Autumn Dreamin

Uncharacteristic wildness from Woo so far, 2 BB is a season high and it's the first inning. Wish Sam didn't help him out.

Brewers put 8 on Shota, not exactly the stopper outing the Cubs needed.

Woo has both shutdown the Braves (6 IP, 0 ER, 9 K) and been shelled by the Royals (6 IP, 6 ER, 2 HR) this month, but has been more good than bad overall for the season (and his career). Has a good fastball that he locates well. Stays in the zone overall, pretty neutral platoon splits, and has gone 6+ in 7/9 starts. Not a particularly easy matchup, but hopefully the bats stay hot.

This tweet from a Japanese fan that caught my attention a couple days ago: There's a sizeable contingent (especially among Swallows fans) who are vocally invested in the idea of him carving out his own path as a core part of a growing team rather than being an ancillary piece on a ready-made contender.

Luckily, so are the Sox after this trip.

Yeah, "you suck" is like entry level heckling...one imagines every player gets that at some point, including from their own fans for many. And if he went back at her with like "f you" or "f off" it would be a little soft but fair enough. It's really the specifics of what he said back that make it a "story" instead of just a niche crosstown footnote like LRJ shushing the hecklers behind home after a HR.

Imanaga said he's noticed Murakami is so well integrated with the team that he can't pick him out of the group. Never standing off on his own, regularly chatting with teammates even without Kenzo nearby, etc. Also these shirts have been going around the clubhouse:

Giolito was through 5 scoreless vs. the Mariners in his debut, but walked the bases loaded in the 6th and they all scored after he was pulled.

It was certainly interesting seeing Kaplan talk about how "Colson needs to prove it" in a city where PCA gets treated like a future MVP based on like 8 good weeks at the plate. Great defense at a high value position, I get that. But glove first bottom of the order OFs aren't usually 9 figure faces of a team. Agreed on the TA thing as well.

Mets were 0-91 when trailing after 8 before this walkoff

Full org sweep, fun day

I've seen PCA do worse in garbage time in AA, it's a big source of my distaste for him But EQ earned every bit of his celly today

9 game homestand vs. a wildcard rival, a division rival, and the crosstown rival… Sox come out of it 7-2. Their starter didn't have it today, their closer didn't have it (bad luck/calls aside), and they stranded the winning run at 2nd in the 9th...but still came through with a win vs. a Cubs team with the 3rd best record in baseball. Really feels like this team has earned a bit more than people calling the game when they go down 2 early or give up 1 late. They aren’t going to win all of them, but they are going to fight like hell. Sox improve to 24-22. Win 24 last year came over a month later in the season (June 20)...and was paired with 52 losses. 3 hits, 5 ABS overturns, and a massive walkoff dong for EQ. He's too young and too talented to give up on. Top of the order can hang with a lot of teams, and the role guys have been finding their own ways to chip in. Let's mess around and win another west coast road trip (might need another fresh arm...), and then we'll see what they're really made of with a 10 game run vs. the division. CLE won again (thanks for nothing, Reds), so still 1 GB.

He needed that in the worst way

f*** YES QUERO

He has like 5 overturns today

FYI you do get a challenge restored for extras

Let's get it done, come on boys

I mean, game over without the error or iffy umping. But okay, let's walk it off

Colt Emerson getting called up for the series starting tomorrow

And MLB umps have been instructed to start using the same 45 degree line visually for their calls, which is why it feels like Sox pitchers have had a hard time getting check swing strikes at times