Maxbialystock

If you're saying don't hunt for still another 1b, I agree. I also agree Casas is now a long shot. He's two serious injuries--1 from swinging a bat and the other from running to 1b, So the messages seem to be: don't swing hard and run a lot slower.

Well written. If you are serious about the team's potential going into the July 31 trade deadline, why can't you give Breslow credit for building that team? Also, I don't care what Breslow says--he's lousy at it but his actions are way more important than his words. As for a DH, Devers would have been perfect, but he had to go to the Giants. Going into the trade deadline I thought Ref/Yoshida would be a good fix for DH. No one else was saying we needed a DH, but I agree right now it's not a strength. If Abreu weren't also out, I would DH with one of the four outfielders and keep Gonzalez at 2b.

I agree he makes good points and have told him so repeatedly. That does not mean I have to agree with everything he says, especially when he goes over the top. For that matter I disagree with what you have just written. First and foremost, you have ignored that Breslow, as smart as he no doubt is, lacks experience. Thus letting Sale go (which many on Sox agreed with at the time) and picking up Giolito. This year Buehler sure hasn't earned his salary. One the other hand, when was the last time a Sox GM/CBO brought in four stalwarts as good as Bregman, Crochet, Chapman, and Narvaez in a single offseason? Answer: you don't know. Plus I like this current team even though I get really po'd as I was last night. It is beyond question better than last year's team. ERA is significantly lower and the runs scored are higher (even though that number is bloated by games when the Sox scored over 10 runs). The Sox defense is solid with Bregman at 3b, Story at SS, and some version of Anthony, Abreu, Rafaela, and Abreu in the outfield, plus Narvaez/Wong catching. Granted, not so good at 2b, but the Sox expected Campbell to excel there and he's now back in Worcester. First base was supposed to be Casas, he of the .800 lifetime OPS and so-so fielding. About now you should be firing back with how abysmal Breslow was on or before July 31. Well, guess what? He brought in May who in 3 starts has 2 quality starts and an ERA of 2.87. If you negativists weren't so insistent that the sky is falling, you would recognize that May--at least after 3 games--is a freaking brilliant acquisition. He bombed on a new first baseman, but now we have Lowe. He dumped Devers to the Giants, and the Sox got better. I think he did that because he had no choice, but it sure hasn't hurt.

I completely agree. My point is that pinning last nights' loss on him is wrong, especially when the inning before the Sox had the bases full and 3 Sox struck out. Toro at least hit the ball. If he's hit in the right place, he would have been the hero.

I looked that up too and saw that the Sox have accumulated 90 at bats with the bases loaded. And the guy with the most bases loaded at bats, 14, is Story. His OPS is 1.175. Gonzalez has 6 at bats, OPS 1.667, Ref, 2 at bats. 1.100. Toro, 5 at bats, .900, and Bregman, 9 at bats, .667, The big disappointments are Duran, 10 at bats, .314, Rafaela, 6 at bats, .000, Narvaez, 5 at bats, .000 and Roman Anthony, 4 at bats, .000, Devers had 6 at bats with 2 grand slams, 12 rbi's, and an OPS of 2.125. Casas had 1 at bat, Campbell 3, and Abreu 7. In 90 at bats, the Sox OPS with the bases loaded is .877.

As I just said, I think Breslow is inexperienced, so for him it makes sense to be cautious in July and aggressive in December. When was the last time any Sox CBO brought in four stalwarts like Bregman, Crochet, Chapman, and Narvaez in a single season? The nut jobs prefer to ignore those four and focus on Buehler (as I myself did when he gave up Sale for nothing and signed Giolito, who was himself nothing his first season). All the carping critics have ignored that in his first three starts, May has had 2 quality starts and an ERA of 2.87. Absolutely no one has acknowledged that he might in fact be a smart acquisition.

Not sure I agree. Like everyone else, I would love to have seen Breslow acquire one or more very good arms. OTOH, July is the worst time to try to do that because this season in the AL the 3 Division leaders and 5 mostly likely wild card teams all had good reasons to improve. The NL also had 8 teams looking for a plus-up. I completely agree that Breslow,is in fact inexperienced. But to me that inexperience demands caution in July and aggressiveness in December. Breslow has also made mistakes in December, but overall I like the direction of these Sox. When was the last time any Sox CBO brought in four stalwarts like Breslow, Crochet, Chapman, and Narvaez in a single season?

Plus moonslav pointed out the Orioles are 9 games over .500 for the last 70 games. The Sox are 12 games over .500 over their last 70 games, but they have definitely hit a rough spot.

I'm not a fan of Toro either, but blaming him for last night's debacle is mindless. The Sox were 0/13 with RISP. In the 8th inning with the bases loaded and nobody out, Duran, Story, and Yoshida all struck out. Of the Sox 3 runs, one was scored on a balk. So Lowe's 2 run dinger was the Sox only meaningful hit in the entire game. Buehler also stunk, but the bullpen was terrific, giving up 1 ER in 7 IP. Oh, and in the 11th inning with 1 out and Eaton on 3b, Eaton acted as though he thought there were 2 outs because he ran for home when the ball was hit.

You could be right, but I'm going to keep watching the games.

The Sox are the worst bunters in the entire history of MLB. Any fair bunt leads to champagne in the club house. And I blame that on sabermetrics.

Look at the replay, The guy on 3b took off when the ball was hit, so he had no chance of getting back to 3b to tag up and then run home. Between him and the 3b coach, neither knew there was just one out.

Not on Cora. Sox runner on 3b took off when the ball was hit. Between him and the 3d base coach neither seemed to know there was just one out.

The Sox tonight were 0/14 with RISP. so don't try to blame this on one guy. In fact, the Sox only had one good hit tonight. 'The first run came on a balk. And how about that 8th inning when the Sox had the bases loaded and Duran, Story, and Yoshida whiffed? Wong might be called a marginal player, but he's a darn good catcher who ain't hitting, except tonight he had 2 hits, This loss was on the lineup, pure and simple.

Good find!

3b coach blew it, which means he fit right in with how the Sox played tonight.

These guys are not marginal. I'm mad but not stupid. Anthony, Bregman, Abreu, Story, Rafaela, Duran, Narvaez, Gonzalez, Anthony, and Ref are good. I suspect Lowe is too. Crochet, Bello, and Giolito are the best 1st/2d/3d starters for the Sox in a long time. Buehler and May have both had good starts (and bad). The Sox are ranked 2d in MLB in quality starts. The bullpen has stunk recently, but tonight they were great--`1 ER in 7 freaking innings. Chapman, Whitlock, Weissert, Wilson, Bernardino, and Matz are all great to good to decent relievers. But are they playing lousy right now? They sure are. In 11 inning's they had exactly one good hit--by Lowe. They were 0 for freaking 14 with RISP. Buehler only lasted 4 IP and gave up 2 runs.

One stinking good at bat the entire game. One. Sox are 0-11 with RISP. The bullpen has been nothing less than fantastic.

Fantastic 10th by Chapman!!!! Three K's plus the BB was probably dictated by Cora.

That's what I thought.

Great K on 3 pitches by Chapman!!! Then he walks a guy on 4 pitches.

An unbelievably dumb at bat by Story. First two pitches are low changeups, well below the zone, and he swings at the second one!!

If I'm talking to that pitcher, I'm saying throw low changeups, period. Walk him.

😄

Sox can't see a changeup, let alone hit one.