|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 15, 2022 13:22:45 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Pirates Tuesday, 16th August 2022 7pm @ PNC Park
Pivetta 8-9/ 4.51
Keller 4-8/4.25
Red Sox visit Pirates in break from AL East-heavy schedule FLM
A rare break from playing an American League East Division opponent is on tap for the Boston Red Sox this week.
After clinching a three-game series against the rival New York Yankees with Sunday's 3-0 shutout win at Fenway Park, the Red Sox will hit the road to start a set with the Pittsburgh Pirates beginning Tuesday night.
Boston's weekend series started a season-ending stretch during which 34 of its final 49 games are against divisional opponents. Following Pittsburgh, the Red Sox will face Baltimore for three games, including Sunday's Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pa.
"We're starting to click," said recently acquired outfielder Tommy Pham, who has helped the Red Sox win three of their past four following a four-game losing streak. Sunday marked Pham's ninth three-hit game of the season.
"We're getting some guys back, so we're getting a little bit more confident," Pham added.
One of those recent returnees is Michael Wacha, whose seven shutout innings on Sunday came in his first outing since June 28 (right shoulder inflammation). Boston starters have pitched at least five innings and allowed three or fewer runs in five consecutive games.
Nick Pivetta (8-9, 4.51 ERA) will look to continue Boston's strong run when he starts against Pittsburgh for just the third time in his career. He allowed just three earned runs across nine innings in a pair of 2018 outings.
Most recently, Pivetta worked six innings of three-run ball last Wednesday against Atlanta in his 23rd start of the season. He leads the Red Sox in innings pitched (129 2/3) and strikeouts (124).
Good starting pitching will make all the difference as Boston looks to shrink its 4 1/2-game deficit in the wild-card standings. Anything is possible in manager Alex Cora's mind.
"I think math-wise, obviously it looks challenging," Cora said. "But I still believe that we're going to have one of those big runs. We're going to pitch; we're going to play good defense."
Also, Enrique Hernandez could return to center field this week after dealing with a right hip flexor strain since early June.
The Pirates have lost four straight games and eight of 10 after being swept in San Francisco over the weekend.
In Sunday's 8-7 loss, they came back from a five-run deficit only to fall on Thairo Estrada's two-run, walk-off homer. Bryan Reynolds doubled and homered during a 3-for-4, five-RBI effort.
"We took the lead twice and we just didn't finish it," manager Derek Shelton said. "... We just have to get home and play better when we get home. We had some opportunities throughout this whole trip that we did not execute on, and we have to execute better."
No MLB team has played in more games decided by two runs or fewer than Pittsburgh. Sunday was the 70th in 115 games.
Mitch Keller (4-8, 4.25) is set for his first career start against the Red Sox. He was a winner last Wednesday after limiting Arizona to three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Despite allowing no more than three runs in any of his past six starts, Keller hadn't won since July 11 prior to last week.
"I think his mindset is in a situation where every time he goes out, he expects really good things to happen," Shelton said recently. "If it does go off track a little bit, he has worked to get to the point where mentally he is able to get himself back on track."
--Field Level Media
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 15, 2022 13:24:52 GMT -5
Rest of SP Match Ups
17th-7pm- Hill 4-5/ 4.75 vs Brubaker 2-10/ 4.45
18-7pm- Eovaldi 5-3/ 4.15 vs Wilson 2-7/ 5.93
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 15, 2022 13:25:29 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 57m #RedSox optioned OF Jaylin Davis to Worcester last night. Opens one roster spot. Kiké Hernández is likely to come off the IL tomorrow.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 15, 2022 13:26:47 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 1h Plawecki is 3 for 29 in August and is hitting .163/.241/.228 this season.
Wong has homered in his first two games back with Worcester and is hitting .300/.357/.483 since mid-May.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 15, 2022 16:41:23 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox roster moves: Jaylin Davis optioned to Worcester, more transactions coming as Rob Refsnyder will return vs. Pirates
Updated: Aug. 15, 2022, 4:27 p.m.|Published: Aug. 15, 2022, 4:13 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
The Boston Red Sox have optioned Jaylin Davis to Triple-A Worcester and more moves are expected soon.
Rob Refsnyder — who homered twice in a rehab game for Double-A Portland on Sunday — will return from the 10-day injured list Tuesday when the Red Sox open a three-game series in Pittsburgh vs. the Pirates. Kiké Hernández also is expected to be activated early this week.
So the Red Sox will need to send one other player to Worcester as well. Yolmer Sánchez is a strong candidate to be optioned.
Davis went 8-for-24 (.333) with a double, four runs and two RBIs in 12 games for Boston.
Hernández (right hip flexor strain) hasn’t played since June 7. He has slashed just .209/.273/.340/.613 in 51 games (238 plate appearances) this season.
