Maxbialystock

All very reasonable although this year Duran can't hit lefties.

Absolutely fascinating analysis. Thanks.

Love your optimism supported by stats, but also by hopefulness. As a former New Englander said, "Hope Is Not a Method." Bregman's slump (12 games) and Anthony and Abreu on the IL are heavy blows. Of the three other OPS's over .800 (Lowe, Ref, and Gonzalez), Lowe can't hit lefties and Ref and Gonzalez can't hit righties. The next best OPS, Duran's .786, also cannot hit lefties. If the Sox go 4-2 on this road trip, I think they can do what you say.

First, what a great idea to start a game thread on an off day!!! Second, while I agree with mvp 78 the Sox are definitely still very much in the postseason hunt, I'm definitely nervous about both the hitting and pitching. Of the Sox 6 best OPS's--Lowe .949, Anthony .859, Bregman .849, Ref .847, Gonzalez .834, and Abreu .811--Anthony and Abreu are on the IL, Bregman is in a 12 game slump, Lowe can't hit lefties, Ref can't hit righties, and Gonzalez OPS vs righties is .697. So putting a lineup together continues to be a balancing act. Pitching has been the real strength of the 2025 Sox. Despite losing 8 freaking starters--Crawford, Buehler, Dobbins, Fitts, Houck, Newcomb, Criswell, and possibly May--the Sox still have an excellent top 4 (Crochet, Bello, Giolito, and Tolle). Plus the bullpen of Chapman, Whitlock, Weissert, Wilson, Matz, Slaten, and Bernardino is actually pretty good. Nevertheless, the weak-hitting Guardians managed to score 19 runs in their 3 game series at the Fens. They scored 7 off our ace Crochet. Bello struggled, giving up 3 runs and 3 BB in 5 IP. Tolle looked terrific in his first ever MLB start against the Pirates, but he is restricted in the number of pitches he can throw and how often he starts. May, the presumed 5th starter, had 2 good starts last month, but 4 lousy ones and an August ERA of 5.68. And then there's Jordan Hicks, who has pitched in 20 games in relief (in July, August, and Sep) and has an ERA of 8, 1 Hold, 12 BB's, and 15 K's. SF sent us a box of rocks. Why is he still on the roster?

A Realistic View is always a great thread to come back to. With the rotation struggling and 3 of our best hitters--Bregman, Anthony, and Abreu--either struggling or on the IL, I'm reminded of a Bette Davis line from All About Eve: "Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy night."

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Same guy I remember. Best or 2d best hitter in MLB history.

Those pitching analytics don't come from the freaking Ivy League. They come from graduating from Yale with a degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry, which demonstrated a pretty good brain, and then learning the MLB pitching trade first hand for 10 years, followed by an "executive apprenticeship" with the Cubs for 5 years. You want a 5th starter? The Sox have already been through eight (8): Houck, Dobbins, Fitts, Criswell, Crawford (who never started but started 33 freaking games last year), Buehler, Newcomb, and May. That leaves the current rotation of Crochet, Bello, Giolito, Tolle, and possibly May or a bullpen game like tonight, Maybe Harrison can help, but whatever is done I trust the combined judgments of Cora and Breslow and not yours.

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Lousy score, 8-1, against a lefty starter against whom the Sox had plenty of righty bats. Can't blame that on the absence of Anthony and Abreu. I would say the bullpen stunk, but only for the first 2 innings. After Bernardino, Hicks especially, and Matz stunk it up, Kelly and May combined for 7 IP and 1 ER. Kelly pitched well. May was lucky as the dickens. Up ahead, 6 road games at Arizona and Oakland. I think the Sox need to take at least 4 of the 6, but could not be more worried about both the hitting and the pitching. Cleveland, ranked near the bottom of MLB in both team OPS and runs scored 19 runs in 3 games, including 7 against our ace, Crochet. Meanwhile, 3 of our best hitters--Bregman, Anthony, and Abreu--are either MIA or on the casualty list.

First curve hit hard--by Story.

An old pro like Bregman refused that easy peasy fastball and struck out the breaking stuff. Not smart.

Actually, this was the perfect game for him to miss, As big a worry as the hitting now is, the pitching, which has carried the Sox this season, looks almost as bad. Crochet gave up 7 runs last night. Now the bullpen has give up 7 more in just 3 IP.

Yes. The replays show that, which is why I thought the first call was right.

Sox now swinging at fast balls, which is smart. Wait, wait, don't tell me. Sogard, on the other hand, swung at nothing and K'd.

Apparently, they got the call right. The Pirates hammered Bello and Crochet for 11 runs, so stomping Bernardino, Hicks, and Matz was a piece of cake.

Fascinating, Thanks.

Lousy for us, but completely unfair for the fans at the game who are paying big bucks to be there. Wong was called for interference. Bernardino, Hicks, and Matz give up 7 runs in 2 innings.

Let's not forget the Pirates scored 4 runs when Bello started and 7 off of Crochet. I think the first call was right. Batter interfered with Wong so he's out and the guy coming home goes back to third. The Guardians still have 4 stinking runs in less than 2 innings. And men on 2d and 3d with 2 outs.

Don't we all.

Hicks getting absolutely hammered. He can't pitch, but he's out of options, so the Sox keep him on the roster.

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We agree!

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Your timeline, not mine. Bregman, Crochet, Chapman, Narvaez, and Anthony were exactly the shot in the arm this team needed. Plus Story for a full season at SS and hitting up a storm. Plus Rafaela having his best season ever (WAR 3.8), Duran not as good as last year, but still leads the team in total bases. Heck, Lowe at 1b so far has been a tonic. Recent starts notwithstanding, Crochet, Bello, Giolito, Tolle, and May are the best Sox rotation in a long time. Chapman is the best closer since Uehara and maybe better than Uehara. The fielding is solid and the unearned runs plunged in August. If you're saying Breslow can make further improvements for next year, I agree. Plus we can hope Bergman, Anthony, Abreu, and Mayer will stay healthy.