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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2023 16:49:59 GMT -5
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne · 52m "I think mechanically there’s something that we might adjust, you know, we’ve got to get him to be more athletic on the mound. That’s something we noticed. He’s a little bit too stiff. Kind of like robotic if you want to call it that." Alex Cora on Chris Sale.
More Cora on Sale/mechanical issues: “I think it was something that we tried that took him away from that [pitching more like an athlete]. And he just hasn't pitched in a while. Probably he's feeling comfortable this way. We've got to do things that make him an athlete.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2023 16:53:27 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 1h Alex Cora said the Red Sox didn’t identify Chris Sale tipping, but they do believe he’s lost some of the athleticism in his delivery and believe the matter can be addressed before Sunday’s start.
Steve Melewski @masnsteve · 2h "I thought it was disrespectful to our hitters. I loved our approach last night," O's mgr Brandon Hyde said of Boston mgr Alex Cora's postgm comments Monday night.
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 1h Cora said that he wasn’t trying to disrespect anyone - and that he’s the last person who would accuse anyone based on his wrongdoing with the 2017 Astros. He said he’ll talk to Hyde to clarify that he simply wondered if Sale was tipping pitches.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2023 16:55:48 GMT -5
Christopher Smith @smittyonmlb · 3m The Red Sox are fifth in the majors with 32 home runs, putting them on a 216-homer pace. They were 20th in home runs last year with only 155.
Red Sox's Masataka Yoshida has a ..444 OBP in 27 plate appearances against lefties.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2023 18:02:35 GMT -5
Bottom of the order gets it going in the 2nd with Arroyo singling and bringing in Duran MacGuire plates a run
2-0 Red Sox
I have been very impressed with Duran, love his attitude now, and his glove. Good to see him respond to heading back down last year
Dugo with a single
Red Sox trying for a big crooked number here
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2023 18:04:13 GMT -5
Devers sac fly
3-0 Good Guys
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2023 18:24:30 GMT -5
oh my oh my new and improved Duran grand slam in the 3rd
no doubter
7-0 Red Sox
3rd
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2023 19:34:04 GMT -5
Welcome to Boston Kluber
6ip/ 5/ 1/1/0bb/3k/ 80-55
up 7-1
bottom 7
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 26, 2023 4:45:56 GMT -5
Kluber finds the zone, earns 1st win of 2023 12:47 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
BALTIMORE -- Corey Kluber reached back Tuesday night and found the version of himself the Red Sox envisioned when they signed him in the offseason.
The veteran righty mixed speeds, displayed pinpoint location and held down a strong Orioles lineup en route to an 8-6 win for the Red Sox at Camden Yards.
While the offense erupted for a couple of big innings early, highlighted by Jarren Duran’s first career grand slam, Kluber made it stand up.
“Run support like that is always great,” said Kluber. “It’s a big confidence booster out there on the mound, having that kind of run support to work with. The guys have been swinging the bats really well recently. You get that many runs early on, it’s a lot easier to go out there and pound the zone.”
After his first four starts for the Sox -- all losses -- Kluber got the confidence-boosting performance he needed. Over six innings, Kluber scattered five hits and a run, walking none and striking out three.
“He’s a stud. He's done it for so many years,” Duran said of Kluber. “It doesn't surprise me when he goes out there and carves like he did.”
The difference?
“I think I just did a better job of executing pitches in the strike zone,” said Kluber. “Getting more counts in my favor and not trying to have to make really good pitches in hitters’ counts. I think that was probably the biggest difference for me.”
The version of Kluber who won two Cy Young Awards for the Cleveland franchise in 2014 and ‘17 isn’t going to magically re-appear, nor do the Red Sox expect that version. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to sign him to a modest one-year, $10-million deal in free agency.
What Boston needs is steady craftsmanship from the 37-year-old, and that’s what he provided on Tuesday.
Of Kluber’s 80 pitches, he threw 27 curveballs, 23 sinkers, 14 cutters, 11 changeups and five four-seamers. His hardest pitch of the night was 89.5 mph.
“I think the command was great,” manager Alex Cora said. “He worked on a few things. It paid off. This guy, been there, done that. He’s been hit around before and made adjustments and then he started getting people out. So it was a good one for him.”
With sub-90s velocity at this stage of his career, Kluber’s margin for error has decreased significantly, which explains why he pitched to an 8.50 ERA in his first four starts.
But Kluber was in the same boat last season and he made 31 starts, going 10-10 with a 4.34 ERA for the Rays. Your browser does not support HTML5 video tag.
The one thing Kluber won’t do at this stage of his career is panic, even if his sluggish start set off some panic in Red Sox nation.
A rough stretch at the beginning of the season always gets more magnified than at other points.
“There is nothing else to look at at this point with the start [of the season],” Kluber said. “It’s easy to get wrapped up in that. I just look at it from start to start and really just try to focus on that start. Tomorrow I’ll show up and start getting ready for the next one.”
The Orioles weren’t buying too much into Kluber’s early-season struggles.
"He's always had good stuff,” said O’s center fielder Cedric Mullins. “Good movement on his pitches, especially when all of them are working in [the] zone and making sure you're not trying to chase. He's just an all-around quality pitcher."
