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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 8, 2022 16:58:07 GMT -5
White flag was waved by me at deadline this week should convince everyone, even the clowns at NESN that is over
Braves @ Red Sox Tuesday, 9th August 2022 7pm @ Fenway
Morton 5-5/4.09
Hill 4-5/4.52
Skidding Braves go up against fading Red Sox FLM
When the Atlanta Braves open a two-game series on the road against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night, they will bring a three-game losing streak into a game for the first time this season.
Atlanta dropped the final three games of a five-game road series against the New York Mets over the weekend, dropping 6 1/2 games back of the Mets for the National League East lead.
There remains plenty of optimism, however.
The Braves remain safely atop the NL wild-card standings, and they're 18 games above .500 (64-46), which is 18 games better than they were after 110 games last season.
Of course, last season ended with a World Series title.
Braves manager Brian Snitker went through some bumps in the road last season and realizes there will be more this time around.
"I knew we were going to have to navigate some tough times again before this thing is over," Snitker said after a 5-2 loss to the Mets on Sunday. "We've come out of it before and we'll come out of it again."
The Braves will try to stop their skid behind veteran right-hander Charlie Morton.
Morton (5-5, 4.09 ERA) has just one win in his past 10 outings, but he's 7-1 in 12 starts against the Red Sox in his career with a 3.72 ERA.
The Red Sox are trying to get back on track after watching their playoff hopes erode over the past six weeks.
They lost three of four on the road to the Kansas City Royals over the weekend and have dropped four of five overall.
Ever since a 19-4 run in June got the Red Sox 11 games over .500, they have gone 12-25, dropping five games behind the final AL wild-card spot.
"We can't wait around hoping for something to happen, we have to go out there and get it," Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts said.
The Red Sox didn't signal they were willing to win at all costs when their biggest move at last week's trade deadline was sending catcher Christian Vazquez to the AL West-leading Houston Astros.
Another decision that is not paying dividends is playing Jarren Duran in center field.
Duran struggled again on Sunday, making several defensive miscues that helped Kansas City pull away for a 13-5 victory. Duran's batting average has also nosedived from .329 on July 6 to its current .227.
"He's our center fielder right now. We trust him," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said after Sunday's loss. "This is a kid that's part of what we're trying to accomplish and we're going to keep rolling with him."
Duran, who began his minor league career at second base, said it has been difficult adjusting to a new position at the major league level.
"Everything's more difficult to do at the big league level," Duran said. "I'm just learning my craft and just working each day, coming here, busting my butt and doing what I can do."
Jackie Bradley Jr., a Gold Glove center fielder with Boston in 2018, was released by the team on Thursday.
The Red Sox plan to start veteran left-hander Rich Hill (4-5, 4.52 ERA), who's seeking his first win since June 26 but is 5-0 in 10 appearances against Atlanta, including eight starts, with a 2.13 ERA.
--Field Level Media
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 8, 2022 17:01:26 GMT -5
Probables Rest of Braves Series
10 Aug 2022...7pm.....Wright 13-5/3.22 vs Pivetta 8-8/ 4.51
Orioles @ Sox (make up game)
11 August 2022....7pm.....Voth 1-1/2.84 vs Winckowski 5-5/ 4.68
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Aug 8, 2022 21:44:58 GMT -5
I had an interesting revelation. I felt like listening to Jennifer Nettles' version of Hallelujah but couldn't remember her name. So I worked backwards starting with Leonard Cohen. Then I stumbled across "Everyone Knows". I heard that in a move from 1990 "Pump Up the Volume" (an underrated work). I loved the song in the movie, but it gets very little air time down here. And while I'm not crazy about Leonard Cohen's singing, he nails the song, and is much better than Concrete Blond, who sung it in the movie. So I am very pleased with my discovery.
And, as an aside, the movie has a nice version of "Stand!", originally sang by one of my favorite artists (Sly Stone). "Stand!" was actually the A side of possibly the best B side record ever ("I want to take you Higher").
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 9, 2022 3:56:58 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Bobby Dalbec wants consistent playing time, but displaced first baseman just wants to win more By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated August 8, 2022, 8:11 p.m.
Bobby Dalbec is tied for second with J.D. Martinez for most home runs by a Red Sox player since the start of the 2020 season. Only Rafael Devers (73) has more than their 44.
