|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 12, 2022 16:10:29 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo @chriscotillo · 6m Cora says Kiké will see a specialist later this week. Red Sox want to see if there's something they're missing. But this is a setback.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 12, 2022 16:44:49 GMT -5
Chris Sale pitches 5 scoreless innings for Red Sox in 2022 debut Updated: Jul. 12, 2022, 9:21 p.m. | Published: Jul. 12, 2022, 9:08 p.m.
By Matt Vautour | mvautour@masslive.com
As he entered the dugout, Chris Sale got a hug from Alex Cora and a hug from just about everyone else, Tuesday at Tropicana Field.
In his first start in the majors in 2022, the Red Sox once and perhaps future ace threw five scoreless innings and left eligible for a win with Boston leading the Rays 2-0 in a game that will impact that Wild Card race.
Ryan Brasier and Matt Strahm gave away that lead in the sixth.
Sale missed the first three months of the season with a fracture to his rib cage. He’s now in his second season after Tommy John surgery. He made two rehab assignments, one each for the Portland Sea Dogs and Worcester Red Sox, before returning.
Sale, who struggled with his control walking five batters in his rehab start last week with the WooSox, seemed to fix the issue. He allowed three hits and walked just one — Yandy Diaz on a close pitch in the third - while striking out five.
He was slated to throw about 85 pitches coming in. Sale finished with 78 after (53 for strikes) five innings. His best inning was the fifth with two strikeouts and a ground out.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 13, 2022 2:01:13 GMT -5
Chris Sale goes 5 shutout innings but Boston Red Sox throw away game, lose, 3-2, to Rays; Trevor Story, Matt Strahm hurt Updated: Jul. 12, 2022, 11:14 p.m. | Published: Jul. 12, 2022, 9:59 p.m.
By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Somehow, Chris Sale’s strong 2022 debut was overshadowed by a game that turned into a circus under the big top at Tropicana Field on Tuesday night.
Sale pitched five scoreless innings in a game that featured two key Red Sox (Trevor Story and Matt Strahm) departing with injuries and sloppy defensive play and baserunning killing Boston late. The Rays tagged Boston’s bullpen for three runs in the sixth inning and won, 3-2, as the Red Sox dropped their sixth game in eight tries and fell to 47-41.
At the beginning, Sale’s return was the story. He looked like the old version of himself, holding Tampa Bay to three hits while striking out four batters and flashing a fastball that reached 97 mph. Sale dueled with Rays righty Corey Kluber, who didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning and struck out seven in six frames.
Boston’s offense finally broke through in the fifth, though it came at a price. Alex Verdugo singled, then Story got hit with a Kluber pitch he swung at and immediately went down in pain. Story left the game with what the team called a hand contusion; he’ll have X-rays after the game. Jeter Downs pinch-hit for him and singled before Franchy Cordero laid down a safety squeeze that netted the game’s first run. Bobby Dalbec laced an RBI triple into center, past the outstretched glove of Brett Phillips, to make it 2-0.
For the second straight night, the Red Sox’ bullpen got into trouble immediately. Righty Ryan Brasier allowed a leadoff single and issued a walk to put two runners on with two outs in the sixth. He was replaced by lefty Matt Strahm, who promptly allowed an RBI single to Francisco Mejía. Then, the wheels fell off.
Taylor Walls lined a comebacker off Strahm, who tried to throw to first for the final out of the inning but threw the ball away. Once Cordero gathered it, he decided to throw home but his throw got away from Christian Vázquez. The disastrous play, which included two errors, scored two Rays runs and gave them a 3-2 lead. But that wasn’t the end of the Red Sox’ debauchery. In the top of the seventh, after an Alex Verdugo double and Downs single, the Sox had runners on the corners with no outs. But Mejía picked Verdugo off third for the first out of the inning and Jalen Beeks escaped unscathed.
The double-error disaster seemed to take the life out of Boston’s offense. The Sox went down in order in the eighth against Beeks and Brooks Raley worked around a two-out walk to record the save in the ninth.
The Red Sox are now 11-22 against the American League East and will remain winless in 10 series against divisional opponents after dropping their first two games of the series at the Trop. After going 19-4 to start June, they’re 5-10 in their last 15 games. Boston is now 12-14 in one-run games.
Story, Strahm await X-rays
The Red Sox said Story left the game with a right hand contusion. Strahm suffered a left wrist contusion. Both players were at a local hospital undergoing X-rays after the game.
