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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2022 3:41:56 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Yankees Thursday, 22nd September 7pm @ Boogie Down
Wacha 11-1/ 2.61
Taillon 13-5/ 4.04
Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees Thursday, September 22, 2022 at 7:15pm EDT Written by Mason Folz
This Thursday the (72-75) Boston Red Sox and the (89-58) New York Yankees will play game one of this four-game series. The first pitch will be thrown out at 7:15 PM EST inside Yankee Stadium. The last time that these two teams matched up, the Yankees ended up sweeping the Red Sox in a short two-game series.
The Boston Red Sox are coming into this one after a two-game series with the Cincinnati Reds. Boston looked solid in game one, as their starting pitching was great and they were able to show off their power. They will need their bats to stay hot in this one if they want to challenge the Yankees on the road.
The New York Yankees are entering this one after a two-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Aaron Judge hit a walk-off home run to get New York a win in the first game of the series. They will need their pitching to be better if they want to take down their arch-rival in this one.
Can Boston Make a Run? The Boston Red Sox are currently sitting in last place in the NL East, as they trail the first-place New York Yankees by 17.5 games. They are also 5-5 in their last 10, as their average play has still held them out of the AL Wild Card. Boston is 9.0 games back from the Seattle Mariners for the third and final Wild Card spot.
At the plate, the Red Sox are scoring 4.63 runs per game and they are hitting .259 as a team. This is the eighth most runs scored per game and the fourth-highest overall team batting avenge. They have shown that they can consistently make contact with the ball and they are driving in men when they are in scoring position. Boston has realized that they don't have as much home run power inside of their lineup, as they are only averaging .96 bombs per game. This is the 21st most home runs hit per game, but they do have one or two guys that can change this game with one swing. Watch for Rafael Devers at the dish, as he has already hit 27 home runs this season. I would also expect the Red Sox to stay conservative once they have reached base safely. They have only stolen 51 bases this season, which is the 26th most in the MLB.
According to MLB.com, the Red Sox will be starting Michael Wacha on the mound. He is currently 11-1 with a 2.61 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. In his last start, he pitched for 7.0 innings and he only gave up seven hits and one earned run. He shut down the Royals in that one. He has also won four of his last five starts and he is yet to lose on the road in 2022. He is 6-0 with a 3.36 ERA playing away from Fenway Park. The Red Sox bullpen is giving up 4.48 runs per game, which is the 25th most in the MLB. As a team, the Red Sox are allowing the 24th most runs per game with 4.85.
Are the Yankees Back? The New York Yankees currently sit as the second seed in the AL Playoffs, as they only trail the Houston Astros. The Yankees are also 6-4 in their last 10 and they are still leading the AL East, as they have a 5.5 game lead over the second-place Toronto Blue Jays.
At the plate, the Yankees are scoring 5.03 runs per game and they are hitting .241 as a team. This is the second most runs scored per game and the 17th highest overall team batting average, as the Yankees have struggled to consistently reach base at different times this season. Luckily, they have shown that they have an incredible amount of power littered throughout their lineup. New York is averaging 1.60 home runs per game, which is the most in the league. They have multiple players that can change the game with a few swings. I would watch for Aaron Judge at the plate, as he has hit 60 home runs this season. The Yankees will also stay aggressive once they have reached base safely. They have already stolen 93 bases this season, which is the seventh most in the MLB.
According to MLB.com, the Yankees will be starting Jameson Taillon on the mound. He is 13-5 this season with a 4.04 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. The last time that he was on the mound he pitched for 5.0 innings and he gave up four hits and four earned runs to the Brewers. The Yankees bullpen has been solid this season, though. They are surrendering 3.06 runs per game, which is the third least. As a team, New York is only allowing 3.59 runs per game, as this is also the third least in the MLB.
