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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 4, 2022 13:18:30 GMT -5
Sonja Chen 陈星雅 @sonjamchen · 21m Alex Cora said yesterday that Duran would play in the last two games of the series since the A's are starting righties, so not surprising to see him get the start here.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 4, 2022 13:20:35 GMT -5
Christopher Smith @smittyonmlb · 2h Nick Pivetta will start for the Red Sox today. He’s 4-1 with a 1.59 ERA (34 innings, six earned runs), 2.76 FIP, a .165 batting average against, 30 strikeouts and six walks in his past five starts.
The A’s will counter with Paul Blackburn who is 5-1 with a 2.15 ERA (54 ⅓ innings, 13 earned runs), 3.18 FIP, 0.98 WHIP and .208 batting average against in 10 starts.
Chris Sale threw a 25-pitch bullpen today in Fort Myers
Jackie Bradley Jr.'s wife Erin gave birth to their third child, a girl.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 4, 2022 13:25:15 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 5m Duran's first MLB game in RF. He played there 7 times in Worcester last season and 1 time this season. You'd presume Oakland will test his arm if they get the opportunity.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 4, 2022 14:08:59 GMT -5
Sonja Chen 陈星雅 @sonjamchen · 3m Alex Cora on Jarren Duran joining the #RedSox while JBJ is on the paternity list: "I think with him, right now, it's just play until he's not here. We'll maximize his talent -- we face a righty today, a righty tomorrow, I think it's a righty on Monday, if he's still with us."
Duran said he's trying not to overthink his second stint in the Majors this season: "I think I just need to bring what I did my first time up back again and just go out there and have fun, and just go out there and play like my head's on fire.
Cora said he's not sure when JBJ will rejoin the club, but he shared that his wife gave birth to a baby girl and that all is well with the family.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 4, 2022 14:10:56 GMT -5
Christopher Smith @smittyonmlb · 50m Matt Barnes' MRI on his shoulder showed some fluid. The Red Sox hope it's only the 15 days on the IL before he returns.
Red Sox's Tanner Houck has held left-handed hitters to a .226 batting average and right-handed hitters to a .225 batting average this season.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 4, 2022 15:28:27 GMT -5
Verdugo getting greedy on a dropped pop up and getting thrown out at 2b more key stone cops baserunning by this team
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Jun 4, 2022 17:14:24 GMT -5
This is my type of game, so far. Everyone but JD has gotten on base, and JD is someone I ain't worried about. 6 good innings so far from Pivetta, with only 83 pitches. Try to get one more good inning, and then turn over to BP. It will be interesting to see if we turn it over to Houck in the 9th.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Jun 4, 2022 17:46:03 GMT -5
Beautiful job by Duran going the other way, turning a soft infield grounder into a single by pure speed. But someone please tell him that he doesn't have to look at the SS while he's running.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 4, 2022 19:29:00 GMT -5
Red Sox 8, Athletics 0: Another Nick Pivetta Masterpiece
The Sox scored in bunches but didn’t really need every run because Nick Pivetta spun a two-hit shutout. By Stephen-Thompson Jun 4, 2022, 7:23pm EDT 4 Comments
The Red Sox won their first series in a little over a week on Saturday after downing the Oakland Athletics, 8-0 in game two of a three-game set. Nick Pivetta was, again, terrific. The Red Sox hit the Athletics’ starter, Paul Blackburn hard but wound up not needing many of those runs as Pivetta twirled a shutout from the mound.
Still, the offense, even if it wasn’t necessary, was fun to watch. The Sox put good swings on balls and conducted patient appearances at the plate. They didn’t try to do too much and wound up making good contact for base hits that kept the line moving. They even threw in some nice infield defense as a little treat too!
More details on how the Sox won follow below.
The Red Sox offense took a couple of innings to wake up, but once they did, the runs kept flowing.
There was some hard contact in the first. Jarren Duran slapped a 106 mph liner, but it ended up right at the shortstop, Elvis Andrus and Enrique Hernandez rocketed a 102 mph ground out, but none of them resulted in base runners. The first baserunner of the game, Alex Verdugo, reached when third baseman Chad Pinder lost a pop-up in the sky and even he got thrown out trying to take second.
