|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 30, 2022 16:57:24 GMT -5
Jen McCaffrey @jcmccaffrey17m RT @woosox: Bryan Mata will make his Triple-A debut tonight.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 30, 2022 16:58:49 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe21m Per @baseball_ref, Zack Kelly was the 22,801st player to make the majors. Pretty amazing that baseball has been going on as long as it has and all the players wouldn't come close to filling Fenway Park.
Trevor Story playing back-to-back for the first time since coming off the IL. Alex Cora said they still need to monitor him, but Story's wrist feels good and his swings have been fine (4 for 6, so apparently so)
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 30, 2022 18:50:14 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe1h Tanner Houck did not throw his live BP session today. He’s now “on hold” because of continued back soreness.
Eric Hosmer is making progress and could start a short minor league assignment later this week.
Eovaldi threw a bullpen yesterday as it turned out. He is apparently doing well
|
|
|
Post by scrappyunderdog on Aug 30, 2022 19:53:28 GMT -5
Not for nothing, but couldn't Devers at least give some kind of impression of running on the fly out to CF? He looked like some old dude pretending he was working out, but never getting the pulse up.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 30, 2022 21:25:39 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 51m Verdugo had that base-running mistake last night and now lets a ball pop out of his glove for an error.
That's it for Crawford after his 4th walk in 4.1 innings. Brasier comes on.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 30, 2022 21:26:46 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 38m Error, walk, HBP, and grand slam. I mean ... yikes.
Brasier threw an 0-2 pitch down that Gordon fouled off. Came back with a fastball that caught too much of the plate.
Upper deck grand slam for Gordon off Brasier. Just crushed to RF.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 30, 2022 21:28:32 GMT -5
Lou Merloni @loumerloni · 43m Brasier drills the 1st guy he faces on the 1st pitch and then gives up a Grand Slam on an 0-2 pitch. I mean wtf
Tom Caron @tomcaron · 38m Ryan Brasier has inherited 20 runners this season. 13 of them have scored. That’s 65 percent of them.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2022 3:27:46 GMT -5
Gordon's slam, 6 RBIs lead Twins to 10-5 win over Red Sox AP
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Nick Gordon hit his first career grand slam and drove in a career-high six runs, Jake Cave and Gary Sanchez also homered, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Boston Red Sox 10-5 on Tuesday night.
Gordon lined a two-run double in the first inning and followed with a drive to the upper deck in right field in the fifth to lead Minnesota to its fifth straight win. The Twins trail AL Central-leading Cleveland by 1 1/2 games.
''His nickname's `Flash' and he was definitely that spark for us tonight,'' said Chris Archer, who started for Minnesota and allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings.
Michael Fulmer (5-5) worked 1 1/3 innings of relief with two strikeouts.
Kutter Crawford (3-6) surrendered five runs - four earned - on four hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings for Boston, which has lost seven of nine.
''This is where we're at,'' Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. ''We know we are better than this but we haven't proven it over 100-plus games. We haven't been able to have shutdown innings or go to the next level and it's why we are where we are.''
Gordon's homer was the lone hit in an inning of miscues for the Red Sox in the fifth.
Alex Verdugo dropped a flyball in right field. Crawford then walked Max Kepler. Ryan Brasier entered and hit Jose Miranda with a pitch to load the bases for Gordon.
''It pisses me off when I make mistakes, when I mess up, when I hurt the team,'' Verdugo said. ''I take it heavy. It's not something I take lightly and when we're in a skid like this, those are the little things that separate a team from winning and losing.''
Gordon, the 6-foot, 160-pound former first-round pick, has helped Minnesota stay in playoff contention while dealing with injuries. Originally a shortstop, Gordon has played all over the outfield and infield, and the grand slam was his sixth homer of the season.
''It's awesome,'' said Gordon, the son of former major leaguer Tom Gordon and the brother of big leaguer Dee Strange-Gordon. ''I definitely had some tough times. It's all about believing in yourself, just continuing to believe there's purpose for why I'm here, things like that. Just going and working hard, man, giving it everything I've got every single day, no matter what happens. We've all got the same 24 hours, so.''
