It's been a fun season and I'm enjoying watching relevant baseball with 3 games left. I know they have exceeded expectations, but the ability to be one of the wildcards was well within their reach and it's disappointing to watch it slide away. They just look like a team playing on fumes.

They've had a bad week but in the last 30 games they are 16-14. Only five teams in the AL are better than that, the three division winners, the Mariners and the Blue Jays. The Yankees are a game worse. Losing 5 out of 6 ain't great of course but they had just won 7 in a row.

All of these four teams have had their ups and downs. At various times, I thought each of the Yanks, Red Sox, or Jays would run away and hide from the rest. Let's hope the Sox end on an up.

Yeah, it's seemed like a streaky race even by the natural standards of a baseball season which tends to have streaks.

Still got to like the Sox chances. They've got the weakest opponent, IMHO. Baltimore is not playing like a 52 win team.

As a Yankee fan, I just don't want to see the Jays pull it out. That's a damn good team.

Thanks? I think?

I mean I don't blame you but man.

In terms of the lineup, my three prerequisites would include:

1) Play Schwarber the final three days - lefty, righty, whatever. Put him at 1B. He is swinging by far the most consistent, best bat at the moment. Consider the friggin' Baltimore series:

Game 1: In 32 PAs, the team went 3-for-30 with 2 walks.
Schwarber went 1-for-2 with a walk and a HR.
The rest of the team went 2-28 with a walk.

Game 3: In 34 PAs, the team goes 5-for-30 with 4 walks.
Schwarber went 1-for-2 with two walks and a rocket single to right field on a 3-2 pitch, the 9th of the at-bat.
The rest of the team went 4-for-28 with 2 walks.

I'm not saying using a SSS proves anything in a vacuum, but it drove me crazy to see the team letting Baltimore's awful pitchers off the hook, often early in counts. The Red Sox are a much more talented team than the Orioles this year, and if exercise the patience to get PA's into hitters' counts, Boston hitters were going to get a chance to tee off on a lot of 2-0, 3-1, 3-2 counts. Too often, it feels like Schwarber is the only player who consistently gets deep into the count.

I mean, in the two games he started, he went 2-4 with three walks and a HR. The rest of the team in those games went 6-for-56 with three walks. These pitchers suck! Stop swinging at the first pitch, Xander!

2) Keep Kike in center field. He is not as spectacular as JBJ in center field, but he consistently makes good, smart plays in the field, and the data back it up. He makes Renfroe and whoever is playing LF better by covering more ground, his arm is excellent, and the team needs all the defensive help it can get.

3) Please play Plawecki at C. I have always been a Vazquez fan, but maybe he is worn down or something. At this point, I have more confidence in his ability to handle a pitching staff, and I'd rather have him hitting than Vazquez. Besides, with the DH not being used, there's a legit chance that in a game or two, both catchers will end up being used as part of double-switches late in games. I'd rather have Plawecki getting the first 2-3 PAs, and Vazquez a final PA, than vice-versa.

One of the consequences of playing so poorly against the Yankees and Orioles this week is that the team now has to go all-out this weekend to try to secure a playoff spot. It now seems virtually certain that they will have something to play for on Sunday. So you have to treat each of the remaining games like a playoff game - anybody except the next day's starter is fair game among the pitchers. Also, I know Iglesias can't play in the post season, but he is the best 2B they have right now, so play him. I like Arroyo, but it looks like he'll have to knock the rust off during a playoff game - if there is one.

Please play Plawecki at C. I have always been a Vazquez fan, but maybe he is worn down or something.

I was feeling quite the opposite. Watching Plawecki spend large portions of last night's game chasing baseballs to the backstop had me wanting Vazquez this weekend. He's hitting .288/.317/.424 this month so he has been good (frankly so has Plawecki - .273/.314/.455).

Play Schwarber the final three days - lefty, righty, whatever. Put him at 1B.