Red Sox at Yankees Thursday, at 7:15 PM EST Partly Cloudy According to Forecast.io, it's expected to be 65° F with a 5% chance of rain and 13 MPH wind blowing in New York City at 7:15 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com Forecast.io
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2022 3:43:39 GMT -5
SP Match ups
Thursday, 7:15 p.m. ET -- RHP Michael Wacha (11-1, 2.61) RHP Jameson Taillon (13-5, 4.04)
Friday, 7:05 p.m. ET -- LHP Rich Hill (7-7, 4.70) RHP Gerrit Cole (12-7, 3.41)
Saturday, 1:05 p.m. ET -- RHP Nick Pivetta (9-11, 4.35) RHP Domingo Germán (2-3, 3.12)
Sunday, 7:08 p.m. ET -- RHP Brayan Bello (2-6, 4.75) LHP Nestor Cortes (10-4, 2.90)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2022 3:56:33 GMT -5
How to watch Red Sox-Yankees FREE Friday on Apple TV+September 20th, 2022 Friday night's game between the Red Sox and Yankees is a prime-time showcase for Aaron Judge's bid for baseball history, and it's airing exclusively on Apple TV+. It is not available on your local cable provider or MLB.TV. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. ET. Judge is not only on the verge of tying former Yankee Roger Maris' single-season American League record of 61 homers, he's within striking distance of what would be just the second Triple Crown in the Majors since 1967. The game can be watched for free here. All you need is an Apple ID. A breakdown on how to watch the game is below. For more information about how to access "Friday Night Baseball" on Apple TV+, visit the Apple Knowledge Base. How to Watch: No subscription is needed to watch "Friday Night Baseball" on Apple TV+. To access “Friday Night Baseball” games on Apple TV+, just follow these steps: Launch the Apple TV app and select the game directly from there, OR From the MLB.TV app, tap on Apple TV+ Game to be redirected to the Apple TV app (where available), OR Visit tv.apple.com/ and log in with or create an Apple ID. Frequently Asked Questions: Do I need to have an Apple account to watch the free games? Yes. You need to have an Apple ID. Your Apple ID is the account you use across all your Apple devices, including your iPhone. Learn how to create a new Apple ID here. How do I sign in to watch the free games on Apple TV+? Log in with your Apple ID. Learn how to watch Friday Night Baseball here. Do I need to enter payment information to watch the free games? No. Payment information is not required to watch. On what devices can I watch the games? See all the ways to watch Apple TV+ here. In which countries can I watch these games? Games on Apple TV+ will be available in the following locations in addition to the United States: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Great Britain, Japan, Korea and Mexico. Notable Features: Design: If you use other Apple products, many of the Apple TV+ broadcast elements -- such as the starting lineup graphics -- will look familiar and consistent. The clean and simple design aesthetic features the company’s classic “SF Pro” typeface. Cameras: The broadcasts make use of a “Megalodon” camera, which produces extremely high-resolution shots, with a shallow depth of field. That creates a sharp focus on the subject of the shot -- a cinematic look that adds to the drama of the moment. Integrated stats: If you’re a fan of baseball and numbers, “Friday Night Baseball” has introduced a new feature that will keep you entertained all game long. The integrated stats function -- displayed unobtrusively in the bottom right of the screen -- presents continually refreshed probability figures on a pitch-by-pitch basis. The metric in question rotates and constantly takes into account the specific game situation. For example, what is the probability of the batter producing an RBI when facing a 2-1 pitch with runners on first and second and one out? Tune tracker: Walk-up music is a way for hitters to show their taste and connect with fans, and “Friday Night Baseball” is kicking that experience up a notch for viewers at home. When a home-team batter comes to the plate for the first time in the game, an Apple Music pop-up in the lower right will identify his walk-up song. Fresh perspectives: The Apple TV+ broadcasts are placing an emphasis on having a new and diverse group of voices calling the games. One crew features Melanie Newman (play-by-play), Russell Dorsey (analyst) and Tricia Whitaker (reporter), along with former MLB outfielder Chris Young (analyst). The other crew consists of Stephen Nelson (play-by-play) and another former outfielder, Hunter Pence (analyst), alongside Katie Nolan (analyst) and Heidi Watney (reporter).
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2022 3:59:46 GMT -5
Red Sox pitchers don’t want to be a historical footnote against Aaron Judge By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated September 21, 2022, 8:34 p.m.
CINCINNATI — The Red Sox open a four-game series at Yankee Stadium on Thursday night, which means approximately 16-20 chances for Aaron Judge to make history against them.
