Maxbialystock

Ahem. You do know, I hope, that the FO and the manager and a plethora of coaches agree with moonslav's assessment. Right now he does indeed look awful, especially last night on the 97 mph K with the bases loaded, but his track record, including at Boston last year, says he is the real deal. He's just, in moonslav's words, raw.

Hey newbie--newer than me, anyway. Pretty sensible on Beeks and the way I saw it. Sox have done OK without Mookie, but we do need him back. Not so sure about the need for Pedey even though I like him a lot. Devers will come around--he's just a kid.

Myths go back literally thousands of years although I prefer the newer ones. The good ones actually do have some semblance of truth, just not the whole truth.

Agree. My heartburn is with the stats guys dictating exactly what the defensive placements should be and the concomitant dictate that the best counter strategy is to swing for the fences. Thus all this talk about hitters developing some kind of upper cut in their swing. That's not the same as wanting to hit the ball hard.

I would go one step further and say that right now I would put Beeks ahead of Pomeranz on my list of possible Sox starters. He already has a better repertoire and doesn't stomp around the mound and finally throw a pitch every half hour or so.

Horrible 1st, granted, but Beeks in the end was better than I expected in terms of his repertoire. His fastball can get up to 94 or 95. Good curve, good downward break. Changeup needs work, but is workable and crucial for a lefty. Cut fastball maybe used too much. So by my reckoning he already has a better arsenal than Pomeranz. That first inning hopefully taught him something about mixing his pitches from the get go.

Boy did I see this game differently from almost everyone else. My starting premise was this was again an effort by Cora to expand his talent pool. Thus not only Beeks on the mound, but, just as important if not more so, Swihart behind the plate, which I thought he did well. Vazquez as DH a surprise, but motivated I think by two thoughts: 1) showing off that the can DH a catcher because he has three; 2) capitalizing on Vazquez's three hits the night before, also against a lefty. I think JD ain't as good as JBJ or Mookie in RF, but he has a decent arm and a month ago made an excellent running catch in right center. That triple down the RF line was a tough play especially given the speed of the baserunner, and JD cut it off before it got to the corner. Terrible first by Beeks, granted, largely because he kept throwing fast balls and not spotting them well. He then went 3 innings, giving up 1 run because he used his curve a lot more and even a semi-decent changeup. Not sure that cut fastball is that useful, however. So I think the mission was accomplished--Beeks could be brought up again if the need arises. Game outcome was largely determined by that terrible 1st, but I would also point out that the Sox twice had the bases loaded with one out and the first time Beni GIDP'd and the second time Devers and Travis struck out badly. The Tiger reliever simply blew that 97 mph fast right by them. I know the Yankees are breathing down our necks, but this is still early June and a good time to do a little discovery in my opinion.

Meh. I'm not saying games in June aren't important, but we are barely halfway thru the season. Tonight provided some pretty useful information. Swihart looks OK behind the plate and he get a nice double on a night when we ain't hitting. Beeks can pitch at this level. Johnson looked awfully good. Oh, and the game ain't over.

I'm getting the espn feed and cannot for the life of me understand why they think the announcers are what the game is all about. And by that I mean where the cameras are pointed. Me, I like to see the ball park, the fans, the players, the coaches, the ambiance, whatever. But absolutely not the announcers. And I do like Mike Lowell.

Back to back clean innings plus one of the worst short throws to 1B you will ever seen. Johnson looks awfully good--after I pretty much wrote him off as a reliever.

Sox 0 for 5 with RISP tonight. The GIDP with the bases loaded really hurt.

What wisdom. What insight. Since that was back in the first inning, I have to ask at what point you would have had someone warming up in the pen?

Johnson??? Johnson pitched that clean inning????

Meh. Good on blocking pitches in the dirt.

Disastrous 1st, absolutely. But 1 run in the next three innings suggests that they ain't seeing him that well. Way too many fast balls in the first, but it is a decent fast ball when mixed in. Good curve. Changeup OK, but he can't seem to spot it right. Cut fastball, I think, is his 4th pitch and it's OK.

Cora wants righties tonight. I'm just wondering what the heck happened to last year's Nunez. He ain't hitting and his swing looks awful, unbalanced. He has little range at 2b. I did like his hustle on the ground out to the right side, but that's it.

Don't completely agree. First inning a disaster of course. 2d and 3d not so bad--1 run. If he could get his changeup working, he could be decent. Every hit by the Tigers was off his fastball which he doesn't spot well and which the throws too often. Decent curve ball.

I'll tell you why although everybody knows it already. Cora is an idiot, worst manager in MLB. Why the Sox aren't in last place is a miracle. Nothing Cora does makes no sense. Happy now?

Mostly agree, but I expect to see him back out there because he finally started mixing up his pitches instead of fast ball after fast ball. If he could get that changeup working, he could be effective.

OK. Out of the 2d with no damage. Good call to let him go back out there and to let him pitch with the bases loaded and 2 outs.

He does have a change, but doesn't throw it often and rarely for strikes. If he can't throw a good change, he's just another Pom with a better fast ball. 60 pitches and still not out of the 2d inning, now bases loaded.

Now lots of curve balls and so far none hit hard. Talk about closing the barn door after five horses escape. My opinion, which ain't worth much, is that the game plan stunk.

Finally, finally a curve for a strike. Got the K because it was totally unexpected.

I think we have to assume that the 7 run rule will be in effect with respect to Beeks even though I'm pretty sure Cora has not let any starter get that far.

It's mostly on Beeks, but I have to think everyone--Cora, the pitching coach, and Swihart (who probably had no opinion)--agreed that lots of fast balls in the 1st innings was the way to go.