Trevor Story snuck a double down the left-field line to lead off the top of the third and, after Franchy Cordero walked, Christain Vazquez doubled to nearly the same spot as Story, driving in one to give the Sox an early lead. Then Duran and Enrique Hernandez struck out, leaving two on and two out for Rafael Devers, who drove them in with a casual single back up the middle to make it 3-0, Red Sox. They added another in the fourth thanks to another double from Verdugo. Bogaerts, who reached on a walk the at bat prior, scored standing up after coming in all the way from first.
They chased A’s starter Paul Blackburn, who entered the game ranking third among American League pitchers with a 2.4 WAR, in the fourth after he had already surrendered four runs on seven hits. The Sox really made him work for his outs but struggled against his replacements from the Oakland bullpen.
Lou Trivino, A.J. Puck and Sam Selman combined to throw three efficient, scoreless innings in relief of Blackburn. They needed just 42 pitches to get nine outs — four of which were strikeouts. They allowed just one batted ball with an exit velocity north of 95 mph.
In the fifth, the Red Sox really had a chance to blow the game open after Duran, Hernandez and Bogaerts singled but a strikeout by Martinez and a flyout from Verdugo ended the inning before Boston could push any more runs across.
It wasn’t until the eighth that the Red Sox put the game away. They struck for four runs during their penultimate turn at the plate and it even got to the point that Alex Cora sat Devers for his last at bat and let Bobby Dalbec make an appearance. Three straight hits from Martinez, Verdugo and Bogaerts sparked the onslaught, which didn’t end until the Sox had batted around and collected the four runs on six hits and a walk.
Meanwhile, Nick Pivetta cruised through seven innings without allowing a run and didn’t face much resistance from the Athletics lineup. Just three players reached base and only one got past second base as Pivetta made it through his day having thrown an even 100 pitches.
It was a no-nonsense outing for Pivetta against the lowly Athletics. He leaned heavily on the fastball to challenge hitters and, while it resulted in some hard contact, didn’t yield any damage. Maybe it’s just because the bullpen has been unreliable of late, but I love that Alex Cora let him roll through the A’s order three times. More often than not, I think if a guy is hot, you should let him rock. Worked out well tonight.
Elvis Andrus was the first Athletic to reach and he did so with two outs in the second. He doubled into the seemingly endless Oakland Colesium outfield, but Pivetta fanned Sean Murphy looking — his third strikeout of the inning — to neutralize the threat. Ramon Laureano doubled and took third on a stolen base in the fourth, but that’s as far as he got.
Tanner Houck relieved Pivetta and he gave up a single to Tony Kemp, who tried to score on an errant throw by Dalbec at third, but some good hustle allowed Franchy Cordero enough time to throw home and catch Kemp in between. He retreated to third but Vazquez still cut him down to end the inning. Houck made it through the eighth on just 13 pitches.
Hirokazu Sawamura took the ninth and had no trouble disposing of the middle of Oakland’s order.
With this win, the Red Sox improve to 26-27 and inch closer to that tantalizingly close .500 mark. They’ll send Rich Hill to the mound tomorrow afternoon for another 4:07 p.m. matinee against the Athletics.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 4, 2022 19:37:00 GMT -5
Nick Pivetta dominates (1.32 ERA past 6 starts), Boston Red Sox beat Athletics again Saturday Updated: Jun. 04, 2022, 8:26 p.m. | Published: Jun. 04, 2022, 7:15 p.m.
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
OAKLAND, Calif. — Nick Pivetta dominated with his fastball again Saturday.
The righty allowed just two hits in 7 scoreless innings to lead the Red Sox 8-0 over the Athletics here at RingCentral Coliseum.
Pivetta struck out seven and walked two.
He’s 5-1 with a 1.32 ERA (41 innings, six earned runs), 0.73 WHIP, .153 batting average against, 37 strikeouts and eight walks in his past six starts dating back to May 7.
