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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2022 3:39:48 GMT -5
Rangers @ Red Sox 3rd September 2022 4pm @ Fenway
Allard 0-2/8.47
Bello 0-4/7.27
Red Sox hope to keep finding ways to beat Rangers FLM
Two games, two types of wins.
The Boston Red Sox will look for their third victory to start a four-game set against the visiting Texas Rangers on Saturday after emerging victorious in walk-off and blowout fashions in the first two games.
Boston banged out 13 hits and had eight two-out RBIs in a 9-1 win on Friday, its third straight victory overall dating back to the Wednesday series finale at Minnesota. The Red Sox won the series opener against Texas 9-8 on Thursday.
"If you can continue to be tough outs, you're going to make it tough on all their pitchers," Boston catcher Connor Wong said after the Thursday win. "It was fun to be a part of."
One of those two-out hits was the most memorable as Wong capped the scoring with his first career major league home run, a two-run shot in the seventh inning.
Wong, who played in six big-league games last season and five earlier this year, was recalled from Triple-A Worcester on Thursday. He led the International League with nine long balls in August.
"He looks a lot stronger than last year," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "He's been swinging the bat well, catching up with fastballs."
Boston's Xander Bogaerts produced his sixth straight multi-hit game, and Rafael Devers went 2-for-2 with two walks. Devers has reached base in six consecutive plate appearances since snapping an 0-for-24 stretch on Thursday.
The Red Sox organization's top-ranked pitching prospect, Brayan Bello (0-4, 7.27 ERA) has shown improvement of late, but he is still looking for his first win. He will try to get it Saturday in his initial appearance against Texas.
Bello has a 4.50 ERA over his past four outings (two starts) after struggling to the tune of a 10.50 mark over his first four starts. His past two starts have come since he returned from the injured list on Aug. 24 after recovering from a left groin strain.
He worked four-plus innings of three-run ball Monday against the Twins, allowing just one run over the first four complete frames. The bullpen was unable to strand inherited runners after a pair of walks, surrendering a two-run double to Gio Urshela in the fifth inning, and Bello was saddled with a 4-2 loss.
"I was pretty upset because I was controlling the game," Bello said. "I was in the game and I was getting outs, and those two walks got me out of my game. I felt I was doing well and I was going along with the game real well. It just got me."
Bello has just five starts under his belt. Each is a learning experience.
"It's tough," Cora said. "He needs to be more aggressive in the zone. ... He's going to learn and keep moving forward."
The Rangers are a season-low 15 games below .500 after dropping their sixth straight game on Friday. They still got multiple hits from Nathaniel Lowe for the seventh time in eight games, as well as another RBI from Corey Seager. He has eight RBIs in the past five games.
Without an announced starting pitcher for Saturday, Texas will have to rely heavily on its bullpen.
In the Friday loss, A.J. Alexy worked through 2 1/3 innings after Dallas Keuchel struggled through the first 4 2/3.
"It helped us out," interim manager Tony Beasley said of Alexy's outing. "We had some scenarios that could have played out differently. I don't know if I actually went in the right direction with that, but it did get us through the end of the game."
Beasley hopes for a more complete effort on Saturday to snap the team's season-worst skid.
"We need to get a good outing," he said. "There will be multiple pitchers used, probably, but get some offense going, play a good game and close a game out. We had a chance to win a ballgame (on Thursday), and then (Friday) didn't go our way."
