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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 7, 2023 19:07:22 GMT -5
Cora should give thanks for the clowns in the Analytic department
Red Sox’s Alex Cora explains replacing Tanner Houck with Richard Bleier
Published: May. 07, 2023, 5:02 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
PHILADELPHIA — Red Sox starter Tanner Houck had thrown only 74 pitches but manager Alex Cora replaced him with two outs and one runner on base in the sixth inning.
Cora went with left-handed reliever Richard Bleier against left-handed hitter Kyle Schwarber. The former Red Sox slugger crushed a 434-foot, 110.8-mph two-run homer against Bleier, giving Philadelphia a 4-1 lead.
The Phillies won 6-1 over the Red Sox at Citizens Bank Park. Boston’s winning streak ended at eight games but Boston took the three-game series, 2-1.
“Today, he (Houck) was very efficient,” Cora said. “He did a good job. It’s just a matchup we didn’t like late in the game and we went with our lefty. It just didn’t pay off.”
Cora said the plan before the inning even began was to use Bleier against Schwarber if it got to the slugger’s spot in the lineup. Schwarber was 1-for-8 with two strikeouts against Bleier entering the at-bat.
“In that spot, we recognized Kyle before the inning started,” Cora said. “If he gets there, it’s Bleier there. Tried to go in (with a sinker), left it over the plate and he hit the ball out of the ballpark.”
Bleier has had issues against left-handed batters who are 8-for-18 with two homers against him this season. Meanwhile, right-handed batters are only 7-for-38 (.184) against him.
But Cora said left-handed batters haven’t done too much damage vs. Bleier.
“If you go back to the one in Tampa, there were a lot of ground balls,” Cora said. “He’s not giving up damage. ... I don’t think he’s struggling but that one, obviously he wanted it in. It stayed over the plate. And that’s what Kyle does.”
Bleier has held left-handed batters to a .232 average in his career while right-handed hitters have batted .298 against him.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 7, 2023 19:08:36 GMT -5
Tanner Houck to remain in Red Sox rotation; when will James Paxton pitch?
Updated: May. 07, 2023, 6:44 p.m.|Published: May. 07, 2023, 6:41 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
PHILADELPHIA — Tanner Houck will make his next start, Red Sox manager Alex Cora confirmed after Boston’s 6-1 loss to the Phillies on Sunday.
Veteran left-hander James Paxton is expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list when the Red Sox play in Atlanta on Tuesday and Wednesday. His 30-day rehab stint is set to expire.
“There’s a good chance” that Paxton will start this weekend when the team returns home to Boston for three games against the Cardinals (Friday-Sunday), Cora said.
That creates a situation where Boston has six starters — Houck, Paxton, Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, Brayan Bello and Nick Pivetta — for five rotation spots. That said, Cora didn’t rule out a six-man starting rotation when he was asked about it Saturday.
Houck took the loss Sunday. He allowed three runs, five hits and one walk while striking out four in 5 ⅔ innings.
“Just going right after hitters,” Houck said. “Getting strike one, strike two, putting them in an uncomfortable spot. I felt like I went out there, threw a lot of strikes, got ahead of hitters early and kind of fixed the stuff that I felt like I struggled with last outing.”
He left with Boston behind 2-1, one runner on base and two outs in the sixth. Reliever Richard Bleier replaced him and gave up a two-run homer to Kyle Schwarber that made it 4-1.
“For me, I’m just going out there every fifth day ready to start,” Houck said. “Whatever they need. I’ve always wanted to start. I’ve always seen myself as a starter. To have that confidence from AC is great. But I’ve got another one to get ready for, whatever day it is with the coming off days.”
The Red Sox have two days off (Monday and Thursday) this week.
“Just continuing to work and not worry about stuff that’s out of my control,” Houck said.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 7, 2023 19:13:34 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Christian Arroyo the latest Red Sox middle infielder to land on injured list By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated May 7, 2023, 2 hours ago
PHILADELPHIA — The Red Sox are starting to run out of middle infielders.
Christian Arroyo is the latest to go down as he was placed on the injured list Sunday with a strained right hamstring. Bobby Dalbec was recalled from Triple A Worcester.
Arroyo was 2 for 4 in Saturday night’s 7-4 victory against the Phillies, but the decision was made to shut him down to deal with what has become a lingering injury.
“It was pretty sore,” Arroyo said. “Nothing abnormal, but it got to the point where I can’t keep doing this to the team. I tried everything I could.”
