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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2023 4:56:35 GMT -5
Red Sox’s Alex Cora tells why Alex Verdugo didn’t pinch hit during ninth
Published: May. 31, 2023, 12:02 a.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — Manager Alex Cora said before the Red Sox’s 9-8 loss to the Reds on Tuesday that Alex Verdugo was not in the lineup because he was simply giving the right fielder an off day.
“He’s been playing hard and hustling and all that stuff,” Cora said pregame. “Take advantage of the two days and be ready for tomorrow.”
But Cora admitted postgame Verdugo is feeling sick. Cora was asked if he considered using Verdugo as a pinch hitter during the ninth inning when the Red Sox scored five runs to cut a 9-3 deficit to 9-8.
“Dugie is not feeling great,” Cora replied.
Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale recently overcame the stomach bug.
Verdugo has been clutch in late-game situations this season. He leads the majors with three walkoff RBIs. He belted a walkoff homer against the Blue Jays earlier this month.
It would have been ideal to use him as a pinch hitter for either struggling Jarren Duran or Triston Casas who made the game’s final two outs.
Casas is batting .193. Duran, who had a double earlier in Tuesday’s game, went 3-for-31 with 15 strikeouts on the West Coast road trip.
The Red Sox trailed 9-7 with one out and two runners in scoring position in the ninth inning. Duran’s RBI groundout to shortstop cut it to 9-8 but put Boston down to its final out. Casas then struck out swinging to strand the tying-run at third base.
Cora expects Verdugo back in the lineup Wednesday.
“He should be OK, yeah,” Cora said.
Cora has penciled in Duran and Casas, two young (and struggling) left-handed hitters, back to back in the lineup the past three games.
Cora has used Justin Turner in the three spot, followed by Masataka Yoshida at cleanup, Duran fifth, Casas sixth and Kiké Hernández seventh.
“Where we’re at right now with all the lefties, I think that’s the best lineup we can put out there,” Cora said. “Splitting Turner and Hernández hitting seventh and having those two lefties in between them, it helps us with a few things and then with matchups later in the game. So we like what we’re doing. Jarren today had an OK day. He went the other way. That was good. ... Casas hit the ball hard in the previous at-bat. So I think that’s where we’re at right now.”
Reliever Joely Rodriguez put Boston in a big hole, walking three batters and giving up a grand slam in an ugly five-run seventh inning that gave the Reds an 8-0 lead.
Boston scored three runs in the seventh to cut it to 8-3.
Yoshida singled to lead off the eighth, then advanced to second base with one out. But Yoshida’s costly baserunning mistake ended the inning.
Casas lined out to center field. Yoshida lost track of the outs and was doubled off second base for an inning-ending 8-6 double play.
Asked if Yoshida lost track of the outs, Cora replied, “It’s obvious, yeah.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2023 4:59:38 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 8h Red Sox middle infield defense continues to underwhelm.
Just not good enough. And their alternatives were always going to be injury risks.
Joely Rodriguez doesn't look ready. Can't command anything. This appearance has been a disaster.
Red Sox can't option him. He might force them to make a decision at some point soon.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2023 5:00:59 GMT -5
Jon Couture @joncouture · 8h Yeesh. #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2023 5:06:57 GMT -5
With little margin for error in a loaded AL East, the Red Sox need everyone contributing — including their youngest pieces By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated May 31, 2023, 12:28 a.m.
It is a time for production, not promise.
A year ago at this time, Jarren Duran, Triston Casas, and Brayan Bello were all in Triple A Worcester, potentially cornerstones of the big league team’s future. All three have made significant adjustments in the intervening year to forge places in the big leagues.
Yet at a time when the needed adjustments are ongoing, there is no hiding any of them — particularly now. Thanks to their residence in baseball’s Group of Death, an American League East division that one NL evaluator recently described as the best he’s ever seen — the Red Sox can ill afford glitches if they are to sustain realistic contention.
Already, following their 9-8 loss to the Reds at Fenway Park on Tuesday, the Red Sox sat (as of the final pitch) in last place in the AL East, four games behind the Astros and Yankees in the chase for the third and final wild card spot. For the Red Sox not only to keep pace but to make up ground, they need their young talents not only to learn at the game’s most challenging level but to reliably contribute while doing so.
The Red Sox have already enacted a dramatic rotation shakeup, shifting veterans Nick Pivetta and Corey Kluber to the bullpen, in recognition of the fact that Bello is at a point where he can come into his own.
He has the talent to be a top half of the rotation pitcher, something that had been evident over his five starts leading into Tuesday, when he forged a 2.57 ERA with 29 strikeouts and nine walks in 28 innings. His repertoire — a nasty sinker and devastating changeup, complemented by a four-seamer at the top of the zone and a slider — is good enough to beat teams while working in the strike zone.