Pivetta used his fastball 57% Saturday, averaging 94.1 mph and topping out at 96.1 mph, per Baseball Savant. He recorded six swings-and-misses with his 57 four-seam fastballs. He also mixed in 24 knuckle-curveballs (three swings-and-misses), 16 sliders (one swing-and-miss) and three changeups.
He has had heavy fastball usage this season. He entered using the pitch 50.5% of the time this season. He’s not throwing the pitch as hard as he did in previous seasons (velo was up Saturday) but he’s spotting it.
Red Sox offense explodes
The Red Sox took a 3-0 lead in the third. Trevor Story doubled to lead off the inning. Franchy Cordero walked, then Christian Vázquez doubled home Story.
Jarren Duran and Kiké Hernández both struck out with runners at second and third.
But Rafael Devers made sure the Red Sox didn’t squander a chance at a big inning. He came through with a two-out, two-run single to center field that made it 3-0.
Boston went 4-0 in the fourth inning. Alex Verdugo’ RBI double plated Xander Bogaerts who walked to begin the inning.
Boston added four runs in the eighth. The rally included an RBI single by Verdugo, an RBI double by Story and a two-run single by Cordero.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 4, 2022 19:37:59 GMT -5
Why is Boston Red Sox’s Nick Pivetta holding opponents .165 BAA with fastball? ‘It has more to do with my curveball’ Updated: Jun. 04, 2022, 8:36 p.m. | Published: Jun. 04, 2022, 8:33 p.m. Nick Pivetta
Red Sox's Nick Pivetta pitches against the Athletics during the sixth inning in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)AP By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
OAKLAND, Calif. — Athletics hitters went 1-for-12 against Nick Pivetta’s four-seam fastball Saturday.
Opponents are just 18-for-109 (.165 batting average) against Pivetta’s fastball this season.
The Red Sox beat the Athletics 8-0 here at RingCentral Coliseum behind Pivetta’s 7 shutout innings. He allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out seven.
The righty is 5-1 with a 1.32 ERA (41 innings, six earned runs), 0.73 WHIP, .153 batting average against, 37 strikeouts and eight walks in his past six starts dating back to May 7.
Why has his fastball been so effective? Is he just dotting it?
“I think it has more to do with my curveball,” Pivetta said. “I think my curveball command has gone up a lot more. I’ve used it (the curveball) a little bit more this year. So it allows my fastball to be properly executed at times. Keeps them off-balance. So as long as I slow them down with my curveball, I’m able to beat ‘em with my heater.”
His knuckle-curveball usage is slightly up this season at 28.1% (entering Saturday) compared to 23.7% last year.
Pivetta used his fastball 57% Saturday, averaging 94.1 mph and topping out at 96.1 mph, per Baseball Savant. He recorded six swings-and-misses with his 57 four-seam fastballs. He also mixed in 24 knuckle-curveballs (three swings-and-misses), 16 sliders (one swing-and-miss) and three changeups.
He has had heavy fastball usage this season. He entered Saturday using the pitch 50.5% of the time this season. He’s not throwing the pitch as hard as he did in previous seasons but he’s getting results obviously. Opponents batted .255 against his heater last year.
“I think last year he went to places with the fastball that were conducive to damage,” Cora said. “I think he turned the corner September, October. He understands where it plays and how to use it. The mix of pitches is very important. But he’s really good at what he does.”
Cora said Pivetta’s mechanics have been much more consistent in the past six starts.
“His timing was way off in spring training and earlier in the season,” Cora said. “He made some adjustments. Like I always say, his fastball plays regardless if it’s 95, 96 like it was today or 91. The extension and the carry is there and I think he’s been able to obviously use his secondary pitches. But everything starts with fastball command and he’s done an amazing job the last month.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 4, 2022 19:42:35 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 1h Story's OPS is up to .790, a high water mark for him this year. Ended April at .596.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 5, 2022 3:35:24 GMT -5
Pivetta's amazing turnaround continues June 4th, 2022 Sonja Chen
Sonja Chen @sonjamchen
OAKLAND -- Do you get déjà vu? Nick Pivetta just might.
