Maxbialystock

Story and Duvall coming through today could not be better for the Sox, whose hitting and especially scoring has been lackluster over the last 15 games (averaging 3.28 runs per game). The talent--Story, Duvall, Devers, Yoshida, Casas, Duran, Verdugo--is there. And now the pitching looks pretty good with Good Sale back plus Whitlock and soon Houck.

Interesting. The so-called "Realistic View of 2023" has become the "Realistic View of 2024. So apparently moonslav has given up on 2023--and he may be right. Now that the pitching is decent--and I do agree with the concerns about Bello--the hitting has tanked for 15 games now, during which they have scored on average 3.28 runs per game, including the unearned runs like the one last night. With Whitlock back today and Houck in 2 days, it does look like the Sox pitching is in pretty good shape. So all the caterwauling about how desperately the Sox needed one, two, or even three good starters now looks excessive. Instead, it turns out Bloom should have been looking for some reliable bats. Devers, Story, Duvall, Yoshida, Duran, Refsnyder, Verdugo, Wong, et al, are substandard. Casas is still hitting and possibly Turner. Reyes was hot, but seems to be cooling off.

Not just Devers, but pretty much a team malaise. Over the last 15 games they have scored an average of 3.28 runs per game, and that includes some unearned runs like the one last night.

I use mlb.com which costs a tad over $100 for the season, but I don't get games against the Braves, Orioles, or Nationals.

In Bloom's defense there is scant evidence the Sox know how to develop pitchers--and that's been true for over fifty years. There have been a few, of course, but mostly the Sox trade for good pitchers. Right now, this season, Eovaldi, Wacha, and ERod are all pitching way better for other teams than they did for the Sox.

Despite my wise-ass remarks, I'm watching this game intently and hoping the lineup will come thru.

Looks like Reyes has cooled off. Completely agree with Duvall pinch-hitting for Refsnyder.

Duvall and Story, take note. Turner just did what you two do way too infrequently. He is more valuable to the Sox this season than the two of you combined.

This is absolutely not on Cora. The Tigers starter Manning gave up 6, 4, and 8 runs in his last 3 starts--and today's he's given up 1 hit and 1 unearned run.

After 5 innings, the Sox have 1 run--unearned, of course.

I think the Sox don't know squat about teaching/coaching/improving pitching. That's why they have always relied heavily on acquiring pitchers developed by other teams. And let's not forget that this year Eovaldi, Wacha, and ERod are all pitching way better than they ever did for the Sox. And now, because of the very recent example of how Kike suddenly began hitting again after going to the Dodgers, I'm beginning to think the Sox don't know much about hitting either. The greatest Sox hitter ever, Ted Williams, learned absolute zippo about hitting from the Sox coaches/managers.

Those uniforms have done a lot more for the Sox this year than their idiot of a hitting coach.

Anyone here remember Kike Hernandez? In the 14 games since he went to the Dodgers his OPS is .823--way above what he hit for the Sox this year (.599). It's also above the OPS's of the these Sox players in August: Duran, Dugo, Wong, Duvall, Story, Yoshida, Devers, and Turner (who missed most games with an injury). If the Sox have a hitting coach, he sure ain't helping.

Dugo gets an absolutely fat pitch--a mistake, if you will--and pops it up to SS. After three innings, the Sox are still hitless. Anyone who believes this team is not in a hitting slump is not paying attention. Before today, they averaged 3.38 runs per game for the last 13 games.

Verdugo RF Yoshida LF Turner DH Devers 3B Casas 1B Reyes SS Duran CF McGuire C Urias 2B Very interesting lineup with Duvall and Story both out. Also Wong--very possibly because McGuire has looked pretty good since he returned. If nothing else, this suggests this club has some depth because the actual lineup looks pretty decent to me.

I think it's possible the recent downturn in scoring is tied to the absence of Turner. Verdugo has been in a slump, but just might be coming out of it. Gotta like his defense, however. Duvall and Story are both out today, which, sad to say, if fine with me.

Ahem. How do you know Bloom didn't try to make a deal for either or both of them and was told, "not good enough?"

