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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2022 3:03:34 GMT -5
Reds @ Red Sox
Tuesday, 1rst May 2022
7pm @ Fenway
Castillo 1-2/4.35
Wacha 0-0/2.83
Cincinnati Reds vs. Boston Red Sox
Tuesday, May 31, 2022 at 7:10pm EDT
Written by Eric P.
The Boston Red Sox play host to the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of their mid-week series on Tuesday night from Fenway Park. The Red Sox continue to hover around .500 as they hope to make a push toward the Yankees atop the AL East. For the Reds, they find themselves as one of the worst teams in baseball and are simply looking to gain some momentum going in the right direction. These two teams haven't met since all the way back in 2017, with the Red Sox taking the sweep that season, while the Red Sox have won all seven meetings since 2008. Boston will certainly be favored in this one but the Reds do remain dangerous on a nightly basis, especially with nothing to lose.
Reds Limping Along
After a few seasons of flirting with the National Wild Card spots, the Reds have found 2022 to be a rough season thus far. Not only are they tied for the fewest wins in all of baseball, they already sit more than ten games behind the Brewers in the National League Central. They have improved slightly of late, having gone 5-5 over their last ten games, but there remains quite a bit of work to do in order for them to remain a consistent threat across baseball. The lack of success on both sides of things is a concern though and going to Fenway Park especially is never expected to be easy for any group. With nothing to lose, the Reds certainly can give it a strong effort, but it remains to be seen if that'll be enough.
Injuries remain a major concern for the Reds and definitely help to explain some of their issues this season. From a position player standpoint, Jonathan India (hamstring), Donovan Solano (hamstring), Jose Barrero (wrist), and Max Schrock (calf) all remain out. Adding in four starters and another three relievers having been ruled out, along with the suspension of Tommy Pham, this group's depth will continue to be tested.
The Reds plan to lean on Luis Castillo to take the ball but after a few impressive seasons, he has struggled to find his form this season. The righty is 1-2 with a 4.35 ERA and while he still has an electric arm, his velocity has seemed to drop off slightly. To his credit he has steadily improved of late, having only allowed four earned runs combined in his last two starts, which spanned 11 innings total. One of those starts came against the Blue Jays as well, showing his ability to navigate dangerous offenses. The consistency and depth that Boston has to remain something that Castillo isn't accustomed to though, which could prove to be problematic in this one.
The offense remains a work in progress for the Reds this season and it could be a problem for them to expect to keep pace with Boston. While ranking in the bottom third of baseball in nearly every offensive category, including 26th in batting average, they have found a way to rank 13th in runs scored per nine innings, only about half a run fewer per game than Boston. With the injuries to the lineup, this group remains one constantly in flux, though Brandon Drury (8 HRs, 26 RBI) remains a threat in the middle of the order. Adding in Kyle Farmer (.261 average, 37 hits), there is some sense of urgency in this lineup. Tyler Stephenson (.318 average) and Albert Almora Jr. (.368 average) have turned it up over the last week as well but it remains to be seen if they can keep it going.
Red Sox Finding Form
After a postseason run in the fall, much was expected of the Red Sox to start the 2022 season, which they failed to deliver on over the first month. Quickly finding themselves surrounded by the Orioles in the bottom of the AL East, they have seemed to turn things around of late and a strong recent run has them still sitting in fourth-place place but primed to move within single digits of the Yankees atop the division. They've gone 7-3 in their last ten games and their home record has slowly rounded into a respectable number as well. The Red Sox have dominated the Reds over the last decade and while the teams have evolved, there is sure to remain a sense of confidence when the two meet on Tuesday night to start things off.
One of Boston's top advantages is their ability to stay healthy, at least from a positional player standpoint of late. They have nobody in the lineup appearing on the most recent injury report but will continue to be without two starters and two relievers. Chris Sale (ribs) continues to be missed, while the absence of Hansel Robles (back) in the bullpen raises some questions about their end of game management.
