Maxbialystock

Well said. Jacksonianmarch has a point, but your corrective is the right realistic view of 2021.

A Realistic View at 2021 is currently dismaying. Since the 9 game winning streak, the Sox have played subpar baseball, winning 9 and losing 10. The first two games of the Detroit Tigers series is confirmatory of that trend. The Tigers are 2 and 8 in their last 10 games, but won last night and could have won the night before were it night for Cabrera's two GIDP's, including the crucial one in the 8th with the bases loaded and just 1 out. The bottom part of the lineup is a real problem these days. The starting pitching is better than I expected, but the bullpen keeps springing leaks. And the defense is kind of weak across the board. The outfield looks like strangers in the night: opposing outfields look more comfortable at Fenway and make better plays. Three years ago the Sox outfield was Beni, JBJ, and Betts at least 2/3 of the time and the latter two were gold glove contenders. The infield is at least as weak as the outfield. And opposing baserunners steal with impunity in an era when stealing bases is deemed foolhardy. Today at 1:10 it's Turnbull vs. Eovaldi for the series win. Based on the first two games and the Sox steady slide downward, I'm taking nothing for granted.

The Sox got more calls from the home plate ump than the Tigers did. Great dinger by JDM to tie it in the 8th. But not a great decision by Cora to leave Perez in to finish the 6th with men on 2d and 3d. Except for Whitlock, the BP--Taylor, Sawamura, Ottavino, and Barnes--did a good job. Before that 2 run single in the 6th, Perez had a good start. But Mize of the Tigers was clearly better. Statistically, Detroit had a reasonable shot at winning 1 of 3 games against a team that is 9-10 over their last 19 games.

My mistake.

Now that was snake bit. Fast ball in the heart of the plate, and no swing by Renfroe. The whiners from the lovely vineyards of the Red Sox Nation can now take over this thread.

Meh. Both balls could have been called strikes.

Good for Dalbec. Maybe there is hope even though it was an out.

Another Tigers strike called a ball.

"Losing to the Tigers" is not the same as "lost to the Tigers." Go Sox!!!

As am I. These complaints are entirely because the Sox are losing to the Tigers after tying it up in the 8th. Who knew that New England is actually whine country?

You apparently never took a logic course. You claim the away team is "very likely" to score from 2d, but not the home team even though both teams face the exact same situation.

Whattalotta. Soto struck Bogie out except that the ump took away two great strikes.

Same thing happened to Soto facing Bogie. Twice.

Strenuously disagree. Both teams have exactly the same chance to score, and in fact the psychological advantage belongs to the home team. Shoop had a great at bat before that scratch single. Before that, he almost had a double and a dinger down the right field line. Whitlock simply wasn't up to the moment.

Tigers have 11 hits to the Sox 6.

Why the endless replays? The first one showed he was safe.

Cassandra nails another one.

Good night, nurse. I thought Whitlock was the perfect guy to bring in.

Pay back. This time our guy got screwed.

For a guy hitting .173, Schoop is a tough out.

Nice!!!! Just out.

Whitlock. Like the little girl with a curl: when she was good, she was very, very good, and when she was not, she was horrid.

Tough break. Bogie did his part. This is what make baseball so unpredictable.

Screwed twice.

Nice slider by Soto, screwed by the ump.