Maxbialystock

As you predicted-- DAvis LF Nunez 2b Beni CF Betts RF Bogie SS Devers 3b HanRam 1b Young DH Vazquez C 12 days ago Sabathia beat us, 4-3, at Fenway, Sabathia going 6 and giving up 2. Devers and JBJ each had 2 hits and 1 rbi. Sale went7 and gave up 4. That Sox lineup had mostly tonight's guys except Davis now in for JBJ and Vazquez for Leon. Different slots too. mlb.com says Pedey back tomorrow maybe and JBJ Saturday (first day eligible).

ERod is a huge key, agree. Yankees won more before the ASG, but we've won more since, also good (as you imply).

You have left me with little to add, for which I'm sure others are grateful. Love the guidance to ERod. Our lineup did not hit the Jays 3 starters this week. We feasted on their bull pen and relied on our starters. The Yankees may be struggling, but for the season they have almost as good pitching as the Sox and better hitting.

This 3 game sweep was largely thanks to our starters--Pom, Sale, and Porcello, who had three quality starts and gave up a total or 4 runs in 19.2 innings. I think that's pretty important given the previous 4 game loss streak and the lousy starts in the first 3 of those. Worrisome, however, is that our lineup couldn't hit the Toronto starters. They only gave up 3 earned runs in 3 starts, but fewer innings, around 17 I think. We feasted on the Jays bullpen. The Yankees are struggling right now, but for the season their overall pitching is almost as good as ours and their hitting is better.

Given our 57% winning percentage and the Yankees 54%, a 2-2 split is statistically the most likely outcome and the one I too expect. The problem is the Guardians, .5 games ahead of us for the 2d best record and home field advantage, are playing 4 against the Tigers. Statistically, that should probably be a split too, but the Guardians are hot right now, so 3-1 is probably more likely. It they do that, I think we need to do the same in NYC, so that is what I'm really hoping for.

I choose to call it my hobby horse. Moreland as PH was discussed on game thread. Tiny sample sizes are good for weight control, cholesterol, lots of stuff. Over consumption of data can be fattening, even addictive. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.

Too true, unfortunately. Game threads should have a high tolerance level for off the cuff commentary. I overstepped, but only because I myself was really into what was going on and early on thought Porcello just might have it tonight. His last time, Sale's last time before last night, and ERod's last time were all disasters which started early, not late. So, me, I was thinking, "just give us 2 innings and some hope." And that's what happened. Thus, unlike almost everyone else, that solo dinger in the 3d didn't bother me much at all.

When I read the above, I was sure I must be mistaken. Unfortunately, I went back and reread pages 3, 4, and 5 in which in there are a string of invectives directed at Porcello as if to say nothing had changed. The particular topic was the solo dinger by the Jays in the 3d. No, you didn't say he was a having a lousy start, but you sure as heck implied that and gave zero credit at that point for going 3 innings while giving up 1 run. Finally on page 5 I said you were missing the self-evident reality that Porcello was pitching well indeed. You never came back and said he was. In fact, I had thought that after the first 2 innings because in the recent 4 game loss string that's when disaster struck in the first three games. Thus the solo dinger in the 3d didn't bother me a bit. But, if you say I just misunderstood your intent/meaning, fine. I apologize for not reading you right.

I missed multiple chances to blast the killer bees who tonight looked to me like honey bees. Lucky me because the killer bees just made an entrance--all 3 of them. The Jays have the best liked bullpen in the AL if not MLB.

Sure you have. Taking Porcello out with 2 outs and 2 on with 108 pitches thrown was also the right move with Scott available. Unfortunately he wasn't quite as sharp this time but at least he made that guy hit it--a liner that Beni caught. Had Farrell left Porcello in and that next better had tied the game with a bases clearing double or something, then Farrell would have been flayed for not pulling him sooner. I liked sending Scott out there, but agree he and we got a little lucky.

Worst game in recent memory. Porcello stinks to high heaven, and Jays score 8 big ones. Happ and the Jays bullpen hold us to 1 very lucky dinger. Or so one would think by many comments above. Jeez. I myself like to gripe when things are bad, but from the get go I thought I saw a better Porcello and hoped we could hit Happ (who was excellent) or maybe get to the bullpen. As I said back on the first page of this thread, every game is different. I project outcomes all the time, but I don't ever assume that's what will happen.