--Field Level Media
Rangers at Red Sox Saturday, at 4:10 PM EST Clear According to Forecast.io, it's expected to be 77° F with a 0% chance of precipitation and 7 MPH wind blowing right to left in Boston at 4:10 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com Forecast.io
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2022 13:45:23 GMT -5
Game 134: Rangers at Red Sox lineups and notesBy Amin Touri Globe Staff,Updated September 3, 2022, 10:08 a.m. After an unusually convincing win on Friday night, the Red Sox are winners of three in a row and can secure a series win — with a split already in hand — against the Rangers on Saturday. Brayan Bello is back on the hill for the Sox in search of his first win in the big leagues. The rookie has struggled overall but shown flashes at times, in particular against Toronto on Aug. 24 when he struck out seven in five innings of two-run ball in a 3-2 loss for Boston. He’ll make his first career start against Texas Saturday. Kohei Arihara will make his second career start against the Sox, with hopes of avoiding the disaster of the first; the Japanese righthander was shelled for six earned runs in 2 ⅔ innings at Fenway last April. Lineups RANGERS (58-73): 1. Marcus Semien (R) 2B 2. Corey Seager (L) SS 3. Nathaniel Lowe (L) 1B 4. Adolis Garcia (R) RF 5. Mark Mathias (R) DH 6. Kole Calhoun (L) LF 7. Ezequiel Duran (R) 3B 8. Meibrys Viloria (L) C 9. Bubba Thompson (R) CF Pitching: RHP Kohei Arihara (1-2, 5.40 ERA) RED SOX (65-68): 1. Tommy Pham (R) LF 2. Alex Verdugo (L) RF 3. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS 4. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 5. J.D. Martinez (R) DH 6. Trevor Story (R) 2B 7. Christian Arroyo (R) 1B 8. Reese McGuire (L) C 9. Enrique Hernandez (R) CF Pitching: RHP Brayan Bello (0-4, 7.27 ERA) Time: 4:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Rangers vs. Bello: Has not faced any Texas batters Red Sox vs. Arihara: Arroyo 0-1, Bogaerts 1-2, Cordero 0-1, Dalbec 0-1, Devers 1-2, Martinez 2-2, Pham 0-2, Story 0-1, Verdugo 0-1 Stat of the day: Connor Wong’s 439-foot blast on Friday is the fourth-longest by a Sox batter this season; Franchy Cordero, Alex Verdugo, and Rafael Devers are the only ones to clear 440. Notes: While his Friday homer was the first of his big-league career, Connor Wong led the International League with nine long balls with Triple A Worcester in August ... Xander Bogaerts produced his sixth straight multi-hit game on Friday, and Rafael Devers has reached in six straight plate appearances after an 0-for-24 stretch ... Bello has a 4.50 ERA over his past four outings (two starts) after struggling to the tune of a 10.50 mark over his first four starts ... The Rangers are a season-low 15 games below .500 after dropping their sixth straight game on Friday ... Pitcher Tanner Houck will have back surgery, Alex Cora announced Saturday ... The Sox enter the day 7.5 games back in the wild-card race. Song of the Day: Neil Young - Rockin' In The Free World www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhjJLZDVRrA
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2022 13:48:51 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo @chriscotillo · 59m Tanner Houck will have surgery next week to fix a disc issue in his lower back, as expected. He should be ready to go by spring training, Alex Cora says.
Winckowski is here on the taxi squad.
Hosmer still not doing baseball activities.
Pivetta may have to be pushed back.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2022 13:50:33 GMT -5
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne · 1h Cora said the club will discuss in the off-season roles going forward for Houck, Whitlock in 2023.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2022 16:43:30 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 30m Bogaerts 18 of his last 38 with seven extra-base hits. OPS has climbed from .808 to .846.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2022 4:36:52 GMT -5
Bello gets 1st big league win, Red Sox beat Rangers 5-3 AP
BOSTON (AP) Brayan Bello pitched six scoreless innings in his first major league win and John Schreiber escaped a jam in the ninth, helping the Boston Red Sox beat the Texas Rangers 5-3 on Saturday.
Bello (1-4) allowed three hits, struck out five and walked one in the longest of his eight big league appearances. The 23-year-old right-hander is one of the team's top prospects.
''I feel very happy and that shows all the hard work that has gone on in between starts and since I first came in here to a big league team,'' Bello said through a translator. ''I felt very good. Everything was working. ... I was trying to attack the hitters and throw pitches for strikes. You see the results right there.''
Manager Alex Cora said Bello is finding a comfort level after some initial rough outings.
''I think he knows what's going on and he's thinking about what he should do,'' Cora said. ''As far as executing the game plan, that was his best.''
Rafael Devers drove in two runs in Boston's fourth straight victory. Devers, Xander Bogaerts and Trevor Story each had two hits.
Marcus Semien and Nathaniel Lowe homered for Texas in the eighth. Dennis Santana (3-7) pitched two innings of one-run ball in his first major league start, serving as an opener for the Rangers.
Texas dropped its seventh straight game.
Cora turned to Matt Barnes for the ninth, and Texas loaded the bases on consecutive one-out singles by pinch-hitter Jonah Heim and Bubba Thompson.
Schreiber then came in. The right-hander struck out Semien on three pitches, and then got Corey Seager to ground out for his sixth save.
