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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 28, 2023 18:25:46 GMT -5
Pivetta is as sharp as a marble 2-0 Cleveland and counting and muted the TV 10 minutes ago
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 28, 2023 19:12:26 GMT -5
Pivetta serves up a meatball to Zunino and he clobbered it
another meh Pivetta start
4-1 Cleveland in the 4th
Not enough fans to hear the boos
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 29, 2023 2:52:03 GMT -5
Pivetta's laborious start latest in 'mixed bag' of results Duran's doubles give more reassurance; Casas showing growing pains 2:53 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
BOSTON -- Nick Pivetta kept getting two-strike counts against Guardians batters early in his start on Friday night, only to give up one foul ball after another.
Never was that more evident than during an exquisite 12-pitch at-bat by José Ramírez, in which the star slugger fouled off seven pitches before belting a single to jump-start a two-run rally in the first inning. It proved critical on a night the Red Sox lost, 5-2, in the opener of a seven-game homestand.
The Pivetta-Ramírez battle was the most entertaining sequence of what wound up to be a frustrating night for the Red Sox.
“Yeah, I'm just trying to get out of that at-bat, no matter what, whether it's a hit or hopefully it's weak contact,” said Pivetta. “Obviously, I want to get an out above all else, but just trying to get that at-bat over as soon as I possibly can with just throwing strikes and seeing what he can do with my pitches.”
After pinning the Red Sox to a 3-0 deficit through his first two innings, Pivetta gave up one run over his final three.
Here are some takeaways from a Fenway Friday.
Pivetta ‘a mixed bag’ There was a point in 2022 when Pivetta looked like he was taking his game to the next level. During an 11-start stretch from May 7-June 29, the righty was 8-1 with a 1.95 ERA.
In the 22 starts since then, Pivetta is 3-9 with a 5.83 ERA. In his first five starts this season, he is 1-2 with a 5.11 ERA Your browser does not support HTML5 video tag.
“I think it’s been a mixed bag,” Pivetta said. “I feel like I've been competitive, making small increases as I go forward, staying healthy, which I’m happy about. I feel like I'm close to moving, taking a step in the right direction. I’m just going to continue to go out, work on my craft and enjoy playing this game.”
Duran’s triple double Jarren Duran continues to look like a completely different player than the one who struggled in 2021 and ‘22.
On a night when Boston’s offense was mainly dormant, Duran came through with three doubles -- two off ace Shane Bieber, and the third off elite closer Emmanuel Clase.
“I mean, I took a long look at myself in the offseason mentally and tried to tell myself, ‘You can’t get too high or too low,’” Duran said. “You could be 0-for-5, but you’ve got to walk around like nobody could tell the difference if you’re 0-for-5 or 5-for-5. I’m trying to take that into my game and act like every day is just another day.”
Casas can’t find stroke The Red Sox had high hopes coming into the season for rookie first baseman Triston Casas, and there’s still plenty of time for it to come to fruition. But at the moment, the left-handed hitter is slumping mightily.
Casas went 0-for-3 with a walk on Friday and now has a line of .133/.283/.293 with three homers and eight RBIs.
“He’s not finishing at-bats, 3-2 counts,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “Pull happy, too. He’s a guy that hits the ball in the air to left-center, and he hasn’t been able to do that. He missed a pitch, I think it was the second at-bat, and took a fastball on a 2-2 count after being down 0-2.”
On Friday, Casas hit in the five-hole for Boston. If he is going to stay in such a prominent part of the order, the Red Sox will need to start seeing some results soon.
Crawford comes through again While a Boston starter -- this time Pivetta -- didn’t pitch deep into the game on Friday, Kutter Crawford lessened the impact of that by firing four strong innings of relief.
Crawford allowed three hits and a run on a solo homer, walking none and striking out three while throwing 52 pitches. He saved the rest of the bullpen heading into Saturday.
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In the four outings since he was recalled from Triple-A and inserted into the bullpen, Crawford has a 1.17 ERA.
“Kutter obviously was tremendous. That’s a positive,” said Cora.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 29, 2023 2:59:36 GMT -5
Jarren Duran hits 3 doubles but Red Sox lose as 1st inning ERA (9.00) jumps
Updated: Apr. 28, 2023, 9:38 p.m.|Published: Apr. 28, 2023, 9:37 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — Jarren Duran remained hot, going 3-for-4 with three doubles but the Red Sox lost 5-2 to the Guardians at Fenway Park on Friday.