All credit to Happ, agreed. But you are exaggerating by a fair amount what you think Porcello is not doing right. If he were doing what you say, he would get hammered. He's now gone 6, giving up 1 run and 5 hits with 1 BB and 7 K's. How in the wide world of sports is that a lousy start? In fact, given my expectations, he does exactly what I thought he couldn't do--pitched well to give the Sox a real shot on a night when Happ has great stuff, great command, and an ump with a nice strike zone.

He just has nasty stuff, almost all of it low. Plus, as someone else said, he's getting some calls.

With the Guardians sweeping the Yankees today, we need this win--and a sweep--to keep pace. moonslav is right. Yankees aren't the issue at this point.

Besides, the hitting is the problem tonight, in my opinion anyway. We need Happ out of there.

I am well aware of his season and have commented on it repeatedly. This is another game with its own dynamic. In the same way Sale can pitch an absolutely horrible game, Porcello can pitch a good one. And oh by the way it's now 1 run in 5 innings just like that. You guys want to throw him under the bus when he's actually pitching a pretty good game, and I am not saying he is having a good year.

Tie game. Anybody calmed down yet? Great at bat by HanRam before the dinger--worked to get his pitch. After that GIDP on an outside pitch, this is super.

A little hasty I think on the Porcello condemnations for 1 run in 4 innings. Plus Happ's control tonight is unreal.

I like that first inning by Porcello. Despite the double, authoritative.

Stunning. Happ seems able to hit any corner, especially low and outside, he wants to when he wants to.

You're in the minority because your more sure of the Sox postseason prospects that most of the rest of us. You want the WS, we just want to go to the dance (march madness metaphor). I too have been tracking the Guardians all along and have periodically said so. They swept last year in part because of the home field--hence the need to beat them to the #2 slot--but also because our starting pitching stunk. This year it's better even if the hitting is worse.

You're in the minority because your more sure of the Sox postseason prospects that most of the rest of us. You want the WS, we just want to go to the dance (march madness metaphor). I too have been tracking the Guardians all along and have periodically said so. They swept last year in part because of the home field--hence the need to beat them to the #2 slot--but also because our starting pitching stunk. This year it's better even if the hitting is worse.

Yes, but this is the better lineup and Leon could not prevent the bloodbath of Porcello's last start. If you dragged Leon into a court of law and accused him of being a great fit for Porcello, I'm not sure you could get a conviction. I personally think Leon is the better catcher (except, these days, for his arm), but Vazquez sure ain't no big step down. I wish he blocked pitches better, but that's about it.

All good points, especially Manny vs. JD Drew--thanks for the reminder. I forgave Manny the dreadlocks and even Manny being Manny because of that great bat. And I positively, absolutely never liked JD Drew even though he was pretty darn close to a bonafide five tool player: hit,hit for power, throw, field, and run. He was just too darn fragile for my taste, and by far his best year was before he came to Boston where is best rbi total was 68. As for HanRam, I still don't like the dreadlocks, but, as illinoisox says, his performance doesn't make up for my hair fetish (I'm pretty sure it's not racial, but of course can't prove it). The performance case against HanRam is simple. He has the 4th most at bats on the team, and his OWAR (offensive wins against replacement) is 0.2, and the next lowest is 1.2. His overall WAR, 0.3, ranks him as the 148th best player in the AL, but at $20M/year of course. Better value than Pablo, for sure, but the Sox right now are paying Sandoval not to play for us, so that's a pretty low standard. He's still in the Sox uniform, however, and because of that I root for him whenever he does something good, like last night's very timely dinger.

Good words from moonslav. I think the panic in the streets--in which I was a participant--was mostly because of the weak hitting because historically (John Henry era) the Sox have had good hitting almost every year. The pitching however has been way above average for us. Indeed, our ERA is second best in the AL--how about that! Our ERA is also wedged between Cleveland's best in the league and the Yankee's 3d best. Now ain't that food for thought? In years past I used to claim that hitting--scoring runs--drove the standings in the AL, but, after the Astros, those three are the next tier. And, because pitching can be so important in the postseason, maybe one of those three will brush the Astros aside. Meanwhile, however, the hitting has been the problem, which is why the 3 of the 4 additions moonslav cited are all here because of their bats. Pitching wins games, but not without some support--see our ace about that.