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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2023 4:06:48 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Brewers Friday, 21rst April 2023 8pm @ American Family Field
Pivetta 0-1/ 4.50 vs
Peralts 2-1/ 3.18
Back home, Brewers aim to extend momentum vs. Red Sox
After winning seven of 10 on their Western swing, the Milwaukee Brewers will turn to right-hander Freddy Peralta to continue the success at home when they open a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox on Friday.
Peralta (2-1, 3.18 ERA) will be opposed by right-hander Nick Pivetta (0-1, 4.50).
Boston is coming off an 11-5 home victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, behind seven strong innings from Tanner Houck. Alex Verdugo and Yu Chang, who was reinstated from the paternity list prior to the game, each homered as the Red Sox pounded out 14 hits for their fifth win in seven games.
The Brewers capped their trip to Arizona, San Diego and Seattle with a 5-3 win over the Mariners on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep. Milwaukee was idle on Thursday.
"We played three good baseball teams, and we played well," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "To go 7-3 on a road trip like that, it's good baseball. I don't know if you can pick one guy on the trip. That's what makes it a great trip. The whole roster did something on this trip. That's when you have great stretches of baseball."
Speedy center fielder Garrett Mitchell was placed on the 10-day injured list after hurting his left shoulder on Tuesday in Seattle. He was slated for an MRI exam after returning to Milwaukee.
Ace right-hander Corbin Burnes departed in the sixth inning of the series opener in Seattle with what was described as a minor left pectoral strain, but he is expected to start as scheduled on Sunday against Boston.
With key starter Brandon Woodruff on the IL due to a shoulder strain, Milwaukee juggled its rotation on the road. Veteran journeyman Colin Rea made two starts after being called up from Triple-A Nashville, with the Brewers winning both contests in extra innings. Janson Junk also was called up for a spot start.
Peralta struggled his last time out, giving up five runs on a career-high nine hits in five innings during a 10-3 loss at San Diego on Saturday. Peralta went six innings in each of his previous two starts, allowing a total of one run. Opponents are batting .231 against Peralta, who has never faced the Red Sox.
Pivetta was tagged for six runs in four-plus innings during his last start, allowing five hits and walking three, but he did not get the decision in a 9-7 comeback win over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday. Most of the damage came on a first-inning grand slam by Gio Urshela.
In the start prior to that, however, Pivetta allowed just three hits over five scoreless innings but again did not get the decision in a 1-0 loss at Tampa Bay.
Pivetta has made two career starts vs. Milwaukee, in 2017 with the Philadelphia Phillies and last season with Boston, going 0-2 and allowing 13 runs on 16 hits, including four homers, in 10 innings.
Boston outfielder Jarren Duran, recalled Monday from Triple-A Worcester, doubled and drove in three runs Thursday. Duran is 5-for-13 (.385) with four doubles and five RBIs in four games.
"Just staying within myself, not trying to do too much," Duran told NESN after Thursday's win. "Just doing what's best for the team and being persistent on my approach."
--Field Level Media
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2023 4:08:48 GMT -5
SP Probables
Satuday- 8pm- Whitlock 1-1/4.50 vs miley 2-1/ 1.50
Sunday 2pm- Bello 0-1/ 16.88 vs Burnes 2-1/ 4.76
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2023 4:16:27 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK This Jarren Duran could be the one the Red Sox have been waiting to see By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated April 20, 2023, 7:30 p.m.
Jarren Duran is at his best when playing with reckless abandonment. Or, as he puts it, “playing with his hair on fire.”
There’s a certain level of conviction that comes with that. Audaciousness.
Yet that flame can burn out quickly, much like it has for Duran in parts of the last two seasons since making his Red Sox debut in 2021. There were glimpses of his impact, but it was not sustained.
Experience is required. Preparation and understanding how your opponents want to attack you even more so.
The grind of the year will be the true test of Duran’s progression in those latter areas. But could the Sox have a different Duran?
Perhaps.