Devers put the Red Sox in front in the first inning, driving in Bogaerts with his 37th double of the season.
Boston added two more runs in the fifth, courtesy of a pair of walks, a balk, an error and two fielder's choices.
Brian Burke's balk allowed Kike Hernandez and Alex Verdugo to advance to second and third. Bogaerts hit a soft grounder to Seager, but the shortstop's throw home was mishandled by catcher Meibrys Viloria, allowing Hernandez to score.
Devers then beat out a potential double-play grounder to second, bringing Verdugo home.
''Tonight we didn't handle the baseball,'' Rangers interim manager Tony Beasley said. ''We did things tonight that weren't conducive to winning. That's the bottom line. You can't play 30 outs and expect to be a good ball team.''
TRAINER'S ROOM
Red Sox: Cora said right-hander Tanner Houck will undergo season-ending surgery for an ongoing back issue. Houck hasn't pitched since Aug. 2. He made 32 appearances this season with a 3.15 ERA, 56 strikeouts and eight saves over 60 innings.
1,499 HITS
Boston slugger J.D. Martinez doubled in the fourth inning for his 1,499th hit. He had a chance in the seventh to become the 175th player to record at least 1,500 hits and 275 home runs, but he reached on an error on third baseman Ezequiel Duran. Bogaerts scored on the play for a 4-0 lead.
UP NEXT
Dane Dunning (3-7, 4.16 ERA) starts for Texas on Sunday. The right-hander has a 4.87 ERA over his last four starts. Cora said after the game that right-hander Kutter Crawford is being scratched from his scheduled start because of shoulder soreness. Who will take his place is to be determined.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2022 5:12:44 GMT -5
Brayan Bello tosses 6 shutout innings, gets first big league win as Boston Red Sox beat Rangers, 5-3
Updated: Sep. 03, 2022, 8:22 p.m.|Published: Sep. 03, 2022, 7:24 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
BOSTON -- In Brayan Bello’s last few starts, it was evident that things were starting to fall in place for the tantalizing Red Sox rookie. On Saturday afternoon, it all came together.
Bello pitched six shutout innings and secured his first major league win as the Red Sox won their fourth straight game with a 5-3 victory over the Rangers at Fenway Park. Bello, who entered with an 0-4 record in his first seven big league outings, allowed just three hits and struck out five batters as the Sox improved to 66-68.
Bello was on from the beginning, as he fooled leadoff hitter Marcus Semien with a changeup to strike him out and then recorded a 1-2-3 first. Boston got on the board against starter Dennis Santana in the bottom of the inning, as Rafael Devers drove in Xander Bogaerts with a double to left field.
Bello faced minimal trouble in his first few innings, then got breathing room when the Red Sox took advantage of Texas’ sloppiness in the fifth. After two walks and a Brock Burke balk, Kiké Hernández raced home on a Xander Bogaerts chopper to shortstop and scored on a missed catch error by catcher Meibrys Viloria. Devers, the next batter, beat out a potential double play ball to allow Alex Verdugo to score and make it 3-0. Bello recorded a 1-2-3 sixth before being lifted for Garrett Whitlock; Bello threw 60 of his 88 pitches for strikes.
The Rangers, who committed two errors Friday night, gifted two more runs to the Sox in the seventh. Bogaerts singled then scored after back-to-back errors; Devers came around to make it 5-0 on a Trevor Story RBI double. Enter your email address here to receive the Fenway Rundown email newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday.
Texas’ offense broke out with three runs off Whitlock in the eighth, as Marcus Semien (two-run shot) and Nathaniel Lowe (solo) each homered off the righty and Corey Seager narrowly missed a blast of his own. Things then got really hairy for the Red Sox in the ninth.
Clinging to a two-run lead, Matt Barnes entered for the save and allowed singles to three of the first four batters he faced, including a Bubba Thompson squibber that loaded the bases. He was lifted for John Schreiber, who struck out Semien and got Corey Seager to ground out and end the game. It was Schreiber’s sixth save of the year.
Bogaerts (2-for-4, 2 R, 2B), Devers (2-for-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI) and Story (2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI) each contributed two hits in the win, with Devers getting credit for two RBIs. Five of Boston’s seven hits were doubles.
