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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 3, 2023 2:13:06 GMT -5
Pirates @ Red Sox
Monday, 3rd April 2023
7pm @ Fenway
Oviedio
vs
Crawford
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Boston Red Sox
Monday, April 3, 2023 at 7:10pm EDT
Written by Collin Kearce
This Monday night matchup features the Pittsburgh Pirates (1-2 record, 1-2 RL, 1-2 L10) traveling to take on the Boston Red Sox (2-1 record, 1-2 RL, 2-1 L10) at home to start a three game series. Pittsburgh is coming off a 3-1 loss to the Reds on Sunday, in which Vince Velasquez got the loss and the Pirates failed to cover their run line. The Pirates will look to bounce back in this upcoming series against the Red Sox.
These teams faced off three times last year playing one three game series against each other, in which the Pirates took the first two games while the Red Sox took the third. I would imagine we see a similar result this series. For this game, first pitch is scheduled for 7:10pm EST, live from Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts.
Pirates Drop Opening Series to Reds
Pittsburgh enters this game coming off back to back losses to the Reds which led to them dropping the three game series to the Reds. Not much came out of the teams 3-1 loss on Sunday, with them only totaling one run that came off a Bryan Reynolds home run in the fourth inning off of the Reds' Graham Ashcraft. Pitching was not terrible for the Pirates, with Vince Velasquez getting the loss after giving up runs in the second, third, and fifth inning, which resulting in him only throwing 4.2 innings with three earned runs and three strikeouts. On the bright side, the bullpen came in and did their job, refusing to give up a run from the sixth inning on.
The Pirates send right handed pitcher Johan Oviedo to the bump for the first game of the series against the Red Sox. Oviedo is actually a relief pitcher, so it seems that the Pirates will be going with an opener for this game. Oviedo posted a 3.21 ERA with 54 Ks and a 1.29 WHIP on the 2022 season, having started eight of his 21 games played. Oviedo has never faced the Red Sox in his career which should prove to be an advantage for him heading into this game, but we shall see how he fares against a solid Red Sox batting lineup.
Pittsburgh is going to need better production from their batting lineup if they want to find more success in their games. The Pirates have struggled in their past two games having only scored one run on Sunday courtesy of Bryan Reynolds' solo home run, and only two runs in their game on Saturday. The Pirates' pitching is already subpar, so they have a serious need for run support on the offensive end. Oneil Cruz has done his fair share on the season, posting a .400/.462/.700 slash line on the season thus far with a home run and three RBIs, as has Bryan Reynolds with him posting a .250/.308/.500 slash line with a home run and two RBIs. For them to improve on the offensive end they will look to get more production from players such as Ke'Bryan Hayes, who is not hitting his weight so far this season, along with other pieces such as Carlos Santana and Austin Hedges.
Red Sox Take Season Opener against Orioles
Boston enters this game coming off back to back wins against the Orioles, having lost the first in a close 10-9 game. Their most recent was 9-5 win in game three, in which the Red Sox covered their run line and took the series. Adam Duvall stayed hot going 3-5 with two doubles and two RBIs, while Enrique Hernandez went two for five with a bomb and two RBIs. On the pitching end, Tanner Houck got the win starting and pitching five innings, in which he gave up five hits, two of which were home runs that both came in the fifth inning to Frazier and Mullins. Houck allowed three earned runs while striking out five and walked two. This was then followed by a series of holds from John Scheiber in the sixth, Richard Bleier in the seventh, and Chris Martin in the eighth, leaving Kaleb Ort to close the game out in the ninth with it not being a save opportunity.
The Red Sox send right handed pitcher Kutter Crawford to the mound for the first game of the series against the Pirates. Crawford posted a 3-6 record with a 5.47 ERA and 1.42 WHIP on the 2022 season, with it being his second year in the league. Crawford has yet to face the Pirates, but given his success this Spring Training paired with the Pirates recent struggles at the plate, we can expect him to pitch fairly well in this matchup. The Red Sox have had no problems on the offensive end, scoring 9 or 10 runs in their first three games, so an average outing from Crawford should do the job.
Boston's batting line up has had plenty of success at the plate to start the season, with a majority of their players getting off to a hot start. Adam Duvall is leading the team with a .571/.600/.1.357 slash line, having hit two bombs, three doubles, and one triple in his first 14 at bats of the season. Enrique Hernandez has had a suprisingly well start to the season, having hit two bombs and totaling nine bags on his first nine at bats, posting a .333/.455/1.000 slash line. Adam Duvall0 has the only other home run so far for the Red Sox, he has also totaled 10 bags with a triple and a .357/.400/.714 slash line. Lastly we have Adam Duvall1 who has also played well to start, hitting two double and posting a .467/.467/.600 slash line in his first three games. The Red Sox can only hope that their offense can keep producing at this level throughout the season, as they have gotten off to an unsustainable start tallying nine or ten runs in their first three games.
