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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 23, 2023 4:16:36 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 5h Atrocious game from the lineup
4 for 30. 1 run 5 hard hit balls 0 walks, 9 strikeouts 13 GB, 2 FB, 2 LD, 3 PU
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 23, 2023 4:19:19 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 4h Alex Cora onTanner Houck's spot in the rotation:
"Right now he's one of our best starters. Forget the numbers. You look up (at his ERA) and you see a 5. Nah, that's not him."
(True. It's 4.99 now.)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 23, 2023 4:21:36 GMT -5
Jarren Duran is a long way from his Red Sox struggles. Facing the Angels brings him close to home. By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated May 22, 2023, 8:41 p.m.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Jarren Duran grew up about 10 miles down Katella Avenue from Angel Stadium. But the Red Sox were his team.
“My dad liked the Angels and the Dodgers and I liked going against my dad in everything and the Red Sox always beat the Angels,” Duran said.
“And I was a big [Dustin] Pedroia fan growing up because I was a small second baseman and I played hard like him.”
Duran made his major league debut in 2021 but this season is the first time he’s played professionally in southern California.
He’s excited about getting a chance to come home during the season.
Even though he can’t actually live at home.
“My room has turned into my niece’s room,” Duran said. “There’s no place for me. I’ll stay in the hotel with the team. That’ll help me stay focused for the games.”
Duran was 8 when he attended his first game at Angel Stadium with his dad, Octavio. He remembers being impressed with the fountain in center field and the fireworks.
“That was the cool thing for me,” he said. “I was just a little guy.”
But Duran also took notice of Angels outfielder Garrett Anderson, a fellow lefty hitter.
“He was a home-run hitter, which I definitely was not,” Duran said. “I liked watching him play but I was still more interested in the fountain.”
Baseball is very much a business, as Duran has since learned. He played well in Triple A last season and earned a chance to start for the Sox in June. Duran was sent back to the minors in August having hit .219 and making a series of unfathomable mistakes in the outfield.
The Red Sox signed Adam Duvall to play center field and optioned Duran back to Triple A when spring training ended.
But Duvall broke his left wrist in April and Duran has hit .330 with 16 extra-base hits, 19 RBIs, and a .917 OPS since. He was back in center field on Monday night, batting fifth.
The Sox have come to count on him.
That makes Duran’s homecoming even better. His family and friends will get to see him on the field playing a key role for a Sox team outperforming preseason expectations.
“We play in front of a ton of people every night. But when I know my friends and family and college friends are there and I’m playing a few minutes away from where I went to high school, it’s so fun,” said Duran, who was 0 for 3 in a 2-1 loss.
Duran had to come up with 20 tickets for his family during the three days the Sox were in San Diego and it will be at least that many in Anaheim.
The players don’t get freebies, either.
“I try to get as many tickets as I can,” Duran said. “Some of my college buddies are going to all nine games on this trip. They’ll be in center field yelling at me. I love it.”
Duran, 26, is one of the best stories in baseball this season given how far he has come.
He looked overmatched and immature last year, a player who didn’t seem to even understand the basics of the game. The fan and media attention that comes with playing in Boston seemed overwhelming.
Some of that wasn’t his fault. The Sox could do a better job of preparing prospects for what’s to come in a big market, something the Yankees put an emphasis on.
But Duran also was stubborn at times. He looked every bit like a player whose best chance at success would have to be with another team. Related: Sullivan: We all know Chris Sale’s injury history, but for now he is brimming with healthy optimism
That was certainly the opinion here. That the Sox stocked up on outfielders showed they weren’t counting on Duran, either.
He has proved everybody wrong so far. Duran improved as a player and changed his approach to the game, opening up to teammates and being more willing to ask for help.
That he was selected to play for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic also was a boost, even though he had only five at-bats. Representing his father’s homeland became a source of pride.
Now he’s back in southern California and Monday night played in the same ballpark where he saw his first major league game.
Duran was still on the field, in full uniform, 45 minutes after the game ended, spending time with everybody who came to see him play. One after another, they all got a big hug.
“It’s pretty cool that I get to play back home,” Duran said.
Sure is. Good for him.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 23, 2023 4:24:55 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen is in a rut, but the veteran seems to know the problem By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated May 22, 2023, 9:15 p.m.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Saturday’s outing against the Padres wasn’t pretty for Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen. He walked two in the ninth, bringing the winning run to the plate, but ultimately was able to secure a save after Jake Cronenworth popped out to third baseman Rafael Devers.