Granted I haven’t seen many of Schwarber’s 59 post-trade innings at 1st base (the first of his MLB career), but my understanding is that they were not without some problems. I’d definitely play him - he can hit - but he’s familiar with left field at Nationals Park & didn’t look that bad to my eye. I’m no scout, but he appeared to get a decent jump, track the ball OK, and catch what he could get to, just not as fast as one would like, and only an average arm if being a bit generous.

Thanks? I think?

I mean I don't blame you but man.

Don't get me wrong, the Red Sox are a good team. Probably equal to the Yankees. I just think the Jays talent is about 10 games better than either of them.

Looks like the Red Sox are going with Schwarber in left. Not without risk, but seems like their best move. The centerfielder could be busy tonight:

E. Hernandez2B
K. SchwarberLF
X. BogaertsSS
R. Devers3B
J.D. MartinezRF
H. RenfroeCF
B. Dalbec1B
C. VazquezC
E. RodriguezP

E. Hernandez2B
K. SchwarberLF
X. BogaertsSS
R. Devers3B
J.D. MartinezRF
H. RenfroeCF
B. Dalbec1B
C. VazquezC
E. RodriguezP

They are clearly prioritizing getting the most offense they think they can into the lineup, but man...that is some potentially terrible defense. I mean, with the arguable exception of Vazquez, is there a single player on the field to start the game tonight that you would describe as above-average at that position? In fact, how many of them are even average at their position?

Are Cubs fans sad the team gave up on Schwarber so quickly? He has had a great season.

Man, as the Sox were hitting in the ninth I was trying to figure out who would close it out, I came down to Sawamura. Totally forgot about Robles. It says a lot about how flawed this team is that in a must win game we rolled Hansel Robles out in the ninth.

Full credit where it's due, he did the job (barely). Say what you want but he's been pretty decent since we got him. Among other things he's been better than Craig Kimbrel.

Their impotent offense and flaccid bullpen managed, somehow, to birth a win.

"Potentially terrible defense" has been a theme for the Sox all season . . . why stop now?!?

Say what you will about the WC but we have four 90-win teams all with the season on the line. Four fanbases are fired up for baseball in October, that is healthy for the sport.

What wild vibe in the game last night (as it will be today): A largely-empty ballpark filled with at least 50% Red Sox fans making crazy noise, with everybody aware of how bizarre this most unlikely playoff contender was trying to squeeze out a few more wins this season.

The whole night, as a Red Sox fan, I'm like, "Who the f**k is going to pitch the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th innings of this game?" You know who else is asking that right now? Alex Cora.

Watching Alex Cora desperately search for 12 bullpen outs last night was a reminder of how little gas this Red Sox team has left in its 2021 tank. And Saturday's game isn't going to be any different, unless the game is a blowout in either direction.

Think about it:
- When our All-Star closer, Matt Barnes, came in for the 7th inning, weren't you like, "I guess we're giving him high-leverage innings again?"
- When Ottavino, who had been so awesome for the first half of the year, is stunningly gassed right now. Ever since the famous trash-talk-Ohtani game on July 5th (the high point of the team's season), his ERA is 5.96. He is 100% toast, and willed that last sweeping slider against Zimmerman. Everything else he threw was smacked by the Nationals - including the outs.
- It was the top of the 9th inning, and NESN shows a camera angle of the Red Sox bullpen. Double-barrel action warming up for the bottom of the 9th in a 2-run game, playoffs on the line, Juan Soto due up 3rd in the inning. The two pitches? Deadline acquisitions Hansel Robles and Austin Davis. Unreal.
- Is there any doubt that the team's most reliable reliever entering this final weekend is...Ryan Brasier?

I am so proud of this year's team - they have provided a ton of joy, drama, and even intellectual stimulation - they are a really interesting team. Sports are, at the end of the day, entertainment - and this team is really entertaining and likable. They appear to be a win away from a playoff spot; at a minimum, last night's results mean that Game 162 will be meaningful. You can't ask for a lot more than that...but can we try to avoid Hansel Robles pitching against Juan Soto in the 9th inning of a close game, please?

