Dick Allen

Getting a little worried the Sox are going to have to rely on Rodon going 5 innings.

They should mic up Grandal.

Nomar!

Louie!

I hope they all get more shots at Fiers. The ball travels pretty well in Oakland during the daylight, and he doesn't induce ground balls.

10 playoff AB, 10 hard hit balls. Pretty good for a guy someone said only hits when it doesn't matter.

So Mazara went from shouldn't be on the playoff roster to a member of the optimal line up with 2 ABs. One being a strikeout, although he was screwed.

I think you are correct. They probably are afraid every series can be over today, so they saw one where they could try to make some sort of case for cancelling. I live 3 miles south of Wrigley Field. It is sunny right now.

It isn't the Cubs call to postpone a playoff game.

Balls and strikes have always been bad, There is just so much more technology now and social media to get the info out. The sooner they go to robot umpires the better.

He hit it hard. A few feet either direction and it’s tied.

The fact that anyone would expect anything different is puzzling to me. He had thumb surgery, missed 2 months, and didnt get into a game.

Leury can sit out 2 months, have thumb surgery, grab a bat, and you wouldn't even know he was gone. I think that has been proven false.

Do playoff games have someone at 2nd to start any extra inning?

If Eloy is a viable option or if he is not, can definitely change an opposing manager's mind. Although there are very few lefties the Sox would actually take down for a pinch hitter. Mazara for sure, but he isn't in the line up. They obviously thought there was a decent chance he is going to be able to play in the series or they would have left him off the roster. Until he is ready, you might as well say he could pinch hit. They could have him walk up to the on deck circle and that could make a difference how Oakland pitches to someone.

I'm not watching it, but it is sad they would allow something like this to affect a playoff game. Given them the best conditions possible. Shadows are bad. Having them a big factor in a game from the start is stupidity.

Apparently. He said he looked bad during BP. Didn't think he would be able to pinch hit. Like was mentioned earlier, the pinch hitting talk was probably a bluff, but maybe he could have Kirk Gibsoned it.

Did you catch the announcer yesterday referencing how Eloy looked nowhere near close to playing during BP?

The only bad thing about today is the announcer saying Eloy didn’t look so good on the field before the game.

Which actually makes sense.Makes you use your entire rotation, but let’s you line it up where your best goes first.

Unless he starts the ninth. Then you forfeit that.

Twins about to lose their 17th consecutive postseason game.

It's a given McCann is catching Gio today.

We don't know what would have happened if he put in McCann which seemed like an obvious move, but if the strike zone was just as large for him as it was for Mazara the result would have probably been the same. Plus, it was so obvious, there had to be some sort of reason he didn't do it, like maybe McCann wasn't 100%. The reason I focus on bullpen is it's an issue he has always had, and probably always will.

The Sox made the playoffs. I thought they would be right around .500 if not slightly below. So overall, you can't blame Ricky so much. The question you have to have though, if you have a team you think can and should win for years, can you deal with how he uses his bullpen? It has been a question since he was managing the Cubs, and I would bet you anything, if the Cubs liked how he ran a bullpen, they would have stuck with him. They decided they needed something different. That is the question RH, KW and JR have to discuss. Ruiz and Gio Gonzalez on the mound in the 9th and 10th innings in games vs Cleveland. The Sox win one of them , the would have won the division. I could understand using either in a blow out situation or if the game goes 12 or 13 innings and you are down to the end of the bullpen. But in the 9th or 10th in games that huge? Especially with a 28 man roster. It's mind blowing to me. Everything else, he seems to be fine. The players love him. He used to bunt a ton, but seemingly that has stopped with an improved line up. But bad bullpen management is one area where a manager will cost you wins eventually. Maybe they can make it improve. Or maybe they need someone else to run it.