caulfield12

Moncada now over .300 in the season, seems to be locked in on Bieber. Bieber ERA a more human 3.28. Sigh...so much for that threat. Guess the only choice to avoid thst was runners in motion, which easily could have gotten Madrigal gunned down and run them out of the inning.

Is Hamilton okay? He might be the most important secondary/complementary player on the entire roster right now... Hey, Jose Ramirez is on deck, throw some strikes! Thankfully Cease corralled one. Advice from Ethan Katz, make an outstanding defensive play.

Time will tell. He was a 230’s hitter in May. He’s another 7-10 days from his MLB numbers offensively matching his minor league marks...which is a normalization many feared. That said, he still blows away Mazara and EE from last year at a much lower salary.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/mookie-betts-already-could-changing-173152410.html Betts trade looking less and less lopsided...

Did he make a speech in the middle about Leury Garcia bring the most underrated utility player in baseball since McEwing/Oquendo?

https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-power-rankings-after-week-8?partnerId=zh-20210601-416244-MLB-1-A&qid&utm_id=zh-20210601-416244-MLB-1-A&bt_ee=m9oogvjyq45cSE%2B57g%2BMen24MG7RJYzp3ccJ8Jv6bWAHQ8KUC13nT3cYkfYdsvWZ&bt_ts=1622560409053 New power ranking out...Sox 3rd. Rays ascending, winners of 16/17. Red Sox right there, but will soon experience a brutal stretch in their schedule. Are Yankees still the #1 threat to the Sox, the Rays (defending champs) or is it actually TLR? 3. White Sox (3) The White Sox run differential of +80 is impressive enough on its own, but considering they’re the only team in their division with a positive number in that category, it’s fair to wonder if the American League Central race will be a race at all. It’s not just the offense that is humming -- prior to their doubleheader with Cleveland on Monday, Chicago starters produced a 2.24 ERA over an 11-game stretch, allowing one earned run or fewer nine times.

But how do you account for the easier schedule in 2020 vs. 2021? Looking simply at records through X number of games isn’t going to do it. At the 49 game mark, we were around 32-15 before going 3-10 down the stretch. If you compare the starting pitching and bullpen talent year on year, it’s not even close. Goes completely in TLR’s favor. So then you’re also left to consider the impact of Eloy, Cordero, Robert and Engel being out...or Kopech, Lynn and Jimenez added this year, etc. Rodon’s breakthrough, Cease’s as well. As someone else wrote, Keuchel manning up in Game 2, Lynn for Game 3, a healthy Crochet for multiple innings in Game 3 or a healthy Eloy Jimenez in Game 3...no Tony LaRussa at all. That’s mostly on Rick Hahn, not Renteria. You can even argue Renteria saw something in Rodon or Cordero that others didn’t...as he experimented down the stretch with the relief core.

Last time against him we scored at least 2-3 runs...

Just have to hope for the 3 1/2 vs. 1 1/2 game lead in two days. Detroit is suddenly playing much better ball, too. Wed is rock solid Lance Lynn vs. Eli Captain Morgan, in his second big league start, 20.25 ERA. Odds favor the split. Of course, CLE gets Baltimore for three while we play four against the Tigers. Then Toronto at home while Indians are at STL, followed once again by DET at Chicago and Seattle at CLE.

That was about the worst place to throw a change to Ramirez...hanging out over the middle of the plate at BP speed. 26 career homers by Ramirez against the Sox.

No reason to pitch to Ramirez, heck, even if you have to force the runner to second...

And of course it leads to more damage...giveth, and taketh away. The plus here is that we might get Clase to close the game, he only throws 100-101.

Pretty sure Sox, Padres and soon SFG will be tied for best record in baseball at +13. Unless it's those scrappy Rays. Yankees suddenly falling off pace. TBR +15, have won 15/16 or 16/17, something insane like that.

Merkin, don't get too cocky. The irony is that Indians miss Carrasco now more than Lindor, who has scuffled all season long.

Quantrill vs. Lambert His dad pitched for a number of teams, mostly Blue Jays. Bieber vs. Cease tmrw.

Heuer coming in for the Sox for bottom of the ninth...probably.

He also struck out Zimmer. In the past he would have completely imploded...or Collins would have rushed a thrown into LF out of frustration.

Madrigal, Anderson, Hamilton...will avoid Karinchak for now in all likelihood, especially with a second game looming.

Aced him at 100 mph.

Hate to put a reliever in here with bases loaded...nobody up in the Sox bullpen, which seems a bit crazy.

Sandlin and Karinchak up for Indians...

Took a bit of time with transfer...of course. Zimmer was already struck out on the third pitch. Anderson was also deeply positioned at SS. At least Collins didn’t throw the ball away into LF.

How did that happen? Zimmer just beat it out...

Normally you use Bummer or Crochet...have to go slider off the outside edge.

Was well under .200 against lhp but two hits today...Rodon at 71 pitches, might get the CG. Rivera has been playing for twenty plus years. Guess the boxscore was wrong. Leury makes the backhand infield play...ball skipped and prevented the tying run from scoring. Zimmer another LHB. Just second hit versus the slider all season long. Hung it a bit.