Red Sox @ Guardians Game Thread/ 24th-26th June 2022

Injuries & Moves: Downs back to Triple-A
June 23rd, 2022

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Keep track of the Red Sox’s recent transactions and injury updates throughout the season.
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June 23: IF Jeter Downs optioned to Triple-A Worcester
After an eventful MLB debut on Wednesday, Downs was sent back down to Worcester, but not before showing flashes of his promise. Downs went 0-for-4 but hit a flyout to the warning track, and he played solidly at third base in his first professional action at the position. He also attracted "Let's go Jeter" chants, a surreal moment at Fenway Park.

Downs, Boston's No. 5 prospect, has hit .180 in 53 games for Worcester this season, albeit with 11 homers and 11 steals.

June 22: OF Kiké Hernández stalled by hip injury
The Red Sox were hoping to send Hernández (right hip flexor strain) on a Minor League rehab assignment, but they've instead had to slow him down. Hernández felt some discomfort swinging the bat on Tuesday, and he has backed off all baseball activities the past two days. When the Red Sox go to Cleveland this weekend, Hernández might have to stay at Fenway with the team's medical staff rather than playing in the Minors. That puts him in jeopardy of missing the three-game series that starts in Toronto on June 27, which is relevant because manager Alex Cora revealed on Wednesday that Jarren Duran is not vaccinated and won't be eligible to play in that series. Duran has been filling in for Hernández both at leadoff and center field.

“Nothing [new] today," Cora said. "Better, but not what we expected, so let’s see where it takes us now. We were hoping that today, [Hernández ] was going to go out there and move around and swing the bat, but it hasn’t happened, so this slows him down. Now, we’ve just got to see what’s the next thing, if it’s treatment or just staying here during the weekend, and I think everything backs up now compared to where we were a few days ago.” -- Ian Browne

June 22: INF/OF Christian Arroyo should be activated Friday
One thing that should help the Red Sox from a depth standpoint will be the return of Arroyo, who should return from the COVID-19-related IL by Friday when Boston starts a three-game series in Cleveland. Arroyo went 0-for-3 as the designated hitter in a rehab assignment for Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday. He led off and played shortstop on Wednesday. -- Ian Browne

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According to Forecast.io, it's expected to be 80° F with a 0% chance of precipitation and 4 MPH wind blowing in Cleveland at 7:10 PM EST.
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SP Probables

Saturday..6pm..Winckowski 2-1/3.68 vs Bieber 3-3/3.07

Sunday...1:30....Hill 3-4/4.50 vs Civale 2-3/7.25

Jarren Duran providing a spark the Red Sox have been missing out of the leadoff spot
Red Sox look like a new offense with Duran at the top


By Jason Mastrodonato | jason.mastrodonato@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald
June 24, 2022 at 4:53 a.m.

When the Red Sox aren’t playing well, Xander Bogaerts usually knows why.

“We need to score first and give the pitchers some breathing room,” he said in early May, and says often when the Sox are in an extended slump.

Scoring first in baseball matters more than we often think. Bogaerts’ reasoning is simple: the starting pitchers don’t feel the pressure.

The Red Sox are 29-16 (.644) when they score first and 10-15 (.400) when they don’t.

Finding a leadoff hitter who is getting on base is Step 1, and the Red Sox have struggled in that regard for most of the season. They have a .291 on-base percentage out of the leadoff spot, ranking No. 26 in baseball. The only teams behind them are four of the worst teams in the big leagues: The A’s, Tigers, Reds and Royals.

The Mets and Dodgers, two of the best teams in baseball, rank No. 1 and 2 in that regard.

The Red Sox have largely failed at finding anyone who can do the job, but Jarren Duran has started to flip the script.

Monday night, he drew a leadoff walk, stole second base and scored on a J.D. Martinez single to put the Red Sox ahead, 1-0. They held on to win 5-2.

Tuesday, Duran led off the game with an infield single, used his legs to go first to third on a Rafael Devers single to right field and scored on a sacrifice fly by Martinez to tie the game, 1-1, going into the second inning. They surged ahead on a Trevor Story homer and eventually won, 5-4.

