Red Sox @ Reds Game Thread/ 20th-21rst September 2022

I was hoping it had something to do with his 2.61 ERA over his last 6 games.

Red Sox get 3 HRs in 5-3 win; Reds set mark for hit batters
AP

CINCINNATI (AP) J.D. Martinez and Rob Refsnyder hit solo homers, and Rafael Devers had a two-run shot as the Boston Red Sox beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 on Tuesday night.

Red Sox rookie right-hander Brayan Bello (2-6) ended a streak of 44 1/3 innings without allowing a homer as TJ Friedl had a solo shot in the third inning. Bello gave up the run and eight hits in five innings. He struck out five and walked two.

''They put pressure on him, but he made some pitches, some swings and misses,'' said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. ''He's still learning but he's getting better. We want him to use certain pitches, be aggressive with it and trust his stuff.''

Reds rookie left-hander Nick Lodolo (4-7), who had 22 strikeouts and no walks over his previous two starts, struggled with his control against Boston. He walked three and hit three batters over his five innings, giving the Reds a major league-record 99 hit batters this season - eclipsing the Chicago Cubs' total of 98 last year.

Lodolo became the first Reds pitcher to hit three or more batters in a game twice in a season since Harry Thielman in 1902. He also hit three batters at St. Louis on July 16. Lodolo has hit at least one batter in nine of his last 10 starts and has totaled 18 this season.

''The curve didn't have the right shape tonight,'' Lodolo said. ''If that pitch would have been a little bit better we could have got away with more stuff.''

Bello needed only nine pitches to retire the Reds in order in the first with two strikeouts. He retired three straight to leave the bases loaded in the second.

''Bello had a really good tight slider,'' Reds manager David Bell said. ''That was the key to the game. We were able to get the bases loaded and not being able to score that inning, it affected us the rest of the game.''

Martinez's triple off the center-field wall in the third drove him the game's first run. Friedl hustled over from left field to retrieve the ball and prevent an inside-the-park home run. Martinez said he was disappointed that third base coach Carlos Febles put up the stop sign.

''I said, `What are you doing, dude? You know I have the closing speed at the end,''' Martinez said. ''I was thinking, this is my chance, this is it. But I was gassed.''

After Friedl tied the score in the bottom half, Refsnyder put Boston back ahead in the fourth with a solo homer, his fifth of the season. Martinez extended the lead with his 12th homer an inning later and Devers' 27th homer off Hunter Strickland made the score 5-1 in the ninth.

Cincinnati loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth against Matt Strahm, who walked in a run. He was replaced by John Schreiber who allowed a sacrifice fly but got the final out for his eighth save.

SENZEL HURT

Reds CF Nick Senzel left the game after crashing into the wall attempting to catch Martinez's triple in the third. Senzel told reporters after the game that he broke his toe and is out for the season. Bell said moments earlier that he was still waiting on results of another X-ray. ''His toe hit the bottom of the wall, the unpadded part,'' Bell said. ''We took x-rays but will take one again tomorrow.''

TRAINERS ROOM

Red Sox: RHP Garrett Whitlock (right hip inflammation) is having season-ending arthroscopic hip surgery next week in New York. ... RHP Kutter Crawford (right shoulder impingement) will not pitch again this season for Boston but will continue to rehab.

Reds: RHP Graham Ashcraft (right biceps soreness) is expected to come off the injured list to start Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers. Ashcraft currently is rehabbing at Triple-A Louisville.

UP NEXT

RHP Connor Seabold (0-2, 11.91) is expected to make his fourth start of the season for the Red Sox in the finale of the two-game series. Reds RHP Chase Anderson (1-3, 6.43) will make his fifth start of the season.

Red Sox to call up Connor Seabold to start Wednesday; Kutter Crawford done for season

Published: Sep. 21, 2022, 12:56 a.m.


By

Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com

For the first time since July 7, Connor Seabold will pitch for the Red Sox on Wednesday night.

Boston will promote Seabold from Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday and he will start against the Reds, manager Alex Cora told reporters in Cincinnati (including The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham). The corresponding move will likely be righty Garrett Whitlock, who has been shut down and will undergo season-ending hip surgery next week, on the injured list.


The Red Sox, who have had four days off since Sept. 8, have operated with a four-man rotation for most of the month. But they will need a fifth starter Wednesday because righty Kutter Crawford, who is on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement, has not returned to the mound as quickly as expected. In fact, Cora told reporters that Crawford will not pitch in game action again this season. The club remains hopeful he will throw off a mound before the regular season ends Oct. 5, according to the Globe’s Alex Speier.

Crawford’s season ends 21 games (12 starts) in which he posted a 5.47 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 77⅓ innings. Seabold has struggled in the big leagues this year (11.91 ERA in 3 starts) but has been solid at Triple-A Worcester, logging an 8-2 record and 3.32 ERA in 19 starts. Because the Red Sox will need a five-man rotation for the remaining 15 games of the season, it would not be a surprise to see Seabold remain in the mix for the final three turns through the starting order.