As he went to the field for the next half-inning, Gordon's teammates stayed in the dugout while the public address announcer told the crowd it was Gordon's first career grand slam. Gordon waved during an unexpected curtain call before his teammates took the field.
''At first, I was like, `Oh man, where are the guys?' Had to make sure it was three outs,'' Gordon said. ''Then I looked back and - that was awesome. That was definitely an amazing feeling.''
The Twins came from behind to win for the fourth straight game.
''I think the last six games we've really shown the type of club we are: good starting pitching, great bullpen and an offense that is one-through-nine capable of doing damage,'' Archer said. ''Tonight was, I think, a full display of who we are as a team.''
Boston scored three times in the fifth for a 4-3 lead. Tommy Pham and Xander Bogaerts had RBI singles and another run scored on a wild pitch from Fulmer.
ON BROADWAY
The Red Sox completed an Aug. 1 trade with the Chicago White Sox by acquiring minor league right-hander Taylor Broadway. The deal included catcher Reese McGuire going to Boston with left-hander Jake Diekman heading to Chicago.
Broadway, 25, will head to Double-A Portland. A sixth-round draft pick in 2021, he went 3-2 with a 4.74 ERA in 37 relief appearances for Double-A Birmingham.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Red Sox: 2B Trevor Story was in the lineup for the second straight day.
Twins: 2B Jorge Polanco missed his third straight game with a knee injury. The injury doesn't bother him when running but is an issue when hitting.
UP NEXT
Boston will have RHP Michael Wacha (9-1, 2.53 ERA) on the mound for the series finale Wednesday night. Minnesota counters with RHP Joe Ryan (10-6, 3.65).
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2022 3:58:45 GMT -5
Alex Verdugo’s error leads to disaster as Boston Red Sox fall to Twins, 10-5; Ryan Brasier (6.62 ERA) gives up grand slam to Nick Gordon
Published: Aug. 30, 2022, 11:09 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
The Red Sox have had plenty of sloppy half-innings in 2022. The bottom of the fifth inning Tuesday night at Target Field ranks right at the top.
Minutes after Boston plated three runs to storm back from a three-run deficit to take a 4-3 lead in the top of the fifth, poor defense from Alex Verdugo and even worse pitching from Ryan Brasier contributed to a four-run frame for the Twins. Nick Gordon’s upper-deck grand slam off Brasier was the crushing blow as Minnesota handed the Red Sox their third straight loss by a 10-5 score. Gordon had six RBIs in Minnesota’s victory.
Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford entered with a 7.46 ERA in August and fell into trouble early again, as Minnesota tagged him for three runs in the first two innings. Gordon hit a two-run double in the first, then Jake Cave made it 3-0 with a solo homer to lead off the second.
Verdugo (single) and Xander Bogaerts (double) had back-to-back hits to lead off the third before Rafael Devers made it 3-1 with a sacrifice fly off starter Chris Archer. In the fifth, Tommy Pham brought the Sox within a run with a single (Boston’s third in a row) and Xander Bogaerts tied the game with a run-scoring single off lefty Caleb Thielbar. With two outs, Verdugo scored on a wild pitch to give the Red Sox the lead.
Things unraveled quickly in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Carlos Correa lifted an easy fly ball to right field but it glanced off Verdugo’s glove and was ruled an error. Crawford then walked Max Kepler on five pitches before handing things over to Brasier. Brasier hit Jose Miranda with the first pitch he threw to load the bases, then Gordon fouled three pitches off before crushing a 416-foot grand slam to right field. Brasier -- who seems to be on his last legs with the Red Sox -- saw his ERA rise to 6.62.
Gary Sánchez made it 8-4 with a towering shot off Jeurys Familia in the sixth. Boston crawled back within three runs in the seventh when Verdugo drove in Pham with an RBI double. Facing Matt Barnes in the eighth, the Twins tacked on two insurance runs on back-to-back RBI singles by Luis Arraez and Correa.