Command has been off for Jansen, who blew back-to-back saves against the Cardinals recently which helped St. Louis to a sweep at Fenway. Jansen walked just three in his first 12 appearances (11⅔ innings) to start the year, striking out 17. In his last three appearances Jansen has walked six and struck out none.
Jansen relayed before the Sox’ 2-1 loss to open a three-game set against the Angels Monday that his poor results are due to poor mechanics.
“The way my body is positioned right now, [my arm] is late,” Jansen said.
Essentially, Jansen’s body is going forward well before his arm. As a result, Jansen’s arm drags or he has to create arm speed in an effort to have everything synched up correctly. That, however, leads to some of the erratic control over the last week or so. For Jansen, the issue occurred following his 400th save against the Braves.
“Sometimes things just happen,” Jansen said. “It’s not an excuse or anything. It’s just reality that sometimes when you get to a big milestone, your adrenaline is so high that the next day you come out flat and you try to recreate that moment or that feeling. You can get yourself out of whack which kind of happened a little bit. So you just got to stay patient.”
Jansen, who had a 0.77 ERA after his Atlanta outing but now has seen it skyrocket to 3.95 entering Monday, has thrown 36 pitches in his last three outings with just a 44 percent strike rate. Manager Alex Cora noticed that Jansen’s cutter has lacked command.
“The cutter has been down in the zone,” Cora noted. “It’s usually up. So he thinks there’s something going on. Just kind of like staying closed [during his delivery] and being able to repeat his delivery. So hopefully we can do that.”
Jansen is extremely confident that he’s turning a corner. Despite the lack of command that continued into Sunday, the closer knows that once everything clicks, he will be back to his usual dominant self.
“I had two humble pies,” said Jansen, referencing his two blown saves. “Now we’re back on track. Back on earth.” Wong strong behind the plate
Connor Wong entered Monday with 1.1 defensive WAR, per Baseball-Reference, which ranks third in the majors among all position players.
“He’s been a work-in-progress since he got here,” Cora said. “Not too many people thought that he was going to become an everyday player. He’s physically stronger than 2021.” Related: Sullivan: We all know Chris Sale’s injury history, but for now he is brimming with healthy optimism
Cora credited Nate Eovaldi, who threw bullpens to Wong during the COVID-19 shutdown, as the first person to highlight Wong’s ability behind the plate. Eovaldi mentored Wong even more last year when they were teammates for parts of the season, carrying their conversations over from 2020 regarding game planning and what it takes to remain at the big league level.
“I’ll tip my hat to Nate,” Cora said. “Usually you take care of your pitchers. If you’re a pitcher, you take care of pitchers. But he took care of Connor and we can see it.”
Bleier to the IL
Richard Bleier was placed on the 15-day injured list with left shoulder inflammation. Bleier has had a terrible season, compiling a 5.85 ERA in 19 appearances.
“He’s been grinding throughout,” Cora said. “It started during the two-inning relief appearance at home [against the Twins on April 19]. He hasn’t been able to bounce back. Yesterday we talked about it and smart thing to do is to do this.”
The Sox called up lefthander Brennan Bernardino to fill Bleier’s spot. On the mend
Yu Chang (hamate bone fracture) could start a rehab assignment Wednesday while Christian Arroyo (hamstring) could begin his rehab assignment Friday … Justin Turner was back in the lineup after missing two games with a sore left knee … Kiké Hernández was scheduled for an off day Monday, but entered the game at shortstop in the eighth inning for Pablo Reyes.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 23, 2023 4:28:27 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Halos Tuesday, 23rd May 2023 9:30pm @ Angels Stadium
Bello 3-1/ 4.45
Canning 2-2/ 6.14
uesday, May 23, 2023 at 9:38pm EDT Written by Chris King
A pair of American League teams looking to gain ground in their respective division races continue a series on the diamond in the Golden State. The Boston Red Sox are on the road as they play the middle game of a three-game series with the Los Angeles Angels Tuesday night. Boston closed out a three-game set with the Padres Sunday afternoon and missed a chance at a sweep as they were blanked 7-0 in the finale. Los Angeles played the rubber game of their three-game home series with the Twins Sunday afternoon, earning a 4-2 win to take the series. This article was published prior to the conclusion of the opening game of the series Monday night.