That point was driven home to the Red Sox pitching staff on Tuesday night.
The Sox had just finished up a victory against the Reds when the clubhouse televisions showed Judge hitting his 60th home run, two shy of breaking the American League record of 61 set by Roger Maris in 1961.
“He did it again,” whooped Rob Refsnyder, who played parts of two seasons with Judge in New York.
Alex Verdugo playfully wondered aloud which Red Sox pitcher would give up No. 62.
“You, Nicky?” he said to Nick Pivetta, who did not respond.
It very well could be. The rotation for the series is Michael Wacha, Rich Hill, Pivetta, and Brayan Bello.
Judge is 5 of 9 against Pivetta this season with two home runs. Judge is hitless in 14 career at-bats against Wacha with nine strikeouts. He’s 2 for 4 against Hill but hasn’t faced him this season. Judge faced Bello on Sept. 14 and was 1 for 2 with a walk.
Judge was 2 for 4 with two doubles against the Pirates on Wednesday. Now the drama ramps up with the Red Sox coming into the Bronx.
There is some Red Sox-Yankees history at play here. Maris hit No. 61 off Red Sox righthander Tracy Stallard on Oct. 1, 1961, in front of a modest crowd of 23,154 at Yankee Stadium.
Who’s the next Stallard?
“You can’t think that way,” reliever Tyler Danish said. “I’ll pitch to the situation and not whether he can set a record. He’s deserving of it; he’s had a great season. But I just want to get him out.”
Judge has hit .309 with five homers in 14 games against the Red Sox this season. He connected twice at Fenway Park on Sept. 13, against Pivetta and Garrett Whitlock.
He also had two against the Sox on July 14 in the Bronx. Those were off Pivetta and Kaleb Ort. The other was Aug.12 at Fenway, off Nate Eovaldi.
Sox manager Alex Cora intentionally walked Judge once all season and regretted the decision. That was on Sept. 12 in the 10th inning of a 4-4 game at Fenway.
Judge was walked with a runner at third and two outs. Jeurys Familia then walked Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres ripped a three-run double.
“It turned the [game] around when we walked him,” Cora said. “Solo shots are solo shots.”
Reliever Ryan Brasier first faced Judge in 2019 and struck him out. Judge is 3 for 7 against him with one home run.
“Nothing changes,” Brasier said. “Just trying to get outs and attack him like always. What else can you do?
“I’ve pitched in the playoffs and the World Series, it’s essentially the same thing. The fans will be on their feet the whole time. You focus on what you need to do.”
The Sox have been giving young pitchers a longer look over the last two weeks. That could change for the Yankees series.
“We’ll take our chances,” Cora said. “There’s a lot at stake for them and teams around the league. If you look at us throughout the year, there’s only one intentional walk [against Judge]. We’ll be smart about it.”
What is universal among the Sox is the respect they have for Judge.
“He’s having an outstanding season, one of the best offensive seasons I have ever seen,” Cora said. “For a while there he was carrying that offense. He’s doing a lot of good things and playing good defense in center field, too.”
Said Brasier: “You can’t help but follow along and watch what he’s doing and what [Albert] Pujols is doing with the Cardinals. Those guys are good for baseball.