The center fielder appeared in four rehab games for Portland over the past week, going 3-for-12 with two doubles, one walk and four strikeouts.
Refsnyder (right knee sprain) appeared in rehab games for Portland on Saturday and Sunday. He combined to go 3-for-4 with a double, two homers and three walks.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 15, 2022 16:50:08 GMT -5
Revitalized Garrett Whitlock puts a big piece of the Red Sox bullpen back in place By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated August 15, 2022, 1 hour ago
Garrett Whitlock overpowered the Yankees in the ninth inning of Sunday night’s 3-0 Red Sox victory.
The combination of 96-98 mile per hour sinkers, diving changeups, and sweeping sliders made quick work of the top of New York’s lineup, with Whitlock striking out Andrew Benintendi and Aaron Judge (a slider on the ninth pitch of his at-bat) before eliciting a weak grounder from Josh Donaldson to end it.
“This is the version of Garrett we want on the mound,” said Sox pitching coach Dave Bush. “This is the guy that dominates, the version we saw last year. We’re seeing it again right now.”
Yet that scene of dominance stood in contrast to what followed. As is frequently the case after games, Whitlock marched through the Red Sox clubhouse with the slow, blocky gait of a zombie.
“Cold tub,” said Whitlock. “I’m freezing.”
The Iceman Cometh?
“Nah, nothing like that,” Whitlock said.
Whitlock expressed little interest in such a moniker, perhaps for the best, given the inescapable despair in Eugene O’Neill’s play. But nickname or not, there’s little question that the right hip inflammation that resulted in an injured-list stint for five weeks in June and July remains something with which he contends.
The trainer’s room and cold tub are just part of the work that’s gone into Whitlock’s return to the mound. His delivery relies heavily on the strength of his back leg. His release point is more than 7 feet in front of the rubber, placing him among the top handful of pitchers in average extension. To land near the bottom of the mound, he relies heavily on the ability to push off the rubber using his back leg and hip.
It’s little surprise, then, that the hip injury took away the power and sharpness of Whitlock’s stuff. In June, while Whitlock was still in the rotation, his sinker dipped from an average of 95-plus in the first two months of the year to just over 94. The swings-and-misses that came in handfuls at the start of the year dwindled.
“He just wasn’t feeling good,” said Bush. “The hip’s a big one. When your back hip is hurting, you’re going to be compromising some part of your delivery.”
Once the pain in Whitlock’s hip subsided, he worked with Bush and bullpen coach Kevin Walker to strengthen his back leg and stabilize it in his delivery. His work includes getting tied to bungee cords in the bullpen as part of resistance exercises to gain greater strength and power as he works into his delivery.
The result? Whitlock’s velocity this month — 96.3 on his sinker — is the highest it’s been in any month of his big league career. In 17⅔ innings since coming off the injured list, he has a 1.53 ERA while holding hitters to a meager .133/.161/.233 line — an improvement over his season marks of 2.98 and .211/.253/.346.
“I’m sure it still hurts. I know it still hurts,” said Bush. “But we told him to be honest with us about the days when he thinks he can go and when he can’t.
“It’s something that’s probably not going to go away till the end of the year. The goal when he came off the IL was to get him to a spot where he could pitch through it and manage it.”
That management will be evident in the coming days. Typically, the Sox try to give Whitlock at least two days off after a multi-inning outing. But his appearance Sunday came with just one day of rest after a pair of scoreless innings against the Yankees Friday. Accordingly, manager Alex Cora said Whitlock, following Monday’s off day, is likely unavailable both Tuesday and Wednesday in Pittsburgh.
Whitlock suggested that he feels healthy enough to contribute as the Sox see fit. He downplayed any concern about lingering discomfort in his hip, instead outlining areas in which he wants to improve.
“I feel good, but obviously I want to be better,” said Whitlock. “I want to sharpen up my changeup a little bit more. I want to sharpen up my slider a little bit more. And then my arm-side fastball, I need to start commanding that with righties at the plate, not just lefties.”
Yet while the righthander sees ways to get better, the Sox see his recent performance as having significance to their evolving bullpen mix.
The Sox failed in their efforts to add to the bullpen at the trade deadline, instead dealing away lefty Jake Diekman. Without him, and with Tanner Houck sidelined by a back injury, the importance of Whitlock has only grown.
Whitlock and John Schreiber have been alternating as late multi-innings options. Ryan Brasier has altered his mix, cutting back on his use of his four-seamer to lean heavily on 97 m.p.h. sinkers and sliders.
Matt Barnes, in his last two appearances, showed his best fastball in more than a year — dramatically evident when Anthony Rizzo swung under a 96 m.p.h. fastball at the top of the zone Friday — to turn his curveball into more of a weapon.
