illinoisredsox

This is not a World Series winning team. There are too many holes; the bullpen leads the way, but there are a few in the line-up as well. OTOH, compared to the last 2 years, isn't it better to actually have games that mean something at this point of the season?

If you are talking about the May 29th game, Buchholz only pitched the 10th inning of that one. Sox scored 2 in the 11th and Uehara got the save.

I'm wondering if Buchholz can get ready that quickly yet. It's a major adjustment going from having as much time as you need as a starter to better be ready in 2-3 minutes as a reliever. Still doesn't change the fact that Yost has a stable of relievers that can be depended on to get outs. Farrell has a box of chocolates, many of whom seem unable to pitch with a lead.

The difference is Yost actually has a bullpen that can be depended on to get outs. Farrell has nothing of the sort. In retrospect, ERod may have been the best option for getting out of this inning.

Personally, I would have left Barnes in there. Let him take the beating at this point.

Nah, the first one went about 127 feet. 2 feet down, 50 feet up, 50 feet down and 25 feet out.

No, I think ERod had a very big part in blowing the lead.

I did not have a problem with Farrell extending ERod that inning. Pitchers need to stop looking to soembody else to get them out of messes they made. Learn to get out of them yourself.

Pedroia's had an in-law pass away he may be back during the game Monday but probably Tuesday.

This is from Wikipedia, so ... "If a player is on the 40-man roster but not on the active major league roster, he is said to be on optional assignment—his organization may freely move him between the major league club and the minor league club. The rules for this are as follows. (In all cases, an assignment of a player on a major-league disabled list to the minors while on a rehabilitation assignment does not count as time spent in the minors.) Once a player has been placed on a team's 40-man roster, a team has 3 option years on that player. A player is considered to have used one of those three option years when he spends at least 20 days in the minors in any of those 3 seasons." So it appears the option year have nothing to do with the active (25 man) roster and everything to do wth the 40 man. Once Vazquez was put on the 40 man roster prior to the 2013 season, the options kicked in. He didn't have to be called up to the active roster; being on the 40 man was enough. This is backed up by the words used in the SoxProspects tranasactions: the March 2013 and 2014 (and this year's) verbiage is "optioned", not "reassigned" or other designation.

SoxProspects lists all transactions and in looking back, Vazquez was first placed on the 40 man in Nov 2012 (at that point he had been in the organization since 2008, so they may have had to put him on it or risk losing him, not sure of all of those rules). In March 2013 he was optioned to Portland (1). In March 2014 he was optioned to Pawtucket (2). So the 3rd option year was burned this year.

Did I hear that right? 42 straight scoreless innings for the Royals's pen? That's unreal.

There's still something around 20% of the season left. They need to stay within in striking distance of the O's and Jays and beat them head to head. 1-2 games out is not a big deal. If they don't beat them mano y mano, it isn't going to matter.

Royals are also white hot right now. This would be something like 16 out of 19.

2013 was a very veteran team. Overall, this is a very young team in their first pennant race. Among the key personnel, obviously Ortiz and Pedroia have been through it before, as has Price and Porcello. Who else? Bogaerts was a very minor cog that year. Bradley was in the minors down the stretch. Betts has played on 2 last place clubs. The rest are not guys who are going to carry you. Similar on the pitching staff among the main guys. Porcello and Price.

This is the spot you use him in. Behind. If he adds gasoline, oh well. It's not like theoffense is doing anything meaningful, and at this point, the KC pen loom very large.

Well, Bogie ended that.

So far, the righties are 4-4 with a walk against Kennedy. The lefties are 0-5.

No. He rusty and needs to pitch. You can't shake off rust in the dugout. Plus at this point you will burn the entire pen. This becomes a case of managing the series and not the game. If the offense comes back and does something, then you can start managing the game again. If they don't, 15-1 is no different than 5-1 in the loss column.

I'm willing to bet HanRam still has some issue with that wrist. It may not even be that noticeable to him, but it doesn't take much, and there may not be much he can do about it until it rests in the off season. I'm willing to give Young a little time; he's only been back a couple days (maybe 10 with the rehab assignment). They really need Bogaerts to get out of his funk. Bradley would help, but let's face it, he's either been torrid or icy cold his entire career; it may just be who he is. Bogaerts is the key.

He is not going to play LF. You don't put a kid in a position he has never played before professionally in a pennant race. He doesn't even have that much time at 3rd, but at least he's been playing infield. If he comes up prior to September 1st, who do you jettison off the 25man roster to make room? Basically, the candidates are Shaw, Hill and I guess Hernandez (who I guess they could send down for a week). Hill's not hitting, but I see some value in him as a defensive replacement for the stretch run. Shaw isn't going anywhere. They just came off a 7-4 road trip folks. Have a decent homestand and bring the kid up on 9/1.

Agree, although Pedroia has been doing a passable imitation lately.

Even physical errors in the field happen. A bad throw is not a lot different that a bad pitch. Mental errors kill you, and there have been far too many of those lately.

Who hits second? 5th? 6th? Right now you have 3 guys hitting at all (Pedroia, Ortiz (who was slumping) and Betts (who has cooled off a little). Leon is giving indications of cooling off as well. Half the team has hit .200 or so for the past couple months (or in some cases longer). If you look at the offense overall since the All-Star break, they have been very reliant on the home run; not a lot of stringing hits together like they did early.

The only shock is that he didn't do it last time up (when he walked to load the bases).