Maxbialystock

Sox have 13 sngles and 2 doubles and 7 guys with RBI's.

Yep.

Those 3 cardinal runs should be no surprise. Porcello does leave a lot of pitches up, including sliders and curve balls. Th triple play and double play helped him a lot.

Leon's throwing seems off, but I suspect the pitchers prefer him. Blocks the low pitches well and maybe calls a better game..

Tough pitch to get that JBJ single. A whole lot of singles and one double and an HBP.

Wow. I saw it and don't believe it. Leake sprung one-- more like a torrent.

That slider seems to have Betts number.

After 4 1/2 innings , 8 singles, 4 by each team.

Triple play! The ultimate friend of pitchers.

I spoke too soon.

Leake was impressive striking out Betts with two on. Just kept working that low outside corner, apparently a known Betts weakness.

Porcello impressive.

I'm going with the tough series crowd.

Nunez. 2b Betts. RF Benintendi. LF Ramirez. DH Devers RF Bogaerts. SS Moreland. 1b Leon. C Bradley. CF

Leake vs Porcello

One more thing. I respect moonslav's opinion about Farrell and sometimes agree because, while I also defend JF, I have myself said maybe he needs to go. The difference is he focuses on specific things the manager and players do or fail to do, and I basically go by the won-lost record. Plus I honestly think managers have more expertise, stats, bench coach, pitching coach, etc with which to make decisions on pitchers. I assume every move has a good rationale regardless of the outcome. Think about this. When was the last time anyone on talksox or in the media said, "you know, those guys won because the manager made some great moves." Never happen, GI. Managerial credit for winning only comes with a large sample size, normally no less than a season. Funny thing, but many fans were delighted when Francona's contract after 2011. What a bum. Now he is doing a great job in Cleveland. Nevertheless I do enjoy all the comments and insights on this thread/board. Way, way better than that other one. Some great insights. And humor.

I meant bringing Chapman back for the 10th, which put two Sox on base before a new guy was brought in. And that gave up a walk and a single before finally striking out Ramirez and Devers lining out to left. My guess is the reliever wasn't fully warmed up as was the case with Reed in game one of that series. I can't discount the mistakes, but am not as sure as you we are the only team making them. I also think you have a low threshold for boneheadedness. I'm more forgiving because it's a really long season--162 games of mind-numbing 3 1/2 hour contests dominated by pitchers and hitters doing their little meaningless routines before and after, what, 300 pitches? No wonder players have used amphetamines or whatever. You want to see more fire and desire, which I would argue can't come from the manager and must come from the players. Moreover, it is hard to keep them alive during every moment of those 162 games, 3 1/2 hours each, and those 300 pitches accompanied by pitchers and hitters routines. I'm continually amazed at how the players stay alert in the field and in the dugout, maybe less so in the bullpen.

Perhaps. I think Farrell wanted to keep Nunez in the lineup, but moved him to 3b under the assumption Holt would do better at 2b. Now I wouldn't have played Holt at all, but he worked out well. Nunez hit the ball hard for at least two outs. Against lefty starter, HanRam played 1b and bombed, but also left the DH position open. Who to play? Not Moreland. Young? Devers? Young gets the nod only because Devers had not DH'd for the Sox--I guess. In any case Devers ended up with 3 at bats as the DH, so I'm inclined to sat not starting him at DH wasn't so bad, especially against a lefty starter and having gone 4 of 19 in a think his previous 5 games. All that said, Devers is an amazing hitter at his age in MLB. Last night's dinger on a 103 mph fast ball was legendary, but I have also seen him him hit breaking balls hard. I defend Farrell on general principles, but have no doubt that what turned this offense around was the acquisition of Nunez and bringing Devers up after short duty at Pawtucket. Now suddenly Benintendi is also going ape. Changing the lineups game to game might have helped, but who knows? s

Is Girardi also an idiot? He sure mismanaged Chapman tonight.

The abominable Farrell now has the Sox 5 1/2 ahead of the Yankees for the AL East and 5 games back of Houston for the best record in the AL. My guess--and I'm no expert here--is that he just might have more than two brain cells. What I truly don't get is attcking a manager on a win streak when winning is normally the only important criterion for MLB managers. You win enough, you stay. You lose enough, you go. Tonight first Betts and then Barnes ruined another great start by Sale, but the critics persist in saying it was really Farrell's fault. Seriously? Reed and Kelly really stunk Friday, but it wasn't their fault. It was Farrell's, and that's almost a unanimous opinion on talksox.

Than why in the wide, wide world of sports does he swing so hard his helmet keeps falling off? Hard to excuse 4 K's.

Sox are now 5 games behind the Astros to tie for best record in the AL and are up 5 1/2 game on the Yankees for the AL East. Oh, and tonight he brought in Kimbrel at the exactly right moment for the 4 out win. I'm more than happy to give Sale, Benny, Devers, Kimbrel, et al, a ton of credit for the win. Same for the guys last night, but also for the loss Friday night.

Great win.

Why pissed off? Nothing could be more obvious than that our bullpen stinks right now and their is solid.

He didn't give anything away. Betts is the guy who let on the tying run, and Barnes, remembering that Reed and Kelly can't be trusted, is the guy who lost his control.