Maxbialystock

A little credit to Severino who has shown nasty stuff tonight.

You're joking, right? Pedroia isn't in the game.

You're right. I take it back. Porcello has only given up 3 runs, which shouldn't be counted because of all those K's. Twice tonight he has given up big hits--a dinger and what could have been a double--with RISP. Severino has had no such problems. The one time we had men on first and second and no one out, HanRam goes GIDP. The score is just 3-0, but we are being dominated.

Sox have three bare singles in 5 innings. No line drive hits, I don't think. Severino has our number.

Porcello pitches tough.

So that's now two errors by us and one very good play by the Yankees.

Tonight's game looks like a mismatch--our guy Porcello is hittable,and their guy isn't.

Sandoval and Bogaerts have the same bad habit on hard hit grounders that give them lots of time--they feel obligated to pump their arms a couple of times which seems to mess up the actual throw.

Worth pointing out that our big chance came from a soft grounder to 3b and a walk. For our guys tonight, this guy is unhittable.

Our specialty with two men on and no one out--the GIDP

who are the announcers?

Meh. I don't begrudge them the money because I agree they are really entertainers at the core--and some are more professional than others.

No Pedroia--I thought he was ready. Ramirez drops to 5th, good. This lineup so far is not producing the way most of us expected, but it's early.

This whole subject of toughness in baseball is a joke to me. You want tough? Go see the soldiers, men and women, who lost limbs or are simply dealing with PTSD--as are their nearest and dearest--before you talk to me about MLB players being tough. There was a day--especially World War I and World War II (and somewhat in the Korean and Vietnam Wars)--when MLB players actually went to war, but those days are long gone with the all-volunteer (and very capable) armed services we have today. There is a story, I think a true one, about Ted Williams playing in a game right after World War II, during which he served but only as an instructor pilot. It was maybe 1946. The opposing pitcher was a decorated veteran, maybe with a purple heart, who had seen combat. Anyway, Williams hammered one right up the middle and knocked that pitcher down. After getting to first and calling timeout, he joined the group of people standing around the fallen pitcher because he felt terrible about what had happened. But the pitcher just looked up at him and said, "for chrissake, Williams, can't you just pull the ball?" What was it Ernie Banks said? "Let's play two." He understood so well what Lou Gehrig meant when he said he was the "luckiest man on the face of the earth." Why? Because he got to play baseball--most years, 154 games (he was the original iron man)--at the highest level and in great ball parks and was paid to do it. These guys are getting paid a ton of money to play a game many of us simply played for enjoyment (I had one year of Babe Ruth League, 1955, and still remember specific games and plays). They don't need to be tough, just talented.

Gotta like those killer Bs. But that's just 4. We need 8 pretty good guys in that lineup to make up for Ortiz. Moreland's fine, Sandoval is definitely not fine. Pedroia should be fine. Catcher should be fine. Ramirez should be too, but isn't. Isn't that the same refrain from 2 years ago, right after we acquired Pablo and Hanley? This year they need to come thru.

Great additions to this thread by a700hitter, mvp78, spudboy, and cp176. Time to talk about the Yankees series. Where oh where is Kimmi? Hello!

I'm sorry, but I just don't see the value of "toughness" when applied to MLB, which is not a contact sport. I think it was Gene Conley, who played for the Celtics and pitched for the Red Sox, who was asked how difficult it was to transition between the two sports. He said it was not easy because it took him at least six weeks after the NBA season to get out of shape so he could play baseball. He was joking of course. To me the one bonafide tough guy on this team is Pedroia, and I'm not so sure that's a valuable quality because sometimes he insists on playing when maybe he shouldn't. On the other hand, I kind of admire all the lineup players who go out there and stand in the field waiting for the pitcher and hitter to go thru their little dance on almost every pitch. That's roughly 90 minutes per game of mostly standing around, but with a requirement on each and every pitch to be ready to spring into action because "getting a jump on the ball" is so important to a fielder.

MLB did not penalize Machado, who made the slide that presumably triggered the retaliation by Barnes. Most sports news commentators (if not all) have agreed with the MLB decision. What Barnes did was clearly intentional--he meant to hit Machado (but missed him). Machado did make a hard slide into 2B, but it was clearly intended to beat the throw from Bogaerts and almost did. When it happened, Machado gave every indication that the spiking was unintended--and that's exactly the way Pedroia saw it and said so. Pedroia's toughness in my opinion is beyond question. if he thinks the spiking was no big deal, that's what it was. Farrell and Barnes were wrong to retaliate.

Agree Beni is pretty key, but I also think we need a deep lineup.

Completely agree. Plus that win was thanks to Kimmi. Betts' 3 run dinger was incidental. But of course I hope he does it a lot more.

Actually, I think they do have to be good in both areas. In 2013 the Sox had very good hitting, but in the playoffs the team ERA was 2.

You're right.

Looks like I agree with Pedroia and the senile guy who is my age, 76.

In the John Henry era the Sox have won the WS three times--in 2004, 2007, and 2013. In 2004 and 2013 the Sox led MLB in runs scored. In 2007 they were 3d in the AL in scoring, but led the AL in ERA. Does anyone seriously believe this team will lead the AL in ERA this year? I love the addition of Sale, who clearly is an ace. I think Porcello will be decent and maybe Pomeranz and ERod. But Wright looks too inconsistent and Price's ERA last year was 5.

Top 5???? That's a bit of a fall from 2016 when the Sox led MLB in runs scored and led the AL by over 100 runs. If that's your standard, I guess we have nothing to argue about. Too bad because I enjoy it--you know a lot more than I.