CaliSoxFanViaSWside

Don't know from just using Gameday, maybe other can find the game on radio. I can't.

Injury delay now on a play at the plate involving Blackmon and Grandal.

I'm watching now. Valsquez pitched a perfect 1st . In the 2nd he gave up 3 straight singles to load the bases to start the 2nd . He then got a K , a force at home on a ground ball to Burger at third and then a fly out to end the inning without a run.

Grandal and Abreu should be rested more if you want to keep them healthy for the playoffs. Vaughn and SHeets needs 500 PA's a piece or enough to determine if they are helping the team . It's not like this is something unexpected. He'll be a part of it , that's all LaRussa said , as he should be, just not a primary part.

The point was that we weren't gauging how good the Sox are now based on the series against Houston. They weren't exactly a juggernaut in the 2nd half, on the road or against teams over .500 and their best pitcher laboring.

There was speculation about Bellinger or Lux from the Dodgers but the Dodgers aren't going to give Bellinger away when his upside is so high. Dodgers may need more bullpen help and are already significantly over the CBT limit .Kimbrel and Bellinger contracts cancel for 22. Bellinger has 2 years left and is in his last year of arbitration for 2023.Can't see the Dodgers giving up on Bellinger or caring that much about the CBT. Were basically left to grasping at straws at this point.

Not only that but the Sox fattened up on 5 opponents Cubs, Orioles, Twins ,Reds, Tigers W 40 L 15. That means against the rest of baseball they were 1 game under .500. They played .500 against Cleveland and KC ,19-19. At the All Start break they were AL best 19 above .500. 2nd half only 5 games above .500 with the Rodon fatigue. Sep 25 still 19 above .500 . Then a 6 game winning streak against Cleveland Detroit and Cincinnati from Sept 26th to Oct 2nd ,4 wins at home 2 on the road. So one hot streak otherwise .500 ball in the 2nd half.

Reality is it's not really based on that series. That series was a microcosm of the season. Rodon was finished, Lynn hadn't pitched well against the Astro's, not many trusted Cease, no one trusted Keuchel. Eloy was slumping , the Sox were bad on the road.

Je ne sais pas .

There is thinking in Boston that Bogaerts opts out after 2022 so Story would play 2nd base for only 1 year.

Conforto, Manea and Montas all still available, keeping the candle of hope burning ,although the wax is almost gone. 1st move is Kimbrel, nothing happening until that gets done. Maybe 2 moves at once or in quick succession.

There's plenty of other games streaming on MLB TV app if it's just baseball you want to watch. I'm watching Dodgers and Mariners . Bellinger with a hard single to right .

I guess that's fair. If I can imagine both staying healthy I'd say the odds are much better that Rodon has a better season. He does have those 2021 innings under his belt now so should be stronger longer than in 2021 and was one of the best pitchers in baseball until mid July when his arm pooped out. I think it's overlooked that he really wasn't injured in 2021. It's just he had a pretty heavy workload his 1st 18 starts for a guy coming off 2 years of near inactivity. Plus the Giants will do a better job keeping his innings in check since they have more invested in him. The Sox inexplicably rode him hard and basically he had no shot to pitch up to the standards he displayed through July in the playoffs.

? Me too.

Oh yeah with all the money he is making I hope he becomes the next Sox owner !

Your theories are always entertaining. Hang in there, help is just a solid from Boras away !

I really hope for your sake you're not putting any money on that.

1st sentence pure conjecture and a hot take. 2nd sentence not soured on him, only understanding that he's just now starting his future role. He will struggle like most young starting pitchers and has innings limits. 3rd sentence. I hope that you are right and that the Sox handle him in such a way that he can pitch many meaningful innings in the playoffs.

He was very good for 3 seasons from age 21 to 23 2017-2019 when he got in full seasons. 2020 Covid short season where a lot of established players had bad seasons. Still 113 wRC+ 1.2 fWar 2021 Recovering from off season shoulder surgery (dislocated celebrating his NLCS winning HR) in 2020, then fractured fibula, calf problems, then hamstring problems and a fractured rib colliding with the inexperienced Lux in the OF. His swing was a mess. But in the 2021 World Series he put up a line of .412 .500. 588 1.088 He was K ing more.LHP were coming at him with hard stuff, he was swinging at more pitches out of the zone. Despite all that and the Eloy like injuries he is still worth considerably more than Kimbrel. Sox would have to sweeten the pot with prospects . How many and who if the Dodgers are actually entertaining trading him, is anyones guess. My best guess is the Dodgers aren't trading him. Eloy is 25 and hasn't put up a season yet like Bellingers' 1st 3 years when he was under 23 and will never ever be the GG type fielder Bellinger is. Most people here think trading Eloy would be terrible. I'd be looking to move him and entertain offers always if I thought it would improve the team.

Yes . Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

LOL It may not occur to some at 1st that Sox and Dodgers share the same complex.

Or the only person who might think it could get worse once he does ?

Every time someone says Hahn I want to say TLR, Hahn and JR . Remember Hahn was not pleased with the signing of TLR. Not saying this to stick up for Hahn but to put the blame on the 3 headed Monster of Management.

I read the news today oh boy, About a lucky man named Correa, And though the news was rather sad Well I just had to laugh....

1 AM in Chicago boys get some rest . Being on the west coast does have some advantages to observe the vampire GM's at work.