Maxbialystock

I've got the MLB package, but am blacked out for all Atlanta, Baltimore, and Washington games because I live in Greensboro, NC However, I switched cables only because I was mad at the one I had. It took me 2 weeks to realize I get both MASN, which is the local channel for Orioles and Nats games, and fanduel, which carries the Braves. Amazing. That said, MASN is about 2 min behind gameday on mlb.com. I think Parker has 3 decent pitches in his curve, fastball, and splitter.

Sox have way too may lefty bats in the lineup. It's hopeless.

Agree.

In today's game thread, I take a look at the Sox 2d half schedule. It's brutal--so much so that I have doubts about making the postseason.

A terrific laydown in the OP. Lots of names and long paragraphs on each--in which the expected costs of trades are explored. You definitely did your homework.

Good point. Anthony also doesn't hit lefties well. Plus Eaton and Gonzalez are batting 1st and 2d. However, I trust Cora's lineups implicitly.

Washington Senators, not Washington Nationals. A win today with Buehler would be fantastic with Crochet pitching tomorrow. Then back to Boston for 3 against the Rockies and 4 vs the Rays. I think Bregman might go off the IL in time for the Rays. The won/lost record of the Sox this season isn't all that dramatic. In the first 52 games, 23 May, the day Bregman was hurt, they were 26 -26, having never been more than 3 games above .500 nor more than 2 games below .500. When Bregman dropped out, the Sox plummeted to 30-35, their low point of the season to date. And they came back to 36-36 largely because of great pitching in the 6 game winning streak. After Raffy left (last game June 15), the Sox went to 40-37 on the west coast trip before hitting another big slump taking them to 41-44 6 days ago. Now they seem to be coming back despite the absence of Bregman and Raffy and despite issues with the bullpen. The hitting is better and right now Crochet, Bello, and Giolito look pretty good as starters. The comeback should (and must) continue in DC and then in the 3 games vs Colorado back at Fenway. Then come 4 testing games vs the Rays. The real tough sledding is after the ASG when the Sox play 3 @ the Cubs, 3 at the Phillies, 3 vs the Dodgers at Fenway, and 3 @ Minnesota--at which point the it will be July 30 when Breslow can make his moves, if any. Those 12 games will no doubt affect his decision-making. Starting August 1, the Sox play 3 vs the Astros @ Fenway, 3 vs the Royals at Fenway, 3 @ San Diego, and 3 @ Houston. The Sox final 9 games are 3 @ Tampa, 3 @ Toronto, and 3 at Fenway vs. the Tigers. Given the above, I think the postseason is dicey even though I like this team.

Buehler again. Washington: first in war, first in peace, and last in the American League.

Houck is still struggling in AA.

Toro's OPS is .799 and Gonzalez's is .857. I can't see spending money or prospects on a first baseman. I have my doubts about Casas's durability, but he is the presumed 1b for next season. Absolutely on the RP or two. Agree on difficulty of an SP.

Happy 4th, everyone!! I'm watching the Boston fireworks after watching DC's and NYC's--with my wife of 61 years. They are spectacular and for us the best part of the 4th. I don't think the Declaration gets signed on July 4 if GW and the Continental Army don't drive the British out of Boston--never to return--in March 1776. How they did it is a saga unto itself. The vast majority of the 1776 Continental Army came from the Massachusetts militia.

Big crowd at Nationals Park today because the fireworks aren't until tonight.

Your title is utter nonsense unless you include pitching, which is half the team and at least 75% of a team's defense. I also disagree with the notion of building a "super defense" when a good one is more than adequate because hitting is job 1 for the lineup players.

Agree. When Bregman returns, which is soon, we will a good hitting and good fielding lineup overall. The rotation is looking almost decent with Crochet, Bello, and Giolito pitching well. Buehler is going tomorrow and you know he really wants to have a good game. The bullpen is the problem, but even they could bounce back as the hitting seems to have done.

The Sox lineup needs no fixes, least of all yours. Plus no one wants Yoshida unless the Sox pay his salary. I'm not saying those 2 starters wouldn't be nice to have.

