GAME #109 - FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2023 - TORONTO BLUE JAYS @ BOSTON RED SOX

[markj]

7:10PM Eastern

Red Sox

James Paxton (L)

Jarren Duran (L) LF
Alex Verdugo (L) RF
Masataka Yoshida (L) DH
Rafael Devers (L) 3B
Adam Duvall (R) CF
Triston Casas (L) 1B
Connor Wong (R) C
Luis Urias (R) 2B
Yu Chang (R) SS

Blue Jays

Alek Manoah (R)

Whit Merrifield (R) LF
George Springer (R) RF
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (R) 1B
Danny Jansen (R) C
Alejandro Kirk (R) DH
Matt Chapman (R) 3B
Davis Schneider (R) 2B
Paul DeJong (R) SS
Daulton Varsho (L) CF

Gametime Temp: 74°F
Chance of Precip: 55%

[Sea Dog 23]

So we do have a pitcher left to put out there.  I had thought we had used all our available pitchers in Seattle.

[longgame]

The Sox have the chance now to win or lose not only a playoff position but the hearts and minds of Red Sox fans.  They're going to have a hard time staying relevant as the media will be turning its full attention to the Patriots and my personal enthusiasm for this season ebbs and flows as I think I'm not alone in that sentiment.

Sweep Toronto and they're in good shape going into 7 with KC and Detroit, maybe.  They may well sweep Toronto only to flounder against the lesser teams. After that there's a lot of NYY, HOU, LAD, TB, TEX and BAL. 

Give us a reason to keep following guys.

[Sea Dog 23]

I hate to see it.  The new wunderkind, Urias was called up and Arroyo has been DFA'd.  He may have had miscues in the field, but he did provide a good bat to the lineup. 

[MongoLikeSox]

I hate to see it.  The new wunderkind, Urias was called up and Arroyo has been DFA'd.  He may have had miscues in the field, but he did provide a good bat to the lineup. 

This absolutely bites. We're both bummed here in Mongoland.

[elktonnick]

I hate to see it.  The new wunderkind, Urias was called up and Arroyo has been DFA'd.  He may have had miscues in the field, but he did provide a good bat to the lineup. 

This absolutely bites. We're both bummed here in Mongoland.

Hey guys what do expect from our dumpster diving GM (or whatever he is called ).  He has to test drive his latest Filene"s Basement purchase.  As my mother used to say whenever she came home from Filene's with her latest purchase "You can hardly see the damage"

[longgame]

Arguably their best infielder this year. So of course. 

[longgame]

Not looking good already.

[MongoLikeSox]

As good as Duran was on that road trip, his swing out there was made for those monster shots like he just had.

[longgame]

Who’s this guy Llovera?  Going bad to worse.

[elktonnick]

I  see we have another one of Bloom's Filene's Basement discoveries now pitching.

[MongoLikeSox]

That guy has come out and helped to ruin two games already.

So, this Urias guy. 2021, 68 games at SS. 14 errors. 73 games at 3b in 2022 gave up 10 errors. And great!!! That was an ugly ass play. Already sucks.

[Sea Dog 23]

With Turner out of the lineup there is not a lot of pizzaz in the Sox.  And the pitchers know that.  Besides Duran and Chang (say what?), that was all Boston could roll out against the Jays. 

Given his last couple starts, Paxton is out of his rhythm.  Bloom should have exercised his Tampa strategy and "sell high for prospects".  But with his track record he would have screwed up that deal like most of the others in his tenure.

[MongoLikeSox]

Indeed, Paxton did NOT have it last night. 2-3 mph off and grooving pitches all night to too many hitters. Bad nights are going to happen. The team vibe cannot be great, too, after seeing Arroyo get dumped. On the silver linings front, he gave up 4 runs in 5 innings that included 3 HR's. A sign of the great ones that can be off a night and still give the team a chance.

So, I've taken a complete 180 on Duran's play again. This time it's his AB's. He goes into opposite field mode with 2 strikes. Duran was a an almost certain strikeout victim with 2-strikes not even 3 months ago. Now I'm rooting 2-strike counts in home games. Take the fielder element out of the equation and just pepper the wall.

How is it that an MLB pitcher and Catcher throws Yu Chang a Fast Ball with 2-strikes? They've got to know that and cement mixers are about his only chance. Sure enough, it still happens.

 

[Sea Dog 23]

Amazing that Raphaela has hit a homer in each of his last four games.  He is showing out in AAA.  In a non traditional way, like the Pirates would do, Raphaela would be called up to play CF, or SS if Story has a problem getting ready.  It could well breathe some life back into a morose bunch of Sox.  Getting back to the Pirates, they have called up their first-round pick from 2022, Henry Davis a catcher, to play RF and employ his athleticism and power.  He has 5 homers and 15 RBI's, but his bat has cooled off in the last 10 games.

But the Sox are not the Pirates, and Bloom is not Cherington.  So the season creeps along.