The center fielder went 1 for 2 with a double, walk, and three RBIs in Thursday’s 11-5 win at Fenway Park against the Twins.
Duran’s two-run double in the fourth marked his fourth consecutive game with a double and his third straight game with an RBI. The lefthanded hitter is 5 for 13 since he was recalled from Triple A Worcester on Monday.
“He’s been good,” manager Alex Cora said before the series finale. “You can see it with the intent of the swing. You see it from batting practice. It’s not the show that he was trying to put on the last few years, hitting the ball in the air to the pull-side. Now, he’s driving the ball to left field and left-center.”
Duran has tinkered with his setup over the years, mainly involving his hand placement. At times, his hands would be near his midsection while in his stance. In other at-bats, he placed his hands near the letters on his jersey. But teams began exploiting Duran at the top of the strike zone, knowing it would be tough for him to get to fastballs in that area.
So, this year, Duran went back to what he always knew: hands above the shoulders. His swing looks more under control. Direct to the ball, and teams can’t pound him at the top of the zone as much.
“It’s that,” said Duran after the Sox got back to .500 (10-10). “But I also feel like I’m keeping my rhythm right now, which is a big thing for me. So like, if I keep my rhythm then I feel like I’ll make better pitch selection. That all comes into play.”
Duran missed much of spring training after he chose to play for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. Raimel Tapia, who signed a minor league deal with an invite to spring training, took advantage of Duran’s absence and ultimately left Fort Myers with a big league gig. Meanwhile, Duran had just five WBC at-bats and was optioned to Worcester.
“The tournament helped some players, but it didn’t help him. Let’s be honest,” Cora said. “[Before he left for the WBC], he was driving the ball the other way [during spring training], he was swinging at the right pitches, and playing good baseball. When he came back, he was behind.”
It helps that Duran is carrying a lighter load mentally this year, after fighting off some of the pressure that comes with playing in Boston. He mentioned Kiké Hernández as a teammate he has grown closer to and who has helped to guide him.
“I’ve just been talking to people,” Duran said. “And not just letting it build up inside and tearing myself up.”
When the Sox recalled Duran last year at the beginning of June, he hit .308/.357/.474 (.832 OPS) in his first 20 games. Then he hit the cellar, batting .164 in his next 37.
The struggles will come again. But just maybe Duran’s response will be different. Maybe the Sox will finally get the player they envisioned.
Hernández hits No. 100
Hernández didn’t know he hit his 100th career homer Wednesday night in the sixth inning of a loss to the Twins. He was alerted by teammate Justin Turner.
“I wish I was more present in the moment,” Hernández said Thursday.
Nevertheless, that doesn’t take away from the significance, especially if you’ve carved out a career mainly as a valuable role player like Hernández has done.
Hernández is just the seventh player in the modern era to hit 100 homers and play at least 10 games at every position besides pitcher or catcher. The Rangers’ Brad Miller is the only other active player on the list.
“Being only six other guys to do it, I mean that’s pretty cool, to be honest with you. The road to 200 starts today. Hopefully it doesn’t take 10 seasons to get there,” Hernández joked.
Hernández began the season in a rut and snapped an 0 for 28 slump last week against the Rays. Since then, he is riding a seven-game hit streak with a .423 average in that span, including Thursday’s 3 for 5.
