*Official* 6/16 We're Number One! Postgamer

[thomas35forever]

Best record in Major League Baseball. Check it.

[LITTLE NELL]

Good win even though we let the Ray's b7ack in it. Grandal really smoked the winning hit driving home Vaughn.

The Rays are my second favorite team and I watch just about every one of their games but in the post game show Doug Waechter pissed me off when he said the Rays even though they lost the series are the better team, I guess he hasn't figured out that 4 of our best players missed the series.

[Chez]

Pretty impressive to take 2 of 3 from the Rays. Not necessarily a work of art today, but pretty damn impressive. I've given up questioning TLR's lineups.

[LITTLE NELL]

Pretty impressive to take 2 of 3 from the Rays. Not necessarily a work of art today, but pretty damn impressive. I've given up questioning TLR's lineups.

It's OK to win ugly.

[PaleHoser]

Blew four run leads twice and still managed to win.

Tampa would be fun to watch if they aren't playing against your team.

I'm not sure why they chose to pitch to Grandal in the 10th. First base is open, Lamb is on-deck and a double play gets you out of the inning.

[LITTLE NELL]

Blew four run leads twice and still managed to win.

Tampa would be fun to watch if they aren't playing against your team.

I'm not sure why they chose to pitch to Grandal in the 10th. First base is open, Lamb is on-deck and a double play gets you out of the inning.

As I mentioned earlier, the Rays are my second favorite team and they are fun to watch but what's amazing is how they are able to compete and win 90+ games every year after trading away guys like Longoria, Price, Snell, Adames and so many more down through the years. They have some great scouts and coaches in the Minors and when they bring up a guy, he is ready for the Majors. Good case is point is the kid they brought up to take Adames place at shortstop, Taylor Walls, he should be a good one.

Getting back to the Sox, I had concerns about this 3 game set but the guys hung in there and took the series, on to Houston with 4 games against the Astros, 2-2 split would be OK with me.

[FielderJones]

I'm not sure why they chose to pitch to Grandal in the 10th. First base is open, Lamb is on-deck and a double play gets you out of the inning.

Their manager is less competent and more asleep than TLR?

[berwyn]

I never figured 8-7 the way the starters were dealing. Ugly and beautiful at the same time. The best game, baseball. What's your second choice?

[TDog]

This game should have been easier, but it fit the billing for a game between the American League's two best teams. Not as neatly played as it should have been, and the failures challenged the heroics in significance. When the Sox would win a game like this in the early 1970s, Harry Caray would finish his radio coverage in that voice that sounded like he had peanut butter stuck to the back of his throat, "We won it, Ma."

It appears (without the benefit of reading or hearing anything about Hendriks' status) that Hendriks was unavailable heading into the Astro's series. I don't have any problem with that. It's not like he's Pete Rose and has a bet down on tomorrow's game. It would have helped if Giolito would have been able to go seven. As it was, he only gave up one home run -- and only a solo shot -- and otherwise recovered from losing it against the bottom half of the order in the fifth after being given a 4-0 lead. Heuer giving up a two-run homer in the seventh got the Rays back in the game. The error leading off the eighth led to an unearned run against Bummer and (where I thought Hendriks might have come in) Marshall gave up the game-tying two-out double. From that point it felt like everyone was hitting with the go-ahead run in scoring position, but incredibly, Marshall got a ground out and, stranded the one-out double in the ninth with two strikeouts. In the 10th, Burr, getting his highest-pressure call of the year, got a huge strikeout of Meadows to keep the runner on second and retired the next two hitters.

In the end, the bullpen got a 7-3 lead and had to come up big at the end not to lose the game.

It's possible to question the decision to bring in Marshall for Bummer. I don't know if Marshall was up for possible save in the ninth if he got out of the eighth with the lead or if Burr was going to get the closing assignment. But there are plenty of managerial decisions on both sides that could have been second-guessed, including the Rays going so deep into the game with Yarbrough. I was looking for him to be pulled in the fifth. It nearly worked out for the Rays, but I'm sure fans have to wonder if the Rays would have won if they had gone to the bullpen after the four-run fourth. You seldom see, anymore, a pitcher facing the No. 3 hitter in the lineup four times after giving up seven runs.

