Maxbialystock

Dodgers down 1-0 after 1 vs Cardinals, Scherzer vs. Wainwright. Both defenses look shaky. Mookie singled but was erased on hard liner dropped by the SS. First four hitters for the Dodgers are Betts, Seager, Turner with wheels, and Turner with beard. Pitching to the bottom of the St Louis order, Scherzer needs 9 pitches to get a K and 6 to give up a BB. Wainwright now trying to bunt. Scherzer has thrown 35 pitches. Hilarious--Wainwright bunts successfully on the 6th pitch and a 3-2 count. Joe West is HomePlateUmpire.

Good plan.

That would be ERod, right?

That's my call. Feel free to make a better one. If we assume Houck stays in the bullpen, the choices for Thursday are Pivetta and ERod, and I think ERod is better for two reasons: his last two months have been good; he's been better than Pivetta against the Rays. Sale and Eovaldi can't start Thursday because of the five days rest thing, which I think makes sense.

I was not part of the discussion when Eovaldi was pulled. For the better part of this season, I have preferred leaving guys in to reduce the strain on the bullpen. I almost went ape when Pivetta was pulled after 6.2 innings of a no-hitter, but later learned he was more than ready to leave the game. I went even more ape last year when I learned that Kevin Cash pulled Snell in the 6th inning of the 6th game of the World Series, a game which the Rays had to win and in which Snell was dominating the Dodgers lineup. After the game Cash said he pulled Snell because that was his plan before the game and because with one out in the 6th, the Dodgers Barnes had singled and the top of the Dodgers order was coming to bat for--wait for it--the third time. So, out went Snell, in came Anderson, Mookie doubled, and both he and the guy who singled then scored and put the Dodgers ahead, 2-1. They won the game 3-1 and the WS, and I thought Cash was an idiot. I learned later I was in the minority and still am. Cash is considered to be one of the best managers in MLB. The new reality in MLB is that bullpens have never been more important. Last night Cora was knee deep in good relievers thanks to the return of Whitlock and the availability of Houck, et al. Sunday night when Sale went sour, he used six relievers including Pivetta and ERod, and just one guy, Richards, stunk. The other five pitched 5.2 scoreless innings.

I had very low expectations after the Yankees swept the Sox at Fenway and the Orioles took 2 of 3 at Camden Yards. The Nats series and the wild card game changed all of that. This is my own sense of recency run amuck, but so be it. You and moonstruck are right that this has already been a terrific season, especially when I was sure it was over after the Orioles swept the first three games in April. I think the Sox can beat the Rays in the ALDS, but will not be disappointed if they don't.

Rays are tough, the best in the AL and with no real weaknesses. But it's still baseball and the standings say that both teams, rounding off, win 6 of 10 games. The Rays have, however, won most of their games vs the Sox this season, which is a big factor. So the smart money will bet on the Rays. I nevertheless see some glimmers of hope. Schwarber, for example, is a good addition to the lineup, with or without JDM. So I like the Sox hitting even with Arroyo at 2b and Dalbec at 1b. If JDM can play, I like Schwarber at 1b, Kike staying in CF, and Arroyo at 2b. A much brighter glimmer is the bullpen with the return of Whitlock and Taylor and the addition of Houck combined with the days off every 2 days and Cora's willingness to use his starters for spot relief. Except for Richards, the bullpen was good against the Nats and the Yankees. The rotation of Eovaldi, Sale, ERod, and Pivetta is what it is. Eovaldi is the ace, Sale is not yet the old Sale, ERod is better than his WAR or season ERA, and Pivetta is still up and down. In order, I think the Sox starters will be ERod Thursday, Sale Friday, Eovaldi Sunday, ERod or Pivetta Monday, and Sale Wednesday. Starting Eovaldi just once in the ALDS is the cost of having to play the wild card game. The key is that Cora will be able to use his bullpen, including starters now and then.

Me too. I like disagreeing with you sometimes, but agree with everyone else who like your contributions.

I did say dumb, but I based that on your words, "I don't think that good of a game manager." Only dumb managers can't make good in game decisions. Or have you never heard of Grady Hatton, who was fired for not pulling Pedro in the final game of the 2003 ALCS? Worth discussing too is Terry Francona, who was a pretty smart in-game manager and managed the Sox to two WS wins while ending the 86 year drought. He didn't get fired for bad in-game decisions, but for getting a little lax with 2011 Sox who faded badly in September and were later discovered to have been drinking beer during games. Later, he did a good job managing the Guardians. Your comment on Sale is just silly. This year beyond question he needs a minimum of five days between starts. More importantly, however--and you absolutely refuse to address this simple fact--there was no need to start him on Saturday when there was another game to play on Sunday. Also, and I have to say this, why do you keep criticizing Cora for his in game and pre game decisions for games the Sox actually won? I have not said you hate Cora, but your comments about the sign-stealing suggest you do. I did say you think he is dumb, but that's because you seem to find it impossible to say that he made a good pre game or in game decision.