Re: Whitlock... If they do NOT activate him before the end of the regular season (Game 162 or 163) is he eligible to be activated before the WC game?

I'm not sure how much they can expect from him in the next few days. He's just as likely to come in and re-injure himself or get shelled as he is to be even halfway effective.

Yeah, the bullpen is running on fumes. I suppose the good news is if they win today they at least get a Game 163 at worst.

Re: Whitlock... If they do NOT activate him before the end of the regular season (Game 162 or 163) is he eligible to be activated before the WC game?

I should say I suspect he is (see Schwarber 2016 WS return from season-long injury), but I wasn't exactly sure how the mechanics of that worked.

I am so proud of this year's team - they have provided a ton of joy, drama, and even intellectual stimulation - they are a really interesting team. Sports are, at the end of the day, entertainment - and this team is really entertaining and likable. They appear to be a win away from a playoff spot; at a minimum, last night's results mean that Game 162 will be meaningful. You can't ask for a lot more than that...but can we try to avoid Hansel Robles pitching against Juan Soto in the 9th inning of a close game, please?

Couldn't agree more. 2019 was such a comedown and last year was just awful all around. One thing Bloom did really well is get fun guys to root for. Obviously performing well is the best way to be fun to root for but Kiké, Renfroe, Ottavino, they've just done and said all the right things.

As for the bullpen, yeah. I'll say this for Alex Cora, the dude is not afraid to shake things up out there. He was a ####### wizard in 2018 and given the issues this year I think has been just as good. His willingness and ability to sort through people and put them in a position to succeed is impressive. This season is going to come down to Austin Davis having to get Juan Soto out with the bases loaded isn't it?

As for the bullpen, seems they all have empty tanks. At least Richards is available for Saturday as the radio announcers mentioned he was not for last night's game as he needed the night off.

vi is dropping the ball so here is the scoop on usage this week (Friday to Tuesday);

Darwinzon - 15-0-0-0
Barnes - 17-17-9-0
Ottavino - 13-17-0-0
Richards - 0-17-0-0
Robles - 22-0-10-5
Brasier - 10-4-22-0

So presumably Barnes and Ottavino are unavailable today. Brasier three days in a row, albeit with minimal pitches the last two for a guy who missed much of the season is a bit dicey. I'd be surprised if we saw him for more than a batter or two.

Hernandez, Sawamura, Davis, Richards, Perez and Bazardo (who apparently is on the 28 man roster) should be available. I wouldn't be stunned to see Robles close again and Brasier maybe. All things considered that's not bad. One thing about the weekend is that Cora probably should plan to have Eovaldi and Pivetta available tomorrow and EdRod has said he should be available Monday if it gets to that point (or a Wild Card game if they make it).

Back to what I said about Cora, he was really good in 2018 at juggling people in different roles and that's the situation here. It would not surprise me if Eovaldi has the spikes on Tim Wakefield style today.

Is Taylor eligible this weekend? He might be the one guy who can get Soto out.

Yeah, the bullpen is running on fumes.

Seems like very few starters go past the 5th inning-even when they pitch well. That may be by design, but either way it sure puts a strain on the relievers, with all of the blown late inning leads as a testament to that.

This season is going to come down to Austin Davis having to get Juan Soto out with the bases loaded isn't it?

Jose, this comment reminded me of what I will go to my grave thinking was the most unexpected, improbable, and insane moment of the 2004 run: Leskanic getting Williams to fly out to CF with the bases loaded and 2 outs in the top of the 11th of Game 4. Fun fact--that game was the last one Leskanic ever pitched in.

Cranks down 2-7 in the 5th.

TE - Yeah, Leskanic in that game and Steve Crawford in 1986 are two of the more unlikely winning pitchers in recent post season history for the Sox.

But Jays up 7-1...

I’ll say now I don’t mind the decision to lift Houck. 53 pitches isn’t much but he threw 41 on Wednesday so he had maybe one more inning in him and while that has value letting Arroyo take a shot leading off is fine with me.