The right-hander turned in a start that is not easily replicable on Saturday afternoon, shutting down the A's in seven innings to propel the Red Sox to an 8-0 victory and a series win.
But get this: Pivetta has one other career start against the A's, which came about a year ago. It was practically identical to his performance this weekend. Here are his final lines from each game:
July 4, 2021: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K June 4, 2022: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K
"It's hard to explain, right? Sometimes you've got the number of certain teams, and other teams, they kick your butt," manager Alex Cora said. "We had a feeling that he was going to have a good one. It's a very comfortable place to pitch, with the foul territory and all that, and he was able to attack."
It's not surprising to Pivetta. It's just part of the total resurgence he has experienced since a disappointing start to the season -- a stretch that feels increasingly distant each time Pivetta takes the mound.
Pivetta began 2022 by going 0-4 in his first five games. In just 20 2/3 innings, he surrendered 18 runs, all earned, for a 7.84 ERA.
He has looked like a completely different pitcher in the most recent five games entering Saturday.
Compared with the first half of his season, Pivetta's strikeouts are up, his walks are down and he has given the Red Sox the length they so desperately need given how unreliable their bullpen has been. All in all, Pivetta went 4-0, giving up just six runs in 34 innings for a 1.59 ERA in the five starts before Saturday's game.
And Pivetta added to that with his latest gem. He has now thrown six or more innings in each of his previous six starts, extending a career high. He is the first Red Sox pitcher to achieve that streak since 2019, when Rick Porcello tossed at least six innings in seven consecutive starts.
How often does a pitcher go from an 0-4 start to five straight wins?
Not often. Pivetta is the first starting pitcher to go 0-4 to open a season and then reach a 5-4 record since Ramon Ortiz and Mark Redman both did it in 2006. The last Red Sox pitcher to do it was Danny Darwin in 1993.
Even Pivetta can't really explain what has shifted from the beginning of the season to now.
"I don't know. I'm just going out there and having fun, playing baseball, just repeating what I've been doing more," he said. "I'm not trying to overanalyze it, I'm just trying to go out, compete, have fun, win baseball games -- that's all I really care about, and that's all I really want to do."
Cora points to fastball command as a key aspect of Pivetta's transformation. This year, Pivetta is throwing just over 50% of his pitches for fastballs, holding batters to a .175 average -- which is down significantly from the .255 mark in 2021. On Saturday, the right-hander threw his four-seamer 57 times, getting six whiffs and three strikeouts. Get the latest from the Red Sox
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While Pivetta agrees that his fastball has played well this year, he points to a different factor.
"I think it's more to do with my curveball," Pivetta said. "My curveball command's gone up a lot more, I've used it a little bit more this year, so it allows my fastball to be properly executed at times. It keeps them off-balance."
That certainly worked in his favor on Saturday -- Pivetta got his other four strikeouts on his knuckle curve.
Perhaps most importantly, the cavernous Oakland Coliseum helps play to Pivetta's strengths.
"It's a good mound, there's a lot of foul ground. I'm a fly-ball pitcher, so there's a lot of area on the outfield, and I just feel confident with my pitches," he said. "When I work in the zone, usually it allows me to get fly-ball outs."
Pivetta praised the work that his teammates put in on defense that allows him to be aggressive in the zone. As for the fielders? They're just happy to see Pivetta pitching like they've always known he can.
"I love to play behind him," third baseman Rafael Devers said through an interpreter. "We know the type of pitcher that he is, and he's showing it lately. I'm really happy for him, that things are starting to work out." Did you like this story?
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 5, 2022 3:38:39 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Even as a young Red Sox prospect, Xander Bogaerts made a lasting first impression on A’s pitcher Frankie Montas By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated June 4, 2022, 6:04 p.m.
OAKLAND, Calif. — When Oakland Athletics righthanded pitcher Frankie Montas first saw Xander Bogaerts, he knew the skinny kid from Aruba would be special.
