Maxbialystock

I'm completely in favor of universal health care. Most VA hospitals, I agree, can't compete with the for profit civilian ones, but they aren't too bad on routine stuff--and they are free. Hospitals runs by the services are better than VA hospitals

I thought the same thing, but I also have a high opinion of Wong's intelligence as a catcher.

He's what we've got. Story languishes on the IL for the 2d year in a row. Chang injured himself swinging the freaking bat. Arroyo's played SS and he too is on the IL. And Marcelo Mayer, the Sox highest draft since 2009--4th overall in 2021--was just promoted to AA Portland. He can hit and field and had to be a big reason why Bogey wasn't re-signed.

I noticed and agree. But my big hangup is with those heavy gold necklaces. I think Dugo wears two--and they never seem to interfere with his fielding.

About American vets now being discussed in the booth. I could be wrong, but I do believe no other nation does more for their vets than the American people. Of course, we do send them off to fight in an awful lot of wars.

Kelley's release angle is giving the Sox fits.

The box score seems to say Tampa is once again running a clinic, just as they did in April at the Trop. True?

Is that right? Were all 3 runs in the 2d legitimately charged to Whitlock?

I missed the top of the 2d. The mlb summary and box score say the error by Kike did not lead to any unearned runs. All 3 are charged to Whitlock. Whoops, there goes another rubber tree plant--error #2 by Kike, again on his throw.

Thanks. That explains why the challenge by the Reds failed. Wong had complete control of the throw from Dugo.

And why not?

True. I still think Pivetta will start one of the four Rays games, but Cora could still decide to go with Kluber.

I'm certainly no expert, but I know what I saw last year: JDM was a sucker for low and away sliders. In 2018, about which I raved in my earlier post, JDM's OPS was 1.031 his WAR was 6.7, and he batted in 130 runs. Last year his OPS was .790, his WAR was 1.1, and he batted in 62 runs. You seem to think last year, for which JDM was paid $20M, was just fine and dandy. This year his OPS is back up to .951 and his WAR is 1.0 for 1/3 of a season. So, as I also pointed out, maybe he or his hitting coach fixed that tendency to chase low and away sliders.

Agree, 7th is about the highest the Sox can go because Fenway is a small park. Also agree the Sox are just a tad over 80% capacity.

This is the first game Saturday, which we will call the replacement for Friday night's postponed game. Presumably, it's still Glasgow vs. Houck. Game time is 1:10 pm

Postponed.

Its the Casey Stengal in me.

Wouldn't that be something? NOAA map agrees with you.

Thanks very much for that. I was about to say it, but remembered we're not supposed to talk real baseball on this game thread. Not the right mojo. So now you and I are completely responsible if the Sox lose tonight. And I have to say I like the name maxbialystock (and Zero and Mel), but I'm not too happy being connected to vegas freaking bob.

I think Wong is our best catcher--and we saw why last night--but lately I think Wright has shown he is very capable. I'm not sure I'd have Casas DH, but Cora knows what he is doing.

With absolutely no intention of being ironic, allow me to say I believe the rotation has improved. They still could stand to last longer, but a quick glance at the Sox schedule tells us that-- Sale gave up just 1 run in 3.2 IP last night before the shoulder went bad, the night before Paxton had 5 IP and 1 ER, before him Bello went 4 IP with 1 ER, before him Houck went 4 IP giving up 4 ER, before him, before him Whitlock with 5 IP and 1 ER, before him Sale went 5 IP and 1 ER, before him Paxton went 3 IP and 5 ER, before him Bello went 7 IP and 2 ER, before him Houck went 6 IP and 1 ER before him Kluber went 2.1 IP and 1 ER, before him Sale went 7 IP and 2 ER, before him Paxton went 6 IP and 1 ER before him Bello went 5 IP and 1 ER before him Pivetta went 5.1 IP and 4 ER I count 14 games and 3 bad starts--by Houck, Paxton, and Pivetta. In the other 11 games the Sox lineup and bullpen had a good shot at winning. That's not what happened of course. In Pivetta's 5.1 IP and 4ER game the Sox won, 9-4. And way back on May 13 Sale went 8 IP and 1 ER and Jansen came in and gave away 3 runs in the 9th for a 4-3 loss. The day/night before Paxton went 5 IP and 2 ER, but Winck gave up 3 ER and Jansen another 3 and the Sox lost 8-6.

This is just stupid. Stop trying to convince us Pivetta is better than Kluber since going to the bullpen. I don't care that Pivetta has pitched the 3d most innings on the team, that he has 2 quality starts, that he now has a positive (+0.1) WAR--and certainly not that in his 3 relief appearances he has gone 5 IP with 0 runs, 7 K's and 0 BB's. We have already made up our minds. Pivetta is a dirt bag who belongs on the ash heap of history. He's a Canadian, and Kluber is a red-blooded American with a blazing 88 mph fastball.

He doesn't swing from his heels at everything, but does do it a lot and does K a lot. However, last night in his 2d at bat he swung hard at a 99 mph fastball near or above the top of the zone and drove it to deep centerfield for a double. In the 8th inning he semi-golfed a changeup low in the zone and also drove it to deep centerfield. In addition, Devers is 9 years younger than JDM. When JDM was Devers age, 26, he was back in the minors with the Toledo Mud Hens. Also, to remind: I've already said I'm a big JDM fan because I believed he transformed the Sox lineup in 2018 and made everyone else better. So I'm happy for his success with the Dodgers. But, based on all those missed sliders last year, I think the Sox were right not to bid for him to return. And, while Turner is the ostensible JDM replacement, I think Yoshida is too because he is the least effective of our outfielders.

I just want to make sure I have this right. You consider this Sox team to be unwatchable, but you seem to pin that observation on us watching freaking JDM swing and miss and swing and miss and swing and miss at sliders low and away. We watched him do that all last year and it got really old. Maybe the Dodgers fixed him. Maybe he fixed himself. But, if he had stayed in Boston, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind he would still be swinging and missing sliders low and away.

Guilty as charged. The mojo just might have turned the tide last night because it was certainly needed after Sale was pulled in the 4th inning.