moonslav59

We are now past the two-thirds mark of the season, and although some of these sample sizes are small, here are our left-righty splits: vs RHPs .985 Devers .976 Schwarber (.873 career) .935 JDM .931 Verdugo .875 Bogey .737 Kike .729 Renfroe .715 Arroyo .710 Vaz .655 Plawecki .552 Dalbec .547 Duran .544 Santana .532 Cordero (109 PAS!) .494 Marwin (192 PAS!) vs LHPs .894 Arroyo .874 Bogey .864 Kike .850 Renfroe .820 Plawecki .790 Dalbec .765 JDM .759 Marwin .736 Schwarber (.665 career) .588 Santana .530 Vaz Career Notes: Arroyo is nearly identical vs R (.691) and L (.702). Vaz has normally been pretty even R (.682)/ L (.718) Verdugo should maybe be platooned R (.853)/ L(.666) Renfroe's D is too important to platoon him R (.719)/ L(.899) Marwin has been pretty even. R (.714)/ L (.726) Plawecki has been nearly even. R (.661)/ L (.664) Small sample sizes: Dalbec R (.639)/ L (.840) Cordero R (.705)/ L (.544) For now, anyway, Cordero should not start vs LHPs, Dalbec vs RHPs and serious consideration should be given to "resting" Verdugo vs most lefties (Schwarber in LF v LHPs?).

Good point, and maybe Schwarber can play LF vs lefties and give Verdugo a "rest" vs lefties. In a pinch, could Schwarber catch an inning or two?

Let's chunk the rest of the Sox schedule into these bunches: After today's Toronto game, we'll see this: 3 TBR, 3 BAL & 3 @NYY (5-4 would be great, esp if not 3-0 v BAL) 3 TEX, 3 MN & 3 @ CLE (We may need 7-2 or 6-3, here.) 4 @ TBR, 3 CLE & 3 TBR (This could be it. 5-5 may be enough.) 3 @ CWS & 3 @ SEA (Not easy to go 3-3.) Then, a possible bright spot to end the season, so even if we are looking bad by September 16th, don't count us out: 3 BAL, 2 NYM, 3 NYY (8 home games- 6-2?) 3 @ BAL & 3 @ WSH (6 road games vs bad teams- 4-2 or 5-1?) Of course, I don't expect all these possible outcomes to all come true, but there is reason for some hope, especially how we end September. Tampa Bay's last 6 games? 3 @ HOU 3 @NYY Yankees last 9 games? 3 @BOS 3 @TOR 3 v TBR Don't count the Sox out, if we are 2 down with 6-9 games to go.

True, but Schwarber will be replacing our 1Bman that posters have been roasting alive, not just for his putrid offense, but his unexpectedly horrific defense, too.

Like no player or team in MLB history has ever come out of a slump.

Earlier in the season, I pointed out a very rough 26 game stretch of our schedule (May 31- June 27), where we played some very tough teams and some decent teams on the road. How we did in that stretch might define this team, I added. After losing the first 3 at Houston, we won 5 in a row and ended up going 15-11. To me, that was more than decent and showed this team had grit and some magical qualities that might lead us places few of us dreamed were possible at the start of a year widely viewed as a rebuild or bridge year. The Yankee sweep at the end of that stretch was especially sweet. We followed that Yankee sweep with 5 more wins, and after that 8 game streak, we looked like the team to beat. Almost every poster was flying high and praising the team. Then, we lost a tough 10 inning game at OAK (3-2) and soon lost some other close games mixed in with some blow-outs. We did win 4 in a row in mid July vs TOR & NY, but that was just a brief bright spot in a lousy stretch. From July 3 to August 6, sandwiched around the trade deadline, we went 13-16. That really sucks, but it's really only 2 wins away from being above .500. The worst stretch started before the trade deadline, and from July 29 to the first game of yesterday's doubleheader, we went 1-8! It's really only those 9 games that have brought about this board malaise. 9 freaking games! Yes, this 9 game team is who we are. The other 104 game team is somebody else. That team went 64-40, but it appears we can never get that team back, according to some here. We can add Houck, Sale, Schwarber and Arroyo and ditch our worst 4 players, but we are doomed over these 9 games. I get the frustration and how that can turn to anger and lashing out. I'm as frustrated as anyone. I get the feeling of urgency and looking for quick fixes. Hell, I've even been critical about not bringing Sale up more quickly and losing a start from Houck, when we needed it badly. It's natural to reach for possible solutions. I guess what bothers me is the overwhelming negativity that verges on outright hatred towards players, the manager & GM, when this team has overachieved for 104 games and sucked for just 9. We may not ever return to being that 104 game team, but we are NOT this 9 game team. I think there is a better chance we can be better than that 104 game team, once everyone is back healthy than to be a losing team the rest of the way. Call me an optimist, but this team still has grit and talent. It doesn't just go away in 10 days.

It's the "Throw s*** Against the Wall and Hope Something Sticks" philosophy they want Bloom and Cora to adopt. It's fed by the belief that what a player has done over the last week, month or 3 months is the number one predictor of what they will continue to do for the next week, month or 3 months. Hell, we had posters saying we should demote or trade Devers & Renfroe in April. That being said, there is a case for bringing up Munoz, but why stop there? Bring up Ockimey to play 1B platoon. Bring up Ort, Winckowski, Espinal, and there is this Danny Santana guy who had an OPS over 1.000 in AAA- why not bring him up, too? Demote or DFA everyone! Ghost would love it. Another thing that cracks me up, is some of the guys saying this team sucks and is toast were the same guys who blasted Bloom for not getting Scherzer & Rizzo, since this team was so good, but just a Scherzer & Rizzo away from a ring. Really, I'm literally lmao.