Pirates
at
Red Sox
Monday, at 7:10 PM EST
Partly Cloudy
According to Forecast.io, it's expected to be 47° F with a 0% chance of precipitation and 15 MPH wind blowing out in Boston at 7:10 PM EST.
Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com Forecast.io
Monday night's interleague matchup at Fenway Park will feature partly cloudy skies and cool temperatures. A moderate breeze blowing out to center field may help carry a well-hit ball or two out of the park.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 3, 2023 2:14:53 GMT -5
Pirates @ Red Sox SP Probables
Tuesday, 7pm, Contreas vs Pivetta
Wednesday, 1:30pm, Keller 0-0/ 7.71 vs Kluber 0-1/ 13.50
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 3, 2023 3:21:31 GMT -5
Boasting historic early-season offense, Red Sox face Pirates
FLM
Any questions about how the Boston Red Sox's lineup would click this season have been answered pretty quickly.
After becoming just the third team in major league history to score at least nine runs in each of their first three games to open a season, the Red Sox will look to keep the momentum going on Monday night when they begin a three-game series with the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates.
"From top to bottom we believe we're going to put pressure on the opposition," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "There's certain days it's not going to work, but we're going to grind and do what we did over the weekend."
The only other teams to score nine or more runs in each of their first three games were the 1978 Milwaukee Brewers and 1976 Cincinnati Reds.
Cora's club did damage all throughout the lineup, but no player was as productive out of the gates as newcomer Adam Duvall, who was 3-for-5 Sunday with two RBIs to bring his early-season total to eight.
Duvall, who hit a walk-off home run on Saturday, also became the first player in Red Sox history to record six extra-base hits in his first three games with the club.
"I feel like I see the ball pretty well and I like to pull the ball, so it's good to have (the Green Monster) there," Duvall said.
After making his second straight season-opening roster, Kutter Crawford will take a turn in the Red Sox rotation after leading the team's rookies in innings pitched in 2022.
Crawford became the fourth rookie since 2016 to make 12 or more starts with the Red Sox last season, going 3-6 with a 5.47 ERA in 21 appearances (12 starts).
"When (his) velocity is up, his other pitches play," Cora said. "He's a guy who throws a lot of strikes and uses all his weapons, which is very important."
The Pirates dropped their season-opening series after Sunday's 3-1 loss to Cincinnati, but the biggest news of the day was that JT Brubaker was transferred to the 60-day injured list due to right elbow discomfort.
"It changes the calculus of the rotation in that we planned on (Brubaker) being in it," Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. "Now, we're finding out that it's going to be a lengthier time, so that adjusts it right now."
Johan Oviedo will take Brubaker's spot and make the Monday start in Boston.
The 25-year-old, who has never faced the Red Sox, allowed just four earned runs over his last three starts of 2022.
While Shelton considers the spot to be Oviedo's for the time being, there are plenty of other pitchers in line at Triple-A Indianapolis.
"We're right there with the best organizations in the game with our pitching and what we have," Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller said this spring. "It's really exciting to see because there is depth, and to know -- obviously never wish anyone goes down or anyone has injuries, but if that does happen, it feels like we're in a good spot to have that filled."
On the offensive side, the Pirates enter in a vastly different situation than the Red Sox after being held to three total runs over their last two games. Bryan Reynolds, whose talks for a new contract extension have been silent recently, hit a solo homer on Sunday.
--Field Level Media
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Apr 3, 2023 9:06:40 GMT -5
Big start today. Crawford had a 19/5 K/W, with one HR, in 17.1 IPs in spring training. He also had a nice mid-season stretch in 22 with similar results. The good Crawford would go a long way in stabilizing the pitching staff.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 3, 2023 13:38:58 GMT -5
Tomase: If Verdugo can hit, Red Sox' outlook brightens considerably
2H ago
/
by John Tomase
John Tomase
We're not there yet, because he has done this before. But Alex Verdugo is showing signs that he's finally ready to make, if not "The Leap," then at least "A Leap."W
Annually one of the most perplexing players on the Red Sox since arriving for Mookie Betts in 2020, Verdugo is off to the kind of start that makes it possible to envision him spearheading an offense out of the leadoff spot.