“Judge is hitting for average and power. You don’t see that as much these days. You have to give him credit. If he does it, great. Hopefully not against us.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2022 4:02:11 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Red-hot Xander Bogaerts may be all that stands between Aaron Judge and a second pursuit of historyBy Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated September 21, 2022, 7:40 p.m. CINCINNATI – Red Sox pitchers are not the only ones who will spend the next four days in New York trying to stand between Aaron Judge and history. While Sox hurlers will try to avoid giving up history-making homers to the Yankee superstar, Xander Bogaerts hopes to serve as an impediment to Judge’s pursuit of the Triple Crown. Judge has dusted the field in homers (60 entering Thursday, 23 more than any other American League slugger) and RBIs (128 – 13 more than anyone else). But while he’s edged ahead of Bogaerts in average (.316 to .315), it’s close, and Bogaerts welcomes the chance to compete for the distinction and to play the role of villain in the Bronx this weekend. “They’d hate me even more [in New York],” Bogaerts chuckled of the possibility of denying Judge the second Triple Crown in the last 55 years. “I wonder if I get a base hit, if they’ll boo me? They’ll probably throw me tough. It’s not going to be easy. It’s not going to be easy. But I enjoy the challenge. I really do. It’s something that gets you waking up on the way to the ballpark.” Bogaerts is in the midst of an excellent month, entering Wednesday’s 5-1 loss to the Reds, in which he went 2 for 4, with the second-highest average (.377) and fourth-highest OPS (1.018) of any month of his career. Yet the hits have been not an end in their own right but instead the byproduct of what Bogaerts and the Sox see as a more disciplined, patient approach this month, with the 29-year-old’s .452 OBP in September representing the highest mark of any month of his career. “I feel like I’m taking a lot of pitches. This is kind of the me that I know,” said Bogaerts. “Sometimes we get hitterish and want to swing early on. But now I’m more like, okay, I don’t mind if I take strike one … probably until I get to New York.” As much as Bogaerts would love to take the batting title from Judge, however, he could not help but marvel at his opponent. “I’ve never seen anything like it with my eyes,” said Bogaerts, who recalled watching the home run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa on TV as a 5-year-old in Aruba. “What he’s doing … he’s seeing it some type of way, you know? Sometimes as hitters, we see the ball well, but I wonder how he’s seeing it. It’s unbelievable. He’s probably seeing it double how the rest of us see it when we’re locked in.” A big-league glimpse for Mata? As the Sox continue an open audition for 2023 pitching roles, the team does not currently have plans to call up righthander Bryan Mata from Triple A Worcester. Mata, in his return from Tommy John surgery, is 7-3 with a 2.32 ERA in 18 outings (17 starts) and 77⅔ innings across four levels. The Sox believe that Mata will benefit from concluding the Triple A season — his first minor league campaign since 2019 — but the team is considering alternate ways to expose him to the big league environment as he emerges as a big league depth option entering 2023. “Let’s say he doesn’t come up,” said Sox manager Alex Cora. “To have him around for a few days so he can see how we prepare, how we go about the business, is [valuable], but as of now, coming up here and pitching here, not yet. Not yet.” The call-up calculus for the out-of-contention Red Sox has been altered this month by the fact that the new Collective Bargaining Agreement allowed for September roster expansion only from 26 to 28 players, rather than the 40 of prior years. As a result, the Sox have had to be judicious in their call-ups — and have also needed to create roster vacancies to accommodate players coming up from the minors. “It’s too bad that we’re in this [out-of-contention] situation. We hate it, to be honest with you, but you have to take advantage of it, and you have to do what’s best for the organization,” said Cora. “If it’s more than , Kevin [Plawecki] is still here. We’ve got a third catcher. But right now it’s harder.”
Plawecki landed on his feet Wednesday, signing with the Texas Rangers, his fourth team of his eight-year career. The light-hitting catcher likely won’t see many at-bats in front of starter Jonah Heim, but could slot in as a backup for the 63-84 Rangers.
Cold season
A non-COVID bug has been sweeping through the Red Sox clubhouse, with some players (including starters Michael Wacha and Rich Hill, both slated to start this weekend against the Yankees) remaining in Boston rather than traveling to Cincinnati, some staying behind at the hotel prior to batting practice, and others wearing masks in the clubhouse … Former Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo — who lives in the Cincinnati area – stopped by the Red Sox clubhouse prior to the game. Arroyo and Cora were on the 2005 Sox before the team traded Arroyo the following spring to Cincinnati for Wily Mo Peña. Arroyo also joined the WEEI broadcast … Red Sox minor league coach Bianca Smith was at the game at Great American Ball Park. She worked for the Reds in 2019.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2022 4:16:52 GMT -5
Lindsey Adler @lindseyadler · 6h Aaron Judge: "Fans packed it out to see us win a ballgame and see some homers. I've gotta cut out this doubles stuff, I guess."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2022 4:20:38 GMT -5
Red Sox notes: Despite hip injury, Garrett Whitlock could return as starter or reliever in 2023
By Jason Mastrodonato | jason.mastrodonato@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald PUBLISHED: September 21, 2022 at 7:12 p.m. | UPDATED: September 21, 2022 at 7:50 p.m.
