5GoldGlovesOF,75

Tolle's calling Joey Chestnut: https://www.oscarmayer.com/products/00044700000632-classic-wieners-hot-dogs

Let's face it, the real problem isn't that Durbin wasn't anything like the front office or media projected -- "he pulls in the air; he's gonna hit 20+ homers at Fenway!" As you point out, Durbin has a fatal case of sophomoreyetis (what we blamed as the reason we couldn't get any good girls freshman year... though we couldn't wait until we were sophomores). But it still could've worked out if Anthony didn't catch it, too. He didn't have to be a superstar, but just repeat his half of a rookie year over a full season. If you believe hitting is contagious and there are valid reasons it's a saying, then maybe a couple of the guys who delivered last night will stay hot, and Roman can relax, see some crushable pitches and heat up himself. If he can stay on the field like an indestructible 21-year old male...

You made me look up Breslow's career splits: Lifetime record 23-30, 3.45 in 576 games. Ok, serviceable MLB reliever... ... but ERA in his Wins and Losses: 0.63 and... 14.26 -- for his career. And zero HRs vs. 12 HRs. Might he be one of those ex-pros who fondly remembers success and totally forgets his failures? After all, relievers are programmed to immediately flush any bad experiences and be ready for the next opportunity.

They knew better. They analyze so many metrics for expected outcomes that it's hard not to accept that all those guys aren't really stars. Decent players, but ideally supplements on a good roster. Anthony's a different man this season -- as a kid anointed The Face of the Franchise -- and suddenly the oblique of the franchise, the shoulder of the franchise, and the wrist of the franchise. Breslow pivoted to a starting rotation to keep him in most games, but all those established pitchers are hurt -- except Bello (as far as we know). Luckily, the top mound prospects are already here with more on the way. If they don't mind "rushing" a few more that have the stuff to get any human out, then the season could still be interesting.

Biggest win of the year, and the unique type of game that could boomerang on the league. Coming back late with multiple RBI hits was a first, but the resilience was even more impressive after how the Tigers were able to score two gift runs off Tolle. The stadium warned everyone to take shelter except Red Sox defenders, none of whom could grip the waterlogged ball and make accurate throws through the monsoon and lightning bolts. Narvey made a dumb chuck and Andruw made another while slipping in the swamp trying to avoid a python headed for his noggin. Then a Boston offense that had every right to pack it in and dry off suddenly broke an 0-for-2026 streak in the clutch: Duran, Abreu, Rafaela, Mayer (good for him, enough of this "young guys fault" when they're all young guys playing a young guy's sport). The Sox prevailed, even when we knew Whitlock would make it scary because for some reason holdover Bailey hasn't told Tracy that Whit can't pitch on back-to-back nights, And Detroit is done -- Skubal's gone, protecting his kabillion-dollar future again like when he left his USA teammates to die in the WBC -- and the Tigers just choked what should've been an easy win vs. a doormat... ... slowly pulling their sox up, painfully pushing themselves off the floor.

Tolle deserves to get his first major league victory. Tonight he earned it.

As much as I blame the actual Red Sox players for the past month, tonight's absurd inning when the Tigers scored was because of the absolutely ridiculous call by Detroit to force Boston to try to pitch, catch and throw a waterlogged baseball in a deluge between lightning bolts so dangerous they made all fans take shelter. Tigers can suck it and Tolle is my new hero.

If Rivera were in the bullpen, this game would be over. And not Mariano.

Yes! Duran oppo middle finger to DE troit.

Hate the Tigers forever after forcing Tolle to pitch in this crap. The scoreboard tells all fans to take cover, but they make Tolle try to throw a soaking wet ball, and now that Detroit scored, it's guaranteed they'll call the game.

Dang yo -- I better stop posting about him; he sounds too familiar. Boddy should also watch it on forums like this, before someone calls him names.

Couch tater trying to swat a housefly with a rolled up newspaper. "We sting the bug hardly and off the linoleum!"

And no wonder Brez is so frustrated -- why can't his players get with the program? Not one Red Sox batter holds his hands that low, knuckles misaligned, and elbows splayed in opposite directions doing the chicken dance.

Not so sure. If a guy at a key spot isn't doing the job, management has an obligation to replace him for the good of the company. Theo wasn't giving up when he gave up on Nomar, who was hitting .321 with an .867 OPS. They replaced him with a better glove and it turned out alright. Never know what could spark a turnaround. The Red Sox don't need to make major trades yet before at least trying a few in-house changes: Mayer to SS, and call Rivera back up to stay in the bullpen instead of name-your-mediocre burned-out arm. A 10-game winning streak and right back in it!

