Maxbialystock

True. But who the heck has? Jansen just gave up 2 to the lowly Royals.

All things considered, especially the 3 runs in the 1st--at the freaking Trop--I'd call it a great start.

Whitlock goes 2, then Martin for the save.

Meh. If the ball bounces into the stands in freaking centerfield, I'm inclined to give the centerfielder the benefit of the doubt.

I don't see it that way. I'd rather Jansen screw up in a can't miss situation than a close game. Let's see what happens in this game, but my thought is that Martin can get the save if that opportunity presents itself.

What I see is very little ability to adjust. Casas right now looks a whole lot better.

There are days when it's just hard to believe Devers is worth all that money. 3d time facing Civale, and he strikes out on a pitch right down the middle.

This post is looking better and better and the first inning is looking more and more like bad luck for Bello, who has been terrific in all four innings since.

The Sox lineup has 1 single and 11 K's in 5 innings. Abysmal.

He sure did--and very well done. The lineup, on the other hand, stinks. They don't get that 1 run without the back to back walks.

That was a truly desperate bunt attempt by McGuire--and another K for Civale. Bottom of the Sox order strikes out on their collective second at bats vs. Civale.

Terrible at bat by Yoshida. Not quite so terrible. That was a curve on the outside freaking corner.

That's what he struck Casas out with--a cutter right down the freaking middle. Huge hit by Duvall.

That cutter Civale is throwing is very effective.

Devers tripped, but somehow--I think the ball hit the baserunner--got the ball back to prevent the baserunner from advancing (beyond 2d and 3d). If Devers catches the ball, the guy stealing 3b is still safe because the baserunner got a huge jump when he realized Bello was ignoring him.

Great comment--"even the balls are looking like strikes until the last instance."

9 Sox up and 9 Sox down. I've said way too many times the Sox normally, usually need to score 5 runs if they want to win the game.

Good point. In fact, he didn't throw pitches way away from the plate--all four were close but no cigar. On the other hand, the Rays are/were pretty good at exploiting that BB because they then pulled off a ridiculously easy double steal, followed by a single in the hole and a double down the line.

Normally, usually, I'd agree 100%. But right now I think the Rays hitters are actually hitting toward the gaps. But I also agree the double was the only one hit really hard. On the other hand, let's not forget that Bello walked a guy on 4 pitches. It took Civale 19 pitches to get through the 1st inning, but he didn't walk anyone.

Right now I'd have to say that the ump is giving more to Civale than to Bello. Of course Civale is much better at hitting the corners, so he got the benefit of the doubt on a couple.

The big difference in pitching is that the Rays pitchers can hit corners and the Sox pitchers usually cannot. Also, I'm impressed that, while I think Rays hitters are fully prepared to swing at pitches in the strike zone, they are also good at not swinging at pitches outside the zone. The pitch that Casas grounded out on was right down the freaking middle. And now Duvall wants to throw a tantrum over a pitch that was in fact a strike.

Well, it's an unfair matchup. Rays do 4 things well the Sox don't do well: hit, pitch, field, and run the bases.

Rays routinely score from 1b on a double. Sox rarely do.

Single, walk, and double steal followed by a single, 2-0.

Love it. You have no peer in laying out solutions--or just data, for that matter. And I actually agree on the infield with Devers, Story, Reyes/Urias, and Casas, especially if Reyes can keep hitting. But the real point of agreement is that to me Devers and Casas are good enough on defense and have the good bats. As for Story, he's got the glove, but it should would be nice to the freaking bat. But my sniveling counterpoint is that the Sox already have this fix right now--except Reyes is on the IL--so this really isn't a fix. As for the outfield, I would keep Dugo, but would have absolutely no objection to moving Duvall over to RF--a good righty bat is pretty important at Fenway. But, when you do that, you put an unproven player, Rafaela, in CF. As for Yoshida as full-time DH, don't forget that having Turner DH now and then was good for Turner. And next year the same could apply to other players. Finally, let's not forget that Manny Ramirez was our leftfielder on two WS teams, 2004 and 2007. Handing LF over to Ref and Duran--in order, as you say, to fix the defense--seems to me to be bass ackwards. LF at Fenway has always been reserved for great bats, not great gloves.