Maxbialystock

Not against a trade, but would remind everyone this is already a pretty good team as defined by winning record, nose to nose series with other contenders, team pitching and hitting stats. Lowrie seems to get a lot of mention. He had a great April, a so-so May, and even worse June so far (OPS .613).

No love from me, but definitely praise for his amazing pitching, season to date. That thing is working and he also has the occasional fast ball and even that huge curve. Plus let's not forget Vazquez who is doing a splendid job catching him--a job that Varitek absolutely could not do.

Clearly we disagree on what constitutes misuse. I'm honest when I say I generally support every move Cora makes, but in this case I also think Kimbrel gets paid an awful lot of money to do less and less. I also think the Cora is experimenting a little, trying to see what each of his guys are capable of--and not.

We disagree on a lot, but I emphatically agree with you on 1-0 games which to me are very exciting. Last night their infield defense definitely helped hold that small lead. Devers error cost Wright nothing other than a few extra pitches, and he also made some good plays. Their defense cost them in game 2, but they won it anyway when our bullpen folded. Our defense definitely helped get the game 1 win.

Sometimes game threads after losses just astound me, and this is certainly one of them. Going into this series I thought most talksoxers would be happy with a split. That's still possible. But not on this thread. Tonight's game apparently confirmed that nobody on this team can hit or will ever hit again. No siree, we now have the worst lineup ever, one that suddenly needs an infusion of fresh blood or, better still, the return of the great Hanley Ramirez because he is better than Swihart, which to me is completely nonsensical. This catastrophic season--or so it seems on this thread--is because of Swihart who barely plays? The Sox currently still have the second best offense in MLB, but on this thread it is described as second worst. And last night, which is apparently erased from our racial memory, that putrid offense scored 6 runs (5 earned) off of a very good pitcher.

You said something like that on last night's game thread, and I sadly agree. Last night was a terrible loss--as you have said--because Bogie's 3 run dinger was off their putative ace and gave us a 6-3 lead.

Wow. Is that true? Lefties with good changeups are effective? Stunning. Have you perhaps noticed that the Sox have three lefties who use the changeup and are pretty effective? Or that one of the reasons why Pomeranz has been awful this year is that he doesn't have a changeup? I would go so far as to say that no lefty MLB starter can survive without a changeup and that most righties need one too. I agree this year the Sox struggle against lefty pitchers. I would argue, however, that the problem against Leblanc tonight was that he had a great mix of pitches and exquisite control.

Really? Sox lost 2 of 3 one-run games on Seattle's home field 3 time zones west of here. If the bullpen hadn't screwed up in game 2 the Sox would have won 2 of 3. In that second game the Sox scored 5 earned runs of what was supposed to be Seattle's ace.

Kimbrel has now not pitched in two straight games, Fri and Sat, and he didn't pitch Wed. So the burden is on the naysayers to demonstrate just how using Kimbrel on Mon and Tues--both games the Sox won as well as the next two games--hurt the bullpen or prevented Kimbrel pitching when a save was available.

I don’t see it. You’re the one hypothesizing because the Sox swept Baltimore, kimbrel rested Wed, closed Thursday and didn’t pitch Friday because the Seattle didn’t need to bat in the 9th. Exactly when did Kimbrel not pitch when he was needed but was tired?

Cora is clueless all right. Last night's lineup didn't do much either. He needs some advice from the talksox experts.

Plus there's the little matter of Pedroia coming back after missing two months or so and playing, what 2 games?

If Cora listens to moonslav and drops Moreland to 5th, we got four good ones in Betts, Beni, JDM, and Bogie. Sooner or later Devers will see the light or at least the dadgum ball. Right now Mookie, Beni, and Bogie have to be the best young threesome on one team in MLB right now. DD's job is to figure out how to keep them. And Devers. And a rotation.

I'm emphatically a no. He did in fact spike Pedey in the knee last year and he hasn't recovered. He is way too expensive. I like our current 3B and SS, including their shortcomings.

Injured, really? I see him stealing bases and think that ain't possible. I think hitting is vital for any player, but in Nunez's case agree his fielding hurts. He seems to have four special gifts in the field: GIDP prevention; fielding a grounder without getting an out; not much range; turning catching pop ups into an adventure for. He is in most respects the polar opposite of Pedey in the field.

No news of Pedey is not good news. If he were making progress, we would know about it. Others want DD to get another 2b, but I'm fine with Nunez and Holt, imperfect as they are. Unless a really good one becomes available cheap, of course.

I am no being facetious--this time--when I say I have no problem with those thoughts. I am fine with "weird." Last year I didn't like Holt, this year I see a better fielder and hitter than Nunez, especially at 2B. And I'm even guessing Holt gets the night tonight over Nunez because--wait for it--he's better hitting lefties than Nunez.

