- So, for the second straight season, the Red Sox are off to a slow start. Last season, it was a three-game sweep at the hands of the Orioles. This time, it’s a 1-3 start against the Yankees and Tigers. For as many questions as Boston had going into the season with the pitching staff, especially the bullpen, it’s the offense that’s come up quite short to begin the 2022 campaign. Only Alex Verdugo (.357) and Rafael Devers (.313) are hitting above .270. Kike Hernandez is hitless through 17 at bats while the right field platoon of Jackie Bradley Jr. and Christian Arroyo are also without a hit through four games. Newcomer Trevor Story has just one hit and has missed as many games as he’s played in – two – after being sick the past two days. The team as a whole is hitting .173, second worst in MLB and has scored just 12 runs in four games. Sure, the bullpen hasn’t been stellar as the Sox were unable to hold on to several leads in New York that led to two losses and Ryan Brasier surrendered a two-run bomb to Javy Baez Monday night to turn a 1-1 game into a 3-1 loss. The Sox will hit, it’s just a matter of when and how long the season-beginning funk will last.
- How about that starting rotation first time through for the Sox? Nathan Eovaldi 5.40 ERA. Nate Pivetta 6.35 ERA. Tanner Houck 8.10 ERA. Michael Wacha 2.08 ERA. Your turn Rich Hill comes Tuesday.
- The highlight of the young season so far has to be Jake Diekman striking out Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Joey Gallo in the ninth inning Sunday night in New York for an unexpected save and win against the Yankees. A close second is Matt Strahm’s hair. As former Red Sox pitcher and current NESN analyst Dennis Eckersley would say, that’s a good set of moss.
- Relax. Don’t worry, the Sox will still be in the mix for a playoff start.
- The Celtics will find out who they’ll play in the first round Tuesday night as the Nets host the Cavaliers in the 7-8 play-in game to start the NBA Playoffs. Brooklyn is a heavy favorite to move on and start a series in Boston on Sunday in what could be a star-studded, very competitive series. The Celtics are the second seed in the East after beating Memphis Sunday night. The Celts are getting flack from some media members in New England for not tanking the game and falling to the fourth seed against the Raptors. IMHO, I’m 100% ok with them going out and beating the Grizzlies to gain the second seed for two reasons. One, when you try to plan out who you are going to face in the playoffs, it usually comes back to bite you in the ass at some point. Two, it’s more important to keep playing your best basketball at this time of the year and see where it takes it you. Boston’s been the best team in the East since January and now they’ll get to prove if that was a fluke or they truly are beasts of the East. Presumably, they’ll have to take out Brooklyn, Milwaukee and Miami if the higher seeds prevail. They’ll have home court advantage against the Nets and Bucks, which should help. If they can get by the first-round while Robert Williams III recovers from knee surgery, they should be in good shape. It’s time to buckle up and beat the best now Green Teamers.
- If it is the Nets that the Celtics face in round one, I’ll take Boston in six or seven. It won’t be easy against Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. But the Celtics play better defense and should be able to keep up offensively with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
- The Celtics want to buy a soccer team. So, maybe we can look forward to Red Sox vs. Celtics in Liverpool vs. Chelsea soon.
- Don’t sleep on the Raptors or the Jazz in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
- With Buck Showalter in charge of the Mets, look out National League. They’ve got swagger now to back up their improved talent. If their battles in DC with the Nationals this weekend showed anything, it proved they won’t be backing down to anyone.
- Does anyone want to coach the Lakers with the mess they’ve created with the roster?
- My wife is addicted to “Home Edit” on Netflix. Yikes!
- The Cody Rhodes-effect in WWE: letting Lacey Evans tell her story and more of her real self instead of the Southern Belle. Very well done.
- The only downside of binging a show like Chicago PD, Chicago Med or Chicago Fire is that the crossovers aren’t sequential. I know, I’m being picky, but I’m just sayin’.
- Damn is Scottie Scheffler in the golfing zone. Four wins including a major at The Masters and we haven’t even hit May yet. But here’s my question to golf fans, were you more interested in Scheffler winning or Tiger Woods getting through four rounds after nearly 14-months away due to his car accident?
- Brittany Spears is pregnant. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are engaged. We are in the year 2022 and not the 90’s, right?!
- It’s April 12th. Jimmy G is still in SF. Baker Mayfield is still a Brown. The Patriots still have no coordinators and don’t plan on getting any on either side of the ball. Isn’t the NFL wonderful? It’ll just get wilder and more fun as the draft is just two weeks away.
- Speaking of the Pats, they should just mend fences with Stephon Gilmore and bring him back to Foxboro already. He’s the best option out there to help them in a secondary that could use the help. It would be one less worry heading into the draft.
- Don’t forget to get vaccinated, get boosted and wear your masks when needed. The pandemic is not over folks. Stay safe.
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