Maxbialystock

I said 5-6 before the season for two reasons: west coast against good teams; and a sorry spring training.

I griped plenty during the game but right now feel strangely sanguine. Yes, absolutely, the rotation stinks and is a real concern: the Sox have to have close to the worst ERA (27th) in MLB after 4 games and have given up 11 dingers, 2d most in MLB. Fielding: the Sox are 2d in MLB in committing errors and have the 2d worst fielding percentage. That said, I see some positives. The guys are hitting and rallied 3 times in 4 games, one of which won the game. The bullpen is much better than I expected. And the Yankees--playing at home and against the lowly Orioles--are 1-2, which puts them 1/2 game ahead of the Sox. Now it's 4 at Oakland with Price, Sale, Eovaldi, and ERod starting.

Way to go, bats!!!!

If the rotation maintains this dubious standard, they can rest in October. This team looks exactly like the one we just saw in spring training, only these count.

against a lefty— Betts Devers JDM Bogaerts Travis Moreland Nunez Vazquez JBJ 6 righty bats

Meh. You're right of course, but so is Notin because most people think the closer is a vital part of the pen. In any case, this is a great thread because it's all about Topic A this early in the season. With Kimbrel and Kelly gone and no pricey additions, most of us have identified the pen as the potentially fatal weakness in the 2019 Sox roster. Lineup looks fine and probably better than last year's. Rotation ditto. But the pen????? Cora, of course, has gone on record as saying the pen will be fine. So far it looks like our brilliant manager is right once again--even though 2 games are a ridiculously small set of data.

A movie I like but most don't is Alan J Pakula's Comes a Horseman, starring Jane Fonda and James Caan, who plays the cowboy (in Montana, after World War II) and Army veteran who turns out to be the horseman in the title who helps her save her ranch. His character keeps saying, "I figure," until Fonda's finally says, "you sure do like to figure, don't you?" That's Cora. Always figuring. He may be be young, but he sees and knows things the rest of us don't. Last night was just one more example of how his moves have worked, especially pinch-hitting for both Travis, who had 2 hits, and Vazquez, who had a homer, in the 9th inning. Plus no qualms about letting Swihart catch Barnes for the 9th inning save. Cora also is the one who said he is fine with his bullpen although right now he is going with 8 instead of the usual 7. So after 2 games, who has done better, our high-priced rotation or are much-maligned (I'm one of the doubters) bullpen? Last night they went 4 innings, got 7 K's, and gave up no walks, no hits, and no runs. After 2 games Cora has used 11 of 12 position players (all except Holt), 2 of 5 starters, and 7 of 8 relievers (in itself an unusual number because most teams go with 7). I don't think Brasier has pitched yet and almost certainly because Cora has something definite in mind for him.

After 2 games, pen looks mightier than rotation (which has been used by Mariners for batting practice).

Wrong. It's-- Beni Betts JDM Bogaerts Nunez Devers Travis Bradley Vazquez six righty bats.

Another Seattle lefty, so my guess is the lineup will be similar to last night: Beni, Betts, Devers, JDM, Bogie, Moreland,Nunez, Bradley, and Vazquez. Kikuchi gave up 2 (1 earned) in 5 a week ago against Oakland--in Tokyo. Sox righties got 8 of the 11 hits last night and all three doubles. But no dingers--while the Mariners got 5.

Yup. This year the Sox are playing with house money. Actually, a whole lot of house money because I think they have the highest payroll--again.

The hero of that movie plays for the old Washington Senators, back when the saying was, "Washington, first in war, first in peace, and last in the American League."

Agree, good movie. i don't think the father is contrived. He seems not to grasp what is obvious to us--that his son has a realizable dream--but he is more right than his son. Becoming a MLB pitcher was a pipe dream for Jim Morris. Heck, he never even played high school baseball because Brownwood H.S. didn't have a team, so he played on the football team and was very good. Morris started playing baseball when his 3--probably with his dad's help. When he tried out after high school and didn't get selected, it should have been over, but that increase in arm strength in his 30's was freakish and gave him I think 2 years in professional baseball, including the majors. Then it really was over. The real Jim Morris divorced his first wife, the one who bore his children and supported his dream (in the movie, anyway).

Absolutely right about Ken Burns Baseball.

Perfect throwaway game. Sale stunk, also bullpen. Sox had 11 hits and 4 runs but no dingers. Seattle had 12 runs on 12 hits, 5 of them dingers. Nunez and Devers had errors. Hit it, Scarlett! Tomorrow is another day.

Yeah, last year's Rafi might be back.

So far the five righty bats have 7 of the 9 hits, including 2 doubles. Beni and Moreland are hitless.

We aren't that dumb, but I think we have right to be pissed off.

Didn't that look like the 2017 Nunez? If so, welcome back!

Now we know why Cora is going with 13 pitchers.

I said that in a thread days ago and got hammered for being the world's leading pessimist and disloyal fan. I guess you can say that stuff on game thread though. Last year our great start was largely due to starting off against weak teams. I do think it all evens out so I don't blame the MLB schedulers. I mean, isn't kind of hard to blame them for Chris Sale s***ing in his pants after getting that very nice extension to his contract? I'm a huge Sale fan, but those three innings were awful-awful.

I just back from a couldn't miss engagement and see I missed Sale giving up 3 dingers and 7 runs. 2 runs by the good guys, not bad.

Honestly, it baffles me why people complain about commentators when the solution is so easy. Turn off the sound and focus on the game.

Is this you coming out as, dare I say it, our one and only lawyer who couldn't afford to lose an argument?

I love the idea because it's original and kind of fits the personnel. But you're right.