Maxbialystock

About Bobby Dalbec. JBJ, a terrific defensive outfielder, inherited the starting CF position in 2014 after Ellsbury went to the Yankees. He started and stopped (meaning he was sent back to AAA) several times that season because his hitting stunk. Then, somehow, in August he finally started to hit. But over the next 5 years he would have greater fits and spurts than most players. He was an improvement over Ellsbury--despite Jacoby's incredible 2011 season--because he was a better defensive centerfielder and not excessively prone (as Ellsbury was) to season-ending and career-ending injuries. Bobby Dalbec, on the other hand, is a defensive liability (DWAR -1.1) while playing the easiest infield position. Thus, despite being 5th on the Sox in dingers (11) and RBI's (40), his overall WAR is -.9. He also leads the position players in strikeouts with 86 in 213 AB's. What keeps Dalbec on the big club is in fact his hitting and the lack of it from guys like Chavis, Gonzalez, Cordero, Santana, etc.

Too bad you couldn't watch the game last night and decided to look up spin rates instead. If you had watched, you would have noticed that command in the first 2 innings was a bigger problem than spin rate. Both dingers were off pitches--a fastball and a slider--in the geometric center of the strike zone. After the second one, Richards pitched 4.1 innings of shut out baseball and kept the Sox in the game long enough to get the score to 5-5 with 2 outs in the top of the 6th inning. In terms of bullpen usage, this game had disaster written all over it.

Pitchers, especially starters, care.

Absolutely. In this case justice was served. Besides, Richards' 3.2 shutout innings give him something to build on. His big curve did not look half bad tonight. And that 93 mph fast ball has a nice bend to it. A changeup is still too much to ask.

Stunning win, beginning with Richards reversal after giving up 5 runs. He then went 3.2 unscored upon. Slumping Dalbec was benched in favor of hitting Dalbec. Rike continues to act as though he belongs in the leadoff position, which we all know to be impossible. The only non-surprise: bullpen 3.1 scoreless innings for the win, hold, and save. Dever's continued defensive prowess not so surprising. 4 in a row--wild applause, mvp78--when backs were to the wall after losing 2 of 3 in the Trop, which I swear bothered out players as much as the Rays prowess did. Sox 1 up on the Rays, 6.5 on the Jays, and 7.5 on the Yanknays. And just 1/2 game behind the Astros with their astronomical (pun intended) run differential of +142. Kimmi keeps reminding us that the experts say winning by just one run is luck, not merit. Tonight did not look like luck to me, especially--and I have to admit it--Garrett Richards gritty comeback after giving up 5 runs in 2 innings.

A grounder with eyes! 5-5!

That's only because Cora has absolutely no feel for the game or his pitchers.

Who was that masked man who got 2 more for the good guys?

Agree. I wrote the Sox off after the first two innings and will be delighted to be wrong. Again.

Not being able to doctor the ball might be part of the problem, but the real issue with Richards is command. Both those dingers, one on a fastball and the other on a slider, were right down the middle. Someone last night opined that ERod needed to pound the strike zone, but in fact what worked for him was moving the location around and mixing up his pitches and not throwing too many pitches right down the middle. Richards gave up way too many runs, but has now thrown 2 straight shut out innings. Of course Cora will stay with him awhile long. Bullpen was heavily used vs. the Yankees. Also at Tampa. And no off day until July 8.

Got it. Professional baseball, which has been played for 150 years with human umpires, was, well, sad to say, illegitimate. Forget Don Larsen's perfect game because he had a human umpire. Same goes for the brilliance of Sandy Koufax because those home plate umpires were probably giving him the benefit of the doubt. And just how many of Babe Ruth's home runs were the result of home plate umpires not calling strikes by opposing pitchers? To me part of the greatness of all sports, very definitely including MLB, is that they are human endeavors--including the humans officiating. The most popular sport in the entire world is soccer football, which is also the least officiated sport in the world. One official calls all the fouls wherever they occur on a very large field of play and is assisted only by sideline judges who call offsides. I don't like the replays we now have to live with, but do recognize they definitely limit on field tantrums we used to see by players, coaches, and managers. Overall, I think they save time in an era when games take longer and longer. Speaking of which, why is there almost no effective control of the time between thrown pitches, which I believe is supposed to be 25 seconds? Speaking of level playing fields, what about all those pitchers doctoring baseballs for the past 100 years? PED's? Ballpark idiosyncracies that favor the home team? Stealing signals, which we know both the Astros and the Red Sox have done--and probably plenty of other teams who weren't caught? The Black Sox, who created an unlevel playing field for their Chicago fans by intentionally throwing games? And how about MLB's occasional dictums which can greatly affect the game, like lowering the mound, suddenly enforcing a 100 year old rule, etc? What you call a level playing field I call a desire for a reality that does not exist on the field with the players and umpires. They cannot see balls and strikes with the accuracy of that rectangle, so it is a false assumption that it's an unlevel playing field. Or take your point about players having to adjust to what the umpire is calling in that game. How is that different from having to adjust to the idiosyncracies of the pitcher you are facing or the batter you are facing? Indeed, by now every player and every pitcher goes into a game with computerized info on the tendencies of whomever they are going to face. That does not mean the opposing pitcher or hitter will conform to what the computer predicts. Hence in game adjustments. Hence better success for hitters the third time they face a pitcher in that game.

My point remains: the home plate ump is in the best position to call balls and strikes, and the rectangle we see on our screens provides an ideal that does not exist on the field of play. Baseball is a human endeavor, not a computer game, which is that the robo-ump fanatics keep insisting we must have.

Ditto. Except that I was impressed with him Tuesday because it seems to me that this year ERod was one of the few pitchers who was not cheating.

Umpiring is fine. Not just the umpire, but the players do not see the ball with the accuracy of that strike zone imposed on the screen. That imposed strike zone is not what the players see, especially not the hitters who are making split second decisions on whether to swing. I favor a pitcher-friendly home plate umpire who basically forces the hitters to swing rather than try to get a walk.

It would seem that Verdugo just doesn't want to get walked.

Angels go up 5-4 with no help from Ohtani. Astounding.

Another hit by Santana, a really tough out. Too bad he's out on the throw back to 2b.

I think it's simpler than that. I think Cora wants a sweep.

A few more and the 10 run rule can be invoked. Rays threatening (it's 4-4) in the bottom of the 7th: 2 on, 2 out. Angels get the 3d out. 4-4 going into the 8th.

Gotta love Gonzalez on defense.

7-2!!!!!!

Cessa screwed. Just like Whitlock was in the top of the 7th.

Let's face it. Bogaerts is a real pain in the ass.

Obviously, Verdugo should not have swung at that 4th pitch and 3-0 count.

Would be nice to see Whitlock pitch the 8th. But I trust Cora.