Maxbialystock

Giants bullpen has looked awfully good so far. Sox bullpen not. Bleier gave up a clean single, HBP'd the next guy, tried to take out Devers fielding the bunt and throwing to 1b but failed, gave up a hard hit grounder which Arroyo fielded but which still drove home around, and then finally got a ground out.

Looks like Bleier's instructions were to give 'em something to hit.

Manaea's ERA is 5.58 in 70 innings, but shutting the Sox lineup down for 3 freaking innings was a walk in the park for him.

Like I--and I alone on this game thread--said. Commendable in the clutch situations. 5 innings, 1 run--despite 8 hits and 2 BB's. I hope we keep him.

I find him to be commendable. Yes, hits, but no dingers, and he does bear down in the tough situations. He singlehandedly has kept the Sox in this game. The other 9 guys who go to the plate, not so much.

Devers now 0 for 5 vs. the Giants.

I'm getting the Fox feed on mlb.com, but can't get it on cable, which has the Yankees @ Baltimore.

Duran LF Turner DH Devers 3B Casas 1B Duvall CF Verdugo RF Arroyo 2B Wong C Chang SS Yoshida out, Arroyo in. Weaker lineup than last night, but Casas is moved up to #4.

Different point of view. What I don't like is when we get into verbal battles filled with insults. I've been in a couple and regretted them. In his latest (above), he commends Cora/Bloom for keeping Casas in the lineup and for sending Kike to the Dodgers. He blames Bloom for not getting pitching, which I suspect a number of talksoxers would agree with. Wacha and Eovaldi are thriving this year on other teams. So is ERod. Kluber is not for the Sox. I am fine with Bloom because I do see progress and, more importantly, I believe John Henry has given him guidance on obtaining starting pitching.

I agree. I'm pretty sure I read Mad Stork's posts whenever they show up, and so far have incurred little or no mental or physical damage.

Boy, is that true.

Impressive numbers--and research.

The Sox won more games than they lost with Kike in the lineup. I think he got the starting SS job because two years ago his OPS was .786 (but just .629 last year) and Cora, like other Sox managers, wants good bats more than good gloves. Kike's DWAR with the Sox this season, by the way, was +0.3. His overall WAR, however, was -0.7, mostly because his OPS was .599. Cora did recognize that both Reyes and Chang were more reliable SS's--primarily because Kike's throws from the SS position were erratic--but both have been on the IL this year and Kike has not. I completely agree that Kike is better at 2b than SS, which is why that's where he played after Chang returned and where he is playing with the Dodgers. I also agree it's good that he's gone now that both Chang and Reyes are back--plus Turner has shown some flair at 2b--but at the same time insist that the Dodgers would never have taken him back if he was the complete loser you paint him to be. You usually make a lot of sense, but your characterizations of both Kike and Cora are just wrong.

One problem Bloom (and other teams' executives) has/have right now is that 22 teams can legitimately claim to have a shot at a wild card or better. That means 22 buyers and 8 sellers, which is a lousy ratio if you are a buyer. Way, way too much competition. I've made a big deal (and been shot down) about the fact that starting August 4 the Sox play 48 games with just 2 days off, which will definitely be a strain on the pitching as currently configured. The Sox have 3 starters, Pivetta pitching long after someone else (preferably lefty Bernardino) starts and goes an inning or two, and a bullpen game. I don't think that will work for those 48 games. I am also not optimistic about the returning arms. Kluber will never start again for the Sox. Houck and Whitlock are both more likely to return in September than in August, plus both have ERA's over 5. Sale could be back in a week or two (apparently the shoulder has healed), which is great, but we can't be sure that he can stay healthy and/or pitch the way he did for roughly 8 starts this season. Given all of the above, I do not envy Bloom's situation. It's a bad time to buy, but there is also in my view a compelling need for another starter.

Good points. A quick look at the current standings says that 22 of 30 MLB teams can legitimately claim to have a good shot at a wild card (or a division title of course). At 56-48 Miami is definitely in the hunt for a wild card. If the above is anywhere near factual, there are currently 22 buyers in MLB and 8 sellers. So just maybe right now is a great time to sell and not so great to buy.

Indeed.

What a game!!! What a streak!!! What a team, but especially Casas, Turner, Crawford, Jansen, Refsnyder, Duvall, Bernardino, and Winck!!!

Devers doing his level best to take the heat off of Dugo. He has looked like crap at the plate tonight.

Bloom had nothing to do with it. Cora's the one who had him bat for Duran.

What is it with our relievers who can't seem to throw a pitch low in the zone? Martin was just begging for that dinger. I think he asked the batter where he wanted that fastball placed.

Words to conjure with. I think you've captured the whole season to date.

Single by Wong, sac bunt by Chang, pinch hitter by Cora, and rbi (with RISP) single by Refsnyder. Top of the 8th almost as impressive as the great comeback in the bottom of the 7th, especially by Turner with that glove flip to get the out. Thank goodness Winck got his command back, after which he was just nasty.

Yep.

He definitely did that. But they were close enough to call.

Wow, what a recovery!!! Way to go, Winck!!! Definitely clutch pitching.