Maxbialystock

Anytime you hit a dry period, you gotta ask. Right now opposing pitchers are finding it too easy to get our guys out, especially with RISP. One number stands out--8 dingers. That isn't just the fewest for any MLB team, it's just a bit more than half--8 vs. 13--than the team in 29th place. Massive power outage. The good news is that we probably have a pretty good lineup. I certainly thought so. And it's early--we're just past the 1/10th point into the season.

Good arguments on both sides. I don't like him because of his defense, but agree the smart move is to give him more time.

That slide reminds me of how Ty Cobb, one of the meanest players ever, is reputed to have slid into 2b. Now, however, there is a rule designed to protect infielders. The problem in this case is that Machado did in fact slide directly into the bag. It was a late slide to give him a better chance of beating the throw and in fact he almost did. It was a close play on the force out. Apparently, that's the way Pedroia sees it too. Given that, I'm going with Pedroia despite the graphic evidence of the replay.

Meh. I think good pitching always beats good hitting.

RISP disease--0/9. First four Sox hitters left 16 people on base. Some were the same guys, of course, but still. Benintendi left 6 on.

Great at bat by Young!

Pom was great for Pom--2 runs in 5.1 innings. Bundy is simply a much better pitcher.

Bundy is actually dominating our lineup. We haven't come lose to scoring even with men on base. The second time through our line up we had one hit, a single by Hernandez.

ESPN had an article this week saying that sac bunts are dying fast all over MLB. tonight we've seen why maybe they should not be.

He lost the weight, but did not regain his skills, assuming he had some. Why are we required to root for someone who is working on torpedoing his 2d of 3 games? There might be hope for his hitting, but his throws are inaccurate and his glove has a hole in it.

Also, against a righty starter, we are going righty lefty righty lefty righty lefty righty righty lefty--with that last righty being Vazquez.

Herndandez at SS batting 9th. Is Bogaerts hurt or is this a planned rest day?

I don't know about golden--an expression I love, by the way--but I do like the insight that he needs a clean first. Good start to the game thread.

One time I want my stupid prophecy to be wrong and it's right. Time to move Pedroia and Ramirez down in the order?

I think you are forgetting a new rule this year for the Sox: try not to get too many hits to support your ace. So far our guys are helping Estrada look like an ace+

Estrada seems to be throwing a lot of hard--which ain't that hard--stuff and getting our guys out easily.

Bogaerts looked at three straight strikes after three straight balls. I hate that.

I believe JBJ and Betts both have stronger arms than Benintendi. We can be pretty sure that, while JBJ is slower than either of the other two, he has fantastic instincts to go where the ball is hit. All in all, a pretty darn good outfield because all three can also hit.

While I'm mad as heck at those two errors--by Sandoval and Moreland--I am also very impressed with the guts Porcello showed on the mound afterward--7 innings (actually, 23 outs) and 0 earned runs. I have to say this because I badmouthed him a lot after his last start of the 4 dingers and 8 runs. Funny thing, but we had five full-time, all-righty hitters in the lineup--Pedroia, Betts, Ramirez, Bogaerts, and Young--and together they were 2 for 19 against a lefty starter (for 5.1 innings anyway). The espn guy who covers the Sox says that Sandoval's defense is definitely an issue. However, his OPS is now at .706 and is probably on the rise, and he is tied for the team lead in rbi's with 10 and leads in dingers with 3. If Porcello is back and Pomeranz can be decent--ditto ERod--then the Sox now have a pretty good rotation because Sale is terrific and Wright seems to have gotten his good knuckler back. Barmes slipped Tues, but the bullpen has been good. I cited Casey Stengel on the early Mets to categorize how the Sox played in this game, not this season. Those errors by Moreland and Sandoval were right out of the early Mets playbook. I believe their first baseman was Marvelous Marv Throneberry, whose other nick name was "stone hands" because he committed 17 errors at 1B in 1962 when the Mets set the record for losses with 120. If you look him up, you will also find out that he hit a triple in one game, but was called out when the opposing SS got the ball and tagged 2B, meaning Marv had failed to touch that base. When Casey went out to protest, the umpire said, "don't bother me because he also failed to touch first base."

I admit that's pretty harsh, but right now our guys do remind me of the not yet amazin Mets. So far we're seeing weak hitting, weak fielding, and pitching that may or may not be effective.

What's that line attributed to Casey Stengal after watching the Mets their first season? "Can't anyone here play this game?"

That's three unearned runs so far.

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.