Crawford and Archer had almost identical lines, each allowing four earned runs in 4⅓ innings. Crawford was tagged with four hits but issued four walks while striking out five. His ERA sits at 5.47.
With the loss, the flailing Red Sox fell to 62-68. They have lost seven of their last nine and are 14-23 since the All-Star break.
Wacha on hill as Sox try to avoid sweep
The Red Sox will try to avoid a sweep Wednesday night behind righty Michael Wacha (9-1, 2.53 ERA). The Twins will counter with talented young righty Joe Ryan (10-6, 3.65 ERA). First pitch is at 7:40 p.m. ET.
Boston will then return home for a one-series homestand and will host the Rangers from Thursday to Sunday.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2022 4:03:07 GMT -5
Sox on repeat as E leads to slam in key 5th Twins make Boston pay for Verdugo's missed catch in another tough loss 2:35 AM ADT
Paul Hodowanic
MINNEAPOLIS -- All Alex Verdugo could do was stare at his glove and sulk.
After his fifth-inning error enabled Carlos Correa to reach base and eventually led to Nick Gordon’s go-ahead grand slam in a 10-5 loss to the Twins on Tuesday night at Target Field, who could blame him.
It’s a feeling and portrait that’s become all too common in the last month as the Red Sox, losers in seven of their past nine, have fallen from playoff contention to the American League East basement. Tuesday’s loss was the latest result that’s been influenced by a string of unforced mistakes that have led to Boston’s own undoing.
“We’ve got to clean up everything,” said Verdugo, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI double and scored a pair of runs.
The Red Sox’s fifth inning was emblematic of that.
Rookie right-hander Kutter Crawford struggled early in his start, but had settled down by the fifth. He got Luis Arraez to fly out to begin the inning then forced Correa to fly out to the gap. Verdugo came running in to make the play, but, by his own admission, took his eye off the ball and it bounced off his glove.
“It’s not something I take lightly and when we’re in a skid like this, those are the little things that separate a team from winning and losing,” Verdugo said.
And it did.
What could’ve been a two-out, nobody on situation suddenly spiraled. A walk to Max Kepler followed and ended Crawford’s night. In relief, Ryan Brasier hit Jose Miranda with the first pitch he threw, then yielded Gordon’s towering slam, which traveled a Statcast-projected 416 feet over the right-field wall.
“Error, walk, hit by pitch and then 0-2 grand slam. It’s one of those, we’ve been fighting in those innings,” manager Alex Cora said. “This is where we’re at. We know we are better than this, but we haven’t proven it over 100-plus games.”
Boston’s playoff chances stood at 33.3 percent, per FanGraphs, after it opened the month of August with a pair of wins. Now, after a 10-18 stretch has dropped the Sox to nine games back in the AL Wild Card race, their playoff probability is under one percent.
What made it particularly frustrating for Cora is what happened the night before. Just 24 hours earlier, the manager lambasted the same mental mistakes.
“We’re better than this, we’re much better. It’s OK to lose games. But the way sometimes we lose games, it’s not acceptable,” he said following Monday’s 4-2 loss in the series opener.
In that game, walks and sloppy baserunning cost the Red Sox. Verdugo failed to tag up from third on a diving catch by Max Kepler in the third inning that would’ve extended Boston’s lead to two. Two innings later, starter Brayan Bello walked two batters to start the fifth before being removed and relievers Matt Strahm and John Schreiber couldn’t get out of the inning, surrendering another walk and later Gio Urshela’s go-ahead bases-clearing double.
Swap out Verdugo’s baserunning error for his fielding mishap and it looked a lot like Tuesday’s game.
Like Bello, Crawford’s command disappeared in stretches and the Twins took advantage of those opportunities. After getting the first two outs of the first inning, Crawford walked the following two batters. Then Gordon, foreshadowing his final blow later in the game, made Crawford pay, shooting a ball through the left-field gap for a two-out, two-run double.
