Maxbialystock

Let me make something very clear. While I like the idea of resting Gray, I am deeply concerned about the Sox pitching.

This team is still very much airborne, but as Bette Davis famously said, "fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy night/flight/September.

Oh, yeah, it's September when the going gets tough and everything seems to ride on every game if not every inning. Last night our premier long reliever gave up 4 runs in the 6th to make it 8-1. Sox lost 8-3. Almost as dismaying was getting 12 hits, including a dinger and 4 doubles, but scoring just 3.

Nicely stated. Just he facts, Mam, just the facts.

Good man, Monasterio. Only 2 things he's lousy at are pitching and, lately, hitting.

Grey was faltering in his last 2 games and he has started more games and pitched more innings than any other Sox starter. I agree completely that getting to October is job one, but think Gray missing one start isn't nearly as important as getting to October. The Sox still have a comfortable lead, but September 2011 was so bad it caused Francona to be let go. And right now the pitching overall looks terrible. In the last 7 games the Sox gave up 26 runs to the Yankees and 25 games to the Mariners. ERA for the last 7 days is 7.38. So I think resting Gray was a good idea, but am plenty worried about the staff as a whole.

What's neat about this chart is that it shows how Tracy sees his bullpen. Tonight, however, is tricky because he is skipping Gray's start to give him a long break and Bello won't be available for long relief. My guess is he will bring someone up from Worcester. Last night the Sox pitching gave up 8 runs to the team that has score the fewest runs in MLB. To his great credit Tracy sent Gamboa back out to pitch the 9th inning so that Chapman could give the Sox their best chance of keeping the Mariners from scoring with the man starting on 2b.

Lost in space. Again.

We agree on Duran, who must have been doing something right playing in 129 games, just 6 less than Abreu's most on the team. I think Rafaela was wrong both times, but I applaud your defense of him. About that call last night when the NY guys agreed it was a single. While I agree there was potential that the ball hit the ground, the compelling evidence for me was that he stayed firmly in the middle of his glove the entire play, which began with a clean grab before it hit the ground. I believe the NY guys general rule is to agree with the call on the field unless it's obvious it was wrong.

The Yankees have the lowest ERA of any MLB in years if not decades. Rafaela screwed up twice, but did so realizing just 1 run could be huge. As for Tracy, I completely disagree with your second-guessing him. Did you not notice that Duran was 0/2 and White 1/2????? I think he's done one heckuva job this season.

Agree on the hitting. Team ERA, 3.46, is 3d best in MLB. The Sox pitching has been the exact opposite of "ordinary." That's the lowest team ERA in the JH era. The 2007 Sox ERA was 3.87 and 2d best in MLB.

That's 2 errors and a passed ball by the Sox. Awful. Plus Rafaela misread that shot to CF. But then he made a terrific throw, followed by a perfect throw home to nail the Yankee belatedly trying to go home from 2b after a double.

So far his hitting stinks, but just for 46 AB's. He looks pretty good on defense and seems enthusiastic to be on the Red Sox. Definitely overweight.

His RISP OPS is .818. Overall this season it's .633. His biggest negative is K's. Only 11 other players in MLB this season have more than Duran's 148. Duran is 4th on the team in games played, 4th in total bases, 3d in dingers, and 1st in SB's. He would not have screwed up that play today in which Long committed an error. My gooodness I'm impressed with Bennett's first 3 IP.

So far his hitting stinks, but just for 46 AB's. He looks pretty good on defense and seems enthusiastic to be on the Red Sox. Definitely overweight.