Maxbialystock

Well said. In my case, I think different things on different days. As for this year, if the Sox falter, I will be thankful for the superb 2/3 of a season which was totally unexpected--as I am thankful for the four WS wins in the John Henry era. I was a Sox fan for 55 years of the Sox 86 year drought.

ESPN is nuts. While I trust Bloom and now believe getting a good starter was just too expensive, that was in fact the most important need for this year's Sox. The Sox currently have one reliable starter, Eovaldi. Pivetta, second best, has given up 13 runs in 15.1 innings in his last four starts. Houck has done well, but has yet to win a game by pitching 5 freaking innings. And Sale ain't here yet and hasn't gotten a MLB batter out in two freaking years. Meanwhile, Schwarber is an outfielder on team that badly needs a good bat at 1b. Plus Schwarber has a bad hammie, so we have no idea how many games he will play for the Sox this year. The WEEI guys give Bloom a C-, and I agree with the caveat that I still trust Bloom--plus I don't know what guidance John Henry may have given him.

While I agree getting two Scherzer's--combined with Eovaldi, and the return of Sale--would be huge, I'm less sure doing so was feasible. Or, if it was, whether the cost was sustainable. I too am disappointed with not getting a viable starter, but also trust Bloom and, in case you've forgotten, John Henry, easily the best Sox owner in its 121 year history.

As the saying goes, "in life, timing is everything," and right now the Sox are vulnerable and up ahead are 2 more games at the Trop, 4 at Toronto, 3 more vs. the Rays at Fenway--as well as 3 @ Detroit. By vulnerable I mean that the rotation still awaits Sale and instead must rely on Richards, Perez, and ERod, as well as Pivetta's ups and downs. In his last three starts Pivetta, our currently second best starter, pitched 15.1 innings and gave up 13 runs. So right now Eovaldi is the only reliable starter. As moonslav can quickly remind us, all four of those starters have pitched good games this season, but right now, July 31, 2021, all four are suspect. For that matter, so is Sale, at least until he returns and shows he can get MLB hitters out. The lineup which has been so good all year, especially in coming from behind and aided by the Sox one strength, the bullpen, has JDM in another slump, Schwarber still trying to get over his hammie (which could go bad again), Bogaerts with an ailing wrist which could easily stay that way, and Devers with a quad issue which we know about. Plus, of course, the oft-injured Arroyo. Let me hasten to add that injuries are very much a part of baseball, especially MLB with 162 games, 6 games a week for 6 months. So there is nothing inherently unfair about these actually minor injuries. Nevertheless, current combination of weak starters and so-so hitting, both of which could persist through the next 13 games, could easily drop the Sox out of 1st place in the AL, perhaps for the remainder of the season.

As we all should. If the Sox slide downward over the next two months, it was still a great first 2/3 of a season and completely unexpected.

Great on the scene observations. Thanks. I too trust Sale and Bloom.

Exactly.

Well said and optimistic. I'm not there yet.

Simple, straightforward, and scary, as you have readily acknowledged way back on page 1 of Part III. Indeed. Richard, ERod, and Perez in their most recent starts underscore the problem with the rotation perfectly. Meanwhile Bogaerts has the bad wrist, Schwarber the bad hammie, and Devers a touchy left quad and possibly other issues. So the offense which has been very good, if not as solid as lineups in the past, is a tad suspect. And this over-achieving Sox team which has found all kinds of ways to win games this year, is entering the final two months with a pretty good bullpen and not much else. In Bloom's defense, good starters this past month did not come cheap. Thus the deal for Schwarber.

Someone has got to explain to me why Cora likes Vazquez so much. He leads MLB in passed balls and does little to prevent wild pitches. He's lost his ability to throw out base stealers and in fact these days regularly makes terrible throws (along with some good ones). He takes way too many chances on the basepaths--like he's invisible and can go anywhere he wants to. And he ain't hitting. Tonight he got that single and then stupidly choked off the rally by trying to get to 2b on a single. And he sure as heck wasn't helping Perez any.

I'm pissed at Bloom too, but I also have to say the Sox rotation stinks so bad right now I don't think one arm, no matter how good, was going to fix it. Plus Sale is not a sure thing until we see him go through a Major League lineup.

They are nowhere near selling out Fenway.

Terrible at bats by Duran and Verdugo.

WEEI guys give Bloom a C- in his acquisitions, with which I heartily agree. Sox badly need a good starter, but Bloom passed, perhaps rightly, because one would cost too much. Plus Schwarber has a bad hammie which could linger on and on and he can't play 1b, where the need is.

Who cares about Houck?

Perez stinks. Absolutely no excuse walking a lefty bat on 5 pitches. Fleming, meanwhile, has the Sox hitters tied up in knots.

Someone has to take the losses, which actually occur 40% of the time. Starting this one is an act of courage for which TylerD is to be commended.

Houck sent down because his next start is in Toronto, meanwhile, Cora needs that slot for Wong or whoever.

Good news is that ERod was awful when Ryu was great. This game was not winnable.

Perhaps. Right now it looks as though the rotation weakness is simply too big to fix. Pivetta, Perez, ERod, and Richards are all more than capable giving games away. That leaves Eovaldi, who is quite good, Houck, who lately can't quite get thru 5 innings, which places a big burden on the bullpen, and Sale, who we only hope is the Sale of 2018 which was a long time ago.

0-2 count, and ERod walks him with the bases loaded. Three straight walks.

Bases loaded with Semien and his 24 dingers at the plate. Just outside the pesky pole!

Valdez warming up.

WEEI guys say that, if the A's decide to leave Oakland, they could end up in--wait for it--Montreal. Reportedly, the money and the land are in place.

Terry Francona would have broken Lou Boudreau's record for most wins by a Cleveland manager. He still can, just not this year.