GAME #97, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2019, TORONTO BLUE JAYS @ BOSTON RED SOX

[Schloicka]

1:05pm Eastern

RED SOX

Chris Sale (L)

1. Mookie Betts (R) CF
2. Rafael Devers (L) 3B
3. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS
4. J.D. Martinez (R) RF
5. Christian Vazquez (R) DH
6. Michael Chavis (R) 2B
7. Andrew Benintendi (L) LF
8. Sam Travis (R) 1B
9. Sandy Leon (S) C

BLUE JAYS

Thomas Pannone (L)

1. Freddy Galvis (S) SS
2. Randal Grichuk (R) RF
3. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (R) LF
4. Justin Smoak (S) 1B
5. Danny Jansen (R) C
6. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (R) DH
7. Teoscar Hernandez (R) CF
8. Cavan Biggio (L) 2B
9. Brandon Drury (R) 3B

Gametime Temp: 67°F
Chance of Precip: 11%

[SeaBeachFred]

Keep the games threads coming George and keep up the good work.  I would like, though, if you would chime in at what you're seeing.  Do you see any light at the end of this tunnel we're in?

[Sea Dog 23]

While we're waiting for the Sox to scratch,  on MLB said Eovaldi looked good in rehab at Pawtuckett.  Got 3 Ks in 19 pitches.  I think I heard he would join the Sox in Baltimore.

[Schloicka]

Keep the games threads coming George and keep up the good work.  I would like, though, if you would chime in at what you're seeing.  Do you see any light at the end of this tunnel we're in?

I can see the Sox winning a wild card spot. They won't win the division. The Yankees are to good I believe. Then it's just a case of what team is hot when the playoffs start. The Sox last year had a once in a lifetime season and by bringing back basically the same team they set themselves up for failure. Last years team got a lot of breaks and took advantage of them nightly. Thinking you can do that 2 years in a row is usually a pipe dream. The team is getting more production from 3rd, ss, catcher & 2nd base this year but less from lf, rf & dh. They've been playing with only 4 starting pitchers most of the year who haven't been going more than 5-6 innings a game (a lot of times less) that in turn has put a lot of pressure on the pen. I just look at it in a simple way. I enjoyed last season. Was a great year. This year has a lot of ups and downs. I'd like to see them win more but last years magic is not here. I believe they go out everyday trying to do the best they can do with mixed results this year. It is what it is.

[elktonnick]

Best overall performance of the year.  Nice win.

[Bill-806]

Best overall performance of the year.  Nice win.

CONCUR …….  Good pitching wins baseball games !!!!    HERNANDEZ looks like he can pitch every other day …… Ovaldi  back for Baltimore …... thumb_u iono iono iono

[Schloicka]

Good pitching. Decent offence. Good game to watch. On to Friday in Baltimore.

[Murph]

Let's not get too excited over Hernandez and his 2 good outings. His resume from the minors was pretty damn bad.
Well well, well Mr. Betts hit a homer. #5 in the last 160 ab. Not what you want from someone your thinking of giving 250-300m. Fortunately, he will not get that from the Sox. At least not from the team wearing red.

[Sea Dog 23]

Good for Sale.  His first win at Fenway since last July.  And the Jays for whatever reason gives him fits.

[SeaBeachFred]

Keep the games threads coming George and keep up the good work.  I would like, though, if you would chime in at what you're seeing.  Do you see any light at the end of this tunnel we're in?

I can see the Sox winning a wild card spot. They won't win the division. The Yankees are to good I believe. Then it's just a case of what team is hot when the playoffs start. The Sox last year had a once in a lifetime season and by bringing back basically the same team they set themselves up for failure. Last years team got a lot of breaks and took advantage of them nightly. Thinking you can do that 2 years in a row is usually a pipe dream. The team is getting more production from 3rd, ss, catcher & 2nd base this year but less from lf, rf & dh. They've been playing with only 4 starting pitchers most of the year who haven't been going more than 5-6 innings a game (a lot of times less) that in turn has put a lot of pressure on the pen. I just look at it in a simple way. I enjoyed last season. Was a great year. This year has a lot of ups and downs. I'd like to see them win more but last years magic is not here. I believe they go out everyday trying to do the best they can do with mixed results this year. It is what it is.

Good update from where I sit George.  Apparently you're still in awe of what the team accomplished last season, but where we really agree is that point where you take issue with them bringing the entire team back save for two relievers.  I can't remember that working much anywhere within memory save for perhaps the 1998-2000 Yankees, but, frankly, I really didn't expect them to repeat this season.  We never have this century.  Still I think the second Wild Card is a possibility but we would have to play better than we are right now.

[SeaBeachFred]

Let's not get too excited over Hernandez and his 2 good outings. His resume from the minors was pretty damn bad.
Well well, well Mr. Betts hit a homer. #5 in the last 160 ab. Not what you want from someone your thinking of giving 250-300m. Fortunately, he will not get that from the Sox. At least not from the team wearing red.

I've gotten to the point of always asking myself before every Red Sox game about what could go wrong this time out.   Well today we looked like a decent team.  Solid pitching, god timely hitting and a very neat win.  Like you, though, I'm not kidding myself.  We need a great series against Baltimore and then a top notch performance against Tampa Bay and New York.  Until then the jury is still out leaning toward guilty as charged.

[longgame]

Let's not get too excited over Hernandez and his 2 good outings. His resume from the minors was pretty damn bad.
Well well, well Mr. Betts hit a homer. #5 in the last 160 ab. Not what you want from someone your thinking of giving 250-300m. Fortunately, he will not get that from the Sox. At least not from the team wearing red.

I've gotten to the point of always asking myself before every Red Sox game about what could go wrong this time out.   Well today we looked like a decent team.  Solid pitching, god timely hitting and a very neat win.  Like you, though, I'm not kidding myself.  We need a great series against Baltimore and then a top notch performance against Tampa Bay and New York.  Until then the jury is still out leaning toward guilty as charged.

That's so true Fred.  They just seem to find ways at times to lose games they should win and that's the story of the season.  I still go back to the combination of insufficient arms in the rotation and bullpen (still an issue) and the lack of spring training for the starters in particular.  Take Sale and the end of the rotation plus the pen and that's the difference between us and the Yankees.  Last year they made mistakes too - but the outfielders couldn't miss anything hit out there while at the same time we could overlook Devers' defense (and lack of offense last year too) as well as the fact that our bullpen was at the point that the starters needed to pitch in relief through the entire postseason. 

On the glass half full side, they've won 7 of the last 10.  I still say none of it matters until next Monday through August 4 and that 14 game stretch with the teams ahead of them.

[Sea Dog 23]

Ted, that's true about the upcoming stretch and chasing the WC.  The Indians are on a tear .... 4 ahead of us (losses).  The A's are hot and the Rays may be easier to catch head to head if we don't collapse playing the Yankees.  The starting rotation will have to step up.