Sox will have chance to sweep Sunday
Right-hander Kutter Crawford was supposed to start for the Red Sox on Sunday but was scratched due to a sore shoulder so Boston’s starter is TBD for the series finale. Josh Winckowski, who is with the team as a member of the taxi squad, is a candidate to pitch as the Red Sox look to secure their first series sweep since late June.
Righty Dane Dunning (3-7, 4.16 ERA) will be on the mound for the Rangers. First pitch is at 1:35 p.m. ET. The Red Sox will then have a quick turnaround as they will fly to the Tampa area after the game and take on the Rays in the opener of a three-game series Monday at 4:10p .m. ET.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2022 5:13:49 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox scratch Kutter Crawford (shoulder) from scheduled start Sunday; Josh Winckowski a candidate to pitch
Published: Sep. 03, 2022, 8:09 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
BOSTON -- The Red Sox have scratched righty Kutter Crawford from his scheduled start Sunday due to shoulder soreness, manager Alex Cora said following Saturday’s win. Boston has not yet determined who will start Sunday’s series finale against the Rangers.
Crawford felt soreness after playing catch Friday so the Sox decided to scratch him out of caution. Cora said an injured list stint is possible. The club will know more on Crawford’s status late Saturday or early Sunday morning.
“He wasn’t moving well today after he played catch yesterday so we’re not going to push him,” Cora said.
Righty Josh Winckowski, who is with the team as a member of the taxi squad, is a candidate to start Sunday but the Red Sox would need to make a roster move to activate him. If Crawford goes on the IL, Winckowski is the likely starter Sunday. If not, the club could piece together a bullpen game against Texas.
Winckowski, who was sent back down to Triple-A Worcester on Aug. 24, last pitched Sunday for the WooSox, allowing four runs on five hits in 4⅓ innings against Syracuse. He owns a 5.83 ERA in 13 major league starts this year.
Crawford dominated in a six-outing span from July 4 to Aug. 12, posting a 2.38 ERA (9 earned runs in 34 innings) and striking out 32 batters. But he has been hit hard lately and has been tagged for 17 earned runs in 12⅔ innings over his last three starts (12.08 ERA). His ERA sits at 5.47 for the year. Enter your email address here to receive the Fenway Rundown email newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday.
Boston’s rotation mix is a bit in flux for the next few days with Nick Pivetta (left calf contusion) also banged up. Michael Wacha and Rich Hill will likely start the club’s first two games against the Rays in St. Petersburg on Monday and Tuesday but Pivetta may need to be pushed back from his scheduled outing Wednesday.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2022 5:15:18 GMT -5
Triston Casas will join Boston Red Sox on Sunday, likely make major league debut vs. Rangers
Updated: Sep. 04, 2022, 2:02 a.m.|Published: Sep. 03, 2022, 9:00 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
BOSTON -- It’s Triston Casas time.
The Red Sox will promote Casas, their top first base prospect, before Sunday’s game against the Rangers, according to multiple industry sources. In a corresponding move, first baseman Bobby Dalbec will be optioned to Triple-A Worcester, according to Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe. There’s a good chance Casas starts at first base as Boston tries to finish off a four-game sweep of the Rangers.
RELATED: Boston Red Sox to option Bobby Dalbec to Triple-A Worcester with Triston Casas being promoted (report)
Casas, the club’s first-round pick in 2018 (26th), has been knocking on the door of a big league call-up for a while. The 22-year-old has hit .273 with 11 homers, 20 doubles and an .863 OPS in 72 games at Triple-A Worcester this season. He did not play Saturday for the WooSox. He slashed .333/.459/.533/.992 with two homers, 10 doubles and one triple in 25 games during August. Enter your email address here to receive the Fenway Rundown email newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday.
Casas is considered one of the very best prospects in baseball. MLB Pipeline recently ranked him as the 26th-best prospect in baseball and Baseball America has him ranked 28th in the game. He has checked every box since being selected out of American Heritage High School in Florida four years ago and is expected to see a significant amount of playing time at first base down the stretch.
With Eric Hosmer on the injured list and Dalbec in the minors, Casas and utility man Christian Arroyo will likely see the lion’s share of playing time at first base for the Red Sox in the final 28 games of the season. With Boston out of the postseason race with a 66-68 record, the club will likely use the season’s final month as a chance to see what they have for 2023. Hosmer, Casas, Arroyo, Dalbec and Franchy Cordero are all first base options, though it stands to reason that Casas could claim the full-time starting job at the beginning of next year if he plays well down the stretch.