“[The Rizzo at-bat] was probably the first time that I was like, ‘I can let this thing eat and it’s got the carry and the ride to where I want it to be,’ ” said Barnes. “I think we all had a good idea that eventually it was going to come back.
“I was hoping it wasn’t six [expletive] months, five months, however long it’s been. But it’s nice going out there and knowing that I have my stuff that I’ve had for my career. It makes life a lot easier.”
In winning three of their last four games, the Sox have seen a flicker of relief hope. With a returning-to-normal rotation working deeper into games, the bullpen allowed one run in 12⅓ innings while striking out 17 against the Orioles and Yankees.
In that, the Sox see promise. Though they rank second in the big leagues with 23 blown saves and their 4.38 bullpen ERA is the sixth worst, the Sox see a potential path forward as they try to reassert themselves in the wild-card hunt — with Whitlock showing the stuff to be an anchor.
“All those pieces are kind of stabilizing the bullpen,” said Bush. “I’m sure it’s going to evolve some more between now and the end of the year, as it always does.”
|
|
|
Post by scrappyunderdog on Aug 15, 2022 21:48:35 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 1h Plawecki is 3 for 29 in August and is hitting .163/.241/.228 this season.
Wong has homered in his first two games back with Worcester and is hitting .300/.357/.483 since mid-May. IMHO, McGuire should get every AB against righties.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 16, 2022 3:08:26 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Kiké Hernández’s imminent return raises questions about leadoff spot and center field By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated August 15, 2022, 7:44 p.m.
PITTSBURGH — For the first time in nearly 10 weeks, Kiké Hernández is expected to play for the Red Sox on Tuesday.
Hernández was last in uniform on June 7. He went on the injured list the next day with a hip flexor strain that had been bothering him going back to spring training.
Hernández has been largely a ghost since. A minor league rehab assignment in June lasted one game before he was shut down and given an injection in his hip.
He tried playing again a month later and was 3 for 13 in four games for Double A Portland.
Hernández hit .209 with a .613 OPS in 51 games before going on the injured list. It was a stark difference from 2021 when he had a .786 OPS and 58 extra-base hits as the Sox’ leadoff hitter and primary center fielder.
How Hernández fits on the team was something manager Alex Cora said he was still working through. It’s also uncertain how often he’ll be able to play.
Hernández hit leadoff before the injury. Tommy Pham is 11 of 37 (.297) in eight games in that spot since being acquired from the Reds, but has drawn only one walk and struck out 13 times.
“I do believe Tommy is doing an outstanding job there,” Cora said. “There’s a good chance he’ll stay there.”
Defensively, Hernández has played exclusively center field this season, outside of five innings at shortstop.
If the Sox remain committed to seeing what rookie center fielder Jarren Duran is capable of, Hernández could go back to the utility role he has excelled in.
“The good thing with Kiké [is] we can move him around and get him at-bats and maximize his talent,” Cora said. “He’ll play a lot of center field, we know that. But at the same time we can move him.”
Defensive metrics show Duran has been one of the worst center fielders in the majors. Over the last two seasons he has played 617 2/3 innings in the outfield and has one assist. Rare visit
Tuesday will be only the 16th time since the start of interleague play in 1997 that the Sox will play the Pirates. The teams last met in 2017.
The Sox are 8-7 in the series and 3-6 at PNC Park. Their last series in Pittsburgh was in 2014. The Sox haven’t won a game at PNC Park since 2011. Related: Shaughnessy: With atmosphere at Fenway electric, it’s hard for Red Sox to admit this is a lost season
Pittsburgh (45-70) has lost four straight and six of its last seven games and sits in last place in the National League Central. Quality time
Sunday night’s 3-0 victory against the Yankees took 2 hours and 15 minutes. It was the shortest nine-inning game the Sox have played since Aug. 3, 2018. That was a 4-1 victory against the Yankees at Fenway Park.
Rick Porcello pitched a complete-game one-hitter and struck out nine without a walk. His only blemish was a solo homer by Miguel Andújar in the fourth inning.