Easy and hard aren't the right words. Smart and not smart are better. Here's the smart side. Third time through the lineup is tough on any starter and something Eovaldi mentioned after the game. And guess what? Eovaldi's third time through the Yankees lineup last night started with Rizzo, who hit a dinger after earlier grounding out and striking out against Eovaldi. Also on Cora's mind might have been the fact that last time against the Yankees they scored 7 runs in 2.2 innings vs. Eovaldi. Also, next up was Stanton, who nailed the 2d or 3d pitch off Eovaldi his first time up--so hard that the Yankees announcer mistakenly said it was a dinger (but it turned out to be a single when Stanton typically lollygagged his way to first base). As for Brasier, Cora might have been aware that he hadn't given up a run in his previous 7 appearances, including two outings and 3.2 innings vs. the Yankees. Not so smart is attacking Cora when the Sox won the game 6-2 and the only Yankee runs were off solo dingers given up by the two best Sox pitchers in the game, Eovaldi and Whitlock.

You wander around, but I think your final statement, "Nice guy, but I just don't think that good of a game manager," is definitive. You would fire him in a heartbeat because you can't tolerate a cheater (stealing signals) and think Cora is, well, too dumb to make the right calls during a game. I don't like cheaters either, but also think the Commissioner has the final say on the penalty. As for smarts, like most others, I think Cora's pre-game and in-game decisions are the primary reason the Sox exceeded expectations this year. You on the other hand were talksox's leading advocate to start Sale instead of Houck last Saturday. You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but please don't now try to shuffle away from it. Own it--if you dare.

As I said much earlier on this thread, the advantage of a great bullpen is diminished in the postseason when the manager, especially Cora, can used starters to relieve. Plus right now he has Houck and Whitlock. So I'm thinking the Sox, even though Eovaldi can't pitch until game 3 on Sunday, have a shot against the Rays. Plus it really helps that Stanton does not play for the Rays.

What I loved was Stanton killing that hung slider, dropping his bat, posing, trotting to 1b, and suddenly realizing it's single in part because he was posing. The green monster giveth and taketh away.

Mine was facetious. Cora wanted both Schwarber and JDM in this game just as he did in all 3 games in Washington and thus no DH. Arroyo in and JDM out improves the defense but degrades the offense. I prefer a good bat.

You're using that line in Fever Pitch when the hero/Soxfan says you can't fake a baseball career. Hollywood success is opportunity plus some version of talent/appearance/voice. Monroe looked great on the screen and was not talentless. MLB success is about talent and hard work.

I won't comment on his fandom, but jacksonianmarch is a pretty good contributor to talksox.

Vegasinsider has to favor the Yankees because they have the pitching, killed the Sox at Fenway 10 days ago, etc. That said, Eovaldi can be really good, and tonight the Sox will have plenty of good arms in the bullpen, but especially Whitlock and Houck. And the Sox have the better lineup and probably as good fielding. A toss-up and probably a great game to watch. ESPN got lucky.

You definitely yelled at the right times. I just meant Davis got the win by accident/luck, not great pitching.

You're right. I assumed they were and did not carefully check mvp 78's post on page 1. In any case, I trust Cora's judgment and believe he will have plenty of good choices tonight.

You're right. I said hitting and then remembered the big bucks have gone to pitchers--except of course, for Lester. You are probably right about drafting players who are good at bat and in the field. Like Ellsbury (and despite his weak arm).

Agree--obviously. It's just one game and 12 pitchers is way, way more than enough. Also agree on the value of Whitlock and love that Taylor is also on the roster, but I also like having Pivetta and ERod handy. Or let me put it this way. I could be wrong, but I think that with the return of Whitlock and Taylor and the availability of Houck, ERod, and Pivetta, the Yankees big advantage in the bullpen diminishes significantly. I want Eovaldi to go 5 or 6 or more innings only because I think he has great stuff. But, if he needs to come out early, I don't think that's a disaster.

I'm fine with the list because it's only 12 pitchers--way more than are needed for one game--and because I think Richards, et al deserve the honor of being on the roster. If Cora uses as many as six relievers, I would expect to see Whitlock, Houck, Pivetta, ERod, Sawamura, and Taylor. I would not use Richards, Ottavino, or Davis, but might use Barnes and/or Hernandez.

Interesting. Thanks.

I like that JDM actually likes playing in the OF and that he has a pretty decent arm, which makes him a pretty good fit for LF at Fenway.

Actually, I agree the Rays have figured out how to do it all and on a small budget. Wild applause. It also explains why JH hired Chaim Bloom. Maybe that is the future for the Red Sox. That said, the Sox, without Chaim Bloom and without the Rays no doubt brilliant system for acquiring, developing, using, and discarding players, have won four WS series based primarily on hitting and pitching and spending big bucks. I'm all for Chaim Bloom, but find it hard to accept the notion that the Sox have been just plain stupid for the past 20 years. As a matter of fact, I was furious when the Sox dumped not one but two--Alex Gonzalez and Jose Iglesias--excellent defensive SS's and different points in the JH era. But I've made the adjustment and accepted the priorities of hitting first and pitching second.