Sale shows flashes
Sale saw little trouble in his five scoreless frames, as only two Rays hitters reached second base against him. His fastball, which he threw 32 times, averaged 95.1 mph and maxed out at 96.9 mph. He threw 53 of his 78 pitches (67.9%) for strikes.
Sale’s next start is scheduled for Sunday afternoon against the Yankees in the Bronx.
Winckowski goes Wednesday
Florida native Josh Winckowski (3-3, 4.35 ERA) will pitch in his home state for the first time as a big leaguer Wednesday night as the Red Sox look to snap a two-game skid. Rays ace Shane McClanahan (9-3, 1.73 ERA) will start. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m ET.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 13, 2022 2:02:18 GMT -5
Trevor Story injury: Boston Red Sox second baseman leaves game with right hand contusion after being hit with pitch Updated: Jul. 12, 2022, 11:34 p.m. | Published: Jul. 12, 2022, 8:41 p.m.
By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Red Sox were just starting to get healthy again. They’re now hoping second baseman Trevor Story will avoid missing time.
Story left Tuesday’s game against the Rays after getting hit in the right hand with a Corey Kluber pitch in the fifth inning. Story swung at a 3-1 pitch -- an 89 mph sinker -- and made contact with his hand instead of his bat. The ball hit Story right in the fingers and was ruled a foul ball.
Story suffered a right hand contusion, according to a team spokesperson. He went to a local hospital to have X-rays along with lefty reliever Matt Strahm, who suffered a left wrist contusion when he was hit by a comebacker in the sixth inning.
Manager Alex Cora and a team trainer came out to talk to Story, who looked to be in serious pain as his hand was examined. After a couple minutes, he came out of the game and was replaced by pinch-hitter Jeter Downs. Story missing any sort of time would be significant for a banged-up Red Sox team that currently has 11 players on the injured list (and just activated Chris Sale on Tuesday afternoon).
Story is hitting just .222 this year but has 15 homers and 58 RBIs while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense at second base and running the bases well. Downs, who was called up Saturday to replace the injured Christian Arroyo, is the top depth option available with Arroyo sidelined. Yolmer Sánchez and Ryan Fitzgerald are two options at Triple-A Worcester.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 13, 2022 2:03:30 GMT -5
Red Sox injuries: Trevor Story, Matt Strahm getting X-rays at local hospital after getting drilled with baseballs in ugly loss Published: Jul. 12, 2022, 11:36 p.m.
By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Two members of the Red Sox spent parts of their Tuesday night at a local hospital after getting hit hard with baseballs in Boston’s 3-2 loss to the Rays.
Second baseman Trevor Story and reliever Matt Strahm both underwent X-rays after the game away from Tropicana Field, a team spokesperson said. The results on Story (right hand contusion) and Strahm (left wrist contusion) were not immediately available.
“They’re getting X-rays. We’ll know more later on tonight,” said manager Alex Cora.
Story left the game first. In the fifth inning, he took an ugly swing at an 89 mph sinker from Corey Kluber but the ball hit the top of his hand instead of the bat. He immediately walked down the third base line in pain as Cora and a team trainer came out to visit him. He left the game and Jeter Downs entered as a pinch-hitter.
“Whenever the ball hits you and it’s around your face, it’s always scary,” Cora said.
Strahm’s injury came in the sixth. With two runners on and two outs in a 2-1 game, Taylor Walls smoked a 98 mph line drive up the middle and it hit Strahm. Strahm gathered the ball and threw it away, then Franchy Cordero committed another throwing error throwing home as the Rays plated two runs. That would be the difference in the game in a 3-2 Tampa Bay win. Strahm was immediately taken out of the game.
The Red Sox can ill afford more injuries. Though Chris Sale was activated off the injured list Tuesday, Boston still has 11 players on the injured list.
“It sucks. Those are my boys,” said outfielder Alex Verdugo. “Those are our guys. People we count on who have been doing great stuff for us all year. To see us go down sucks, to see Story get hit in the finger like that. Strahm, on the top of the wrist, the forearm, wherever it is. You don’t want to see it. Those are the things that kind of linger around, too. Right now, they’re getting it checked out, doing what they’ve got to do. We look forward to getting them back.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 13, 2022 2:04:51 GMT -5
Chris Sale feels ‘stronger than at any time last year’ in impressive 2022 Red Sox debut: ‘I’m not broken anymore’ Updated: Jul. 13, 2022, 12:24 a.m. | Published: Jul. 13, 2022, 12:08 a.m.
By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Chris Sale’s return to the mound isn’t just a feel-good story for the Red Sox. He expects to dominate like he has in the past... and Tuesday’s season debut was a good start.
