5GoldGlovesOF,75

Please forward this to Boston's analytics department ASAP -- that's exactly the pitch Altuve strikes out on, when he's trying to be Judge. Haven't we all learned by now that Might He Mouse is trying to leave with anything betwixt the belt and the knees?

Will there also be robots down the lines with zoom vision to check the checks? Or will they set up an invisible horizontal laser across the plate (like the electric eyes guarding valuable gems in crime movies) that will buzz when a check swing crosses the line?

True points, all. Maybe as a Red Sox fan, it just feels like whenever a Sox batter gets a hit, it just means he may be getting hot (except Devers, always a legit threat). But the feeling watching Houston bat is constant dread and impending doom. I'm glad Castro doesn't start for the Astros, because he's the only pinch hitter I can remember for either team that isn't an automatic strikeout.

The fake dotted line rectangle in front of batters doesn't mean much on telecasts, but the actual replays from cameras behind the batter -- that show whether the ball passes over home plate or outside of it -- mean everything.

The notion that the only way to beat the Astros is to outslug them is unreasonable. Outside of Devers, Boston's wildly inconsistent batters cannot and should not be counted on to outmatch Houston's juggernaut. It's also hard to play smallball vs. an opponent whose largeball skills have powered them to the ALCS every year for the past half-decade. The Sox' last hope is for their best pitchers -- Eovaldi, ERod, Pivetta, and Houck (curiously absent the past two games) -- to eat innings and pound corners without leakage for one more weekend. They won't replicate Framber Valdez (kudos to Old School Baker for letting him go eight), but Cora knows he has little chance if he has to use his actual relievers. The Astros led the MLB in runs per game, hits, batting average and on base percentage. Their batting champion bats seventh, and there's no tougher out in the lineup (as fearsome as their DH has been). Their leadoff man tries to homer on every swing. Their #2 hitter finished second in the AL batting race. Their shortstop/clean-up man has a career postseason OPS of .875 (his counterpart in Boston is at .707). Their rightfielder has 12 RBI in nine playoff games (his counterpart has hit into 5 double plays). This is just some of what we're up against.

What's worse is the gloaming at dusk just before it gets dark, when it's impossible for any human eyes to see a fly ball. Hopefully, the Sox will be batting and launching a lot of high pops (like last night with runners on base).

Except I don't see relievers throwing tantrums in the bullpen when Cora beckons them from the mound. Instead, they just dutifully walk the plank-- I mean, rubber.

No such thing as a quality start anymore, so buckle up for another bullpen game (that term's even obsolete now; it'll be a modern game). Here are the guys who didn't pitch yesterday that we should see: the Sox will rely on Houck for bulk, with Braiser and Robles for one inning each. Others who threw briefly yesterday and should be available: Ottavino 4 pitches to 1 batter; Taylor 6 pitches, 3 batters. Houston didn't use Ryne Stanek, Yimi Garcia or Blake Taylor yesterday; all are short men. Raley (9 batters, 43 pitches) and Maton (8, 23) have pitched the last two nights and if used yet again, might not be as effective. Starters Luis Garcia and Odorizzi don't look 100 percent. Javier threw 3 innings to 13 batters for 57 pitches and should be toast. The Stros will undoubtedly call again on their top 2 arms -- Graveman and Pressly -- though each threw a lot of pitches last night: 7, 30 and 5, 22, respectively. Those stints will either prove taxing or just warm-ups for tonight. Boston doesn't have anyone in the bullpen as good as either. The Sox' main hope will be if the rookie Houck can approximate his perfection vs. lesser lineups a few weeks ago...

No one's turning on Bloom. We disagree a lot here, but we all knew the bullpen needed help, and what Bloom added at the deadline was weak compared to what Houston got: Miami's closer, Seattle's closer, and a decent set-up man from Cleveland. The Astros also gave up a lot more in prospects, perhaps dealing from stronger depth, but also maybe sensing their window of stars (Springer already gone, Correa's last hurrah) is closing. Both the Sox and Stros can rake, and their starting pitching is thin. But the main reason Houston had to be favored -- and certainly is now, with the series tied, is the bullpen.