Three games into the season, it's not just that Verdugo is hitting .357, but how he's doing it. He led off the 2023 campaign with a triple to left-center against the Orioles, he homered to deep right as part of Saturday's comeback, and he added two more hits and a walk in Sunday's finale.
At his best, he sprays the ball all over the field, and his five hits reflect this early approach: two to left, two to right, one to center.
Could Verdugo, at age 26, finally be getting it?
"Alex, he stays inside the ball, and when he stays inside the ball, he can do what he did today," manager Alex Cora told reporters after Sunday's 9-5 victory. "He knows his swing. I do believe that it's a different mindset as far as the approach. The way he started the season, driving that ball to left-center, it's always a good sign."
Verdugo's talent has never been in question. His best-case scenario has frequently been described as the player the Red Sox thought Andrew Benintendi was going to be -- a left-handed-hitting outfielder with 20-homer power who could utilize the field from foul pole to foul pole while hitting for a high average.
The reality has proven closer to what Benintendi turned into -- an average outfielder in virtually every way, and without the game-changing athleticism to compensate.
But maybe Verdugo is figuring it out. He's certainly playing with a chip on his shoulder on behalf of the entire team.
Tomase: Miracle win proves there's no quit in these Red Sox
"Everybody wanted to count us out, say we're going to be last in our division," Verdugo told reporters. "But we don't feel that way. We like our team. We feel like the more we play, the more we start having wins like yesterday, the walk-off with (Adam) Duvall, these are things that fire up the clubhouse, that get the boys going, get them together, get the chemistry going right. Take off a little bit of pressure, if you will.
"For us, there's not going to be one set guy that's going to hold this whole team up and keep going. It's going to be every single one of us."
And that certainly includes Verdugo. Over the first weekend, the Red Sox showed an ability to be a punishing offense, led by a monster start from Duvall (2 HRs, 8 RBIs), but also contributions from Kiké Hernández (2 HRs), Rafael Devers (.467 average), Justin Turner (.417), and Masataka Yoshida (.400 on base percentage).
They'll obviously need to sort out their pitching, but help is on the way in the form of young right-handers Garrett Whitlock and Brayan Bello. In the meantime, their early schedule (Orioles, Pirates, Tigers) is tailor-made for an offense to declare that it's clobbering time.
They're doing it with Verdugo batting leadoff against righties and lower in the order against lefties, all with considerable style and swagger. He accessorized Saturday's two-run homer with some dance steps out of the box that might've rubbed fans the wrong way -- the Red Sox trailed 7-1 when he hit it -- but he has never made any apologies for playing with enthusiasm.
"It feels really good," Verdugo said of the 2-1 start. "I feel like we knew who we were as a team, we know who we are hitting-wise. A lot of people wanted to count us out, but we've got guys that fight every pitch and have at-bats, see pitches, work counts. Just keeping the line moving. I think that's the biggest thing we're kind of seeing."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 3, 2023 13:40:25 GMT -5
Maybe the Red Sox were onto something with this lineup
By Rob Bradford
WEEI 93.7
9 hours ago
"I like our lineup."
This was the familiar refrain heard from Alex Cora as the spring training days dwindled, usually coming in response to a question about the feeling he had about the team that was about to be rolled out for the 2023 season.
It turns out, the Red Sox manager might have been on to something. The same could be said for Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom.
ADVERTISING
Judging by what unfolded through the first three games, this part of the equation might work out, after all.
"Everybody wanted to count us out, say we're gonna be last in our division. But you know, we don't feel that way. We like our team," said Alex Verdugo after the Red Sox' 9-5 win over the Orioles. "We feel like the more we play, the more we start having like wins like yesterday, the walk off with (Adam) Duvall, these are things that fire up the clubhouse, that get the boys going, get them together, get the chemistry going right. Take off kind of a little bit of pressure, if you will. For us, there’s not going to be one, set guy that's going to hold this whole team up and keep going. It's going to be every single one of us."
At this point, Cora, Verdugo, Bloom and Co. have the facts on their side.
- They have scored at least nine runs in each of their first three games in a season for the first time in franchise history.
- They are the third team all-time to score nine or more runs in each of their first three games in a season, joining the 1978 Brewers and 1976 Reds.
- They have recorded 11 or more hits in each of their first three games in a season for the third time in club history (also 1954 and 1902). Since the start of 2017, the only other team to record 11 or more hits in each of their first three games in a season was the Dodgers in 2019 and 2021.
- Starting with the seventh inning of yesterday's game, the Red Sox have scored in eight of their 11 offensive innings, scoring 13 runs over the span.