It remains to be seen who Boston will go to as their starter on Tuesday night but it remains likely that it'll be Michael Wacha who gets the ball. The righty has an elite addition to the rotation this season and comes in with a 3-0 record and 2.83 ERA. His last time out against the White Sox was a struggle though, allowing five runs, while also failing to get through five innings in both of his last two starts, putting unnecessary risk in the hands of the bullpen. The good news is that he has been elite against the Reds in his career, having gone 12-2 with a 2.81 ERA in 23 career appearances against his former divisional rival, and will certainly bring that confidence into Tuesday.
From a lineup standpoint, Boston remains one of the most dangerous teams in baseball and will put quite a bit of pressure on the Reds to keep pace. They rank in the top five of baseball in runs scored per nine innings, batting average, and OPS, while limiting their strikeouts as well. The power has been done but over the last week, they've seen a resurgence in that aspect too, making things increasingly interesting considering how Cincinnati's pitchers have struggled against the long ball. J.D. Martinez (.379 average, .439 OBP) is having an incredible start to the year and while Rafael Devers (11 HRs) has led the way over the first few months, Trevor Story (9 HRs, 37 RBI) seems to finally be turning a corner as well to improve the depth of the lineup.
Reds
at
Red Sox
Tuesday, at 7:10 PM EST
Partly Cloudy
According to Forecast.io, it's expected to be 59° F with a 0% chance of precipitation and 8 MPH wind blowing right to left in Boston at 7:10 PM EST.
Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com Forecast.io
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2022 3:05:59 GMT -5
Probables
June 1rst-7pm
Greene 2-6/5.89 vs Whitlock 1-1/3.49
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2022 3:09:33 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Strahm to COVID IL
12:44 AM ADT
Keep track of the Red Sox’s recent transactions and injury updates throughout the season.
LATEST NEWS
May 30: LHP Matt Strahm placed on COVID-19 IL
The Red Sox placed Strahm, one of their top relievers, on the COVID-19 injured list shortly before Monday’s finale of a five-game series against the Orioles. Strahm has a 3.68 ERA (six earned runs in 14 2/3 innings pitched) in 18 relief appearances in his first season in Boston.
Following Monday's 10-0 loss to the Orioles, manager Alex Cora said that Strahm was feeling better and the team was awaiting results on his COVID test.
"From everything I hear, he's feeling good," said Cora. "We’ll see where he’s at [Tuesday]. Hopefully, everything goes well and he’s back with us sooner rather than later." -- Ian Browne
May 30: RHP Hirokazu Sawamura recalled from Triple-A Worcester
To replace Strahm on the roster, the Sox brought Sawamura back into the fold just two days after they optioned him to Triple-A. Sawamura didn’t appear in a game for Worcester during his brief stint. The right-hander pitched two scoreless innings in Monday's 10-0 loss. Since joining the Red Sox in 2021, Sawamura ranks second on the team in appearances (74). -- Ian Browne
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2022 3:24:40 GMT -5
When it comes to the Red Sox bullpen, it’s clear they’re operating with no set roles
By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated May 30, 2022, 9:29 p.m.
Pop quiz: If the Red Sox have a narrow lead in the eighth inning, who are Alex Cora’s go-to relief options out for the last six outs?
The potential answers became even less certain shortly before Monday night’s game against the Orioles when the Red Sox placed lefthander Matt Strahm — their most reliable reliever this year — on the COVID-19-related injured list. Before exploring the remaining possibilities available to Cora, it’s worth acknowledging the incredible distance that the Red Sox have already veered from their preseason plans.
In spring training, the Red Sox anticipated that the back end of their bullpen would most likely be formed with some combination of Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier, Jake Diekman, and Hansel Robles, with an occasional multi-innings appearance from Garrett Whitlock to anchor the final outs of a game.
Whitlock is now in the rotation. Robles landed on the injured list on Saturday morning with back soreness. Diekman has been employed chiefly in medium-leverage situations in the sixth and seventh for the past month. Barnes is getting work only in lopsided games while attempting to rediscover his stuff and his command. Brasier was banished to Worcester before being recalled on Saturday due to the Robles injury.
Of late, the Sox have mostly used Strahm and Rolaids ex machina John Schreiber in their highest-leverage spots, while seeking a couple of innings from Houck every few days. But there are no set roles. Each night requires a retaking of inventory preceding refitted and sometimes reimagined parts of a puzzle.
