Nick

Sox are third in runs scored with 699. Rays are at 733, leading the majors. I just can't get my head around that. When did they become run scoring machine? I thought they were all about pitching and defense.

Discussion on player move to majors. I've had arguments about when a player should leave college to join NBA when a NBA team tells you that you are being drafted. As an avid college basketball fan, my first inclination is always to say stay another year and develop your game. The counter argument is why not develop your game while you're making money? NBA teams have the best facility, best coaches and best trainers. Coach to player ratio is almost 1 to 1. Wouldn't you develop just as well if not better going up against professionals day in day out, watch and learn even if you're not playing? I was reading about Dalbec and how he is one of hardest working players on the team. Looking to improve his hitting. It's my contention that pitchers can work effectively on their craft in the minors better than the position players. If Dalbec is demoted, he's going up against inferior pitchers. They are not major league pitchers that he's already faced and struggled against. Look at Cordero. He continues to demolish AAA pitching. He's done it twice before. What is he working on exactly? A pitcher can throw a certain pitch throughout the outing and develop that third pitch as an example. His stats may not be pretty but the organization is cognizant of the fact that he's working on a certain pitch. You can't do that as a hitter. You can't tell the opposing pitcher to throw certain pitch that HE'S having trouble with and would like to work on. Sox did the right thing by keeping Dalbec with the parent club. He can work just as well at Fenway on his swings. I'm glad we kept him.

For all the talk about how the Red Sox should've acquired Anthony Rizzo at the trade deadline, Dalbec has badly outplayed his more hyped Yankees counterpart. In August, Dalbec hit .339 with seven homers, 21 RBIs, and a 1.205 OPS. Meanwhile, after a hot start in New York, Rizzo has cratered. He hit just .209 with two homers, 10 RBIs, and a .620 OPS in August, undone in part by 11 days on the COVID IL. I am a fan of Dalbec but I too joined in on the demotion bandwagon. Original goal was to hit him 9th and see what developed. As a rookie, he has not done poorly offensively. We're always talking about developing talent internally and get some cheap years out of our players. Well Dalbec fits that mode. Under current rules, he's under team control for five more years and two more years before arbitration eligible. Until Casas comes up and demonstrates that he can hit major league pitching, Dalbec belongs with the parent club. He can even platoon at 1B, maybe DH a little and relieve Devers at 3B. That is unless he becomes an every day player.

I changed my mind....it makes sense to pitch Sale on 9/28 so he can pitch the last game of the season if needed. Otherwise he can get an extra day of rest for the Wild Card game. Good call, Moon.

Of course whole thing can become moot overnight if COVID strikes.

No way Sale can pitch 6 games. He won't be available to start the WildCard Game. His 6th start will come on the last day of regular season. Now it's possible we may need to win that game to get into the playoffs. We'll have a better idea after the Yankees series.

9.06 Sale (Rays) 9.07 E Rod (Rays) 9.08 Eovaldi (Rays) 9.09 off day 9.10 Houck (@White Sox) 9.11 Sale (@White Sox) 9.12 E Rod (@White Sox) 9.13 Eovaldi (@Mariners) 9.14 Seabold (@Mariners) 9.15 Houck (@Mariners) 9.16 off day 9.17 Sale (Orioles) 9.18 E Rod (Orioles) 9.19 Eovaldi (Orioles) 9.20 off day 9.21 Houck (Mets) 9.22 Sale (Mets) 9.23 off day 9.24 Pivetta (Yankees) 9.25 E Rod (Yankees) 9.26 Eovaldi (Yankees) 9.27 off day 9.28 Houck (@Orioles) 9.29 Sale (@Orioles) 9.30 Pivetta (@Orioles) 10.01 E Rod (@Nationals) 10.02 Eovaldi (@Nationals) 10.03 Houck (@Nationals) I think pitching Sale on 29th works out better for the rotation of remaining games. Otherwise you need to bring up a pitcher to start one of the games at the end.

Good Idea Moon. I didn't really have time to think it out. No way he goes 9 days without pitching as I have it.

Possible starters 9.06 Sale (Rays) 9.07 E Rod (Rays) 9.08 Eovaldi (Rays) 9.09 off day 9.10 Houck (@White Sox) 9.11 Sale (@White Sox) 9.12 E Rod (@White Sox) 9.13 Eovaldi (@Mariners) 9.14 Seabold (@Mariners) 9.15 Houck (@Mariners) 9.16 off day 9.17 Sale (Orioles) 9.18 E Rod (Orioles) 9.19 Eovaldi (Orioles) 9.20 off day 9.21 Houck (Mets) 9.22 Pivetta (Mets) 9.23 off day 9.24 Sale (Yankees) 9.25 E Rod (Yankees) 9.26 Eovaldi (Yankees) 9.27 off day 9.28 Houck (@Orioles) 9.29 Pivetta (@Orioles) 9.30 E Rod (@Orioles) 10.01 Eovaldi (@Nationals) 10.02 Houck (@Nationals) 10.03 Pivetta (@Nationals) I suppose you try not to use Sale if you can and save him for the wildcard.

It's time to quit pussyfooting around. Quit babying Chris Freakin' Sale. Starting pitching for Rays series should line up as Sale, E Rod and Eovaldi, all on 4 days rest. Or do they all need a day off, Cora?

Remaining Games Sox (11 Home, 12 Away) Home 3 vs Rays 3 vs Orioles 3 vs Yankees 2 vs Mets Away 3 @ Orioles 3 @ White Sox 3 @ Mariners 3 @ Nationals Yankees (13 Home, 12 Away) Home 4 vs Blue Jays 3 vs Rays 3 vs Guardians 3 vs Twins Away 3 @ Blue Jays 3 @ Red Sox 3 @ Mets 3 @ Orioles Toronto (12 Home, 15 Away) Home 3 vs Yankees 3 vs Rays 3 vs Orioles 3 vs Twins Away 4 @ Yankees 3 @ Rays 4 @ Orioles 4 @ Twins Sox only have 6 games vs AL East contenders. Yankees play 13 games vs AL East contenders. Blue Jays play 13 games vs Al East contenders.

Good night you all...tomorrow is another day.

We're only up 2 in the loss column to Toronto.

Good news....3 up 3 down in bottom of the 9th. Pesky Orioles beat the Yankees again.

Luckily he only walks two batters per inning and strikes out 3.

Darwinzon supposedly is ready to come back from non Covid injury next week.

Rays lose, Yankees down 1 in 9th. Here comes Toronto.

I thought the game was lost in bottom of sixth when we couldn't get the tying run after Verdugo doubled. We had plenty of opportunities earlier in the game to score some runs.

He's smart...He's equivalent of Theo as a GM....

Why shouldn't we have relievers that can all go multiple innings?

JD having a better day.

I don't even know who he is or where he came from....had to look him up.

Remember, Devers has been working out at 2B....don't laugh I mentioned that as a possibility with shorter throw....half of his errors are throwing errors nevermind

If we can go with Sale, Eovaldi, Whitlock, Houck and Pivetta in 2022 along with say Seabold then focus would solely be on the bullpen. With Barnes, Taylor, Darwinzon, Sawmura and Taylor already on board, surely it won't be hard to pick up two or three more relievers. If JD opts out, I think we'll get Schwarber. We could make a move for a big time ace knowing Price/Eovaldi and JD money comes off the board after 2022.

It's still not time to go all out for a win.