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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2022 3:20:44 GMT -5
Welcome back, Christian: Arroyo mashes in return 1:15 AM ADT Henry Palattella
Henry Palattella @hellapalattella
CLEVELAND -- For nine days, Christian Arroyo waited.
On June 15, Arroyo was placed on the COVID IL. He isolated in Boston, went on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester and was activated prior to Boston’s Friday night tilt against the Guardians.
He made up for lost time Friday, going 3-for-4 and clubbing the go-ahead home run in Boston’s 6-3 win over the Guardians.
“I’m kind of used to the whole coming back from rehab thing,” Arroyo said. “The biggest thing is coming here and relaxing. Obviously one through nine, we all try to impact the game one way or another, so it’s just staying within yourself and keeping the line moving.”
Arroyo, who opened the scoring in his first at bat back when he was nicked on the arm by a Cal Quantrill pitch with the bases loaded in the second inning, launched a cutter from Bryan Shaw 405 feet into the Progressive Field bleachers in the seventh inning to stake Boston to a 4-2 lead.
With Xander Bogaerts given a routine day off, Arroyo, who played one inning with Cleveland in 2020, got the start at short, where he showed that the time off didn’t impact his glove either. In the third inning, Arroyo made an impressive sliding stop up the middle, tagging out Amed Rosario after he overran second base.
“He showed off the instincts to tag the runner there; he played a great short,” manager Alex Cora said. “It seemed like he was able to slow it down at the plate as well, and put a good swing on the ball on the homer. He brings energy every day, we like him a lot.”
On the mound, Nick Pivetta continued his strong June by scattering two runs over seven innings against a red-hot Guardians lineup. After loading the bases in the second inning (and subsequently giving up an RBI single to No. 9 hitter Myles Straw), Pivetta settled in, with his only other mistake being a home run to Andrés Giménez.
“I was staying ahead of them most of the night,” Pivetta said. “I had a couple of miscues, but I was able to attack the strike zone and it just went the way it went.”
Friday marked the eighth time in nine starts that Pivetta was able to go longer than six innings, and the seventh time he threw more than 95 pitches in a start.
“I think the consistency has helped me get comfortable in those situations, to prepare myself to go deeper in baseball games and have the right game planning,” he said.
An inning after Arroyo’s RBI hit-by-pitch opened the scoring, Rafael Devers smashed his 17th home run to give Boston a 2-1 lead. Those runs were the only damage Quantrill allowed, as the rest of Boston’s runs came against the Guardians’ vaunted bullpen. Despite Cleveland entering the game with the third-best bullpen ERA in baseball (2.94), the Sox were able to score four runs off Cleveland’s 'pen, with Rob Refsnyder and Alex Verdugo adding RBI doubles.
“They’re really good at what they do,” Cora said. “We put up good at-bats, and we controlled the at-bats the whole game.”
The Guardians threatened and loaded the bases with one out in the ninth inning against Tanner Houck, but Houck was able to walk the tightrope and retire Rosario and José Ramírez.
“They do that to a lot of teams, but [Houck] was able to make some good pitches,” Cora said. “You’ve got to give some credit to Christian Vazquez behind the plate. Tanner’s stuff is good … we were able to pitch to our game plan.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2022 3:22:47 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Arroyo reinstated June 24th, 2022
Keep track of the Red Sox’s recent transactions and injury updates throughout the season. LATEST NEWS
June 24: IF/OF Christian Arroyo reinstated from injured list The 27-year-old Arroyo had been on the COVID-19 related IL since June 15. Arroyo played in two rehab games for Triple-A Worcester, starting at designated hitter and shortstop. The right-handed hitter has played in 35 games for Boston this season, batting .187 (17-for-91) with three home runs and 10 RBIs while appearing in 15 games in right field, eight at shortstop, six at second base, two at first base and one at third. -- Henry Palattella
June 24: RHP Garrett Whitlock’s return pushed back; RHP Matt Barnes throws bullpen After Garrett Whitlock threw a simulated game on June 21, it looked as if he might make his return from the injured list on June 27 in Toronto. That won’t be the case, as Red Sox manager Alex Cora said June 24 that Whitlock will be “backing up” in his return. Whitlock is out with right hip inflammation.
