moonslav59

That was crazy lucky Wong scoring on that hit. The ball was in the LF'er's glove, when he rounded 3rd. He should have been out by a mile with just a half decent throw. Good to see us have some luck on our side, and we did force it on the Rangers. Let's hope Wink can get the job done!

Romy G!!!!!

Danny J!!!!!!!

Quoting moon: There were "signs" he was doing well in '21 just like in '23. The only reason it's a big deal is that Sale finally did not get hurt, after 5 years, and somehow we should have known that was going to happen, based on how he looked for a stretch in 2023. "Somehow we should have known" is a totally unfair way to put it. It would be ridiculous for anyone to say the Sox should have known Sale would have a season like this. I really don't think anyone has said any such thing. The issue is with the possibility he could have a good season. -bellhorn Yes, saying there was a possibility is a good way of putting it. There was a possibility before 2019, before 2020, before 2021, before 2022, before 2023 and before 2024. Since many posters are upset we didn't guess right for 2024, I think using the phrase "somehow we should have known" captures the sentiment, too. We guessed rong 5 straight years, and had we traded hi before 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 or 2023, and he went on to do what he did in those seasons, nobody would be complaining. We did after 2023, and he is doing very well. We guessed wrong, and Brez is being roasted for NOT going with the possibility he might do well. He guessed wrongly. ATL guessed right. Yes, it was totally random, and we picked the exact wrong year to trade Sale. In hindsight, it was a 1 in 6 chance, and we picked the one. (And, we paid to guess wrongly, too.)

False signs of what though? You mean false signs that he was back to being healthy and would stay that way? After his TJ surgery he had a couple of fluke injuries and one concerning one, to his shoulder I believe. No one could possibly predict the fluke injuries. They were totally random s***. I'm not really sure what your point about 2021 is. The point about 2021 was that we saw signs of Sale coming back to form, and were let down. Yes, the point is we cannot possibly predict injuries, and nobody could after 2021 or 2023. We guessed wrong after 2023. Had we traded Sale after 2021, nobody would have complained, because he ended up getting hurt, again- making it 4 years in a row, to be followed by another one in 2023. There were "signs" he was doing well in '21 just like in '23. The only reason it's a big deal is that Sale finally did not get hurt, after 5 years, and somehow we should have known that was going to happen, based on how he looked for a stretch in 2023. Yes, some of the injuries were random, but the fact was, Sale missed significant time for 5 straight years, and Brez tried to take away the guesswork, and guessed wrongly in the process.

Casas & Grissom homered for Woo, as Anthony went 3-4. Drohan walked 4 in 3.2, but let up just 1 run. The big 3 are no longer w POR, but Campbell went 1-2 w 2BB in the win. Ehhard went 3-4 to lead POR to a second win. Early did okay. The DSL Blue team had 13BB and 13Hits in a big win.

Sox OPS (240+ PAs) .969 Devers .901 O'Neill .863 Refsnyder .853 Duran .833 Abreu .793 Wong .755 Yoshida .715 Rafaela .710 Smith .704 Hamilton All 10 are above .700. (Jansen is at 1.139 with BOS) XBH 63 Duran 61 Devers RBI 72 Devers 58 Duran & Rafaela SB 30 DHam (just 4 CS) 29 Duran (just 4 CS) 17 Rafaela Runs + RBI- HRs 122 Devers 119 Duran 107 Rafaela 82 O'Neill 80 Abreu 77 Wong

You gotta figure we will need to get a grip on home games to have a decent chance at joining the dance. I hope we can get back at HOU, when we go to H-Town, next week. (I'll be at one game.) Going to BAL, this weekend is not going to be easy.

MLB has really become the parity league. The top 5 teams (BAL, CLE, LAD, PHI & NYY) are all within a half game of each other. The next 4 teams (MIL, MIN, ARI & SDP) are within a game of each other and just 2-3 games behind the first group. The bubble group of 6 teams (KCR, HOU, BOS, SEA, ATL & NYM) are all 3.5 games apart and between 1.5 and 5 games from a playoff slot. Even teams like STL, SFG and TBR are hanging around- just one win streak from being in the next group up. 20 teams are within 5.5 games of a WC slot or division lead.