But it appears Dalbec will have limited opportunities to add to that total. With Eric Hosmer on the roster as the regular first baseman, Dalbec is largely out of a job. He had been platooning with Franchy Cordero, who is now in Triple A.
“I understand it,” Dalbec said. “Obviously [Hosmer] has a lot of experience and four Gold Gloves. I’ll do whatever else they need me to do.”
That could include playing some second base. Manager Alex Cora wants Dalbec to get some work there in case he is needed. With Trevor Story on the injured list, the Sox have been using Christian Arroyo and Yolmer Sánchez at that position.
At 6-foot-4, 227 pounds, Dalbec does not look much like a second baseman.
“I feel like I’m pretty athletic. But DJ LeMahieu [of the Yankees] is a pretty big dude and he plays there,” Dalbec said. “The double plays won’t be too bad. It’s the little flips, the touch throws, I need to work on.
“I know Boston fans are used to [Dustin Pedroia], but I should be OK if they need me.”
A larger question is where — or if — Dalbec fits with the team moving forward. He is primarily a third baseman who learned to play first base. With Devers under team control through 2023 and Hosmer signed through 2025, Dalbec has no spot barring other moves, unless it’s as the designated hitter.
Dalbec had a .792 OPS, 25 homers, and 78 RBIs in 133 regular-season games last season. But he was 0 for 12 in the postseason, and this season has hit .205 with a .649 OPS. His regression is part of the reason the Sox obtained Hosmer.
“Nobody has said anything to me. I really don’t know what they’re thinking,” Dalbec said. “I need more consistency. I felt like I was hitting the ball hard early in the season and taking my walks, but not getting rewarded.
“The more I play, the better I’ll do. It’s always been like that. I’m used to being an everyday player. It’s hard to have success when you get at-bats here and there.
Dalbec has a .750 OPS in 48 plate appearances since the All-Star break, with four home runs and 10 RBIs. He homered on Saturday when Hosmer was given a day off.
At 27, Dalbec doesn’t see himself settling into a bench role.
“I’m not the player I will be. This is all part of the learning process,” he said. “In terms of the organization, I don’t know how they view me. I just want to help the team win. Honestly that’s all that matters.
“I don’t see myself as a platoon player, but right now that’s what I am.”
Dalbec hopes to work with Hosmer on playing first base, particularly some of the nuances around the bag.
“He’s been doing it for 10 years and he’s really good. There are a lot of different situations that come up where I can learn from him,” Dalbec said. “People forget last year was my first year at first base. I feel like I’m improving and I know I can do better.”
Instant impact
Arroyo is 13 of 29 with three extra-base hits since coming off the injured list on July 30. He has hit .404 going back to July 3.
But Arroyo also has four stints on the injured list over the last two seasons, so Cora plans to be careful with how he’s used.
“He gets excited. But we have to be careful and we’re going to take care of him,” the manager said. “As long as he’s disciplined in the training room and weight room, he’ll be in really good shape.
“You take a look at his season and he’s hitting the ball hard. He’s all-around very solid. We need to keep him on the field.”
Free passes
The Red Sox have averaged 3.93 walks per nine innings since July 1, the highest rate in the majors. “As a pitching staff we’ve got to be better with throwing strikes,” Cora said. The wild streak started during a three-game series at Wrigley Field against the Cubs . . . For the first time in his career, Xander Bogaerts could play against a fellow Aruban this week. The Braves, who start a two-game series at Fenway on Tuesday, are carrying Chadwick Tromp as one of their catchers. The 27-year-old has 33 games of major league experience. “I hope it happens. People back home would like it,” Bogaerts said . . . The sixth-annual “Players’ Favorite Things” auction to benefit the Boston Children’s Hospital Neighborhood Partnership Program has started. Up for bid are gift baskets put together by players and their families, and most include autographed items. Cora’s partner, Angelica Feliciano, helped coordinate the effort. The auction runs through Aug. 15 at redsox.com/basketsforgood.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 9, 2022 4:03:43 GMT -5
