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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 3, 2023 21:41:36 GMT -5
wind blowing in tonight and Pivetta of course when he misses, it is usually up
well, Vlad jr, took Uncle Charlie for a ride about 45 minutes ago
not sure the ball landed yet. Now that was a heck of a taxi ride. You can never tell which Pivetta you're going to get.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 4, 2023 4:09:20 GMT -5
Boston wins 5th straight behind Casas' big night Rookie ends 0-for-11 skid, goes 3-for-5 with two RBIs in victory over Blue Jays 1:31 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
BOSTON -- Triston Casas was grinding out at-bats, one after one. But he wasn’t finishing them, leading to stats that might unsettle him if he looked up at Fenway's scoreboard in center field.
In Wednesday’s 8-3 victory over the Blue Jays, in which the Red Sox extended their season-high winning streak to five games, Casas (3-for-5, two RBIs) was a finisher.
The rookie laced a 3-2 fastball from Alex Manoah for a game-tying single to right field in the bottom of the fourth. An inning later, Casas ripped an 0-1 pitch for another equalizing RBI single, this one to left at an exit velocity of 102.4 mph.
For a hitter who came into the night with a slash line of .128/.281/.282, including an 0-for-11 dry spell, those clutch knocks were much-needed.
It turns out that Casas' best swing of the night looked like a grand slam off the bat, but instead it died in the cold, damp air and went as a 399-foot flyout to center. The drive had an expected batting average of .850. It would have been a slam in five of MLB’s 30 parks, but not in Fenway this time of year.
“I think that was one of my best swings of the season, honestly,” said Casas. “High fastball, top of the zone, bases loaded, not trying to do too much, trying to put the ball in play. All those things culminated with good contact. Everything evens out with the baseball gods.”
Casas got affirmation of that in his final at-bat of the night, a lazy fly ball to left misplayed by Daulton Varsho. That one had an xBA of .010.
“Climate affects everything, so I'm confident everything will even out,” said Casas. “And I’m just trying to do my best to swing at good pitches and barrel them up as often as possible.”
Casas' early-season struggles have brought back memories of another prized prospect’s woes in 2007.
That season, Boston got the ultimate reward when manager Terry Francona stayed patient with a rookie named Dustin Pedroia, who was hitting .180 on May 3. Alex Cora was the red-hot hitter sharing time with the slumping second baseman and mentoring him at the same time. The Red Sox went to Minneapolis for a weekend series and Pedroia had a breakout starting on May 5 that didn’t really stop until injuries derailed him in the final few years of his career.
This isn’t to say Casas will win the Rookie of the Year Award like Pedroia did in 2007. But Cora -- now Boston’s manager -- has had zero temptation to pull the plug early on a talented young player, because he has seen firsthand how dramatically things can shift.
It turns out Cora has been encouraging Casas the same way he encouraged Pedroia all those years ago.
“Yeah, every day I come in, AC makes sure to tell me to keep going and not let it get in my head. He instills that confidence in me,” Casas said. “Some days I'm down and he sees it and he picks me up right away.
“Having a manager like that shooting me straight, who is always honest with me, lets me know how he feels, that’s everything I could ask for in my first manager. I think everybody in this room is behind him. And he's got all of our backs. But for me personally, the support is immense.”
Cora enjoyed watching Casas contribute to a win on Wednesday, all the while knowing his contributions will grow bigger with more experience.
“Like I said, it’s about finishing the at-bats. The one he crushed, it was an out,” said Cora. “But he moved the ball around.”
As for the confidence of his first baseman, that is low on Cora’s worry list.
“That’s something he will never lose,” said Cora. “He’ll let you know he’s in a good spot.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 4, 2023 4:10:44 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Crawford (left hamstring) exits in ninth 1:24 AM ADT
May 3: RHP Kutter Crawford exits with left hamstring tightness One out away from completing Boston's 8-3 victory over the Blue Jays on Wednesday night, key reliever Crawford had to exit the game with tightness in his left hamstring that was likely due to pitching in wet conditions at Fenway Park. Crawford has a 1.08 ERA in five relief appearances this season.