Boston Red Sox Trying to Bounce Back From Blowout Loss Boston saw their four-game win streak snapped as they were blanked in the finale of their three-game road set with the Padres Sunday afternoon. The Red Sox entered Monday’s action 26-21 and stood fourth in the AL East, 7.5 games behind the Rays for the top spot. On Sunday, Boston finished with seven hits as Masataka Yoshida and Raimel Tapia each had two in the loss. The Red Sox went zero for five with runners in scoring position in the contest and bounced into a pair of double plays. Corey Kluber (2-6) took the loss on the mound as he allowed five runs (one earned) on three hits with three walks and one strikeout in 2.1 innings of work.
Brayan Bello is on the mound for the Red Sox as he makes his seventh start of the season in this contest. He is 3-1 with a 4.45 ERA, a 1.588 WHIP, 12 walks and 31 strikeouts over 28.1 innings of work on the year. Bello earned the win in his last start, which came at home against the Mariners Wednesday night. He threw five innings, allowing one run on three hits with five walks and seven strikeouts in a 12-3 Boston victory. In his last three starts, Bello is 3-0 with a 2.81 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP, seven walks and 17 strikeouts over 16 innings of work. Bello took the loss in his lone career start against the Angels, which came back on April 17 at home. He threw 2.2 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits with one walk and five strikeouts in a 5-4 Red Sox loss. In his 20th career major league appearance and 18th start, he pitches at Angel Stadium of Anaheim for the first time here.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Look to Build Momentum Los Angeles won for the third time in four games as they took down the Twins in the rubber game of their three-game series Sunday afternoon. The Angels improved to 25-23 on the year and stood third in the AL West, five games behind the Rangers for the top spot. On Sunday, Los Angeles finished with nine hits with no player having more than one. The Angels prevailed despite going two for 10 with runners in scoring position with Mickey Moniak’s two-run double in the seventh inning breaking a 1-1 tie. Shohei Ohtani didn’t factor in the decision as he threw six innings, allowing one run on two hits with three walks and nine strikeouts. Chris Devenski (2-0) struck out the lone batter he faced to end the seventh to earn the win. Carlos Estevez worked the ninth, allowing no runs on one hit with no walks and one strikeout, to earn his 12th save.
Griffin Canning is on the mound as he makes his seventh start of the season for the Angels in this contest. He is 2-2 with a 6.14 ERA, a 1.50 WHIP, 11 walks and 25 strikeouts over 29.1 innings of work on the year. Canning took the loss in his last start, which came on the road against the Orioles Wednesday night. He threw 5.1 innings, allowing three runs on nine hits with two walks and four strikeouts in a 3-1 Angels defeat. In his last three starts, Canning is 1-2 with an 8.36 ERA, a 1.86 WHIP, six walks and 10 strikeouts over 14 innings of work. Canning didn’t factor in the decision in his lone career start against them, which came May 14, 2021 on the road. He threw six innings, allowing two runs on six hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in a game the Angels eventually lost 4-3. Canning is 10-6 with a 4.90 ERA, a 1.306 WHIP, 43 walks and 122 strikeouts over 128.2 innings in 27 career appearances, 25 starts, at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 23, 2023 13:32:00 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 3h Masataka Yoshida had that insane stretch where he hit .438/.479/.750 over 16 games, then he went 0 for 9 in Atlanta, and has bounced back to go .343/.410/.486 over the next 9.