Sale, who missed the first 3+ months of the season after suffering a stress fracture in his right rib cage in February, threw five scoreless innings against the Rays, allowing just three hits while striking out five. His fastball, which he threw 32 times, averaged 95.1 mph and maxed out at 96.9 mph. He threw 53 of his 78 pitches (67.9%) for strikes. Sale was arguably sharper than he was at any point last year, when he made nine starts after making his return from Tommy John surgery in mid-August.
“I feel stronger now than I did at any time last year,” Sale said. “I’m in a much better physical spot, mental spot. And just have got to keep my reps in and keep on getting out there.”
The 2021 version of Sale was effective -- he was 5-1 with a 3.16 ERA, mostly against bad teams -- but not quite at the level he had established throughout his dominant career. He ran out of gas in October and allowed eight earned runs on 12 hits in nine innings over three starts. The 2022 season was supposed to be his true return to form. But then his rib fractured during a private workout at his alma mater, FGCU, during the MLB lockout and delayed the start to his season significantly. Various setbacks pushed back the date even further.
For Sale, getting back on a big league mound was a significant accomplishment, even if it’s not the end goal.
“The first one, it’s just getting out of the way,” Sale said. “You never really know what it’s going to be.
“It was good to be back out there and doing this with my team again and being somewhat back to normal,” he added. Enter your email address here to receive the Fenway Rundown email newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday.
Sale’s fastball seemed to have more life than it did at any point in 2021, which makes sense because he has consistently claimed he has more arm strength than he did in July. The numbers bore that out. The average velocity of his four-seamer last year was 93.6 mph, or 1.5 mph less than it was Tuesday. He was able to keep it up throughout the outing and even threw a 96.5 mph pitch to the last hitter he faced, Yandy Díaz.
“I kind of felt better as it went on,” Sale said. “Being able to have my best stuff, my powerful stuff, feeling strong in the fourth and fifth inning, that’s nice.”
Manager Alex Cora was encouraged by what he saw.
“He threw the ball well. He finished well,” Cora said. “I think he did an outstanding job at the end. Good velocity. Command of the pitches was OK, delivery was under control and he gave us five innings. That’s a good start.”
Before the game, catcher Christian Vázquez pulled Sale aside and told him how much his return to the mound meant to himself, their teammates and the organization. After the outing, Vázquez and other teammates congratulated Sale on a job well done. They were impressed with what looked like a vintage version of the decorated lefty.
“He was nasty today,” Vázquez said. “That’s the Chris everybody knows.”
Sale’s next outing will come Sunday at Yankee Stadium in Boston’s first-half finale. He’s excited for the opportunity, he said, because there’s nothing better than pitching at Yankee Stadium. And because he feels as good as he has in a long, long time.
“I’m not broken anymore,” Sale said. “It’s different this year.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 13, 2022 2:38:38 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 6h What an absolute disaster from the #RedSox here in the 6th.
Matt Strahm has allowed runners to score four of the last five times he has inherited them. He has a 5+ ERA since May 27 and has allowed hitters to post an .830+ OPS.
Now he's committed an error on top, and he's hurt.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 13, 2022 2:39:37 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 6h Time might have been granted in this instance if Cordero wasn't actively throwing to the plate. We can safely assume the runners had stopped advancing.
He's not a first baseman. It's costing them games. They haven't had one in the traditional defensive sense since Moreland.
Really, really bad from Alex Verdugo. Simply can't happen.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 13, 2022 2:40:40 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 6h Three mental mistakes from Matt Strahm, Franchy Cordero and Alex Verdugo that you shouldn't see from a team over the course of an entire month (at least).
They've happened in a span of six outs here tonight. #RedSox
#RedSox are 47-41. An absolutely rancid defeat. Boston lost it more than the Rays won it.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 13, 2022 2:43:21 GMT -5
Julian McWilliams @byjulianmack · 5h Tight back for J.D. which is why he was unavailable today.
Vazquez said he was asking for time so they could take a look at Strahm. He was not expecting that throw from Cordero, as he shouldn't have been.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 13, 2022 2:43:37 GMT -5
Julian McWilliams @byjulianmack · 4h If Story is out for some time, the Sox defense could get ugly. Downs not really known as a glove guy and with Cordero at first, the right side of the infield is a huge hole. Arroyo being out hurts the MIF.
Also, take into account Duran in center field and you have a problem.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 13, 2022 2:46:44 GMT -5
Dan Shaughnessy @dan_Shaughnessy · 5h The Red Sox have played ten series vs. division rivals and won none of them. 11-22 vs. AL east. The illusion of contention.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 13, 2022 2:49:22 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo @chriscotillo · 4h Cora said JD was sore before the game. They hate to pinch-hit their top guys when they're sore. They stick to their guns on workload management. Has been that way since '18.