With game-changing speed that ranks in the 93rd percentile among big leaguers, all Duran needs to do is reach first base and there’s a good chance he’s going to score.

“The walk and stolen base right away puts pressure on the opposition,” manager Alex Cora said. “He’s in a good place offensively. Compared to last year, much better. I know everybody got caught up in the home runs but that’s not who he is. He’s a line drive hitter that will hit for occasional homers, or power, whatever you want to call it. But controlling the strike zone and going the other way and putting pressure on the opposition, that’s who he is.”

If he can do it well, the Red Sox lineup is about to look a whole lot different.

They haven’t had a speedy regular in the leadoff spot since Mookie Betts, who stole 30 bases out of the leadoff spot in 2018, and before him, Jacoby Ellsbury, who stole 52 bases leading off in 2013.

The Red Sox won the World Series both years.

Last year, Hernandez was a more impactful player while hitting leadoff. But he’s currently on the injured list with a right hip flexor strain and is having his worst offensive season since 2016. His .273 on-base percentage wouldn’t be a problem if he was batting ninth and playing Gold Glove defense. It’s been tough to stomach out of the leadoff spot.

Cora tried Story there for a while, but that didn’t look right either. Story now ranks fifth in the AL with 48 RBI, largely accumulated while batting sixth.

They’d love it if Duran was the answer. He’s hitting .297 with a .366 OBP in 10 games this year. More importantly, he’s scored eight runs and gone 2-for-2 in stolen base attempts. Even when he’s not running, opposing defenders have to rush their throws — Javier Baez made a throwing error doing just that on Wednesday — and pitchers have to pay attention to him.

“They get quicker to the plate,” Cora said. But Duran hasn’t stolen many bases because “it’s not easy to come here (from the minors) and get the green light and just go. … We’ve been very efficient as far as stealing bases but the guy behind him (Devers) has a lot to do with what we try to do sometimes.

“If Devers hits one in the gap, Duran is going to score. He’s in scoring position at first base. There are certain situations we want him to run but others we’d rather stay away from that, knowing those two guys behind him are really good at what they do.”

All Duran has to do is reach first base and he’s going to make things happen, either stealing second, going first to third or putting pressure on the pitcher.

“Just getting on base for the big guys, letting J.D. rack in the RBIs and getting on base for Devers,” Duran said. “It’s all I want to do for those guys, just get on and let them drive me in.”

The pressure to be a good teammate has often stopped him from stealing bases, though.

“I think last year I had this fear that I didn’t want to get thrown out to take RBIs away from J.D. and Raffy,” he said. “I remember J.D. saying, ‘if I had your speed, I’d be running all the time.’ So it gave me, like, ‘alright, I guess I’ll run a little bit.’

“Just trying to do my best, pick the right times, not be dumb running and take off because I think I’m fast. Just picking my right spots.”

Cora said Duran has the green light unless they specifically tell him not to run, which they’re often doing. It all depends on the matchup on the mound.

Hernandez is due back soon, and Duran will miss the series in Toronto starting on Monday because he’s not vaccinated. The Sox will also be without closer Tanner Houck for the same reason.

When Hernandez comes back, the Sox could platoon him with Duran, or let Duran take some playing time from Jackie Bradley Jr. in right field, but it’s most likely that Duran gets sent back to the minors for everyday reps.

“It won’t be hard to go back,” Duran said. “Kiké is a stud. Christian Arroyo is a stud. They’ve done what they’ve done up here and deserve to come back and play.

“I’ll just keep doing my role when they need me. That’s all I can ask for, whenever I get my chance to help them win.”

One way or another, Duran will be back. The Sox offense is much more dynamic with a speedy leadoff man who is getting on base.

This Red Sox-Guardians series has a great managerial angle to it, and other thoughts
By Dan Shaughnessy Globe Staff,Updated June 24, 2022, 1 hour ago

Picked-up pieces while kicking off summer with a bucket of whole-belly fried clams …

▪ Red Sox vs. Guardians in Cleveland this weekend means a chance to see perhaps the two best managers in baseball — probably the two best managers in Red Sox history — going head-to-head for three days.