The last time the Sox were under 2:15 for a nine-inning game was July 23, 2017, at Anaheim in a 3-2 loss. That game was played in 2:13. Davis optioned
The Sox optioned outfielder Jaylin Davis to Triple A Worcester, likely to make room for Hernández on the roster. Davis is 8 for 24 over 12 games in three stints with the Sox this season . . . Sox relievers have allowed one run on seven hits over the last 12 1/3 innings . . . The Sox are 29-30 at home and 28-29 on the road . . . Eric Hosmer is 5 of 26 (.192) with two RBIs since joining the Sox . . . Nick Pivetta, the scheduled starter on Tuesday, has a 3.27 ERA in three games and 11 innings against the Pirates in his career but has not faced them since 2019. Righthander Mitch Keller, Pittsburgh’s starter, will be facing the Red Sox for the first time. Among current Red Sox, only Hosmer (3 for 7) and Pham (0 for 6) have faced him before.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 16, 2022 3:12:51 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 4h Pretty rough taking 3 out of 4 from Baltimore and New York and not gaining ground in the wild card race and actually losing a half a game to the team directly ahead of you. This team is going to need to find a major winning streak at some point. Trading blows won’t cut it.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 16, 2022 3:18:14 GMT -5
Red Sox at Pirates Tuesday, at 7:05 PM EST Partly Cloudy According to Forecast.io, it's expected to be 74° F with a 9% chance of rain and 5 MPH wind blowing left to right in Pittsburgh at 7:05 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com Forecast.io
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 16, 2022 14:13:00 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 7m First time at PNC. Whoa!
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 16, 2022 14:19:32 GMT -5
Game 117: Red Sox at Pirates lineups and notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated August 16, 2022, 10:27 a.m. After a day off, the Red Sox are in Pittsburgh to open a three-game series with the Pirates. They have won three of their last four and are five games back in the wild-card race with 46 games remaining. Here are the standings. After the series in Pittsburgh, the Red Sox will travel to face Baltimore for three games, including Sunday’s Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pa. The Pirates have lost four straight and eight of 10 after being swept in San Francisco over the weekend. Nick Pivetta will be on the mound for the opener. Here is a preview. Lineups RED SOX (57-59): 1. Tommy Pham (R) LF 2. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 3. J.D. Martinez (R) DH 4. Alex Verdugo (L) RF 5. Christian Arroyo (R) 2B 6. Eric Hosmer (L) 1B 7. Enrique Hernandez (R) SS 8. Reese McGuire (L) C 9. Jarren Duran (L) CF Pitching: RHP Nick Pivetta (8-9, 4.51 ERA) PIRATES (45-70): 1. Tucupita Marcano (L) LF 2. Kevin Newman (R) 2B 3. Bryan Reynolds (S) CF 4. Ben Gamel (L) DH 5. Kevin Padlo (R) 1B 6. Oneil Cruz (L) SS 7. Rodolfo Castro (S) 3B 8. Bligh Madris (L) RF 9. Jason Delay (R) C Pitching: RHP Mitch Keller (4-8, 4.25 ERA) Time: 7:05 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Red Sox vs. Keller: Eric Hosmer 3-7, Tommy Pham 0-6 Pirates vs. Pivetta: Kevin Newman 0-1, Bryan Reynolds 0-1, Josh VanMeter 1-3 Stat of the day: No MLB team has played in more games decided by two runs or fewer than Pittsburgh. Sunday was the 70th in 115 games. Notes: This is Pivetta’s third start against the Pirates. He allowed just three earned runs in nine innings in a pair of 2018 outings. He leads the Red Sox in innings pitched (129⅔) and strikeouts (124) ... Keller is facing the Red Sox for the first time in his career. His win against Arizona Aug. 10 was his first since July 11, despite allowing no more than three runs in any of those six starts … Red Sox relievers have allowed one run over 12⅓ innings over the last three games, with 17 strikeouts and 7 hits allowed. Song of the Day: The Tragically Hip - At The Hundredth Meridianwww.youtube.com/watch?v=BCFo0a8V-Ag
|
|
|
Post by scrappyunderdog on Aug 16, 2022 14:51:42 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Kiké Hernández’s imminent return raises questions about leadoff spot and center fieldBy Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated August 15, 2022, 7:44 p.m. If the Sox remain committed to seeing what rookie center fielder Jarren Duran is capable of, Hernández could go back to the utility role he has excelled in. One could argue the lead-off role, though I think Kiki gets it back automatically. But I wouldn't spent one minute of time thinking about whether Kiki or Duran will be starting. I'd be stunned if Duran was anything else but giving Kiki the occasional rest and being a PR, and very occasional PH.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 16, 2022 14:55:53 GMT -5
Christopher Smith @smittyonmlb
Jarren Duran is with the Red Sox in Pittsburgh, I’m told. Yolmer Sánchez expected to be optioned to Worcester as both Rob Refsnyder and Kiké Hernández return. Jaylin Davis was already optioned yesterday
|
|
|
Post by scrappyunderdog on Aug 16, 2022 14:56:56 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 4h Pretty rough taking 3 out of 4 from Baltimore and New York and not gaining ground in the wild card race and actually losing a half a game to the team directly ahead of you. This team is going to need to find a major winning streak at some point. Trading blows won’t cut it. Fair enough. We really need a sweep at PT. I know we can't win every game against the weaker competition, but we have to win almost all of them. And we can't do that without more hitting.
|
|