Autumn Dreamin

I also want to shout out Venable for the rotation shuffle earlier in this stretch that set Kay up to face SEA twice. SEA has a .587 OPS vs. lefties (compared to .731 vs. RHP). Held the Mariners to 1 run in 3 out of 5 games, and two of those were Kay starts.

Happy to add a mysterious victory to the tally. Ten 1 run wins is T-1 in MLB. Sox have the 4th best record in the AL (and top 10 in MLB) at 25-23 on May 20. Last year on May 20, they were also playing the middle game of a series vs. SEA and won...improving their record to 15-34. Crazy what a year can do.

The problem with expecting returning OFs to replace Acuna is that Acuna can play short. Right now the backup 1B is the starting 3B, the backup 2B is the starting LF, and the backup 3B is the starting SS. Without Acuna, the backup SS is the starting 2B, and that leaves you pretty shallow. Just look at the maneuvering required tonight after a couple subs. If you want someone to knock Acuna off the roster, it'll probably need to be someone who can play in the IF.

Castillo has had a bad year but has too much Mariners cred for them to unceremoniously stick him in the pen...so when Bryce Miller got healthy, they said they would piggyback them for a start (this one) to line things up and then go to a 6 man. So they still wanted Castillo to get some length today, and presumably weren't expecting a 1-0 situation.

Very similar to the 2-1 win at home vs. SEA last week. Gave up 1 in the 1st, pitching kept them in it until they put up 2 in the 8th. Nice to ensure a split at worst of the season series, in case that ends up mattering. Also nice to match CLE who won earlier. KC/DET/MIN all lost. Credit to Kay for keeping the team in it and finding some quick innings in the middle. Credit to Will for great bullpen management and a key double steal.

Turned into the Guardians for an inning lol

Thought so too, but you'd probably rather have the challenge for the bottom

Please be okay

I'm not saying it's smart, I'm just saying it's their plan

They want innings for Castillo

I don't really think there's enough to overturn there, but the umps haven't been kind in this series.

They are supposedly piggybacking Castillo for a turn then going to a 6 man rotation after, which means he needs multiple innings to stay reasonably stretched out.

Props to Kay for battling through it. Wasn't pretty, but it's still 5.1 IP of 1 hit ball.

Peters staying hot

Much needed 1-2-3

McLean getting no help from his defense The runners in the second clip were on after Semien bobbled and threw away an inning ending DP ball

At least he's less likely to get heckled at home?

Man, WS can really put up runs in a hurry when they're going, up 12-4 in the 6th. Wolkow 3-4 with a HR and 3B, pretty encouraging stretch for him with multiple hits in 4 of his last 7 Cannon had decent a 5 IP 1 ER start for Charlotte

Miller gave up 8 hits over 5.1 IP in his season debut against HOU, but limited the damage to 2 ER against a pretty solid offense. He had a sub 3 ERA in 2024, but a 5+ ERA in an injury-riddled 2025, so hard to say which version they'll see tonight. Something that has been consistent is him being more vulnerable to lefties and not getting a ton of swing/miss, so there should be some pitches to hit

New guy Junior Perez just had a HR robbed at the RF wall The next two guys, Dunn and Lee, went back to back

Must have heard people talking about his home/road splits

He went 5 IP 1 R (unearned) against them last time and has a 2.25 ERA in his 3 May starts so far

Tigers are 2-11 since Skubal went down

My guy Mason Adams threw last night for ACL! Went 2 innings.