor league players being better. I really don't understand why this is being called the worst trade in 30 years. I'm glad they are out of the Macro Mayer business. I never felt he was going to hit at the major league level and with so much invested they would have forced him into the lineup and he would continue to kill rallies.

I keep wondering what that will look like with a new labor agreement.

Abreu continues to take strike one. Seems like with 90% of his at bats he is behind in the count, often he fouls off the 2nd pitch and finds himself at 0-2 constantly. Swing the bat please.

This is the first Red Sox team where I look at the starting pitcher and feel confident nearly every game. They don't have their ace but they have a stable of #2's and high end #3's. This is the deepest rotation I can ever remember.

At this point Narvaez is unplayable. They have to go with Wong as unappealing as that is, at least we have a chance at a hit with Connor.

In other words there is no advantage to waiting. I agree at 2-2 you may as well play it out. I don't want to wait until it's 2-2.

I still can't believe they played in Boston yesterday and have to play in California the next night. MLB schedule is absolutely brutal on the players and coaches.

Duran is 15 for 17 in steals this season, I'm sure he's at least that for his career so he is clearly proficient at getting a lead and a good jump. With 2 outs and a man on first that sounds like the perfect time to steal a base. And the percentages strongly suggest it would work. To my other point if they are going to send him why wait 5 pitches?

Another nice performance by the Red Sox. Roger was dealing last night, that 3-2 curveball was a thing of beauty. We survived Weissert, Slatten and Watson with little damage. Tyronn Guerrera is one of the great stories of the season and we don't talk about him enough IMO. From where he was to this is simply amazing. One thing that has driven me crazy for years is MLB player's inability to lay down a bunt. Not only is our manager calling a lot of bunts, and we saw how they worked out again last night, but the players are actually laying down effective bunts. This make me happy and this is a big change.. Not sure why they don't send Duran when there is 2 outs. With the #9 hitter that sounded like the right time rather than relying on your worst hitting hitting one in the gap or counting on 2 more hits. Is it that Tracy didn't want to take the risk of having his 9 hitter leading off the next inning? I also never understood why they wait 4-5 pitched before sending a runner. In those 4-5 pitches an out can occur, why do they wait?

Oh please no. I don't see either as a long term answer at SS, I feel differently about Arias.

Yeah I'm not moving Durbin off 3rd base. He has been rock solid.

Of course. Still don't like trading a promising young left hander and I'm surprised others are OK with doing this.

You basically ignored everything I wrote. You claimed a guy who got 2 hits, including a home run, and also made a great play may have costs us that game. Which is ridiculous. If he went 0-4 and made an error on top of failing to move over the runner, then and only then would you have had a viable argument.

I'm surprised at the reaction. I hate this trade, I don't want to give up on a very promising young left handed pitcher unless it's for a real impact player.

You harped on one play, a play a ton of MLB players fail to make. You said he could have cost the team a game, in a game where he got 2 hits, went deep and made a great play. That's not a fair assessment, that's being a hater and apparently you have been doing this all year.

Posting bad takes is not entertaining. And you are doing it again here. Rafaella as you said is the best defensive CF in baseball. When you put his defense with a .283 average 769 OPS and a 4.4 WAR you have a very good player. I have no idea why you are such a hater, He is the most productive of all the young players they have put in the lineup, he is one of the players we should be most excited about.

I tend to agree, which is why I posted that I didn't want to trade him last winter as he was at that time capable of taking over a game. He's no longer that player and I'm not sure how much longer we are expected to wait.

Yeah I agree. Duran may be part of the "best defensive outfield in the MLB" but he is not the reason for that. And obviously his hitting remains a huge problem, not too many teams will stick with a guy who has been south of the Mendosa Line all season. And it's not like he's got the resume of a star who is just in a slump.

First time in this thread, hoping to see the reaction to the Sixers. Man this has to be killing you guys, trading Brown to Philly also pretty much gave them LeBron. Ouch.

Another game I could not watch because of the new world, I only hope it's a few games a year moving forward that goes to an app but I have my doubts. So all I can do is read the thread to get a feel for the game. I see Weissert is still an issue, I'm so sick of that guy, and Fred Lynn is still a weird poster. Apparently Ceddanne hit a bomb and made a great play but he is a dog who is regressing and failed last night because he did not move a runner over. Yeah that makes perfect sense. Chapman got another save but still walked a man, this is still a concern for me. That's 4 straight appearances with at least one BB, I'm keeping an eye on that. Can't wait to watch tonight. 2 nights in a row without a Red Sox game sucked.

As I said at the time Bello has been excellent in the role they found that worked, the problem was the opener kept giving up runs in the 1st. Instead of keeping him in that role they tried to make him a starter again, it went as they should have expected, and they sent him down. That made no sense to me then and it sure doesn't now after 2 more excellent long relief performances. They should have just kept him in the role he excelled at and tried to figure out the opener part.