Games 1-13: .167/.310/.250 Games 14-40: .370/.420/.602
139 wRC+ overall with 16 XBH, 17 BB, 17 K
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 23, 2023 13:37:19 GMT -5
Game 49: Red Sox at Angels lineups and notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated May 23, 2023, 11:20 a.m. The Red Sox received a strong start from Tanner Houck Monday night, but failed to generate much offense and dropped the series opener to the Angels, 2-1. After registering just four hits — two by Masataka Yoshida — the bats will look to come alive Tuesday against Griffin Canning, who has struggled for the Angels in May, allowing 13 earned runs in 14 innings across three starts. The Sox will counter with Brayan Bello, who has won his last three starts. Lineups RED SOX (26-22): 1. Alex Verdugo (L) RF 2. Masataka Yoshida (L) LF 3. Justin Turner (R) DH 4. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 5. Jarren Duran (L) CF 6. Enrique Hernandez (R) SS 7. Triston Casas (L) 1B 8. Enmanuel Valdez (L) 2B 9. Reese McGuire (L) C Pitching: RHP Brayan Bello (3-1, 4.45 ERA) ANGELS (26-23): 1. Mickey Moniak (L) LF 2. Mike Trout (R) CF 3. Shohei Ohtani (L) DH 4. Hunter Renfroe (R) RF 5. Jared Walsh (L) 1B 6. Brandon Drury (R) 2B 7. Matt Thaiss (L) C 8. Gio Urshela (R) 3B 9. Zach Neto (R) SS Pitching: RHP Griffin Canning (2-2, 6.14 ERA) Time: 9:38 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Red Sox vs. Canning: Rafael Devers 1-3, Kiké Hernández 1-2, Rob Refsnyder 0-1, Pablo Reyes 0-2, Raimel Tapia 2-3, Justin Turner 2-6, Alex Verdugo 0-5 Angels vs. Bello: Brandon Drury 1-1, Zach Neto 1-2, Hunter Renfroe 1-4, Gio Urshela 0-2, Taylor Ward 0-1 Stat of the day: Yoshida is hitting .360 (9-for-25) during his current six-game streak. For the season, he is hitting .308 with six homers, 29 RBIs and an .878 OPS. Notes: Since the start of 2022, the Red Sox are 30-11 against AL West opponents (5-3 this season). … Bello is 0-1 with a 16.88 ERA in one career start against the Angels. He has allowed six earned runs in 21 innings in his last four starts (2.59 ERA), after giving up eight earned runs over 7⅓ innings in his first two starts (9.82 ERA). … Canning has gone at least five innings in five of his six starts, but has yet to finish six innings. He got a no-decision in his one start against the Sox on May 14, 2021, when he allowed two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out seven in six innings. Song of the Day: Missing Persons - Walking In L.A. www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQF7FDeUePA
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Post by Kimmi on May 23, 2023 15:30:18 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 5h Atrocious game from the lineup
4 for 30. 1 run 5 hard hit balls 0 walks, 9 strikeouts 13 GB, 2 FB, 2 LD, 3 PU Yup. Frustrating when the offense can't do anything. Tip your cap to the Angels pitchers, minus Loup.
The good news is that Houck had a very nice outing.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 24, 2023 4:25:54 GMT -5
'Empty at-bats' plaguing Red Sox in current lull 2:47 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
ANAHEIM -- By the fourth inning on Saturday night, the Red Sox had a three-run lead in San Diego and were on their way to a second straight win to start their West Coast trip.
But since then, the bats have gone into a deep freeze, looking nothing like the offense that was one of the most relentless units in the Majors the first few weeks of the season.
Brayan Bello went a career-high seven innings in a stellar performance (two runs, no walks, six strikeouts) on Tuesday night, but it wasn’t enough as the Red Sox lost, 4-0, to the Angels.
The Sox (26-23) have lost three in a row and it’s no mystery why: They’ve stopped hitting.
Starting with the fifth inning of Saturday’s victory, the Sox have scored one run in their last 32 innings, going 14-for-106 (.132 average).
Angels righty Griffin Canning, who came into the night with a 6.14 ERA, was the latest starter to stifle Boston’s bats. The Red Sox had just two hits -- singles by Enmanuel Valdez and Triston Casas.
Did Canning do anything special?
“He changed speeds. Got ahead and expanded,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “We saw it yesterday, we saw it with Michael [Wacha] in San Diego. Obviously this is not us, but we have to make adjustments.”
The Red Sox, who play in the ultra-competitive American League East, have to adjust next.
“Yeah, obviously, they are looking at us and what we do, and we’re looking at their guys,” said Red Sox DH Justin Turner. “It’s a constant game of cat and mouse and obviously, we need to do a better job [Wednesday].”
A win on Wednesday would give Boston a 3-3 record on the first two legs of a trip that ends with a three-game series in Phoenix starting on Friday night.
Taking a deeper dive into what has ailed the offense, you can start with a frequency of late in ground-ball rate.
The hardest-hit ball the Sox had in Tuesday’s defeat was a double-play grounder by Masataka Yoshida that had an exit velocity of 107.1 mph, per Statcast.
“Similar to the last few days, we're not getting the ball in the air,” said Cora. “It seems like we didn't make adjustments throughout. We didn’t put pressure on them. There were a few walks here and there, but I think the last three days, obviously, we haven't done much.”