"We'll know something probably [on Thursday], what's going on," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora.
May 3: RHP Garrett Whitlock resumes throwing The righty starter, who was placed on the injured list on April 28 (retroactive to April 25) with right elbow neuritis, resumed playing catch on Tuesday after a check-in with the team's medical staff. There's a chance Whitlock will return as soon as he's eligible, but it will be based on his progression.
"I hate to put a timetable on it, but hopefully soon," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "We’ll see how he progresses."
May 3: RHP Kenley Jansen targets Thursday return Boston's closer threw a bullpen session on Wednesday and aims for a Thursday return after being out the past four games with a balky back. Jansen suffered his first blown save of the season on April 30 while trying to pitch through the back issue. He is at 397 career saves.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 4, 2023 4:12:54 GMT -5
Red Sox win 5th straight game, beat Blue Jays behind season-high 15 hits
Published: May. 03, 2023, 10:25 p.m.
By
BOSTON — Alex Cora often says that good things happen when hitters put the ball in play. On Wednesday night, the Red Sox were rewarded for that approach — and tallied a season-high 15 hits as a result.
Boston took advantage of some sloppy defense (including four errors) by the Blue Jays, and behind a quality start from Nick Pivetta, beat Toronto, 8-3, for the third straight night and for the club’s season-high fifth straight win of 2023. Triston Casas had two clutch hits and five different Sox batters drove in runs as Boston improved to 18-14.
On a rainy night at Fenway, the teams combined for six errors (a league-high so far this year), a wild pitch and a balk. But Boston’s hit parade was the story. Five players (Masataka Yoshida, Justin Turner, Triston Casas, Enmanuel Valdez and Kiké Hernández) had multiple knocks with Casas (3-for-5) leading the group.
An in-blowing wind helped Pivetta avoid major damage early despite the Blue Jays consistently hitting the ball hard against him, though two balls did clear the wall to give Toronto an early lead. In the second inning, Daulton Varsho’s second homer in as many nights opened the scoring. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made it 2-0 with a 450-foot missile over the Green Monster that left the bat at 110 mph.
Toronto’s carelessness allowed the Sox to even the score in the fourth. Rafael Devers singled on a liner off Alek Manoah then advanced two bases on an error and a wild pitch before scoring on a Jarren Duran double. After Manoah threw a pickoff attempt away, Casas looped a single into right field to tie the game. Toronto took the lead back in the fifth, when Kevin Kiermaier scored on a controversial balk by Pivetta. But the Red Sox put together a two-out rally in the fifth that would ultimately let them pull away.
With the bases loaded and two outs, Casas once again tied the game with a single through the left side. The next batter, Valdez, laced a grounder that ate up Guerrero at first base and plated two runs. The play was originally ruled an error but changed to a single after review. The red-hot Yoshida drove in Connor Wong with an RBI single to make it 6-3 in the sixth, then added some insurance in the seventh when he laced an RBI double to left field and made it 7-3. A Hernández RBI single in the eighth made it a five-run game.
Pivetta settled in nicely after the two early bombs, departing after six innings. He allowed three earned runs and struck out six as his ERA fell to 4.99.
Crawford leaves with injury
Right-hander Kutter Crawford, who has emerged as a multi-inning weapon out of the bullpen for Cora in recent weeks, was removed with an undisclosed injury in the ninth. After pitching a scoreless eighth, Crawford got Kirk to ground out to lead off the ninth and left with a trainer after bending with apparent discomfort. Updates to follow.
Ryan Brasier replaced Crawford and finished the game.
Yoshida extends hit streak
Yoshida now has hits in his last 13 games, which is the longest active streak in the majors.
Verdugo, Manoah break even in battle
The long-awaited battle between Alex Verdugo and Manoah, who had engaged in an off-the-field spat in recent weeks after Verdugo criticized Manoah’s celebrations on the mound, led to an anticlimactic three at-bats Wednesday. Manoah struck Verdugo out in the first, then the outfielder singled off the righty in the third. When Manoah got Verdugo to pop out in foul territory in the fifth, the pitcher clapped his glove.