“Ideally, sure, we have guys that pitch in the same role every day and it’s very structured, but we have to get to that point first,” said pitching coach Dave Bush. “These are the pieces we have right now. I think every team would love to have a guy in the seventh inning, a guy in the eighth inning, a guy in the ninth inning that you can rely on every time, but it takes certain personnel to do that. And most teams don’t have that. Short of that, we’re just trying to get the pieces in the right spots, let guys kind of filter themselves out and pitch where they can perform the best.”
In the same fashion that the team’s desperate offensive struggles through the first six weeks of the season exaggerated the team’s bullpen deficiencies, the eruption of the lineup allowed the bullpen room to breathe.
Friday’s brutal loss to the Orioles — in which an 8-2 lead in the seventh turned into a 14-8 defeat — marked the first time in nearly three weeks that the Sox had lost a game in which their bullpen had been entrusted with a lead. The team’s bullpen had delivered generally solid work during that time, forging a 3.26 ERA (5th best in MLB) and 24.7 percent strikeout rate (11th) from May 8-29.
Schreiber’s emergence (1.42 ERA in 12⅔ innings) as a pitcher whose mix and deceptive delivery generates awful swings has certainly offered the Sox an important and unexpected contributor. Strahm had been excellent (1.88 ERA and .347 opponent OPS) before his Friday meltdown. Austin Davis (1.77 ERA in 20⅓ innings) and Diekman (3.63 in 17⅓ innings) have mostly been fine in middle relief.
Still, the Sox lack the late-innings firepower of most playoff aspirants. That makes it worth asking: Outside of their current bullpen, are there options on the horizon?
The potential return of Chris Sale by the All-Star break could allow the team to move one of its current starters into the bullpen as a multi-innings option. Righthanders Josh Winckowski and Kutter Crawford have both shown mid-90s stuff that could play in that same sort of multi-innings role.
In the minors, multiple starters who are either in Triple A or soon will be are having success that suggests the possibility of late-season bullpen contributions. Righthander Brayan Bello has been electric in three starts since his promotion to the WooSox, with multiple 10-strikeout games. His long-term future is as a starter and the Sox won’t want to mess with that development path, but late in the year, he could become a big league bullpen option.
Righthander Bryan Mata, 15 months removed from Tommy John surgery, has featured a triple-digits fastball while building towards a rehab assignment that could begin within days. He, too, will remain on a starter’s routine for now, but could become a multi-innings big league option late in the year.
Lefthander Brandon Walter will make his Triple A debut this week after posting a 68-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in Double A Portland. His sinker/slider/changeup combination from a low arm slot shows promise. And WooSox reliever Frank German has a 37.1 percent strikeout rate between Double A and Triple A this year while topping out at 99 miles per hour.
Still, as promising as those prospects are, their lack of big league track records makes them possibilities but not certainties to become part of the late-innings solution.
“There are guys doing an amazing job in the minor leagues,” said Cora. “As an organization, in that aspect, it’s a lot different than in ‘19. We were very thin or [the prospects] were in the lower levels. Now that we’re talking about Double-A, Triple-A, they’re right down the street. You never know if they’re going to have an impact this year but obviously in the future they’re going to be very impactful.”
For now, barring a revelatory turnaround by current bullpen member, it remains hard to imagine the Sox finding the sought-after structure to navigate a succession of close games without additions from outside the organization. The pieces of the puzzle have not yet been identified, let alone connected.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2022 3:27:47 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK
Alex Cora, a former rookie coach in the finals, offers Celtics’ Ime Udoka some advice
By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated May 30, 2022, 8:04 p.m.
Manager Alex Cora has a text chain going with Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and head coach Ime Udoka.
Cora’s last text to the pair came after the Celtics defeated the Miami Heat on Sunday to advance to the NBA Finals: “See you Thursday in San Francisco.”
The two sides will cross paths. The Red Sox have a three-game set with the Athletics which begins Friday in Oakland. Just across the Bay Bridge in San Francisco, the Celtics will face the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 on Thursday.