After these first wave of games over the weekend, the Red Sox ended up with the second-most runs in Major League Baseball (27) with the fourth-best OPS (.959) and the fourth-most extra-base hits (14).
With runners on base, the Red Sox boasted the third-best OPS in baseball (1.054), also managing a .967 clip (4th-best) with runners in scoring position. And there was only one team better - the Rangers - with two outs and runners in scoring position, with the Red Sox hitting .417 with a 1.333 OPS in such situations.
They also are doing exactly what what promised, making contact. The Red Sox came away from these three games with the fourth-lowest percentage of swings and misses in the majors (22.1 percent).
As for the construction of this lineup, look at some of the perceived concerns:
- The leadoff spot boasted a .976 OPS.
- Rafael Devers wasn't walked once, going 7-for-15.
- The guy hitting behind Devers, Justin Turner, reached base in half of his 14 plate appearances.
Maybe it's too early. Perhaps this was simply a product of bad Baltimore pitching.
But what the Red Sox did in the short-term was make their fans avert their eyes from Xander Bogaerts starting the season with two home runs and a 1.471 OPS, Christian Vaquez going 4-for-7 to start his year, and J.D. Martinez hitting a homer. And considering the offseason microscope this roster construction was under, that is no small feat.
"It’s not sustainable, but we’re going to be OK," said Cora of his team's nine-runs-a-game pace. "That’s something that we felt in spring training was going to happen, and the quality at-bats are going to stay there. We’re going to go through stretches that we don’t score, but I don’t see too many stretches that we’re going to be swinging and missing, and that’s going to be important for us."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 3, 2023 13:42:27 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 12m It would probably be for the best if Crawford, Pivetta, and Kluber did not try to throw Oneil Cruz fastballs this series  |
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 3, 2023 13:48:05 GMT -5
Pete Abraham
@peteabe
·
2h
The great @teamuehara
is 48 today. The 2013 Sox had many heroes and he was right there with them. That team will be honored on April 16 at Fenway.
Adam Duvall is the AL Player of the Week.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 3, 2023 13:56:28 GMT -5
Game 4: Pirates at Red Sox lineups and notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated April 3, 2023, 10:40 a.m. After dropping the season opener, the Red Sox bounced back for a pair of wins to take the series from the Orioles. Offense has not been a problem. They scored at least nine runs in each of their first three games in a season for the first time in franchise history, and became just the third team in major league history to do so, joining the 1978 Milwaukee Brewers and 1976 Cincinnati Reds. When they open a three-game series with the Pirates Monday night at Fenway, they will be doing so against a pitcher they have never faced before, with righthander Johan Oviedo getting the nod after Pittsburgh had to place JT Brubaker on the 60-day injured list due to right elbow discomfort. Here is a preview. Lineups PIRATES (1-2): 1. Oneil Cruz (L) SS 2. Bryan Reynolds (S) CF 3. Ji-Man Choi (L) DH 4. Carlos Santana (S) 1B 5. Ke'Bryan Hayes (R) 3B 6. Canaan Smith-Njigba (L) LF 7. Jack Suwinski (L) RF 8. Rodolfo Castro (S) 2B 9. Jason Delay (R) C Pitching: RHP Johan Oviedo (4-3, 3.21 ERA in 2022) RED SOX (2-1): 1. Alex Verdugo (L) RF 2. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 3. Justin Turner (R) DH 4. Masataka Yoshida (L) LF 5. Adam Duvall (R) CF 6. Triston Casas (L) 1B 7. Christian Arroyo (R) 2B 8. Enrique Hernandez (R) SS 9. Connor Wong (R) C Pitching: RHP Kutter Crawford (3-6, 5.47 ERA in 2022) Time: 7:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Pirates vs. Crawford: Ji Man Choi 1-6, Austin Hedges 0-1 Red Sox vs. Oviedo: Raimel Tapia 0-3, Justin Turner 0-0 Stat of the day: The Red Sox have recorded at least 11 hits in each of their first three games in a season for the third time in club history (also 1954 and 1902) ... Since the start of 2017, the only other team to record at least 11 hits in each of their first three games in a season was the Dodgers in 2019 and 2021. Notes: Adam Duvall became the first player in Red Sox history to record six extra-base hits in his first three games with the club. He is 8 of 14 with three doubles, a triple, two home runs, and eight RBIs in three games. He is the fourth player in club history to record at least 8 RBI over the Sox’ first three games of a season, joining Brock Holt (2016), Ted Williams (1942), and Bobby Doerr (1941). ... Rafael Devers has recorded multiple hits in each of the three games (.467 AVG, 7-for-15, four runs, two doubles, and an RBI). … No need to fix Chris Martin. The righty has tried his best and succeeded out of the bullpen, throwing a scoreless inning in each of the Sox’ first three games. … Crawford became the fourth rookie since 2016 to make 12 or more starts with the Red Sox last season. Hemade four starts and worked 17⅓ innings in spring training. … Oviedo allowed just four earned runs over his last three starts of 2022. Song of the Day: REO Speedwagon- Take it on the runwww.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ-uWQJNx7whttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ-uWQJNx7w
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 3, 2023 18:24:53 GMT -5
Crawford is not effective at all
Obrien and Youk all ready on page 2 of the NESN excuses page
3 hits and an error......