Once Eovaldi gave up the lead, Cora got him out of there to preserve his Game 6 starter. He brought in Perez because Brantley is a lefty and hit .219 vs. southpaws this year. It was either Martin or Darwinzon, because Taylor was burnt. But when Brantley cleared the bases on the first-pitch meatball, that was all she wrote -- no need to use any other relievers, who might help win the next game. The reason Cora didn't use Houck is obvious; Sale is starting Game 5, which means Houck is the long man. If Sale can keep the Sox in the ballgame for three innings or even into the fourth, then the season just may hinge on hoping Houck is on and unhittable the rest of the game.

The Red Sox bullpen -- or lack of it -- has already blown two games in the series for the pennant, while the Astros' pen has won two. Bloom has made a lot of good moves to rebuild Boston, and Cora has done more than expected with the roster he was given. But the bottom line is that Houston went for it at the trade deadline by getting three good relievers, while the Sox did not. The Astros' relievers acquired at the deadline played significant roles in each of their wins: Garcia and Maton in Game 1, Maton and Graveman in Game 4. Robles blew Game 1 for Boston, so Cora felt compelled to use his ace starter to try to close Game 4.

Now there's a name that overlapped two distinct decades this century -- Morneau, a shooting star in the mold of stud players who peaked in the infamous 00s, guys that were for some reason (cough, testing), never the same when they reached the deflated age of 30. Travis Haffner, Grady Sizemore, Richard Hildago, Morneau. More? No! Our Lars was no Michelin Man, though. He was said to be an eclectic sort, with lots of interests besides violently hitting a moving projectile with a club. After the US, he played pro ball in Japan, Australia and Germany. Then he became a partner in the Birdman Bats company out of California. So he still has a career in baseball.

And you know Nate wasn't starting anything, just trying to end some reporter's attempts at baiting him for a good sidebar.

Or: I make millions playing baseball. Dang, I popped up and we lost. But hey, I still make millions playing baseball. And starting next year, I'll be making hundreds of millions.

And you may be rewriting the Lars Christian Anderson tale -- unless you authored that SI article about him playing guitar (sorry, that's all I really remember about his hype). As for rankings, Casas' peak is yet to come. He already broke the top 20 and will be probably be a top 10 when '22 starts. Watch how fast he climbs in the first month at Polar Park if he goes Postseason Kike. Btw: I don't think Casas is a better prospect than Mayer; just responding to posts about trading him for an arm. Like I said, I'd be interested in an established or projected controllable starting pitcher, but I'd also expect a future big league position player in the deal.

Either way with Wander, at least he'll only be a Ray for 4 more years (before they have to trade him for prospects). Then we just have to hope LA outbids NY for his prime.

I'm basing my hopes for Casas less on media pundits, and more on the predictions of his Olympic manager, Mike Sciosia, who actually played on and skippered MLB teams to World Series titles. No prospect is a sure thing, but Casas is probably the closest thing to making an impact in Boston since Devers -- and certainly a better bet than guys like Betts, Benintendi and Bradley, when they were on the doorstep... it's because they were all so short.

Without looking it up, don't almost all HOF pitchers, except maybe Koufax, star late into their 30s?

They almost have to.

I'm with you. As for Bloom, I'll believe it when I see it. What's more likely for Bloom: a Bogaerts reworked extension for 4/5 or a Devers offer for 9/10 (and we know if Rafie keeps on raking through arb, that someone will offer him a longterm)?

Correa looked happy, like a guy ok with the possibility of his club getting eliminated in Boston, thus freeing him from the Houston chapter of his life -- which will soon become filthy rich beyond his wildest dreams.

Based on evaluators across the industry -- and not just the Boston PR dept. trying to contrive value and interest -- Casas looks like a future, big-league, heart-of-the-order regular. You don't trade a guy like that for a young pitcher, who even if he's a star, only plays every five days. A Casas trade would have to be a blockbuster, with many moving parts, including another sure-thing position player coming back.

I'd like to see Bloom sign or extend a star for three years before I start hoping he'll make an offer three times longer than that. With Chaim, it's not the big market budget he's never had before that will be an issue -- but it may always be the years. And I'm not faulting such strategy... especially since it appears sensible and prudent, and even trend-worthy.

I'm content with the Hot Sox collecting hits and runs off him.

Dunno, haven't seen too many Judge commercials or features since the ALCS began... but they do still have a camera man following him around -- wait, there's a shot of Judge at the library, studying voodoo economics -- and another drinking jamba juice -- and, that old guy behind him, wearing the mask... is that Bucky Dent?