poppysox

Well Gio is coming out for the 9th so I hope your right about leaving him in. Four runs is not insurmountable so I hope Ricky doesn't go beyond one runner.

"Pigs get fat...hogs go to slaughter." We have a closer for a reason. Use him.

This is his longest of his career. I'm satisfied with 8.

You would save half the money he will eventually cost by waiting a year. His view would be "a bird in the hand."

Bet you never thought he would do that.

Told ya Jimenez was improving defensively.

That's one of the reasons I keep calling for an early extension.

Like most good pitchers he is working fast. Not doing the walk all over the mound and think yourself into a funk. Like it.

Couldn't agree more. That's why I keep pushing Cease & Keuchel. We could win this division.

Tilson is really growing on me. Kind of a throwback type guy that does lots of things well.

Giolito on cruise control.

We do have 3 more Giolitos. They are on the DL and in the minors. They'll be here one day.

Looking at this game only you would never guess which team was a lock to make the playoffs.

His defense looks better as well. Will never be great but is adequate.

Jimenez, Giolito, Moncada, Marshall, McCann, Bummer, Abreu,Tilson, Colome +++Lots of guys look like the real deal. Now that Ricky knows how to make up a lineup we might be dangerous.

I hope Cease and Keuchel are on the radar.

What a sweet win this would be. Get er done boys.

Ricky has probably been reading this forum trying to glean lineup ideas.

My guess is FO thinks Castillo has some trade value and we will see Collins when that is accomplished.

McCann instead of Castillo and Tilson instead of Palka has improved the offensive and defense greatly. Now if we could figure out how to get rid of Alonso we would be in business. I would admit that Alonso is contributing just a bit of late.

Trust your eyes. He's not that anymore.

We know that. The point is the sooner the cheaper.

Zero reason not to do it before there is competition for his services.

My thought about getting out in front of extensions is that they are cheaper then when a player has fully proved his worth. Sale, Q, Eaton, Anderson and Jimenez all signed extensions at better terms than would have been available later. The better management controls player cost the more money available for other player acquisitions. Early extensions has probably been RH best attribute. His only miss was John Danks.

If we had two additional competent starters we could compete for the division this year. Cease & Keuchel would work for me.