Dominikk85

Tight zone

Ohtani now all over the place

Who is playing center then though?

He is the only interesting thing happening in this game so far, his teammates aren't doing that much either.

Ohtani command not great either but stuff is very good

Both sides though, last two innings cease gave up a lot of crushed balls at people in the outfield. But an out is an out

Cease slider is good, he just needs to locate it

Yeah, I think it is mental, he never was a super fine command pitcher but yanking sliders wide 3 feet is in the head. Fortunately just two runs, Sox can make that up but cease needs to stabilize

Cease got away with a meatball there.

Robert is true. Abreu would hurt a lot but you could put Vaughn in there. For short there is just no good replacement on the roster or in the system. For CF that is of course true too.

Ohtani has a bit of trouble with his breaking ball grip, a few got away

Hope it is not so bad. Sox can replace anyone except for Giolito and Anderson.

Well the next month there is no Milb anyway so it makes no difference for his playing time. So why send him down when there is no minor league until may? I also don't think he will only play once a week, I think he will play around 4-5 times a week and if he starts hitting probably more.

How? Don't see a delete button

Double

I'm not at all worried about Vaughn long term and even short term but I don't quite understand why he was brought up on opening day. He murdered the first two weeks of spring but the last two weeks when pitchers noticed that the better pitch him away he was just OK and didn't do that much damage and strikeouts increased too. That is no knock on him, he barely has any high minors experience and only had simulated at bats last year but the way yermin and collins had been hitting they could have easily taken that extra year of control. I think he will adjust this year already and be OK but I'm not sure if he is already dominant enough to absolutely need him in the lineup. Maybe if yermin keeps hitting and he has not turned it around by end of April send him down a month to triple A to get the extra year. I still think he will be OK and get his first hit soon but I think currently his power is mostly on the inside of the plate and he is a bit challenged away. In college and the minors he could just wait for his pitch but in mlb pitchers can throw away consistently and I think until he improves that he is more of a. 275 with 20 Homers guy who occasionally destroys a mistake. But if he improves on driving the outside pitch too he can be really dangerous and be a 30+ Homer hitter.

What are you smoking, that was a great at bat, took several balls below the zone and then ripped a line drive at someone.

I understand the argument but how often does a catcher have to be taken out of a game due to injury reasons? 2 times a year, maybe 3? I wouldn't care about losing the DH for a couple innings of 2 or 3 games a year if that much, that risk imo doesn't warrant carrying a third catcher.

Heaney has pretty good strikeout to Walk ratios (last year 21st in K-bb%), he just gives up nukes. Even this game he struck out 4 in 3 innings which is good but giving up a granny doesn't help.

Yeah a switch hitter doesn't have to be equally good off both sides as most lefty hitters hit terrible against LHP. He just has to be OK against lefties.

Come on people, way too early to write off the offense after 2 innings. Heaney is a good strikeout pitcher but he is susceptible to the long ball and the Sox will get to him. Congrats to yermin on his first hit.

Not the prettiest dp but got the job done:)

Yep. I'm glad Vaughn is in the lineup today but leury should play against left handed pitchers and not righties. Leury hits a lot better against LHP and it would have made much more sense to play Vaughn in left against RHP and collins DH and against LHP you play leury in left and DH Vaughn. But I'm happy Mercedes is getting a start today, he has really earned it.

Not a great start but at least the twins and Indians lost too so no ground is lost. I hope leury doesn't starts again against righty pitchers. Just risk Vaughn in left until he really blows it. Collins didn't get a hit but he didn't strike out again and as long he is keeping that K rate under 25% I think you can pencil him in for 20 Homers and 80 walks if he gets 500 plate appearances. That is not monster production from DH but I still think he is a good platoon DH against lefties but you need to find a way to get Vaughn into the lineup. Collins shouldn't play instead of Vaughn even against righty pitchers.

I can understand larussa not wanting vaughn to play his first MLB game in left field and since it is a righty pitcher and collins did very well in spring DHing him makes sense too. Not sure why leury is batting 6th though, maybe it is to get the L R alternation?