“He won’t be available during this road trip, so we have to make adjustments on Monday,” Cora said. “It could be a bullpen day, depending on where we’re at with Tanner’s situation. He didn’t take steps back; just didn’t recover the way we wanted to. There was a good chance he could be in Toronto, but that’s not going to happen.”
Two pitchers are progressing in Florida as well, as Matt Barnes threw a bullpen on June 22, while Chris Sale is gearing up for a rehab start June 25. Cora also said that Kiké Hernández is feeling “better, but not great” and is back in Boston -- Henry Palattella
OF Kiké Hernández (right hip flexor strain) Expected return: Late June/early July Hernández's return is taking longer than expected, due to the veteran experiencing some discomfort when he swung the bat on June 21. On June 24, Alex Cora said that Hernández is back in Boston and is feeling “better, but not great.” -- Henry Palattella (Last updated: June 24)
RHP Nathan Eovaldi (low back inflammation) Expected return: Late June or early July While Eovaldi missed his initial eligibility return date of June 24, Cora said there’s a “good chance” that Eovaldi plays catch over the weekend. The ace is 4-2 with a 3.16 ERA in 12 starts this season. -- Henry Palattella (Last updated: June 24)
RHP Matt Barnes (right shoulder inflammation) Expected return: July Barnes threw a bullpen in Florida on June 22 as he embarks on his return from a right shoulder injury.
“Nothing there yet, but feeling better. He got on the mound, so now it’s a matter of seeing what we do in upcoming games,” Cora said. -- Henry Palattella (Last updated: June 24)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2022 3:25:08 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 5h BOS 6 CLE 3 Final
Red Sox are 40-31. Boston is the third team in the American League and the ninth team in #MLB to 40 wins. Comes despite a rancid 10-19 start.
Strong comeback as we enter the first summer weekend of 2022.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2022 3:27:05 GMT -5
Jon Couture @joncouture · 6h No matter the score, closer Tanner Houck sure does like to give the other team a shot. #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2022 3:35:03 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Red Sox scrap plans to activate Garrett Whitlock (hip soreness) for series in Toronto By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated June 24, 2022, 8:33 p.m.
CLEVELAND — The Red Sox were hoping to activate Garrett Whitlock from the injured list on Monday and start him against the Blue Jays in Toronto.
That plan was scrapped on Friday when Whitlock was unable to throw in the bullpen because of continued soreness in his right hip.
“He wasn’t feeling good. Not moving well,” manager Alex Cora said before Friday night’s 6-3 win over the Guardians. “It’s not that he took steps back, but he didn’t recover the way we wanted him to. We just have to be patient.”
Cora said the expectation is that Whitlock will not pitch on the road trip, which runs through July 3. The righthander last appeared in a game on June 7.
“You have good days and you have bad days,” Whitlock said. “You literally have to take it one day at a time. This [injury] is different because it’s not something you feel throwing.
“But you have to be careful because an injury in your lower body can cause you to alter your mechanics and then you’re dealing with something else.”
The more immediate issue is that the Sox need a starter for the first game of an important series.
One option appears to be Triple A righthander Connor Seabold. His start on Friday against Charlotte at Polar Park was limited to one inning and 21 pitches.
“We’re talking about it,” Cora said.
Seabold is 5-1 with 2.09 earned run average in 11 starts for the WooSox. He made his major league debut last season, starting one game.
A bullpen day is possible. But that would be more difficult with closer Tanner Houck set to go on the restricted list on Monday because he remains unvaccinated and cannot travel to Toronto.
Righthander Kutter Crawford, who has made two starts for the major league team, could have been an option. But he, too, isn’t vaccinated.
