Maxbialystock

I get along great with Yankee fans in person because we usually know a lot about each others teams. Plus I always think of the Yankees as the worthy foe seeing as they are so darn rich. Plus they stole Damon which forces us to use Ellsbury, then stole Ellsbury and forced us to use JBJ. The one thing bad about the Yankees is they inevitably overpay players and raise all the salaries in MLB. I sure didn't like Joba though. Not at all.

So I took a quick look at various splits--Betts, Bogaerts, Beni, Moreland, HanRam--and found that, season to date, the most at bats with men on base was Beni with 135. In second place was Betts with 126. Maybe I'm ignorant, but I just don't see a huge difference in those numbers. I would also offer this thought. It's even easier this season than last to give a good hitter an intentional walk. In other words, I'm fine with wherever Farrell slots him. I also think Lin/Marrero have together solved 2 problems at 3b--hitting and fielding. I notice that Beni also still gets platooned with Young when the opposing starter is a lefty. I would be opposed to trying to buy or, worse, trade for a thirdbaseman because Devers is still doing well at Portland. Call it blind stupid luck or whatever you want to call it, but 3b is no longer a big problem or maybe even any problem at all--say I with all the confidence of a sample of 10 games of at bats for Lin. The current streak to me is really 9 games old and includes the first three against the Twins at Fenway. And to me what stands out is that no one Sox hitter has taken charge. Rather one night it's Pedroia with those nasty singles, then Beni, then Betts, then Lin, then JBJ, then whoever. Back in the early John Henry years you had to be stupid not to love having Manny--even with Manny being Manny--and Ortiz in the middle of that lineup. It took a dip when Manny left, but in 2013 and again last year it did pretty darn well with just Ortiz and some other good bats but not great ones. Right now it seems to be working with mostly singles and a few doubles and occasional dingers, and it's working because the pitching is currently the best in the AL (if ERA means anything). I might add that the pitching is helped by having Lin/Marrero at 3B vs. Rutledge, Pablo, whoever. I doubt that Devers is as good a fielder as Lin or Marrero. We can all have our own theories about how to fix things, but me, I kind of like the way this team is playing right now. Forget last night and look at Monday's game when Porcello goes 6.1, giving up 3, and Scott gives up another and, horror of horrors, our immaculate closer gives up the game-tying dinger in the 9th. This just gives Hembree a chance to go 2 extra innings and Beni to get that weak single that capitalizes on the walk to Lin, the double by Betts, and the walk to Pedroia. Wasn't that great? So let's hear it for the status quo.

Conversely, you are then forced to say that losing doesn't change your opinion either. I'm the opposite. I think that winning and losing are the only things that should be used to gauge a manager's effectiveness. As for what's going on right now--basically, winning 9 of 10 against the Twins (best road record in the AL), Jays, and Rangers--it seems to mostly be tied to improved hitting. And there are I think two reasons for that: 1) playing Lin, especially against righty starters; 2) hitting throughout the lineup and making those singles count. Lin seems a lot like Beni a year ago when he was brought up in I think August and was hitting right away, also from the left side. DD gets credit for acquiring Sale and Kimbrel and I guess Price (who is not yet the Price they are paying for). Cherington gets credit for Pablo and HanRam. But Farrell has to get some credit for what the team is doing now. Price was lousy last year and took 2 months out this year but still seems capable of pitching well. Pomeranz is the surprise of the year. Wright the wunderkind knuckleballer is gone. So was Price, and now so is ERod, so it's not like the rotation has been there all along. Porcello has lost his command, but is I think working hard to regain it--but he sure ain't no Cy Young guy. The bullpen overall has been the most reliable part of the whole team, and it's the one tool the manager has at his disposal with which he can make a difference if he does it right. On the downside, it's just a hot streak, and that won lost record only points toward 94 wins. Another 8 pm start tonight, then a longish flight to Tampa, who plays this afternoon and gets home early, against a team that is still playing decent ball--especially hitting--and would love to take 3 of 4 before the ASG.

Talk about a tough crowd. D-money wants Price to throw some gopher balls so Texas can make a comeback. Fact is, despite still not having great command of all his pitches, he threw 68.5% strikes thru the first six innings while giving up 0 runs. like I said, d-money must want to see Texas score some runs.

Happy 4th, everyone!

They replayed it like a million times and deservedly so. Presence of mind, reflexes, and, at the end, a perfect throw he had to make quickly.

And when they come from singles they will break your heart if you are the opposing team's fans.

While I agree the 5 game winning streak is pretty great, I also think it's a great sign when Kimbrel blows a save and the Sox still win it in the 11th. Plus 6 of the 7 runs came in from singles--2 by Pedey and 1 by Beni. The Sox have now won 48 games, 2d most in the AL, but last night was only the 7th win when the other team scored 5 or more runs. When the Sox score 4 or more runs, they are now 43-10. Porcello went 6.1 giving up 3 runs which is, I'm pretty sure, a quality start--against a team that has scored more runs than the Sox have, season to date. In other words, well done, Porcello--and Kimmi who said that's what he had to do. Tonight Price and tomorrow night Fister, then on to Tampa where we will go with our four best--Sale, Pomeranz, Porcello, and Price--before the ASG break. This year the Rays pitching ain't that great--a surprise--but there hitting is decent--bigger surprise. Enough of the phony baloney trends, etc. Last night was a terrific team win when the starter was good enough to win but didn't, the closer couldn't close, and we won anyway with dadgum singles, but very timely singles. This was a win to savor.