Price is getting $30M a year, so words can never hurt him--at least not on TalkSox. I do agree he is looking awfully good this year. In fact, he is a big reason the Sox have been so successful so far. And thank goodness it was just a tingle that went away. Porcello up tonight, and he too is vastly better than last year. Just in time. ERod is better too. And Wright right now is astounding--which moonslav kept saying he would be. And something else. I think this team has a toughness I didn't see last year. Forget all those early streaks. I mean the first two games at Yankee Stadium when the Sox were faltering--inevitably--and the Yankees looked like the biggest bully on the block. The Sox lost both games but could have won both and did win the third. They have also been winning games with Mookie on the bench and with Mookie and JDM on the bench. The above is why these days I absolutely refuse to question a Cora lineup because I think whatever he is doing is working with these guys. He stayed with JBJ when I was ready to shoot him. He's stayed with both catchers. He dumped Hanley. He kept Holt and has used him. Now Holt looks like Nunez 2017 and everyone is on his bandwagon and ready to dump Nunez 2018--except Cora. No doubt at DD's insistence, he has even found ways to get Swihart--whose OPS is headed toward the mendoza line--out there. He even caught a game. I think the defense is about average. Terrific outfield with JBJ in CF of course. And I do not see JDM as a disaster out there. Devers keeps getting better at 3b--as predicted by me because I know all (actually, not much), Bogaerts works his buns off at SS and wants to stay there, Moreland above average at 1B, and no-range Nunez at 2B. I frankly think the defensive catching is pretty good overall and fall back on moonslav's infamous CERA for making that claim. And boy oh boy do I love a 2-1 win over a hot team 3 time zones away.

Sox have problems vs. lefty starters, but it's hard not to have faith in them right now. A very nice win last night. Porcello needs to have good command tonight to win, but he is so much better this year than last. Possible Holt will replace Nunez at 2b because this year he hits lefties a lot better. I still see Beni in LF, Devers at 3b, and Moreland at 1B and I don't remember whether Porcello has a preference for who catches him. I certainly won't complain about a split, but right now I'd like to see 3-1--thanks to Price last night.

How's this? "Nunez is worthless and needs to be benched or we need a new manager. Winning is no excuse for clear managerial incompetence." You're OK identifying trees now and then (but now always), but you have a real problem seeing that forest. I would have been fine with Holt in the lineup last night, but I also trust Cora's judgment more than mine and yours.

Had to go to bed after the first 2-3 innings, but must say I don't how anyone could complain about any aspect of last night's game. Hernandez still has a bewildering array of breaking stuff and excellent control. 2-1 was just a super win over him and especially nice with the defense and the rbi's by Bogie and Devers. Four straight road wins and still neck and neck with the Yankees--and 3 more wins than the rest of MLB--what's not to like?

Good to see the regulars. I hope we stay somewhat positive. I think the consensus is that it’s a tough series, which helps.

Early start for a game thread is an unmitigated good. On this date in 1775 the 2d continental congress created the Continental Army and ordered three states (MD, VA, and PA) to muster 10 companies (total, not each) of infantry and have them march to Boston to join the Army already there, some 22,000 strong. However, it did take another six years for the Continental Army and GW to finally defeat Cornwallis at Yorktown and win the darn thing, but still the lesson is--when it's a tough job, send those New England guys to get it done. The Houston series worried me and I said I would be happy with a split. Same deal here. I do really think our guys are tough and said so right after they lost the first two in Yankee Stadium because they had a shot at winning both against a team that was going like a freight train. Now pretty close to our best lineup is healthy, and we will start four pretty good guys--Price, Porcello, ERod, and Wright. I hope Cora doesn't have to use Kimbrel because it's so important that he get plenty of rest and Cora has a tendency to be, well, abusive. And toward one the the best closers in the history of MLB who is worth so much more than that $13M/year the Sox are doling out. This evening I will attend the annual Congressional Baseball Game which started in 1909. Time for a little ecumenism (as hard as that will be for me). I plan to leave early but do sincerely like the idea of this game which these days is also a charity event.

Pretty good. Maybe the best I've read on why 7,8, and 9 need to be better. The upside of Mookie leading off is that, even with all those games missed, he is just behind Trout for most runs scored in MLB--54 to 56.

Target hit. I'm a member of the sweep it under the rug mob. Thus to me it makes a difference that we did not need Kimbrel yesterday. Of course, I still would have argued in support of Cora using Kimbrel Tues night because I really have faith in the guy. He is clearly different from Farrell and whatever he is doing, including in game decisions, seems to work. Rest days. Replacing starters earlier. Keeping Hanley Ramirez in the lineup and in fact high in the lineup right before recommending his DFA. His handling of Swihart as part of his overall effort to use all 13 lineup players. His handling of JBJ. Ditto the two catchers. I especially like the latter because I think CERA is real if hard to pin down statistically and that both of them are good for the staff. What especially impresses me is that Vazquez is as good with Wright as Mirabelli was with Wakefield in his prime. It also impresses me that the Sox after 69 games (42.6% of the season) and DL stints by both Bogie and Mookie when they were red hot, the Sox have won 3 more games than anyone else in MLB and are simply not backing down to the Yankees or Astros. And now it's the Mariners for 4 in Seattle. So me, I try to hold off the bitching because I'm really rooting for these guys who are collectively way better than I expected. And I definitely think Cora is part of the better.