When the Red Sox placed Garrett Whitlock on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday, they did so with the idea that he should be ready to pitch in any role in 2023.
Manager Alex Cora went on the radio to explain the decision further and note that, despite Whitlock undergoing season-ending surgery to address a right hip impingement, he could still be a starting pitcher next year.
“We’ll see how it goes,” Cora told WEEI’s Merloni, Fauria & Mego. “One of the reasons he decided to get surgery is to avoid the grind he was going through the last month and a half. He was always able to pitch, able to perform, but it took a lot of work for him to get ready. I think we did the right thing, fast forwarding the process.”
The Red Sox stretched Whitlock out as a starter in spring training, but he began the year in a multi-inning relief role out of the bullpen. Just a few weeks into the season, they flipped him to the rotation when Tanner Houck was unavailable to start in Toronto due to his refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Whitlock wasn’t as effective as a starter, posting a 4.15 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in nine starts compared to a 2.75 ERA and 0.79 WHIP in 22 appearances out of relief.
After a month on the injured list, Whitlock returned in a relief role and stayed in the bullpen until he was shut down to have surgery this week.
The Sox are still considering him as someone who could start or pitch out of relief in ‘23.
“We’ll see how it goes next week, we’ll talk to the doctors, the medicals, and map out a plan for the offseason,” Cora told WEEI. “We’re not saying he’s going to be a starter or a reliever. He’s going to be a pitcher for the Red Sox.”
Cora did open up a little bit more into his view of how he values modern-day starting pitchers. He mentioned the Houston Astros as a team that still relies on old-school starters who pitch deep into games.
“It depends how you see it because the best team in the American League has six horses and they’re going six innings every night, the Houston Astros,” Cora said. “They shorten the game the way they do it. We always talk about the Astros having the keys to the car, they understand how to pitch and what they do, analytics and all that …
“Sometimes we talk about the Rays, opening and all that, but they have horses the last few years. At the end we have to put a full pitching staff together. That’s the most important thing. It really doesn’t matter the order or what we do, we have to be solid. We haven’t been solid throughout the season.”
Cora said the biggest problem he’s seen with the Red Sox pitching staff this year is the lack of command. The Sox have issued the fifth-most walks in the A.L. while the Rays, Blue Jays, Orioles and Yankees have the four lowest walk totals in the league.
“We have to throw strikes,” Cora said. Bonds over Judge
Aaron Judge made headlines on Tuesday night by hitting his 60th home run, one shy of typing Roger Maris’ A.L. record of 61.
Cora was asked on WEEI if he thinks Judge will be the true home run king, given the only three guys ahead of Maris are Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, who have all been heavily linked to performance enhancing drugs.
“I saw (Bonds’ best years) because I was playing with the Dodgers and it was unreal,” Cora said. “The intentional walks made it so great because he wasn’t getting pitched to hit. He was getting intentionally walked three, four times a game and he’d get one pitch and hit out of the ballpark in one at-bat.
“For me, with all due respect for Aaron and what he’s doing, what Bonds did in the past, those years in San Fran, that was the best I’ve ever seen.” A talking to
Cora wasn’t happy to wake up at 7 a.m. on Sunday to text messages about Nathan Eovaldi’s comments regarding the Red Sox’ decision to move on from Kevin Plawecki.
The Sox released Plawecki, the veteran catcher who was a productive backup for them over the last three seasons, to clear playing time for the younger catchers, Connor Wong and Reese McGuire.
Eovaldi told WEEI he wasn’t thrilled with the decision, comparing it when the Sox moved on from Kyle Schwarber and Hunter Renfroe last year, despite both players having great seasons and playing key roles as the Sox made it to within two games of the World Series.
“All of those guys were extremely good guys in the clubhouse,” Eovaldi told WEEI. “I think sometimes that goes a little further than productivity or whatever on the field. To me that was a very difficult one, to lose a guy like him even where we are in the season in the last few weeks.”
Cora said Wednesday he had to have a talk with Eovaldi about controlling his emotions before he speaks to reporters and sharing his opinions with the people who make decisions.