Injury updates
Chris Sale is scheduled to pitch two or three innings for the Florida Complex League Sox at 10 a.m. Saturday against the Twins at JetBlue Park. His pitch count will determine the length of the outing.
Sale pitched one inning for the FCL Sox on Monday. His third start could be for Double A Portland next week.
Nate Eovaldi, who has been on the injured list since June 9 with lower back inflammation, is feeling better and will start playing catch this weekend.
Matt Barnes threw in the bullpen in Florida on Wednesday according to Cora. He’s recovering from shoulder soreness.
Kiké Hernández, who has a hip flexor strain, is “feeling better but not great” per Cora. He has not yet started baseball activities and remained in Boston. Take some time
Xander Bogaerts was out of the lineup for the first time since Game 2 of a doubleheader on June 10. With the team off Thursday, Cora wanted to put two days in a row together … Rookie Josh Winckowski is set to face Shane Bieber on Saturday. The 23-year-old righthander allowed two earned runs over 11 2/3 innings in his last two starts. “We feel like the kids who we call up come up here and compete,” Cora said. “He’s using the cutter and understanding the changeup has to be part of the repertoire every night.” Winckowski is a groundball pitcher, something the Sox are more comfortable with this season with their improved infield defense … Cora took the lineup card to home plate before the game and hugged Guardians bench coach DeMarlo Hale, a Red Sox coach from 2006-11. Cora played with the Sox from 2005-08 and got to know Hale well.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2022 3:36:44 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 6h Tonight is the 6th time Nick Pivetta has gone at least 7 innings and allowed 2 or fewer ER.
Sox open a nine-game trip with their fifth consecutive win. They have won 10 of 12 and are 30-12 since May 10.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2022 3:38:44 GMT -5
Katie Morrison @katiemo61 · 6h No official word on whether Seabold will be pitching on Monday for the Red Sox, but WooSox manager Chad Tracy said the Sox asked him to limit Seabold to one inning today.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2022 3:52:31 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Guardians Saturday, 25th June 2022 6pm @ The Jake
Winckowski 2-1/3.69
Bieber 3-3/3.00
Boston Red Sox vs. Cleveland Guardians Saturday, June 25, 2022 at 6:10pm EDT Written by David Delano
Two teams that got off to slow starts before catching fire will meet Saturday when the Cleveland Guardians (36-30) host the Boston Red Sox (40-31). Boston took the opener of this three-game series 6-3 on Friday.
Reds win 5th straight The Red Sox are on a five-game winning streak after Friday's win. The Red Sox got off to a sluggish 14-22 start this season but have gone 26-9 since, putting them third in the AL East, 12 games behind the Yankees, but only a half-game behind Toronto. The Red Sox collected 13 hits on Friday but went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
Josh Winckowski, a 23-year-old right-handed native of Toledo, Ohio will make the fourth start of this career when he takes on Cleveland. The rookie is 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA. In the minors, Winckowski went 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA in nine starts.
The Red Sox offense is seventh averaging 4.8 runs per game. Trevor Story (.228 AVG, 11 HR, 48 RBI, 9 SB) and Rafael Devers (.331 AVG, 17 HR, 44 RBI) have been the top run producers.
Bieber looks to lead Guardians bounce back The Guardians have worked their way up to first in the AL Central, tied with the Twins. After starting 18-23, Cleveland is 18-7 in their last 25 games. The Guardians have won eight of their last 11 games but now find themselves on a two-game losing streak. In the ninth inning, Cleveland scored one run and loaded the bases with one out, before Ahmed Rosario struck out, and Jose Ramirez grounded out to end the game.
Ramirez is one of the best and also most underrated players in the game, leading Cleveland with a. 301 batting average, 16 home runs, 62 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. The Cleveland offense overall is 11th in MLB averaging 4.6 runs per game.
Shae Bieber will make his 14th start on Saturday. The 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner is 3-3 with a 3.00 ERA this season. Bieber has not faced Boston since 2019, but in four career starts against them is 2-2 with a 6.95 ERA.