Bello on mound as Sox attempt sweep
After going 3-16 against the Blue Jays in 2022, the Red Sox have flipped the script early this season by winning their first three against the divisional foe. Righty Brayan Bello (0-1, 6.57 ERA) will get the ball as Boston attempts the sweep in the finale of a four-game series Thursday night. Toronto right-hander Kevin Gausman (2-2, 2.33 ERA), who dominated Boston last season, will pitch on the other side.
First pitch is earlier than usual, at 6:10 p.m. ET. The Sox will them travel to Philadelphia ahead of a five-game interleague trip with games against the Phillies (Friday-Sunday) and Braves (Tuesday-Wednesday).
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 4, 2023 4:15:11 GMT -5
NH Lefty @nhlefty · 6h Replying to @loumerloni Do you see Casas coming around? Had some good swings tonight. I really would like to see this kid succeed.
Lou Merloni @loumerloni · 6h Huge night for him. He needed to finish off at bats. Barrel the ball and he did tonight. He’s gotten beaten up the first 5 weeks. We’ll see if it gets him going. Not way w/Gausman tomorrow but he has to feel good tonight on his way home
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 4, 2023 4:15:41 GMT -5
John Tomase @jtomase · 6h Red Sox have won five in a row. They're 18-14 despite playing eight series against teams either in first or second place in their respective divisions. I freely admit I did not see this coming.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 4, 2023 4:24:49 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Rob Refsnyder believes Red Sox teammate Jarren Duran is ‘everything you want in a player’ By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated May 3, 2023, 8:18 p.m.
Rob Refsnyder saw Jarren Duran at his worst.
When Duran struggled last season, Refsnyder was his veteran. The two shared time at Triple A Worcester as teammates, and when the two later reached the big leagues last year, their lockers were situated next to one another.
Refsnyder has had his failures, too, playing on five teams in parts of seven seasons. Yet with the Red Sox, finally, he found a way to stay in the big leagues as a role player.
He always knew Duran had a chance to be special. Better than he was, certainly. As Duran labored and continued to fail, Refsnyder would always remind the outfielder to stick with it.
“Jarren has a larger-than-life personality on the field, but then, behind closed doors, he tends to be quiet and puts his head down and goes to work,” said Refsnyder. “I love Jarren. He’s such a good teammate. He’s hyper-aware of everything.”
The hyper-awareness, though, sometimes worked against Duran. Refsnyder urged Duran to block out the outside noise. So, Refsnyder is happy to see how Duran has responded at the start of this season by leaning on veterans while showing dynamic ability on the field. Duran went 1 for 2 with two walks, two runs, and an RBI in Wednesday night’s win 8-3 over the Blue Jays to improve his average to .400 in 16 games. It was his first multi-walk game of his career.
“He’s another year older,” Refsnyder said. “He’s more confident in his ability. I tell him all the time, he’s so fun to watch in the field. He’s so talented. He works his butt off. He’s everything you want in a player.” Houck to start Sunday
Tanner Houck pitched four scoreless frames against the Blue Jays Tuesday night. But he was shellacked for six runs in the fifth inning of his six-inning outing.
Houck has a 1.00 ERA in innings 1-3 this year, but in innings 4-6, it balloons to 10.38.
“Stuff-wise, we’re doing our due diligence,” manager Alex Cora said. “If his stuff is ticking down, or if it’s something that we need to push him. He’s going to keep starting. He’s not going to the bullpen. He’ll make his next start in Philly on Sunday. Hopefully, we can get better pitch selection. Maybe go to other places late in the game, or use your best pitches all the time in the sixth and seventh, or the fifth instead of being too cute as he said.”
When asked to clarify if Houck will remain in the rotation beyond Sunday considering the Sox could activate James Paxton following his rehab outing Friday, Cora didn’t offer much, saying, “He’s starting on Sunday.” Whitlock update
Garrett Whitlock was cleared by doctors to resume throwing after his follow-up appointment Tuesday afternoon. The Sox placed Whitlock on the injured list with elbow neuritis last week (retroactive to April 25). Cora wouldn’t put a timetable on Whitlock’s return but is optimistic that everything is trending in the right direction.