Starter Nick Pivetta put Boston in an immediate hole, giving up two runs on three hits, a wild pitch and sacrifice fly in the first inning.
The Red Sox have the second worst first inning ERA (9.00) in the majors behind the Reds. Boston starters have given up 28 runs (27 earned runs) in 27 first innings.
Pivetta pitched 5 innings, allowing four runs (all earned), five hits (one homer) and two walks while striking out five.
Boston starters have the second worst ERA (6.44) in the majors behind only the Athletics (9.15). They have allowed 93 earned runs in 130 innings.
Rally wasted
Masataka Yoshida doubled with one out in the eighth inning and Boston down 4-2. Justin Turner singled to put runners at the corners.
But Rafael Devers struck out swinging and Triston Casas to squander the scoring chance.
Speedy Cleveland
Cleveland entered with an AL-leading 31 stolen bases. The Guardians used their speed to take a 3-0 lead in the second inning.
Will Brennan stole second base after Pivetta hit him with a pitch. He scored on Myles Straw’s RBI single to right field.
Brennan also homered off Kutter Crawford in the ninth to put the Guardians ahead 5-2.
Duran stays hot
Boston cut the lead to 3-1 in the second inning when Triston Casas walked, Duran doubled and Kiké Hernández delivered an RBI single to left field. But the Red Sox scored only the one run as Reese McGuire grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Duran also doubled to begin the bottom of the seventh inning but he was stranded at second.
Duran also doubled to lead off the ninth but he was left at third base.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 29, 2023 3:02:21 GMT -5
Lou Merloni @loumerloni · 6h So much talk about who should start or stay in Rotation between Houck, Whitlock (I know he’s down now) and Bello, the reality is is that Crawford may be the best Starter of the crew.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 29, 2023 3:04:59 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 8h #RedSox pitchers in the 1st inning:
27 IP 36 H 16 BB 27 ER
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 29, 2023 3:05:47 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 6h Make that five doubles with less than two outs and none came around.
2x13 with RISP in a 5-2 loss. Sox (13-14) have dropped 3 of 4.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 29, 2023 3:10:07 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Red Sox place pitcher Garrett Whitlock on 15-day IL with elbow injury By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated April 28, 2023, 3:31 p.m.
The Red Sox placed Garrett Whitlock on the 15-day injured list Friday (retroactive to April 25) with right elbow ulnar neuritis.
They recalled Brayan Bello from Worcester to fill Whitlock’s roster spot.
Manager Alex Cora said the team first knew of Whitlock’s issue three weeks ago during a bullpen session and thought he could pitch through it because his symptoms were mild. Whitlock felt what he described as a tingling and numb sensation.
But once the symptoms became more defined during a recent bullpen, pitching coach Dave Bush shut Whitlock down.
Cora said the Sox aren’t too concerned regarding Whitlock’s injury, hoping he will miss just two starts. Whitlock has not undergone an MRI, and as of now, that will remain the case.
“Probably later in the season, he could push through it, but right now it doesn’t make any sense,” Cora said before Friday’s 5-2 Guardians win. “So, we’ll take care of him.”
Elbow injuries aren’t new to Whitlock, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019. That alone should play into some of the Sox’ caution. Rays starter Jeffrey Springs recently underwent Tommy John after getting an initial diagnosis of ulnar neuritis.
This season marks the second time the Sox have tried to transition Whitlock into a starter’s role. He got hurt both times.
Whitlock went on the IL with a bad right hip last June. When he returned to the mound, it was, again, as a reliever, but he walked with a noticeable limp and was shut down in mid-September.
Whitlock rehabbed all offseason following hip surgery and was held back at the start of the season, making his first start April 11 against the Rays. Nevertheless, the Sox don’t believe these two injuries should make them question the righthander’s durability as a starter.
“You can see it the other way around,” Cora said. “If you’re a reliever, you pitch every two days. So it really doesn’t matter. As a starter, you got four days in between starts. Of course, you have five or six innings.
