tray

Add Bummer and Kimbrel.

That is what a bench coach is for. The Sox have a staff that assembles analytics. LaRussa relies on a lot of people including Katz, who seldom if ever gets any criticism for decisions on pitching changes or pitcher performance. Is LaRussa agreeing or disagreeing with what Katz advises him to do regarding pitching changes ? From the look of it, it always seems like they are on the same page. Maybe the Sports media people should interview Katz and find out what his view was about certain specific pitching moves....whether he advised that they be made or disagreed with them.

Hard to win with a second basemen (Cesar Hernandez) who inexplicably stopped hitting for power after he came to the WSox...., a utility player in RF, a catcher that has defensive issues, and a pitching staff that cannot hold down the Astros. If Cease and the bullpen keep walking guys, we are going to get swept. The Sox need a few HR with men on base, a lot of noise from the home crowd, and a good deal of luck to beat a team that looks a lot better than they are. While the Sox look to salvage a win, Houston has their eyes on another World Series berth. Maybe we catch them looking too far ahead. Oh well, here's hoping that we get a win tonight.

Maybe if there was a way to let Keuchel pitch for his old team our hitters would break out.

Kris Bryant hit a key home run last night for SFG. Did Hahn try to get him to plug the hole in RF or was Kimbrel his big target?

Sox lost two games because Lynn , Gio and the Sox bullpen got out pitched. Look for a scapegoat for them but it is what it is. Lynn was overrated, especially by Sox fans who thought his appearance - a burly, beer belly - was just right for the South and maybe intimidated opposing hitters. LOL. Sox needed two dominating starting pitchers to compete in the playoffs. Hahn could have added them during the last off-season or maybe prior to the trade deadline. The Sox did not need Keuchel or Kimbell or Tepera. Lynn is not a pitcher that is going to dominate a team like Houston, and has proved more than once than he isn't.

Thanks...

I just came home. Is there any way to watch other than MLB Network and a free trial of YOUTUBE TV?

Shortly after the the Pirates of the Penzance music begins my eyes start to tear up. I was there for so many of these games (Fisk tagging two runners out at the plate, Disco Demo night, among many others). I remember visiting Nancy Faust in her booth, going to the neighborhood taverns and walking to the park, and drinking and smoking on the catwalk behind the scoreboard at Comiskey. Sorry for the melancholy but when you get older and have these memories sometimes you get a bit emotional. In fact, I am going to pass on watching game one, because I have business to conduct and I think that watching, even on my phone, would not be good for my health or walls that could be damaged by projectiles if things don't go our way. If we win, I'll watch the replay tonight.

Yankees v Red Sox pick: The Yankees Dodgers v Cardinals pick: Cardinals

If you regularly watch TV you pretty much have to pay XFinity service + XFinity cable TV, or have Dish satellite service, or add a streaming app to a dedicated internet line. HULU plus LiveTV ($65/month) includes FS1 and FS2 and you can play the games live on your phone or stream them to any smart TV. Some people are hesitant to add a streaming services until they have deleted cable TV from their cable service to save a few bucks on that. I like Hulu plus live TV but I think it should be less expensive. I think I am paying for a lot of content that I do not ever use and that I do now want to contribute to.

Sox will need fair and impartial ball and strike calls from the respective home plate umpires. If they give the Stros the outside corners and pinch our pitchers they will play a major role in determining the outcome of games. Edited to add: That is why I am inclined to favor electronic/video strike zones instead of the subjective calls from an umpire that are proven wrong in all too many instances.

Cesar Hernandez has been pretty dismal at the plate since the Sox acquired him. Even his splits against RH pitching are not that good.. If only the Sox had a healthy Nick Madrigal in the line-up instead of Hernandez the prospects for this series might be different.. Cubs say "thanks Hahn" for that trade. I was furious when I first heard about it and still am. Maybe Tony will start Leury at second and Vaughn in RF. At least Vaughn could get lucky and connect for a HR against a RH starter. Hernandez just gives away too much offense , even at the bottom of the order. He should not be back next season.. As far as our starters, Rodon might be the guy who dominates a game like he did earlier in the season. His stuff looked like Chris Sale for a while this year. He could shut down the 'stros for blackout game 3 while Eloy and Luis pound out a few HR. I am surprised that Sox pitchers have not been slide stepping ,throwing to first, and calling for pitch outs to keep runners from stealing. The Stros could run us out of the series unless they get caught stealing a few times.

