Maxbialystock

Nope. They can work at Sears.

Yoshida is an expensive mistake. The others are bargain basement. Why am I absolutely, positively the only one who predicted the Sox defense would improve and now repeatedly point out actual examples? Idee fixees capture this board and just won't go away.

The Twins are 29-22 on their home field. OTOH, they have stunk since the ASG.

Agree.

His lifetime OPS with the Sox is .800. He is just unbelievably injury prone. He missed a bunch last season because of swinging the bat and this year it was running to 1b. 2 on, 1 out for the Twins in the 7th. I suspect the Sox bullpen is tired.

Anyone's guess. After Devers left, the notion was that Yoshida and Ref would be a great combo at DH. But Yoshida's OPS vs righty pitchers is .450.

I think Story is turning back into a pumpkin--at the plate. At SS he's still good.

2/11 with RISP. Not good. Twins are 1/5 with RISP.

It was a sac fly.

Meh. I think Devers was gone the day Bregman was announced as the Sox third baseman. I can't claim to have seen it then and in fact liked Devers as the Devers as the DH. FWIW, the Giants have had a losing record with Devers and the Sox have had a winning record without him. The Sox spent a lot on Bregman, Crochet, Chapman, and Buehler. Alcala escapes from the 6th while giving up just 1 run.

I agree Fitts got pounded and was very lucky to get out with just 2 runs off him. On the other hand, when did it become horrible when the opposing team hits into double plays? Aren't those supposed to be good things? And who wouldn't want his pitcher to get a grounder with the bases full and just 2 outs. What I've read is that Breslow doesn't want to give away Duran for a pitcher no better than Buehler. Duran would absolutely make the Padres while they just give up a dipstick starter and a catcher at the A level in the minors.

Anthony K's against some really good pitches. Duran sure seems to like CF. Ain't that nice? On the other hand, it would be better to trade him away for a lousy starter, which is what the mods recommend. I'm serious. Read the article.

Great insight.

Just astounding--all the negative posts in a game in which the Sox lead, 3-2. My 2 cents are that I think Fitts was tipping his pitches because he was hit awfully hard for outs. Plus he got screwed by the ump on 2 or 3 calls. The Twins runner on 2d who only advanced to 3b on a double off the centerfield wall sure helped. I saw a Sox baserunner do that maybe 15 years ago when he was on second when the next hitter hit one off the right field wall at Fenway while our baserunner was sliding back into 2b. My goodness you have to love the way both Story and Bregman can make such great throws to 1b when they are going to their right.; Abreu has stopped swinging for the fences and is hitting again with line drives.

Does this never get old for you?

How can you label Duran "expendable and not really needed," when he leads the Sox in games played, total bases and runs scored and is tied for 2d in rbi's?? He also has the 4th highest WAR. 2.8, on the Sox. When the Sox face a righty starter, Cora can fill the outfield with lefty bats by moving Rafaela to 2b. Against lefty starters, the same three have these OPS's: Abreu .641, Anthony .605, and Duran .567. If the Sox can get a real #2 starter for Duran, I would be fine with a trade. But what the Padres are offering is dog doodoo. He has the same number of quality starts, 6, as Buehler.

Fitts has 9 starts and 37 IP. In July he's had 3 starts, pitched 12 innings, and given up 7 ER's.

I agree on Duran, but think Rafaela is useful at 2b against righty starters even though he's magic in CF.

Good OP and good discussion, everyone. Thanks. I exclude the rant against Cora, which is just silly as well as ignorant. . I was all for trading Duran for a #2 starter, but the guy SD is offering ain't a #2. Plus he's a rental???!!! Right now Duran leads the Sox in games played, total bases, and runs scored. He is 4th in rbi's. All good. However, his OPS vs lefties is a lousy .567, which is lower than Gonzalez, Bregman, Ref, Narvaez, Rafaela, Yoshida, Abreu, and Anthony. As it turns out, the Sox team OPS vs lefties is .761 and .742 vs righties. And the Sox face righty pitchers more than twice as often (2501 AB's vs 1101). That's why Rafaela plays 2b against righty starters--so that Cora can get 3 lefty bats in the outfield plus another as DH and another at 1b. I hasten to add that Rafaela, Duran, and Anthony play almost every game, which makes Abreu the odd man out. The top 9 WAR's on the team are Rafaela 4.0, Narvaez 3.1, Bregman 3.0, Duran 2.8, Abreu 2.4, Story 2.1, Anthony 1.7 (in just 40 freaking games), Ref 1.2, and Gonzalez 1.0. Then come Toro 0.3, Hamilton 0.3,and Mayer 0.2. And this. So far this season the Sox starters have pitched 47 quality starts, 4th most in MLB. 41 of the 47 are by the 5 current starters: Crochet 14, Bello 10, Giolito 9, Buehler 6, and Fitts 2 (in 9 starts). Cease has 6 quality starts--same as Buehler--in 21 starts. No way, no how is he a #2 starter.

The numbers I prefer are 4-5 vs the NL's three best--with 6 of 9 being on the road. That to me says these guys can compete in the postseason and no way, no how, should the Sox be sellers. Cora has even shown how he can allow all 10,000 Sox outfielders to play regularly. The price is Rafaela at 2b, but tonight he made one heckuva play at 2b. For those who want to trade Duran (as I usually have done), you should know Duran leads the Sox in total bases, runs scored, games played, and is 2d in rbi's. \ About the rotation and getting a really good #2 starter behind Crochet. The Sox are ranked 4th in MLB in quality starts, 47. Most--41-- are by Crochet 14, Bello 10, Giolito 9, Buehler 6, and Fitts 2. If Breslow can make a favorable deal for a good starter, fine. But I would be just as happy with good reliever(s). Maybe Chapman's going on the IL.

It looks like more than 420 in the films/replays. Willie's my all-time fav.

I watched an Indians-Senators doubleheader the following summer, 1955, at Griffith Stadium and when they were still pretty much intact. After the game, I ran out onto the field and grabbed the rosin bag, but didn't keep it very long. In 1954 the Indians went 111-43 and had the highest winning percentage in AL history. But got killed by the Giants in the WS, 4 games to none.

The Sox going 4-5, 6 of them on the road, against the NL's three division leaders tells me that Breslow won't be a seller next week, but can avoid being a buyer who overpays.

???

Sure was. Also a spellbinder of a game. Watching Buehler tonight was like watching the perils of Pauline. Then Chapman south like he was jumping off a cliff. Both times Cora changed pitchers just in time.