Maxbialystock

There you go with the optimism again. Good to see.

Nice. However, you have to ask why Betts, now in his 3d full year, has never been slotted 4th (to any great degree, anyway). I think it's because he has too much speed, plus batting earlier gets him more at bats. Not batting 4th in those 3 years, he has nevertheless led the team in runs scored all three years, leads the team in rbi's this year, was second in rbi's last year with 113 to Papi's 122, and was 3d in rbi's in 2015 with 77 to Bogie's 81 and papi's 108. I mean, doesn't that suggest slotting him higher has worked pretty well? Throw Pedey out this year. Good slotting, but bad timing. I agree he can be slotted anywhere in the top 4 and do well. No complaints about the vs. lefties lineup except for Pedey. But the vs. righties lineup is the one most used and therefore the most important. I notice no HanRam even though his vs. lefty-righty splits are pretty close. More rbi's per at bat vs. lefties, but more dingers per at bat vs. righties, and about the same OPS's. His K/BB ratio, however, is much better vs. lefties. Still. If Pedey can play and play well or just hit and hit well, I might agree, but I have severe doubts about that knee. Granted it's a small sample size, but the evidence for leaving Devers in the bottom 4 of the lineup is overwhelming. I don't care what he did in the minors. MLB pitchers are better and have more access to videos and analysis of hitting weaknesses. Plus I think he can do good things down there. He's had now 56 at bats batting 5th with 8 rbi's. He's had 20 at bats batting 7th with 7 rbi's. Spread that over 500 at bats and you are looking at 140 rbi's. Of course that would never happen because, if he did that well for just the first two months of a season, no manager would fail to move him up. Absent that kind of data, we have to use those 28 games, which say unequivocally that he is better further down in the order and also productive, which is really the point, isn't it? If Pedey is out, HanRam is back in vs. righties. My lineup would then be-- Nunez Beni Bogey (sounds terrible, but he's done it a lot this year and his stroke seems to be returning) Betts (you said he can do it, the only problem is putting so much base running talent in the cleanup slot) Moreland (50 rbi's vs. righties and an OPS over .800) (plus I want 2 lefty bats in the first 5 and don't think Devers or JBJ are up to that based on their splits) HanRam (this could be a very good fit for him--less pressure)_ Devers or JBJ JBJ or Devers Leon/Vazquez What I like about my lineup is that it spreads the wealth through all 9 slots. No rest for opposing pitchers getting to the bottom of the order especially when all three (if Leon is catching) hit from the left side. But the top of the order ain't too shabby either. The question is the middle, the 4,5, and 6 slots. Betts should be fine. Moreland is 3d on the team in rbi's with fewer at bats than the first two, Betts and Beni. And, as I said, HanRam might benefit from dropping down and the 6th slot can be very productive.

I don't think it's that simple. I looked at the splits of the top 7 rbi guys in the lineup: Betts, Beni, Moreland, JBJ, Pedroia, Bogie, and HanRam--in that order. What the splits say are: Betts is far better in the first three slots than 4th, ditto Beni. Moreland is OK 4th or 5th, but not a standout, plus he has problems hitting lefty pitchers. JBJ absolutely can't hit well anywhere but in the bottom 4 slots, where he has been pretty good overall (average OPS over .800). Pedroia is best batting 2d or 3d, this year anyway. Bogie is decent anywhere but 4th. HanRam, bad as he is, has OPS's as good as anyone else batting 4th or 5th. Devers, with 20 runs, 17 rbi's and 8 dingers in 28 games, just might be the best of the bunch, but he is a dead ringer for JBJ--he is way better in the 6th thru 9th slots. I completely agree we need a better clean-up and a better guy in the 5th slot, but so far HanRam and Moreland get those jobs by default. In the roughly 15 years of the John Henry era, I can think of only two really good hitters it clean up slot--Manny and Papi. No surprise that both were on the WS winners of 2004 and 2007--and Ortiz on the 2013 winners. I think Devers could be that good next year or the year after. If Pedroia were healthy, I'd be tempted to bat him 4th because in the past he was good at it--he likes that pressure. I think HanRam thrived last year because he mostly hit before or after Papi.

Boy you are good. Those are stunning numbers. Well done. But, as you should be reminding me, let's not forget that, until these 4 losses, the 2d half team as a whole has done way better than the 1st half team. Before the ASG, the Sox were 11 games above .500. Before these 4 games, they were 20 games above .500. What's missing from those numbers, obviously, are Nunez and Devers.

Oh, come on. I agree Showalter was great today, but completely disagree he outmanaged Farrell in any of these three games. He gave Fister the ball and left him in for 7 innings after that 2 run 1st. He brought in Reed and Kimbrel in at the right times. The problem today was the exact same problem as yesterday--very weak hitting--1 run in 18 innings. In the first two debacles (plus yesterday's 7-0 rout) against the Guardians and Orioles, our starters--Sale, Porcello, and ERod--not only stunk but stunk early before Farrell could rationally do anything. Ultimately, of course, Farrell will be measured by wins and losses and how the Sox finish this season, and I am fine with that. Plus I did say in the game thread that Showalter's handling of the 6th to preserve a 2-1 lead--he used 4 pitchers that inning, including starter Miley--was something I don't think Farrell would have done. But I will also say that in none of these 4 games has he had an opportunity to save a game. Three straight starters--a Cy Young winner last year, a true ace, and a young lefty who's biggest problem is getting thru the first 2 innings--took all Farrell's options away. All three games were gifts to Francona and Showalter.