Not a smart at bat by Hanram, swinging at first two pitches--balls--after Young walks. A little patience and he might have gotten a fastball in the hitting zone whatever that is.

Anyone know why Bogie is out? Lin looked overwhelmed in that at bat.

Game is on espn, luckily.

Against lefty Perez I'm guessing this lineup-- Betts Pedey Bogie HanRam JBJ Young LF Travis 1B Leon Marrero 3b JBJ's OPS vs lefties is 1.161, which I suspect is easily the highest on the team. I'm guessing Leon at C because he caught Porcello in his last start, Vazquez caught yesterday, Texas is hot, and Leon can bat righty, if not well.

SoxHop continues to be Mr. SoxHopHot. Four straight--1 at Fenway against the best road team in the AL, now 3 at Toronto. At 22-21 the Sox are now over .500 on the road. At the end of this road trip comes the ASG, at which point the Sox will have played 50 road games and 39 home games which means that in the shorter second half of the season they will play 31 road games and 42 home games. In other words, the Sox could not have picked a better time to have a hot streak, whether or not it's a winning streak. Ironically, Porcello--last year's Cy Young--starting tonight is a real test of the strength of this team. His ERA in June, the month when he should really have found his groove, was 6.63. His problem beyond question is where he is throwing his pitches. He lacks command overall, but especially the ability to keep pitches low but still in or near the strike zone. Meanwhile, the Sox are now 42-10 whenever they score 4 or more runs. Perez, the Rangers starter tonight, had--this will amaze and delight you--an ERA of 6.30 in June. Texas overall is 9th in the AL in ERA at 4.40. So chances are good the Sox will score 4 or more tonight. If we score early, it just might give Porcello a lift, who knows?

In round numbers JBJ's OPS was .600 in April, .800 in May, and 1.000 in June. His three OBP's were .271, .341, and .431. He had 5 dingers in May, but just 4 in June. He is hitting to all fields. These data points tell me he is becoming a real hitter and far less likely to regress into the inconsistencies we saw in 2015 and 2016. Bogaerts on the other hand seems to me to over-rely on his truly remarkable hand-eye coordination with the bat. He can take bad swings and still make contact, sometimes solid contact with the ball, so he has not worked on becoming an intelligent hitter. I think he is awful at pitch recognition, for example. In his defense, I would add that I think he probably works very hard on his defense because he loves being SS and knows he lacks range, etc.

OK, gang, it was just the Blue Jays--you know, last in the AL East. Nevertheless, it is possible that we are getting close to the point where we can declare that this stupid thread (which I started) has worn out its welcome. Platooning Lin and Marrero seems to work, so does Vazquez and Leon. HanRam might indeed be coming around. Of the four killer B's, Betts and the now steady (who woulda thunk that?) JBJ have rocketed past Bogaerts and could both be headed toward .900 OPS's, and Bogaerts, Pedroia, and Moreland are all doing fine if not great. I have argued ad nauseum that Ortiz left a big hole. I still think that, but now agree with Kimmi and others that just maybe the Sox can fill that hole with multiple contributions. Nevertheless I will ask the obvious question, should DD still go after a big bat to get us through the 2d half of the season (something I have been opposed to and obviously still am)?

Nevertheless, a great piece of work that tells its own story about the price/cost of talent in MLB. A lot of yuks in there that make the Manny Ramirez deal, $20M x 8 in 2001, look like genius. Also interesting is that the Sox didn't make many of those deals at all--not until Price, Pablo, and HanRam. Pablo at $19M x 5 in 2015 underscores why the Sox have not not tried--or have not been able to--unload him yet. Price at $31M x 7 continues to look insane. HanRam at $22M x 4 is still over priced but he is not a dead bust.

He definitely loses focus.

Great pitching and some timely doubles--a winning formula.

Condor sounds right.

Just read that to Sarah, and she is now likely to get a subscription to mlb.com/TV. Madness, madness--from a grown woman yet.

I certainly did not notice. Did you really predict Marrero's turnaround at the plate? If so, well done.

Well, it's true nevertheless. Every game can have its surprises and like most everyone else I react to them--sometimes, as was the case last night--to my regret. I clearly underestimated our guys, Price, et al. I don't underestimate the bullpen, buy I was definitely mad at Hembree giving up the tying dinger that sent the game into extra innings.

Reading these game threads is a study in contrasts--me included. Early on I was as free as anyone with my condemnations, then quickly turned around when the Sox rallies. I was amazed when Price went 7, which to me showed a lot of guts. Right now that's three pretty good starters--Sale, Price, and Pomeranz (of all people), plus the possibility of one in last year's Cy Young and the likelihood of one in Eduardo Rodriguez.

My daughter finally went to be after the Sox scored 3 in the top of the 11th, so she continues to be a good luck charm--two come from behind wins as soon as she started watching the game (and stayed watching in the case of last night). This is at no small risk to her losing her standing as sane, normal, human being. Fortunately, she goes back to Greensboro in a few days and has no subscription to mlb.com/TV.

Yeah, yeah, you've said that a zillion times, but this time you could be right. The problem in the past was that moving him up in the order usually led to a drop off in production. This year, for example, his OPS's for batting 6th and 8th are both over .900, for 7th it's over .800, and for 5th it's barely over .500. Nevertheless, he his hitting now as though he has turned a corner in terms of consistency. His May OPS was over .800 with 5 dingers and for June was over 1.000 with just 4 dingers. He's hitting to left field as well. He still strikes out a lot--on a par with Ramirez but not as bad as Moreland, but is otherwise pretty darn consistent.