Braves at Red Sox Tuesday, at 7:10 PM EST Partly Cloudy According to Forecast.io, it's expected to be 79° F with a 17% chance of rain and 7 MPH wind blowing in in Boston at 7:10 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com Forecast.io
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 9, 2022 10:36:18 GMT -5
Game 111: Braves at Red Sox lineups and notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated August 9, 2022, 34 minutes ago After dropping three of four at Kansas City, the Red Sox had a day off Monday. They return to action at Fenway Park for a six-game homestand beginning Tuesday against Atlanta. After a pair of games with the defending World Series champions, the Sox will host Baltimore for a game Thursday before welcoming the Yankees to town for a three-game series. Rich Hill will be on the mound for Tuesday’s opener against the Braves. Here is a preview. Lineups BRAVES (64-46): 1. Ronald Acuna Jr. (R) RF 2. Dansby Swanson (R) SS 3. Austin Riley (R) 3B 4. Matt Olson (L) 1B 5. William Contreras (R) C 6. Robbie Grossman (S) LF 7. Marcell Ozuna (R) DH 8. Orlando Arcia (R) 2B 9. Michael Harris II (L) CF Pitching: RHP Charlie Morton (5-5, 4.09 ERA) RED SOX (54-56): 1. Tommy Pham (R) LF 2. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 3. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS 4. Alex Verdugo (L) RF 5. J.D. Martinez (R) DH 6. Eric Hosmer (L) 1B 7. Christian Arroyo (R) 2B 8. Kevin Plawecki (R) C 9. Jarren Duran (L) CF Pitching: LHP Rich Hill (4-5, 4.52 ERA) Time: 7:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, TBS, WEEI-FM 93.7 Braves vs. Hill: Ronald Acuña Jr. 0-3, Ehire Adrianza 1-4, Orlando Arcia 1-4, Travis d’Arnaud 1-5, Robbie Grossman 0-4, Matt Olson 0-8, Marcell Ozuna 1-5, Austin Riley 0-1, Eddie Rosario 0-1, Dansby Swanson 0-6 Red Sox vs. Morton: Christian Arroyo 0-2, Xander Bogaerts 11-32, Bobby Dalbec 0-4, Rafael Devers 6-25, Eric Hosmer 4-10, J.D. Martinez 10-29, Reese McGuire 2-7, Tommy Pham 0-5, Kevin Plawecki 1-2, Yolmer Sánchez 2-6, Alex Verdugo 1-4 Stat of the day: Since a 19-4 run in June, the Sox have gone 12-25, dropping five games behind the final AL wild-card spot. Notes: Hill is seeking his first win since June 26 but is 5-0 in 10 appearances against Atlanta, including eight starts, with a 2.13 ERA. … Morton has just one win in his past 10 outings, but he’s 7-1 in 12 starts against the Red Sox with a 3.72 ERA. … Christian Arroyo is 13 of 29 with three extra-base hits since coming off the injured list July 30. He has hit .404 going back to July 3. … Bobby Dalbec has a .750 OPS in 48 plate appearances since the All-Star break, with 4 home runs and 10 RBIs. Song of the Day: Queen "Bicycle Race"www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MEKBdpLv3Q
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 9, 2022 17:20:09 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 2m #RedSox have placed Tanner Houck (lower back inflammation) on the 15-day IL. Kaleb Ort recalled from Triple-A Worcester.
The hits keep coming in Boston.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 9, 2022 17:21:42 GMT -5
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne · 2h The Red Sox will not only see their share of Andrew Benintendi the rest of the way, but also Jackie Bradley Jr, who is headed to Toronto according to reports.
Kikè starting a rehab assignment tomorrow. Trevor Story has started to swing the bat again.
Alex Cora to the Eck during his afternoon presser: "Thank you for everything. Hopefully we can make it fun the next two months and you can enjoy it.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 9, 2022 17:25:06 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 7m #RedSox: RHP Tanner Houck on the 15-day injured list due to lower back inflammation, retroactive to August 6.
Saw Houck with his back wrapped up in KC on Sunday. Asked him about it and he said it was "maintenance." Apparently not.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 9, 2022 17:29:36 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 2h Cora on Sale injury: “I was like, ‘Come on…’ He’s getting to a point, he’s not giving up, but this is life…It’s just another obstacle in his career.” Cora says Sox had discussed possibility of Sale in bullpen when he started throwing, but obviously that’s now by the wayside.
Cora: “We miss him. It’s been hard. He’ll be ready for next year.”