“When you pitch every other day, you never know what can happen. That part we can’t control. We see him as a starter.”
Whitlock, 26, is 1-2 with a 6.19 ERA in three starts this season.
Bello last pitched against the Brewers on Sunday, allowing three runs on 4⅔ innings in a 12-5 win. He was sent down to Worcester Monday after the Sox added reliever Brennan Bernadino. Comfortable as a visitor
Terry Francona, whose eight-year tenure as Red Sox manager from 2004-11 delivered two championships and is tied for the second-longest in franchise history, is very much at home as a visitor at Fenway Park. Francona is in his 11th year with the Guardians, making him that franchise’s longest-tenured skipper.
”It has been a long time [since managing the Red Sox],” Francona said. “Time goes fast. . . . Some days it feels like it was yesterday, and then some days, I’ll look in the mirror and realize that it hasn’t been just yesterday.
“But the further you get removed, especially when you’re happy in a place, it’s easier to remember all the good, which is good. I think that’s normal, and it’s easier to think about a lot of good times. That’s a good thing.”
Triple A thoughts
James Paxton (hamstring) is still scheduled to make his next rehab start Sunday for Worcester. He could join the Sox following it, though that hasn’t been determined. According to Cora, Paxton might need another start as he continues to clean up his mechanics. In his last two outings — one start, one in relief — Paxton allowed a combined 11 earned runs in just five innings . . . Chris Martin (shoulder) allowed a pair of singles and two runs in the sixth inning at Worcester, earning the 4-2 victory at Polar Park. He will likely rejoin the Sox this weekend . . . Joely Rodriguez (oblique) threw a bullpen Friday, and will next throw a live bullpen . . . The Sox claimed righthander Justin Garza off waivers from the Angels and optioned him to Worcester. Garza, 29, has pitched in 21 games in the big leagues, all with Cleveland in 2021, when he posted a 4.71 ERA with 29 strikeouts. This season, he has made six appearances with Triple A Salt Lake, allowing four runs on six hits in 8⅓ innings.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 29, 2023 3:15:36 GMT -5
Cleveland @ Red Sox Saturday, 29th April 2023 4pm @ Fenway
Plesac 1-1/ 6.50
Bello 0-1/ 9.82
Saturday, April 29, 2023 at 4:10pm EDT Written by Kevin V.
The Cleveland Guardians (12-13, 2nd AL Central) play the middle game of a three-game set at Fenway Park on Saturday against the Boston Red Sox (13-13, 5th AL East). Cleveland defeated Colorado 4-1 on Wednesday which snapped a two-game losing streak. Boston was off on Thursday and was defeated by the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday 6-2. Boston lost two of three to Baltimore. Cleveland will play without four pitchers, while Boston will play without five pitchers as well as position players Yu Chang, Adam Duvall, Adalberto Mondesi and Trevor Story.
Cleveland Struggles to produce runs Cleveland is 26th in runs scored with 95 and drops to 27th in slugging percentage at .348. The Guardians are 23rd in batting average at .231 and 19th in on-base percentage with .313. Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor each have three home runs to lead Cleveland, which has hit only 13 round trippers in 25 games. Ramirez is the RBI leader with 16, while three others have 11 RBI each. Along with its 13 home runs, Cleveland has hit 49 doubles and five triples.
Cleveland’s strength has been its performances on the mound. Cleveland is 11th in team ERA at .396, 12th in WHIP at 1.26 and 19th in batting average allowed at .248. Cleveland's starting rotation has 11 Quality Starts which is tied for fifth in baseball. Shane Bieber is leading Cleveland in strikeouts with 22. No pitcher for Cleveland has more than one victory. Zach Plesac gets the nod on the mound Saturday for the Guardians. This season the right-hander is 1-1 with an ERA of 6.53 with 13 strikeouts.
Boston's pitching has been its downfall Boston is 27th in baseball in team ERA at 5.13 and 24th in WHIP at 1.37. Boston's starting rotation has been poor, to say the least, as the Red Sox have just four Quality Starts which is 27th and the pitching staff is allowing opponents to hit for an average .264 which is 24th. Chris Sale is the leader in strikeouts for Boston with 30, while Tanner Houck is the leader in wins with three.