Related: Celtics-Warriors NBA Finals series tips off Thursday in San Francisco; see the schedule
Cora and Udoka have some similarities. Both coach in a market that craves sports arguably more than any in the country. Both are shrewd in their game planning, and both have a knack for being a player’s coach while also not afraid to call players out when need be.
They also share the experience of being first-year leaders who got their teams to the cusp of a championship, with Cora’s group winning it. If there’s any advice that Cora would relay to Udoka, it would be to enjoy the moment.
“I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy [the 2018 World Series run], because I did,” Cora said before the 10-0 loss to the Orioles, “but you miss a few things going through the grind. That’s part of it. But what the [Celtics] did is amazing. The job is not done and they know it.”
Alex Cora is a big fan of Ime Udoka.
Cora praised Udoka’s ability to block out the noise, particularly in December when the Celtics ended the month two games under .500 (17-19).
“You just gotta be patient and trust the process,” Cora added. “And they did that, and they got better. There are a lot of veterans on that team that kind of helped him in the locker room, and you see the results.”
Cora said he was a Los Angeles Lakers fan, and in fact remembered rooting against the Celtics during the 2008 Finals when former Red Sox starter Josh Beckett rented out a suite for one of the games.
Now, though, Cora roots for the home team.
“I enjoy going to the games,” Cora said. “My family does, too. We live in Caguas, but we belong here.”
Bobby Dalbec heating up?
For now, Franchy Cordero is the starting first baseman. Cordero went 0 for 3 Monday, dropping him to .270/.333/.459, with an .792 OPS and two homers in 84 plate appearances. But Bobby Dalbec might be heating up.
Dalbec had a pinch-hit single in the ninth Monday, running him to 6 for 16 (.375) with two homers in his last five games. Some of it might be Cordero’s play, Cora said, adding to the fuel for Dalbec. Competition is always good. But Dalbec is more on time with his swing.
“[He’s been] controlling the strike zone and being on time,” Cora said. “You can see it in how he’s taking pitches.”
Cora said it started during the last game in Chicago against the White Sox. The coaching staff told Dalbec to exaggerate being early in his swing because he was so behind on the fastball. Dalbec pulled two pitches into the third-base dugout before hitting a single the other way.
Being early on those two foul balls allowed Dalbec to understand just how late he actually was.
“You see the results,” Cora said.
Matt Strahm heads to COVID-IL
The Red Sox placed reliever Matt Strahm on the COVID-related injured list and recalled Hirokazu Sawamura from Triple A Worcester. Strahm has been one of the Sox’ more effective relievers this year, posting a 3.68 ERA in 14⅔ innings. Cora said Strahm is experiencing symptoms and is going through testing . . . Scheduled pitching matchups for the two-game series against Cincinnati are Michael Wacha against the Reds’ Luis Castillo Tuesday and Garrett Whitlock on the hill Wednesday against rookie Hunter Greene . . . Chris Sale (rib cage fracture, followed by non-medical/baseball related setback) is still scheduled to throw three bullpens this week. After, the team could possibly send Sale out on a rehab assignment.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2022 3:42:00 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo
@chriscotillo
·
2h
The Red Sox are 13-6 in their last 19 games and have actually lost a half-game in the division in that span.
13-7 in their last 20*** but point stands
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2022 3:45:45 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats
@redsoxstats
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6h
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2022 5:48:29 GMT -5
Reds arrive in Boston for first time in eight years
FLM
Two unfamiliar opponents will begin a two-game series on Tuesday night as the Boston Red Sox host the Cincinnati Reds.
Boston has won nine consecutive and 12 of the 13 all-time regular-season games played between the teams, sweeping three of the four total series since 2005. The teams' most momentous matchup occurred in the 1975 World Series, which Cincinnati won in seven games.
The Red Sox will look to bounce back from a 10-0 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Monday, their most lopsided setback of the season. The shutout came just a day after they enjoyed a five-homer outburst.
"(The Orioles have) some solid hitters that hit the ball out of the ballpark. That was the whole series right there," said Boston manager Alex Cora, who team lost three of five to Baltimore. "We didn't keep it in the ballpark. They did damage, and that's why they won the series."