In the disappointing 2022 season, Cora often mentioned empty at-bats or empty fly balls. His team’s solid approach had erased that type of talk from his postgame interviews until Tuesday.
“I think there's a lot of pulled ground balls lately,” said Cora. “A lot of empty at-bats. First time I’ve said that this season -- there's a lot of empty at-bats. Tomorrow, we’ve got [left-hander Tyler Anderson facing us], so it's a different lineup. But when there's a righty, we have to make adjustments.”
The only fly ball that was hit well by the Red Sox on Tuesday was a Turner drive into center (104.5 mph exit velocity, .770 xBA) to lead off the ninth that was caught at the track.
With the Red Sox now 49 games into the season, Cora noted that this is the time the opponent has enough of a scouting report to alter the gameplan.
“They see our numbers and what we've done and they're going to start making adjustments and now, it's time for us to kind of slow it down and break it down,” said Cora. “And I think using the other side of the field, it will help.”
Another issue is that Boston has a sizable group of hitters slumping at the same time.
Alex Verdugo, the team’s leadoff hitter, has a slash line of .178/.275/.267 in his last 12 games, with one RBI. After starting the road trip with two bombs in San Diego, Rafael Devers, the team’s most impactful player, is 1-for-15 in the last four games. He is hitting .249 on the season and hasn’t gotten on one of his patented hot streaks yet.
Jarren Duran, one of the most pleasant surprises of the season, is 1-for-19 during his homecoming to Southern California. Rookie first baseman Casas made strides from a rough April during the first half of May but has dipped lately, mustering just three hits in his last 23 at-bats.
Sometimes, it takes just one collective big game for an offense to turn a slump into a hot streak. The Red Sox hope Wednesday will be that day.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 24, 2023 4:28:23 GMT -5
Red Sox infielder’s rehab assignment delayed slightly after some soreness
Updated: May. 23, 2023, 8:41 p.m.|Published: May. 23, 2023, 8:37 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Red Sox infielder Yu Chang (hamate fracture) was expected to begin a rehab assignment Wednesday. But it has been delayed because he felt some soreness from hitting Monday.
“So he asked for like two extra days,” manager Alex Cora said. “So let’s see how it goes and hopefully he can start one over the weekend.”
Cora also said Christian Arroyo (right hamstring strain) likely will begin a rehab assignment this weekend. Double-A Portland is home this weekend so both players are expected to report there.
Chang has been on the IL since April 25. He underwent surgery and had the left hamate bone removed. Arroyo has been on the injured list since May 7.
Rookie Enmanuel Valdez has played well at second base with Chang and Arroyo out. Kiké Hernández also has been playing shortstop at a high level with just one error in his past 15 games there.
Hernández was mostly playing center with Chang at shortstop after center fielder Adam Duvall broke his wrist. With Chang sidelined, Hernández has returned to shortstop and Jarren Duran has emerged as the everyday center fielder.
“We’ve got Valdey and Kiké's playing well at short so we’ll see,” Cora said. “We’ve got a bunch of good players now so there’s some tough decisions coming up. That’s part of this.”
Duvall is targeting a June 9 return date.
Cora said it’s never a bad thing to have too many good players.
“They’ve always said, hopefully nothing happens but something always happens and the rest of it will take care of itself,” Cora said.
Wyatt Mills’ rehab delayed
Right-handed reliever Wyatt Mills — who began the season on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation — was expected to pitch in an extended spring training game in Fort Myers sometime later in the week or next week. But that has been delayed.
“Mills, he was sore yesterday so he’s not going to throw in a game,” Cora said. “He was supposed to be down there in Fort Myers. They’re going to slow it down and see how he feels in the upcoming days and go from there.”
The Red Sox acquired Mills, a 28-year-old, from the Royals for minor league pitcher Jacob Wallace on Dec. 16.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 24, 2023 4:29:38 GMT -5
Red Sox record 2 hits in loss to LA, have scored 1 run in past 32 innings
Published: May. 23, 2023, 11:51 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Red Sox’ bats have gone silent on the West Coast.
Boston recorded just two hits in a 4-0 loss to the Angels at Angel Stadium on Tuesday.
The Red Sox have scored just one run in their past 32 innings.
They didn’t score over their final five innings of Saturday’s win. They were shut out 7-0 Sunday in San Diego, then scored only one run in Monday’s loss to Anaheim.