Whitlock underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019. But that injury didn’t necessarily concern the Sox when Whitlock conveyed that he was having arm issues because head athletic trainer Brandon Henry was able to immediately diagnose the injury. Crawford exits (hamstring)
Reliever Kutter Crawford left Wednesday night’s game with left hamstring tightness. Ryan Brasier came on to get the final two outs … Joely Rodriguez (oblique) recently threw live batting practice without incident. Cora said again Wednesday that Rodriguez’s next appearance will likely be at Double A Portland or Triple A Worcester … The Red Sox celebrated Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage month prior to Wednesday’s game. Olivia Pichardo, a utility player for Brown University’s baseball team, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Pichardo this year became the first woman to play in an NCAA Division 1 baseball game … Pregame ceremonies included the presentation of World Baseball Classic all-tournament team trophies to Masataka Yoshida (Japan) and Yu Chang (Chinese Taipei).
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 4, 2023 4:31:13 GMT -5
Blue Jays @ Red Sox Thursday, May 4th 2023 6pm @ Fenway
Gaussman 2-2/ 2.33
Bello 0-1/ 6.57
Red Sox seek sixth straight win, sweep of reeling Blue Jays FLM
What a difference a year makes for the Boston Red Sox.
After going 3-16 against the American League East rival Toronto Blue Jays in 2022, the Red Sox have already matched that head-to-head win total in 2023 as they aim to complete the sweep of a four-game series on Thursday night.
Boston has won a season-high five straight, gone 13-6 in its last 19 and claimed seven of its first 10 series this season.
Nick Pivetta delivered six strong innings in Wednesday's 8-3 win, but the Red Sox offense has been a consistent piece to the team's success.
"We knew (Masataka) Yoshida, (Alex) Verdugo, (Justin) Turner all have a great approach and know (Rafael Devers) is going to be OK," Red Sox manager Alex Cora told MLB.com this week. "The young kids -- (Jarren) Duran, (Connor) Wong, (Enmanuel) Valdez are doing a great job. (Christian) Arroyo, Rob Refsnyder, Raimel Tapia, Reese McGuire always contribute. We are solid and grind."
Yoshida went 2-for-5 Wednesday to extend his hitting streak to 13 games, tied for the longest active run in the majors.
Triston Casas is coming off a three-hit night during which he hit two game-tying singles.
Righthander Brayan Bello (0-1, 6.57 ERA) takes the mound for his fourth start of the season after allowing just one run and striking out six in five innings Saturday against Cleveland.
Bello was called up from Triple-A Worcester to sub for the injured Garrett Whitlock before his last start.
"I think I can do way better than I did (Saturday)," Bello said. "But today was a good example of how I can battle."
Bello battled through a blister on his index finger in that start.
He has issued two or fewer walks in each of his last seven starts dating back to last September.
The 24-year-old's stretch of strong control included his last of three outings against Toronto on Oct. 1 of last season. He had a 7.62 ERA in 13 innings and lost two of the three games in the head-to-head series in 2022.
The talented Blue Jays have dropped four straight after allowing at least 15 hits for the third time this season and being held to only six in Wednesday's loss.
Daulton Varsho has homered in the last two games. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added one of his own in his second straight multi-hit game.
"We're all trying to get hits when we're going through a bad stretch," Varsho said. "One (unsuccessful at-bat) compounds over the next one. Once you're able to turn it off, it's a lot of fun being able to do it."
The Red Sox also took advantage of four Toronto errors Wednesday in their MLB-leading 13th comeback victory out of 18 in total.
"They've been doing that for the majority of the year," Blue Jays skipper John Schneider said. "And I think when you make mistakes, you pay the price."
Righty Kevin Gausman (2-2, 2.33) looks to pitch Toronto out of its skid after pitching seven shutout innings in consecutive appearances. He has also fanned at least 11 in three of his last four outings.
Gausman did not factor into the decision despite a sparkling line Saturday against Seattle. He scattered six hits, walked one and struck out 13 in seven innings in that game.
"It kind of starts with command," Gausman said of his recent success. "If I can pound the zone with my fastball, then they're expecting me to throw strikes and that's why they swing at the split."