“Fell behind too many guys, walked too many people. And it’s hard to pitch when you’re giving up that many free passes,” said Crawford, who has allowed 24 runs in his last 23 2/3 innings.
It’s made the Red Sox’s recent descent particularly debilitating, with the team seemingly beating itself. And after the loss, Boston’s clubhouse seemed to recognize it. A somber and frustrated locker room, sick of new potholes popping up quicker than they can patch them.
“We've got to obviously clean up the defense. Pitchers have to attack the zone; we've got to come through clutch with hitting,” Verdugo said. “We can't just get a couple of hits and call it good ... Right now, we're not firing on any of the cylinders."
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2022 4:04:08 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Houck 'on hold'; Eovaldi, Hosmer updates August 30th, 2022
Keep track of the Red Sox’s recent transactions and injury updates throughout the season. LATEST NEWS
• All Red Sox transactions INJURY UPDATES 10-day and 15-day IL
RHP Tanner Houck (lower back inflammation) Expected return: September Houck was scheduled to throw a bullpen on Aug. 30, but he was held out of the session because of continued soreness in his back. He is now “on hold,” manager Alex Cora said. Houck, who most recently threw a bullpen at Fenway Park on Aug. 27, has been sorely missed in the 'pen. He has eight saves and a 3.15 ERA in 32 appearances this season. (Last updated: Aug. 30)
RHP Nathan Eovaldi (right shoulder inflammation) Expected return: September Eovaldi threw a bullpen session on Aug. 29, his second in three days, as he nears a return. His next step will be facing hitters in batting practice or a Minor League rehab stint.
Eovaldi was placed on the 15-day IL on Aug. 23, retroactive to Aug. 19. The right-hander was scratched from his Aug. 18 start in Pittsburgh due to a sore trap muscle. He last pitched on Aug. 12 against the Yankees, yielding two runs over six innings. (Last updated: Aug. 30)
1B Eric Hosmer (low back inflammation) Expected return: September Hosmer could start a short Minor League rehab assignment as soon as this week, manager Alex Cora said. The veteran has made steady progress from the back issue that landed him on the injured list on Aug. 21. Hosmer did not travel with the team to Minneapolis, instead getting work in at Fenway Park. (Last updated: Aug. 30)
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2022 4:15:36 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 6h
#RedSox are 62-68.
Ryan Brasier gave up the key swing. His ERA is up to 6.62.
Kutter Crawford has hit the wall. Jeurys Familia and Matt Barnes each got scuffed.
Will any real free agents sign up for a rebuild in Boston? Hard sell for less than top dollar.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2022 4:16:46 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo @chriscotillo · 7h If that doesn’t end the Ryan Brasier era, I don’t know what will.
Julian McWilliams @byjulianmack · 7h It’s gotta be the back row of the upper deck next time.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2022 4:22:33 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK This could be Michael Wacha’s year to plant roots By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated August 30, 2022, 11:33 p.m.
MINNEAPOLIS — Michael Wacha has taken a series of one-year contracts since playing seven years with the Cardinals. It wasn’t by choice.
“I’d prefer a multi-year deal but never really been offered one,” he said.
Wacha will be a free agent again after this season and should have a chance to put down some roots.
The 31-year-old righthander, who faces the Twins on Wednesday night, is 9-1 with a 2.53 ERA in 16 starts for the Red Sox.
“He’s solid. Not only [on the field] but inside the clubhouse,” manager Alex Cora said Tuesday before the Red Sox’ 10-5 loss to the Twins. “Taking to players in the dugout, he’s awesome. A positive presence.”
Outside of a shoulder strain that cost him roughly eight starts, Wacha has had a strong first season in Boston. He hopes that can continue.
“I’ve loved it here. The staff has been great. The clubhouse and the guys have been great, being around them and learning,” he said. “It’s been a very positive experience.
“I’d most definitely like to stay. I love the city; my family loves the city. Yeah, I can see myself staying here.”