Red Sox at Guardians Saturday, at 6:10 PM EST Partly Cloudy According to Forecast.io, it's expected to be 86° F with a 0% chance of precipitation and 3 MPH wind blowing right to left in Cleveland at 6:10 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com Forecast.io
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2022 9:17:27 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 1h With the Red Sox win last night their playoff odds hit 76%, their high water mark for the season. Previous best was 74% on opening day, and they bottomed out at 19% on May 15th.
33 games in 39 days between now and the trade deadline inc. 6 v CLE, 6 v TOR, 7 v TB, 7 v NYY.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2022 9:18:42 GMT -5
High-flying Guardians, Red Sox to clash in Cleveland FLM
The Boston Red Sox put the clamps on the host Cleveland Guardians in the first game of their three-game set on Friday, 6-3.
With the way the Red Sox pound the ball, if they keep getting starting pitching like they did from Nick Pivetta on Friday, they are going to be tough to beat all season. It was his eighth win in his past nine starts.
Boston will come back with right-hander Josh Winckowski (2-1, 3.68 ERA) on Saturday. He will be making his first career appearance against Cleveland.
The Guardians, tied for first in the American League Central with the Minnesota Twins, will counter with right-hander Shane Bieber (3-3, 3.00). In four career appearances (three starts) against Boston, he's 2-2 with a 6.95 ERA.
The Red Sox banged out 12 hits on Friday, with Christian Arroyo going 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs. Rafael Devers also went deep and Alex Verdugo and Trevor Story each had two hits.
Boston manager Alex Cora's club has won five in a row and 17 of its last 21.
"We have to keep rolling," he said. "We got to keep going. Every series for us is a challenge and it's because of the way we started.
"We know where we are in the standings. We put ourselves in a situation that we're in the conversation now. We just have to keep getting better."
Cleveland loaded the bases against Red Sox closer Tanner Houck in the ninth inning on Friday but was unable to produce any late-inning magic. All-Star Jose Ramirez grounded out to end the game.
"I'll take my chances with Jose up there," Guardians manager Terry Francona said.
Andres Gimenez was 3-for-4 with his eighth homer. He raised his batting average to .314 and is making a push for the All-Star team.
Steven Kwan, Amed Rosario and Franmil Reyes each added two hits apiece in the Guardians' 12-hit attack.
Despite dropping back-to-back games, the Guardians have won eight of their past 11 and 17 of the past 23 games.
Like Boston, they rely heavily on their starting rotation, four of whom are home-grown: Bieber, Aaron Civale, Triston McKenzie and Zach Plesac.
"Those four guys came up through our system," Cleveland pitching coach Carl Willis said. "They watched each other evolve from Class A.
"Our guys do a tremendous job supporting each other. They are learning a little from each other."
Cal Quantrill is the only starting pitcher not drafted by the Guardians. He was acquired in a trade with the San Diego Padres.
"They are good and they are competitive," Francona said. "We're fortunate and we know that."
Despite a dozen hits on Friday, they could not break through against the Red Sox.
"We couldn't get a bit hit when we needed it," Francona said.
Reliver Yohan Ramirez made his Cleveland debut against the Red Sox. The right-hander pitched two innings and allowed three hits, one run and one walk. He struck out one.
"He was a little erratic," Francona said. "He has a good arm. He has to harness it and command a little better."
--Field Level Media
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Jun 25, 2022 12:25:08 GMT -5
Sox medical staff and the Analytic staff are just garbagePete Abraham @peteabe · 49m
Whitlock will not be ready for Toronto. Sox TBA for Monday.
Doesn’t sound like Kiké Hernández is close, either.
Cora in Whitlock: “He wasn’t feeling good. Not moving well ... It’s not that he took steps back. But he didn’t recover the way we wanted him to. We just have to be patient.”
