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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 13, 2023 4:12:50 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Kelly lifted with right elbow pain
12:43 AM ADT
LATEST NEWS
April 12: RHP Zack Kelly exits with right elbow pain
In an unsettling scene, Kelly went to the ground in agony after hitting Yandy Díaz with a changeup in the bottom of the fifth inning of Wednesday's game against the Rays. Kelly clutched his right elbow and appeared to be near tears as he exited the game. The initial diagnosis was right elbow pain. Kelly, who gave up two runs in two-thirds of an inning, has a 3.68 ERA in six outings this season.
Kelly will stay with his teammates through Thursday's series finale and then get examined by Boston's medical staff on Friday in Boston. Manager Alex Cora indicated the Sox will bring in a reliever to replace Kelly on the roster in time for Thursday's contest.
April 12: OF Masataka Yoshida scratched with right hamstring tightness
A couple of hours before Wednesday's game at Tropicana Field, the Sox took their rookie left fielder out of the lineup due to what the club deems to be a minor injury. With a day game looming on Thursday, manager Alex Cora suspects that Yoshida will be held out until Friday night's home game against the Angels.
Yoshida's removal from Wednesday's lineup caused some significant switches. Kiké Hernández moved from shortstop to make his first start of the season in center field, Bobby Dalbec made his second career start at short, Raimel Tapia moved from center to left and Triston Casas made his first career start in the cleanup hole.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 13, 2023 4:15:29 GMT -5
Chris Sale struggles again as Red Sox lose to undefeated Rays, 9-7
Updated: Apr. 12, 2023, 9:25 p.m.|Published: Apr. 12, 2023, 9:24 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Despite a late comeback attempt Wednesday night, the Red Sox couldn’t work their way all the way back from a first inning that told the story of their season so far.
A player playing out of position (Bobby Dalbec at shortstop) made an error on an easy out. A catcher (Reese McGuire) failed to throw out a would-be base stealer. A starting pitcher (Chris Sale) paid the price by allowing an early homer. That sequence put the Red Sox in an early 3-0 hole and Boston went on to lose, 9-7, to the Rays in the third game of a four-game set at Tropicana Field. The 5-7 Red Sox will try to steal one from the 12-0 Rays and avoid a sweep in Thursday’s matinee finale.
Things got ugly quick for Sale and the Red Sox on Wednesday. A natural corner infielder, Dalbec mishandled a Wander Franco grounder with one out, then after Franco stole second base and Isaac Paredes walked, Randy Arozarena lifted a three-run opposite field homer to give the Rays an early lead. Shortly after the Red Sox cut the deficit to two runs when Justin Turner got them on the board with an RBI single in the fourth, Tampa Bay piled on more offense in the bottom of the inning. Sale allowed three straight hits to start the inning before Yandy Díaz made it 4-1 with a sacrifice fly; Franco’s two-run double made it a 6-1 game.
Sale, who won his last start in Detroit on Thursday, was not particularly sharp, allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits in just four innings. Only 55 of his 81 pitches were strikes. The lefty now has an 11.25 ERA through three starts.
Kiké Hernández broke out of his 0-for-28 slump with an RBI double in the fifth then scored on an Alex Verdugo single that made it 6-3 in the fifth. But Zack Kelly, who left the game with an elbow injury, struggled with command a half-inning later and Tampa Bay stretched the lead back to four runs on RBI hits by Christian Bethancourt (double) and Vidal Brújan (single).
Down four runs in the seventh, the Red Sox made things interesting. After Reese McGuire singled and Hernández was awarded a double on a ball that dropped in right field, Rafael Devers launched an opposite field, lefty-on-lefty three-run blast off Colin Poche that made it a one-run game. It was Devers’ fifth blast of the season.
Unfortunately for the Red Sox, the scoring would end there. After Jason Adam pitched a 1-2-3 eighth, Arozarena made it a two-run game with a sacrifice fly off Chris Martin. Pete Fairbanks worked around a McGuire leadoff single in the ninth to record the save.