Though Casas is getting his first chance in the majors, he may not be a finished product. There are concerns about his ability to catch up with velocity at the top of the zone -- as evidenced by his 25.8% strikeout rate at Triple-A this season -- and the fact he missed two months with an ankle sprain from mid-May to mid-July.
Casas is widely ranked as Boston’s second-best prospect behind shortstop Marcelo Mayer, who was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft. If he plays Sunday as expected, he’ll become the fifth Red Sox player to debut in 2022, joining Josh Winckowski, Brayan Bello, Jeter Downs and Josh Winckowski.
The Red Sox will need to clear a 40-man roster spot to activate Casas on Sunday. An easy move would be transferring closer Tanner Houck, who will undergo back surgery next week, to the 60-day injured list. More moves may be coming, also. While relief prospect Frank German will not be coming up, according to sources, there’s a good chance righty Josh Winckowski will be called up to start in place of Kutter Crawford, who was scratched from Sunday’s start due to a sore right shoulder.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2022 5:16:25 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox’s Xander Bogaerts noticed ‘something different’ about Brayan Bello from ‘the first time he was in the clubhouse’
Updated: Sep. 04, 2022, 2:08 a.m.|Published: Sep. 03, 2022, 9:32 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — Xander Bogaerts noticed Brayan Bello’s confidence immediately when the Red Sox rookie got called up to the major leagues in early July.
“I saw it from the first time he was in the clubhouse,” Bogaerts said. “His first start with that white bandana thing he had going on his head. It was looking good. But the way he was in here, man, it was like, ‘Woah. This guy (must) have 20 starts up here already.’”
Bello earned his first big league victory Saturday. The righty pitched 6 shutout innings, allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out five. The Red Sox won 5-3 over the Rangers here at Fenway Park.
“I don’t know, man. It’s something different about him,” Bogaerts said. “And I’m honest about that. The first time I saw him, I haven’t seen guys make their debut pitching-wise and be that confident. It’s pretty impressive.”
Bello is using this late-season opportunity as a chance to prove he belongs in the 2023 Opening Day starting rotation.
“Yeah, that’s the mentality I have so keep working hard,” Bello said through translator Carlos Villoria Benítez. “But my focus right now is to finish the season strong and I will see what happens.”
He has pitched much better than his 5.91 ERA indicates. He entered Saturday with a 3.24 FIP. And his .448 batting average on balls in plays shows he has gotten quite unlucky.
“I felt really good with my pitches,” he said. “Everything was working — fastball, changeup, slider. My sinker, too. So I was trying to attack the hitters and throw the pitches for strikes.”
The righty threw 34 sinkers, averaging 95.7 mph and topping out at 97.4 mph, per Baseball Savant. He mixed in 20 changeups (five swings-and-misses), 18 four-seam fastballs (96.6 mph average) and 16 sliders. Overall, he recorded nine swings-and-misses.
“He got punched right away (in his first start), which is good and bad,” manager Alex Cora said. “Bad for the results but good in a sense that every level is different. And you guys know how I feel about this level. The strike zone is smaller. The chase percentage is less. So you have to throw it over the plate. But he can do that with that stuff.”
Bello added, “That’s one of the things I’ve learned up here; that the strike zone is different from the minor leagues. But what I’ve tried to do is just tried to throw pitches for strikes and the movement that they have, they’ll do the job for me.”
Bello — who Baseball America ranks No. 21 on its Top 100 — is a serious candidate for next year’s rotation.
There are a lot of questions surrounding the Red Sox starting rotation entering the offseason. Boston ranks 23rd in the majors in starter ERA (669 ⅓ innings, 333 earned runs).
Michael Wacha and Nathan Eovaldi are eligible for free agency. The Red Sox will have to decide whether to offer them qualifying offers.
Chris Sale is expected to be ready for the 2023 season. But he has started just 11 regular season games the past three seasons. The Red Sox can’t bank on him for 20 or more starts.
James Paxton, who will not pitch in 2022 after suffering a Grade 2 lat tear Aug. 18 in his first rehab start after Tommy John surgery, has a mutual option.
Boston has to decide whether to exercise both option years (2023, ‘24) worth a total of $26 million simultaneously when this coming offseason begins. If the Red Sox decline it, Paxton has the ability to opt in for one year, $4 million.