Wacha is slated for 5 innings, 85 pitches in Portland. Kiké Hernández will start a rehab assignment tomorrow. Trevor Story has started swinging again. Matt Strahm is throwing a bullpen today.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 9, 2022 17:50:58 GMT -5
Not gonna wait long before muting O'Brien tonight hell, for the rest of the season
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 9, 2022 18:59:57 GMT -5
Hill is getting slapped around
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Aug 9, 2022 20:33:40 GMT -5
I'm not sure why McGuire isn't playing almost all the starts. While I'd have kept JBJ and demoted Duran, I can understand the concept of wanting to play Duran every day, find out if he can play, give him some more exposure, etc. But Plawecki is almost surely gone next year. I like the McGuire acquisition, but we really need to see a lot of McGuire to see if he is our 2023 catcher.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 10, 2022 2:32:48 GMT -5
Riley's big night lifts Braves over Red Sox 9-7 in 11 AP
BOSTON (AP) The Atlanta Braves arrived at Fenway Park looking to put a disappointing series against the NL-East leading New York Mets as far in the rearview mirror as possible.
Austin Riley did his part to start that process.
Riley had a go-ahead, two-run single in the 11th inning and the Braves rallied for a 9-7 win over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.
Riley also hit his 30th home run of the season, a towering, two-run shot over the Green Monster, and an RBI triple to help Atlanta snap its first three-game losing streak of the year.
''It was huge,'' Riley said of getting back in the win column after dropping four of five to the Mets. ''Coming off this weekend I felt like that was a needed win, and we got it and hopefully we can build off that.''
Jarren Duran, Christian Arroyo and Tommy Pham homered for the Red Sox, who have lost three straight and five of six.
With automatic runner Michael Harris II on second base in the 11th, Ronald Acuna Jr. singled and then stole second, setting up Riley's hit.
Atlanta scored five of its seven runs with two outs.
''When you're struggling and you're kind of looking for a win, it's never easy,'' Braves manager Brian Snitker said. ''It's not just something that's gonna be smooth.''
Dylan Lee (3-0) got the win and Tyler Matzek struck out two in a scoreless 11th for his first save of the season. Braves starter Charlie Morton allowed five runs and six hits over six innings. He struck out seven and yielded all three Boston homers. The right-hander has just one win in his past 11 outings.
Boston lefty Rich Hill was pulled after giving up four runs and seven hits over four innings. Kaleb Ort (0-1), the sixth Red Sox reliever, allowed three runs over 1 2/3 innings.
Atlanta struck out only four times after whiffing a season-high 19 times in Sunday's series finale against the Mets.
''That's a good lineup over there. They've got some tough right-handed hitters,'' Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. ''We've got to throw the ball better. ... We've got to be better putting the ball in play and obviously throwing strikes.''
Atlanta took a 7-6 lead in the 10th when Orlando Arcia drove in automatic runner Eddie Rosario.
But the Red Sox tied it in the bottom of the inning after automatic runner Xander Bogaerts advanced to third on an infield single by Alex Verdugo and scored on a sacrifice fly by J.D. Martinez.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Braves: Boston reliever Garrett Whitlock got the first out of the 10th before Arcia sent a sharp double to left field, allowing Rosario to cross home plate and put the Braves in front 7-6. But Arcia hurt himself coming around first and limped into second before pulling up lame and being tagged out as he overran the bag. Snitker said the diagnosis is a left hamstring injury that will land Arcia on the injured list. ''He heard it pop and that's never good,'' Snitker said.
Red Sox: First baseman Eric Hosmer fouled a ball off his left leg in the fourth and exited with a bruised knee. He was replaced by Bobby Dalbec. . Boston placed right-hander Tanner Houck on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his lower back. Ort was recalled from Triple A-Worcester. . OF Kike Hernandez (hip flexor) took batting practice before the game and will begin a rehab assignment Wednesday with Double-A Portland. He could rejoin the team next week for its three-game series at Pittsburgh. . RHP Michael Wacha (right shoulder inflammation) allowed two runs on two hits and struck out five over 4 2/3 innings for Portland in what could be his final rehab start.
OH, HENRY
Riley tied Hank Aaron's franchise record, becoming the fastest player to reach 30 home runs and 30 doubles in a season. Aaron set the mark in the Braves' 111th game of the 1959 season. Both accomplished it at age 25.
UP NEXT
Braves: RHP Kyle Wright (13-5, 3.22 ERA) is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in three career games against the Red Sox.
Red Sox: RHP Nick Pivetta (8-8, 4.51) leads Boston in starts (22), innings pitched (123 2/3) and strikeouts (119).