“I’m getting there,” Hernández said. “Obviously it was getting frustrating with no getting results. But in Tampa I started focusing on letting the ball get deep a little bit more and going the other way. I also got rid of the leg kick for a little bit and it has seemed to help me out.” Paxton struggles out of ’pen
James Paxton allowed seven earned runs on five hits (one homer) and two walks in just two-thirds of an inning Wednesday in a Triple A rehab outing. The WooSox utilized the opener strategy with Paxton coming out of the bullpen, a role he isn’t accustomed to, for the third inning. The plan was for Paxton to pitch five of the bulk innings. Cora said despite the results, Paxton’s stuff was good, according to reports he received. Paxton will start in his next rehab appearance … Yu Chang was reinstated from the paternity list before the game and fellow infielder Enmanuel Valdez was optioned to Triple A Worcester. Chang homered in his return.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2023 8:21:44 GMT -5
TomCaron Tom Caron @tomcaron 1h The #RedSox woke up this morning with a better record than the Astros, Phillies, Cardinals, or Padres. Same record as the Dodgers. Enjoy the ride
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2023 8:26:14 GMT -5
Against the contending Twins, multiple Red Sox who need to step forward more than did so
By Jon Couture April 21, 2023 | 8:28 AM
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COMMENTARY
Thursday was Fenway Park’s 111th birthday, with the park’s first official game on April 20, 1912, a late victory over the Highlanders (later to be known as the Yankees) by the Red Sox (later not to be known as the Speed Boys, Casey & Barrett’s anthem not having the sticking power of, say, New England, The Patriots and We).
To much less fanfare, Thursday at Fenway Park was another cherished holiday, The School Vacation Game. It’s the end of April break in Massachusetts, and a mid-week, homestand-wrapping matinee is the perfect chance to get the kids to the park. At least in years that don’t include a freebie, 12-minute game.
The kids ran the bases in the late afternoon beneath a cloudless sky, everyone happy after the home team won a series against an honest-to-goodness division leader to reclaim .500. Single games and even single series can trick the mind, but few teams better fit their record than this mediocre bunch.
But Thursday specifically was laden with promise in a lot of places this team needs it, beginning with Tanner Houck.
Days after his staff brother Garrett Whitlock’s three-hit gem against the Angels, Houck was just as good, though the numbers aren’t entirely there after Willi Castro tagged him for a two-run homer in the seventh.
It was 10-1, and thus forgivable. The Sox are 4-0 in Houck starts, and while that has a lot to do with scoring 39 runs in those four games, he’s more than doing his part.
“Very aggressive in the zone. Set the tempo for that outing in the first inning,” manager Alex Cora told reporters. “If he can harness his stuff in the strike zone, he can go deeper into the game. … [if he’s] efficient, the stuff is going to be better.”
Houck arrived, and was a phenom in, the summer of 2020 on the back of a wipeout slider. In an abbreviated stint, he threw it about 35 percent of the time and got hitters to miss on about half their swings. The night he destroyed the Miami Marlins with it and a mid-90s fastball is possibly the only good thing to come out of the 2020 Red Sox actually playing games.
Two pitches, however, does not make a starter, and Houck long seemed destined for a relief role because his repertoire beyond was inconsistent. That still seemed true as recently as last year, when he was the most effective patch at the back end of a brutal bullpen throwing his fastball, sinker, and slider 94 percent of the time (per Baseball Savant).
He, like most, wanted more for himself. And on Thursday, he hit the Twins with five pitches across his seven innings, getting six of his 16 swings and misses from 10 tries at his splitter. Even his new-for-2023 cutter was a strike on nine of 15 offerings.
“I definitely feel like I’ve put myself in an even better [position] than I have in years past,” Houck told the The Boston Globe earlier this month. “I ultimately have four pitches, five pitches that I feel like I can throw at any point.”
Houck’s fighting for a place in a crowded starting rotation currently running six arms. Alex Verdugo’s place in the lineup is less in doubt, but handed the leadoff spot to begin a year with no clear candidate for it, he’s off to a torrid .338/.407/.481 start after a 5 for 13 series that included a walkoff single Tuesday and a leadoff homer Thursday.
Results can lie, but Verdugo’s aren’t. Based on the quality of his contact, he has the highest expected batting average on the team at .338 and is missing on just 4.8 percent of his swings (per Sports Info Solutions), the fifth-lowest rate in the majors.
“I’m just kind of working to my strengths,” he told the Globe. “Sometimes you run away from it, you get away from it. But I found that just staying inside the ball and trying to go the other way, for me, is a lot more beneficial.”
Verdugo’s average launch angle has increased, to what would be a career high 10.5 degrees, but he says that’s not a conscious focus. If anything, Cora notes, it’s the opposite.