The Red Sox also need to decide whether Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck will be relievers or starters next year.
“One of the things we’re going to do in the offseason is talk about their roles,” Cora said about Whitlock and Houck. “Not only his (Houck’s) but Garrett’s. We know they can do both. Obviously that’s a bigger conversation to where we’re going to go and what we’re going to try to do in the offseason. But they can impact the game on either side — the first five innings or the last four innings.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2022 5:17:56 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox to option Bobby Dalbec to Triple-A Worcester with Triston Casas being promoted (report)
Updated: Sep. 03, 2022, 9:31 p.m.|Published: Sep. 03, 2022, 9:25 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — The Red Sox reportedly will option Bobby Dalbec to Triple-A Worcester to make room on the active roster for first base prospect Triston Casas who will be promoted Sunday.
MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo was the first to report Casas’ promotion. The Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams reported Dalbec will be optioned.
Dalbec has had a disappointing 2022 season. He’s batting just .211 with a .282 on-base percentage, .362 slugging percentage, .644 OPS, 11 homers, nine doubles, two triples, 38 runs, 36 RBIs, 29 walks and 113 strikeouts in 111 games.
The first baseman has struck out in 33.2% of his plate appearances.
Dalbec had a strong finish to the 2021 season. He belted 25 homers, 21 doubles and five triples while posting a .792 OPS last year. The 27-year-old has a .231/.298/.454/.753 line in 267 major league games.
Baseball America ranks Casas No. 28 on its Top 100 list.
Casas is batting .273 with a .385 on-base percentage, .477 slugging percentage, .862 OPS, 10 homers, 20 doubles, one triple, 46 walks and 66 strikeouts in 70 games (309 plate appearances) at Worcester.
He slashed .333/.459/.533/.992 with two homers, 10 doubles and one triple in 25 games during August.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2022 5:21:41 GMT -5
Bello breaks through, cruises to first big league 'W' September 3rd, 2022 Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
BOSTON -- It took eight weeks and eight appearances, but it finally happened for Brayan Bello on Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park.
At the end of the day, Bello at last had his first Major League win.
It came on the strength of his best outing by innings (six) and runs allowed (zero), and on a day the Red Sox defeated the Rangers, 5-3.
“I feel very happy, and that shows all the hard work that I’ve done in between starts since I first came in here to the big league team, and I’m really happy with the result,” said Bello, who is rated Boston’s No. 3 prospect by MLB Pipeline.
The truth of the matter is that Bello had pitched well enough to win on other occasions, particularly when he held the Blue Jays to two runs while striking out seven on Aug. 24. He also had a strong relief outing against Milwaukee on July 29.
It all came together for Bello on Saturday as he walked one, struck out five and threw 60 of his 88 pitches for strikes.
“He’s been throwing really well for a while,” said Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts. “It’s just that he started off his career by giving up infield knocks, and a couple of bloopers here and there with guys on base. He got off to a lot of bad luck, I would say. He’s been pitching dominant for a while now.”
While it isn’t uncommon for a 23-year-old pitcher to get down on himself even when bad luck plays a bigger factor than bad pitches, Bello’s confidence never seemed to waver. And make no mistake about it: He has a lot of it.
“I saw it from the first time he was in the clubhouse. His first start, with that white bandana, that thing he had going on his head,” said Bogaerts. “He was looking good. The way he was in here, it was like this guy had 20 starts up here already. I don’t know, man. There’s something different about him.”
While falling out of realistic contention for a postseason berth isn’t what the Red Sox had in mind, one of the benefits has been the chance to get a good look at Bello, who will continue to pitch every fifth day for the rest of the season.
Bello has the chance to convince the brass that he belongs in the rotation at the start of the 2023 season.
“Yeah, that’s the mentality that I have,” said Bello. “To keep working hard. But my focus right now is to finish the season strong, and we’ll see what happens.”
In particular, Red Sox manager Alex Cora enjoyed watching Bello empty the tank in his final inning, getting a 1-2-3 frame against the Rangers’ second through fourth hitters on 15 pitches.
Bello’s final pitch was an 84.8 mph slider that was lined to Rafael Devers at third base to end the sixth.
As Bello got back to the dugout, his manager, coaches and teammates were there to congratulate him.