Sox are now considering a bullpen game, but Cora acknowledged that will be more difficult without Houck on the roster. Our analytics crew might be the best in baseball. There is little that we've done wrong over the past two years.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2022 12:47:00 GMT -5
Game 72: Red Sox at Guardians lineups and notesBy Amin Touri Globe Staff,Updated June 25, 2022, 3 minutes ago The Red Sox are making these winning streaks something of a habit, and they can extend their run to six in a row for the third time this season — all at least partly within the last month — in Cleveland on Saturday. Rookie righthander Josh Winckowski has bounced back from his rocky debut with two strong outings in wins over the Athletics and the Tigers, and he’ll make his first career start against the Guardians with a chance to lock up Boston’s seventh consecutive series win. Former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber is on the hill for the hosts, boasting little success against the Sox; the two-time All-Star has a 6.95 ERA in four career appearances against Boston. Lineups RED SOX (40-31): 1. Jarren Duran (L) 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. Bobby Dalbec (R) 1B 8. Jackie Bradley Jr. (L) RF 9. Kevin Plawecki (R) C Pitching: RHP Josh Winckowski (2-1, 3.68 ERA) GUARDIANS (36-30): 1. Steven Kwan (L) RF 2. Amed Rosario (R) SS 3. Jose Ramirez (S) 3B 4. Franmil Reyes (R) DH 5. Andres Gimenez (L) 2B 6. Owen Miller (R) 1B 7. Richie Palacios (L) LF 8. Austin Hedges (R) C 9. Myles Straw (R) CF Pitching: RHP Shane Bieber (3-3, 3.00 ERA) Time: 6:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Red Sox vs. Bieber: Bogaerts 3-8, Bradley Jr. 1-6, Devers 3-8, Martinez 1-10, Refsnyder 1-2, Vázquez 4-5 Guardians vs. Winckowski: Has not faced any Cleveland batters Stat of the day: The Red Sox are a season-high nine games above .500 entering the weekend. Notes: Nick Pivetta picked up his eighth win in his past nine starts on Saturday ... The current five-game win streak has the Sox at 17-4 over their 21 contests in June, the second-best record in the AL and third-best in MLB this month, but they’re still 12 games behind the red-hot Yankees ... Despite dropping back-to-back games, the Guardians have won eight of their past 11 and 17 of the last 23 ... The Sox lead the majors in doubles (168) and lead the AL in batting average (.259), hits (634), and extra-base hits (243) ... They rank second in the AL in runs (339) and 3rd in OPS (.738) and total bases (1,021). Song of the Day: The Edgar Winter Group - Free Ridewww.youtube.com/watch?v=nIBOG8BRcdY
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Jun 25, 2022 17:28:38 GMT -5
The schedule starts to get a little tougher starting tomorrow and soon get really arduous with the Sox having to take on the tough teams in the division.......New York, Toronto and Tampa Bay, not necessarily in that order but tough no matter how you look at it. Cleveland mirrors the Boston in that both started slow and are not playing good ball. The Guardians are not the A's, Mariners, or Tigers. The Red Sox have to play solid baseball to prevail in the first of our tough matchups starting tomorrow. A lot will depend on how far we can go in the next two or three weeks.
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It was a good win last night, on the road against a hot team. If we can split the next two, we can leave happy.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2022 19:20:09 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 6h Alex Cora suggested yesterday that Chris Sale could work into a 3rd inning and he did today in Ft. Myers:
2.2 IP 3 H 0 R 0 BB 6 K 1 HBP
No pitch count in the boxscore as of yet.
36 pitches, 27 strikes for Sale.
If Sale stays on turn, he would pitch again Thursday, presumably at a higher level.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2022 19:20:38 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 3h Sale will throw his bullpen in Florida and join Portland for his next start, presumably Thursday ... Connor Seabold is here on the taxi squad and will either start or be the bulk guy after an opener on Monday ... Nate Eovaldi played catch and has made good progress in recent days
Also, James Norwood cleared waivers and was outrighted to AAA. So that went to plan.
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