“I talked to him right away,” Cora said. “He understands where I was coming from. Everything is good. Sometimes emotions take over. When they put that mic in front of you after an emotional decision, I’m not saying he didn’t think about it, but you react a little bit too quickly and in my opinion that’s what happened.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2022 9:00:44 GMT -5
Red Sox vs. Yanks, subplot to Aaron Judge's Triple Crown chase FLM
Red Sox vs. Yanks, subplot to Aaron Judge's Triple Crown chase
Aaron Judge holds a 20-homer lead over Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez in the AL home run race and he leads Cleveland star Jose Ramirez by 13 in the RBI race.
Judge is locked in a tight race with Boston Red Sox star Xander Bogaerts for the batting average title, the third aspect of the Triple Crown.
Judge will attempt to increase his lead in the batting race Thursday night when the Yankees host Bogaerts and the Red Sox in the opener of a four-game series, their final set of 2022. Judge leads the batting race over Bogaerts .3171 to .3166.
Amid all of that, Judge continues his march to match Roger Maris with home run No. 61.
The last player to get a Triple Crown was Detroit's Miguel Cabrera in 2012 and he was the first to achieve the feat since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. Judge is trying to join Lou Gehrig (1934) and Mickey Mantle (1956) as New York's third Triple Crown winner.
Judge reached 60 homers Tuesday when he sparked New York's five-run ninth in a 9-8 win over Pittsburgh. On Wednesday, Judge went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and walked in a 14-2 rout that gave New York (90-58) its 11th win in 15 games.
"Fans packed it out to see us win a ballgame and see some homers," Judge joked. "So I think I got to cut out this double stuff, I guess."
Judge extended his on-base streak to 20 games, one shy of his longest on-base streak set April 1-26, 2018. Judge is hitting .472 (34-for-72) with 11 homers and 19 RBIs during the streak.
Judge has been on base multiple times in his past seven games and in 18 of his past 20. The tear has raised his average from .293 to .317.
"To be that far ahead of the field and getting on base at the level he is, pushing for a batting title, playing the kind of all-around game that he is (is special)," New York manager Aaron Boone said.
While the Red Sox (72-76) are playing out the string, Bogaerts is attempting to win Boston's first batting title since Mookie Betts hit .346 in 2018. Bogaerts was 2-for-4 in Wednesday's 5-1 loss at Cincinnati and is batting .386 (22-for-57) over his past 15 games.
"I'm aware of it," Bogaerts said of a possible batting title earlier this week. "A couple weeks back I wasn't even in the conversation. It's something within reach."
Bogaerts is batting .250 (14-for-56) against the Yankees this season and is 5-for-20 lifetime against New York starter Jameson Taillon (13-5, 4.04 ERA). Taillon seeks to match his career-high for wins (14) Thursday, a feat he set in 2018 with Pittsburgh.
Taillon is 3-3 with a 4.78 ERA in his past nine starts. He last pitched Saturday in Milwaukee, when he allowed four runs in five innings. Taillon is 3-1 with a 2.95 ERA in seven career starts against the Red Sox.
Judge is 0-for-14 with nine strikeouts lifetime against Boston starter Michael Wacha (11-1, 2.61 ERA), who is 8-0 with a 2.70 ERA in his past 12 starts. Wacha took a no-decision Friday against Kansas City when he allowed one run on seven hits in seven innings.
Wacha is 2-1 with a 2.82 ERA in nine career appearances (seven starts) against the Yankees. He last faced them Aug. 14 in Boston when he allowed two hits in seven innings of a 3-0 win in his return from missing nearly seven weeks with a shoulder injury.
--Field Level Media
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2022 11:01:02 GMT -5
Jen McCaffrey @jcmccaffrey 17m RT @bryanhoch: The #Yankees can clinch a Postseason berth tonight with a win vs. Boston OR a loss by the Orioles vs. Houston.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2022 13:50:11 GMT -5
The Look Ahead: He’s Staying? We’ll Be The Judge Of That The Red Sox meet up for four in The Bronx in a series that doesn’t have too much on the line. But let’s talk about a hole in the Red Sox outfield and one, very big hitter who could fill it.