3-0 Pitt......and I am eyeing the remote
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 3, 2023 18:34:54 GMT -5
Devers with his first dinger.....deep
and the dumb LED lights
Yoshida 2 run jack
3-3
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 3, 2023 18:40:23 GMT -5
Holy shit
Casas flirts with Pesky
then gets his pesky home run
2 run job
5-3 Red Sox
1rst
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Apr 3, 2023 20:11:43 GMT -5
I'm not sure I've ever seen Verdugo go oppo like that before. Is he finally learning?
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 4, 2023 4:17:52 GMT -5
Red Sox score 5 runs in first inning but still lose to Pirates, 7-6; Masataka Yoshida homers
Updated: Apr. 03, 2023, 10:11 p.m.|Published: Apr. 03, 2023, 10:11 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
BOSTON -- Major League Baseball doesn’t hold its annual Home Run Derby until mid-July. Anyone at Fenway Park on Monday might have been fooled.
The Red Sox and Pirates combined for six home runs in the first four innings as Pittsburgh battered Sox righty Kutter Crawford en route to a 7-6 victory in the opening game of a three-game series at Fenway Park. Rafael Devers, Masataka Yoshida and Triston Casas each launched their first homers of the season in a five-run first inning but it wasn’t enough as the Sox fell back to .500 at 2-2.
The scoring came early and often on a brisk night at Fenway. Pittsburgh plated three in the first, capitalizing on a dropped pop fly by Devers to score on a a Ke’Bryan Hayes RBI single and a Canaan Smith-Njigba two-run double.
The Sox didn’t take long to rally back against Pirates starter Johan Oviedo, as Devers hit a one-out blast to deep center before Bryan Reynolds dropped a fly ball off the bat of Justin Turner, setting the table for Yoshida’s first career MLB homer. Yoshida turned around a high fastball from Oviedo and deposited it 390 feet into the Monster seats to tie the game. Two batters later, Triston Casas looped a towering two-run blast into the right field seats to put the Sox up, 5-3.
That’s where Boston’s offensive production would end for a spell. Reynolds homered to draw Pittsburgh within one run in the second, then Jack Suwinski tied the game with a single in the third. Crawford continued to get hit hard into the fourth, when Reynolds (his second of the game) and catcher Jason Delay each hit solo homers. Crawford, in similar fashion to fellow Sox starters Corey Kluber and Chris Sale so far this season, was tagged for seven earned runs on eight hits in just four innings. He recorded six strikeouts and allowed three home runs.
American League Player of the Week Adam Duvall brought the Red Sox back within a run in the sixth with a broken-bat RBI single that drove in Alex Verdugo and made it 7-6. Duvall, who had multiple hits for the third straight game, had a chance to put Boston back on top in the eighth inning but grounded out against reliever Colin Holderman with two runners in scoring position and two outs.
In the ninth, Pirates All-Star closer David Bednar slammed the door on the Red Sox, working around a Raimel Tapia pinch-hit single to retire the side.
Verdugo, Duvall pace offense
Verdugo (3-for-5, R) and Duvall (2-for-3, RBI, R, 2 BB) were the only Red Sox with multiple hits. Boston had nine hits in the loss, matching the Pirates.
Pivetta makes debut in middle game
Right-hander Nick Pivetta, who led the Red Sox in starts (33) and innings (179 ⅔) last season, will make his 2023 debut Tuesday night in the middle game of the three-game series against Pittsburgh. The Pirates will counter with righty Roansy Contreras. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. ET.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 4, 2023 4:25:15 GMT -5
Pete Abraham
@peteabe
·
9h
Yoshida told Japanese reporters yesterday that he was focused on getting to high fastballs, a pitch he didn't often see in Japan.
Seems that worked out pretty well for him.
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