GAME #59 - SUNDAY, JUNE 6, 2021 - BOSTON RED SOX @ NEW YORK YANKEES

[longgame]

Well, wasn't that an interesting weekend. I can tell you this much. The YES broadcasters are quite vocal about the Yankees' own hitting slumps.

Don't you just love how the ESPN Sunday Nighter announcers just bitch and moan when the Yankees are doing poorly? One of them even said "They've been hard to watch", as both went on little mini-rants just like the YES announcers. Maybe it's just me, but that's almost as good as watching Billy Crystal pout when is sports world collapsed way back yonder in '04.

Kiki is down where he needs to be. We had showings with the bat this weekend from the other super-sub-club member. Fun to watch, albeit semi-passively with laptop open and surfing.

It seemed all they could talk about was the Yankees although it also sounds like A-Rod is a Cora fan too as he praised him a bit much too.  Nice to see those looks on the Yankee faces though all weekend long.

How about that strike 3 that was way off the plate that Barnes got - and then they threw out the wrong guy! 

On the leadoff hitter, who else do you put up there?  I like the guys we have 2-5 with Vaz pulling some weight further down the lineup.  But who do you bat first?  Gonzalez?  Dalbec?  I'm hopeful that Dalbec gets his act together because god can that kid tag the ball.  Santana has more upside potential than Hernandez who is what he is, a .240 light hitter who's average in the field.

Some interesting stats, some from the game, some after.  The Sox have an almost inverse record from last year's season ending mark.  (We've played 59 vs last year's 60).  Verdugo has been putting up stats similar to Mookie since the trade. 

[MongoLikeSox]

The who else at lead-off spot question could get really interesting, really soon. They promoted Meises up to Worcester from Portland. A temporary move to offset losing Duran for a couple weeks to the Olympic trials? Maybe. Or it could be that one of the outfielders when Duran gets back might make a move. TBD  Wilson? Duran?

I thought Santana showed that he was trying to make and adjustment yesterday. It didn't look pretty or natural, but it was not all or nothing swings. Short of an obvious solution, I would have to five him another series or two to see what comes of it.

Bad balls and strikes calling is as old as baseball. Are they suggesting it's something new this year? I think the whole sticky baseball thing might be coming to the forefront. I'm not saying nuttin 'bout no-one, but I did notice a certain pitcher's breaking ball not being as nasty as it had been way back in mid-May. I saw another pitcher going to the rosin bag last night. It's been a while.

But yes, there were some crappy calls this weekend.