Arroyo, who has been on the injured list five times since the start of the 2021 season, said the injury limited his range defensively and was a concern when he ran the bases.
“It just sucks,” he said. “But I think we made the best decision as a group. Hopefully a few days will make a difference and I can start up again.”
Arroyo joins Adalberto Mondesí (left knee), Trevor Story (right elbow), and Yu Chang (left wrist) as middle infielders on the injured list.
Arroyo hopes to return in 10 days, but the others are not expected back any time soon.
Kiké Hernández started at shortstop with rookie Enmanuel Valdez at second base on Sunday in a 6-1 loss against the Phillies. Their only backup was Dalbec, a corner infielder who has played parts of four games at shortstop and three at second base in his major league career.
Dalbec struck out as a pinch hitter in the eighth and played one inning at second.
“We’ll see how we use Bobby. I do believe he can make the routine play at second and short,” manager Alex Cora said.
Arroyo was a starter to open the season but has become more of a platoon player with Valdez in the lineup against righthanded pitchers.
The Sox have lefthanded-hitting middle infielder David Hamilton on the 40-man roster. He is hitting .311 with a .955 OPS and 20 stolen bases for Worcester. But the Sox preferred a righthanded hitter in Dalbec.
“[Hamilton] is hitting the ball hard. Bat speed is a lot better than last year,” Cora said. “We’re very pleased with the way he’s going about it.” Costly fun
Red Sox righthander Kutter Crawford and Phillies lefthander Matt Strahm had a little fun Saturday with a national anthem standoff.
For the uninitiated, that’s when a player from each team remains at attention on the field after the anthem ends. The loser is whomever gives in first before the game starts.
In this case, both players were ejected after being warned.
“That was a first for me,” Crawford said.
It didn’t necessarily matter for Crawford, who is on the injured list. Strahm, who pitched two innings on Sunday, is on the active roster.
According to Cora, a player on the injured list receives a larger fine for being ejected.
“He’ll get crushed,” the manager predicted.
Cora hinted that the well-compensated Chris Sale would take care of the fine for Crawford. Both played at Florida Gulf Coast University.
“You have good sources,” Sale said. Remembering Vida Blue
The death of six-time All-Star Vida Blue on Sunday at the age of 73 was a reminder of one of the most notable regular-season games in Fenway Park history.
On May 28, 1971, the first-place Athletics and first-place Red Sox met with their respective aces on the mound. Blue was 10-1 with a 1.02 ERA and Sonny Siebert 8-0 with a 1.62 ERA.
In front of a sellout crowd of 35,712, the Sox came away with a 4-3 victory.
Reggie Jackson homered off Siebert in the first inning but Rico Petrocelli hit a two-run homer to center in the bottom of the inning and the Sox held on. Petrocelli also homered in the sixth.
Blue allowed four runs over 7⅔ innings. He finished that season 24-8 with a 1.82 ERA and 301 strikeouts over 39 starts and 312 innings. He won the Cy Young and Most Valuable Player Awards. Masataka Yoshida still streaking
Masataka Yoshida singled in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 16 games. He was then picked off for the second time this season. Yoshida was 2 for 4 and is 28 for 63 (.438) in his streak … Raimel Tapia hit third for the second time in his eight-year career and was 1 for 4 … Cora said “there’s a good chance” lefthander James Paxton will make his long-awaited Red Sox debut against the Cardinals during the homestand that starts Friday … The Phillies drew 131,823 fans for the series, selling out two of the three games … Marcelo Mayer is 16 for 31 with nine extra-base hits and 12 RBIs in his last six games for High A Greenville. The 20-year-old shortstop, who was the fourth pick of the 2021 draft, is hitting .337 with a .996 OPS. Mayer was 4 for 4 with two doubles and a homer in a 7-3 victory against Asheville on Sunday.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 8, 2023 21:09:21 GMT -5
Cora should give thanks for the clowns in the Analytic department Red Sox’s Alex Cora explains replacing Tanner Houck with Richard Bleier
Published: May. 07, 2023, 5:02 p.m. Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com Cora said the plan before the inning even began was to use Bleier against Schwarber if it got to the slugger’s spot in the lineup. Schwarber was 1-for-8 with two strikeouts against Bleier entering the at-bat. 20% of the time, pockets aces get cracked. That doesn't mean you stop playing them.
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