Maxbialystock

I missed everything but the 9th when Pedroia GIDP and Porcello came out--boy, was I surprised! Family dinner with 2 brothers, a sister, and our spouses--whom my wife and I don't see often enough. Great night, especially when I first checked the score and the Sox were up 5-1. FWIW, I checked the standings and the Sox are now .5 games behind the Guardians and 2 behind the Rangers. Still plenty to worry about, however-the rotation, which has struggled lately, the bullpen, which has been out of sight and might regress, and the lineup which has been great lately but could also regress. Appropriately, tomorrow is ERod vs. Gausman, ERA of 4.98 vs. 3.43. Who said you're only as good as your next starter? Boy, would I like to take this series in Baltimore, who these days I dislike more than the Yankees. I'm still pissed they took 2 of 3 in Fenway, both wins by 1 run.

Fascinating. I maybe have precipitated some of the above by attacking station 13 for his opinion about last Thursday's game decisions instead of doing what what illinoisredsox did, which was to explain what he thought Farrell had done right. I continue to believe that most managers make reasonable game decisions because to me it's not rocket science. Some are more aggressive with their bullpens, but that is usually because they have good ones. For most of this season, we did not. In September we not only picked up a bunch of arms because of the roster expansion everyone had, but brought back some good arms like Uehara, Kelly, and Ziegler, who have clearly made a difference. Now, amazingly, the bullpen is borderline fantastic, regardless of who goes out there. In the Yankees series we had 2 (3?) starters falter, but who got pulled early, and the lineup made up the difference while the bullpen held the Yankees back. I don't think any of that makes Farrell a genius, but only shows how effective any manager can be when the bullpen is shutting the opposition down. Girardi, I hasten to add, benefitted earlier this season from a fantastic bullpen. Now he has a lousy one and it shows. Spudboy quoted Whitey Herzog who said that the difference between a good manager and a bad one was a great bullpen, and right now that's looking awfully true.

Maybe, finally, these guys are really on a roll. Not just two come from behind wins in a row, but this one was a day game after a night game. Once again the bullpen looked great, giving up 0 runs and 0 hits over the last 3. The lineup is looking good. But suddenly the rotation is suspect. Price stumbled today, Buch survived yesterday thanks to 2 GIDP's but was lousy the time before, Pomerantz stunk his last time, and so did ERod. So, yes, 3 wins in a row, but I'm not so sure of the "on a roll."

Great win all around, but especially for the bullpen who have been very good for most of September. Big hit had to be Bogaerts dinger to get the Sox within 1 in the 5th. Nothing better than to see one or two guys get the big hits one night and another get them the next day. A come from behind win on a day when Pedroia went 0 for 5 and Ortiz 0 for 2. Price threw a lot of strikes again today as he did his last start, but this time he got hit pretty hard--all 9 hits by the Yankees of which 1 was a dinger, 1 a triple, and 2 doubles. Only 14 games left, but still not much breathing room. Nevertheless, it's great to have the other teams chasing the Sox. espn says the Sox now have a 98% chance of making the playoffs.

Last night we got a little help from Girardi who took Cessa out after 5 innings, 3 runs, and 66 pitches. Their bullpen then gave up 4 runs in 3 innings.

You could be right. We have a Yankees fan at the office who says he would keep Ellsbury.

Come to think of it, thanks for writing that in plain sight. Chalk one up for station 13.

The bullpen went 6.2 innings and gave up 0 earned runs without having to use Kimbrel, Uehara, or Ziegler. You know nothing.

Clay Buchholz got two gidp's from the Yankees best hitter, and that made all the difference.

Another righty Yankee starter, but this time Young for Benintendi in LF.

Right now we are on a rollercoaster. The one maybe sensible thing I said was this team is inexperienced. Last night was a huge huge win, and 6 of the 7 rbi's were from Ortiz and Ramirez. That said, that 9th inning rally had several contributors. And don't forget the bullpen which went 6.2 innings while giving up 0 earned runs--without the benefit of Uehara, Kimbel, or Ziegler. On the other hand, youngster ERod folded like a cheap tent.

I was being sarcastic. To me Ellsbury and ARod are exhibits A and B in demonstrating the downfall of the Yankees. Way too much money for way too little performance.

Meh. What you really mean is that racism is still part of American and especially Boston culture, and no one doubts that. I seriously doubt, however, that the average Sox fan at games in Fenway has a problem with Betts, Bradley, or Young. Some of the animus toward Crawford was because he was overpaid and underperforming--exactly the same situation with Ellsbury and the Yankees right now or for that matter Sandoval with the Sox. As I said in my earlier post, I think there can be no question that Boston fans overall have embraced this team--as they did the one in 2013--whose most iconic player is very dark skinned. The thesis advanced in the OP, however, is that MLB is not only white, but intentionally and deliberately white, and with that I vehemently disagree. I think there are only so many great black athletes and that over time they have mostly gravitated toward football and basketball--sports they pretty much dominate despite being about 15% of our population--because the payoff comes earlier and is often greater. It is no coincidence that the richest athlete in America is Michael Jordan. And, speaking of skin color, a big chunk of his earnings came from that huge contract with Nike, and they ain't paying him because of affirmative actions. Nosiree. Jordan's name and face and personality and basketball skills sell a whole lot of shoes for Nike.

I would have bet any amount of money the Sox were dead, dead, dead and that Hanley would K in that at bat. It is past my bedtime and I might not get to sleep for an hour now. Just stunning. And he did something like that a couple of weeks ago.

Leadoff double with the top of the order coming up, and they can't even get the runner to 3b, let alone home.

Ortiz grounds out on a slider way below the strike zone. That's how he made his last out only it was a fly to LF.

Down 5-1 in the 5th with a 2-0 count and Bogaerts is swinging away.

Tazawa K's 3 after the leadoff double. Not bad. He is a different pitcher when that forkball is working.

Sadly, moonslav's OP has a point. A week ago I was saying this team is in great position, but now they seem to be on the verge of collapse. Three starters have collapsed and a fourth pitched a great game only to lose 1-0. As moonslav pointed out on another thread, the Sox outscored the Orioles by 6 runs and lost the series 2-1. Last night the Sox got 4 singles and 0 runs, tonight so far it's a double, 2 singles, and 1 run in 4 innings.

Back to back fastballs and back to back double and single for another Yankee run. Whoops. Another fastball near the middle and double off the centerfield wall. When our starters lose it, they really lose it.

Thanks.

A whole lot of groundouts.

Actually, he started throwing changeups and sliders in the first inning after giving up three straight hits.

2 innings, 45 pitches--which could be a blessing disguise.

Wasn't ERod the one telegraphing his pitches earlier? He could be doing it again.