oldtimer

Imagine the discussion if the manager pulled a starter after 5 that was doing well and put in a reliever who gave up a couple of quick runs. It might get ugly.

I see that as a reasonble position. If we have the guy, we should play who provides the most for the team.

I don't see Pedroia as able to play in more than 90 to 100 games next year but with Nunez available, that would be a place where he could play along with DH at times. Pedroia, when healthy is still an excellent 2nd baseman and he is a seasoned hitter. He is under contract into the future so we need to find the right place for him.

I guess the Twins have no chance

I like the inclusion of Smith, even though he had a rough outing yesterday. He has good stuff and throws strikes at a high rate. Hard to pick the last one but Scott as a lefty might be needed. Price can't pitch just to get one lefty out, he is more of a couple of inning guy.

I watched Carson Smith and he appeared to have good stuff. Unfortunately he gave up a little tap hit and then they hit a couple of rockets. He did need to relieve for Carson, since the Astros seemed to be picking up his stuff.

What we can say about the club is that there is a strong foundation we can build on going forward. Nunez return, a solid power hitter for the one of the corners and possibly another power hitter, although with Hanley still here, the only place a second power hitter could play is as a replacement for one of our existing outfielder.

I am okay trading Hembree but might just hold onto Barnes as we don't know yet about Thornburgh. Not sure we can rely on Hanley to play much 1st base next year so if we get a good first baseman and don't resign Moreland, then we would need a backup first baseman and Travis fits that role. Maybe if we get Nunez or an equivalent utility player, the first base role could be filled in that way. I still think Devers position for 2018 remains to be determined. We need his bat but we also need his defense to get much better. There will be many interesting discussions on where DD will take the team for next year. His judgment has been good so far with the possible exception of the cost and length of contract for Price. Price could well be a god send in the bull pen during the playoffs so he still seems to have a lot of value for the sox. The depletion of our minor league system has been a topic but so far I haven't seen a performance by those we traded that makes me think they would have helped the Sox.

One thing I mentioned at the start of the year is I thought Leon was too heavy. Listed at 5' 11" and 235#, I thought that might impact his play. I realize catchers can be on the heavfy side and still play well, but I still think he has let himself get too chunky. Catching him 2 days of 5 is probably better for the wear and tear on him.

Lot of hero performances today. Now they get a short break before having t o face Houston again. Congrats to all for a winning season.

Still, to back next year with the same people playing and coaching may well produce the same results or worse, as some of our players are aging noticably. Guys like Young and Holt are also having tough years. Almost like an insidious disease has infected the club. When I see players taking two pitches as strikes and then swing out of the strike zone, it says that they don't have the right kind of positive thinking to do the job. There have been countless examples of this and it occurs to many players and in most games. It is difficult to believe the problem will be fixed unless moves are made. Yes, get a big bat or two and yes move our poorest performers and yes consider reloating players who struggle with defense and yes try to resign our best free agents and yes, look hard at the jobs that the coaches are doing by the results they are getting.

JF tried last night but the playerss couldn't come through. Maybe the general tenor of the team is something he can impact and also he can make the moves, but individual players have to take responsibility and deliver. They still need to win one of the next two and it is possible but the odds keep getting shorter. Hope for the best today.

The problem is many of our players are slumping and not performing as well as thier season long performances would indicate. The same can be said for our starting pitching. It is still doable to win the pennant but getting more dicey as opportunities get fewer. Hard to argue that the Guardians, Houston or even the Yankees are inferior to us. There is no immediate fix for that and many suggested long term fixes lead to derision. The closest thing anyone can agree to is that we need a power bat or two, probably through FA acquisition. Suggesting that Chili Davis has any culpability in our general decline in hitting has been labeled asinine by some. It's all on the players is the retort. Now, suggest we use some of our worst performing hitters as trade bait is a non-starter for some. If Chili isn't responsible and the players are not responsible, who is? The logic escapes me. Moving Devers to 1st base as a possibility is beyond the consideration of some, even though he has had a very poor start at fiiellding his position. Lots of other discussions on this web lead me to believe that we are better off leaving DD to sort out the situation and take steps to make this team more competitive.

We held that team to six hits and yet only got 5 ourselves. Beni is slumping, JBJ is slumping, Pedroia is not himself and Nunez is out. Someone just needs to step it up. I hope Vaz wasn't sick. He is a darn site more of a threat than Leon at the plate.

The pitching staff was very solid tonight, we just lacked that one big hit to give us a win instead of a loss. Too bad Beni is in an obvious slump right now and we aren't getting anything our of JBJ. Two games to go and we have to do it soon or lose the pennant. I do notice the similarities with last years fold down the stretch.

Too bad Nunez couldn't be in it too. He likely would give us a lift with that one more guy getting a hit. Tonight a single hit at the right point and we would be in the lead.

Another wasted opportunity. Beni takes two over the plate and swings at one above the letters. What is the thinking there. Then Holt tries to steal with Mookie at bat. Holt is no burner and Mookie just might have done something. Keep failing when opportunities arise.

Your right. He is a rally killer in the lineup. What happened to the guy who hit so well at the early stages last year?

Price is doing the job and putting the Sox in a position to come from behind. Need some bats to wake up.

Devers error puts Price in a tough position. Two others tonight a quality 3rd baseman might have gotten. Good hitter but not good fielder. Maybe Marrero or Lin at 3rd and Devers at DH.

Runners at 2nd and 3rd and no one out. Heart of the order up. Unable to score more than one and that on a ground ball to the infield. Tough way to squander a chance.

Good hitting by the kid but his glove is a liability. He still may make more sense at 1st. His bat is good enough and maybe his glove would be a better fit there.

When the majority of players are hitting below expectations then it makes sense to look for a common reason. One that is clearly common to them all is the hitting coach.

The Yankees lost, now the Sox have to win one and should, so the chance for the pennant is good. What we do after that can be anticipated by what we do against Houston in the current series. That is not off to so good a start.

Kimmi. There needs to be a balance. Cleveland has pitching and defense achieving to a greater extent than ours, if you look at errors and pitching performances. They also has run production and more reliable hitting. Same with Houston. No team is perfect but the better teams have balance. Our team doesn't hit that well and right now our pitching is not going well so it seems worse than it is. We still are a good team but not one who is competitive with the best. Many of us see the handwriting on the wall this year and look to see improvement going forward. Better hitting, better management, improvement in our weakest areas and we can be more competitive. For those who are Pollyanna's, good for them as it doesn't hurt anything to hope.