Maxbialystock

OPS and OPS+ are considered to be pretty good markers for a hitter's overall performance. Looking at game logs, without citing specifics, on the other hand, is just flaky. For example, I choose August 8, less than 3 weeks ago, when JDM went 4 for 5, including 2 doubles and 2 rbi's, in a 9-8 loss to the Jays. Or how about 4 for 4 against the best AL pitching staff, the Rays, on August 11? The monthly OPS's on the other hand, do show a fall off from April, but the fall off suggests he is roughly an .800 OPS hitter. Am I worried about JDM? Yes. When Shwarber gets walked 4 times in front of JDM, I get nervous. On the other hand, Cora makes the tough decisions with tons more insight than you or I have, and for now he's sticking with JDM--in a tough race for the playoffs with just 30 days to go. You absolutely are entitled to your opinion and every opportunity to express it, but that don't make you right. Right now, I think you are, if not out to lunch, at least outnumbered. I got moonslav and Cora. Who you got?

Renfroe on bereavement leave since Thursday, so I'm thinking maybe back for tomorrow's game. Kike has covid symptoms and a positive test, so he is likely out for 2 weeks, but of course he's back whenever the gets negative tests 2 days in a row. Arroyo will be back as soon as he gets back to back negative tests.

What other site?

Duran, CF Schwarber LF JDM DH Bogie SS Devers 3B Verdugo RF Vazquez C Shaw 1B Arauz 2B That's 6 lefty bats. I would still start Dalbec because he's hot, but trust Cora. Plus Dalbec can always pinch hit or be inserted. Cleveland's going with 5 lefty bats, one of whom is a switch hitter (Ramirez).

Well, you and Cora see eye to eye (or is it I to I?). Today it's Duran CF, Shwarber LF, JDM DH, Bogie SS, Devers 3b, Verdugo RF, Vazquez C, Shaw 1b, and Arauz 2B. But I disagree with both of you. Quantrill has been so good this month it might not make any difference, but, knowing JDM is following Shwarber, he will be less likely to throw anything to Shwarber worth swinging at. On the other hand, Bogie is also struggling--2 months in a row--and he is batting 4th. So clearly Cora is going with the guys who have hit the best over the long haul. Duran, Shaw, and Arauz are exceptions because of the guys (Kike and Arroyo) who are unavailable, plus all three are lefty bats.

Good grief. I used monthly OPS's for what is now five months of a six month season. That is not cherry-picking. When I use a small sample, I freely admit it, but five months ain't small. And I resent your cavalier use of the AA analogy. I've been there and done that and been sober since June 13, 1983.

Eovaldi vs. Quantrill Game at 4 pm Both righties, both now aces for their teams. Quantrill has pitched 31 innings in 5 games in August, his first month as a real starter, with an August ERA of 1.45. He's almost as tough against lefty hitters (OPS against, .694), as he is righties (.646). Last night's throw together lineup was disastrous and saved by Arauz's miraculous 3 run dinger in the 8th. Sox had just 3 hits. So Cora has his work cut out deciding on today's lineup. I foresee lefty bats and no Munoz. With Kike and Arroyo still out, Cora can insert JDM if he wants to, but I sure hope he doesn't hit in front of Shwarber again. So now 3.5 ahead of the Rays for the wild card, 3 behind the Yankees, and 7 behind the relentless Rays. Cora is good in the tough times.

Meh. This is not at all like AA because--and I love this quote from the movie, For Love of the Game--"we count everything in baseball." And the numbers, which Bogey and JDM well know, don't lie. Just look at Bogie's numbers. His first three monthly OPS's were .915, .961, and .948. July's was .730 and August's is .777 so far. He's hurting. As for JDM, see my other post: he was great in April and in the succeeding four months--not 4 days or even 4 weeks, but 4 dadgum months--he has been a .800 OPS hitter and this month it's .730. At age 34, it's a good bet he is in decline.

If JDM is in fact an OPS .800 guy, Cora has one or more options I think he should consider. 1. JDM can DH or play the outfield, as appropriate, but he probably should be moved down in the batting order, calamitous as that sounds. I know it happened to Ortiz one season. 2. Give Dalbec more opportunities at 1B (or 3b) as long as he continues to hit like August Dalbec (OPS 1.183, 5 dingers, 19 rbi's). This should be easy as long as Kike and Arroyo are out. If JDM starts tonight, for example, he can DH or go to the outfield (where he still has a good arm). Heck, if he leads off (in place of Munoz), it's doubtful the opposing manager will walk the Sox 9th batter four times to get to JDM. Indeed, before Kike showed he could lead off, leading off for the Sox was like patrolling behind enemy lines and earning medals for courage because absolutely nobody could do it and nobody wanted to do it. Think "JDM the hero."

I love it. I don't agree, but I love it. Let's try two samples, one tiny, one season long. The tiny one is that two games ago the Twins walked Shwarber 4 times to get to JDM, who was 0 for 5. That to me was compelling. The larger one is this season, all 5 months of it. JDM was the same old JDM in April: OPS 1.l75, 9 HR's, 25 rbi's. In the four months since then--count 'em, 4 long months--JDM has been the new JDM whose highest monthly OPS has been .806. And this month it's been .704. So, me, I'm thinking the new JDM is in fact an OPS .800 guy, which is actually not all that bad. What to you think?

