Jake

I'm with you. I think it is a stupid strategy TBH. I'm open-minded about openers but it's supposed to gain you a platoon advantage and ideally you don't use your best relief arm for it. In this case it only helped with platoon splits in Kay's start and it of course has always deprived us of him later. Today is effectively a wasted game especially given that he's going to need at least a couple days of rest after going 3x in 4 days (I assume).

My hunch is Quero felt distracted by the runner on that last play but also I assume it was a hit and run so it certainly shouldn't have taken him by surprise. Another one of those luck things: Sox hit balls with xBA of .270, .540, and .280 in the 9th. One of them was a hit so that's about neutral luck...but if either of the first two had been hits, the game would have been tied. Instead the last was hit in a way that got the runner to the base safely but not in a way that could score the runner. Nice game from the pitching staff, iffy game from the offense, ultimately it's decided by random stuff that won't be repeated.

We'd still be playing if not for Hays blowing out the hammy

He had been getting a lot of mileage out of the high breakers but if somebody went up there looking for it the outcome is predictable. No harm no foul really if he can lock it in from here

Every year the Sox are doomed to sign a competent veteran corner OF who will blow hamstrings at inopportune times that cost you a game

I wonder whether he might be going through some mental health stuff or is otherwise thinking about stepping away from baseball.

Haven't seen any reporting on this, but it's looking a heck of a lot like our old pal has the yips. To refresh, before the Sox let him go last season, he'd posted the following line in Charlotte: 44 IP (6 starts, 14 relief appearances), 36 hits, 41 runs, 6 HBP, 39 BB, 48 K, 7 wild pitches. Not quite proof of yips, but a little yippy. Then the Marlins claimed him and gave him a start in AAA. Here's the play by play for that one start: HBP, BB, BB, flyout, HBP, flyout, BB, flyout (end of inning). Then K, flyout, HBP, BB, flyout, end of inning and pulled from the game. Then the Marlins cut him. Dodgers claimed him. They sent him out there for a relief appearance, entering with 1 out in the 3rd inning. Pretty simple play by play for that outing: BB, stolen base, BB, wild pitch, BB, wild pitch, BB, end of outing. 22 pitches and 6 strikes. He then sits out for about 5 weeks. Comes in to get the final out of a blowout, throws the first pitch to the backstop and gets a flyout on the second pitch. Success! 4 days later, he makes another relief appearance. Walk, steal, steal, walk, steal, sac fly, wild pitch, walk, groundout, end of outing. 18 pitches, 4 balls. That was the end of his season. Dodgers assigned him to AA to start this season. He made his first appearance a couple days ago, entering the inning with one out and the bases loaded. Walk, walk, walk, and then they pulled him. 13 pitches, 1 strike. The one strike was swung at but out of the zone. Every single pitch in the dirt. I feel bad for the kid, he seemed like a good guy and although always a bit wild it seemed for a bit like he was going to have it under control and make a living in the majors. Who knows what is ahead for him now.

Sox: best team in the AL?

Pitchers are even playing defense today!

Chris Murphy for the save, just as we all hoped and predicted

Don't think our hitters are seeing the ball very well

Let us not forget Eric Plunk

My impressions of Leasure from when I went to Spring Training this year: He stood out as an unusually sweet guy and I was surprised by what a beefcake he was physically

I can report that Seranthony hasn't gone 3 days in a row in the past couple years so I would guess that's not on the menu here especially since he racked up some pitches in one of the two games he pitched in this series.

Several of our pitchers are leaning harder on sinkers in the early part of the season. Might be the first discernible imprint of the new pitching coach.

I don't know what he has done historically, but I hope a five-figure contract buys you 3 days in a row from your closer

A lot of pitchers are beginning to use high breaking balls because hitters rarely swing at them early in the count since they look like they will miss high. And somewhat surprisingly, hitters tend not to hit them super well when they do swing (as long as the pitch is actually high rather than middle height). I wonder whether hitters might adjust as it becomes more common though.

Failure to challenge earlier fooled Quero into thinking the strike zone is a lot taller than it is

I guess bringing Leasure in here means Seranthony is ready to go 3 days in a row

If he can just get the ball in the air a little bit I think he's a solid everyday player. If not, he's kind of a Leury Garcia type which isn't the worst thing.

Sox continue to be the better-managed, more fundamental team. Get used to it folks!

Ump is screwing us but too afraid to take challenges away from our pitchers

I saw him in ST

Really need to give teams three challenges

Tanner in his UC-Davis days :D