Agree on young players, but this season the Sox have already played 4 rookies. You need some veterans too. Without going wild and giving up someone who should be kept, I would like the Sox to be buyers/traders come the 31st. They need pitching. The lineup looks fine to me.

You know the Sox must have won when the game thread is this short. Oh, how talksoxers yearn to beat up the Sox, their manager, the front office, the owner, who ever. Imagine the disappointment if the Sox make the postseason: "we was robbed. They still stink."

I assume that's sarcasm. I like him, myself, even though I agree he is overpaid, which means the Sox are stuck with him. Right now he is in fact affordable, maybe even more so than Raffy at DH. My goodness, what a terrific grab by Rafaela!

Sox have averaged 5 runs per game since Raffy left and while Bregman was on the IL.

Been there, done that. However, best place to watch the fireworks is from Fort Myer, VA. Hamilton's DWAR is +1.0, 3d best on the Sox--and in just 53 games. But I agree he is the mostly likely departure when Bregman returns. His OPS is .498.

Bregman, Mayer, and Story already have plus DWAR's of, in order, +0.7, +0.3, and +0.9. As far as I'm concerned the upgrade of the infield is already here, or haven't you noticed that Devers didn't play a single inning at 3b this year? Toro's DWAR stinks, but his OPS is .801. Narvaez has the best catcher DWAR in MLB. I see no need or room for Garcia or Sogord or Hamilton when Bregman returns. I'm fine with whatever Cora decides, but my bias is to play Mayer at SS and Story at 2b, where his DWAR was +1.0 in 2022.

The best Sox teams have always put hitting above fielding. Most teams do because ain't nothing harder than hitting a round ball with a round bat squarely. Thus Devers at 3b for 8 straight seasons. Thus Bogey at SS. To me what's happened is that the acquisition of Bregman has coincided with the already good defense of Rafaela in CF and Abreu in RF, and and the arrival of Narvaez at catcher. Plus I like Story at SS (or 2b), whose DWAR is currently +0.9. As I have been saying forever, the team fielding percentage, 98%, is just below the best in MLB, 99%. You have to look at DWAR's or whatever to see where the weak and strong spots are. When Bregman returns the infield will be solid if not gold glovers--except for 1b, where the primary skill should be good hitting. The outfield will have Rafaela, Abreu, and for my money Anthony, who lacks Duran's speed but already has a +0.3 DWAR to Duran's -0.1. Plus Narvaez/Wong catching, both with plus DWAR's. At the same time--and this is important--there won't be many weak bats, I mean that's why Anthony and Mayer were brought up--for their freaking bats. The defense is extra. Rafaela's OPS is now at .730 and rising. Story's is now .675 and also rising. Bregman's OPS is over .900. Toro's .801, Abreu's .828. Narvaez's .799. It's almost as though Devers' bat will not be missed. Heck, right now the lineup seems to be hitting better and they lack both Bregman and Devers.

Always good to begin with a whopper, "Let's be fair." You seem to have two absurd obsessions, one that Cora is biased and and/or an idiot, the other that Campbell is a defensive gem incorrectly used. I think we all like Campbell's potential and hope he will make it back to Boston. But when Bregman returns there won't be a handy spot for Kristian in the outfield or infield.

A silly "analysis" filled with bias. To me it was an absolutely normal in-betweener that could have resulted in a collision but didn't--credit to both rookies. There was absolutely nothing "dumb" about that play. I think both are above average fielders and very likely above average hitters. The Sox decision to bring them both up this season makes all kinds of sense.

I know nothing about coaching. I coached kids basketball and was lousy at it. I do think managers know one heckuva lot more than we do about pitching decisions. We, of course, have the benefit of hindsight, but not necessarily the insight to use it correctly. A bunch of important and knowledgeable people think Cora is a pretty good manager. That's why DD fired Farrell after back to back AL East Division titles and hired Cora (who had never managed). It's why JH hired him back after being banned from MLB for the 2020 season. To me the 2021 season was confirmation that Cora was a better manager than Farrell. Thus was he also extended despite the struggles of 2022-2025 and the clamor on talksox to dump him. As for yesterday's game, I do think you used hindsight to castigate Cora about the 2d game, and chose not to use it to appreciate what Cora did in the first game.