Rizzo's glove!!!!!??????? The Yankees go 21-4 and the Sox go 11-13 in August because the Yankees had Rizzo's glove and the Sox didn't? Give me a break, and "the industry" can go pound sand.

Since they got Rizzo and the Sox got Shwarber, the Yankees have gone 21-4 and currently have a 13 game winning streak. The Sox, meanwhile, have gone 11-13. So I'm not so sure the Yankees are clueless in the Bronx. That said, like everyone else, I'm delighted Shwarber has contributed so well even though he missed the first 2 weeks. I'm also satisfied that Bloom knows what he is doing and no doubt complying with some ground rules laid down by John Henry. With Shwarber at 1b, the Sox could have a really good lineup with Arroyo back at 2b and Kike back in CF and JDM--provided he rediscovers his lost swing--at DH. Alternatively--and this is kind of neat--Cora now has the alternative of sliding Dalbec, whose August OPS is 1.183 with 5 dingers and 19 rbi's, back into the 1B slot and installing Shwarber at DH. As others have already said, JDM's one good month in 2021 was April, OPS 1.175. Since then his best OPS has been .801. In August it's been .703 with 3 dingers and 13 rbi's. Night before last, the Twins walked Shwarber 4 times to get to JDM, who was 0 for 5. All that said, the Sox real problem, season long, has been pitching, which as moonlav and others have shown, is undercut by the weak Sox defense. Mostly, it's been the rotation, so Cora finally replaced Richards and Perez with Sale and Houck, which has definitely helped. However, Barnes, he of the new and lucrative contract extension, has recently sabotaged the bullpen and is now just one of 9 relievers hoping to contribute. In the last 3 games, however, the bullpen--Robles execrable 10th vs. the Twins notwithstanding--has shown signs of bouncing back. Richards--surprise, surprise--has been excellent in relief. Whitlock remains our best reliever by far. Ottavino, Sawamura, Taylor, and others have also been good. Barnes might even prove to be effective, just not as a closer or as an occasional closer.

Agree. But I would have been fine if Richards had gone back out. I like the idea of having more than one closer. An even more radical idea is that I think Barnes could close again this year.

He struck out 2 guys and got the 3d out on a harmless groundout. He had to be doing something right. I think he walked the leadoff guy because he was a tad nervous.

Agree completely. I think we started that two games ago when Shwarber tied it 4-4 in the 9th with a 2 run dinger--after the bullpen had pitched 5 scoreless innings-- and even though Robles gave up 5 runs in the top of the 10th. Even then, however, the Sox scored 2 in the 10th and would have had more if Vazquez doesn't hit into that double play. Shwarber has been a good shot in the arm and tonight he played freaking 1b! Dalbec got another hit tonight. So I think the hitting will be OK if guys can stay off the CL (covid list). And Cora and Bloom have reassembled a pitching staff that just might be good enough. Four of the five starters--but not Houck--have the potential to go 5 or 6 good innings. And the bullpen shambles, as you kind of predicted, is somehow getting back to getting guys out. Richards right now is pretty solid--1 run in 10 innings as a reliever--as are Whitlock and maybe Ottavino. Then there are Sawamura, Taylor, and, wait for it, some guy named Barnes who I think can come back if not as the closer. Plus others like Valdez and DHernandez when the get off the IL.

Let me be honest and say I've always had doubts about ERod. I never liked his preference for throwing fastballs most of the time. I think someone told him (or he told himself) to look calm not matter what, and I have interpreted that as not caring. Wrong. This year we've seen him have big ups and downs, but my overall impression is that he has shown real grit, especially lately. Plus he is definitely mixing up his pitches and using the fastball less. His stuff and control aren't as good as Sale's, but he is pitching the same way--mixing 3 (actually 4 including the cutter) pitches and throwing to spots rather than the middle of the strike zone. Tonight I think he pitched a big game, especially given that the Sox were behind from the get go. This is also his 4th good start in his last 5 games.

Agree with moonslav--great one!

That leadoff walk was awful, but after that Ottavino was masterful even though he's lousy at holding runners on.

I misread what you said and agree overall the bullpen has stunk it up for several games, with Barnes being the biggest culprit by far. Therefore I am astounded that in the last three games it has been very good except for that disastrous 9th inning--shades of Barnes--by Robles, which cost us that game which also included a tying 2 run dinger by Shwarber in the 9th.

Ball game!!!! This absolutely was one of those incredible comeback wins that can give a team real confidence.

That was an incredibly gutsy slider for the 2d K. Gutsy call by Vazquez and great pitch by Ottavino.

Ottavino walks the leadoff batter because he can't control that slider.

I'm going with tedballgame--Richards.

I'll be honest. I think he has earned this. It was like 1 or 2 games ago when we argued about whether Richards could be "trusted," I think everyone agreed, "not yet." Well, tonight Cora has decide it is in fact "yet." And Richards looked great. I hope he pitches the 9th.

My goodness gracious!!! Richards pitching the 8th with a 1 run lead. Cora is definitely rolling the dice tonight. OK!! 1 up, 1 K.