“It’s the quality of the at-bats. He’s not trying to hit homers,” he told reporters Thursday. “He’s just trying to stay inside the ball, staying through the ball. Swing at the right pitches.”
The most striking example, however, might’ve come over the shortest window. Jarren Duran doubled for the fourth time in four games Thursday, his latest missing a home run by inches. His speed certainly helps — Wednesday’s was a single he made more on a snoozing Michael A. Taylor — but so too does a hand-lifting tweak at the plate.
“It made me feel more comfortable in the box. Just kind of like, kind of my old swing used to be, with my hands higher,” he told the Globe after his callup Monday. “It just feels like I was going back to something I know.”
It’s a long way not only from his disastrous 2022, but this spring, when he looked better in Fort Myers only to depart for riding the bench on Mexico’s World Baseball Classic team. It felt like another misstep for a player who couldn’t go five minutes without one last summer.
It’s a small sample. If you remember Duran’s August visit to Kansas City, you know to be quiet and take it.
There was more from these games, too. Triston Casas drew five walks, doubling his season total from the first 16 games despite continuing to struggle offensively. Masataka Yoshida broke an 0-for-18 skid with two RBI singles Thursday — one to center, one an outer-half fastball ripped the other way.
“The intent of going the other way is helping him,” Cora told reporters, as aware of the litany of right-side groundouts as you are.
It’s a stretch of good baseball. A team that was 5-8 is now 10-10, headed into a Milwaukee-Baltimore road trip that used to pass for an AL East tour. This time, they don’t call the Brewers yard Miller Park, but they also won’t be filming scenes for “Still We Believe: The Boston Red Sox Movie” there.
Talk about another piece of Red Sox ephemera best left in the dustbin. Things really might be looking up.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2023 13:12:11 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 47m Tonight will the first time Freddy Peralta has faced the Red Sox.
Only players on the active roster who have faced him before are Justin Turner (0x5) and Raimel Tapia (2x2).
Nick Pivetta is 0-2 in two starts vs. Milwaukee. 10 IP, 13 ER.
Kiké Hernández had a .483 OPS in his first 11 games. It's .964 in nine games since.
Rowdy Tellez has a career 1.164 OPS against the Sox in 35 games with 12 HRs and 26 RBIs Sox haven't faced him since 2021, however.
Jarren Duran has four doubles in 13 ABs. He had 14 in 204 at-bats last season.
Can't really judge 13 ABs. But if he is to succeed wouldn't it be as a doubles hitter?
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2023 13:12:41 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 30m One more: This series is only the third for the Red Sox in Milwaukee since the Brewers went to the NL in 1998.
The others were in 2003 (2-1) and 2017 (1-2).
No current Sox player has played in Milwaukee while a member of the Sox.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2023 13:15:01 GMT -5
Chris Sale staying level-headed after 11-strikeout gem: ‘I’m not calling off the dogs yet’
By Ryan Gilbert WEEI 93.7 an hour ago
After making just 11 starts since 2019 due to various injuries, Chris Sale has returned as a key part of the Red Sox rotation. The Boston southpaw put in good work during spring training but that all came crashing down in the regular season.
Sale allowed seven runs on seven hits (three home runs) as he labored through three innings in his first start against the Orioles. He settled down with only three earned runs in five innings in his second start – a win – before allowing six runs (five earned) in four innings while being tagged for the loss in Tampa Bay.
Those three starts had Sale starting at an 11.25 ERA entering Tuesday’s start against the Twins.
With a bad taste in their mouths after a Patriots' Day loss to the Angels, Sale pitched a gem for the Sox. He struck out 11 while walking just two and allowed a single earned run in six innings of work. While the lefthander didn't get the win in the box score, it was a big step in the right direction for Sale.
Sale joined WEEI’s Rob Bradford on the Audacy Original Podcast “Baseball Isn’t Boring” and explained why he’s staying level-headed and putting in more work after his best start since 2019.