The start that preceded Tuesday’s outing was the worst of the season for Kluber, who was tagged for seven runs and two homers in the first three innings of a five-inning performance.
But that’s where his stoic demeanor serves him well.
“I definitely think it's something I have learned to do,” said Kluber. “I think I have gotten pretty good at it, whether it’s good or bad. Separating from start to start and not letting things snowball too long. Just realizing each start is individual to itself and trying to separate them. Each one is a new one and I think for the most part it has served me well not letting things bleed into the next one.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 26, 2023 4:47:35 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Chang heads to IL; Arroyo exits game 12:53 AM ADT
LATEST NEWS
April 25: INF Christian Arroyo exits with right hamstring tightness In a move described as precautionary, second baseman Arroyo exited in the bottom of the fifth inning of Tuesday night's 8-6 victory over the Orioles with tightness in his right hamstring. Manager Alex Cora was "hopeful" that Arroyo will be available for Wednesday's game.
April 25: INF Yu Chang placed on 10-day IL; INF/OF Enmanuel Valdez recalled from Triple-A Worcester Chang, who had been playing shortstop regularly for the Red Sox of late, will be out for at least six weeks after suffering a left hamate fracture in Monday night's loss to the Orioles. After completing a swing and miss in the seventh inning of Monday's game against the Orioles, Chang immediately winced in pain and was taken out of the game. Chang had three home runs and eight RBIs in his previous eight games while playing stellar defense. With Chang out of the mix, the Red Sox will go with a combination of Christian Arroyo and Valdez at second base with Kiké Hernández playing almost exclusively at shortstop.
Valdez, 24, made his Major League debut on April 19 vs. the Twins, starting at second base and hitting a pair of singles. In 14 games with Worcester this season, the left-handed hitter hit .184 with one home run while making 14 starts at second base. Acquired from the Houston Astros on Aug. 1, 2022, Valdez is ranked as Boston's No. 17 prospect according to MLB Pipeline.
LHP James Paxton (right hamstring strain) Expected return: Early May Paxton made his latest Minor League rehab appearance on April 25 for Triple-A Worcester, giving up three hits and five runs (four earned) over 4 1/3 innings. The lefty walked four and struck out five, throwing 82 pitches -- 42 of them for strikes. Paxton will likely start again for the WooSox on April 30. (Last updated: April 25)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 26, 2023 4:49:09 GMT -5
Red Sox beat Orioles, 8-6, behind Jarren Duran grand slam, strong Corey Kluber start
Published: Apr. 25, 2023, 9:19 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
BALTIMORE -- Pitching with a sizable early cushion, Corey Kluber turned in his best start in a Red Sox uniform and got his first win in the process Tuesday night.
Powered by a Jarren Duran grand slam and six strong innings from Kluber, the Red Sox got out to an early seven-run lead and held on to beat the Orioles, 8-6, in the second game of a three-game series at Camden Yards. Boston tagged O’s starter Kyle Bradish for seven runs in less than three innings and improved to 13-12 one night after surrendering a four-run lead in an ugly loss.
Facing Bradish, who struggled mightily against American League East opponents a year ago, Boston foisted a relentless offensive attack. After Triston Casas worked an 11-pitch walk to lead off the second and Duran doubles, back-to-back RBI singles by Christian Arroyo and Reese McGuire put the Sox up, 2-0. Arroyo scored on a Rafael Devers sacrifice fly to make it 3-0.
An inning later, the Sox led things off with three straight singles before Duran’s big swing put the game out of reach. On the eighth pitch of the at-bat, Duran got a high fastball and crushed it to center field for a 409-ft. grand slam (with an exit velocity of 107.8 mph). It was the first grand slam of his career.
With Boston up seven runs, Kluber cruised through most of his outing, with the only blemish coming in the form of a Jorge Mateo solo homer in the fifth. Kluber entered the start with an 8.50 ERA before turning in his best performance of the season; he allowed just one run on five hits in six innings while recording three strikeouts.
Boston tacked on an insurance run in the eighth when Duran singled and scored on a McGuire groundout. The Sox took a seven-run lead into the ninth before the Orioles began to tee off on Kaleb Ort; Gunnar Henderson (solo homer) and Cedric Mullins (grand slam) launched home runs to cut the deficit to two runs. In a game that looked like a blowout, the Red Sox had to turn to Kenley Jansen, who recorded his 397th career save.
Duran finished his night 3-for-4 with three runs and four RBIs. He’s now hitting .387 with a 1.062 OPS in nine games this season.
Arroyo leaves early
Arroyo, who has been dealing with a nagging hamstring injury in recent weeks, was lifted after his at-bat in the top of the fifth inning and replaced by Enmanuel Valdez, who was recalled from Triple-A Worcester earlier Tuesday. The Red Sox announced Arroyo’s removal was due to precautionary reasons related to hamstring tightness. It was likely just a case of getting him off his feet in a game that was out of reach early.