Boston’s offense, which plated just two combined runs in the first two game of the series, had 10 hits, with Verdugo, Turner, McGuire and Hernández each pitching in two. Righty Taj Bradley got the win in his big league debut, holding the Sox to three runs on five hits in five innings. He struck out eight.
The los was Boston’s 12th straight at Tropicana Field.
Kelly leaves game in scary scene
Kelly, who replaced Chris Sale in the fifth inning, hit Yandy Díaz with an 81 mph changeup, then went into a crouch and began to hold his right elbow. Kelly immediately became emotional, then left the field with team trainers and manager Alex Cora. The Red Sox described Kelly’s injury as “right elbow pain.” Updates to follow.
Hernández breaks out of slump
Hernández entered the game in an 0-for-27 slump and, after being put back in the No. 9 hole, struck out in his first at-bat. He then broke out of his skid with an RBI double in the fourth and added another when a fly ball fell between two outfielders in the seventh. Hernández was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs in the loss.
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Kluber to face former team in finale
Right-hander Corey Kluber (0-2, 6.48 ERA) will take the mound Thursday against the Rays, who he made 31 starts for in 2022. He’ll go up against former Red Sox lefty Jeffrey Springs (1-0, 0.00 ERA), who has started his 2023 season with 13 consecutive scoreless innings (he has only allowed three hits).
First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m. ET. After the game, the Red Sox will fly home ahead of a four-game series against the Angels at Fenway Park that starts Friday Friday.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 13, 2023 4:17:52 GMT -5
Red Sox’s Chris Sale has 11.25 ERA so far: ‘I’ve taken three (starts) off the chin
Published: Apr. 13, 2023, 1:33 a.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- After his last start of spring training, Red Sox lefty Chris Sale expressed plenty of excitement for the season ahead. Finally healthy after four injury-riddled seasons, Sale was hopeful he’d return to vintage form as soon as the season began.
That has not been the case, to say the least.
After allowing six runs (five earned) in four innings in Wednesday’s 9-7 loss to the Rays, Sale saw his ERA balloon to 11.25 through three starts this season. His command has been spotty. The results have been there. And the ever-confident Sale is at a loss for words.
“It sucks,” Sale said. “Three starts in, I’ve taken three off the chin. I’ve just got to be better. I just have to be better.”
Sale once again struggled to locate Wednesday night at Tropicana Field. He threw just 55 of his 81 pitches (68%) for strikes and surrendered seven hits, including a first-inning three-run homer to Randy Arozarena. Through three outings, Sale said, his feel on the mound has been “spotty.”
“Sometimes, I go out there and I’m locating really well and I’m doing a good job of pitching,” he said. “Other times, it’s right in the middle of the plate, it’s flat and it’s not coming out good. I’m paying for it. That’s for sure.”
In his season debut on April 1, Sale allowed seven earned runs in three innings (and three homers) before Adam Duvall saved the team with a walk-off run. Last time out in Detroit, Sale overcame early command issues to grind out a better outing, earning his first win since 2021 after allowing just three earned runs in five innings. Despite a comeback bid by an offense led by Rafael Devers and Kiké Hernández on Wednesday, the Sox lost, 9-7. Sale took his first loss of 2023.
“If you look at any of my outings, I’ve got a three-inning outing with seven runs, a four-inning run with six runs and a five-inning outing with three runs,” he said. “Had to get bailed out all times and the one time we lost was the day I sucked the most. I’m not going to sit here and make excuses. I’ve just got to be better.”
The first inning was something of a microcosm of Boston’s season so far. After Sale got a quick first out, a player playing out of position (Bobby Dalbec at shortstop) made an error on a potential easy out. Wander Franco then stole second base, continuing Boston’s troubles with opposing base stealers. With two runners on, Randy Arozarena took Sale deep to right field to give Tampa Bay a 3-0 lead. The blast was the fifth against Sale this year and the 18th allowed by a Sox starting pitcher in 12 games. That leads the league (Oakland starters are second with 15 homers allowed).