CBOs construct the roster. Managers play the players. Fans watch and root, but don't have to overrate their favorites because the front office tells them to. Rafaela is a gifted big leaguer and very useful on a good team. But he is just not a top of the order hitter or a clean-up man -- though two MLB skippers have already had no choice but to try him there this spring. That's where we at. Also, WE peon amateurs know after seeing him hack at anything at the plate for years that he has always had a questionable mastery of the strike zone. Why wouldn't a pro org with the smartest men in their own minds simply ban him from ever challenging a strike call?

If you're just learning about it now, all I can say is bend your knees (if they still bend), start both hands on the ground in front of your body, and move your feet -- no backhanders unless it's a dive!

At least after the purge of old fools we're seeing more impact of Driveline on the offense. It's not easy to consistently hit weak pop-ups and infield tappers and go 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position,

I said less than 87 wins -- not 67!

Duran proves the new adage that bad hitting sustains bad pitching.

Weissert with men on base -- Tracy trying to get fired, too?

Gotta give you credit -- no one puts as much time and effort arguing against other posters' opinions and points of views on a forum where people just wanna talk Sox. I enjoy offering takes that others may not have considered, and reading takes that I have not considered, while trying to look at all sides of issues and topics of discussion that we are discussing. When I suggest the way players think I am not necessarily stating only MLB players (especially today's big leaguers) -- but generalizations from experience about baseball players at levels beyond Little League and high school. I am blessed to have been able to play in competitive hardball leagues for half a century and I also coached for 15 of those. I played and coached with and against guys who were major leaguers and others who went on to become major leaguers. Spent long bus rides with fellow players and coaches to games, ate soggy Blimpies, and talked ball... flew cross country to play in national tournaments, spent nights in hotels, restaurants, bars, and talked ball. Sorry if I offended you with what seem like assumptions about the thoughts of baseball players that I've known all my life.

The owners and President Sham love statements like this to justify not paying market value for position player talent. And of course these Red Sox are so bad that it's almost too late for any one bat to save them. But a superstar can't hurt, and affects the opposition just by his presence. Managers and pitching coaches and pitchers and catchers and defenses all feel more pressure to get batters out if they know an All-Star slugger or hot masher is on double deck or triple deck or even quadruple deck. This year Boston has nobody that foes fear or even respect (except Contreras if you plunk him in the wrong spot). Why was Anthony such a threat in the WBC, where he hit clutch homers off MLB pitchers? Answer: because he was surrounded by threats on Team USA. The Yankees' batting average is identical to the Sox, but NY has one guy no one can stop thinking about. Houston won yesterday even though Alvarez went 0-for-5... but everyone was always wary about his spot coming up, and maybe not as concerned about others who wound up doing damage.

Without holes in them. H per AB with RISP for Red Sox in 2026 Losses; 2-14, 0-7, 1-3, 0-2, 1-7, 0-5, 5-11, 3-12, 1-6, 0-4, 0-6, 1-5, 0-7, 1-8, 0-1, 1-8, 0-3, 1-8, 1-8, 3-11 Shirley, other teams have similar failure in the clutch in games they lost, but in 16 of 20 Ls Boston has either one or zero hits with runners in scoring position. In those 16 games they are 8-for-80 with RISP -- or in basically half their games this season, the Red Sox' batting average with RISP is .100. Boston's overall team batting average of .235 is actually tied for 8th in the league with two first-place teams in the Yankees and Guardians, plus the Angels. Considering how utterly futile the bats have been when it matters, that must mean the Red Sox get a lot of hits when nobody cares (or when viewers get a snack, use the bathroom, or switch to Netflix).

Something that can't be measured: the effect one more bat can have on the pitches other hitters get to see. Obviously, it would have to be an All-Star bat, even a very scary bat -- one that not only extends innings, but stresses starting pitchers, forcing them to strain elbows and shoulders and increase pitch counts, and ultimately throw more from the stretch, eventually taxing and burning out bullpens earlier. And ideally, create better opportunities for teammates to feast on mistake pitches batting in front of or behind this one more bat.

Worst team in 94 years. So not only the worst Red Sox team in my son's lifetime, and my lifetime... but in my parents' lifetime.