Morale??!!!???? Every single player is being paid an insane salary to play freaking baseball in front of a pretty good fan base and in a famous ballpark. Compare that to their grandparents who lived through the Great Depression and World War II, and--if any of them played MLB or was married to a player-- the low pre-Curt Flood MLB salaries. Carl Furillo, as very good rightfielder for the Dodgers, worked construction in the offseason to make ends meet. So did other MLB players. And a whole bunch of them also served in the Army/Navy/AirCorp/USMC during WW II. As for deepening the pitching staff, that's happening right now--last night, tomorrow, and 2 days later with the arrivals of Good Sale, Whitlock, and Houck. Two weeks late, granted, but at least with these guys we know what we are getting. Good Sale is really, really good. And Whitlock and Houck have demonstrated they can start--after a fashion--and very definitely be the long relievers you have cited several times as useful.

Bloom passed on getting another starter--to which I say, "wild applause! Best no-trade of the season!" The Sox current rotation is now Bello, Paxton, Good Sale, Crawford, and Pivetta. Not too shabby. Tomorrow Whitlock returns and 2 days later Houck, so that Cora will then have three pretty good long relievers in Murphy, Whitlock, and Houck, and after them he has Jansen, Martin, Shreiber, Winckowski, Bernardino, and Barraclough (the jerk who came in last night with 2 outs in the 5th and a man on and immediately went to work to get that Tigers runner home with a walk and a single).

I doubt that I know more than you.

Love the 3 game win streak and ecstatic about both Sale and Murphy last night. In fact, with Whitlock returning tomorrow and Houck 2 days later, the Sox pitching could be at it's best since early 2019. Simply dumping Garza and Llovera should be cause for jubilant celebrations all over New England. But the hitting ain't there, not by a long shot. Duran's August OPS is .634, Refsnyder is 0 for 6, Duvall OPS .638, Wong .579, Story .517, Devers .731, Turner injured + OPS .400, Yoshida .660, etc. I've heard rumors all those guys met with Cora and asked him to stop playing Reyes and Casas because both of them are red hot and making everyone else look bad. Over the last 13 games the Sox have scored an average of 3.38 runs per game. In the Sox 61 wins this season, only 13 of them occurred when the lineup scored fewer than 5 runs.

I was one of screamers--well, whisperers--myself. I too wanted the 5th starter. But here's how I rationalized not getting one. First and foremost, we know for fact John Henry was not going to stand for or pay for a really good starter. Second, even a middling starter was going to cost prospects at the very time the Sox are trying to build, not trade away their prospect pool. Third, the Sox already had/have three freaking starters--Sale, Houck, and Whitlock--due back soon. Sale returned last night, Whitlock should be back tomorrow, and Houck 2 days later, August 15. All three have started multiple games this year. And this year for the first time since freaking 2019 we saw Good Sale, the same guy we saw last freaking night. As for Houck and Whitlock, both can be solid long relievers and therefore invaluable. So, given the above, I have to ask, why all the freaking screaming for what now looks to have been a very bad bargain? Back to you.

Agree. Weeks ago you listed short relievers and long relievers and that scheme is now coming into view with Murphy as a long reliever, soon to be joined by Whitlock on Sunday and Houck 2 days later. Of course, the pitching staff will then lose Garza and Llovera. That alone should lead to dancing in the streets among the faithful. Given the 48 games (started 4 August) with just 3 days off, the return of Good Sale, Whitlock, and Houck could not have been better timed. On the other hand, the hitting has headed south. Duran's August OPS is .634, Refsnyder is 0 for 6, Duvall OPS .638, Wong .579, Story .517, Devers .731, Turner injured + OPS .400, Yoshida .660, etc. I've heard rumors those guys met with Cora and asked him to stop playing Reyes and Casas because both of them are red hot and making everyone else look bad.

Meh. The Tigers win 45% of the time and are far from an embarrassment. The Sox win 53% of the time and statistically are not a good bet to sweep this series. That 3 run dinger by rookie Casas made a huge difference because the other 8 Sox hits were singles and they were just 2 for 9 with RISP. Sale was just freaking unbelievable in his first start after 2+ months on the IL. That is huge because in fact he is the fifth starter everyone on talksox was screaming at Bloom to make a trade for. If they can stay healthy, Sale, Bello, Paxton, Crawford, and Pivetta are the best rotation the Sox have had since 2019 when they still had Sale, Price, Eovaldi, ERod, and Porcello. And the bullpen, soon to be joined by Whitlock and Houck, ain't looking too shabby either. The lineup, despite having a bunch of .800 or better OPS bats, has had trouble scoring. Over the last 13 games, including the 5 runs tonight, they've scored an averaged of 3.38 runs per game. Of the 61 games the Sox have won this season, just 13 of them occurred when the Sox scored fewer than 5 runs.

Barraclough is worthless.