Also: May need Houck on Tuesday (assuming we get there).

This season is going to come down to Austin Davis having to get Juan Soto out with the bases loaded isn't it?

Well, I can’t really complain about Davis’ job there.

Nice!

No matter what happens now, Boston will play beyond game 162. Either they will play a game 163 on Monday or they will play in the WC on Tuesday. Or both!

Took the series as an excuse for a vacation in DC (I could spend a week in the Smithsonian alone, so the baseball is a bonus), and these have been fun games - good mix of Sox and Nats fans getting along pretty well, exciting, and, ultimately, wins! I fully expect to drive myself insane scoreboard watching between pitches tomorrow.

Everybody in my section, it seemed, was laughing maniacally when Davis walked despite clearly having no intention of swinging the bat.

How is Nationals Park? I need to get there. Have you gone to the National Archives? That’s one of my favorite spots.

OK, so assuming Seattle win tonight, tomorrow’s possibilities. I think this is everything and is rightg.

NYY AT BOS WILD CARD GAME
BOS NYY SEA TOR WIN
BOS NYY SEA TOR LOSE
BOS NYY WIN SEA TOR LOSE
BOS WIN NYY SEA TOR LOSE

BOS AT NYY WILD CARD GAME
NYY WIN BOS SEA TOR LOSE

SOX HOST WC PLAY-IN AGAINST ONE OF OTHER THREE, OTHER TWO PLAY OTHER GAME, WINNERS PLAY WILD CARD GAME
BOS NYY LOSE SEA TOR WIN

SEA AT NYY PLAY IN GAME, WINNER @ BOS WCG
BOS WIN SEA WIN NYY TOR LOSE

NYY AT TOR PLAY IN GAME, WINNER @ BOS WCG
BOS WIN TOR WIN NYY SEA LOSE

TWO OF NYY SEA TOR PLAY MONDAY, LOSER OUT, WINNER PLAYS AT THIRD TEAM TUESDAY, WINNER OF THAT AT BOS FOR WCG
BOS TOR SEA WIN NYY LOSE

TWO OF BOS SEA TOR PLAY MONDAY, LOSER OUT, WINNER PLAYS AT THIRD TEAM TUESDAY, WINNER OF THAT AT NYY FOR WCG
NYY TOR SEA WIN BOS LOSE

Nationals Park is nice enough as new parks go - seats a bit bigger than Fenway's, good views, although I've been choosing nice-ish seats - the red seats in center Friday (section 100), second level above home Saturday (214), behind the Sox dugout Sunday (117) - so I don't know what the average is. I've been kind of disappointed with the concessions; long lines and waits Friday, not a lot of selection in the fancy-ish area Saturday, and I always think there's way too much counter space for alcohol versus everything else. Some of that may just be it being the last series of the season and just being low on staff/materials. And for someone used to Fenway where they trust you to know when to cheer and leave a lot of displays with useful information static, there's a lot of "Make Some Noise!" and animations, with every Nats hitter with a 630 OPS innnnnnttrrrrroooooooduuuuuuuuuced llllllliiiiiiiiiiiiike thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis and no replays when the Red Sox do something well or the Nats do something poorly. C'mon, trust the fans a bit.

(Friday especially was great, though - it felt like all the season ticket-holders in the area new each other and were friendly enough to us tourists.)

Also, BetMGM has colonized the place like crazy - big casino being built out beyond CF and just a ton of gambling-related stuff between innings, especially on Friday (maybe they tone it down for day games when there's presumably more kids?); literally a primer on how baseball odds work on-screen between innings at one point.

I'll probably check out the National Archives Monday or Tuesday; my flight is early Wednesday and a lot of other places are closed those days. Any ideas for places to check out that aren't right around the Mall? As I said, I can spend the whole week in the Smithsonian, but I'm sure there's more to Washington than just that.