Injuries & Moves: Whitlock to have season-ending surgery
September 20th, 2022


Sept. 20: RHP Garrett Whitlock to have season-ending arthroscopic surgery
This is the second time this season Whitlock has missed time with a hip injury. The 26-year-old went on the 15-day injured list in July with inflammation. At the time, manager Alex Cora said he wasn't sure surgery would be the end result, but a visit with a doctor on Sept. 19 deemed it necessary. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Bryan Kelly in New York, and Whitlock is expected to be ready to go for Spring Training.

“It’s something that is good for [Whitlock’s future],” Cora said. “We feel like he grinded throughout the season. … He doesn't want to grind anymore. I think doing this procedure is going to help him ease the pain and be ready to go. We all agree with it.”

Whitlock last pitched on Friday against Kansas City. He posted a 4-2 record with a 3.45 ERA in 31 appearances this season.

Sept. 20: 2B Trevor Story is moving around better, could return this week
On the one-week anniversary of injuring his left heel in a game against the Orioles, Story took a big step forward by taking at-bats against teammate Nathan Eovaldi in a Sunday simulated game at Fenway. While the infielder was unavailable for Tuesday’s series opener against the Reds, manager Alex Cora remains hopeful that Story could stay off the injured list.

“He’s moving a little bit better, but isn't ready to play,” Cora said. “But he keeps pushing, taking grounders and doing his work. Hopefully he feels better and he’ll [be able to] play at one point this week.”

RED SOX NOTEBOOK
Red Sox shut down Garrett Whitlock; reliever will have surgery on hip
By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated September 20, 2022, 5:06 p.m.

CINCINNATI – Garrett Whitlock’s 2022 season has come to an end.

The righthander will undergo surgery in New York next week to address a right hip impingement that had made pitching a painful exercise for much of this season, including the two months since an injured list stint over the ailment in mid-July. While Whitlock had expressed a desire to keep pushing through and contributing, the team felt that at this stage of the season it no longer made sense for him to do so.

“We’re trying to compete. We owe it to our organization, our fan base, and all that to try to win every game possible,” said Sox manager Alex Cora before Tuesday’s 5-3 win over the Reds. “But it gets to the point, like, ‘Okay, now we have to do it.’


“Towards the end, I talked to [chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom], I talked to [trainer Brad Pearson], I was like, ‘He’s going through a lot to pitch one inning.’ For me, just watching him, it was like, that’s too much. He kept saying, ‘Hey, you give me the ball, I’ll keep pitching.’ But at one point, you have to say, okay, let’s move on. … I think it’s the best thing that we can do, get him ready for next year.”

Cora described the arthroscopic procedure – which will be performed by Dr. Bryan Kelly – as “nothing major.” The Sox expect that Whitlock will have a normal offseason and anticipate that he’ll be fully ready for spring training next year.

But in what role? Whitlock spent time this year as both a starter (1-1, 4.15 ERA, 23.2 percent strikeout rate in 39 innings) and reliever (3-1, 2.75 ERA, 29.9 percent strikeout rate). The surgery is intended to precede a workout program that will ensure his availability either to start or relieve, depending on the outcome of conversations that will involve Red Sox officials, Cora, members of the coaching and medical staffs, and Whitlock.

“One of the reasons we went this route is to see what he can do in the future. And those conversations have started, obviously. We know where we are leaning towards, but we still have to wait for this to happen and see how he reacts to it, and go from there,” said Cora. “Obviously this kid is very talented and he dominated out of the bullpen, and he can be a good one from the rotation.

“I truly believe that 18 outs and 15 outs are very valuable. I know those three outs or six outs in the back end of the bullpen are important. But if you’re consistent with the first six innings of the games, you become a more consistent team.”
Pham’s homecoming

Tommy Pham was warmly received in his return to Cincinnati, where he played for four months before getting traded to the Red Sox a day before the trade deadline, going 2 for 5 in the series opener. Pham said that he remains close with several members of the Reds, and aspires to dominate both the Red Sox’ and Reds’ fantasy football leagues.

Pham, who hit .238/.320/.374 with the Reds and is now hitting .261/.317/.406 for the Red Sox – mostly out of the leadoff spot – suggested openness to re-signing with either team when he reaches the open market this winter.


“Gotta finish strong. I’ve got two more weeks. I’ve gotta finish strong,” said Pham. “The balls aren’t helping me, man. I’m getting killed this year.”

Pham suggested that the manufacturing specifications of the baseball in 2022 has made it all but impossible to hit opposite-field homers. Pham, who’d averaged 5.6 opposite-field homers per year in the last five full seasons, has just two in 2022.

“I’m getting killed on my oppo fly balls, man. I’m a guy that relied on my oppo juice,” said Pham. “This year it just ain’t there. It’s killing me.”
Concerns in Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico

Members of the Red Sox from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic were relieved to report that family members and loved ones were safe in the wake of the devastating floods and power outages brought by Hurricane Fiona. Still, they were mindful of the massive recovery efforts that will be needed on both islands in the wake of the latest natural disaster.

