Maxbialystock

While I do appreciate all the insights into specific players, I think arguing about, say JBJ or Chavis or Pearce or whoever, can lose sight of the bigger picture, which is-- The Sox hitting is vastly improved--now ranked 4th in runs scored and rbi's, 10th in OPS, 4th in OBP, and 13th in dingers. Pitching is also improving, now 18th--up from 29th--in ERA, despite the near term absence of Price and Eovaldi and the season long absence of Kimbrel and Kelly. The Sox, after a 6-13 start, are now 3 games over .500 and have won 5 in a row. I think that last factoid is important because I keep reading on talksox about how really terrible the Sox defense is. Chavis can't play 2b, Devers is an error machine at 3b, JDM is still sometimes allowed to butcher every play in RF or LF, the great JBJ is being benched now and then and is badly, badly, badly missed, etc. Thus the Sox have 26 errors in 41 games--awful!!!!. And, of course, we all know that defense, not hitting or pitching-- is how you win games.

Right now Chavis is a better defensive 2d baseman than Nunez, who cannot go back for popups with any degree of confidence. So far, I don't think his range is a plus and do agree his GIDP throws to 1b need work, but he is usable at 2b and his bat has helped a ton. Chavis at 1b allows Devers to stay at 3b and Moreland/Pearce at 1b. You could be right about Chavis cooling off, but right now he is huge. And there ain't no cavalry this year. Certainly not Nunez or Pedey. Maybe Holt with the lefty bat, but he doesn't normally play every day.

5 in a row, first time since last year. Seattle to date has scored the most runs in the MLB, but were vastly outscored in this series, 34-8. And Velazquez had a very nice 5 inning win--surprise, surprise. Gotta like those trends.

Moreland is 6th on the Sox in hits, but 1st in dingers, 12 (Bogie and Betts each have 7) and rbi's, 29 (Bogie has 26), with an OPS of .908 (Betts is .907 and Chavis .956). I think one big reason why JBJ is still starting--other than his defense--is that, when Chavis and Moreland are both in the lineup, the Sox have 7 guys over .800 OPS (Bogie's is the lowest at .806) and Vazquez with a very respectable .788 OPS. I have beaten JBJ like a drum all season long, but right now he's actually a pretty good fit in CF despite his .436 OPS. This keeps Mookie in RF, Beni in LF, and JDM as DH. Also, with Pedey having another false start for rehabbing his knee, it looks like Chavis will stay at 2B. Last night was Chavis's 5th straight hitless game, but I'm not yet worried about him. If today is indeed another postponement, Price should be available to start against Colorado or Houston. These Sox are not only hitting a ton and winning, they are getting their rotation back. Eovaldi could be back in 3 weeks.

NOAA map/graphics show rain from Boston back to Ohio and the Mariners can't stick around because they play Oakland at Seattle tomorrow. That's heartbreaking enough, but a postponement today also takes away another start by the indomitable Velazquez, he of the 57 pitch start. The two day break, if it happens, should put Price back in the rotation, probably right after Sale on Tuesday and against the Rockies. Or Cora could start ERod on Wed and Price vs. the Astros on Friday.

George Scott played Patton.

Agree. ERod and Porcello both rely on heat in the 1st. Plus Porcello couldn’t throw a low pitch if you held a gun to his head.

That missed pop up is on Leon for not sayin he had it.

Chavis might be slumping. JBJ is beyond slumping. Dreadful, dreadful bottom of the order when Leon triumphantly pops out.

Note the contrast with Felix, who is using any array of breaking balls—effectively. And keeping the ball low. Porcello,p is not effective when he keeps the ball up and Leon should know that.

Also very few pitches low in the zone. That change for a single was mid zone on the outside edge. I don’t think I’m being unfair to go after Leon because on another thread he was trumpeted as sort of a savior for the staff because he makes good pitchers great, ok pitchers good, etc We have seen Porcello pitch well this year more than once, so just maybe Leon ain’t quite so great as claimed.