“The more times you lift up, get all this going, figure out your release point, the better off you’re going to be,” Sale said (11:05 in player above). “I’m not saying I’m done. This isn’t ‘Oh you got a good start, cash it all in.’ It’s definitely a step in the right direction. Sometimes you put in a lot of work and get nothing in return so it’s nice to know like hey, the work I was putting in helped me get here along with all the other things and people.”
The seven-time all-star finished top-six in Cy Young voting in each of those seven seasons from 2012 to 2018, so Sale knows a thing or two about being at the top of his game. He knows how close one can be to getting back there – or falling off.
“You’re this far away from being the best in the game but you’re also this far away from being the worst in the game. When you’re at the bottom sometimes you’re not that far off. When you’re at the top, again, you’re not that far off,” he said. “You got to find it and it’s not going to come for free.”
Sale is happy with his most recent start but he isn’t getting ahead of himself.
“I don’t know what’s ahead. I could go out there tomorrow and give up seven home runs and then everyone hates me,” he said. “Any time you put in work and get good results it is gratifying but again, that’s what I’ve expected every time I step on the mound. That’s what I’m here to do. So it’s not like I hang my hat on this one any different than I can hang my hat on any other good start. It’s a step in the right direction. Again, I’m not calling off the dogs yet. It’s one start; six innings.”
Hard work paying off isn’t necessarily a sign that one can lean on that. In fact, Sale views it the exact opposite way.
“Get my throwing in. Keep staying in my delivery. Keep leaning on guys around here,” he said. “Just because you get one good result from one hard week of work doesn’t mean it’s all over. If anything it means do more of that.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2023 13:16:22 GMT -5
Chad Finn @globechadfinn · 27m Masataka Yoshida hasn't been good, and it's entirely possible the Red Sox' assessment was wrong, but give the guy some time. Hideki Matsui had a .669 OPS after two months in '03. Sox fans don't need a reminder that he was hitting rockets by October.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2023 13:38:30 GMT -5
Game 21: Red Sox at Brewers lineups and pregame notesBy Matt Pepin Globe Staff,Updated April 21, 2023, 11:13 a.m. After going 5-2 on their homestand against the Angels and Twins, including an 11-5 victory Thursday, the Red Sox hit the road for their next six games, beginning Friday night in Milwaukee. Meanwhile, the Brewers are back at home after winning 7 of 10 on a road trip through Arizona, San Diego, and Seattle. The Brewers have righthander Freddy Peralta as their scheduled starter Friday. The Brewers capped their trip with a 5-3 win over the Mariners Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep. Milwaukee was off Thursday. “We played three good baseball teams, and we played well,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “To go 7-3 on a road trip like that, it’s good baseball. I don’t know if you can pick one guy on the trip. That’s what makes it a great trip. The whole roster did something on this trip. That’s when you have great stretches of baseball.” The Red Sox will start righthander Nick Pivetta Friday. The game will be televised on NESN+ because Game 3 of the Bruins’ first-round playoff series is on NESN in the same time frame. Lineups RED SOX (10-10): 1. Alex Verdugo (L) RF 2. