Maxbialystock

All due respect, but the Sox pitcher overall is 5th best (ERA) in MLB at 3.53. The #2 ERA is the Yankees' at 3.43. Not much difference. My guess is that everybody is having pitching issues except the Astros who are 2.92. That said, the Yankees and Astros are the two most likely teams to get to the ALCS besides the Sox. Even without Chapman, I think the Yankees have a better bullpen.

Sox currently have 13 pitchers, so they do have an extra one. Calling up Travis or some other position players is definitely called for with 3 games to play before the All-Star break.

Borucki, lefty, vs. Porcello, righty Tough matchup because newbie Boruki looked very good against the Yankees last week--1 run in 7 innings. Rick Porcello, he of the 11 wins, ERA 3.58, can only try to compete and hope for the best. I saw a bulletin that Benintendi is on bereavement leave and have seen nothing about Pearce's availability for tonight. If he is OK, I see him filling in at LF and 2d in the order. And Moreland goes to 1B and bats 4th. I'm sure Porcello and Cora both want Leon to catch tonight, but it will be his third straight start. I thought our guys showed some toughness last night, which is actually nothing new this year. Price got nailed in the first on a good swing off of a good pitch, but was fine until the 7th inning and had a quality start. Happ was really effective until 4th when his guys didn't support him well, Nunez got a scratch hit, etc, and Mookie had an incredible at bat capped by golfing a grand slam out of the park in LF. Unfortunately, the Yankees were pretty tough too and got to Kluber when Francona left him in too long. Who the heck was that masked man who went in for Pearce at 1B last night and smacked the ball hard twice? Wasn't that the 25th on the roster guy? The no can hit, no can catch, wasted slot guy? Suddenly DD and Cora look like geniuses and doubters like me look pretty foolish.

This was in the end an unusual game. Happ and Price started out at opposite ends: Happ seemed unhittable and Price all too hittable. I was particularly critical of Price after that first inning 2 run dinger, but he quickly settled down and did not give up another run until the 7th. Happ ended up giving up 5 in the 4th before leaving the game with almost 100 pitches and something like a 42 pitch inning and and a 13 pitch at bat by Betts before the grand slam. But as I look back now I think both starters were victims of great swings by two opposing hitters. That 2 run dinger to center field in the 1st was off a changeup low in the zone, and the grandslam was off a 95 mph fastball right on the line or below the zone. Also, Happ was a victim in the 4th of variety of cheap hits and wasn't that the inning when the 2B took his foot off 2b too soon so Bogie was safe? Jung is absolutely right that the key to Betts at bat was fighting off a succession of pretty darn good pitches from Happ. Agree too with those singling out Swihart who right now is vindicating all those--but not me--who wanted him playing more earlier in the season.

10 in a row. Not too shabby, and just at the right time. I thought Cora did a great job on when he took pitchers out. Also, it sure looks like Swihart can hit.

Very tough win, but Price came thru and Betts was huge with 5 rbi's.

I thought it was a tough play. No error, for sure.

Me too.

Yup. Dead on.

OK. That was one absolutely incredible inning--ending (maybe) with a golfed dinger that just took off like a rocket. By Betts. Great, great at bat of course. Then there's Price's complete transformation from batting practice in the 1st to semi-ace in the 2d, 3d, and 4th. Wow, what a team!

He looked out to me.

I really like it when a Sox pitcher gets them to hit his pitch, which means they don't hit it well and it becomes an out. Best way to get a short inning.

Not quite, buster. Check out the 2d and 3d innings, why don't you?

Will you cool it, please? He's having a terrific year and those comments are undeserved. Moreover, you are driving people away from the game threads.

The HBP pitch was another fastball and every other fastball--and that's basically all Happ threw--was just very very close to his target. That HBP was intentional.

Given his terrific control so far in the game, that HBP by Happ looked intential to me. In the middle of the batter's box/zone and in the air, ankle high.

He's like a one man wrecking crew at this point. He does not seem to understand that under no circumstances can he throw a fastball near the middle of the zone. In addition, he throws too many fastballs and cut fastballs and not enough sliders and curves and changeups. He is fooling nobody out there but himself.

I checked. Good call by you.

I don't think the baserunning is a weakness. I like some aggressiveness and accept the mistakes. But the normal standard on talksox is that any attempt to stretch a single or double or score from 2b or 1b on a single or double or an SB attempt is a mistake unless the guy is safe. If he is out, it's a blunder with no exceptions. Too bad we don't have Daniel Nava anymore. He's the only Sox baserunner I know of who failed to advance from 2b on a ball hit over the rightfielder's head that got to the wall in right center. Nava would be the ideal baserunner for this fan base. Rule #1: be careful, be cautious, be safe. Rule #2: obey rule #1.

This team today is a lot of fun, but too many of us are spoiled rotten by the highly successful John Henry era. You need at least 50 years of Sox fandom and almost 40 years (I have 55) of the curse to realize how good we fans have it today. I had an uncle who lived to almost 90, watched every single game on TV for decades, and died shortly before 2004. It sure looks like these Sox can win at least 100 games, but, as others have already noted, the postseason is a tossup.

I listened to Curt Gowdy call most of the Sox games in the summers of 1953 and 1954, but did not watch regularly until around 2004 or so because, except for 1953-54 (and much earlier when I was born in Winthrop), I didn't live in TV range until I bought a satellite package. For many of those years in between I was also overseas--especially 1967. But I do remember watching Sandy Koufax in person in 1961--he pitched in Philly and my school was in NJ. Pretty close to on par with Pedro. I remember most of the Guardians players from 1954 and actually some of them in the summer of 1955 when they played a double header against the Senators and I was visiting a friend in DC. Larry Doby in CF. Avila at 2B, Strickland SS. Vic Wertz 1B. Al Rosen 3B. I think Jim Hegan C. As for the Sox teams of the 1950's, I remember Williams and Piersall.

Thanks. Pretty close to what I had in the OP except substitute Nunez for Devers.

Exactly. I just don't understand the continual furor to acquire Machado who would either be an expensive rental for 2018 or a very expensive long term acquisition. He's a very good 3b or SS, but we already have one of each and for a lot less money and their hitting ain't half bad. Bogie could go over .900 OPS soon. Devers is a project, granted, but he's young and under control for a long time with a ton of potential if Cora can just get him to slide hide first more often. MVP78 says he is a Lin fan, and I am too.

You express strong views and back them up with good stats, but you also like to review your own assertions as you have here. My memory is that early this season you insisted the hitting would be better because last year Betts, Beni, Bogey, et al had below par years. And you thought JD would have an effect similar to Ortiz when he was in the lineup. The surprise is that JDM has hit on a par with Big Papi in his best years, and there is no way you or anyone could have predicted that. But yours was the most consistent voice saying the lineup and hitting would be good this year.

Yup. Good baseball. Plus the Guardians are a very good bet for the ALDS.