The ups and downs Bello has gone through the last few weeks have been felt by everyone around him.
“I believe as far as executing the game plan, that was his best,” said Cora. “He was able to use his front-door sinker to lefties, and just from the guy that threw sinkers and changeups the first outing against Tampa Bay to this guy, you see it, and we’re very proud of him.
“There’s a lot of people working with him, a lot of people celebrating down there with him because everybody -- Michael [Wacha], Nate [Eovaldi], Rich [Hill] -- they talk to him and he likes to listen to them and is not afraid to make changes in between starts or during starts. That’s a testament to who he is, and we’re happy he got his first one.”
Perhaps the bumps Bello hit were necessary for him to reach the form he was at on Saturday.
“He got punched right away, which is good and bad,” said Cora. “Bad for the results, but good in a sense that every level is different. You guys know how I feel about this level. The strike zone is smaller and the chase percentage is less, so you have to throw over the plate, but he can do it with that stuff.”
Bello had the best proof yet on Saturday.
“I felt very good with all my pitches, everything was working,” Bello said. “Fastball, changeup, slider, my sinker, too. I was trying to attack the hitters and throw all the pitches for strikes, and you see the results right there.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2022 5:22:41 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Houck will have surgery, out for season September 3rd, 2022
Keep track of the Red Sox’s recent transactions and injury updates throughout the season. LATEST NEWS
Sept. 3 RHP Tanner Houck to have back surgery Houck will undergo back surgery next week to repair a disc issue in his lower back, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said on Saturday. When Houck was placed on the injured list on Aug. 9 retroactive to Aug. 6, there was hope that he could pitch again this season. But he never came around, leading to the decision for surgery. Houck is expected to be ready for the start of Spring Training. He pitched in 32 games this season, all but four of them in the bullpen. He had eight saves and a 3.15 ERA.
"Just talking to [trainer] Brad [Pearson], he’s not concerned about it," said Cora. "Like, obviously, it’s still surgery, but everything should be OK. Normal recovery, and he should be able to be ready for Spring Training.”
Sept. 3: RHP Nick Pivetta's next start could be pushed back Pivetta, the lone pitcher on the Red Sox to make all his starts this season, had to leave Friday night's game against the Rangers with a left calf contusion. The injury occurred when Pivetta was hit by a 91.4 mph grounder off the bat of Leody Taveras. Pivetta limped to his press conference after the game and around the clubhouse. If Pivetta can't make his regular turn on Wednesday, the Sox could either go with a bullpen game or recall Triple-A Worcester starter Josh Winckowski, who is on the taxi squad.
"He’s moving better right now," said manager Alex Cora. "There’s a chance we have to push him back, but he’ll come in [Sunday] after treatment the whole day and see how he’s moving and all that. Obviously, we’ve got the off-day on Thursday, so we’ll make adjustments if we have to make adjustments.”
Sept. 3: RHP Kutter Crawford scratched from Sunday start Rookie righty Crawford, who has struggled of late, was supposed to pitch the finale of the four-game series against the Rangers on Sunday afternoon. But after Saturday's 5-3 win, manager Alex Cora announced that Crawford won't make that start after showing up to work "a little sore." The soreness was shoulder related, said Cora. The Red Sox aren't sure if it will necessitate an IL stint. Sunday's starter is TBD. Crawford was hot from July 4-Aug. 2, posting a 2.38 ERA in six appearances (five starts). In his last five starts, he is 0-3 with a 9.13 ERA.
"We’re not going to push him," said Cora.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2022 5:25:28 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo @chriscotillo · 4h There's some speculation Frank German will be joining Triston Casas in Boston tomorrow but a source says that won't be happening.
My guess: Casas up, Dalbec down, Houck to 60-day IL to create a 40-man spot. Then Winckowski up for a pitcher (maybe Crawford to IL).
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2022 5:33:50 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 7h (1/2) A little Triston Casas story:
During the lockout, #RedSox had a group of minor leaguers in camp early.
Talking to Casas one day, I asked him what he wanted to get out of AAA this season.
"What makes you think I won't be on the big league team?" he said.
(2/2) That was a good answer and I said it seemed pretty likely he would at least start the year in AAA.
"If I do, my goal will be to get back here as fast as I can," he said.
He wasn't cocky. Just confident and secure about his talent.
Now he's coming up tomorrow.
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