Boston is producing well at the plate, as the Red Sox are third in runs scored with 146, thanks to a team batting average of .252 which is 12th, an on-base percentage of .329 which is also 12th and a slugging percentage of .429, which is 9th. Rafael Devers leads Boston in home runs with nine and in RBI with 24. Second in home runs is Adam Duvall with four but the center fielder is out injured. Masataka Yoshida has also hit four home runs and is second in RBI with 16. Boston has hit 50 doubles, two triples and 34 home runs in 26 games.Boston is producing well at the plate, as the Red Sox are third in runs scored with 146, thanks to a team batting average of .252 which is 12th, an on-base percentage of .329 which is also 12th and a slugging percentage of .429, which is 9th. Rafael Devers leads Boston in home runs with nine and in RBI with 24. Second in home runs is Adam Duvall with four but the center fielder is out injured. Masataka Yoshida has also hit four home runs and is second in RBI with 16. Boston has hit 50 doubles, two triples and 34 home runs in 26 games.
Guardians at Red Sox Saturday, at 4:10 PM EST Rainy It's expected to be 48° F with a 46% chance of rain and 14 MPH wind blowing right to left in Boston at 4:10 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 29, 2023 5:53:42 GMT -5
Confident Guardians chase series win vs. Red Sox FLM The Cleveland Guardians look to make it a winning weekend when they continue a three-game series against the host Boston Red Sox on Saturday afternoon.
A day after his team scored three runs over the first two innings of a 5-3 victory on Friday, Guardians right-hander Zach Plesac (1-1, 6.50 ERA) will take the mound in search of a bounce-back start.
An early offensive surge on Friday was a welcome sight for the Guardians, who arrived in Boston after losing four of their previous six games and scoring 15 runs in that span.
"A lot of us have played baseball for a long time," Cleveland outfielder Steven Kwan said. "It's one of those things where we'll break out at some point. We just have to keep doing what we're doing."
The series opener could have been a start.
Mike Zunino and Will Brennan both went deep, making it just the Guardians' third multi-homer game of the season.
Above all, perhaps a change of scenery was what Cleveland needed. Having now posted their first back-to-back wins since April 14-15, the Guardians are 9-5 away from home. The team owns a 4-8 mark in Cleveland.
"Other than hitting last, I don't know if home and away is that big of a difference," Cleveland manager Terry Francona said, "especially early in the season when there's not a lot of crowds and it's not all that noisy."
Plesac has won just one of his first four starts this season after allowing three runs on 10 hits in five-plus innings on April 22 against the Miami Marlins. His lone victory came on April 15 at Washington.
The 28-year-old Indiana native is 1-1 with a 4.43 ERA in four career starts against the Red Sox, a team that Cleveland beat just twice in seven meetings last season.
Boston's rotation took a hit prior to the series as scheduled Saturday starter Garrett Whitlock was placed on the 15-day injured list due to right elbow ulnar neuritis. Manager Alex Cora expressed hope that Whitlock would miss only two starts.
"Probably later in the season, he could push through it, but right now it doesn't make any sense," Cora said of Whitlock, "so we'll take care of him."
Brayan Bello (0-1, 9.82) was recalled from Triple-A Worcester to pitch in Whitlock's place as the Red Sox look to shake off consecutive losses and defeats in three of four games. It will be the 23-year-old's third start of the season and the first of his career against Cleveland.
Bello was charged with three runs on five hits and struck out three over 4 2/3 innings on Sunday in Milwaukee. He allowed only the third home run of his major league career, which spans 64 2/3 frames.
Friday snapped a streak of eight consecutive games with a home run for Boston, though outfielder Jarren Duran became the fifth major league player this season to record three doubles in the game.
Duran, who entered the season as a career .219 hitter, has hit safely in nine of his first 11 games.
Boston was 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position and got just three hits from those not named Duran (3-for-4) and Enrique Hernandez (2-for-4).
"We had traffic and put pressure on them," Cora said after the series opener. "That's what we do, but obviously, not every day we're going to cash in."