The error by Dalbec put Sale in a bad spot. Still, he lost a battle on a 2-1 sinker that clipped the bottom of the zone.
“We didn’t play good defense behind him,” Cora said. “Obviously, he’s going to say that doesn’t matter and you’ve still got to make pitches.
“I do believe we’re trending in the right direction,” Cora added. “We will be fine. I still believe the fastball has life up in the zone. They just put some good swings on it, some good at-bats. At the end, we put him in a bad spot. We didn’t play good defense and that’s what happens at the big league level.”
The start to Sale’s 2023 season is reminiscent of the beginning of his 2019 campaign. After a similar dud on Opening Day, the lefty went on to produce a 6.30 ERA in six starts before April 28, surrendering 21 earned runs (and 32 hits) in 30 innings). He’ll have a few chances to turn his season around before the final month ends. The next one might come Monday opposite Shohei Ohtani and the Angels at Fenway Park.
Until then, it’s back to the drawing board for a pitcher who can’t believe how bad the early results have been but remains convicted in his abilities.
“(I have) all the confidence,” Sale said. “That’s who I am. I’m going to continue to work, I’m going to continue to grind. Got to figure it out before someone else does first.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 13, 2023 4:20:27 GMT -5
Pete Abraham
@peteabe
·
7h
A few things:
* Chang was bunting for a hit.
* Cora thought on that bunt back to Sale, Casas was right to crash and Chang needed to get over to first when he saw that.
* Zack Kelly was disconsolate. They'll get imaging on Friday
Sox have lost 12 in a row at the Trop.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 13, 2023 4:29:16 GMT -5
With few exceptions, Red Sox a collection of spare parts and aging veterans, and it has showed against unbeaten Rays
By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated April 12, 2023, 11:07 p.m.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — That the Red Sox used a raggedy lineup against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night was a product of injuries.
But if your focus is on why Bobby Dalbec played shortstop, it’s misplaced. The Sox could have had their entire roster available and they still would have been decidedly the second-best team on the field.
That’s the real problem.
This is Chaim Bloom’s fourth season in charge of baseball operations and the Sox are the worst team in the American League East. With a few exceptions, the roster is a collection of spare parts and aging veterans signed to short-term deals.
Their ceiling is likely no better than finishing .500. The Sox are 5-7 after a 9-7 loss at Tropicana Field and a dropped popup away from being 4-8.
Bloom insists the best is yet to come. But any clear-headed evaluation would also see the Blue Jays, Orioles, Rays, and Yankees better positioned for future success.
The Yankees and Jays have premium talent, strong farm systems and owners intent on winning.
The Rays routinely excel at drafting good players and improving the ones they obtain via trade or free agency.
The Orioles have some of the best young talent in the game and are on the verge of a renaissance. Their catcher, 25-year-old Adley Rutschman, looks every bit the cornerstone of a championship team.
After Rafael Devers, what Red Sox player can you clearly identify as being a key member of a playoff team in a year or two or three?
Maybe Triston Casas. Maybe Alex Verdugo or Masataka Yoshida. Maybe Garrett Whitlock or Brayan Bello. But they’re all just maybes until proven otherwise.
Trevor Story is a good choice. But it was Bloom’s decision to sign Story to a six-year, $140 million contract before last season that was a catalyst for the problems they’re encountering now.
Story was still available in late March because teams were fearful about the condition of his right elbow based on his throws from shortstop during the 2021 season.
Bloom took a chance and Story proved to be a good second baseman. But he tore an elbow ligament in December once he started making longer throws in preparation for replacing Xander Bogaerts.
Now Kiké Hernández is the shortstop, except when he has to play the outfield, and you get situations like Dalbec playing shortstop.
