dannycater

this is what an ace is for...a stopper...you don't hear that term much any more...the stopper...I always felt that was Senior Stopper Luis Tiant, then Rocket, then Pedro...Crochet is that type of guy and I think he will throw a no-hitter.

Yes, they have been terrific v. lefties...but you don't need to start Wong, and Duran and Abreu are guys that can hit for power or drive the ball in gaps.

I'm on this board of late because first the Devers trade irked me, but then I'm also a fan and when the 10-game win streak occurred, I see all these possibilities and then the moment I put faith in them, start taping games...that's when the bad hits...but it's one series so far and Crochet is probably going to throw a no-hitter today

Wong, still without a hit this season with a runner in scoring position, seemed a candidate for a pinch-hitter in the seventh. Cora said he didn’t consider it, saying, “You got to trust your players. He’s playing today for a reason, and I felt like it was a good matchup lefty against him. It just didn’t work.”

bottom 3 hitters I think didn't strike out, and why is Rafaela hitting so low in the lineup when he was hot? I realize platoons have been a thing for years on Sox/MLB, but there has to be a point where you dish it sometimes for a consistent lineup that produces. Do guys need time off? Does a Duran simply not allowed to face a lefty? So if it's okay for Wong to get a thumbs up from his manager to come through in a clutch situation, is it not also wrong to say hey let some of the lefty batters to face lefty pitchers.

Cora's answer was poor, when you have a guy who can't drive in a run EVER this season, you don't have a choice but to pinch hit...dumb managing.

that's insane...but then bad teams repeat themselves too...is this a bad team? Who knows anymore.

The team was playing better prior to Devers trade...it was a true upswing, and then it was like the team for whatever reason went straight back to most of the last few seasons--dreadful, losing ball, finding ways to lose....so it's not like the team was in a frightful state when RD was traded...But again look at who is stepping up their game--Story (terrible for how long as a Sox, injury prone, etc), Duran (slump most of season prior to recent stretch), Rafaela--playing like an All-Star in the past 30 days, then throw in Anthony call-up, Mayer, the Gonzalez-Refsnyder phenomenon RH v. LH, Narvaez sending last year's starter to the bench...just a lot of really good things going on...then Bello, Gioloto throw good starts with Crochet a Cy Young candidate, plus league's best closer in Chapman...team is playing better, but the tools were there, the players were there prior to all of the drama.

LOL

yeah, I find ripping Devers just because the team finally went on a long win streak is weak justification for the deal. He only would have made this lineup so much better--and he was when Sox were knocking of the Yankees right before trade..some guys are ripping Raffy now based on his actions or inactions--I can't and I won't. Nomar was a helluva player and came back from injury in 2004 and even if his defense was diminishing back then, the vitreol of his trade at the time was sick by some fans--he was still hitting well and he was a great Red Sox. Devers a great Red Sox.

First 1-0, CG shutout by a Sox pitcher since Pedro in 2000...25 years...unbelievable stat. Crochet is about as good as it gets as far as reliablity--and then for him to turn down pitching in All-Star Game as he was concerned about anything affecting his team performance for Sox--super impressive..this is the type of ace then be important in a postseason. He has Pedro/Rocket type domination.

I also find it funny that 2 guys that were being shopped by the media most of the last few months--Rafaela and Duran--have been so good during the streak and both have taken off in a number of ways. You have to trust the talent of guys and Romy/Refsnyder have been the ultimate righty v. lefty hitters--these are the ways of winning if you execute and how it makes Cora look like a genius too.

I like your rant...I agree, the light dark show does not work for TV--it looks terrible and it takes away from the excitement. The in-game interviews haunt me on NESN for hockey too--in that case talking over intense action, missing a goal call, etc. I'm into old guy rants as an old guy. I miss Eck and Remy.

there's a weird vibe going on right now..it's like they are just winning, not like Moneyball A's but has a similar vibe in that it's about team philosophy and pitching v. just straight talent and conventional wisdom of what winning teams do.

hey, I'm the first to admit I was gloom/doom after Devers deal...right now, the Sox are playing inspired baseball, but I think Anthony, Mayer, Romy, Story, Duran, and especially Rafaela are all swinging the stick in clutch situations and extending innings...the pitching is clicking instead of just a Crochet quality start--lot of things going Sox way. It's how you put together a 7-game win streak--I don't look at opponents, I look at wins. Go Sox

Great job by Sox of late, hitting all over love Raffy/Duran/Story/Romy/Anthony all swinging hot sticks. Getting enough pitching, good to see Gio/Buehller good starts...hey 6-game win streak, I'll take it...4 games over .500 and this will be the time they trade Duran or do something stupid--please tell management don't screw this up with another roster movement. Go Sox!

I looked at the box score it said Red Sox 3, Reds 0...I went I'll go to the room and say hey the Sox are back on track...and then in 2.0 seconds flat, they were behind and then behind even more. Can't win when I even care.

should we remind Sox exactly what type of year Betts had in 2018..it was off the charts fantastic.

always a narrative on any ex-Sox on the way out the door. Never the Sox front office being blamed enough. Always a Sox exec leaks something too to the media about said ex-Sox. Seems to always be a "leak." ummm....

If you have talent on the Sox, apparently the answer is yes

No, this is not short term pain and it's still not the right move. Go back to the start of your post--It wasn't just Cora loving Raffy full-time DH it was Raffy himself he made a great adjustment and settled in after a rough start to the season as a full-time DH. He was perfectly placed, and like you said no fielding errors. Look, you got this guy who is making a fortune and is the marquee hitter on the team. There is zero reason for Breslow to push anything or even Cora if it were the case. Raffy I think was taking some groundballs anyway to stay fresh but if he wasn't good enough to play 3rd, then the Sox felt he was perfect at DH--then Breslow caused all of this...to not even get back quality players in the trade made it even worse than Betts trade as at least you got Verdugo (head case or not) and I guess Wong (who was super last year and crap this year). You can all feel what you feel about clubhouse cancer, effect whatever--Raffy wasn't killing the clubhouse, he was killing the baseball for Sox which is what the 300 mil purchased. Raffy may not have been a first-class individual but he was doing his job. And the Sox traded him at without a doubt the dumbest time ever and worse right after the highs of beating the Yankees. Incredibly daft timing and certainly nothing to brag about or be happy about from the Sox small market approach to winning.

all good, I think one aspect of having an interpreter all the time is you feel like as a fan a disconnect..Or at least I never could quite get what Raffy was really saying..maybe that part is..Lost in Translation.

Sox still have 6 innings to blow it.

I learned French in high school, I still know some of the basic stuff, and a few French Canadians along the way that I've met I think were impressed a bit that I did know phrases, and understood even when they were talking French to a friend in person.

None, I have never been out of the country...However, I know many a person who live in LA County who won't learn a word of English and they've been here forever. Look I get the other side, but I'm actually talking more about both Ohtani and Devers--you are making your living because of American fans paying your salaries and you are being covered by English-speaking mainstream announcers/broadcasters..I'm not saying you don't continue using an interpreter for interviews overall, I'm saying make an attempt to learn and who knows you say something funny in English and guess what now more people are loving that charm. Tiant used broken English but was a always a hysterically funny interview at times because he tried. What's the harm of taking a class and learning the English language a bit. Taylor Swift goes to concerts across the World and goes out of her way to learn words, phrases in other languages to show appreciation for their fanship.