Like That

Last night, Jonathan Cannon threw five more pitches than Sean Burke did the day before, and it got him through six shutout innings. He would’ve won the game but for reliever Steven Wilson grooving a full-count, 82.5 mph blah of a sweeper to Elley De La Cruz to tie the game at one in the bottom of the ninth. Fear not, because the Sox scored four in the tenth to win 5-1 over the Reds at Great American Ballpark. Chase Meidroth whacked a 1-2, shoulder-high fastball through the right side for a run-scoring single ahead of a three-run homer by Miguel Vargas. How odd to write that. Supposedly, Vargas has “tweaked” his stance, something about where/how he holds the bat. Whatever. If it works, great. William James—look up “pragmatism,” in case you’re wondering—may have been the greatest hitting coach of them all.