That the Sox mounted a determined comeback after falling behind 6-1 speaks well of their determination. That they have lost 12 consecutive games at Tropicana Field and are now 199-197 under Bloom speaks much louder.
Because he’s running baseball ops, Bloom is an easy target for angry fans who have seen a series of talented players sent away with little in return.
But his bosses — John Henry, Tom Werner, and Sam Kennedy — are equally responsible if not more so. They ultimately determine the direction of the franchise through times good and bad.
They deserve credit for the four World Series championships and blame for the two last-place finishes in the last three seasons. It was their decision to hire Bloom and they approve of the major moves.
The schedule suggested the Sox had an opportunity to get off to a good start, something Kennedy said was important. Now they need a victory on Thursday afternoon to avoid a four-game sweep.
When Devers belted a three-run homer in the seventh inning on Wednesday, a contingent of Sox fans seated behind the visitors’ dugout cheered loudly.
But it was only a temporary reprieve as the Rays held on. They are now a remarkable 12-0, the best start for any team in 36 years.
Tampa Bay has a fun team that’s a pleasure to watch.
“They look great to me,” Devers said. “You can see their confidence.”
Devers knows. He played on Red Sox teams that shared those same attributes. He’s also counting on it happening again, having agreed to a long-term contract in January.
But it’s not going to happen any time soon. The season is only a dozen games in and the Sox are already looking up.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 13, 2023 4:32:46 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Rays
Thursday. 13th April 2023
1pm @ The Trop
Kluber 0-2/6.48
Springs 1-0/ 000
Rays chase history -- 13th straight win -- vs. Red Sox
FLM
The pressure is mounting on the undefeated Tampa Bay Rays, but no players are giving in just yet -- not even their newest arm they unveiled on Wednesday.
Winners of 12 straight games to open a season, Tampa Bay will attempt to tie the modern major league record of 13 and sweep the Boston Red Sox in a Thursday matinee in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Since 1900, the only teams to open 13-0 were the 1982 Atlanta Braves and the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers.
On Wednesday, 22-year-old right-hander Taj Bradley slid into the team's winning streak, which tied the franchise record of 12 set in 2004 by manager Lou Piniella's then-Devil Rays from June 9-22.
In the 9-7 victory, Bradley -- the organization's top prospect -- got the decision in his major league debut with five strong innings. He recorded eight strikeouts while giving up three runs on five hits and one walk.
Rays skipper Kevin Cash was impressed by Bradley's poise in handling the pressure of possibly failing to extend the undefeated season.
"He might've had so much on his mind he wasn't even aware of (the streak)," Cash said. "There were a lot of pressures. You add in the Boston Red Sox, you add in the streak and you add in him being 22 years old. That's a lot."
Jeffrey Springs (2-0, 0.00 ERA) will take the mound on Thursday contest as the Rays attempt to sweep the four-game series.
In 13 scoreless innings against the Detroit Tigers and Oakland Athletics, Springs has allowed just three hits and four walks while striking out 19.
The opposition is hitting a meager .075 against the left-hander, and his WHIP sits at 0.538.
"Yeah, he's on a pretty good run right now," Cash said after the southpaw stymied the A's on Saturday. "His stuff is just really playing well right now."
Across 12 career appearances against Boston, including four starts, Springs is 0-2 with a 3.80 ERA. In 23 2/3 innings, he has 27 strikeouts, and the Red Sox are hitting .242 against him with three homers.
Manager Alex Cora saw his Red Sox battle back from two five-run deficits on Wednesday and eventually get the margin to 8-7, but shortstop Bobby Dalbec's fielding error and a poor throw by catcher Reese McGuire cost the Red Sox one run in the first inning.
In the fourth, Tampa Bay's second three-run frame, Boston pitcher Chris Sale fielded Vidal Brujan's bunt right back to him, but no one covered first base -- loading the bases with no outs. All three runners eventually scored.
