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QUOTE (justBLAZE @ May 28, 2010 -> 09:21 PM) Sox say Jenks tweaked calf in BP and wasn't available - Mark Gonzales Controversy solved! I retract my previous comments regarding Joey Cora's handling of the pitchers in today's game.

QUOTE (Jenksy Cat @ May 28, 2010 -> 09:03 PM) He did give up a hit which, if it was Jenks, would have produced 1500 "get that fat f*** out of the game" posts by people. Perhaps, if Matt Thornton had Jenks' track record of allowing the go ahead run to reach base in nearly every one of his high leverage outings, a hit by Longoria may have meant the beginning of a rally but it was just a good piece of hitting by one of the greats of the game and the most shut-down reliever in the AL last season (sans the big 4 closers) nailed it down.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ May 28, 2010 -> 09:03 PM) Now I understand where you're coming from. Ignore my other post in the other thread. It's all good, my wording could have been better the first time around.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ May 28, 2010 -> 08:58 PM) Ok, but (back to the other thread I just saw your post in) aren't you contradicting yourself by saying he can't close? What point am I missing? I never said he can't close, he probably could. It's the Carlos Marmol theory: the biggest out of the game aren't always in the 9th inning and Thornton being one of the most dominant relievers in the game needs to be in the game to get those most paramount outs. Basically: you can't save your best reliever for the 9th when he's needed earlier in the game to make sure you still have the lead come the 9th.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ May 28, 2010 -> 08:57 PM) To be fair, I think you'd have to tell him the job is his and then rate his "pass/fail"... yes/no? It's a completely different mindset then being a set up guy, IMO. I wouldn't give him the job regardless, he's far more valuable getting the biggest outs of the game in the innings leading up to the 9th but just going strictly based off what he's done in his career with the Sox in true save situations (and all other situations for that matter, since he's dominant regardless) there's no reason for me to believe he can't get those final 3 outs when play dictates he do so.

QUOTE (Jenksy Cat @ May 28, 2010 -> 08:53 PM) As long as we don't make Thorton the closer, its allllll good He's too valuable in those big-out situations in the 6th-8th to save for the final inning of play but in future games like today where he wasn't needed until the final out of the 8th he's the best option we have for those final 3 outs.

Matt Thornton has done absolutely nothing in typical closer save situations to make me believe he can't close out a game when called upon to do so.

QUOTE (Lemon_44 @ May 28, 2010 -> 08:50 PM) I wouldn't get carried away. Beckham bailed him out of the bad managing in the top of the 9th. He was ok to stick with Thornton in the bottom with all the lefties coming up. Putting in Putz would have been another bad decision. Doesn't matter though as it was a big win. Matt Thornton is your very best reliever (pitcher?) and he was available to pitch the bottom half of the inning, he should have been the go to guy regardless of who was coming up.

QUOTE (sin city sox fan @ May 28, 2010 -> 08:47 PM) If we don't win this game, Ozzie needs to fire Cora when he returns. Unbelievable to not put your closer in when the tying run is at the plate. He used his very best pitcher to get the most important out of the game. Makes sense to me. Awesome managing by Cora in this one.

QUOTE (sin city sox fan @ May 28, 2010 -> 08:45 PM) Now put Bobby in to close it out. Be smart Joey. Cora made the smart decision alright. Great win.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ May 28, 2010 -> 08:44 PM) It's a shock to me considering how bad AJ is hitting. I realize he doesn't K too much, but with how bad he has looked, I can't believe he is only at 9. He typically makes contact early in the count of every AB regardless of how well he's hitting at the time. It's not real hard to avoid K's when you're swinging at everything.

QUOTE (knightni @ May 28, 2010 -> 08:43 PM) Then he'll be someone else's third base coach next year. And a manager around the all star break/start of the 2012 season at the latest.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ May 28, 2010 -> 08:40 PM) Is anyone as shocked as I am that AJ is "leading the league" in least amount of strikeouts this year? He has only 9 K's in 143 AB......Pierre is 3rd with only 13 K's in 191 AB. AJ and Juan are usually right around the league leaders in lowest K%. This should be a shock to no one.

QUOTE (Lemon_44 @ May 28, 2010 -> 08:37 PM) who cares as long as he gets the job done in save situations. That's what his role is. Top of the 9th inning of tied home ballgames is also a closer's role and Jenks has blown 2 of those on the young season.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 28, 2010 -> 08:37 PM) It will be interesting. Do you go with Thornton or Putz against Jaso, who's a switch hitter. I'd probably go with Thornton and then bring in Putz against Longoria. On second thought, with Pena lurking, I'd just take my chances with Matty. I don't like Pena coming up against Putz at all, just has a bad vibe/feeling to it. Jaso's a lefty. It should be Thornton 100%

What a huge game for Beckham.

QUOTE (sin city sox fan @ May 28, 2010 -> 08:33 PM) I can't believe everyone is so down on Jenks. He only has one blown save all season. There's much bigger problems with this club than Bobby. 1 blown save, 3 blown games in 10 high leverage outings. (a few of which he turned into high leverage outings.)

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ May 28, 2010 -> 08:31 PM) I agree that Vizquel is better off bunting, i like the idea of letting hitters hit though. I'm fine with letting hitters hit in bunting situations but only when they're semi-competent at the plate. When we have the equivalent of a pitcher up there I prefer the bunt.

QUOTE (justBLAZE @ May 28, 2010 -> 08:24 PM) Putz warming. Talk about rocking the boat. Ozzie gives Jenks the vote of confidence on Wednesday and the interim manager goes to Putz in the very next save opportunity.

lefty, righty, lefty due up in the bottom half of the inning. A number of different scenarios could play out here: Thornton faces Jaso, Jenks gets Longoria and Pena Thornton gets all 3 (assuming he retires Jaso, if he doesn't he'd be done) Jenks gets all 3 I assume he'll go to Jenks straight away and it will be the biggest save of the year for him thus far, a 1-2-3 inning is imperative. He's put multiple runners on base in nearly all of his 1-run saves this season, that just can not be the case today.

We had a 22 year old come up from basically AA last year and put up an .800 OPS with league average defense. Castro's really been nothing special so far; he has 2 extra base hits since his major league debut, overall he's been about league average at the plate and pretty weak in the field. Colvin's been an awesome part time player and in the long run that's probably what he'll end up being; a pretty good 4th outfielder.

Career vs Price: Pierre 0/3 Ramirez 1/5 Rios 4/6 w/ 3B, HR, BB Konerko 4/6 w/ 2B, HR, K Jones 3/8 w/ 2HR, BB Quentin 1/4 w/ 2BB, 2K Teahen 0/5 w/ 2K Castro 0 PA Beckham 0/5 w/ BB, K Our 3-6 hitters are a combined .500/.571/.889/1.460 with 4 HR in 24 AB vs Price

Pierre LF Ramirez SS Rios CF Konerko 1B Jones RF Quentin DH Teahen 3B Castro C Beckham 2B

QUOTE (SoxAce @ May 27, 2010 -> 07:10 PM) I consider that a make-up call to that horrible called third strike on Jaso when Gavin's curve was way low (pretty much hit the ground). PitchFX has it as a strike:

Kotsay's not having a very good game thus far.