We are back to tied with KCR in the loss column. BAL & NYY are 70-50 (one should be a WC team) 67-52 MIN (is playing well.) 65-55 KCR 64-55 HOU (ALW leader) 63-55 BOS -1.0 63-57 SEA -2.0 59-60 TBR -5.5 Let's hope our rotation is on the path to some sort of rebound. While April sure looks like a fluke, now, I don't think it is as bad as it has looked over the last month, too. The rotation is likely somewhere in between, and let's hope they do closer to April's form than July's. We play TEX, tomorrow, while KCR plays MIN, again. We go to BAL THU, FRI, SAT, SUN, while KCR has THU off. MIN goes to TEX THU-SUN. KCR goes to CIN FRI-SUN. (Cincy is still in the NL WC race.)

They were "false signs" in 2021, and who here knew the difference in foresight? Of course, they were NOT "false signs" in 2023, but I will say this, there was pretty close to the exact same excitement on Sale in the winter after 2021 as the winter after 2023. That's my point. I'm not trying to say we didn't swing and miss, badly. We obviously did, but how were the "signs" in 2023 noticeably different? Oh, and BTW, ATL did force Brez to pay a big chunk of his contract, so it's not like they had complete faith in the "signs." Again, the trade sucked. ATL did a great job on the timing and the choice they made. That is clear.

Before tonight: Catcher OPS Leaders (300+ PAs) .865 Wilson Contreras .816 William Contreras .814 Salvador Perez .778 Connor Wong .776 Yainer Diaz .771 T Stephenson When playing catcher only: .839 Wong .797 Wm Contreras .785 Stephenson

Topsy turvy league.

very nice win

We better score some more crooked numbers!

Sims comes through!

This is absurd.

No, it is relevant, as some claim his "sowing signs" in 2023 meant something, yet the "signs" in 2021 were false hope signs. Somehow, we were supposed to know the 2023 ones were for real. Look, I get the idea that trading away any pitching, last winter was asking for this. Not replacing Sale, or Gio, once we knew he was hurt was a major mistake. I'm not sure anyone felt good about the totality of the pitching additions vs subtractions, last winter. My point was only about Sale showing signs, several times after 2018, and never once did the hopes come anywhere near what he gave ATL in 2024. We guessed wrong. We stuck with him for a very long time, and just about every poster got sick of waiting and waiting. We also got sick of Bloom signing other pitchers with injury histories and waiting for them to come off the IL, year after year. Brez tried to end that, and he failed, miserably. He traded our most injury prone pitcher and signed one that was known mostly for his durability- not his skill level. It back-fired, badly. I wish we still had Sale. I wish Gio never got hurt. Neither happened, and we are struggling mightily because of that. Had we traded him after 2021, and he went on to have a year like this in 2023, we'd have heard the same beefs.

If you truly don't want me to ever respond to another post of yours, you might try not responding to mine.

After his first start in 2021 (AUG 14,) Sale pitched 8 nice games at 3.11 and 3.49 FIP. Hopes were high for 2022. Then, poof. Had we traded him that winter, we'd have heard cricketts all 2023. Hindsight can be fun. It can be a bitch, too.

Of course. Agreed. Hindsight can be fun.

I know this will surprise many and bum out many more, but Paxton is expected to miss the rest of the season with a partially torn calf muscle. In other news... Pivetta is expected to start on Thursday (Arm fatigue.) Criswell looks close to be activated (COVID) Slaten threw off the mound for the first time since July 9th. O'Neill's leg infection has shown "slow progress." He has not resumed any baseball activities, so the AUG 14th eligible date will not be his return date. Casas is rehabbing with Woo and playing tonight. Hendriks will throw his 3rd live batting practice and may start a rehab assignment soon.

Why no big stink over letting Martin Perez walk? We shoulda known he was on the cusp of a rebound. 176 IP w BOS 4.65 ERA/ 4.84 FIP (2020-2021) 338 IP w TEX 3.54 ERA/ 3.99 FIP (2022-2023) (Of course, he turned back into a pumpkin half way through '23 and afterwards.

Me, too.

He was demoted for his defense, but had an even better streak from June 1st to his last game before his demotion: .973 in 26 games and 83 PAs, including 4 HRs and 15 rbi! I think he can be a fine MLB hitter, especially against RHP, but this team is loaded with LHBs, and his best position looks like DH. I think he gets traded, this winter, unless we find a taker for Yoshida.