Montas signed with the Red Sox in 2009 and played with Bogaerts in the Dominican Summer League in 2010. Seeing Bogaerts thrive now as the the all-time leader in games played for a Red Sox shortstop only affirmed what Montas initially thought of Bogaerts’s ability.
“We all knew what he was going to be from the first time we saw him,” Montas said before the Red Sox’ 8-0 shutout of the A’s Saturday afternoon. “The good thing about him is that he never gets down on his team.”
A three-time All-Star, a four-time Silver Slugger winner, and a two-time World Series champion, Bogaerts on Friday played in his 1,094th game at shortstop, a team record. Everett Scott set the old record in 1921.
Montas was involved in the Jake Peavy trade in 2013 that sent Montas to the White Sox. The acquisition of Peavy, who played a significant role on the mound, going 4-1 in 10 starts, ultimately helped guide the Red Sox to a World Series title.
Montas, meanwhile, bounced around a bit. He was traded to the Dodgers in 2015 before being traded to the Athletics the following year. In 2018, he finally found his footing with the club. He currently has a 3.20 ERA for the A’s in 11 starts, and he will draw the starting assignment in Sunday afternoon’s series finale.
As for his description of Bogaerts?
“He’s nasty, man. He’s nasty,” Montas said. Houck to close?
The Red Sox planned on using Tanner Houck to close Friday’s game, but when they stretched their lead to 7-2 in the ninth inning, manager Alex Cora went to Ryan Brasier instead to seal the win. Nonetheless, Houck getting hot in that situation was a game plan the Sox had not considered until that point. So, does the team see him as its closer?
Not quite.
“With Tanner [Friday], the game dictates what you do,” Cora said.
The Red Sox utilized Tyler Danish, Matt Strahm, and John Schreiber before Houck began warming up. Ideally, the Sox would like Houck in a multi-inning role, but the lackluster performance from the team’s bullpen means Houck, possibly, could be used as the closer in certain situations.
Saturday, Houck relieved Nick Pivetta in the eighth and recorded two strikeouts in a scoreless frame. Houck has not allowed a run in his last 12 innings pitched.
“[Friday] was a good pocket for Tanner, and physically he can handle it,” Cora said. “We know that. There are going to be certain days that we’re going to do that, others where we’re going to stay away from him, but he’s an option. And we know he’s a good one and he’s been very efficient out of the bullpen. His slider’s been playing a lot better the last few weeks. So, why not?” Sale getting closer
Chris Sale is getting closer, Cora said. The lefthander threw a 25-pitch bullpen session Saturday that went well, according to the team. The next step is for Sale to throw against hitters. Red Sox head athletic trainer Brad Pearson is flying to Fort Myers, Fla., to the team’s spring training complex, where he will meet with Sale to map out a plan.
“That’s a huge step for us,” Cora said. Barnes’s MRI normal
The MRI on Matt Barnes’s right shoulder came back normal, with the exception of some fluid around that area. Barnes will begin his rehab work in Fort Myers. Cora said the injury occurred as a result of Barnes trying to overcompensate for his lack of production (7.94 ERA in 17 innings). “He started doing all this [exercises], trying to get the velocity back,” Cora said. “Doing that and pitching doesn’t match. We’re pushing this guy to be the guy that we want him to be at the big league level doing different stuff and probably that was a setback.” The Red Sox hope he can rejoin the team after his 15-day stint on the injured list is up . . . Jackie Bradley Jr. and his wife, Erin, welcomed their third child, daughter Elle, on Friday.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 5, 2022 3:54:43 GMT -5
Red Sox notebook: Alex Cora says Xander Bogaerts can be called captain Bogaerts enjoying career-best season
By Jason Mastrodonato | jason.mastrodonato@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald PUBLISHED: June 4, 2022 at 8:17 p.m. | UPDATED: June 4, 2022 at 8:34 p.m.
The 2022 season is becoming the Xander Bogaerts goodbye-to-Boston tour.