Have you noticed how well Devers is hitting now that he has been dropped down in the order. I kept saying it would make a difference and you kept saying no way. But I'm smiling because it's good you got thru Harvey.

Yeah. He's kind of my whipping boy. He looks and acts like Manny with the long hair and too often inattention, but without those great hitting skills. And guess what, he's paid what Manny was paid--$20M/year--but about 10 years worth of inflation later, which makes a difference. I have read that Manny studied pitchers and prepared carefully for his at bats, and I suspect that HanRam doesn't. He's the default clean up guy who doesn't clean much up. His OWAR is 0.1, for crying out loud. Last year it was 2.8. This year we really needed him with Ortiz gone and instead we get a guy who doesn't do windows. I've read he has injuries, but Pedroia has played and played well with worse in my opinion. Indeed, he is a year younger than Pedey and can't touch him for value to the team. All that said, I have to be honest. He's down from last year, but not way down. He didn't ask to bat cleanup, he got the job because Farrell can't find anyone better.

Disregard.

Not sure I agree about all those options--bringing up guys, changing the order again, etc. To me we just are what we are.

Ball game. Finally, the Sox competed before going down, but that's four in a row. Two bloodbaths followed by 1 run in 2 games and 18 innings. These guys are getting too good at losing.

Han Ram swinging at a fastball a foot outside on an 0-2 count. That's the HanRam we know too well, especially when he then pops up on a grooved fast ball right down the middle.

Agree the 25 LOB and 1 for 13 with RISP are awful, but to me the only real goat is HanRam back in the 1st striking out with men and 2d and 3d with nobody out. Brach for the save against Betts, HanRam and Moreland. Betts an easy first out on nothing but fastballs. Not good.

Tough luck. Nunez and Beni both hit the ball hard but not in the right places. Brach and Showalter got a little lucky there.

Holt pinch-running for Leon--of course.

OK. Hit it good, but catchable. Now it's Beni.

1 out, 1 on in the 8th, and here comes the closer Brach. Unfair of me to say, but I think Nunez really, really wants to GIDP or maybe K. I'm rooting for the K.

I'm repeating myself, but Showalter has shown me a lot this game in how he has handled his bullpen. I honestly believe that in the same situation with the same pitchers, Farrell would not have used 3 relievers in the 6th to preserve a 1 run lead.

Sox are 1 for 12 with RISP and have left 23 guys on base--Betts left 5 and Young 7. All four doubles by the younger set--Betts, Bogaerts, and Devers, who has2 and the only Sox rbi. The four over-30 guys (HanRam,Young, Rajai, Leon) have some singles and walks but have not been much of a factor. I'm still impressed with how Showalter used his bullpen. Castro got the one out in the 6th, but also 3 in the 7th, so now Showalter only needs to get thru the 8th and 9th. I should note, however, that none of the 3 relievers in the 6th had an ERA over 3--worst is Castro at 2.66. Here's Castro back for the 8th because our guys simply can't hit him. He just K'd Devers--the guy with 2 doubles--on a 3-2 sinker on the outside corner and low.

Nut case HanRam advances when it wasn't possible, so Rajai goes GIDP. Just like that. Castro got himself into trouble, but that darn sinker fast ball extricated him.

Not a meatball. Low in the zone and a very fast sinker, one of all whole bunch. The three that missed and were called balls weren't that much different. I say again, Betts has been our best guy with RISP, he doesn't K much, and he's a good hitter with double earlier in the game. Do I need to add that the same guy, Castro, is pitching the 7th and has walked the first two batters, HanRam and Moreland? He just made a great pitch which could easily have been ball 4 instead, tying the game.

Fister today was just what the doctor ordered. If Price comes back, a tough choice. Honestly, you can't drop Porcello with his contract, ditto Sale of course. Pomeranz is now our #2. That leaves ERod, who hasn't been so good, but could be if he could just start a game the way he finishes them. But he will be the one to go.

Not sure I agree that at bat was so terrible. Every single pitch was a very fast sinking fast ball, and all of them were low--including three balls. To me that's just great pitching because Betts is a good hitter, does not strike out much, and has an OPS over 1.000 with RISP. Credit too to Showalter who used 4 pitchers in the 6th to hang onto that lead.

Another high and tight fastball by Givens. Clearly, this is Showalters doing. Nunez K's on a fastball on the outside (but in the zone). Dead simple. Pitchers used to that a lot.

Nunez looks awful, but I love those fastballs. He'll either hit one good or K. No GIDP.

Bogie and Devers leading a comeback. Now men on 1st and 2d with Nunez coming to bat.