--Field Level Media
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 29, 2023 11:31:47 GMT -5
Game 28: Guardians at Red Sox lineups and notesBy Amin Touri Globe Staff,Updated April 29, 2023, 54 minutes ago The Red Sox bats have gone quiet over the last couple games, and they’ll need a little more offense to keep their losing streak from hitting three games on Saturday against the Guardians. A rough first start for Brayan Bello gave way to a solid second, and he’ll take the ball for his third outing of the season Saturday. The Guardians will turn to Zach Plesac, who similarly had a disastrous start to the year but has turned things around; he has a 3.71 ERA over his last three starts. He’s 1-1 with a 4.43 ERA in four career starts against the Red Sox. Lineups GUARDIANS (13-13): Kwan LF, Rosario SS, Ramirez 3B, Naylor 1B, Bell DH, Gonzalez RF, Gimenez 2B, Zunino C, Straw CF Pitching: RHP Zach Plesac (1-1, 6.50 ERA) RED SOX (13-14): Verdugo RF, Yoshida DH, Turner 1B, Devers 3B, Duran CF, Tapia LF, Valdez 2B, Arroyo SS, Wong C Pitching: RHP Brayan Bello (0-1, 9.82 ERA) Time: 4:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Guardians vs. Bello: Meibrys Viloria 0-2 Red Sox vs. Plesac: Rafael Devers 2-6, Jarren Duran 0-3, Reese McGuire 1-5, Rob Refsnyder 1-4, Justin Turner 0-3, Alex Verdugo 1-5 Stat of the day: Bello allowed only the third home run of his major league career, which spans 64 ⅔ innings, in his last start. Notes: Friday snapped a streak of eight consecutive games with a home run for the Red Sox ... Boston was 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position and got just three hits from those not named Duran (3 for 4) and Enrique Hernandez (2 for 4) ... Duran, who entered the season as a career .219 hitter, has hit safely in nine of his first 11 games ... Mike Zunino and Will Brennan both went deep Friday, making it just the Guardians’ third multi-homer game of the season ... Cleveland scored 11 runs in the last two games, having scored only 15 in their last six. Song of the Day: Everclear - Everything To Everyone www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1vQJFF2TKQ
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 29, 2023 11:33:56 GMT -5
Kevin Paul Dupont Tough morning for many Boston sports fans. But the Red Sox are 13-14.
Dan Shaughnessy @dan_Shaughnessy · 1h That would be the last place Red Sox who are nine games out of first place on April 29.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 29, 2023 14:10:24 GMT -5
Why Red Sox’s Alex Cora thinks 2 days off for Triston Casas might help
Published: Apr. 29, 2023, 2:04 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — Struggling Triston Casas is not in the Red Sox lineup Saturday vs. Guardians right-handed pitcher Zach Plesac.
He’s also unlikely to play Sunday, manager Alex Cora said. That makes sense as Boston will face left-handed starter Logan Allen tomorrow.
Cora thinks two consecutive games off could benefit the 23-year-old left-handed hitting rookie who is batting only .133 (10-for-75) with a .283 on-base percentage, .293 slugging percentage, .576 OPS, three homers, three doubles, 16 walks and 27 strikeouts in 25 games.
“It’s always good to watch a game from where he’s going to watch it today to slow it down,” Cora said Saturday at Fenway Park. “He might not play tomorrow. Just kind of breathe a little bit and see the game from a different perspective. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t.”
Cora also said the Red Sox need to play Raimel Tapia who is in left field and last started a game April 19. Masataka Yoshida will DH. Justin Turner, who typically is the DH, will play first base in Casas’ place.
“He (Tapia) hasn’t started in a while,” Cora said. “And this is the only way we can do it. And second for him (Casas), I think it’s a good day to watch and just detach to watch and just detach yourself from the whole thing. And just see the game from a different angle.”
Casas has shown good plate discipline with a 17.4% walk percentage. But he also has a 29.3% strikeout rate. He simply is not doing any damage on pitches in the strike zone.
“He’s not finishing at-bats,” Cora said. “There’s 3-2 counts and he’s pull-happy too. He’s a guy that hits the ball in the air to left-center. He hasn’t been able to do that.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 29, 2023 14:11:45 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 2h Cora said Chris Martin remains likely to be activated tomorrow. No determination yet on what will come for Paxton after he pitches for Worcester on Sunday.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 29, 2023 14:57:12 GMT -5
NESN feed so soon will be on mute
and sure looks like another Dress Like a Seat night tonight......
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