Maxbialystock

Let's see if I have this right. Schwarber makes an awful toss to 1b resulting in an error, a man on base, and no runs for the Rays. He also gets a dinger in the 1st and a key single in a nice 3d inning rally, and that does not compensate for that error or for the fact that Schwarber caught a pickoff throw in the dirt by Eovaldi. It also means nothing that in an absolutely crucial final series in a NL park--with no DH's allowed--Cora played his two worst fielders, Schwarber and JDM in all three games. I got it. Fielding is everything, and hitting is, well, not so much.

The Rays centerfielder's arm stinks. Schwarber was not quick.

I'll take Schwarber and the wild card win and playing the Rays tough in the ALDS. You can have Rizzo. While Rizzo was playing for the Yankees, the Sox got good hitting at 1b from both Dalbec and Schwarber.

The Yankees got Rizzo and have better pitching than the Sox. Guess which team won the Wild Card game?

Yeah. What a lunch bucket. Of course, we also need to ignore he is 2 for 2 and caught that bad pickoff throw by Eovaldi.

Really? Ask yourself this. Why, when the Sox played their last three games in a NL park, did Cora play Schwarber and JDM in all three games. Schwarber also caught a bad pickoff throw by Eovaldi. First base is one of those positions where hitting comes ahead of fielding. And this. Let's replay this game right here and put the great Bobby Dalbec at 1b and assume he makes a good throw on that play. But also subtract Schwarber's dinger and make the score 2-0 Rays.

Frightening error by Schwarber. Eovaldi does not need this.

Nope. He tripped over homeplate and sprained his ankle. I'm surprised he's out there for the 3d inning.

WEEI guys say this Eovaldi isn't last Tuesday's Eovaldi vs. the Yankees, but I think the Rays are just better hitters.

GIDP on a play the Sox don't make. After 2 innings, Rasmussen 24 pitches and Eovaldi 39, but of course Nate is a lot stronger.

Even better. Eovaldi is sheer perfection today. Just a tiny glitch in the 1st. JDM gets another hit! He needs to trip over 2d base about every 10 games next year.

37 games is a huge number, so a brain fart as well.

Five K's in 2 innings! This game is in the bag.

Eovaldi so far averaging 7 pitches per out, which is just fine.

Eovaldi throwing lots of strikes!!!! This is so great!!!!

I misunderstood the WEEI announcers.

Rasmussen seems to have better command and Eovaldi better stuff.

Rasmussen's 37th postseason game.

Lovely day for a ball game. Eovaldi's doing great, and it makes absolutely no difference how many runs he gives up in the top of the 1st. Really like the Sox uniforms, the crowd, the ambiance, the announcers, and all the upbeat folks on talksox.

Every game is important now. Today/tonight is big primarily because the Sox actually have a good starter. ERod and Sale combined for 2.2 innings and 7 runs. If we didn't know better, I'd say they were both saboteurs.

Absolutely neat list, with which I completely agree. Others may differ, but not by much. And a good manager cannot afford to ignore the recency factor. With 2 very high, 3 high, and 3 moderate, I'm think Cora has enough to get through the next 2 or 3 games. There's another day off before the last game. So Eovaldi--on 5 days rest--hopefully goes at least 5 innings today and Houck, also on 5 days rest, the same Wednesday. Tomorrow is tricky both because ERod and Pivetta will be on 4 days rest and because much will depend on today's outcome. Tomorrow is tricky. ERod and Pivetta will both be on 4, not 5 days rest.

I stand corrected. The Rays pitching stats--individual WAR's--say McHugh is the Rays 3d best pitcher, period. Wisler, not so much. Wacha actually has a WAR of -.7, so why would Cash insert him when the Rays were only down 8-6?

Yes it does, and that's certainly good news. Less good is that Sale and ERod both look like stinkers, Pivetta is up and down, and Houck can't pitch 4 or 5 great innings whenever Eovaldi isn't starting.

Two mvp's. Houck was one. You were the other when, in the midst of the Sox losing game 1, you said the Sox would win the ALDS in 4 games. Then Sale started game 2 by giving up 5 runs in the first inning. Who knew then that your prediction would hold up?

A season of surprises from the Orioles sweeping the Sox to start, to the Sox leading the AL East for most of the first half of the season, to the slide backwards in the 2d half culminating in the Yankees sweep at Fenway followed by the Orioles taking 2 of 3 in late September, to the great sweep of the Nats in the final series, and the thrill of beating the Yankees and their ace Cole in the wild card game! The ALDS was gravy, playing with house money. And, frankly, it should have been essentially over when ERod and Sale crapped out in the first two games while giving up 7 freaking runs in 2.2 innings! But Cora outmanaged Cash, Houck was brilliant for 5 innings, and the Sox hitters scored an astounding 14 runs in game 2. Now, improbably, the Sox have the edge with Eovaldi on the mound today at Fenway, where he has pitched well against the Rays this year. And 2 of the next 3 games, including today, are at the Fens. That said, the Rays are playing in their 3d straight postseason and barely lost the WS last year to the Dodgers, 4 games to 3. Statistically, they have better hitting, pitching, defense, and baserunning, and Cash is a good manager. This ALDS is a long way from over. The Rays could still win. But they are the ones wondering what hit them.