Boston, which has lost all six of its series against division foes this season, had won four consecutive series overall before dropping the rare five-game set to the Orioles.
On Monday, Boston was held to just four hits and only two against Orioles starter Tyler Wells over the first six innings.
One of the Red Sox's two extra-base hits was a double by Xander Bogaerts, who was a bright spot in the series, going 7-for-17 (.412).
While Franchy Cordero started at first base three times in the Baltimore series, Bobby Dalbec is 6-for-15 (.375) over a current five-game hit streak.
"(Dalbec is) controlling the strike zone and being on time," Cora said. "You can see it in how he's taking pitches."
Boston's Michael Wacha (3-0, 2.83 ERA) is slated to make his first start since the Chicago White Sox tagged him for five runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings on Thursday. He hadn't allowed more than two runs in any of his previous six starts.
Wacha is 12-2 with a 2.81 ERA over 23 career appearances (19 starts) against the Reds, though Tuesday will be his first start vs. Cincinnati since 2019.
Before making their first visit to Boston since 2014, the Reds were unable to complete a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants, falling 6-4 on Sunday in Cincinnati.
Reds starter Tyler Mahle allowed just one hit and struck out eight while throwing 104 pitches in 6 2/3 scoreless innings, but the Giants salvaged the series finale with six runs off relievers Jeff Hoffman and Art Warren.
The Cincinnati rotation has worked at least six innings in nine of the past 16 games. The Reds will look to continue that recent success when Luis Castillo (1-2, 4.35 ERA) takes the ball first in Boston.
"We all know how important starting pitching is," Reds manager David Bell said recently. "It's been a big part of our team for several years now. We're getting back to making that a strength again this season."
Castillo, who has never pitched against the Red Sox, hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in any of his four starts this year. He began the regular season on the 10-day injured list due to a right shoulder strain before returning to action on May 9.
Castillo's lone win came in his most recent start. He struck out six and allowed just two runs on four hits and one walk in five innings on Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs.
"It's part of being a great pitcher, one of the best in baseball. He's a pitch away, always, to get a big strikeout, get a big ground-ball out (or) double play," Bell said of the 2019 All-Star. "He's a pleasure to watch pitch and to have out there."
--Field Level Media
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2022 11:51:00 GMT -5
Red Sox vs. Reds Series Preview
The Red Sox take on the Sox-less Reds for a quick two-game set.
By Matt_Collins@MattRyCollins May 31, 2022, 11:01am EDT 1 Comment
Red Reporter
The opponent in one sentence
The Reds started off the post-lockout period by trading away some of their top talent and then having ownership respond to reasonable fan complaints by saying, “Where else will you go?” and things have only gotten marginally better from there, if at all.
Record
16-31
Trend
Up, for really the first time this season. The Reds were looking like one of the worst teams of all time through the first month of the season — their record was 3-22 on May 5 — but have since been merely regular bad. And actually more recently, they’re playing pretty well, having won four of their last five and winning two of three from the Giants most recently.
Pitching Matchups
5/31: Michael Wacha vs. Luis Castillo, 7:10 PM ET
The Red Sox just played five games against the Orioles, a series that went disappointingly, and Wacha was the only member of the rotation who did not get a start. As such, he’ll be starting off this series against the Reds. This is the righty’s third start since coming back from the injured list, and he’s struggled a bit in his previous two outings. His last start against the White Sox in particular was a struggle as he allowed five runs without completing the fifth inning. He’s also allowed a homer in each of the last two outings, which matches his total from his previous five starts. The good news for Wacha is that the control was there as he didn’t issue a walk, but when he threw strikes they were hit around, only striking out two batters. Wacha is reliant on weak contact, and he can do plenty to induce it, but it’s the kind of profile that is inherently liable for ups and downs.
When the Reds were selling off players prior to the season, many thought that Castillo would be among them. He instead has been kept on the roster and is once again just having a confusing season. The righty is consistently very good peripherally, and that is the case this year with a 3.38 FIP, but the results haven’t always matched. This season he’s pitched to a 4.35 ERA. We should mention he missed the first month or so of the season with a shoulder injury, and has only made four starts so far this season. In that sample, his strikeouts are down, but the control and home run prevention is still good. He’s also looked particularly strong his last couple of starts. Castillo will feature a pair of mid-90s fastballs to go with a changeup and a slider.