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 10, 2022 3:07:24 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox fall in extras as Kaleb Ort falters in 9-7 loss to Braves; Tommy Pham homers in home debut
Updated: Aug. 10, 2022, 12:29 a.m.|Published: Aug. 09, 2022, 11:26 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
BOSTON -- On a day when closer Tanner Houck hit the injured list with lower back inflammation, the Red Sox simply ran out of pitching in a back-and-forth game that ended as a tough loss.
With John Schreiber and Garrett Whitlock already burned, the Sox had to turn to Kaleb Ort -- and his 9.49 ERA -- in extra innings against the hot-hitting Braves. That ultimately backfired, as Ort allowed two runs on an Austin Riley single in the 11th inning and the Sox fell, 9-7. Boston is 54-57 on the season.
The teams went to extras tied 6-6 then each plated their ghost runners in the 10th inning. In the 11th, Ronald Acuña Jr. led off with a single, then after Dansby Swanson grounded out, Riley lined a shot through the left side that was guaranteed to plate at least one run. Acuña then hustled around from second and acrobatically avoided Kevin Plawecki’s tag at home with an athletic slide. The first run would ultimately be the difference as Braves reliever Tyler Matzek retired the side in order in the bottom of the 11th.
For the Red Sox, the loss was their fifth in six tries. Riley was 3-for-6 with five RBIs in Atlanta’s win. And though Boston continually crawled back -- the Sox came back four times from a deficit to tie the game -- it was not enough.
Atlanta hit rockets off Sox starter Rich Hill from the jump. In the first inning, Acuña Jr. singled and Riley put the Braves on the board with an RBI triple to right field. In the bottom of the second, the hot-hitting Christian Arroyo gave the Sox a lead with a two-run homer to straightaway center off veteran Charlie Morton.
Riley’s strong night continued with a rocket over the Green Monster that gave Atlanta 3-2 lead in the top of the third and William Contreras made it 4-2 with an RBI triple later in the inning. But the Red Sox again clawed back, as Tommy Pham’s second homer as a member of the team made it 4-3 in the third and an RBI double from Arroyo tied things up.
Sunday’s villain Jarren Duran flipped the script with a game-tying solo homer in the fifth and pumped his fists as he rounded first base. But the Sox surrendered the lead an inning later when Atlanta put together a two-out rally against Matt Barnes. Orlando Arcia walked, then scored from first base on a Michael Harris II RBI double that made it 5-5. Hirokazu Sawamura (two men on in the sixth) and Schreiber (two men on in the seventh) both escaped trouble with inning-ending strikeouts to preserve the tie.
Atlanta struck again with two outs in the eighth inning against Whitlock. After Whitlock induced two quick groundouts, Acuña singled, then scored when Swanson lined a 3-2 pitch through the right side for an RBI double. Boston forced the third tie of the game a half-inning later when Xander Bogaerts led off with a single and scored on a J.D. Martinez bloop single to center. The teams exchanged zeroes in the ninth and went to extras.
That’s when Cora turned to Ort. With one out, Orlando Arcia hit an RBI double to drive in ghost runner Eddie Rosario and give Atlanta a 7-6 lead. But Boston again forced a tie as Martinez drove in Bogaerts with a sacrifice fly to knot it at 7-7. Enter your email address here to receive the Fenway Rundown email newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday.
The Red Sox fell to 6-7 in extra-inning games this season, dropping their first extra-inning affair since May 7. They had won their previous six extra-inning games.
Hosmer leaves game
New Red Sox first baseman Eric Hosmer did not see the end of his Fenway Park debut as a member of the home team. Hosmer fouled a ball off himself in the fourth inning, then was replaced on defense by Bobby Dalbec in the bottom of the inning. The Red Sox announced Hosmer has a left knee contusion. He’s considered day-to-day.
Arroyo stays hot
Arroyo continued the torrid pace he has been on since coming off the injured list on July 30. He went 2-for-5 with three RBis and a run and is now 8-for-17 (.471) with two doubles and a homer in his last four games.
Pivetta vs. Wright in finale
Right-hander Nick Pivetta (8-8, 4.51 ERA) will take the ball for the Red Sox on Wednesday night in the finale of their quick two-game series against Atlanta. Righty Kyle Wright (13-5, 3.22 ERA) will pitch for the Braves with first pitch set for 7:10 p.m. ET.
Boston will then welcome the Orioles to town for one game Thursday (a makeup caused by the MLB lockout changing the schedule) before playing the Yankees for three games starting Friday.
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