Maxbialystock

Somehow this wasn't as big a problem last year even though we basically had four starters plus Johnson and Velazquez--and later Eovaldi. This year we were supposed to begin with 5 starters--Sale, Price, ERod, Porcello, and Eovaldi but never came close to that. Now it's a pretty steady 4--all but Eovaldi--except when Price or someone gets shelled early. But the subs like Johnson and others have rarely gone 5 innings.

Travelers Championship???? What the heck is that??? Do you mean the Greater Hartford Open, the tournament Arnold Palmer won 63 years ago?

Agree with that first sentence. One kind of good thing about this series is that Thursday will be a day off--finally--which will help Cora in managing the bullpen.

Sox have good hitting, but Twins is better. Ditto pitching. This is a good battery check to see if there is still juice in 2019 model. Twins, FWIW have 47 wins to the Dodgers and Astros 48, but the best run differential, +116, in MLB. Sox are +49. The Twins have a 67% winning percentage and the Sox 53%. Statistically, that means both teams are a good bet to win 1 game, neither is a good bet to win all 3, and the fight is over who wins the other game--with edge going to the Twins. But you gotta play the games. That's what's great about MLB. I grew up around the middle of the 86 year curse when the Yankees seemed to win almost every year, which they in fact did 1949-53, my first 5 years of mainly check box scores. But in 1953 and 1954 we lived near Agawam and a could get the Sox on radio with Curt Gowdy. Sox finished 2d, 3d, 3d, 6th, and 4th those five years. then in 1954 the Guardians won 111 freaking games only to lose 4 straight to the Giants. The Sox lost the World Series in 1946 and didn't get back until 1967, 9 years after Williams retired. But even during that 20+ year drought there would be series in August or later when the Sox would make a contest of it and maybe take 2 of 3 from the Yankees.

I look forward to the Minnesota series because it's a good test of where the Sox are right now. The Twins have 47 wins, 1 less than the Astros and Dodgers who lead MLB in wins, and lead MLB in runs scored and, more importantly, runs differential (runs for vs. runs against). Theirs is + 116 and ours is + 49. Both teams have good hitting, but theirs is better. Ditto their pitching.

I would say he does "have" to keep 13 pitchers because the rotation continues not to deliver 5-8 innings per start. Price went 1.1 in his last start, Johnson 3. Eovaldi's recovery is now on hold. None of the usual suspects seems capable of stepping in as the 5th starter. What's made it a little easier to keep just 12 position players is all the injuries. Cora is even limited among those 12 because guys like Pearce and Nunez ain't hitting and ain't much on defense either. That's the biggest reason why Chavis has stayed in the lineup during his slump.

I think you and all of us really are spoiled by having Beni, Bradley, and Betts--all fast with pretty good gloves and two with good arms-- out there, which historically is abby normal for the Red Sox, especially in LF. At the same time, we also want the good hitting, which last year we had from all three, especially MVP Betts. What Cora did last year and again this year was follow that old Sox tradition and sometimes give up some defense for ensuring good bats in the belfrey/outfield. Thus JDM has played both LF and RF. He ain't no gazelle, that's for sure, but he has a good arm and rarely misplays the balls hit to him. Moreover, he likes to play the outfield. I can live with that and apparently so can Cora and DD. The problem this year, however, is that no one is remotely at good batting DH as JDM is. I think Mookie did it once and did well. Otherwise, no. One more reason to use JDM out there is that Cora has had to keep 13 pitchers on the roster, which means just 3 subs for the rest--1 catcher and 2 infielders, with JDM doubling as the 4th outfielder.

Kinsler got the gold glove at 2b last year, but couldn't hit spit. Injuries to Holt and Nunez necessitated Chavis, who hit more in a month than Kinsler did all year in 2018. Now Holt and Nunez are back, and so is Hernandez, so I'm not worried about 2b. And certainly not SS and 3B. Assuming Moreland returns, the Sox will have a surfeit of infielders, which once again will make Holt key because he can also play OF so JDM can stay in the DH slot.

No. The lineup and the catcher who can’t block pitches are BS.

It does get old.

Crab cakes are pretty good.

Orioles announcers keep playing the interference and saying there was none. I think it was obvious. Sox second string pitchers are showing a lot more heart today than the first string lineup.

The Babe, of course.

Yup.

Which is ok with me. I think JBJ has slowed a little, and goodness knows his hitting is erratic. But, depending on his future salary demands, he should be good a while longer.

Greatest right fielder ever and maybe the greatest player, period. 5 tool player with no weaknesses. Worth $40 million a year. You happy now?

Looks like everyone came to play except Mookie.

Meanwhile Betts left 5 on.

Quelle surprise. Mookie swing at a first pitch and got solid contact. An out, but solid.

I checked previous games this season thinking the same thing about 10 or more runs. They may have scored fewer runs in the next game, but always scored several.

Note the tense of my verb. Before this season he was pretty darn good in any circumstance. I would be surprised if in any previous season he struck out in 3 pitches with the bases loaded.

I’m beginning to wonder how really good he is against good pitching. That was a three pitch K, which is usually reserved for rookies in their first at bats.

Sure was.

I hate most MLB agents and now wonder whether Mookie’s told him to hit more dingers. Or something.

We just saw why the Sox are undefeated this year when Mookie sits. That’s silly, of course, but it’s a fact that he ain’t the same as last year and it hurts.