Maxbialystock

It’s a game thread. We all vent at some point.

A good thought. Thanks.

The rotation is back to being a problem after that great start. This is two straight rotten starts by Porcello. Pom was horrible last time and has a lousy ERA. Price is anything but consistent this year. ERod is up and down. That leaves Sale. To me it is criminal when the lineup gets 4 off of the same guy who no-hit us last time and who is having a good year--and have Porcello get hammered the way he was. We don't need more JBJ or more Swihart or more whoever to improve this team. We need better starts from the rotation.

Really nice swing by Swihart. Simple fact is that Porcello gave up 5 runs and the bullpen one more. The lineup scored 4 off of Manaea, which should have been enough.

Who really gives a s*** whether Swihart starts as catcher when the Sox to date are tied for the best record in MLB? The Sox know his catching strengths and weaknesses far better than any of us.

The offense stinks? The offense stinks?????? They just got 3 runs off of the same guy who pitched a no-hitter the last time they faced him. It's the starting pitcher who stinks, pure and simple. Correction, the stinking offense has scored 4 runs of Manaea. You know very little about this team.

Funny thing, but I don't think I've seen Porcello throw a lot of fast pitches tonight. Yet a guy hit .153 hits a slider off the left center field wall. I have to wonder if Porcello is telegraphing his pitches because this is now two games in a row he has been pummeled after being our best starter this year. This year, unlike last year, he has been good at keeping the ball low and avoiding fat pitches.

BS. He started more games at catcher in 2014 than anyone else. This year, I agree, but where is it written that a sub, a utility guy, is supposed to play regularly on any team? Consider this simple rule. When a team is tied for the best freaking record in MLB while not playing one particularly guy regularly, maybe it's good idea to keep doing that.

I'm not at all sure JBJ is a sure bet to catch a fly that reached the wall in left centerfield, especially when Beni was positioned why the heck over in right center field. Plus JBJ can't hit lefties this season, especially this lefty. The real problem isn't the lineup anyway. It's the starting pitcher, which is plain as plain can be.

You betcha, red ryder.

Thanks, Thunder. I'm pretty sure this is Swihart's third start and all of them have been as the DH. To me this is pretty strong evidence that Cora and the coaching staff don't think that much of his defense in LF, at 3B, or at C. Also interesting that Devers is batting 8th. Last year I argued that was his best spot, but I don't think so this year. I like him 5th or 6th, but only if he is hitting. It's the middle of May and the Sox are already in the thick of a pennant race or at least a contest with the Yankees for the best record in MLB. How sweet is that? The Yankees are at the Nationals tonight and the Washington Post's Dave Shenein had a piece today about how incredible the Yankees are, just like the 1996-2000 model. Oh, and the brilliance of Cash, of course.

Agree on all, especially the pitching. I had my doubts, but regained confidence after the first two losses in Yankee Stadium. ERod was way better than I expected, and it wasn't luck. Porcello was awful for him, but the lineup got us that 6-5 lead going into the 8th when the wheels came off the bullpen. Losses are never good, but some are definitely better than others. Now I still get stuff to gripe about (Pom yesterday), but do see what you and others like cp176 see. Toronto ain't half bad and the Sox darn near swept them. Now it's the A's at our place against Porcello, ERod, and Sale: time to rectify losing 2 of 3 in Oakland 3 or so weeks ago.

Your point was still well taken. In the game thread I kept backing Pom, especially against jacksonianmarch, right up until the wheels came off in the 5th. I have been anti-Pom most of the time, but moonslav has made a good case for being patient. Plus he had a really good year in 2017. For the life of me, though, I don't see how he does it. We have four lefty starters on this team and three of them use their changeup, but not this guy. On the other hand, he went six pretty solid innings against the Yankees. He's now had 5 starts and two were quality, barely. His WAR is .2, and Velazquez's is 1.0, and that to me says a whole lot especially when Velazquez has pitched more innings than Pom.

Agree. But the bullpen done good--four of them, including Kelly with the save.

I wrote it before Pom's start yesterday, which I thought was awful even though he only gave up 3 runs. It took him 12 outs and over 100 pitches to do that. Bullpen had to get 15 outs.

I like Velazquez too. He is a solid reliever and a 6th starter when needed. But it is ultimately the top 5 in the rotation and the collective bullpen that will make the difference over the rest of the season. Earlier, those 12 pitchers had the 2d best ERA in MLB. Now they are 9th (and the Yankees are 10th). Since that 17-2 run, the Sox have had issues with the rotation and the bullpen, but right now I like both (but not so much Hembree and Johnson and Pomeranz). The hitting is 2d best behind the Yankees and generally relies too heavily on the top six or so in the order. If Pedroia returns with a good bat and either Moreland plays more at 1b (and JBJ sits) or JBJ starts hitting, the lineup will be better even if (probably when) Betts and JDM's OPS's drop a little. Sox were 21-7 in March-April and are 7-5 so far in May with 10 of those games coming on the road and 6 of those 10 vs. the Yankees and Jays. Sox are 3-3 vs. the Yankees this year, and the last three in New York were very contested. In other words, as moonslav has said all along, this is a solid team, a contender.

Two wins before going back to Fenway still tied with the Yankees for the best record in MLB. Nice. Semi-miraculous that Toronto only scored 3 runs, but the bullpen was great this time. Three vs. Oakland then four vs. the Orioles. Yankees go on the road.

20-20 hindsight. Pom had used a lot of pitches, but had thrown 4 shutout innings and you basically didn't want him to come out for the 5th.

The frustrating thing about Pom is that he has a changeup, but doesn't use it much even though he faces a whole lot of righty bats. Let's see if Velazquez can bail him out. Officially he needed to 100 pitches to get 12 outs (none in the 5th) and gave up 2 runs.

I just agreed with you, so what are you mad about? I agreed Pom is terrible, but did fine against the Yankees for 6 innings. You are perfectly free to come back at me and say the Yankees are the best hitting ball club in baseball right now. But, if you do, you have to concede that whatever Pom is doing seems to be working. Way too many pitches, I agree, but he did that last year too.

I don't know they would have been the same, but I do know they in fact happened, which carries a strong liklihood they would have.

Sorry, but, while I agree it was not a good play, my guess is that Vaz thought he could get a big jump against that shift. He did beat the throw, but overslid 3B. I'm pretty sure it didn't cost anything because the next three batters K'd, popped out, and K'd.

Not "at least." It was great even though I thought evil thoughts throughout. ERod did that too against the Yankees--took over 20 pitches in the first.

Baloney. A blind man can see Nunez has not range, ditto recognizing that was a very good play by Holt, of whom I am not a fan. But 2b might be his best position. The stunner about Nunez isn't just the lack of range on grounders, he's piss poor against popups too.

Boy, are you ever right about that. He is worthless beyond question. Thank goodness his last outing was against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium--no problems there. They must be the weakest hitters in MLB to do so poorly against lousy, rotten, old Pom.