Maxbialystock

One thing ERod isn't doing today is keeping the ball low. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Just like I predicted. Great sand wedge by Holt followed by really hard grounder by Vazquez the Orioles were lucky to field, and some very nice cuts by JBJ. I tell, that magic stroke is back!

I beg to differ. Hess has a fastball, which works magic against JBJ. Any fastball, any speed, any location. Did you not watch the last two games?

Beautiful sand wedge by Holt--safely on a very small green.

That's what I meant about mistakes--back to back fastballs right down the middle by Erod.

Awfully easy 1st for Hess. That's OK, though. When he has to face Holt, Vazquez, and JBJ--one after another--he will rue the day he every tried to pitch at Fenway.

ERod actually has a decent repertoire, which Pom absolutely does not have. ERod just needs to hit his spots and not make bad pitches when hitters are looking for them.

New homeplate umpire who just took a 3d strike away from ERod. But Machado flied out anyway.

Mostly agree, but don't see 6 solid bats in there--and I certainly hope I'm wrong. I will say that, considering just May, Nunez is about on par with Hanley. Holt's good hitting, however, was in April, not May. So the bottom four hitters in this lineup have a collective May OPS closer to .500 than .600 and a far cry from the top five hitters.

JBJ getting this third straight start in a bold attempt to restart his engine or whatever metaphor one prefers for his hitting. In his most recent 9 starts he has 2 hits and 16 K's. In his last 2, 4 K's and 0 hits. All four of those K's were against middling fastballs, most of which were down the middle. At the same time his defense has made not a scintilla of difference in game outcomes. I cannot emphasize too strongly that, despite my complaints about JBJ, I fully endorse whatever decision Cora makes about him. In 2014 and 2015 JBJ went thru a similar spate of utterly abysmal hitting, then suddenly, August 2015, started to hit with a vengeance. Plus in 2018 they are paying him $6M whether he hits or doesn't.

Agree on the no-trade thesis. As for the lost cause part, you could also be right. Ortiz went through a pretty big slump the season after Manny left or the one after that. In fact, hitting-wise, it might be the best Sox outfield in recent memory. But, as oldtimer says, this is a business, and right now JBJ on the active roster is a bit of a liability because his hitting right now is actually worse than in 2014 when he claimed the centerfielder job after Ellsbury left and JBJ ended up in Pawtucket. Do you remember that season? It's the one immediately after winning it all with Ellsbury in CF--you know, the Ellsbury who could hit, but not like the one who hit in 2011, and had wheels and was a decent centerfielder despite a weak arm. I would argue that right now Benintendi is pretty darn close to that Ellsbury, but the JBJ loyalists persist in saying that, compared to JBJ, he is an unmitigated disaster in CF and of course conveniently ignore that he can hit and get on base and contribute to the offense and is probably close to Ellsbury in CF in 2014. So my thought is that sending JBJ down, if it is still possible, is the right move for him and the right move for the Sox because, contrary to the beliefs of the devout JBJ loyalists, an outfield of JDM, Beni, and Betts would actually be pretty darn good.

But Pedey did. Immediately, in fact.

I'm telling you this ump has consistently taken strikes away from Sox pitchers and given them to Orioles pitchers. It's pretty gross.

Of course it is, but I think it makes sense: 6 innings, 3 runs. I sure don't think it's high standard.

Beni da man. Maybe people will stop riding him for awhile. Naw.

Dumb Cora, I guess. Or just maybe Cora thought, "I'm going to need both of them, so which one should pitch to the top of the order, especially Machado?"

Nice job by Kelly. A lot of pitches, but Jones was downright pesky.

I think it was Al Schacht (sp) who thought the same thing and came out to the mound with two bats, sat down, and started rowing.

I hope you realize I was being facetious. I want Devers out there just about every darn game. He can hit, and he's going to show he can play 3B. I like Nunez when his bat his hot, period. He's one reason why the bottom third has been so weak this season to date.

Sure is. And I don't understand why.

Nope. Just move him to 3B because I read right here on talksox that Devers is the worst thirdbaseman in the history of the Sox if not MLB. Sit Devers because he makes too many errors plus the occasional boneheaded baserunning mistake. A loser. Nunez gets you error-free infielding.

Incredible catch by JBJ!!!! No one else in the history of MLB makes a catch like that. Now we know why he is in the lineup. What a guy! Sour grapes by the Orioles announcers. They refuse to replay that magnificent catch, which is sure to be on espn tonight.

Fastball pretty close to the middle by Porcello--gone. 4-3. Oh, well.

We slasher9 need here to remind us this is still another win with JBJ in the lineup. Well, a lead, anyway. Love the dingers of course. What a change from last year. But, honestly, I will love it even more if Porcello can keep it up.

Porcello has been super, and just when needed.