Houck has finale
Right-hander Tanner Houck (3-0, 4.29 ERA) will get the nod Wednesday afternoon in the series finale and rubber match between the Red Sox and Orioles. Boston will look to win its fourth straight series and end its road trip with a winning record after taking two of three in Milwaukee over the weekend.
The Orioles will counter with lefty Tyler Wells (0-1, 2.70 ERA). First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. ET.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 26, 2023 4:50:36 GMT -5
Red Sox’s Jarren Duran on grand slam, 1.062 OPS in majors: ‘I’ve just got to ride the wave’
Updated: Apr. 25, 2023, 10:54 p.m.|Published: Apr. 25, 2023, 10:37 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
BALTIMORE -- For Jarren Duran, the third time might be the charm. Called into duty with Adam Duvall sidelined with a broken wrist, the Red Sox outfielder is making a case that he’s finally ready to be a consistent major league contributor.
Duran, who was recalled from Triple-A Worcester last Monday, has been on a tear since his promotion, hitting .387 (12-for-31) with five doubles, a homer, 10 RBIs and a 1.062 OPS. In Tuesday’s 8-6 win over Baltimore, Duran led the offense, hitting a third-inning grand slam off Kyle Bradish and finishing 3-for-4 with three runs on the night. After quietly producing in his first eight games, Duran’s offensive showing was loud Tuesday night. His first career grand slam left the bat at 107.8 mph and traveled 409 feet over the center field wall at Camden Yards.
“I didn’t really think it was going out,” Duran said. “I thought it was really low so I was just trying to get on (third) or at least on second. I think just putting a good swing on a good ball, I just happened to connect really good with it and it just happened to go. I got lucky there.”
Duran had a solid start to spring training but ultimately was sent down at the end of camp after spending a couple of weeks with Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic (and only getting five plate appearances). The Red Sox chose Raimel Tapia as their fourth outfielder over Duran. It didn’t take long for the 26-year-old speedster to return to the majors, though, as Duvall’s injury forced the Red Sox to reconfigure their up-the-middle mix. With Yu Chang now expected to miss six weeks with a hamate fracture and Kiké Hernández playing more shortstop, Duran is going to get the lion’s share of work in center field. Manager Alex Cora is confident in Duran’s at-bats as something close to a full-time player.
“He’s in a good place offensively,” Cora said. “I thought before he went to the (World Baseball Classic), he was really good in spring training. Then he went and he didn’t play for a while and you saw his timing off. He has been working on being consistent. I think that’s the most important thing. That’s the difference between now and previous years. He wasn’t even hitting in Triple-A. He didn’t have good numbers and he stayed with the approach. Right now, it’s paying off.”
Duran has enjoyed success in the majors before but never at a consistent level. He has gotten extended looks in each of the last two seasons and struggled through prolonged slumps in both of them; entering 2023, he was a career .219 hitter with a .622 OPS in 91 major league games. At the end of a particularly rough stretch on both sides of the ball last summer, Duran opened up about the mental toll of his struggles. In the months since, both Duran and the Red Sox have worked on improving on how he attacks the mental side of the game.
“There’s a lot of things that happened in the offseason,” Cora said. “He opened up. He’s in a better place right now. Obviously, it’s a different group but it’s a group that, especially with the coaches, we have been around him for a while here. We have good chemistry with him, good relationships with him.”
Unlike in previous years, Duran said, he is trying to make sure he doesn’t get too high or low after particularly good or bad games or stretches. Treating every game as its own entity is helpful. So has simplifying his offensive approach as an all-fields hitter.
“I’m not trying to do too much with the ball right now and it just happens that I’ve been hitting the ball really good up the middle and the other way,” Duran said. “If it’s in, I’m pulling it. I’m just trying to put a good swing on the ball wherever it’s pitched, not trying to do too much.
“I feel like I’m playing loose and trying to have fun as much as I can,” he added. “I’ve got a good group of guys behind me so they make it really easy for me.”
At some point this summer, all of Boston’s injured position players (including Chang, Duvall, Trevor Story and Adalberto Mondesí) will return to the mix as healthy contributors. When that happens, Duran might not have a sizable role on the team. For now, he’s trying to force the issue and force the Red Sox to have tough conversations about playing time when they are back at full strength. So far, even in a small sample size, he’s making quite the impression.
“I’ve just got to ride the wave, hang out with the boys and keep a smile on my face,” he said.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 26, 2023 4:51:55 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo @chriscotillo · 9h Winckowski has the seventh. Good outing for Corey Kluber tonight:
6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR. 80 pitches, 55 strikes.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 26, 2023 4:53:24 GMT -5
On the other hand we have Ort who should never of been brought up this spring
0.1 IP/ 4/5/4/0bb/0k/ 2 home runs
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 26, 2023 4:53:58 GMT -5
Rob Bradford @bradfo · 7h Many of the Red Sox relievers were not happy with security out near the visitors' bullpen tonight. A few pitchers were sprayed by beer, with one Red Sox being spat on. More than a few called it the worst they had ever seen.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 26, 2023 4:55:34 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 8h Absolute f'in joke we have to deal with this. Wake up.
13.1 IP, 10 ER brasier 12.1 IP, 10 ER ort
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