*Official* 9/14 Almost There! Postgamer

[thomas35forever]

That playoff spot is getting closer and closer!

[vegandork]

Ugly, ugly gift victory. But we'll take any help the Twins are willing to offer us.

[guillensdisciple]

5-8 against the Twins and Indians. The game is huge not only because it opens up a 2 game lead for us, but because of that 5 game lead against the Indians to solidify a second place playoff spot.

To reach 37 wins, we only need to go 6-7. The Indians will have to go 11-2 to tie us.

Meanwhile, I believe our magic number to clinch a postseason berth is 4 (I think).

We're almost there.

[HomeFish]

The Sox played like dog crap today and won. Worst case scenario at the end of this series is now 1 GB of first place. Whew.

Eloy also did not get stuck in a net tonight. His defense is improving.

[Zakath]

A lot of credit to Moncada and Robert for great plate appearances in the eighth to set the stage for Engel's clutch single, after a weak bunt attempt on the first pitch.

Thanks to the Twins for stranding 15, helped by the fact that our pitchers walked 10.

[34rancher]

191 pitches and 1 run? Don’t know if I’ve ever seen that

[jcw218]

The Sox give up 10 walks, getting only 5 walks themselves. The 2 most important walks scored when needed. Engel was the hero of the game with the butcher boy slash up the middle and go on to score another run in the bottom of the 8th.

A win is a win is a win. Ugly or not.



2 games up in the division, 3 in the loss column.

[A. Cavatica]

Eloy also did not get stuck in a net tonight. His defense is improving.

Yes, he was smart not to put his hand under the padding. He would have been lucky to emerge with all his fingers.

[voodoochile]

I LOVE THIS TEAM!

I don't care it wasn't perfect. It was perfect enough. We made the plays we needed to make when we needed to make them.

We handed Cruz an 0-fer with 2 K and he came up with scoring opportunities a couple times.

Yea we walked too many people. Yeah we didn't look great. Yea our bullpen kept giving them opportunities and yet....




"Double dubs for a 2-game lead! You'll be seeing triple tomorrow after the offense wakes up."

[Mohoney]

Ugly, ugly gift victory. But we'll take any help the Twins are willing to offer us.

Not feeling the “gift” part. Both teams stranded
over 10 runners. Cease and Berrios made big pitches all night. Both bullpens made big pitches all night.

[voodoochile]

Not feeling the “gift” part. Both teams stranded
over 10 runners. Cease and Berrios made big pitches all night. Both bullpens made big pitches all night.

And the Sox made a couple HUGE defensive plays including TA holding the Twinkies to an infield single.

It's all a matter of perspective. The Sox were the better TEAM tonight.

[guillensdisciple]

Not feeling the “gift” part. Both teams stranded
over 10 runners. Cease and Berrios made big pitches all night. Both bullpens made big pitches all night.

Right. This is two teams playing hyper intense playoff-esque baseball. This is how every game in this series will feel like and how the playoffs will feel like.

It has just been a while since we have played, and fans have watched, this kind of intense baseball.

Suffice it to say, it is anxiety inducing.

[gf2020]

What a grimey win.

[Harwar]

Nice to see Moncada looking like himself again, and Adam Engel, not only get some playing time, but producing.

[ChiTownTrojan]

A lot of credit to Moncada and Robert for great plate appearances in the eighth to set the stage for Engel's clutch single, after a weak bunt attempt on the first pitch.

Thanks to the Twins for stranding 15, helped by the fact that our pitchers walked 10.

I didn't see the interview with Engel after the game (not available on mlb.tv), but there was a post in the game thread that indicated that the bunt attempt on the first pitch was a fake, just to determine if the Twins were running the wheel play. If that was the case, you've gotta give credit to Renteria there, because it worked perfectly. Renteria gets a lot of criticism for his in-game decisions, a lot of it justified, but this is one where he got it right and it may have won the game.

Obviously credit to Engel as well for the perfect execution.