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 3. Justin Turner (R) DH 4. Masataka Yoshida (L) LF 5. Enrique Hernandez (R) 2B 6. Triston Casas (L) 1B 7. Reese McGuire (L) C 8. Jarren Duran (L) CF 9. Yu Chang (R) SS Pitching: RHP Nick Pivetta (0-1, 4.50 ERA) BREWERS (14-5): 1. Christian Yelich (L) LF 2. Jesse Winker (L) DH 3. Willy Adames (R) SS 4. Rowdy Tellez (L) 1B 5. William Contreras (R) C 6. Brian Anderson (R) RF 7. Brice Turang (L) 2B 8. Owen Miller (R) 3B 9. Joey Wiemer (R) CF Pitching: RHP Freddy Peralta (2-1, 3.18 ERA) Time: 8:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN+, WEEI-FM 93.7 Red Sox vs. Peralta: Raimel Tapia 2-2, Justin Turner 0-5 Brewers vs. Pivetta: Willy Adames 1-4, Brian Anderson 2-9, Mike Brosseau 0-1, Victor Caratini 0-1, William Contreras 2-5, Rowdy Tellez 2-5, Luke Voit 0-1, Jesse Winker 0-6, Christian Yelich 4-11 Stat of the day: Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo is batting .333 when leading off an inning this season. Notes: Milwaukee center fielder Garrett Mitchell was placed on the 10-day injured list after hurting his left shoulder Tuesday in Seattle ... The Brewers’ ace righthander, Corbin Burnes, departed in the sixth inning of the series opener in Seattle with what was described as a minor left pectoral strain, but he is expected to start as scheduled Sunday ... Peralta struggled his last time out, giving up five runs on a career-high nine hits in five innings during a 10-3 loss at San Diego ... Peralta went six innings in each of his previous two starts, allowing a total of one run. Opponents are batting .231 against Peralta, who has never faced the Red Sox ... Pivetta was tagged for six runs in four-plus innings during his last start, allowing five hits and walking three, but he did not get the decision in a 9-7 comeback win over the Angels ... Pivetta has made two career starts vs. Milwaukee, in 2017 with the Phillies and last season with Boston, going 0-2 and allowing 13 runs on 16 hits, including four homers, in 10 innings ... Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, recalled Monday from Triple A Worcester, doubled and drove in three runs Thursday. Duran is 5 for 13 (.385) with 4 doubles and 5 RBIs in four games. Song of the Day: Weezer - Buddy Holly www.youtube.com/watch?v=kemivUKb4f4
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Post by Kimmi on Apr 21, 2023 17:10:22 GMT -5
TomCaron Tom Caron @tomcaron 1h The #RedSox woke up this morning with a better record than the Astros, Phillies, Cardinals, or Padres. Same record as the Dodgers. Enjoy the ride Amen, TC, amen.
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Post by Kimmi on Apr 21, 2023 17:14:32 GMT -5
Chad Finn @globechadfinn · 27m Masataka Yoshida hasn't been good, and it's entirely possible the Red Sox' assessment was wrong, but give the guy some time. Hideki Matsui had a .669 OPS after two months in '03. Sox fans don't need a reminder that he was hitting rockets by October. He hasn't been good. However, he's played all of 14 games in the major leagues. Perhaps we could wait a while longer before writing him off.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 22, 2023 2:46:45 GMT -5
How Verdugo took Cora's offseason challenge personally 1:48 AM ADT
Tim Stebbins
MILWAUKEE -- After taking a trip around the bases Friday, it was Alex Verdugo’s turn to take the Red Sox’s inflatable dumbbells for a spin down the dugout handshake line.
And considering the strong start Verdugo has gotten off to this season, there may not be anyone currently more fitting to wield the team’s new celebratory accessory.
Verdugo, who hit a walk-off single Tuesday, continued his torrid start offensively this season in Friday’s 5-3 win over the Brewers at American Family Field, finishing the night 2-for-5 with a two-run homer and a double.
“He's swinging the bat well,” manager Alex Cora said. “I thought he swung the bat well in the second part of the season last year; he was getting on base and hitting homers. But I think the quality of the at-bats when he started hitting fourth last year were really good. He's doing a lot of other stuff well [too].”
At the end of last season, Cora pinpointed Verdugo -- a key part of Boston’s return from the Dodgers in the 2020 Mookie Betts trade -- as someone on his roster who could take a step forward in 2023.
So far, so good. Verdugo has been one of Boston’s most encouraging developments and steadiest hitters in the early going this season. In 21 games, he holds a .341/.407/.524 slash line, with three homers and 10 RBIs.
He’s tallied at least one hit in 17 of his 21 games played, including nine multihit efforts, doing it largely out of the leadoff spot, where he’s made 14 starts.
Cora, asked whether Verdugo has met his challenge, instead pointed to the outfielder’s work in the offseason.
