Maxbialystock

Duran played in all 15 and 9 games in the two winning streaks. He's a rotten saboteur. He has played in 118 games and Contreras in 115, Durbin 119, Rafaela 121, and Abreu 123.

Great stuff--a lot of specifics leading to your conclusion which makes me ask yet again, if Duran is as awful as you and almost everyone else says he is, why didn't Tracy or Cora use that amazing bench to keep Duran from dragging this team down (as he clearly must have done according to all the boo birds). He played in all 15 games of one winning streak and all 9 of the other, which means he's a rotten saboteur. That said, I agree the bench is good and so is Breslow who brought in a lot of guys who have transformed this team despite all the talent still on the IL. These last two games have convinced me that the Sox really are contenders. They have the 3d most wins in the AL and they are in the same Division with #1 and #2. Right now I see no real weaknesses on the mound, at bat, or in the field. Further pitching injuries, as you say, are possible, but Houck and Crochet both seem headed back and MRI's say Whitlock and Slaten should also be coming back by September. I think both Anthony and Mead will be back by early September. And how about the kid, Franklin Arias? Story is due back, but his hitting is a big question.

This season's Sox remind me of the little girl with a curl. When she was good, she was very, very good, and when she was bad, she was horrid. By the above I mostly mean the lineup, not the pitching, and that's almost certainly because Breslow is more comfortable going after MLB pitchers--which he was for 10 seasons--than lineup players. Nevertheless, I give him good marks for letting Devers and Bregman go and for bringing in Contreras and Durbin and maybe Monasteros. Also, Bloom left him with Yoshida and Story who have not earned their pay at the plate--together they get $40M/year through next season. Ugh. I'm down on Rutschman because he ain't hitting and because spelling his name is a pain. But he can catch and isn't too pricey. Mead, meanwhile, is hitless since July 29 and won't return to the lineup until September, if that. All in all, I think Breslow has done an excellent job. Let's not forget that two of his best players, Crochet and Anthony, will miss 2/3 or more of this season.

Abreu the only Sox lefty bat vs Arizona's lefty starter Bratt. Plus Duran due day off. Bratt's ERA vs lefties is 5.59. Bratt is young, 23, but 12 days ago he went 7 scoreless innings vs San Diego.

I expect to see Bello on the mound tonight. See he returned from Worcester his ERA has been by far the lowest on the team. 2 ER's in 22.3 IP.

He wasn't cleared by a hand specialist????

Good for you. Sox fans at Fenway have been awesome this season.

He was in the ASG 3 straight seasons, including this one. We should have been expecting another Narvaez?

A fair point.

Plus he's overweight at 6'1" and 230 lbs. How the heck did he get 3 trips to the ASG?

Good points. But I still think it doesn't help Rutschman to weigh 230 lbs. I think 10 games is enough for Anthony, but management gets to see how he does at Worcester before deciding.

You could be right about the team but enjoying 15 game winning streak and then a 9 gamer was hardly delusional. Right now I too am disappointed with the latest 2 acquisitions. One went on the IL after 2 AB's (and may or may not return this season) and the other is overweight and underhitting. Hard to believe he was a 3-time all-star. In Breslow's defense, he has put together the best Sox pitching staff--despite all the injuries--in a long time. Let's not forget he was saddled with $40M/year (thru 2027) Story and Yoshida, neither of whom has earned his pay. He inherited Rafaela and Abreu who have blossomed this year, but he brought in Contreras, Durbin, Monasterio, and Kiner-Falefa, all with WAR's ranging from 4.0 to 1.3. I'm guessing he and his manager agreed to go with small ball, which defies sabermetrics which have ruled the Sox for 20+ seasons. Right now small ball seems to have helped the scoring overall.

Painful to watch and rewatch and rewatch.

😃

The offense produced 4 runs and had the tying run at the plate in the 9th inning. The surprise in this series is the Jays scoring 13 runs in 3 games. They are ranked 29th in MLB in runs scored.

Agree on the Contreras play, but Abreu demonstrated once again why he is the best defensive right fielder in MLB today. Rafaela going for 3b was another mistake, but born of the need to tie the game at 1-1. With him on 3d and 1 out, the Sox have 2 shots at bringing him home.

Those 35 games made this season.

Not that little. 35 games with the best W-L record in MLB history. They went from the outhouse to just outside the penthouse. And what's this "we" stuff? You go out of your way to see the downside.

Breslow built this team around pitching and defense, both of which are still good. And the hitting was good enough to contribute to 15 straight wins and then 9 straight. I think they had the best 35 straight games in MLB history, so you're calling them a bunch of losers is just wrong.

5 straight losses speak for themselves and justifiy wondering whether the playoffs are still in sight.But it's hard for me to buy into that because I still like the rotation, hitting, and defense. Bullpen is a worry right now. Baserunning is atrocious.

A fair question. First, I meant last season and specifically July and August. When he was injured on Sep 3, the Sox hitting/scoring suffered. This year he stunk but I think it was that injury and I also think he's still a good hitter. He finished last year with an OPS of .859 in 71 games.

Vehemently disagree. If there is one thing we can be sure of it's that neither Breslow nor Tracy keeps and plays guys for no good reason. Of the top 13 position player WAR's of 2023, Bloom's last season, only 4 are still with the Sox. I do agree his OPS of .613 is dismal, but, as I've said too many times, he also has a bunch of pluses--rbi's, dingers, total bases, stolen bases, and an OPS of .823 with RISP. He's tied for the MLB lead in assists--7-- from left field and has 1 error.

Agree. He had an excellent 3 games, but Wong is the guy who knows the staff.

What prospects?????!!!!! You think Duran was a hot ticket last winter? And why oh why would you opt for two leftfielders when you already have freaking Anthony--plus Rafaela in CF and Abreu in RF. And neither one is as good a leftfielder as Duran (or Anthony for that matter).