moonslav59

I do, too. I think we bring our top game, and Toronto gets exposed. We also have Kike back, so no Cordero and no black holes.

The sample sizes are too small to compare Plawecki and Vaz, but past Sox catchers did much better with the vast majority of pitchers, especially SP'ers. If I recall, ERod had the smallest differentials. Here are the current numbers with pitchers who have significant IP with each: Eovaldi: 2020 0.64 Plawecki (14.0IP) 4.98 Vazquez (34.1) 2021 2.66 Vaz (23.2) 6.15 Plawecki (26.1) Perez 2020+2021 3.91 Vaz (96.2) 7.20 Plaw (5.0) Pivetta 2020+2021 2.84 Vaz (38.0) 3.07 Plaw (14.2) Richards 2021 2.70 Plaw (10.0) 4.26 Vaz (31.2) I didn't look at any other pitchers besides Barnes, Whitlock and Andriese and none had more than 5 IP with Plawecki. These sample sizes are way too small, but they are showing a sign that maybe Vaz is getting better on CERA areas.

I'm not sure this is the best idea. We are stretching Whitlock out and will likely need a SP'er at some point. With Houck injured, Whitlock seems like the only and best choice. He can still pitch the 8th and 9th every 2-4 days.

Taylor Swift is re-recording her old albums, so she can have the rights to the songs (only the new versions which sound exactly like the old one.) No suit, here.

Even going back on the DL.

We often do better vs the aces and worse vs newbies, unknowns and struggling pitchers.

Run Differential 73 CWS 56 HOU 51 LAD 47 SDP 45 BOS 36 SFG & TOR 20 TBR 14 STL 8 NYY 7 CLE 5 MIA 2 Cubs OAK 25-17 (-8) NYM 19-16 (-8) MIL 21-20 (-16) PHI 21-20 (-7) SEA 21-21 (-19) MIA 18-22 (+5)

The Sox are 11-7 against teams over .500. The Yanks are 10-12 (played 4 more gms than BOS v good teams) TOR 12-9 (3 more) TBR 14-14 (10 more)

Projecting perfect health every year for these guys never gets old.

So, it will have to be Santana for Cordero, then.

LOL, 19th in team OPS and they lose their best hitter.

While Minnesota having the worst record in MLB, right now, is surprising, the other 4 worst 5 teams are all expected: COL, DET, PIT, BAL. The teams expected to dominate are struggling, but most are still above .500 and all are still in the thinck of things. Only Atlanta has a losing record, but they are just 19-22. The CWS (25-15) were supposed to be good. The best? Not really, but there are 12 teams within 3.5 games of them. SFG 25-16 are a big surprise. BOS 25-17 another surprise. OAK 25-17 we should never be surprised by them anymore SDP 25-17 maybe a little under projections. HOU 24-17 about right (I'm going to the game on TUE 6/1 in Houston) TOR 22-17 about right LAD 23-18 maybe 4-5 wins under projections STL 23-18 better than expected TBR 23-19 I learned never to count them out NYM 19-16 great pitching CLE 21-18 led by Tito the great NYY 22-19 maybe the team the most under projections with ATL 21-20, 20-20, 19-20: MIL, PHI, SEA, Cubs, CIN 19-22 ATL

Any word on Arroyo's ETA?

The Jays are on pace for 91 wins. I think that is about what was expected. What wasn't was this: 96 Red Sox (maybe most expected 78-86) 89 TBR (maybe 76-84) 87 NYY (maybe 92-98) 69 Balt (maybe 52-60)

Sox Pitching Ranking 4th in fWAR 6.6 (Yanks are first at 7.3) 8th in ERA- 89 (NYY 3rd at 83) 10th in xFIP- 95 (Yanks are 4th at 88) 10th K/9 9.48 10th in K%/BB% 16.1 17th in WHIP 1.28 (NYY 2nd at 1.09) 17th BB/9 3.34 Our Opps have the 3rd best BAbip at .308 vs our staff. (.275 v Yanks)

Runs 217 BOS 216 HOU & CWS 208 CIN & LAD 199 COL 22. NYY 164 1st in OPS .772 (Yanks are 19th at .701) 3rd in wRC+ 112 (Yanks are 10th at 100) 29th in BB% 7.5% (6th lowest K% at 22.5% 2nd in BAbip .314

The Sox team is ranked 3rd in 2B UZR/150 at +5.4. (+4 DRS T for 4th) 4th in RF +17.6 (1st in DRA +7) 4th in LF +15.3 (+3 DRS) 18th at 3B +1.2 (0 DRS- 18th) 21st at SS -3.7 (-5 DRS -27th) 23rd at 1B -3.4 (-4 DRS) 27th in CF -12.4 (-1 DRS) Overall: 5th at +7.3 13th in DRA +10 Surprised?

Those pesky Rays never go away. I think the lack of dependable pitching will eventaully doom the Jays. The Sox pitching could all be one long mirage, but with each good start by Richards, Pivetta and Perez- the 3 guys we thought were the least likely to be successful, one has to think maybe this is all for real. The Sox offense was expected to be top 6-8, so being number 1 is not a shock. It will come down to the pen, the defense and what they can get from Sale, Brasier, Duran and others already in the system. The yanks should end up near the top, but yes, it looks like they are just not as good a projected.

That was really something! https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/27501/time-john-fogerty-was-sued-ripping-john-fogerty

Let's see our staff vs this mighty offensive line-up.

Yes, two is not many instances, and Zambrano was still used as a starter all the way to the end of his career.

Broken blind squirrel.

Let's talk lefty-righty splits, platoons and call-ups... Players like JD, Devrs, Bogey, Verdugo and Vaz/Plawecki will never be platooned. They may be strategically given their day of rest vs an off-handed pitcher, but they are everyday players. Players like Arroyo, Marwin, Santana and Duran seem to hit both sides nearly the same. Arroyo actually has a revers career split. Career (2021) v RHP/ v LHP .676 (.668)/ .629 (773) Arroyo .726 (.595)/ .723 (.697) Marwin .727 (n/a) /.694 (n/a) Santana These players have significant career splits: vs RHP/ vs LHP .650/1.034 Dalbec (.459/1.016 in 2021) .702/.553 Cordero (.451/.432 in 2021) .707/.903 Renfroe (.590/.788 in 2021) .677/.815 Kike (.731/.706 in 2021) Minors: .898/.534 Ockimey in 2019 .968/.586 Ockimey in 2018 The Cordero-Renfroe platoon has been talked about a lot, but Cordero may be sent down, soon. That leaves Kike or Marwin as "platoon" choices for Renfroe, unless we call up Santana or Duran and add them to the mix. The first base position offers another platoon choice: Marwin vs RHPs or call up Ockimey or Santana to play 1B vs most RHPs. Or, we just give Dalbec a longer look vs righties. Kike's .677 career OPS vs RHPs is not really bad enough to need a platoon, but Arroyo at 2B and Marwin, Duran or Santana in the OF might offer a better choice vs righties. Basically, Renfroe should not start vs a RHP. Cordero should not start vs a LHP. Dalbec needs to be watched closely vs RHPs. Dalbec, Renfroe & Kike need to play everyday vs LHPs

Yanks now in sole possession of 4th place.

But our pen did not allow a runner or run scored. And, we gained on the Yanks.