Maxbialystock

Sandoval and Moreland have just done their best to destroy the starting pitcher. Those were easy plays for both players. Plus it takes a lot more pitches to get thru a five out inning.

Where is it written that, while righty hitters are expected to hit righty pitchers, we don't dare let lefty hitters attempt the impossible task of hitting lefty pitchers? Me, I want JBJ back in the 7 or 8 slot whoever is on the mound. Same for Sandoval even though he is better against righty pitchers. As for catcher, I am find with both of them whoever is pitching for the other team.

Today is the real Patriot's Day, the 242d anniversary of the "shot heard round the world," the battles of Lexington and Concord followed by the British retreat to Boston. It was that battle that directly led to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia creating the Continental Army on June 14, 1775, a long year before they could screw their courage to the sticking point and write and sign the Declaration of Independence. While there were American patriots throughout the Colonies, I think it is fair to say the American Revolution truly began right here in the vicinity of Boston. In June of 1775 there were some settlers who created what amounted to a campsite in Kentucky. They had heard about the "shot heard round the world" and decided to name their campsite Lexington, now the 2d largest city in Kentucky. Two years later something similar happened in the western part of Virginia and today the home of VMI and Washington&Lee University. In fact, the name Lexington is all over the United States. The Canadians, meanwhile, stayed firmly on the British side. So I say beat the heck out of those Canadians even though Toronto's a pretty nice city. But the people? Way too polite, which is why they never threw tea into the Great Lakes. Tonight would be a good night for our Cy Young--vice our Sigh Young--pitcher to re-appear. Meanwhile, that lineup just seems to get nastier and nastier, even without the dingers.

On another thread I redefined quality starts for this year's Sox rotation, and this was definitely a quality start by Johnson.

Wrong. Those 3 runs off Johnson are only semi-earned because JBJ isn't in CF tonight.

Like Pomeranz, Brian Johnson feels the need to keep the other team in the game.

Overall I have no complaints about the lineup this year. In fact, I think it could end up even better than last year's, and that's saying a whole lot because Big Papi was amazing last year. I think Moreland is over his head and that everyone else without exception can hit better than they have so far. Forget 1 thru 5 too because I'm really talking about 6 thru 9--Bogaerts, Sandoval, Young/Bradley, and Leon/Vazquez. I think those four slots have the potential to be just plain mean. As it is, Sandoval in the 7 slot with a paltry OPS of .577 is tied for the team lead in rbi's with 9. If we divide the team into four arbitrary categories--hitting, starting pitching, relief pitching, and fielding--I would say that so far the bullpen has been by far the best. Then maybe hitting, then fielding, and last the rotation. I always expected hitting to be the best of the four, but was encouraged by the acquisition of Sale, the Cy Young last year for Porcello, the obvious potential last year of Wright, and the departure of Buchholz. I had no real expectations for the bullpen. And I only mention fielding because you can't ignore something that depends on all 8 players out there backing up the pitcher. Given our team stats to date and the fact that we--they--are 8-5, it is really hard not to believe in this team. As moonslav and others keep insisting, the rotation should right itself.

Could be, but, if memory serves, Papelbon basically had 1 effective pitch--his fastball-- most of the time he was here. Last year Kimbrel still had 31 saves with an erratic knuckle curve but a very good fastball. And didn't Mariano Rivera excel with basically one pitch? But your principal is still valid because starters normally face hitters at least twice and usually 3 or 4 times per game. So they probably need 3 pitches.

I don't mind saying it was a heckuva projection. Memorable.

I have done more than my share of whining about the rotation, but I can't say enough about how well the bullpen has been. They did 4.2 scoreless innings yesterday and another 3 today. If memory serves, it was the bullpen that was so great during last year's September run. Not to single him out because others have contributed mightily, but to me the difference between Kimbrel in 2016 and in 2017 is that he has command of his breaking stuff this year. Apparently, it only takes two good pitches to thrive in the bullpen. Uehara had that nasty splitter and the slow boat to china fastball--88 mph tops--but he had great control and confidence.

I dodged a bullet by not jumping on this thread in the early innings. Wright did indeed settle down and pitch a pretty commendable game given his last start.

Not semantics because I entirely agree with they have stunk but just might not stink right now. Today, for example, your genius prediction almost came true. You said Wright would go 7 and give up 2, but he only went 6 and might be responsible for 3 if Ross can't stop this rally.

I see Pomeranz as keeping the Rays in the game. After he left the game the Rays went 4.2 innings without scoring another run. The Sox hitters kept the Sox in the game until the bullpen went to work.

We owe them nothing. There is a strong statistical correlation between pitchers who stink right now and games that are lost. Spring training is over, and these games count. Time for the rotation to man up.

What social media? Nobody comes here. right now pomeranz stinks, simple as that-- he gave up 5 runs, all earned, in 4.1 innings.

Who wrote them off? Not me. I said they stink because they do, but I certainly hope they don't stay that way.

Stink is in the present tense, so it applies. I sure as heck hope the sample size is small, but we don't know that.

That's tomorrow at 11:05 am isn't it? I'll tell you what: I wouldn't bet the farm on 7 innings from Wright.

Who cares if Sale is the greatest thing since sliced bread? This thread is about the rotation, and everybody except Sale stinks. The great Pomeranz now has an ERA of 5.23, which is about the same as ERod but way better than Porcello at 7.56 and Wright at 13.50.

Great game even though Pomeranz still sucks with an ERA of 5.23. But the hitter hit and brought in 7 runs, and the bullpen was great again. They went 4.2 innings giving up nothing, whereas Pomeranz went 4.1 giving up 5. Maybe we need to recalibrate how we rate a start. Maybe from now on for the Sox a "quality start" is "gets thru 5 innings without giving up 8 or more runs." That way we can now say POmeranz came oh so close--he was just 2 little outs from another quality start today.

I was too kind toward Pomeranz. I did predict he wouldn't get to the 6th innings, but that was easy. What I couldn't see was two dingers to put the Rays up 5-4 after the Sox tied it. I'm not so sure any more that he's a wuss. He did throw his glove in the dugout again after giving up the dinger and the single in the 5th. He's just lousy. His previous start was lucky. This gets the Sox down to just one reliable starter. Even our Cy Young winner can't be counted on, not when he gave up 4 dingers and 8 runs in 4.1 innings, and Wright was worse. And ERod is still the same 'ol ERod.

Way better than I expected. Always good to see a pitcher bounce back with six straight outs.

I thought he was a wuss before the game and will be delighted when and if he shows some heart. As for Bogaerts, I like him a lot, but that was still a dumb swing on a 2-0 count.

Nice clean inning for Pomeranz and it only took 17 pitches. Perfect for him because he's at 52 pitches after 2 innings and is a good bet to get to 100 pitches in 5 innings and won't have to go to the much dreaded 6th inning.

Pomeranz is a complete wuss. I thought he was going to break into tears in the first inning when he couldn't get the strikes he wanted. And Bogaerts needs to get smart. He swung on ball three that was well inside with an umpire who has been more than happy to call balls. His stupidity cost a really good rally.