Obviously there’s going to be a lot of work to do,” said Cora. “Like we always do – I hate to say it – but we know the drill. Roll up your sleeves, get home, and start helping people.”
Story still on the shelf

Trevor Story remained out of the lineup with an ankle injury. He hasn’t played since Sept. 11. “We’ll keep grinding with him,” said Cora. “We don’t want these guys to just go on the [injured list], but we’re running a little bit out of time. He hasn’t had at-bats in a while, but he keeps pushing, taking grounders, doing his work. Hopefully he feels better and he’ll play hopefully at one point this week.” ... Connor Seabold (0-2, 11.91 ERA in three big league outings this year) joined the Red Sox as a taxi squad member on Tuesday. He’ll start on Wednesday against the Reds. … Nate Eovaldi is slated to make a rehab start for Triple-A Worcester on Friday, which would position him to make two big league starts before the end of the year. … Righthander Kutter Crawford, on the injured list with a right shoulder impingement, won’t be able to pitch again in games this year, but the Sox are hopeful that he’ll be able to throw off a mound before the end of the season.

Red Sox @ Reds
Wednesday, 21rst September
630pm @ Great American Ball Park

Seabold 0-2/11.91

Anderson 1-3/6.43


J.D. Martinez in search of power stroke as Red Sox visit Reds
FLM

J.D. Martinez in search of power stroke as Red Sox visit Reds

J.D. Martinez's power bat has been missing in action this season and the five-time All-Star is in danger of hitting less than 20 homers in a full-length season for the first time since 2017.

But Martinez is showing signs of finding his stroke and he will look to inflict more damage when the Boston Red Sox (72-75) visit the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday in the finale of a two-game set.

Martinez, 35, hit a solo homer to center and an RBI triple off the center field wall in Monday's 5-3 victory over the Reds (58-90). The homer was his 12th of the season, a subpar total for a player who bashed 43 in 2018.

The homer was Martinez's first of the month and just his third over his past 51 games.

"It felt good," Martinez said. "Feel like I haven't done that in a while. It's always good when you hit the ball on the barrel."

Martinez also has 55 RBIs, well off last season's total of 99. He has had four 100-RBI seasons in his 12-year career.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora insists Martinez is still a big-time productive force.

"He's still a good hitter," Cora said. "A hitter that has hit the ball hard with no luck. You have years like that. One thing about him, he's going to keep grinding all the way to the end."

Martinez's blast was one of three Boston homers in the opener. Rob Refsynder hit the tiebreaking homer in the fourth inning and Rafael Devers hit a two-run shot in the ninth.

Refsnyder's homer went into the second deck in left. He said he spoke to some members of the coaching staff prior to the game and made an adjustment.

"I was kind of tying myself up against lefties," Refsnyder said. "It's really nice when you make a little adjustment before the game and it pays off."

Xander Bogaerts was 0-for-2 with three walks as his batting average dropped to .315. Bogaerts is narrowly behind American League leader Aaron Judge (.316) of the New York Yankees and slightly ahead of third-place Luis Arraez (.314) of the Minnesota Twins.

Cincinnati has lost 10 of its last 12 games.

TJ Friedl homered on Tuesday and Jake Fraley and Donovan Solano each had three hits for the Reds.

Cincinnati center fielder Nick Senzel crashed into the wall attempting to catch Martinez's triple and had to depart the contest. He broke his left toe, and will miss the rest of the season.

"It was good to be back out there," Senzel told The Cincinnati Enquirer. "I have a good plan going into the offseason. Being around the guys, I was going through the challenges of the season. The highs and lows and all of it. It's important for years to come."

Right-hander Chase Anderson (1-3, 6.43 ERA) will start for the Reds on Wednesday and righty Connor Seabold (0-2, 11.91) will be on the mound for Boston.

Anderson, 34, defeated the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday when he gave up one run and one hit in five innings. It represents his longest outing in five appearances (four starts) this season with Cincinnati.

Anderson has a 7.64 ERA in five career appearances (four starts) against the Red Sox. Bogaerts (5-for-10, three doubles) and Tommy Pham (4-for-14, two homers, one double) have fared well against Anderson.

Seabold is making his fourth start of the season, but first in the majors since July 8. He went on the 15-day injured list with a forearm strain the following day and was later optioned to Triple-A Worcester.

The 26-year-old gave up seven runs and nine hits in two of his three major league starts this season. He is 8-2 with a 3.32 ERA in 19 Triple-A starts.

--Field Level Media

Red Sox
at
Reds
Wednesday, at 6:40 PM EST
Partly Cloudy
According to Forecast.io, it's expected to be 89° F with a 0% chance of precipitation and 9 MPH wind blowing out in Cincinnati at 6:40 PM EST.
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