Maxbialystock

If there is one thing I ain't buying, it's any math or probability on who wins what series in the postseason. Other than to say, of course, that the division winners have an advantage because they don't have to play the one game playoff. Right now in the AL I think all five teams could be tough: Sox, Astros, Guardians, Yankees, and A's. Can the Rays still sneak in there? If so, they could be tough. Also, despite the Sox terrific record, I think the team to beat in the AL is again the Astros.

To clarify: I honestly wanted to thank you for starting the game thread early. Someone had to, and it was possible the rest of us would have hung back until 8ish. The Sox still have a big lead, etc, so I see these games as informational, which means of course I'm getting worried. Bullpen still stinks. Yankees pitching has our lineup throttled. Price, who was seriously looking like a $30M/year starter, got beat up fair and square. Shame on Nunez for the error, of course, but he got that double and scored the only Sox run. And those two unearned runs would not have happened if Price hadn't first loaded the bases up. Severino intimidated our guys. Their lineup intimidated Price. Next up, ERod, the little girl with a curl. When she was good, she was very, very good, and when she was bad, she was horrid. Last night I thought both starters were cautious in the 1st inning and not attacking the strike zone. it worked for both. I think ERod needs to be that way tonight without walking everybody. I know he loves to throw all fast balls in the 1st inning, but I'm hoping he gets in a couple of changeups and a slider or two. Also that he keeps the ball low--not all of the time, but maybe half the time.

I call that bold talk for a one-eyed fat man. I hope you have the reins in your teeth and both hands full of artillery. Speaking of which, where the heck is the Sox artillery?

Born philosopher.

Agree. Keeping Kimbrel guarantees nothing when your starters go 5 or 6 innings.

ERod vs. Tanaka tomorrow night. Not sure I want to watch.

Moonslav assured us on last night's game thread that Cora went with his "minor league lineup." Well, they might have been, but they looked better than tonight's. Both lineups only scored 1 run, but last night at least threatened now and then. Tonight's just rolled over and played dead except for that magnificent rbi single by Leon. Not sure our guys are ready for prime time. With 103 wins, that's kind of a shame. In these two games--yes, yes, a very small sample size but against a team we could well face in the ALDS--we've seen an awful bullpen, an equally awful lineup, our #2 starter hammered, and our steady eddy 3B let one go right between his legs for 2 runs with 2 outs. Ugh. To the Yankees credit, I thought their pitching was excellent in both games. Both starters had good stuff, mixed up their pitches, and mostly hit their spots. Their bullpen owned our lineup even with 2 errors. Their hitting looked pretty decent too.

We are now in the 6th and that single rbi by Leon is beginning to look like a miraculous hit. Everybody else coming up with men/man on base rolls over and plays dead.

Is Bogey going for the fences? That's twice he's popped up a pitch breaking down.

One more inning, and Price could get a quality start.

OK. I've griped plenty about Price because he's walked 3 guys, given up 2 dingers, etc. But I give you this: without that error, the score would be 2-1 in the bottom of the 5th. The defense and the lineup have also let us down.

Nice rally killed by our #1 and #2 hitters--a K and a weak grounder after #7 doubles, #8 singles, and #9 hits a line drive, caught, to the opposite field. Come on, guys. At least we got the run. But 4-1 right looks like a pretty steep hill.

I sure hope I get to eat my words. Way to go, Nunez and especially Leon!!!

Yes, Price has been near perfect and we should ignore how he loaded the bases up before that error. We should also ignore the two dingers.

Severino continues to dominate thru 4. If we had our "minor league lineup," as moonslav calls it, we might have a ready excuse. But no.

The problem I see is that Price is having to be very careful because the Yankees are having little problem seeing his pitches and are hitting is mistakes hard. Without the error, he still gives up the dinger and needs 40 pitches to get through 2 innings. Severino is, I think, also pitching carefully, but has much better stuff--faster fast ball, better break on his changeup, etc. So right now he is breezing. Oh, that egregious error by Nunez? Yes, it was. But brother Price was the one who loaded the bases with Judge coming to bat and actually threw a pitch that Judge hit hard but right at Nunez. Bottom line to me: one pitcher is way better than the other. Did somebody really blame that on Cora? Seriously?

I enjoyed last night even though their bullpen was way better than ours--but Eovaldi looked pretty good and the game was close. I'm really looking forward to tonight at Yankee Stadium with two very good starters who have both had ups and downs this year. I hope jacksonianmarch drops by now and then. As for our bullpen--if Price goes 6 or 7 and the Sox have the lead, I expect to see Wright and Kimbrel and no one else. i have dumped on Wright continually since that basesliding injury in 2016, but I am not blind. That ERA of 2.87 is a testimony to the return of the knuckleball. it's possible Cora will bring in Vazquez to catch Wright, but last time Leon wasn't too bad. I think he had a PB but no runs scored.

I like Cora, but gotta agree this guy has been creative and done very well.

I enjoyed last night's game because I didn't expect Eovaldi to do too much. Too bad about the bullpen, but Brasier hung that slider to the wrong guy at the wrong time. Workman didn't help much either.

Interesting. A guy who is odds on to be the AL Manager of the Year is a moron or a liar. Well, you gotta give Cora a lot of credit for basically fooling all of the people all of the time: the players, the FO, owner, fans, commentators. Thank goodness for these game threads so we can get the real scoop.

Is tonight's game in NYC rained out yet?

Pretty much agree with all. Bogey is a decent SS and, with his hitting ramping up, likely to get Machado money when the time comes. And, frankly, I consider that frightening because I think Boras, et al, have made the prices for players astronomical. MLBPA also ensures that all the money is good no matter how bad the player performs or is injured or whatever. The apprenticeship system, which I assume the owners like, ensures that almost all high value contracts occur late enough in a player's career to ensure there will be a good amount of risk. The Yankees can't be happy with Ellsbury--but mind it less when they look at HanRam and Sandoval. And so on with other teams.

Fewer errors, perhaps?

What the heck happened to the 2018 playoff roster as a topic? I'm not saying 2019 isn't worthy of discussion, but it's already the dominant topic on moonslav's realistic view of 2018 thread (over 300 pages) and elsewhere. Meanwhile, the Sox haven't actually entered the postseason yet! I like my 25, but won't repeat them here. I do think these September games are a pretty good testing ground for who makes that roster. For example, I would never have put Lin on there, but that ball off his glove in CF showed me that guy is versatile even though he didn't catch that fly. Plus the double. Plus a good infielder. But mostly he might be the fastest guy on the team. So, even though I didn't pick him, he could end up on that roster. Despite the bullpen travails, I'm sticking with 11 pitchers--4 rotation (obvious) and 7 relievers. I included Wright, but some didn't and should right now feel pretty foolish. I excluded Pom and still believe that was a good decision. But I also had Kelly and now have doubts.

Another remarkable win in part attributable to Cora's managing. He brought in Pom after Sale to no avail--specifically, 2 runs--but the others did OK. Even Kelly got 3 outs and Wright got the save. On top of which, first Holt's dinger and then the most improbable hit of all came from Lin, who was in for Betts and doubled off the monster, moved to 3b, and then scored on a big sac fly from Beni. No JDM, no Bogey, no Mookie--no problem. Next we will see cats living with dogs. My goodness gracious.