chitownsportsfan

95 on the heater with movement? That's excellent.

Looks like a nice day the park. I'm jealous. Seattle has remembered it's April and is 55 and rainy again. We were in the 70s with sun for most of the first part of the month.

Yea I get that. My posts have a completely different tenor late night after a few pops or if I'm having a shitty day at the office during the game, which happens as a west coast fan when the games are often on during the work day.

Jack you're a bit of a nut (in a good way) and you're a dedicated fan I like that.

It's a little over blown by casual fans but I get it. It's stupid seeing Jose at the three spot until the end of time.

As long as Jose is sharpie'd in at #3 every day and Yonder #4 (but why?) there's going to be some issues. Jose is not a front line hitter anymore but not that the Sox or Ricky would admit and move him down to 5th or 6th. Lineup construction doesn't really matter that much (something like maybe 10 runs from optimal to sub optimal over the course of a season, so 1 win basically) but it's still frustrating to see Jose and Yonder 3 and 4 when the Sox have better options. At least they have Moncada at the 2 slot, which is where I think he profiles for the next decade. I'd love to see them drop Jose to 6th, move Yonder to 3rd, Eloy to 4th and TA to 5th. Eloy is going to hit cleanup for the next 8+ years here, might as well start him now. He can handle it, he's the Besssssssssssss.

How about this for the def of replacement: In 449 PA last year he was worth .7fWAR, in 39 PA this year he's been worth -.7fWAR. Just move on already, the book is out on him and he's got zero upside short or long term for the Sox. Time to try somebody else.

Still need about 15 WAR to show up on the pitching side of things. Going to need Cease and Kopech + at least 3-5 more pitchers, the failed starters will turn into solid bullpen guys hopefully. The Sox have proven they are cheap and won't add talent via FA and pay the "winner's curse". So we need to hope like shit the pitching pans out. And an outfielder or two.

7-9 with a -20 differential at the 10% mark of the year. Played mostly bad teams. Let's slow the "this team can contend" stuff. This is still a 75 win team. It's always been. But so far the right players are contributing which makes it better.

On nights they get a quality start they will be, those nights will be few and far between against non bottom feeders.

Other than the OF defense and some of the holes in the lineup not much to complain about tonight. I thought Lopez had his best fastball of the year, or at least that I've watched. Lively and moving at 94-96 most of the night. Offspeed stuff off that was good enough to shut down a bad KC team. Moncada is playing with a tremendous amount of confidence in the field and at the plate. He needs to bottle this feeling up and remember it when the inevitable slump hits. He's got a lot of talent in that body, he should always remember it.

I'm not kidding when I got a little emotional watching those guys celebrate at the park just now with some beers. It's been a long ass time since Sox fans felt some joy. baby steps tonight.

Got lucky, tough baserunning play.

Jesus christ. Another ball that should have been caught by an OF.

Renteria going to Renteria. As if a guy couldn't have gotten warmed up once the HR was hit.

Yonder up to a 791 OPS.

THat is a slow fucking bat. Good lord. Jammed on a 93 mph fastball.

Moncada would have hooked that 40 feet foul last year! WOW!

always liked him, but he's not a natural CF.

Leury is a nice player. Too bad he's not a super sub on a playoff contender tho.

Palka fouling off meatballs. And he's gone.

Not exactly cat like reflexes on the mound.

Yea that would be better as well. I think he gets much better reads in RF then CF.

I can't stand Leury's fake hustle when he catches it with two hands as well. Like that play all he did was blind himself and bring in a possible misplay. I'd much, much rather just make him the starting 2B at this point and roll with a real CF in Engel every night, at least it will help the pitching staff.

His squirt gun and slow ass had zero chance regardless. Sick of RF defense outside that brief period when Eaton was over there.