“I think it was more about what he needed to do, personally, to get to this level, and he cleaned up a lot of stuff in the offseason,” Cora said. “You look at his body compared to last year, it’s night and day. His routine’s a lot better. Last year, it became easy for him to hit towards the end. But I think over 162, your routines have to be more structured to be able to perform at this level. And so far? So good.”
Verdugo said he focused heavily on baseball-oriented work this winter, with a lot of movement work, rather than bodybuilder-type exercises. He said he wanted to feel lighter on his feet, and so far, it’s working.
Friday, he gave the Red Sox an early 2-0 lead with a home run off a Freddy Peralta slider in the third inning. Even more impressive was his 11-pitch battle with Peralta in the fifth -- the longest at-bat of his career. After falling behind 0-2, Verdugo fouled off six of the next eight pitches he saw, also taking two out of the strike zone, to work back into the count. He roped a double into right field on the 11th pitch.
Verdugo, who fouled a number of pitches the other way, said his mentality was to see the ball deep in the zone after striking out on a slider in his first plate appearance.
“He was throwing me heaters, and I was fouling them off to the left side, in the stands,” Verdugo said. “That's where I wanted to be. It means I was making good passes, staying inside of it. Finally I got the curveball down and in, and with that approach, I was able to stay through it, keep it fair and got a double.” Your browser does not support HTML5 video tag.
As much as he’s off to a great start, Verdugo recognizes it’s early in the season. And as much work as he’s done, he knows there is more to do.
“We’ve got to do it for 141 more games,” said Verdugo when asked whether he feels he’s met Cora’s challenge. “This is just something we're trying to take day by day, right? I'm just trying to be a good teammate, be a good guy, go about it the right way, prepare the right way and, obviously, just trying to play the right way, man.
“I feel like when you play hard, when you run down, bust 90s and do certain things, a lot of the teams, whether it's opposing teams, your teammates, your coaching staffs -- everybody notices it, man. Fans appreciate it. Your teammates appreciate it. And that's just something that I really wanted to challenge myself. AC challenged me with a lot of things, and I took it personally. We're still holding on to that.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 22, 2023 2:49:07 GMT -5
Alex Verdugo homers again as Red Sox beat Brewers, 5-3, to open series
Published: Apr. 21, 2023, 10:50 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
MILWAUKEE -- The Red Sox did the unthinkable Friday night at American Family Field. They won a game in which Rowdy Tellez homered for the opposition.
Boston overcame a solo blast from Tellez, a noted Red Sox killer, and came back to beat the Brewers, 5-3, in the opening game of a three-game interleague set. Alex Verdugo hit his second homer in as many games, Nick Pivetta threw 5 ⅔ innings and Boston got back over .500 at 11-10 with its sixth win in eight games.
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Verdugo, like he did with a leadoff shot in Thursday’s win, opened the scoring with a two-run blast off Brewers starter Wily Peralta in the third. Milwaukee cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the inning when Owen Miller singled, stole second then scored on a Christian Yelich base hit.
Tellez’s sixth homer of the season — and his 13th career home run in 36 games against the Red Sox — made it 2-2 in the fourth. Milwaukee then strung together a couple more hits and took the lead on a Brice Turang RBI single with two outs.
Boston stormed back with a two-out rally of its own in the sixth. After Kiké Hernández and Triston Casas worked back-to-back walks, Rob Refsnyder evened the score with a pinch-hit RBI single. The next batter, Jarren Duran, hit a hard liner that glanced off the glove of Miller and allowed Casas to race home and score.
The Sox added an insurance run with two outs in the sixth when Justin Turner walked and Masataka Yoshida (who broke an 0-for-17 skid Thursday) doubled him home. Pivetta departed in the sixth having allowed three runs on seven hits and recording seven strikeouts in 5 ⅔ innings.