6/1: Garrett Whitlock vs. Hunter Greene, 7:10 PM ET
Prior to his last start, Whitlock was in what was really his first slump as a major-league pitcher as he’s struggled a bit in adjusting to the rotation. His pace was slowing down, and the command just wasn’t there with the consistency we saw in the bullpen. That’s not to say he was bad, to be fair, but rather not dominant as we’d gotten used to. He wasn’t dominant in his last start either, but he looked better against Baltimore when he went six innings allowing only a couple of runs. When he pitches with confidence and works quickly, he’s done a better job of keeping offense off balance and painting corners. We need to see more of that from here.
On the other end, the Red Sox face one of the most exciting young pitchers in the game. Greene entered the majors as a potential two-way star, but the Reds quickly had him focus on pitching, and it’s hard to argue with that once you watch him. Greene is all about pure power, regularly hitting triple digits throughout his starts and also featuring a big slider. But despite the prospect status and big fastball, he’s been hit around pretty badly this year with a 5.89 ERA and an even worse FIP. He’ll get his strikeouts, but the fastball is frankly pretty straight, and for all of its velocity major-league hitters can punish it even in triple digits. The key for the Red Sox will be to avoid falling behind, because if they can get into fastball counts they should be able to do damage.
Notable Position Players
Joey Votto is one of the best pure hitters of his generation, but is on the back nine of that career and off to a slow start in 2022. The power that he’d shown in recent years as subsided early this year, and he’s striking out much more than we’d expect from Votto. All together he’s been 25 percent worse than league-average by wRC+.
Tommy Pham is in the news of late after being suspended for three games because he slapped Joc Pederson over fantasy football and/or a gif, but he’ll be back on the field this week. He’s been a league-average hitter this year with solid plate discipline but a bit less power than he’d expect.
Tyler Naquin has somewhat quietly turned into a really solid outfielder the last few years. He won’t take many pitches, but when he connects he can hit for big power from the left side.
Nick Senzel has never really been able to make good on his former top prospect status, and once again is struggling mightily this season.
Tyler Stephenson emerged last season as a very good young catcher, and he’s off to a hot start this season with a 131 wRC+, though that’s partially thanks to a .400 batting average on balls in play.
Brandon Drury has spent his career bouncing around as a utility man, but he’s recently found some power that we’d never seen before and has been one of the Reds best hitters this season as a result.
Kyle Farmer isn’t going to hit for a ton of power and doesn’t really draw many walks, but he’ll make enough contact to provide solid offense towards the bottom of the order.
Mike Moustakas has fallen a bit out of favor in the Reds lineup, and this year he’s really not hitting for the power he needs to in order to carry his value.
Albert Almora Jr. is mostly known as a defense-first backup, but he’s been thrust into playing time recently and is off to a nice start with his season.
Bullpen Snapshot
Art Warren started the season as the nominal closer and is tied for the team lead in saves, but he also has displayed terrible command and has a 7.27 ERA.
Alexis Diaz has been the best reliever in the bullpen so far this year, working around walk issues with a ton of strikeouts and a lack of homers.
Tony Santillan is the one tied with Warren in saves, and while he hasn’t been quite as bad he’s still been plenty shaky thanks to rough control.
Weather Forecast
The first game of this series shouldn’t present any issues whatsoever, but there is rain in the forecast on and off throughout the day on Wednesday. A lot of that rain is expected in the middle of the scheduled game, so keep an eye on the status of this game throughout the day on Wednesday.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2022 12:05:05 GMT -5
Pete Abraham
@peteabe
·
22m
Outside of the '75 World Series, tonight will mark only the third trip for the Reds to Fenway Park.
They were in Boston in 2005 (0-3) and 2014 (0-2).
