Maxbialystock

Fair or not, it's always on the manager. See Francona in 2011.

Of course you start Pom. Except for Fister, all five starters stunk their last time out. I sure don't want Porcello or ERod, and Sale has to be available for the final game, winning which will still get us the AL East.

This one was all on the lineup--an error, a bad throw from RF, a passed ball, 1 for 7 with RISP (of course), caught stealing (of course). Four doubles to no avail. Leon 3 of 3 K's. Beni K's with a man on 3b and 1 out. HanRam doubles with 2 out and no one on, but grounds out weakly with the bases loaded and two outs. Fister in my judgment came thru but did make a big mistake throwing a fat pitch (with first base open) against Bregman who had already hit him twice. But for that and Betts's lousy throw and lousy hitting by the three killer b's--the Sox win this game. If the Sox can't close the Yankees out, I will be on the dump Farrell bandwagon. As I look back on the season, I don't mind the baserunning or the bad throws and I sure don't blame him for the lousy hitting. But I do blame him for the lackadaisical coverage of 1b by the pitchers and his complete failure to encourage all his staff to get better on keeping the pitches low. Among his starters, only Fister does that consistently. Among the relievers, just Reed, but not always.

OK. bottom of the 9th with 4th, 5th, and 6th batters--Betts, Moreland, and HanRam. Against Giles. Betts gets his pitch--a slider up in the zone and in the middle--and grounds out. Awful

That's exactly what I thought.

I could swear Sandy Leon has gained at least 20 pounds this season. Does he really think he has it made?

WAs he really out? Looked like a poor tag by holt to me.

Two mistakes by Farrell, I think. No big ones. But I would not have had Holt pinch run--surely someone else was better. And I would certainly not have sent him down to 2b because he's just not fast enough. moonslav has a point--as do others--that Farrell's unshakable belief in Holt is unfathomable. DD can fix that so easily. In all honesty, however, I was certain that Betts would not get a hit.

So Rajai says, "I gotta help my buddy Leon. I'll look even worse."

Leon K's three times and looked really bad all three times. I mean totally helpless.

Bases loaded, unfortunately, with HanRam at bat. Sorry, but not much faith in him. Bad in September, bad with bases loaded. Plus he's HanRam. That's our HanRam, a dreadlocked piece of inconsistency. The entire team has left 7 guys on, and he has now left 4 of them.

Beni, Beni, Beni. Those were good pitches, but they were all the same pitch in basically the same darn place--he should have adjusted in utterly failed to.

I have been skeptical of Price, but he has shown us a lot since he came back.

Like Matt Damon in The Martian. We're alive!

Nice grounder by Pedey to score one--almost a swinging bunt. Man on 3b, 1 out, time for Beni to shine against lefty Liriano.

That's impressive. No hits first time thru, 3 hits second time thru, now a double in the third time thru the lineup. Way to go, lineup!

Price delivers. Neat. Now the lineup needs to do something. Eight guys before Leon comes to bat again--plenty of time.

Two doubles by lefty bats. Five righties are 0 for 9. Price in, about right. I like Fister, but, if there is a time to use your bullpen, it has to be tonight. 3-1 game, which might be the closest we will get in the whole 4 game series. But Price still has to deliver.

too true

Is Leon a worthless piece of s*** or what? Takes strike 3 over the middle of the plate.

First intelligent at bat tonight--Moreland gets the right fast ball on smacks to left. Then HanRam swings at a very fat first pitch and hits a worthless groundball to SS. Huge hit by Devers on that nasty splitter. Huge. 1 run in!!!!

Fastball up to the guy, Bregman, who already had 2 hits. Not a smart pitch at all. 3-0 after 5.

I have the sound (NESN) off. Have those idiots in the booth said anything intelligent about why Fister is doing so well? I frankly doubt it.

Fister has gotten a couple of calls, but so far Morton has had a couple of strikes called balls. Doesn't seem to matter. He just keeps mowing our guys down. How's that for good fundamentals (even though I know pitching isn't really a fundamental--nor is hitting)?

Bogie got his pitch and couldn't smack it--pop to the right side. Not good.