Maxbialystock

Great final paragraph. Tough for Yankee fans. Maybe like us in 2019 after that incredible 2018 season.

Yeah, that makes more sense. 2013 only had one big bat, Ortiz's, vs. this year's three, but had a deeper lineup and, in the first half of the season, three pretty good starters in Lester, Lackey, and Buchholz (13/16 starts were quality starts, ERA for season 1.74) before he went on the IL. Lester was 4-1 in the postseason with a 1.56 ERA and Lackey was 3-1, ERA 2.77. Uehara had 7 saves, ERA .66. This year's team has good hitting overall and is 2d in MLB in scoring. Team ERA is 14th, largely because the rotation is inconsistent. Eovaldi right now deserves to be called the Sox's ace, but he's been shelled three times (6, 5, and 5 runs). I think his splitter has been the big difference because it allows him to throw fewer fastballs, which will be hit when he throws a lot of them. Pivetta is almost as capable as Eovaldi, but far more inconsistent as demonstrated in his last 3 starts: fantastic (6.2 innings, no hits or runs), horrible (6 runs, 4.1 innings), and great (7 innings, no runs, 2 hits). Perez, Richards, and ERod trail behind although ERod seems to be coming around in his last 2 starts: better mix of pitches and much better command. Looking back over the past 3 months, I think the bullpen has been the key to a big chunk of those 53 AL-leading wins because they are deep and because Cora has managed them awfully well. The bullpen has allowed the Sox hitters to come back against other teams whose bullpens aren't as deep and to hold onto leads when the Sox starters have pitched well.

Well said. If nothing else defines talksox, perhaps this thread does. It's the longest--or one of the longest--game threads this season and is about a game the Sox lost after winning 8 straight and having the best W-L percentage in the AL and a good lead in the AL East. On some pages there is genuine rage directed at Cora, Andriese, et al because the Sox, thanks to errors and unearned runs given up by the A's, had a chance to steal a win, but ultimately could not because, well, the bullpen just ran out of gas. Yesterday Pivetta pitched a 7 inning gem and the Sox won a thriller on a GIDP by Devers, 1-0. 17 pages. None of the 8 game threads in the winning streak got more than 20 pages. In short, talksox contributors find winning boring. It's much more fun to argue about why a game was lost and whose fault it was.

Could be tired, a good point. And he could be affected by the Commish's dictum. Also strongly agree about the strain and drama of closing games.

Talk away. It's a free board. But don't for one second think you can convince me this team is in dire need of fixing, not when they just won 8 straight, lost a close one which never should have gotten to extra innings but for those two A's errors, and now have started another streak--to say nothing of having the best record in the AL and a 4.5 game lead over the Rays, 8.5 over the Jays, etc. This team has just played it's 13th straight game without a break. They are about to play 6 more. Of course the bullpen is tired. Cora used the heck out of them to get those 8 straight. Andriese even pitched in one of them when it made no difference, which is mostly what he has done for at least a month. He stinks. However, the Sox bullpen still has Barnes, Ottavino, Whitlock, Taylor, Hernandez, Sawamura, and Workman. That's seven pretty decent relievers, all with + WAR's ranging from +.6 (Sawamura and Workman) to +1.3 (Whitlock). They are a big reason why the Sox won 8 straight, the Sox lead the AL, etc.

Season is another story. Based on the season, they have hurt the Sox, and I would deep six all three. But I still trust Bloom and Cora on what they want to do with them.

Nope. The Trop is a pit.

This was a fantastic win. Well done. Keep it going.

Absolutely not. But he has been better than any of us expected.

Fine with me. Ottavino can close.

Scary, but great.

Chavis is, however, good at running interference so that A's blooper could drop in safely in front of Verdugo.

Great 3d out, fantastic 7 innings by Pivetta.

Great throw by Vazquez, but the knuckle curve is slow to the plate.

Laureno batting tough.

Pivetta for all the marbles! I was sure he wouldn't come out for the 7th.

Nice. Didn't know that.

Santana screwed on that 3d strike, but it's not as if he was going to get a hit.

Yes and no. Great home run hitter, but Fenway has a deep right field. Williams handled the shift well by hitting line drives.

Both starters have pitched great, combining so far for 11 innings, 1 run, 15 K's, 2 BB's, and 5 hits (4 by the Sox). The Sox two best rbi men have both had golden opportunities--men on 2d and 3d and men on 1st and 3d--and stunk it up.

Some folks enjoy pitching duels. I'm one. No accounting for tastes. Devers up with Verdugo on 3d, JDM on 1st, and no outs. And he hits into a double play. Verdugo scores, however. It's remotely possible Kaprielian knows what he's doing.

Must be the 10th innings. Verdugo on 2b with no one out.

The last 4 in this lineup have 5 K's in 8 at bats. And no hits, of course.

This is the Sox 13th of 19 games without a break. Last night went to 12 innings and Friday night 10 innings, which was the day/night after playing the A's at Fenway and then flying across the country.

It was one of best hitters who was an easy 3d out with Sox runners on 2d and 3d.