Maxbialystock

Clean inning for Crawford, but 23 pitches. If he keeps this up, he can get a perfect game, but just 4 innings worth.

So the Mets hitter faked being HBP. My, my.

Turner at 2b minimizes the bad bats in the lineup.

Makes sense. Not tipping, but simply a better "book" on him.

Given the Sox determination to make him a starter, I should disagree with you, but I don't.

I'm always looking for evidence of a Sox pitcher tipping his pitches. This month Bello has given up 6 dingers in 17 innings compared to 0 dingers in June in 34 innings, 4 dingers in May in 27 innings, and 3 dingers in April in 12 innings.

Pretty awful game. Bello blew it of course, but a lot of Sox choking 7th-9th innings after getting it to 6-5 in the 6th. Casas especially.

Indeed.

This is not the Bello we've seen. Pretty obvious--to me, anyway--that he's thinking about what a lousy infielder Kike is and can't focus on his pitching. This is on Cora, not Bello.

Bello was quick to 1b on that third out.

Whoops! Another mistake by Cora. He started Bello, who just gave up a 2 run dinger. What was he thinking?

Perfect timing. You disparage Cora--yet again--for playing Turner, and he gets a 2 run dinger. You also disparage him every time he doesn't play Devers. Too much resting of players!! And now you have it both ways. Cora's wrong whenever he doesn't play Devers and now he's wrong because he is playing Devers.

Given your track record going to games this season, that report is ominous.

Duran CF Verdugo RF Turner 3B Yoshida DH Refsnyder LF Casas 1B Arroyo 2B Alfaro C Chang SS Not terribly different from the lineup vs Medina on July 7. Devers is still out with a sore calf. Refsnyder is in for Duvall, but playing LF so Duran can play CF. As predicted Alfaro is catching to give Connor Wong some rest. In the July 7 game, Duran had 2 hits (one was a triple), as did Turner and Dugo. Devers and Wong were hitless. Chang batted in 2 runs.

Jacques, a lefty who pitched 2 scoreless innings against Oakland not long ago, is starting tonight.

I already posted this, but repeat it here. If we are now seeing the real Crawford and the real Pivetta, then Bello, Paxton, Crawford, and Pivetta are already the best Sox rotation since, what, 2018? Houck and Whitlock have never--repeat, never--been consistently good starters. Kluber is almost certainly over the hill. And, since 2017 when he faded badly in August-September, Sale has been the most fragile starter I've ever seen. Terrific, HOF material when he is healthy, but I don't see that in his future, including this year. Maybe Bloom should "trade" as many of those four as possible and try to get a 5th starter elsewhere.

I'm the one predicting Kluber, but I'm only citing stuff from the Red Sox site on mlb.com. Reportedly, he had a terrific bullpen session of just 30 pitches. And I cited that article because the news on Sale, Houck, and Whitlock is same-old, same-old: no earlier than August and maybe September. Or put it this way. If Crawford has in fact found himself and if the same applies to Pivetta as a "bullpen starter," then Bello, Paxton, Crawford, and Pivetta might already be the best Sox rotation since, what, 2019? Plus let's not forget that neither Houck nor Whitlock has been all that good at starting. Sale did have maybe 8 pretty good starts this season, but in the other 3 he gave up 7, 5, and 5 runs. Based on starts going back to 2017 when he faded in August/September, the truth is that he is as fragile as any pitcher I can remember. So, realistically, waiting and hoping for the return of Sale, Houck, Whitlock, and Kluber is like waiting for godot. Better is to keep the four healthy ones and trade the other four (if only they were tradeable).

I of course have a contrarian view of the Yankees. While I love to beat them, I don't hate them simply because to have a great rivalry actually requires two good teams. Plus Yankees is a great name for baseball team, almost as good as the Dodgers. As a team name, red sox is just, well, pedestrian.

Agree Sox continue to astound. Hard not to get excited.

Sure they would. And 2 seasons ago the Sox whipped the Rays in the ALDS.

Reportedly, he is financially well off--Mark Kotsay.

Sale, Whitlock, and Houck are all August at the earliest and maybe September. Kluber might get back sooner, but . . .

TBD vs. righty Medina Bullpen game, probably with Alfaro catching. Sox beat Medina July 7, but he went 6 IP, giving up 4 runs.

In 2018 Vazquez WAR was -0.8 and Sandy Leon's was -0.5. Vazquez OPS was .540 and Sandy's was .511. So, no, not top end, either of them.

You’re dead right about Varitek for 2004 and 2007. In 2013 it was Saltalamachia and 2018 Vazquez.