Then there was La Russa's lineup facing the left-handed starter. Goodwin batting second. Lamb playing right. Collins was probably gong to catch the day game anyway, but Collins and Lamb had big RBIs, and Goodwin's bunt jump-started the three-run fifth. The lineup looks like it was built around what Yarbrough was throwing rather than his being left-handed.

It didn't have to go ten even after the Rays tied it, of course. Mendick's lead-off double in the ninth brought up the top of the lineup with a runner on second and nobody out. If Anderson moves the runner up, the infield comes in against Goodwin, who, as it turned out, was the only Sox hitter other than Mendick to put the ball in play kn the ninth. Fortunately, Meadows returned the favor after Vaughn struck out. And in he bottom of the inning, Abreu hit the ball to the right side to advance the placed-at-second Vaughn to third, to set up Grandal's heroics.

I'm sure there was a lot of screaming at managers today. Both teams had a chance to take two of three in the series. But it ended up being a game where both teams made some mistakes but in the end showed a lot of character.

[berwyn]

Anderson in the 9th could have taken a lesson from Abreu in the 10th. Trying to pull an outside pitch and striking out. So easy to hit a grounder to the right side. He gets an occasional brain cramp.

[LITTLE NELL]

I never figured 8-7 the way the starters were dealing. Ugly and beautiful at the same time. The best game, baseball. What's your second choice?

Since you asked, Ice Hockey especially the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

[JazzyCyclist]

Anderson in the 9th could have taken a lesson from Abreu in the 10th. Trying to pull an outside pitch and striking out. So easy to hit a grounder to the right side. He gets an occasional brain cramp.

Agreed. I usually give TA a break for playing hero ball since he is so good at it, but that situation called for a 2-strike approach. I would be a lot more critical of bunting in general if more major league hitters focused on solid contact in situations that scream out for it.

That and Mendick’s error aside, great win against a really good team. So many bench players continuing to contribute and Giolito pitching a quality start clearly without his best stuff and command. Games like these is how teams build character.

[ChiTownTrojan]

It appears (without the benefit of reading or hearing anything about Hendriks' status) that Hendriks was unavailable heading into the Astro's series.

Actually, Hendriks was warming in the top of the 9th in case the Sox took the lead. Since the Sox failed to do so, he sat back down, because apparently La Russa is not willing to use him in non-save situations. Worked out in the end - Marshall and Burr both were huge in the 9th-10th.

[Foulke You]

The Rays are my second favorite team and I watch just about every one of their games but in the post game show Doug Waechter pissed me off when he said the Rays even though they lost the series are the better team, I guess he hasn't figured out that 4 of our best players missed the series.

I'd be curious to know what his reasoning was behind that sentiment. I think the Rays are quite good and will be a handful in the playoffs should they get there...but nothing I saw showed me that they are clearly the better team.

Then there was La Russa's lineup facing the left-handed starter. Goodwin batting second. Lamb playing right. Collins was probably gong to catch the day game anyway, but Collins and Lamb had big RBIs, and Goodwin's bunt jump-started the three-run fifth. The lineup looks like it was built around what Yarbrough was throwing rather than his being left-handed.

Yarbrough actually has reverse splits this year when it comes to batting average. RHB hit .237 off him while LHB hit .245. (Although RHB hit for more power against him) I think the splits combined with Yermin's slump is why they sprinkled some lefties in the lineup today. On the radio today, Len Kasper mentioned that Adam Eaton was still dealing with "leg soreness" and hinted he might be unavailable. Not sure why they don't just put him on the IL already. You might sacrifice a little defense but I think Jake Lamb is the better option right now anyway. Overall, this was a great win for the team though. The Rays are tough and we took the series despite being severely shorthanded.

[longtimefan]

......Doug Waechter pissed me off when he said the Rays even though they lost the series are the better team, I guess he hasn't figured out that 4 of our best players missed the series.

I'm not sure how he came to this conclusion since we won the series while missing major starters from the lineup; Jimenez, Robert, Madrigal. And you can throw in Moncada and Kopech.