TWO OF NYY SEA TOR PLAY MONDAY, LOSER OUT, WINNER PLAYS AT THIRD TEAM TUESDAY, WINNER OF THAT AT BOS FOR WCG
BOS TOR SEA WIN NYY LOSE

As much as I'd kind of like to root for complete anarchy, I just can't do it. This is more or less my ideal here.

Any ideas for places to check out that aren't right around the Mall? As I said, I can spend the whole week in the Smithsonian, but I'm sure there's more to Washington than just that.

Out near Dulles is the expanded Air & Space wing of the Smithsonian. That's where they have one of the space shuttles, and sooooo much more.

Arlington National Cemetery is worth taking in.

Back to the Red Sox for a minute... Whoever the guy is on the radio with Castiglione just could not shut up about Cora taking Houck out after five perfect innings. Like, has he seen Houck this year? I'd love it if Houck could be trusted to pitch the 6th, but he can't, and he's due to bat to start the 6th in a 1-run game in which their own offense was struggling.

Castiglione just let the guy keep coming back to it, until after like the fourth time he mentioned it, at which point Joe pointed out an obvious point: Houck had just thrown more than 40 pitches in relief 3 days ago. That shut the guy up for a bit, but a few minutes later he was back at it, strenuously objecting to the move.

Castiglione really needs a broadcast partner who can perform at something better than "drunk guy at L Street Tavern" levels.

Leskanic getting Williams to fly out to CF with the bases loaded and 2 outs in the top of the 11th of Game 4.

Driving home late last night, I started to about how many of "the 25" I could think of off the top of my head. Leskanic was the first reliever I thought of.

Manny, Damon, Nixon, Kapler, Roberts
Millar, Mientkiewicz, Bellhorn, Cabrera, Mueller, Reese
Varitek, Mirabelli
Ortiz
Pedro, Schilling, Wakefield, Arroyo, Lowe
Foulke, Timlin, Embree, Myers, Leskanic, and... damn. Kim wasn't on the playoff roster. I don't think Mark Malaska was. (Looks it up) Oh yeah, him. I forgive myself for forgetting.

We're not really going to go into the playoffs with Hansel Robles as our closer, are we? Going to BevMo now to stock up on bourbon...

We're not really going to go into the playoffs with Hansel Robles as our closer, are we?

Everyone's our closer! You're our closer! That guy over there? He's our closer!

Look on the bright side: it’s possible you’ve had the last lead you’ll need to close this year.

We aren’t going to the playoffs yet. Long way to go. God I’m going to throw up.

Not that I would have started Eovaldi but I think it’s too much to expect Sale to be “Chris Sale” for the playoffs this year.

To be fair he hasn’t been “Chris Sale” this year. He’s been good but he’s mostly faced terrible teams and even then he’s been a five inning pitcher. Not even that today unfortunately.

The bigger issue this week has been the bats. They picked a bad time to go south.

Yeah I’m not sure it matters if they get past a game 163 or WC game, because if they hit like this they’ll get smoked by Tampa Bay. Never bad to have playoff experience, though.

Because I’ve had to watch it 5,000 times can anyone explain why on earth Ben Affleck would slum it with a WynnBet commercial?

And Martinez somehow trips over 2nd base running to the OF and is now out of the game. Wonderful.

Boy this is a spot for Whitlock.

RAFFIE!

HERE WE ARE!!!

Unreal, getting Soto looking with the curve was magic.

92 wins...holy smokes. Would not have picked that to start the season. In Bloom we trust.

I was probably the most optimistic person on record here at the start of the season, and I said 86 wins.

Because I’ve had to watch it 5,000 times can anyone explain why on earth Ben Affleck would slum it with a WynnBet commercial?

They drove a dump truck full of money up to his house. He's not made of stone.

Also:

Everyone's our closer! You're our closer! That guy over there? He's our closer!

Nick Pivetta's our closer!

HERE WE ARE NOW, ENTERTAIN US!

@53 lol

My wife "enjoying" the post game celebration: I bet they would celebrate differently if they had to clean up that mess.

AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M SINGING