By Dean Roussel Sep 22, 2022, 11:55am EDT 8 Comments / 8 New
Unless you’ve been under the proverbial rock all summer, you are aware that Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is putting the finishing touches on what some baseball fans would call a pretty good season. Between Albert Pujols chasing 700 career home runs, and Judge absolutely mashing, it’s been an exciting time. And, forgive me, but I’m excited every time I see Judge get an at-bat, because, at 60 home runs on the season, every single trip to the plate is an opportunity to change history. The fact that teams are even still pitching to him is kind of a surprise, seeing as there have been parts of 2022 where he’s hit better than the rest of the Yankees’ lineup combined.
The pinstripes are an iconic symbol, whether we like it or not. Every player that dons the uniform, much like the Red Sox uniform, is part of a secret club (albeit, one that you can’t sport a beard in, but still). For 61 years, the Yankees (and AL) record for single-season home runs has belonged to Roger Maris, a record that seemed to be insurmountable until some recent hitters have come close. For Judge to be knocking on that door — and for us to get to witness it — is a special thing, even as Red Sox fans. And, since I can feel my readers wanting to revoke my lifelong Red Sox fan card for the last paragraph, I’m going to state now that I hope, however unlikely this is, that he goes on a massive cold streak at least until Monday so the record books will not say he hit 61 - or dare I say, 62 - against our team.
But wait! There looms another question. Aaron Judge, at 30 years old, is negotiating a new contract this winter after working a 19 million dollar payday this season. He’s eclipsed five years of major league service time very recently, and although he’s always been clutch for the blue and white, it’s certainly a perfect storm that he plays his very best when it’s time to really cash out.
So, as much fun as it’s been to revel in the magical season Mr. Judge is having and pontificate upon how many home runs he’ll hit and whether he’ll win the first triple crown in a decade (he seems to have 2 of the 3 locked up, but if Xander has anything to say about it, he may fall just short of the batting title), it’s almost as much fun to guess where he’ll play in 2023 and beyond. And, given recent comments he made about Fenway, comments truly out of character for a Yankees star to make about their hated rival, it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility to imagine that the man guarding the Pesky Pole will be 6’7” and some (okay… several) Fenway Franks away from 300 pounds. And hey, wouldn’t it be perfect to watch the Bronx Bombers fumble the security of their best player in a decade in the same manner in which they fumbled the biggest early division lead in memory?
Okay, okay, I hear your frantic keystrokes ready to call me an unrealistic dreamer. So I want to make something clear: I wholeheartedly believe Aaron Judge will be a New York Yankee for several years to come, and the biggest victories the Red Sox will have this winter will be locking Devers and maybe Bogaerts up. To the the team with the third-highest payroll in the league (and which is used to having the highest), it’s not a matter of if the Yankees will lock up their most exhilarating player, it’s how much money they’ll actually pay. And whatever that number may end up being, it’s certainly a stretch to imagine any scenario in which the notoriously stingy Chaim Bloom and John Henry cough that up for a player on the wrong side of 30, even if he hits six hundred home runs. There’s long been a joke that Bloom would sign a praying mantis if he came from Tampa, had a Tommy John surgery under his belt, and maintained an ERA over 5, but in all seriousness, it seems that giving away future assets for established players is not this front office’s current modus operandi. And those assets, as seen with Kyle From Waltham, who also may or may not be having a pretty decent season (just 40 home runs, no big deal) include cash and bargaining power.
But what if I told you that, hidden in plain sight, is some bargaining power those of us that want the team to spend money have? And what if it was bargaining power with the fans? NESN is owned by Fenway Sports Group. The channel is also offering a subscription service for 30 dollars a month (you can spit your coffee out in surprise like that meme now). The team is surely going to finish under .500 this season. That does not exactly have people jumping for their credit cards, nor will putting essentially the same team (or worse) on the field next year. You can offer all the ticket packages for the annual plans you want. The team really can’t stay stagnant, and while it’s most likely that Bloom, Henry, and company will sign some less notable names, it’s fun to dream.