Righty reliever Josh Winckowski continued his strong start to the season with 2 ⅓ shutout innings, recording four strikeouts. With runners on the corners and two outs in the eighth, he got Brian Anderson swinging to end the threat. Closer Kenley Jansen recorded his fifth save of the year with a scoreless ninth; he has now struck out 11 batters in seven shutout innings to start the year.
Verdugo continues hot start to season
Verdugo was 2-for-4 with a homer and a double and is now hitting .341 (28-for-82) with a .931 OPS on the young season. Duran was the only member of the Red Sox to record multiple hits.
Whitlock on tap for Saturday start
Righty Garrett Whitlock (1-1, 4.50 ERA), who had perhaps his best start as a major leaguer last time out against the Angels (1 run in 7 innings) Sunday, will get the start for the Red Sox in the middle game of the series Saturday night. The Brewers will counter with former Sox lefty Wade Miley (2-1, 1.50 ERA)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 22, 2023 2:52:09 GMT -5
Tanner Houck likely to start for Red Sox on Wednesday but move to bullpen could come soon
Updated: Apr. 21, 2023, 10:10 p.m.|Published: Apr. 21, 2023, 10:06 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
MILWAUKEE -- While Red Sox righty Tanner Houck is likely to start the finale of the team’s six-game road trip in Baltimore on Wednesday, manager Alex Cora is writing his name in pencil — and not pen — for now.
After Nick Pivetta, Garrett Whitlock and Brayan Bello start this weekend in Milwaukee, Chris Sale and Corey Kluber will start the first two games at Camden Yards on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. After that, Cora said, it will “most likely” be Houck for Wednesday, but that could change if the Sox are short on bullpen arms after the next five days.
“We’ll see how it goes this week,” Cora said. “Most likely, it’s going to be Tanner but we have to see where we’re at as far as the relievers and all that. We’re trying to stretch this as much as possible. I think it’s beneficial for us. It’s not that we have to be perfect but our starters have to give us length for us to be able to do stuff like this.”
The Red Sox are currently employing a six-man rotation and will have an even more crowded mix once James Paxton returns from the injured list in the coming weeks. Houck, who has bounced back and forth between the rotation and bullpen throughout his career, is the most logical candidate to join the relief corps once the Sox get back to a five-man rotation. Though he has pitched well this season (4.29 ERA in 21 innings), his familiarity with a multi-inning bullpen role means a shift back would be natural.
Pivetta makes some sense as a bullpen candidate as well but has been resistant, both publicly and privately, to the idea. Paxton has never pitched out of the bullpen in 137 big league appearances and got shelled Wednesday night when he tried it in a rehab outing for the WooSox. If Bello struggles again Sunday, there’s a chance he could be optioned down to Triple-A Worcester. Any injury to the group would further shake things up.
Tough decisions are ahead for Cora and chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. It seems like the plan is to go back to a five-man group starting Thursday, an off day that ends a stretch of 19 games in 19 days. The Sox then have four days off in a 22-day span through May 18.
“It’s just a matter of the off days,” Cora said. “It gets tricky at that point. We’re going through this stretch of 19 games.
“That part is the hard one because if you go with six, then guys are going to be pitching with seven days rest,” Cora added. “For how good it is to keep guys healthy, sometimes it works against you.”
At full strength, the Red Sox have at least six capable starters but the club wants to avoid a six-man rotation in the long term because of how taxing that setup can be on the bullpen. An extra starter means one fewer reliever, which is a big ask for a group that is down three arms (Chris Martin, Joely Rodríguez and Zack Kelly) due to injury.
Boston’s two long relievers, Josh Winckowski and Kutter Crawford, have been exceptional in bullpen roles. Winckowski entered Friday with a 1.93 ERA in 14 innings (seven games) and Crawford retired 19 of the 21 batters he faced in 6 ⅓ innings Monday.
“The luxury of having Winc and Kutter in the bullpen helps us... It benefits us having those two guys in the bullpen that we know we can go multiple innings with,” Cora said. “They can reset the bullpen but everything starts with the first five innings. If you go five-plus, then it works. If we are short in two days, then it doesn’t work.”
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