Hyperbole? Maybe. But name a current manager who consistently does a better job than Terry Francona and Alex Cora. And does anyone think Dick Williams, Joe Cronin, or Bill Carrigan could deal with today’s analytics geeks, stubborn/entitled (anti-vax) ballplayers, and nonstop media obligations that are part of the daily, skull-imploding Boston baseball experience?


If you are a Sox fan, you should be glad that management brought Cora back after a year in MLB jail for his role in the Houston Astros cheating scandal. The Sox finished in last place the year Cora was gone. In his other three seasons, Cora went 108-54, 84-78, and 92-70, winning one World Series and getting within two wins of another Fall Classic last October.


In 2022, Cora has his team back in playoff contention after one of the worst starts in franchise history. After their 10-19 start, the Sox went 29-12. They arrived in Cleveland with a 16-4 June record, beating a succession of Tomato Cans, but also taking two of three at home against the Cardinals, a series that made one think the ‘22 Sox might be legitimate after all.

Cora is a big reason. And he learned from the best, playing four of his 16 big league seasons in Boston under Francona.

“I don’t want him to win three games against us, but I’m one of his biggest fans,” Francona said before the start of the Red Sox-Guardians series. “People always ask me if I thought this guy or that guy was going to be a manager someday. You don’t know because you’re trying to find ways to win games. I knew Alex was a great teammate. He was ultra-intelligent on seeing the game. I was probably harder on him than a lot of other guys because of that.


“Look at the way he handled things with [Dustin] Pedroia in 2007 when Pedey got off so slow and Alex was hitting like .330. Alex helped Pedey. That spoke volumes with me.”

Francona managed eight seasons in Boston, averaging 93 wins per year, making the playoffs five times, and winning two World Series. He never managed a Fenway game that was not a sellout. He handled the media, needy owners, and a cast of egomaniacs including Manny Ramírez, David Ortiz, Curt Schilling, and David Wells. Sox seasons age a manager in dog years. Francona knows what it must be like for Cora today.

“It’s a different place, and you’d better acknowledge that,” said Tito, now in his 10th season in Cleveland. “I don’t think I could do it in Boston anymore. You’ve got to be young and you’ve got to have some energy. You’d better bring it every day. I really respect how Alex goes about it.”

Dave Roberts (Dodgers), Gabe Kapler (Giants), Kevin Cash (Rays), Rocco Baldelli (Twins), David Ross (Cubs), and Mark Kotsay (A’s) are other big league managers who served as bench players for Francona in Boston. Bench players — Francona was one when he played in the majors — often see things that the stars don’t notice.


“Bench players see stuff,” said Francona. “Buddy Bell” — a five time-All Star — “used to ask me about it, and I’d say, ‘Buddy, you’re out there playing third base. I’m sitting here watching the game.’ And Alex was always like that. He was always seeing the game. He is extremely quick. His baseball clock is really good.”

Francona and Cora. The two best to ever work in the Red Sox dugout.

▪ Quiz: Name the six Red Sox who’ve won the Rookie of the Year award (answer below).

▪ Can’t wait to see the Yankees up close and personal in two weeks. The Red Sox haven’t seen the Pinstripes since going 1-2 in the Bronx to start this season. The Yankees’ 70-game start (52-18) is third-best in franchise history and matches the third-best start after 70 games by any big league team in the past 93 years. The 1927 Yankees, who started 50-20, finished 110-44, a .714 winning percentage.

▪ Hard to keep track of the retirements and comebacks of Rob Gronkowski, Tom Brady, and Julian Edelman.

▪ What is up with the Red Sox pushing Manny’s Redemption Tour? I had a front-row seat when Ramírez blatantly quit on the Sox in the summer of 2008 (Manny freely admits this) and got himself traded to the Dodgers.

Francona still says those ‘08 Sox might have been his best team, but they were beaten by Tampa Bay in a seven-game ALCS. Manny went on to hit .396 with 17 homers and 53 RBIs in 53 games for the 2008 Dodgers. Think he would have made a difference here? Instead, he quit on you and probably cost you a championship.