Yes, but also rotten pitch calling by the great sandy Leon. Porcello has thrown almost all fast balls and cut fast balls. No changeups or curves. Very few sliders.

Why do you insist on comparing the worst to the best? To me it makes a whole lot more sense to compare the best to the middle of the pack guys, who have some range, but not great range. And in that case I would argue that some middle of the road guys do pretty well, maybe because, lacking great range, they get to be pretty consistent. You know, a guy like Bogie. Speaking of which, did you know that the master shortstop Iglesias has started 32 games to Bogie's 36 games and has 106 TC's to Bogie's 133? But Iglesias has a DWAR of .9 and to Bogie's .3 (at least it's positive). Anyway, I would further argue that the number of total chances depends on other factors than the range of the SS.

This is not an irrational thought. I personally think any competent infielder should be able to play the OF, but we've already seen at least one humoungous failure. I don't think that would happen to Chavis, but it could. JDM can play LF in the tradition of other so-so fielding leftfielders for the Sox like #9.

I think the tendency for all new leftfielders at Fenway is to treat the wall as the edge of the earth or an electric fence of something. Without exception, none of them will go near it. If it's necessary to give Pedey another shot, I agree LF is the spot for Chavis and CF for Beni.

So far this has been the Sox best lineup. It's almost the same one as opening day in Seattle, but with Chavis in for Nunez at 2B and of course ERod starting instead of Sale.

You and A700hitter are so right. Now is the time or past time for Cora to publicly flagellate himself and say he should be fired for malfeasance. Are you guys nuts? I'm perfectly willing to give Cora "credit" for a lousy ST which probably caused the 6-13 start and abysmal work by the rotation, but that's now water under the bridge. As moonslav pointed out, the Sox have gone 13-6 since the 6-13 start and are just 5 games out and 3 1/2 back of the Yankees with 124 games to go.

I'm anti-JBJ, I guess, but I agree that right now he is the best option. Keeping him in the lineup right now is helped by having 8 decent bats--Beni, Betts, JDM, Bogie, Devers, Chavis, Moreland, and Vazquez--in there with him. Also, for every brilliant defensive game JBJ has, there are maybe 5 or even 10 games when his skills don't make a big difference.

On top of that, you have to look at the individual games to realize Cora made an awful lot of good decisions. Of course the players get the lion's share of the credit. It's why the get the big bucks. But Cora was pretty darn impressive, especially, as you say, when those guys vastly outperformed any reasonable expectation, especially in the postseason.

Interesting. I would have thought you were a diehard JBJ supporter--a believer that his glove transcends all else.

Others will recall I have said repeatedly, "what's JBJ done for us lately?" Well, last night's grab was the answer. And,frankly, I think a catch like that is way more dramatic than an extra inning dinger.

JBJ keeps playing because, frankly, he's the best option despite the weak hitting and because good options aren't available. Plus for the most part the Sox now 8 pretty decent hitters for the other slots--Beni, Betts, JDM, Bogie, Chavis, Devers, Moreland, and Vazquez. Also, I think the tandem of JBJ in CF and Mookie in RF is pretty reassuring for any pitcher. At this point even moonslav might agree JBJ is on borrowed time. He gets to play because no one on the bench is hitting that much better plus the rest of the lineup ain't half bad--for now. I won't argue last night's game-saving grab was something only JBJ can do, but it was pretty spectacular because he timed it so well. Did anybody else notice the Orioles hitter acknowledge that catch?

True, but they weren’t throwing great stuff, especially that guy in the 10th or 11th who only threw 92 mph fastballs.

All true, all good, but I’m pissed it took 12 innings to score that 2d run. Sox are finally at .500, but they are not like last year’s team despite returning almost all and adding Chavis. Agree with Kimmi bullpen moves were good. Hard to blame DD for the rotation. Ditto the lineup, almost all of whom are below last year in OPS, etc.

Congratulations, and wild applause for your son!