"At this level, if you give them more than 27 outs, they're going to cash in," Cora said. "Routine plays, we didn't make ... that's the part that frustrates me. At this level, you can't do that."
Boston right-hander Corey Kluber (0-2, 6.48 ERA) will get the chance to face his 2022 club for the first time on Thursday. He went 10-10 with a 4.34 ERA in 31 starts for Tampa Bay last season.
In outings against the Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates, Kluber has been roughed up for six runs on nine hits in only 8 1/3 innings, surrendering three home runs.
Kluber, 37, owns a 5-3 record and a 2.98 ERA in 11 career starts against Tampa Bay.
On June 21, 2016, in Cleveland, Kluber authored one of his eight career shutouts in a 6-0 win over the Rays. He allowed just three hits and walked two while fanning nine.
--Field Level Media
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 13, 2023 7:12:47 GMT -5
So much for the Red Sox' early-season best laid plans
Current Time 0:01
/
Duration 11:17
By Rob Bradford
WEEI 93.7
17 minutes ago
Former Red Sox Matt Strahm has some strong opinions
A baseball season always includes a massive wave of adjustments. Even the best teams - the ones with ultimately win the World Series - understand that is part of the deal.
But usually there is an established blueprint that an April hiccup here or there won't shake. But for these Red Sox, just two weeks into the season feels like a back-to-the-drawing-board kind of vibe.
How is it that this team with so much somewhat unexpected optimism coming out of spring training can be sitting seven games out of first-place while possessing a 5-7 record on April 13? A chunk of that answer lies with their relationship with the Rays, who have included the Red Sox among their victims on the way to a 12-0 start. (With Wednesday night's 9-7 Tampa Bay win over the Sox at Tropicana Field serving as the latest example.)
But this has been more than just falling victim to a really good team. The world champion Astros, after all, were 6-7 to start their championship season in 2022, a mark they once again find themselves with this time around.
This has been a tidal wave of things gone wrong, with Wednesday just drowning the Red Sox a bit more.
- Chris Sale: The good feelings that came from a successful spring training are officially out the window after his third start of the season. Against the Rays, the lefty gave up six runs over four innings to push his ERA to 11.25. That makes 16 runs on 18 hits over 12 frames.
“Tough,” Sale told reporters when asked about his latest outing. “If we had a better starting pitcher, we would have had a better chance to win.”
- Zack Kelly: One of the bright spots - and better stories - was encompassed by a dark cloud after the reliever left the field in the fifth inning, grabbing his right elbow while fighting his emotions. It didn't look promising for the undrafted free agent who was just starting to get some momentum for his big league career.
“I was emotional for two reasons,” Kelly told reporters. "One, because I care about this game, these guys, and really I just enjoy doing this. And two, everything I went through to get here is just a lot. So, when something like that happens, I get emotional about it.”
- The lineup: Bobby Dalbec at shortstop. Yu Chang at second base. That was not exactly the vision for two weeks into the season back in Fort Myers. But there it was.
Cleanup hitter Masa Yoshida (.216 batting average, .680 OPS) was sidelined due to a hamstring issue, forcing Kiké Hernandez back to center field and Raimel Tapia to left field, with the scuffling Christian Arroyo getting the day off.
While Justin Turner did find is way a bit with a pair of hits - (with Hernandez also breaking out of an 0-for-27 with two, as well) - the Red Sox' meat of the order in the No. 3 (Turner), 4 (Triston Casas) and 5 (Tapia) spots had a hard time comparing to their Tampa Bay counterparts.
The Red Sox have the second-worst OPS out of the No. 3 spot in all of Major League Baseball, and residing sixth-from-last in the cleanup position. And in the two games since Adam Duvall exited the fifth position due to his wrist injury, the Sox have failed to get a single hit from their No. 5 guy.
There is so much more that has gone awry, with the uncertainty at shortstop, center field, second base and, with Casas' current struggles, first base lingering.