At least it looks that way, as Bogaerts will likely opt out of his contract after the year.
Unfortunately for the Red Sox, who failed to sign him to a contract extension before the season, Bogaerts is enjoying a career-best season batting .330 and is adding his name to the history books in Boston, where he became the longest established shortstop in team history this weekend.
Saturday, Bogaerts started a franchise record 1,082nd game at shortstop for the Red Sox and surpassed Everett Scott’s mark that had stood since 1921.
For a franchise that has struggled to find consistent shortstop play since Nomar Garciparra was traded in 2004, Bogaerts has meant a lot to the club, which has won two World Series titles with him on the roster.
It’s been clear that Bogaerts is the leader of the clubhouse, too. He speaks four languages and connects with players of all backgrounds.
Manager Alex Cora was asked by reporters in Oakland on Sunday if he’d ever give Bogaerts a “C” on his jersey to denote him the captain. The Sox haven’t done that since Jason Varitek retired after the 2011 season.
“We got the captain,” Cora joked about Varitek, who is currently in the dugout as a quality control coach. “I played under two captains, (Varitek) and David Wright, I think was the captain of the Mets.
“I don’t know if we have to put a C on Xander’s jersey but everybody knows the consistency, the way he approaches the game, the ways he cares about winning, what he brings to the occasion, not only on the field but off the field. Sometimes I hate repeating things but I love repeating this: he’s the most consistent player and the most consistent person in our organization. Everybody knows he’s the one who takes care of people in that clubhouse, takes care of people on the field, takes care of the manager.”
Cora said he’s never considered officially naming Bogaerts the captain, but he’s happy to call him one.
“If you want to name him the captain without putting the C, you can go ahead and do it,” Cora told reporters. “In the end, when you talk about the guy in that clubhouse, yeah, Xander Bogaerts is the guy.” Duran makes his mark
As long as he’s in the big leagues, Jarren Duran is going to play.
The speedy outfield prospect made his second start of the season on Saturday, when he was Cora’s leadoff hitter while playing right field in place of Jackie Bradley Jr. while Bradley is on paternity leave. It’s unknown when Bradley will return, but Cora said Duran will play against right-handed starters.
“We’ll maximize his talent,” Cora said.
Duran is looking like a much different player this time around. He had one of the hardest hit balls of the day on Saturday, when he smoked a first-inning lineout to the shortstop with 106-mph exit velocity. He hit two more balls to the left side for a pair of singles.
That he’s hitting the ball the other way has impressed his manager.
“First pitch of the game he crushed it,” Cora told reporters. “You can tell he’s very dynamic. Seeing him around the bases is always good. He played solid right field today. He’s in a better place. The line drive to right, up the middle, we didn’t see that last year. He was hitting under the ball, a lot of fly balls. Now he’s on time and hitting the ball hard. That was good to see.”
Duran was hitting .314 with a .916 OPS in Triple-A Worcester before his call-up on Friday. Barnes likely back soon
An MRI on Matt Barnes right shoulder revealed nothing out of the ordinary.
Cora told reporters Barnes has some fluid in his shoulder, but it was relatively normal and Barnes would likely only miss the minimum 15 days. He as placed on the injured list retroactive to May 31.
“I think honestly what really happened is he started doing other stuff to try to get the velocity back, other kinds of exercises, whatever,” Cora said of Barnes, who has a 7.94 ERA this year. “We’re pushing this guy to be the guy we want him to be at the big league level, doing different stuff, and that was probably the setback.” Starting pitching rolling
After Nick Piveta’s seven-inning gem on Saturday, the Sox’ five primary starters have a 3.53 ERA this year. They haven’t allowed an earned run in the last four games while eating up 24-2/3 innings in the process.
“Obviously it’s a different era with the pitchers (not going deep usually), but we like starters going six, seven innings,” Cora said. “I think everybody in the game loves that. They’ve been doing a solid job giving us six innings. When they do that on a consistent basis, you get the matchups you like later on the game and maximize the bullpen. In the last month we’ve done an amazing job.”
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