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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2020 4:13:54 GMT -5
Jason Mastrodonato
@jmastrodonato
·
6h
Braves sweep the Red Sox, the first MLB team with 25 losses.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2020 4:18:41 GMT -5
Adam Duvall (3 HRs) powers Braves to sweep of Red Sox
By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated September 2, 2020, 10:32 p.m.
Unfamiliar pitchers met with familiar results for the Red Sox on Wednesday night, as Atlanta blasted four homers to complete a three-game sweep with a 7-5 victory at Fenway Park. The loss sent the Sox a bit further down their road to nowhere, their 12-25 record the franchise’s worst through 37 games since 1932.
In an oft-repeated plot line, the Red Sox were done in by their vulnerability to the long ball. Wednesday marked the 13th time this year that the Sox have permitted at least three homers. No other team has suffered such a fate more than nine times.
For just the second time all year, the Red Sox employed a true opener — a hard-throwing righthander in front of a lefthanded pitcher expected to provide bulk innings. But while recent call-up Robinson Leyer got through the first inning unscathed, lefty Mike Kickham — in his first big league
The Sox took a 3-0 lead in the first on run-scoring doubles by Rafael Devers and J.D. Martinez, and a sacrifice fly by Michael Chavis, but Kickham immediately gave back the advantage, giving up a two-run homer to Adam Duvall and an RBI single to Marcell Ozuna.
Kickham settled and didn’t allow another run over his three frames. Though the line wasn’t what he wanted, he appreciated what it meant to pitch in the big leagues again.
“A journey it has been ... I knew I would get back to this level one day. I never gave up hope,” said Kickham. “I’ve learned a lot about hard work and perseverance … You can’t replicate that any other way but going through it firsthand.”
The Sox regained the lead on a Jackie Bradley Jr. solo homer (his third) in the fourth and opened a 5-3 lead on a Martinez RBI single in the fifth. But with Red Sox righthander Andrew Triggs — summoned from Pawtucket on Thursday — in his first game with his new team, Duvall blasted another two-run homer in the sixth inning to tie the game, 5-5.
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Ozuna, who launched three homers on Tuesday, then launched a solo shot in the seventh to give the Braves a 6-5 lead. Duvall then added to the advantage with another homer — his third of the game and eighth of the year — against Ryan Brasier in the eighth.
Xander Bogaerts can only watch as Adam Duvall trots by him following his third home run of the game Wednesday night.
“Unfortunate that we’re getting to witness it,” Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said of the Braves’ power surge. “They swing the bat. They’re on the first fastball you throw them. And they don’t get cheated. They’re doing a really good job of preparing for what we’ve got and we make a mistake, they don’t miss it. It’s unfortunate that we have to watch that.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2020 4:32:02 GMT -5
Tuesday moves forced Red Sox to alter Wednesday pitching plan
By Bill Koch
Journal Sports Writer
BillKoch25
Posted Sep 2, 2020 at 8:10 PM
BOSTON --- The most recent change in the Red Sox pitching plans actually started Tuesday night.
Robert Stock couldn’t finish the top of the sixth inning against Atlanta. Austin Brice was summoned to end the frame and taken out of a chance to serve as the opener Wednesday against Atlanta.
Robinson Leyer was in that spot instead for Boston against the Braves. The Red Sox were attempting to salvage the finale of the three-game series after suffering defeats of 6-3 and 10-3.
“Because we needed (Brice) to finish an inning last night, that changed our minds there,” Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said. “The more we talked about it, we thought, ‘Well, let’s go with a right-hander in the first inning and go from there.’”
Roenicke said late Tuesday left-hander Mike Kickham would start the following night against Atlanta. Kickham was shifted to a bulk role behind Leyer instead, primed for his first appearance in the big leagues in six years. Kickham last worked for the Giants in 2014 and spent the last three seasons in the minor leagues with the Marlins.
“I know it’s a different atmosphere because there are no fans and all the things that are going on, but it’s still the big leagues,” Roenicke said. “It’s still pretty cool he would stay with it that long and get an opportunity again.”
Leyer became the 12th pitcher to make a start in Boston’s 37th game this season. Chris Sale (left elbow) and Eduardo Rodriguez (heart) won’t throw a pitch while Nathan Eovaldi (right calf strain) also finds himself on the 10-day injured list. The Red Sox are on course to set a new season worst in earned-run average by some distance.
“The pitching part of it has been hard,” Roenicke said. “To go out every night trying to figure out how we get to the end of the game, sometimes it’s a struggle.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2020 4:34:52 GMT -5
Stats By STATS
@statsbystats
· 7h
Marcell Ozuna and Adam Duvall of the @braves join Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig (May 21 & 22, 1930) as the only teammates in MLB history to have 3-homer games on back-to-back days.
They are the first to do so in back-to-back games (Ruth/Gehrig involved doubleheaders).
#ForTheA
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2020 4:45:27 GMT -5
Pete Abraham
@peteabe
·
7h
#Braves 7, #RedSox 5
Sox swept in the three games, allow 23 runs and give up 8 HRs.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2020 4:48:11 GMT -5
Alex Speier
@alexspeier
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9h
No centerfielder has ever had a better understanding of playing Fenway Park's boundaries than Jackie Bradley Jr. His range plays to left-center are indeed limited, but what he does against the Wall is unprecedented.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2020 4:49:53 GMT -5
Alex Speier
@alexspeier
·
7h
The Red Sox have given up 3+ homers 13 times this year. No one else is close. They're allowing 1.8 HR/9. Only one team has ever allowed more
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Post by Kimmi on Sept 3, 2020 6:10:11 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 7h #Braves 7, #RedSox 5 Sox swept in the three games, allow 23 runs and give up 8 HRs. |
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