Wacha was in the Cardinals organization for eight years in all. He’s been the new kid in school every year since.
“When you come into a new clubhouse it does take a little bit of time to feel comfortable,” Wacha said. “There’s a learning curve. But getting to know a bunch of different players and work with a bunch of different staff, they all bring something different to the table.”
Wacha had one-year deals with the Mets in 2020 ($3 million), the Rays in 2021 ($3 million), and now the Sox ($7 million). A strong finish to the season would position him to do better than that.
“I try not to think about stuff like that,” Wacha said. “Hopefully when the time comes, I’ll have a decision to make.”
The free agent class could be headlined by veteran stars Jacob deGrom and Justin Verlander. DeGrom has said he plans to opt out of his deal with the Mets. Verlander has a $25 million player option for 2023 with the Astros.
Two cornerstones with their current teams, Dodgers lefthander Clayton Kershaw and Cardinals righthander Adam Wainwright, are at the end of their deals but are far more likely to stay in place or retire than jump to another team.
Another veteran, Charlie Morton, has made it clear he wants to stay close to his home in Florida. That would probably mean staying with the Braves or returning to the Rays.
That puts Wacha in a group that includes teammate Nate Eovaldi, Chris Bassitt, Mike Clevinger, Sonny Gray, Aaron Nola, Carlos Rodon, Noah Syndergaard, and Jameson Taillon.
Cora would welcome Wacha staying in Boston.
“It would be great,” he said. “I don’t mind managing Michael Wacha. We’ll see what the future holds.” Setback for Houck
Continued back soreness kept Tanner Houck from throwing his scheduled session of live batting practice. He is now “on hold,” according to Cora.
Houck has been on the injured list since Aug. 6 with what the team described as “lower back inflammation,” but has since been revealed to be a disk issue.
This latest shutdown makes it less likely Houck pitches again this season. The righthander is 5-4 with a 3.15 ERA and eight saves in 32 appearances.
The news is better for Eovaldi, who has twice thrown off the mound as he recovers from a lat strain. Youthful appearance
Kutter Crawford’s start Tuesday was the 33rd by a rookie for the Sox this season. That’s the most for the Sox since 2015 when they had 44. That team finished 78-84 . . . Bryan Mata had an inauspicious debut at Triple A Worcester. The 23-year-old righthander allowed one run on two hits over three innings against Buffalo at Polar Park. He walked four, struck out one, and threw 72 pitches (40 for strikes) . . . The Sox acquired 25-year-old reliever Taylor Broadway from the White Sox as the player to be named in the Aug. 1 deal that sent Jake Diekman to Chicago. Broadway, a sixth-round pick in 2021, has a 4.45 ERA in 52 appearances but has averaged 12.8 strikeouts per nine innings. He was assigned to Double A Portland . . . There were two scoring changes from recent Sox games. Rob Refsynder’s third-inning single at Baltimore Aug. 19 has been ruled a double because he was advancing before the throw to third. Also, Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. lost an assist he was credited with against the Sox in the eighth inning last Thursday. Guerrero deflected a ball second baseman Santiago Espinal made a play on.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 31, 2022 4:26:18 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 5h Verdugo was furious after the game. But to his credit he took all questions.
Tonight was the first time it felt like the Sox know this is what it is and they're not going to suddenly go on a run. An air of resignation.
They're 9 out in the WC. Not much else to say.
Verdugo III: "We've got to clean up everything. We've got to obviously clean up the defense. Pitchers have attack the zone; we've got to come through clutch with hitting. We can't just get a couple of hits and call it good ... Right now we're not firing on any of the cylinders."
More Verdugo; "Just got to be better. It's a play I make 99 times out of 100. Last minute took my eyes off the ball a little bit. Hey, fucking happens. We'll be better. We'll make the next play."
Alex Verdugo: "It pisses me off when I make mistakes, when I mess up, when I hurt the team. I take it heavy. It’s not something I take lightly … I’m definitely pissed off about it.”
|
|