Maxbialystock

What plan B?

Exactly.

Meanwhile, however, there are games to play. Repeating the "bumpy flight" analogy, this team is in a tailspin. They've lost 4 straight and literally have no bullpen worth mentioning. Pivetta starts tonight and, season to date, opposing lineups collective OPS against him in the first time through the lineup is a frightening 1.062. Wednesday Seattle starts Marco Gonzales, a lefty who won his last two starts against Houston and Detroit. We will be sending out Bello, whom I like, but we still won't have a bullpen. Plus right now the hitting seems to be struggling--and it's still the same old defense undercutting the pitching.

Castillo vs. Pivetta, both righties. Huge edge to Seattle in pitching, just like last night. Pivetta stinks, and the Sox bullpen is in a state of collapse. First time facing Pivetta, opposing lineups' collective OPS has been an unreal 1.061. 2d time through, OPS .789. 3d time through, OPS .634. If those numbers hold true again tonight and Pivetta gets hammered, I think Cora will leave him in for at least 100 pitches to save the bullpen arms.

I always keep the sound off. If it's on cable, I will show closed captions.

Great point!! I had no idea.

Timely. The Sox are 22-20, which is better than I expected. The Sox are 4th in MLB in runs scored--with a "no name" lineup--which is fantastic. But the team ERA is now 27th in MLB, definitely a disappointment. The 8 game winning streak ended 9 days ago. Since then, just as you say, the rotation seems to have taken a turn for the better. But the bullpen's wheels have literally come off--signified last night when Reyes took the mound for the 9th inning. Winck got hammered by St Louis. Jansen, our $16M closer, got hammered twice by St Louis. Schreiber hasn't pitched because he's hurt and is probably going on the IL. Brasier is gone. Bleier could be right behind him. Bernardino's ERA for May is 6.14. Assuming Jansen is actually OK, I see two decent relievers for tonight: Martin and Jansen. My guess is Whitlock and Crawford, both of whom can start, will go to the bullpen in an effort to reconstruct one. So will Houck, with Pivetta getting the 5th starting spot after Sale, Paxton, Bello, and Kluber. Finally, the "no name" lineup seems to be struggling: 5 runs total in the last 3 games against the Cardinals and Mariners. To paraphrase Bette Davis in All About Eve, "fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy season."

Sox are 22-20, which is better than I expected, 27th in team ERA, which has to be a disappointment; and 4th in runs scored, which is completely unexpected. The 8 game winning streak ended 9 days ago. Since then, the rotation looks better, but the bullpen is a disaster, and the hitting--the "no name" lineup that has been so great--is looking less great. To paraphrase Bette Davis from All About Eve, "fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy season."

Sending Reyes out to pitch the 9th was embarrassing but necessary and not the first time it’s been done by the Sox. The bullpen is hurting bad, but the games continue.

Looks like I was wrong about sending Jansen out Saturday. There really was no one else. The Sox bullpen is broken.

I’d say the Sox bullpen is in full collapse. This is the fourth straight game in which they have opened the floodgates. The four Sox starters in those games went 24 innings while giving up 10 runs. The bullpen 12 innings so far and 18 runs.

Assuming the Sox lose, Winck and Jansen should be available tomorrow. But will they be needed?

Dugo lines out ever so softly with the bases loaded. Sox still with one lonely run.

Let’s see now. 2 days ago the Sox had 13 pitchers including 6 starters (pivetta should never be allowed to pitch in relief). Of the 7 relievers, Winck and Jansen and Bernardino are suspect. Bleier might be. Brasier is gone. Schreiber is headed for the IL. Who’s left?

Please, please, if you think the Sox can score some runs, speak up. Because I don’t.

Could be

Never fear, Bleier’s here and all is well. Except for the hitting of course.

Ahem. He just walked off the mound. Just maybe he’s been nursing an injury.

Need room for Whitlock and Crawford.

Could be we are seeing the second day of the dud liberation movement.

Raffey rally-killer.

His mommy

Solid 1st by Houck

Nicely said.

New day, new series + I like houck