Triston Casas and Enmanuel Valdez delivered Boston’s only hits Tuesday.
Brayan Bello goes 7 innings
Red Sox starter Brayan Bello pitched well. He allowed just two runs, six hits and no walks while striking out six in 7 innings. Both runs came on solo homers.
Mickey Moniak led off the bottom of the first inning with a 418-foot homer off Bello. The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning when Matt Thaiss crushed a 409-foot homer off Bello.
Bello recorded 12 swings-and-misses: seven with his four-seam fastball and five with his changeup. His topped out at 97.3 mph with his 32 four-seam fastballs and averaged 96.1 mph, per Baseball Savant. Trout homers
Mike Trout’s two-run homer off Joely Rodriguez in the bottom of the eighth made it 4-0 Angels. Red Sox-Angels series finale
The Red Sox and Angels will play their series finale Wednesday at 9:38 p.m., eastern. Lefty James Paxton (1-0, 2.45 ERA) will start for Boston opposite lefty Tyler Anderson (1-0, 5.27 ERA)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 24, 2023 4:30:53 GMT -5
‘This is not us,’ Red Sox’ Alex Cora says about offense (1 run, 32 innings)
Published: May. 24, 2023, 1:22 a.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Red Sox have scored just one run in their past 32 innings.
During that stretch, Boston hitters are 14-for-106 (.132 batting average), as MLB.com’s Ian Browne noted.
Boston recorded only two hits in a 4-0 loss to the Angels here Tuesday at Angel Stadium.
“Obviously this is not us but we have to make adjustments,” manager Alex Cora said.
Cora said teams are adjusting to Boston’s offense and Red Sox hitters now must counter with their own adjustments.
“People, they watch and they see and they make adjustments,” Cora said. “I think we’re getting into the point of the (season) that sample matters. And they know what you’ve been doing the first 40 games. It’s not what you’ve done in the past. They see our numbers and what we’ve done. They’re gonna start making adjustments. And now it’s time for us to slow it down and break it down. I think using the other side of the field, it helps. I think there’s a lot of pulled ground balls lately. A lot of empty at-bats. First time I said it this season — there’s a lot of empty at-bats.”
“Empty at-bats” is a phrase Cora used often in 2022.
The Red Sox couldn’t do anything against Angels right-handed starter Griffin Canning who has a career 4.76 ERA and entered Tuesday with a 6.14 ERA and .835 OPS against in his first six starts this season. Channing tossed 7 scoreless innings.
“He changed speeds. He got ahead and then expanded,” Cora said. “We saw it yesterday. We saw it with Michael (Wacha) in San Diego.”
The Red Sox didn’t score over their final five innings of Saturday’s win. They were shut out 7-0 Sunday in San Diego, then scored only one run in Monday’s loss to Anaheim.
“Kind of similar the last two days,” Cora said. “We didn’t hit the ball in the air. Seems like we didn’t make adjustments throughout. We didn’t put pressure on them. There were a few walks here and there but I think the last three days obviously we haven’t done much.”
Several Red Sox hitters are struggling. Alex Verdugo has had just one multi-hit game since May 10. He’s 8-for-45 (.178) during that 12-game stretch. He’s 0-for-12 during Boston’s three-game losing streak.
Kiké Hernández is slashing .236/.299/.344/.643 in 44 games this season.
Jarren Duran has only 10 hits in his last 52 at-bats (.192).
Triston Casas — who had one of Boston’s two hits Tuesday — is 3-for-23 (.130) in his past seven games.
Justin Turner is 10-for-46 (.217) in his past 14 games.
“I think we’ve hit a lot of balls hard this series that aren’t getting rewarded for,” Turner said. “That’s just the way it goes. Gotta keep grinding, show up tomorrow and figure out how to win a ballgame.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 24, 2023 4:32:08 GMT -5
Jon Couture @joncouture · 5h When you miss Shohei Ohtani in the rotation and still only score one run in two games. #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 24, 2023 4:34:47 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 6h Sox offense has never been more dead.
Bello's last 5 games
28.0IP 2.57 ERA 1.25 WHIP 29 K, 9 BB
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 24, 2023 4:36:07 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 6h #RedSox are 13x97 (.134) with one run in their last 29 innings dating back to Sunday.
Pitched pretty well the last 2 nights with nothing to show for it as of yet.
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