This certainly might be a case of it feeling a lot worse that it actually is considering the calendar and existence among plenty of close-to-.500 teams. But right now, it's really difficult to shake the feeling that this is going to be a tough course to reverse.
In the words of Neil Young, "The devil fools with the best laid plans." Welcome to the Red Sox' reminder and reality.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 13, 2023 7:16:13 GMT -5
Brian Barrett
@itsbrianbarrett
·
12m
Chris Sale
48.6% hard hit rate (balls off the bat 95+ mph ) 58th of 67 qualified starters
10.8% barrel % - 58th
5 bombs - t-3rd most
11.25 ERA - last!!!!!!
2.08 WHIP - 64th
.321 OBA - 61st
10.9% walk rate - 55th
*command has been atrocious!!!
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 13, 2023 11:32:24 GMT -5
What in the hell is Devers doing sitting?
Seriously this rest shit all ready from Cora
1. Alex Verdugo (L) RF
2. Justin Turner (R) DH
3. Rob Refsnyder (R) LF
4. Triston Casas (L) 1B
5. Bobby Dalbec (R) 3B
6. Enrique Hernandez (R) CF
7. Reese McGuire (L) C
8. Yu Chang (R) SS
9. Christian Arroyo (R) 2B
1. Yandy Diaz (R) 1B
2. Brandon Lowe (L) 2B
3. Randy Arozarena (R) LF
4. Wander Franco (S) SS
5. Luke Raley (L) RF
6. Harold Ramirez (R) DH
7. Taylor Walls (S) 3B
8. Josh Lowe (L) CF
9. Francisco Mejia (S) C
1. Yandy Diaz (R) 1B
2. Brandon Lowe (L) 2B
3. Randy Arozarena (R) LF
4. Wander Franco (S) SS
5. Luke Raley (L) RF
6. Harold Ramirez (R) DH
7. Taylor Walls (S) 3B
8. Josh Lowe (L) CF
9. Francisco Mejia (S) C
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 13, 2023 11:34:48 GMT -5
Pete Abraham
@peteabe
·
3h
#RedSox have not won a game at the Trop since April 22, 2022 when they beat Corey Kluber.
Now they have Kluber pitching today trying to end a 12-game losing streak at the Trop and end the road trip with a win.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 13, 2023 11:36:10 GMT -5
Pete Abraham
@peteabe
·
2h
Yes, Devers is out of the lineup.
He was unlikely to play four days on turf. They're also in the middle of 19 games in 19 days and the four games coming up against the Angels are at 710, 410, 135 and 1110. He was going to get a day off one way or another.
Kutter Crawford is back with Zack Kelly on the IL.
Sounds like Yoshida returns Friday at the earliest.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 13, 2023 11:36:38 GMT -5
Tom Caron
@tomcaron
·
44m
29 MLB teams have at least one pitcher who has thrown a quality start (6 innings, 3 or fewer runs allowed) this year.
The Red Sox have not had a starter throw a pitch in the 6th inning yet this season.
#RedSox #MLB
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 13, 2023 11:37:57 GMT -5
Ian Browne
@ianmbrowne
·
1h
It appears the Red Sox are undecided between Sale and Bello for Monday. Or Maybe it is just Bello because they usually TBD forever on a guy who needs to be added back to the roster. That would mean Sale Tuesday against the Twins.
Jeffrey Springs, the lefty the Sox are facing today, fired six no-hit innings in his first start of the season and seven innings of three-hit, shutout baseball last time. Also someone the Sox traded and didn't get much in return for.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 13, 2023 11:39:42 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo
@chriscotillo
·
2h
Kutter Crawford will be activated before today’s game with Zack Kelly going on the IL, per source.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 13, 2023 13:37:36 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 11m Kluber gave up the home run on the most middle-middle 88 mph fastball ever thrown, but aside from that, he's done a nice job living on and just off the corners. He needs elite command to be functional. 7 K, 13 whiffs in 55 pitches.   |
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