moonslav59

He gave up on the Sox. Period.

Pearce has actually hit righties okay this year. I have no faith in Swihart's bat, especially as a 1Bman. Beni seems to be coming around. I like him or Bogey 2nd. I also think JBJ looks much better than anyone else in the 6-9 slots. I'd bat him 6th or 7th not 9th.

Leon gets 3-4 PAs a game. The opponents get 27-40+ when Leon is behind the plate. I'll go with Leon when Sale & Price pitch & Vaz when Porcello & Eovaldi pitch. Besides, Vaz might be a better hitter than Swihart right now.

I'd go... vs Severino 1. Betts 2. Beni 3. Bogey 4. JD 5. Pearce 6. Devers 7. JBJ 8. Holt 2B 9. Vaz vs Sabathia 1. Betts 2. Bogey 3. Pearce 4. JD 5. Beni 6. Holt 2B 7. JBJ 8. Nunez 9. Vaz

...Holt at 2b against a RHP. Holt actually hits LHPs slightly better. Maybe he should play 2B vs most RHPs and 3B vs most LHPs.

I was firmly against this idea all season long. I'm even more against the idea, now. You don't switch catchers at this point. Here's how many PAs the opponents have seen with Swihart catching these starters: 0 Sale 0 Price 0 Eovaldi 23 Porcello (.863 OPS against)

The original poster is more of a Yankee fan than you!

He should have started against Tanaka.

I was speaking more about baseball fans outside the Red Sox community not so much about players, although I do think our image might play into some players' choices on where to sign, especially international free agents and players with 2 or more equal offers on the table. I don't really see myself as an overly optimistic. Many objective baseball people know this series is far from over. BTW, although I have been accused of being all stats and no heart/emotion, I do believe in momentum, hot streaks and the non tangible aspects of the game, and how suddenly it all can change. Right now, things look a little bleak, but this team of ours has too many weapons to think we are even close to being over.

You are 100% correct. Some of the exact same pitches were called strikes for Tanaka. I remember a few being even more outside than Price's but were called strikes for Price. It's not like Tanaka didn't get squeezed a couple times, but the differential was objectively significant.

I've been critical and highly critical over the decades of being a Sox fan, I've known and said we have no chance many times in that history, but this is absurd, and I'm calling it what it is. It's not being a fan to say it's over at this point.

Yes, but it bugs me how so many posters view knucklers differently. Every pitcher who is stuggling with their best pitch has trouble. Knucklers are no different.

Yes, it was clear this so-called fan has no hope at all in a 108 team that is tied in a series.

I have to ask what is a fan? This is the best team in Red Sox history. We are tied 1 to 1 in a 5 game series, and some so-called Sox fans say it is over. I'm not saying every Sox fan has to think we have a better chance of winning than losing, especially when we just lost the home field, but to say or think it's over already is just too much for me. Nobody has to agree with me about what a true fan is, but being a fan, to me, is all about remaining optimistic and positive about your team, even in tough times. The negativity and lost hope by several posters here makes it clear to me why it's so hard for players and managers to feel wanted in the Red Sox community. Maybe I'm being naive. Maybe I am wearing pink glasses, and we are going to get throttled in the next two games, then so be it. I know this team has weak areas. I've been critical many times this year, but this is crossing the line , in my opinion. I firmly believe this team will win this series and the next two. We've beaten the Yanks this year more than we've lost. We are a top 3-4 team in every area, except our pen, and even there, outnumbers are better than we've looked recently. Kelly looked real good yesterday, and only ERod bombed from our pen last night. This team has fought back after tough stretches all year. Believe what you want to believe, but this never-ending negativity sickens me and makes me see why many outside the Red Sox community shake their heads at our fans and media. Have some pride. This team deserves it.

Just because the momentum seems to be in one team's favor, doesn't mean Jack. You probably shut off your TV in 2004 and missed it all, didn't you?

You are not only wrong, you should become a Yankee fan, if you give up this easily.

Unreal! With fans like this, we deserve to lose.

Yes, 2-0 is a hell of a lot better than 1-1 going to NY for 2. I think the key is getting to the Tanaka early and often and Price starting off strong the first 2-3 innings.

I think the fear of starting Price in NY over-shadowed Porcello's Fenway success.

The Yanks are better off without Wright on the roster- for sure.

Many pitchers live or die by the fastball, curve ball, slider or whatever. While it is true, many knucklers rely on just one pitch, but most pitchers have just one pitch they really cannot be effective without.

Wasn't Willoughby one of the Buffalo Heads? Johnson certainly had his favorites and his black sheep.

I'm almost cheering more for Price to do well just to shut up the haters to some degree than anything else. Almost. I'm confident he'll do well, but I'll still be confident in his next game, even if he does poorly tonight.

I was 16. maybe i was spoiled by my Packers and Bucks successes in the late 60's and early 70's. You implied that loss did not hurt, but that other did...like what 2003? Were you a wuss on that one?

Maybe, but we still have many players on the upswing of their age progression curves. Plus, vaz, Leon, JBJ, Devers, Beni and Nunez declined from 2017. From 2016 to 2017, just about everybody but Vaz decline- some by a lot.