Then we learned of his three positive PED tests. Now he’s in the Red Sox Hall of Fame and the Red Sox love him — even though he was Kyrie Irving when he left here.

▪ Couldn’t resist emailing Hall of Famer Jim Palmer after Nate Eovaldi gave up five homers to the Astros May 17. I remembered Palmer giving up five to the 1977 Red Sox at Memorial Stadium. I suggested that one might have been knocked over the wall by an Oriole outfielder and Palmer replied, “Yes. Tip-in by Pat Kelly.

“I had a four-hitter going into the ninth. Three homers. I tell Earl [Weaver] I’m exhausted. He says, ‘If you think I’m relieving you with Dick [expletive] Drago, you’re crazy.’

“Rice hits a bloop double down the left field line. Fisk hits a high fly ball to left and Kelly catches it, stumbles and it goes out of his glove for a two-run homer. Hobson hits another dinger and I get the loss, but it’s one of my 211 complete games.”

The estimable Bob Ryan covered this game for the Globe and it serves as a great chapter in Ryan’s fabulous new book, “In Scoring Position.”


When I asked Palmer if it was OK to publish his response to my question, he answered in the affirmative, adding, “I trusted Dick Drago. Earl didn’t.”

▪ Don’t know about you, but I am super-geeked for Army-Navy football at Gillette on Dec. 9, 2023. This is one of America’s great sporting events and it’ll be the first time it’s ever been played in New England. Bill Belichick loves the Army-Navy game the way the rest of us love good food.

▪ Also happy about the return of Pat Patriot helmets with the (occasional) resurrection of throwback uniforms in 2022.

▪ According to the Wall Street Journal, Cowboy owner and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Jones’s $1.1 billion investment in natural gas four years ago is now worth $2.7 billion.

▪ Since we are constantly told that NFL owners are held to a higher standard, and since NFL players are routinely punished when there is no criminal conviction, I wonder how Bob Kraft avoided Roger Goodell’s hammer after Kraft’s lawyers broomed his Orchids of Asia charges.

▪ Team-killer Kyrie can opt out of his Nets contract and become a free agent at the end of the month. If things don’t work out with Brooklyn, I’m guessing Kyrie gets the band back together with LeBron. The Clippers and Knicks are other possibilities.

▪ Hope you noticed that J.R. Smith — who played with Kyrie and LeBron when they won the NBA championship in Cleveland — played college golf at North Carolina A&T this spring and was named the school’s academic athlete of the year. Smith is 36 and his GPA was 4.0. Well done.
Former NBA player J.R. Smith hit the links for North Carolina A&T.
Former NBA player J.R. Smith hit the links for North Carolina A&T.Gerry Broome/Associated Press

▪ Pick up a copy of “Fighting for Survival: My Journey through Boxing Fame, Abuse, Murder, and Resurrection,” by Christy Martin with Ron Borges.

▪ Check out the glamping trailers behind the Verb Hotel adjacent to Van Ness Street in the shadow of Fenway Park. It would make for a sweet commute for Red Sox September call-ups.

▪ RIP Lennie Rosenbluth, who died last weekend at the age of 89. At 6-5, Rosenbluth was the star center for North Carolina’s 1957 NCAA champs. Those Tar Heels beat Wilt Chamberlain’s Kansas Jayhawks, 54-53, in triple overtime. Chamberlain averaged 30 that season but was held to 23 by Rosenbluth in the championship final.

▪ All four 2022 state champion coaches in Massachusetts high school girls’ lacrosse have connections to former Westwood coach Leslie Frank. Margot Spatola (Westwood), Meredith Frank McGinnis (Notre Dame), Mary Laughna (Medfield), and Erin Massimi (Dover-Sherborn) all either played for or coached with Frank, an eight-time state champion coach at Westwood.

▪ Quiz answer: Walt Dropo, Don Schwall, Carlton Fisk, Fred Lynn, Nomar Garciaparra, Dustin Pedroia