The last Sox pitcher Joey Votto faced at Fenway was Craig Breslow, who has been retired for five seasons.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2022 12:09:14 GMT -5
Game 50: Reds at Red Sox lineups and notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated May 31, 2022, 1 hour ago After winning four consecutive series, the Red Sox dropped the rubber match of their five-game series with the last-place Orioles Monday night, 10-0. It was their most lopsided loss of the season. They will try to put that behind them when they host the Reds for a two-game series beginning Tuesday night. Michael Wacha will be on the mound for the Red Sox. Outfielder Tommy Pham should be eligible to the Reds. Pham, 34, was suspended by Major League Baseball for three games on Saturday after he slapped San Francisco outfielder Joc Pederson because of a dispute about their fantasy football league. Advertisement Here is a preview. Lineups REDS (16-31): 1. Tyler Naquin (L) RF 2. Brandon Drury (R) 3B 3. Tommy Pham (R) LF 4. Joey Votto (L) 1B 5. Tyler Stephenson (R) C 6. Kyle Farmer (R) SS 7. Mike Moustakas (L) DH 8. Albert Almora Jr. (R) CF 9. Matt Reynolds (R) 2B Pitching: RHP Luis Castillo (1-2, 4.35 ERA)
RED SOX (23-26): 1. Enrique Hernandez (R) CF 2. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 3. J.D. Martinez (R) DH 4. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS 5. Alex Verdugo (L) LF 6. Trevor Story (R) 2B 7. Franchy Cordero (L) 1B 8. Kevin Plawecki (R) C 9. Jackie Bradley Jr. (L) RF Pitching: RHP Michael Wacha (3-0, 2.83 ERA) Time: 7:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Reds vs. Wacha: Albert Almora Jr. 4-9, Aristides Aquino 0-4, Brandon Drury 2-5, Kyle Farmer 0-3, Mike Moustakas 2-20, Nick Senzel 0-7, Joey Votto 16-44. Red Sox vs. Castillo: Jackie Bradley Jr. 0-9, Kiké Hernández 0-3, Trevor Story 0-3, Alex Verdugo 0-2. Stat of the day: Vázquez is batting .356 with a .920 OPS over 22 games (26-for-73, eight doubles, one home run, 16 RBI, six walks). Notes: Wacha is 12-2 with a 2.81 ERA over 23 career appearances (19 starts) against the Reds. … Castillo hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in any of his four starts this year. … Xander Bogaerts went 7-for-17 (.412 average) with four doubles and 5 RBI over the five-game series. against the Orioles.
Song of the Day: U2 - Desirewww.youtube.com/watch?v=z8rQ575DWD8
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2022 16:42:54 GMT -5
Pete Abraham
@peteabe
·
26m
#Reds scratched Tommy Pham (left calf discomfort).
\
New lineup: Naquin 9, Drury 5
Senzel 8, Votto 3, Stephenson 2
Farmer 6, Moustakas DH, Almora 7, Reynolds 4 and Castillo RHP
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2022 16:49:22 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo
@chriscotillo
·
1h
Red Sox updates:
* Strahm expected to be activated before first pitch. Waiting on paperwork.
* Sale threw another bullpen yesterday. Probably two more before he faces hitters.
* Robles could be activated during west coast trip.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 31, 2022 21:31:03 GMT -5
What a disaster. Castillo walks two B2B on 8 pitches. Goes 3-1 against Devers, and Devers swings at ball 4. High and outside, so it wasn't even a pitch he could damage with. Then grounds into a DP. Instead of bases loaded and -0- outs, it is a guy on 3rd and two outs.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 1, 2022 2:11:25 GMT -5
Red Sox 1, Reds 2: Searching for offense
Another bad night for the bats.
By Matt_Collins@MattRyCollins May 31, 2022, 10:19pm EDT 27 Comments
The Red Sox pitching was largely fantastic on Tuesday night at Fenway. Michael Wacha was perfect through four, and while the staff had to work out of a few jams as the night went on they allowed just two runs through the whole game. And they were unearned run with Rafael Devers rushing a throw for an ill-timed error, and then Xander Bogaerts trying to make a difficult throw and having it end up past Franchy Cordero at first base. Those plays effectively lost the game, but the defense wasn’t the issue. That would be the offense, which was shut out through eight innings and now has just one run to its name over the last two games combined. It’s not what you want.