Next year's team will not have Richards, Perez and some other clowns. I can see being so frustrated, one might give up on 2021, but already throwing in the towel for 2022 is too much for me.

On the farm, today... Sale 4.2 & 0 ER Feltman 2.0 0H 0 ER for the win Downs 0-4 with 4 K's (.188 BA) DeShields 0-5 Munoz 2-5 Ockimey 1-2 w 2 BBs AA V Santos 6 IP 4 H 1 ER 1BB 9K Potts 2-5 (HR & 4 RBI) Rosario 2-4 (3B) Castellano 2-5 (2B) Granberg 2-4 (BB) Rivera & Matheny both 2-4.

This Richards start, tomorrow should have been Sale. I know the guy is making $10M, but this is a playoff run. BTW, Sale pitched 89 pitches (59 strikes/31 balls). He did walk 3, but only allowed 2 hits in 4.2 IP.

Good to see 15 IP with just 2 runs allowed. That should have been enough for a sweep, but with the troubles this offense has been having, maybe we should be glad we got a split. Houck and Pivetta could hold the key to a sustained rebound, but Sale is now our best hope.

He had a 3.09 ERA after 11 starts. That was team-leading. (He's over 7.00 after.)

I'd axe Richards before Perez. At least Perez had a nice 11-13 start stretch earlier in the year. There is hope he might find that groove again. I've totally lost all hope for Garrett. That being said, if Perez goes first, I won't complain.

Hopefully, Pivetta will not let the loss affect his confidence. Let's hope Houck leads the way, tonight, and Sale gives us a jolt, next week. Sale ERod Eovaldi Houck Pivetta Sure looks better than... Eovaldi ERod Pivetta Perez Richards

It's barely August. 2011 had a fine rotation and good hitting.

Marwin up 6th. That says it all.

If calling up a .763 utility player from AAA, who passed through waivers once already, is the answer to our troubles, then this will, indeed, be a "magical" season. (Seriously, though, I don't see why we can try it.) I just wanna see Richards and Perez assigned to mop up duty, phantom IL's or DFA'd- the sooner the better. That, alone, will be a huge addition by subtraction.

Just what the doctor ordered.

Interesting spin.

Don't see that girl again! We need the reverse osmosis mojo working at full steam! Seriously though, I'm glad for you. I hope things continue to improve.

You saying I'm kinky? lol

I can't believe how many fans think only what you have done the last 2 weeks matters. Sure, they may end up being right. I hope not, but baseball is full of twists and turns, often on a dime.

I don't think we bring back ERod. I doubt we take the option on Perez. I'd say 0%, but for some reason, Sox management likes Martin. Richards will not see his option picked up. I think we'll sign an older pitcher to a 2 year deal (maybe with a 3rd year option and buy-out). 2022 may look like this: S1 Sale S2 Scherzer, Verlander, Greinke, Kershaw, Morton (?) ---Hopefully not Cueto, Miley, Duffy, Rich Hill. Maybe Syndergaard -30 y/o S3 Eovaldi S4 Pivetta S5 Houck/Whitlock (Add some starter depth, unless we like what Seabold shows here on out) Sign a top set-up man. Add a short term slugging 1Bman and a nice utility player, and I'll love our chances in 2022.

Sometimes a season mirrors the manners of many games played that year. If you keep getting snake-bitten all year, you end up missing the playoffs by a hair or losing it on a bad call or unforced error. If the season seems magical, it seems like everything falls into place- like 2013. Right now, it seems like all the magic is gone. We start wondering, if it was all smoke and mirrors, to begin with, and the comeback wins were flukes that gave us an inflated idea of how good we are. Maybe this team was never really good enough to be thought of as the best, even when we had the best record, but IMO, we are no where near this bad, either. Maybe a big game from Houck or Sale will spark us to a winning streak. Too bad we put off bringing up Sale, even on an innings limit and skipped a start by Houck. (See, I can and have criticized management, despite still thinking these guys are great.) We came back so many times in games, so why can't we comeback after a long stretch of putrid baseball?

Although I'm an optimist, it does not mean I can't see this team is a "dumpster fire" right now. The key words are "right now." Why do people always assume a team or player will continue to play just as they have for the prior 2-3 weeks, even after repeatedly seeing baseball doesn't work that way? Trends change on a dime, all the time. I know the next question will be, "What do you see in this team that gives you any hope they'll turn this around?" Well, I heard that after we were swept by the O's in the season's first series. I've heard in many many times, this year and over the years, only to watch the team catch fire and surprise all those who give up so early. How many times do people need to be surprised and shocked before thinking, maybe I'll leave some room for hope, even when things look as bad as they possibly can be? We do have Sale & Houck joining the rotation- our biggest need area. We do have Schwarber (.910 OPS) & Arroyo (one of our hottest hitters post April) joining the line-up, at some point. We do have a great manager. We have a very good pen. It's not like there is nothing to be positive about.