Fans of the teams that did not make the play-offs are disappointed. Cub fans are deeply disappointed. My only disappointment is that I do not have tickets for the play-offs.

If Detroit lights up Keuchel tonight, maybe the Sox reconsider whatever the plan was for him on the post season roster.

Vaughn reminds me of Dayan Viciedo in a couple of ways - he hits a lot of hard line drives, has decent power potential, and is somewhat of a tank already at 23 years old. As things stand, Vaughn is too slow to be an everyday outfielder. If he can work on his lower torso and legs in the off-season, he might get faster, but I'm not sure that is possible. Sox will give him another year or two to develop but Vaughn will have more competition moving forward with Colas and Cespedes along with Sheets competing for roster spots and playing time.

Hating on LaRussa only detracts from the enjoyment and anticipation of playoff baseball that true White Sox fans are experiencing. It has gotten to the point where it is kind of creepy.

Speaking of suckage..

Yea, Vaughn has sucked over the last month, hitting well under .200 over his last 40 games while continuing to disappoint with RISP.

Vaughn against LHer.. Dang it he grounds out.

Unless Vaughn can turn it around in the last few games, I think you are right about platooning him at DH with Sheets. Not a bad plan. Vaughn or Sheets could make the difference in a play-off game with a key shot off a pitcher who thinks they just got through the heart of the order and can let up some.

Vaughn looks like an easy out for the past several weeks against better RH pitchers, and he will see a few in Houston. The excuses for him have gotten old. (i.e., Stone reminding how he was forced to play outfield and how hard Vaughn hits balls that are caught for routine outs). There are a lot of outfielders that hit .237 with 15 HR in their rookie year. So what? Vaughn can make everyone forget his struggles over the last month or so with a couple of clutch hits in the playoffs. Pump a three run homer for a White Sox play-off win and Vaughn will be the toast of the town. Not many recall what Scotty Pods hit for average in 2005, but that WS game 2 winning home run won't be forgotten anytime soon. The playoffs are time for champions to rise above the rest. Who are the players that can meet that challenge?

The stadium and real estate would be large liability without a sports franchise, specifically the White Sox, to play games at GR. and share parking revenue. Meanwhile, the White Sox can develop plans to build a new stadium before the lease runs out. Good luck finding a new tenant for G Rate. My guess is that something will be worked out one way or another well in advance of 2030 and that the White Sox will be in the cat bird seat with those negotiations.

I wonder if the IL Sports Authority or the White Sox ownership own the real estate surrounding GR field (primarily parking). The stadium itself would not be worth much without all of the parking North and South of 35th.. Ownership of surrounding real estate would be a way to leverage a purchase of the stadium (it would not be worth much if anything without parking for it). You know, Reinsdorf is a real estate mogul. If they add a bit more land, a new pro football stadium or basketball arena could be constructed that could use the same parking area. I am sure the Reinsdorfs have ideas for the short and long term. The things they have are golden and they are not going to let them go. Its a family sports dynasty.

using Mike Wright in the 10th inning of the Boston game I think that was the game that Hendriks or Kimbrel gave up the tie run before the 10th. Wright got the blame for giving up a single in the 10th with the ghost runner scoring. he did not pitch badly at all. But neither Wright nor LaRussa are the problem with this team. The Sox have had more than their share of demoralizing losses, and too many of those are games where the bullpen imploded late. Remember we had a lead going into the final inning of the FOD game. Kimbrel can no longer be trusted in tight games. When guys get on first base they get ridiculous jumps off him and easily steal second...or he throws a wild pitch or hits a batter. Something is wrong with Kimbrel...maybe he is just tired and worn down physically. If so, there is probably not enough time left in the season for rest and recovery. Nice trade Rick...Mr. Executive of the year.