More robust game notes below.
Those in attendance at Fenway on Tuesday night (which included a literal prom, for some reason) were treated to a pitchers duel between the Red Sox and Reds, and specifically between Luis Castillo and Michael Wacha. On the positive side, this was by far the best that the latter has looked since returning from a short IL stint earlier this month. The veteran righty looked frankly how he should look against one of the worst teams in all of baseball, not only shutting down each of the first nine batters he faced but doing so without even allowing a ball out of the inning. The out-of-the-infield streak ended in the fourth on a fly out, but the perfect game remained as he shut down Cincinnati’s bats through the first four innings.
As for Castillo, he wasn’t as good in terms of preventing baserunners, but he was at least as dominant as Wacha in this game. The Red Sox were hoping from a bounce back from an ugly loss on Monday, but Castillo was far too much for them to handle. Boston did manage to get a baserunner in the fourth on a Rafael Devers base hit, but that and a walk in the fourth was the only baserunner they’d get through four. Castillo was working mainly with his fastball and changeup, and both pitches were working to perfection as he got through four scoreless innings with seven strikeouts.
Wacha’s perfect game came to an end in the fifth, and his shutout very nearly went out the window at the same time. In fact, it was about as close to that happening as possible without it. Joey Votto hit one out towards the Red Sox bullpen in right field, but it hit the very top of that short wall and bounced back into play, limiting the Reds first baseman to a leadoff double. Wacha came back and retired the next three to keep the shutout alive before Castillo came out for a perfect bottom half in which he struck out two more.
The sixth brought the first real bout with trouble for either pitcher (or at least more than Wacha had in the fifth), with Cincinnati starting the inning off with a base hit before Wacha threw a wild pitch to move the runner up. Matt Reynolds followed that up with a single to put runners on the corners before Boston caught a break. On a ground ball to third, Nick Castellanos took a step towards the plate and was immediately stuck. He was ultimately caught in a run down for a huge first out. After a pop out it looked like Wacha was going to get out of it, but on a ground ball to third Devers rushed the throw. The error let one run come in, and then Austin Davis came on to face Votto with two in scoring position and two outs. He walked Votto to load the bases, but was still able to escape on a fly ball out to center.
But now the Red Sox offense still had to overcome a one-run deficit with Castillo sitting at 80 pitches. Fortunately they started things off with a four-pitch walk to Jackie Bradley Jr. in the nine hole, and then Enrique Hernández drew another. It was a huge situation with Devers coming up to the plate looking to make up for his error. Instead, he grounded into a double play and J.D. Martinez went down swinging to waste a prime scoring chance against Castillo.
Davis and Tyler Danish combined to work around three more baserunners in the seventh, but the Red Sox went down in order in the bottom half. Danish held things down again in the eighth (though he did give up a double to Votto on his second time of the night missing a home run by inches), but it was just not Boston’s night at the plate as they once again sent just three to the plate in the bottom of the inning.
The Red Sox pitching then got into a little more trouble in the ninth, with Jake Diekman coming on with out. He gave up a single and then a ground ball to move the runner up to second, which proved to be an important play when Xander Bogaerts made a nice diving stop in the hole. Had he just eaten the ball, the inning continues without any runs yet and runners on the corners with two outs. Instead, he tried to make the big play and it took a hop on Cordero that he couldn’t handle, giving the Reds a 2-0 game.
Now, the offense had to somehow find some life down by two in a game in which they’d gotten basically nothing going. They got off to a hell of a start with a leadoff single from Hernández and then a double from Devers to put a pair into scoring position with nobody out. Neither Martinez nor Bogaerts could get the run home, but hope stayed alive after Alex Verdugo reached on an infield single to bring home Hernández and cut the deficit to one. That left it all up to Trevor Story, who struck out to leave the tying run 90 feet away in a 2-1 loss.
The Red Sox and Reds now finish this quick two-game set on Wednesday, weather depending. If they do go, Garrett Whitlock will take on Hunter Greene, with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 PM ET
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