Maxbialystock

This is the Sox 17th game in 17 days.

Radio announcers say the home plate ump has made to bad 3d strike calls tonight--against the Sox.

Sale doesn't have the good command so far tonight. But he's got 9 outs vs 1 run. And no K's. Could be Wong is the right catcher for Sale. Astros up 3-2 in the 3d.

That has not been the case this year. He needs to hit the corners.

Can't get video on the game, but gameday graphics suggest Sale's command tonight stinks.

Wait, wait. "So far" . . .!!!!????? So far the Sox had a bad start, especially losing 4 of 4 at the Trop. But the Rays are the hottest team in MLB with no apparent weaknesses. And the Sox have won their last three series against the Angels (1 game back of the Astros), the Twins (lead the AL Central) and the Brewers (15-7, 1/2 game back of Pittsburgh in the NL Central). The team ERA of 5.10 still stinks, but the hitting is now 3d in MLB in runs scored. The rotation is what stinks because the bullpen is pretty decent. The defense is only so-so, but what is new about that? Ted Williams was the greatest Sox player ever and a liability in LF. Besides, Chang looks OK at SS, Devers at 3b, Dugo in RF, and Wong behind the plate. Yoshida is starting to hit in LF, which is what he's there for, and so is Duran in CF. The lose-lose guy is Casas at 1b. Kike is starting to hit, now plays 2b, and has a plus WAR (+0.1).

I'm one of the ten who said the Sox will have a losing record, and right now I can only applause moon and others who voted for a winning record.

The simple fact is that the Sox team ERA is 5.10, ranked 26th in MLB, mostly because of the rotation. While I think it's entirely possible CERA is real and that Wong makes a difference, I also think the dismal rotation is primarily on the pitchers. And maybe on Cora because I do not understand why Kluber has 4 starts and Crawford has just 2 starts. Crawford was awful on April 3 against the Pirates: 4 innings, 7 ER. Since then, however: 5 IP vs Tigers, 1 ER; 3 IP vs Tampa (best offense in MLB), 1 ER; 6.1 IP vs. Angles, 0 ER; and 2 IP vs. Brewers, 0 ER.

Ok, you're getting banned for being entirely too sensible. I like Wong, I admit it. But I have to be honest and say we are lucky to have McGuire. And I am fine with however Cora uses the two of them.

Oh, stuff it. Forget Yoshida and look at the freaking team numbers. These Sox this season are the "no name offense." We got Devers, period. Everybody else is pretty much unknown or, as is the case with Yoshida, a presumed failure. Despite that, the Sox are currently 3d in MLB in runs scored. They just hammered the 6th best pitching staff (ERA 3.47) in MLB--who were the 2d best before the Sox came to town. Before the Brewers, they hammered the Twins excellent pitching staff. You don't like "ping-pong" with the infield, but what I see is Cora making necessary adjustments. The only real adjustment is replacing Kike with Chang at SS, and that sure looks like a smart move. Kike is now at 2b and hitting, and Duran is in CF hitting even better. This "no-name" Sox offense is scoring runs, and don't you forget it.

The AL East were also dominant last year and the year before. The big surprise this year is the Orioles.

Watch out for the Orioles because they are red hot!!! They just took 3 straight from the 7-13 Detroit Tigers, before that 2/2 from the 7-14 Washington Nationals, before that 2/3 from the 7-15 White Sox, and before that 3/4 from the 4-18 Oakland A's.

I'm not against another good start by Sale. Far from it. We have seen potential in the rotation, but the grim truth is that as of today, April 23, the Sox team ERA is 5.10 and ranked 26th in MLB. This is mostly because of bad outings by the rotation. On the other hand, the whole team--the Boston freaking Red Sox--have just taken 2 of 3 against the Brewers, who had been tied for the best W-L record in the National League, 2 of 3 from the Twins, who had been leading the AL Central, and 3 of 4 from the high-priced Angels, who are just 1 game back of the Astros in the AL West. The Sox are now ranked 3d in MLB in runs scored, and they are doing it with what I would call a "no name offense." They got Devers, period. Dugo has no name, nor does Turner. Indeed, when Verdugo came east to Boston, the big story was how the idiotic Sox--JH and Bloom--let Mookie Betts go. And Mookie, as we all know, is worth every cent of his $365M contract. Yoshida is known only in Japan--well, except for two dingers in the 8th inning of last night's game. Before last night, Yoshida was known to Sox fans as "Bloom's folly." Maybe he still is, right along with our IL denizens, Story and Duvall.

Meh. Yoshida seems to be coming around. Besides, while I agree 1b and LF should hit, the point has been that somebody seems to be hitting in each game except that terrible series at the Trop--and even in that one the Sox got some runs.

Sadly, that didn't happen, so don't watch the horrible 8th in which the Sox scored about a thousand runs, thereby making Ort's horrible appearance irrelevant. The guy to blame is Ort, not Cora. The guys to applaud for the big rally are the guys who did it. Cora just watched. I do think Cora's doing a good job this season.

Ort is a completely worthless piece of crap. He let that guy take 2b after walking him--just ignored him. Now the WP, which bounced way in front of the play--with a man on 3b. Milwaukee scored easily--with just one guy out on a sac bunt--without getting a hit. Ort stinks.

Like I said, Casas's best swing is when he checks it--and by that I mean a bonafide check the ump recognizes as a non-swing.

Excellent call by A Red Sox fan named Hugh.

Excellent 2d inning by Bello! Hang in there, kid.

I just watched the replay. Wong was lost out there. He kept running back to 2d base, then toward 3b, then back, then toward 3b.

Good play by the Brewers in cutting off the throw home.

That sucked, but the Sox still scored 2 more. Sure wish Bello were reliable. But he's quite capable of giving back those 3 and a couple more.

That's it for Wong. He's off the team and back to the minors--for successfully bunting.

The best part of Casas swing is when he checks it. As bad a hitter as he is, I remain astounded at how often he walks.

Finally, the third out. At 20-something pitcher per inning, Bello can go 3 or 4. Funny the reluctance to use the slider, which seemed to be working.