And the dream doesn’t completely lack basis in roster reality, either. From a practical standpoint, the team signing Kiké Hernández may have put to rest any radical moves in the outfield, especially with Tommy Pham having a mutual option, Alex Verdugo being a lock for next year, Christian Arroyo being a fun utility plug-and-play, and maybe even Jarren Duran or Franchy Cordero keeping some sort of utility roles. But that’s still an outfield that lacks punch in a league that kind of requires it to contend. While Judge’s historic season will likely command a record-breaking contract, there’s at least some doubt that he sees such a number, simply because of his age. And if there’s anyone who is known to jump on an undervalued asset, it’s Chaim Bloom.
You may have noticed that I refrained from throwing out potential numbers, because I feel as though that’s exactly how each team is going to approach a player coming off the best offensive season in memory. But when it comes down to brass tax, regardless of how Judge says us Sox fans are some of the best fans in baseball, and regardless of how much he says he’ll talk during the offseason, and regardless of how entirely shocking it is to hear the Yankees’ leader utter those words (because just imagine, for a second, someone like Mariano Rivera, Don Mattingly, or Derek Jeter saying what Judge said, especially in the digital age where people like in media, or myself, or maybe any of you will take that and run with it), it will really, obviously, be about who’s digging into their pockets deep enough to secure a guy who’s truly making the game interesting.
As far as this series goes, the same questions for the rest of the season’s roster remain, as does the general demeanor about the team. The Red Sox have been absolutely abysmal against the AL East this year, and in Yankees Stadium, playing short, it’s not likely this changes, as fun as it would be to contribute to the Yankees collapse. But it can be fun to dream about a world where Boston sweeps, which allows Toronto to catch up, gives the Yanks a more arduous path to the World Series, and leads to them blowing it for yet another year, and then blowing it even more by not simply writing that blank check allowing their history-making outfielder to walk. And he’ll walk all the way to Fenway Park, where somehow a frugal management group will be waiting with open arms with a number with a lot of commas. Suddenly, the player conjuring Red Sox fans boos for half a decade will join Rafael and Xander for the next half-decade, and he’ll be a visitor in the Bronx for years to come. Hey, it almost certainly won’t happen. In fact, you have a better chance of standing in a Bronx grocery store in a Wally costume without getting heckled. But it’s not a crime to dream, right? You be the judge.
Thursday 9/22 @ 7:15 PM: Michael Wacha vs. Jameson Taillon
Friday 9/23 @ 7:05 PM: Rich Hill vs. Gerrit Cole
Saturday 9/24 @ 1:35 PM: Nick Pivetta vs. Domingo German
Sunday 9/25 @ 7:08 PM: Brayan Bello vs. Nestor Cortes
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2022 13:58:24 GMT -5
it has to be Story
hris Cotillo @chriscotillo 24m Bobby Dalbec has been called back up and is joining the Red Sox in New York, source confirms. @joeymachockey on it. Not sure of corresponding move.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2022 14:01:22 GMT -5
Wacha vs Taillon
pham devers X Dugo JDM Cassas Kiki Chang 2B Wong
1. Aaron Judge (R) RF 2. Anthony Rizzo (L) 1B 3. Gleyber Torres (R) 2B 4. Josh Donaldson (R) 3B 5. Giancarlo Stanton (R) DH 6. Oswaldo Cabrera (S) LF 7. Harrison Bader (R) CF 8. Isiah Kiner-Falefa (R) SS 9. Kyle Higashioka (R) C
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2022 14:26:25 GMT -5
NESN @nesn 2m The Red Sox placed Trevor Story on the 10-day IL, paving the way for Bobby Dalbec to get recalled
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2022 17:13:45 GMT -5
e Glaser @kyleaglaser 28m MLB announces all four games of the Red Sox-Yankees series will be on national TV with Aaron Judge one home run away from No. 61. Thursday - Fox Friday - Apple TV+ (free with internet access) Saturday - MLB Network Sunday - ESPN and ESPN2
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2022 17:24:35 GMT -5
I'm out right now but did manage to hear Cora's presser as u can expect, everything about Judge Cora basically said they will pitch to him, good for the game etc etc Heel problem that has Story on IL
getting the last of Hurricane Fiona preps done. Gonna be a big one. East of the province is gonna get the brunt, but we are gonna feel it.
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