Gausman is 7-8 with a 4.01 ERA in 26 career appearances (21 starts) against Boston, but three of those wins came last season.
--Field Level Media
Blue Jays at Red Sox Thursday, at 6:10 PM EST Cloudy It's expected to be 47° F with a 24% chance of precipitation and 8 MPH wind blowing in in Boston at 6:10 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 4, 2023 4:33:59 GMT -5
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 4, 2023 11:36:49 GMT -5
Game 33: Blue Jays at Red Sox lineups and notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated May 4, 2023, 1 hour ago After managing just three wins in 19 games against the Blue Jays in 2022, the Red Sox matched that total in their first three meetings this season. They will go for a sweep tonight after last night’s 8-3 win, and try to extend their winning streak to six. A win would move the Sox ahead of Toronto for third place in the American League East. After tonight, the Sox will hit the road for a three-game series at Philadelphia, followed by a day off on Monday before two more games at Atlanta. Lineups BLUE JAYS (18-13): 1. George Springer (R) RF 2. Bo Bichette (R) SS 3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (R) 1B 4. Daulton Varsho (L) LF 5. Matt Chapman (R) 3B 6. Brandon Belt (L) DH 7. Danny Jansen (R) C 8. Cavan Biggio (L) 2B 9. Kevin Kiermaier (L) CF Pitching: RHP Kevin Gausman (2-2, 2.33 ERA) RED SOX (18-14): TBA 1. Raimel Tapia (L) RF 2. Masataka Yoshida (L) LF 3. Justin Turner (R) DH 4. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 5. Jarren Duran (L) CF 6. Triston Casas (L) 1B 7. Enmanuel Valdez (L) 2B 8. Enrique Hernandez (R) SS 9. Reese McGuire (L) C Pitching: RHP Brayan Bello (0-1, 6.57 ERA) Time: 6:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Blue Jays vs. Bello: Bo Bichette 3-7, Cavan Biggio 1-2, Matt Chapman 1-6, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 3-8, Danny Jansen 2-4, Kevin Kiermaier 1-1, Alejandro Kirk 2-4, Whit Merrifield 1-4, George Springer 6-9 Red Sox vs. Gausman: Christian Arroyo 3-10, Triston Casas 0-2, Rafael Devers 4-20, Jarren Duran 1-5, Kiké Hernández 1-9, Reese McGuire 3-4, Rob Refsnyder 5-16, Raimel Tapia 2-9, Justin Turner 5-14, Alex Verdugo 1-11, Connor Wong 0-1 Stat of the day: The Red Sox are 7-3-0 in series play, and 5-1-0 overall at home. Notes: Masataka Yoshida has a 13-game hitting streak, the longest active streak in MLB. … Kiké Hernández is batting .320 in his last 19 games since April 12. … In his last outing against Cleveland Saturday, Bello allowed just one run and struck out six in five innings. In three appearances against Toronto last season, Bello had a 7.62 ERA in 13 innings. … Gausman has tossed seven shutout innings in consecutive starts. He is 7-8 with a 4.01 ERA in 26 career appearances (21 starts) against the Sox, with three of those wins coming last season. Song of the Day- Junk House "Out of my Head"www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rxLf2eDb44
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 4, 2023 14:11:33 GMT -5
Dugo sitting tonight. God damn analytic nonsense.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 4, 2023 16:38:04 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 1h Cora says Kutter Crawford is day-to-day with tightness in his left hamstring. No IL stint for now.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 4, 2023 16:41:55 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 5h Wong is the first player in baseball to reach +1.0 defensive WAR this season. He has 7 defensive runs saved in 174 innings caught.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 4, 2023 17:22:25 GMT -5
Duran robs Vlad in the first great jump off the bat, sliding catch
So impressed with him defensively. Last year he looked defeated.
He is playing like a guy who has been around....says alot about him in a good way.
This team has shown it is gonna be a scruffy, fighting team.
Just wish the SP would be better.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 4, 2023 17:23:42 GMT -5
Holy shit Yosshida swinging at the first pitch goes bridge
1-0 Red Sox
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