5GoldGlovesOF,75

Uh - oh: bases drunk, no outs...

He can!

Now why can't the A's reliever walk in a run, then give up a slow roller that the middle infield can play pinball with until the Sox re-take the lead...

It wasn't a balk -- Narvaez stuck out his hand to try to stop them, but was called for catcher's interference.

If it was a ball, Ceddanne would've swung at it! (come on- that was a good one... keeping it dark in this month of impending doom...)

Not sure that's been done before, but Devers has a lock as the 2025 Red Sox OPS champion, even after being traded to the land of the guy ants.

We all know that will only happen if Yoshida is traded to an NL team for an overpriced middling reliever.

I was a little harsh on Weissert. He has stranded an inherited runner since August 1 -- 1 out of 5 -- at least that's not a complete total failure. The bigger problem is the Sox are 6 for 47 with runners in scoring position in the last 5 games, and have hit only 8 home runs in the past two weeks. A lot of fans are blaming damaged goods Bregman, because he once hit 40 HRs and makes the same AAV as Judge. But combined with injuries to other key producers, no one can expect the O to suddenly become more powerful. We're at a crossroads -- one sign points to the postseason, the other to choke season. Will management just stand by in the dugout and hope some pitches find the sweet spot of the Boston bats? Or will coaches finally force batters to choke up, shorten up, and make contact -- even bunt for a hit once in awhile -- to put the damn ball in play? We can't have bases loaded with no outs and not score anymore. Not if they want to keep playing in October. p.s. If Henry signs both Schwarber and Alonso this winter, I'll buy him a whole box of cigars he can smoke in front of his fireplace

Weissert now leads the American League in blown saves with 9. It's too late with too much at stake to hope someone struggling will be good again. (I know, we can say that about six or seven batters right now, too)

Since Weissert blew the lead, the Sox offense has hit one ball out of the infield the last three innings: a Story single. Versus the A's.

Come on, offense! Red Sox are nearly 4 runs away from their runs per game season average. Luckily, they're facing the A's, whose pitching staff has allowed over 5 runs per game this year.

Why didn't Cora trade for three more closers at the trade deadline like real contenders did?

EVERY TIME he comes in

Good post. The off-field stuff is meaningless unless backed up on the diamond. Duran can dominate a game, but it has to begin with his bat. The key is if he's disciplined enough to lay off high fastballs and not get himself out. If he uses the gaps or goes oppo, and starts churning, it can demoralize a defense. Good hits can be caught, but sheer hustle can leave foes helpless out there. In baseball you're not allowed to tackle opponents.

Good point, Maddie, and also why I didn't think Max Fried was the answer for Boston last winter (that was before we signed Bregman, of course... but even then, the over-under on Story games played was about 55). A groundball pitcher with bullfighters behind him is probably a bad combo. Ole!

Both Duran and Abreu are good players, who would look even better on a powerhouse led by superstars. When opposing pitchers wear down trying not to let a Judge or Soto or Ohtani beat them, the second tier of regulars get to feast on mistake pitches. But in isolation, the weaknesses of Duran and Abreu get exposed. When they're hot, they can carry a team for days... but not weeks like perennial MVP candidates. On the Red Sox, we posters -- like fans of the majority of baseball teams -- blame most of our anguish on offensive failures. But for bad clubs, there's nothing worse than incompetent defense. Ceddanne's value covering gap-to-gap in the middle of the pasture is more indispensable on a team like Boston, slowly turning the corner into contention. Consider bWAR for the Sox position players: Duran leads with 4.2, entirely because of his O. Next is Rafaela at 3.9 AHEAD of MVP of the regulars, Story at 3.8. Raise your hand if you knew Ceddanne is worth more Wins than the team leader in HRs, RBIs, SBs, who also plays a sometimes spectacular shortstop. Put it this way: it's not because he hit some walk-offs before the All-Star break.

Security would get to print new IDs with new titles for the same employee/s. Insecurity would get to monitor new threads about new names to blame by online insultants.

Duran should be in there so he can hit another Stanton shoulder-high triple off the Monster.

... but even if he did, don't doubt Sale gets hurts right before the postseason. The only thing more predictable was that Paxton would get hurt again if Bloom didn't trade him at the deadline. And then right after Breslow traded for him the next deadline.

Anthony would've strained his oblique a lot earlier, like in June -- like Shea Langeliers did -- then recovered by summer to hit 30 home runs, like Langeliers has since then.

I was wrong about the never-mending Story, and I'm glad because all the other full-timers got hurt -- except Duran, who I was wrong about two years ago, and Rafaela (who not only will keep his job, but be honored for it in the offseason). I was also wrong about Chapman, and Giolito, and Sale, and Buehler. I wasn't wrong about Mayer and Anthony deserving to make the team before Campbell, but I kinda wish I was, since he's the only one left healthy enough to finish the season...

Definitely not peaking. More like peeking; squint hard enough and see the postseason, off in the distance... ... just have to get there.

I think he moved to 3B but isn't Rico.

The All-Star break totally chilled Ceddanne's hot bat. He accidentally left in it a top-loading seafood cooler while he blurred his hand-eye coordination surfing youtube for web gems by Lynn and JBJ to practice at the neighborhood playground.

Mostly? Semantics: Romy bats all the time vs. lefties. But lately, he's hitting all the arms. Just looking for something positive for an offense that cannot match up with the instant-at-any-instance runs that the Bronx goon squad can score. We all knew last night's 6-run 1st wasn't safe, just hoping our pitching could outlast their homers. Even the one HR we hit was by a Yankee from last year...