Red Sox are 5-10 in last 15 after a 19-4 stretch to start June. They'll remain winless in 10 series against AL East opponents this year.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 13, 2022 2:51:23 GMT -5
Chris Sale’s return to action proved satisfying in five shutout innings against Rays By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated July 13, 2022, 12:10 a.m.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Most applause at Tropicana Field is scattered applause and that is what Chris Sale received from some early arriving Red Sox fans when he left the dugout to start his warm-up routine on Tuesday night.
It had been nine months since Sale last pitched in a major league game, a fractured rib putting him on the injured list coming out of spring training.
The Sox have become accustomed to not having their erstwhile ace. Injuries have caused Sale to miss far more starts than he has made the last three seasons.
That made Tuesday a satisfying comeback — and throwback — for Sale. The stick-figure lefty pitched five shutout innings against Tampa Bay, throwing his fastball with more life than the one he featured last season coming off Tommy John surgery.
Sale even outdueled his old American League Central rival Corey Kluber, who allowed two runs over six innings.
“Nasty. He was nasty today,” catcher Christian Vazquez said. “That’s the Chris everybody knows.”
And these are the Red Sox of July, a team that finds ways to lose.
Atrocious defense and base running led to a 3-2 setback, spoiling Sale’s return.
In theory, having Sale back at the head of the rotation would make the Red Sox a dangerous team in the postseason. But they have lost six of their last eight games and are far closer to the last-place Orioles than the first-place Yankees.
A roster of ill-fitting parts was exposed in the sixth inning when inexperienced first baseman Franchy Cordero made a wild throw to allow the lead run to score.
Then, with the Sox down a run, Alex Verdugo was picked off third base for the first out of the seventh inning.
“I wish it ended a little bit different, but part of it,” Sale said.
Sale’s first major league game since Game 5 of the American League Championship Series last Oct. 20 had a comical start when he accidentally dropped his Pitch Com device on his way to the mound.
After realizing he couldn’t hear the signal from Vazquez in his cap, Sale walked over to the third base line and sheepishly retrieved the thin speaker.
“Oh, man. First-timer, rookie move,” Sale said. “I get out there and he’s like pushing the buttons and it fell out of my hat before I went out there. Nice little circus act before we get going.”
Sale, by the way, heartily approves of Pitch Com. That was a bit of a surprise given his traditional sensibilities.
“I think it’s great. I love it,” he said. “It’s only going to get better.”
What followed was not quite vintage Sale but certainly a good approximation as he allowed three hits with one walk and five strikeouts.
There were only four swings and misses within the 78 pitches Sale threw. But he fired 68 percent of his pitches for strikes and his signature slider was effective.
“He was spotting everything down and away,” Vazquez said.
Sale averaged 95.1 miles-per-hour with his four-seam fastball, well above the 93.6 he averaged last season. Sale’s last fastball of the night was 96.9 mph.
“I felt better as it went on,” he said. “Being able to have my best stuff, my powerful stuff, feeling strong in the fourth and fifth innings, that’s nice.”
Sale acknowledged that he felt better on the mound than in any of his nine starts last season.
“Not even close,” he said.
Pitchers who return from Tommy John often say that it’s not until the second season back when they regain their pre-surgery velocity and command.
If Tuesday was an indication, Sale will be the best player the Red Sox add before the trade deadline.
Just before the game started, Vazquez pulled Sale aside and said this was a special day for the organization and for his teammates to have him on the mound again.
“It means a lot for us to see him there,” Vazquez said.
Sale appreciated his catcher, saying the words moved him.
“What he said meant a lot and I just kind of carried that through the game,” he said.
There will be no extra rest for Sale. He’s scheduled to face the Yankees on Sunday afternoon in the Bronx in the final game before the All-Star break.
“Nothing better than pitching at Yankee Stadium. It’ll be a good one,” Sale said. “We’ll be ready.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 13, 2022 2:53:36 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 6h Way too many panicky defensive plays by the Sox this season. That was a mess just then. Cordero needs to run that ball in. He never looked, just chucked it.
Verdugo picked off third down a run. Real clinic tonight.
A self-induced 3-2 loss for the #RedSox at Tampa Bay.
Had a 2-0 lead and kicked it away with terrible defense in the sixth.
Sox have lost 6 of 8 and face Shane McClanahan tomorrow.
|
|