As such, Bello’s outing on Tuesday night came as a disappointment. Despite relatively little hard contact against him, he threw enough non-competitive pitches, in combination with a whopping 27 foul balls from the Reds, that his pitch count soared.
Bello required 97 pitches to navigate just four innings, and so even though he allowed just one run, the Sox were left to turn to low-leverage relievers Justin Garza, Joely Rodriguez, and Ryan Sherriff to navigate the final five innings.
“No command. A lot of pitches in four innings,” said manager Alex Cora, who did praise Bello’s ability to escape a succession of jams with minimal harm before critiquing the pitcher’s overall performance. “He was inefficient.”
While Bello is being asked to help anchor the rotation, Duran and Casas face a similar task in the lineup.
For three straight games, manager Alex Cora has employed Duran in the fifth spot in the order and Casas right behind him, partly in an effort to separate righties Justin Turner (hitting third) and Kiké Hernández (seventh) in a heavily lefthanded lineup that creates late-inning pinch-hitting opportunities with Rob Refsnyder.
In those spots, the Sox need Duran and Casas to be contributors. On Tuesday, they combined to go 1 for 10 (the one-hit being a double to left-center by Duran, the sort of opposite-field swing that the team has been hoping to see for some time), and could not come through when given a chance to complete an unlikely comeback.
When the team rallied furiously in the ninth inning, putting runners on second and third with one out in a 9-7 game, Duran grounded out. Though the grounder scored a run to make it a 9-8 game, the outcome was relatively harmless for the Reds as it provided them with another crucial out. Casas then struck out with the tying run on third to end the game.
Duran has plummeted to earth following his scorching start (.406/.444/.672 in his first 18 games). In his last 19 games — a run that coincides with a downturn for the Sox offense — he’s hitting .188/.243/.275 with 25 strikeouts and four walks, with pitchers baiting him into chasing pitches out of the zone again.
Casas, meanwhile, ranks among the bottom five qualifying first basemen in average (.193), OBP (.308), and slugging (.359). The Red Sox remain resolute that the 23-year-old’s plate discipline and thoughtful approach will eventually yield better numbers.
“We trust this kid,” said Cora. “We’re not gonna go with a rollercoaster.”
For Casas, there is some evidence of an upward general trajectory. In his last 21 games, he’s hitting .269/.342/.448. But that improvement feels somewhat hollow given that, with runners on base in the same stretch, he’s hitting .171/.205/.293.
The Sox are mired in a 7-12 slough since early May. That does not fall on any one player or even group of players. But for the team to awaken and to prove its ambitions of contention are legitimate rather than delusional, it will need steady contributions from all parts of the roster — including the young players who are still learning how to make the constant adjustments required for big league success.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2023 5:13:43 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Rafael Devers walking thin line in his approach at the plate By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated May 31, 2023, 12:17 a.m.
Rafael Devers has put together a strange season at the plate.
The Red Sox 26-year-old star has contributed in the power category, entering Tuesday tied for third in the American League in homers (13) while also posting a .498 slugging percentage.
Nevertheless, Devers is hitting just .246 with a .286 on-base percentage. Devers has never been an on-base machine. He’s known for chasing — and having success with — pitches outside the zone. It’s part of what has made him such a feared hitter.
But the low OBP is still certainly alarming.
“He hasn’t walked in months,” said manager Alex Cora Tuesday before the Sox’ 9-8 loss to the Reds at Fenway Park, a game in which Devers went 2 for 5 and drove in two. “So that’s part of the equation. Obviously, he’s an aggressive guy, but at the end of the day, you still have to control the strike zone. He’s run into some bad luck, too, but overall, I think he’s swinging a little more than usual, swinging at pitches that he usually doesn’t swing at. At the end of the day, those are tough pitches to hit.”
Devers not “walking in months” was an exaggeration by Cora. But it doesn’t feel like a hyperbole. Devers has just 10 walks on the year. His last free pass came May 9, tying the longest streak of his career without one.
Advertisement Related: Late flurry by Red Sox not enough to erase earlier misdeeds in 9-8 loss to the Reds
What can get the All-Star slugger back on track? It’s not seeking out free trips, necessarily given Devers’s aggressive profile at the plate.
“I think in general, he’s a guy that’s never going to lead the league in walks,” hitting coach Pete Fatse noted. “I think when he’s at his best, taking his walks and guys are pitching around him, and things of that nature. So I think there’s a byproduct of simple things: being on time, getting efficient, gaining confidence.”
Hitting the ball hard and seeing results ultimately will help Devers fix some of his plate discipline woes. Devers appears as if he’s trying to do too much at the plate, leading to his 38.4 percent chase rate in his first 50 games.
“I think, at the end of the day, he’s one of the most feared impact hitters in our game,” Fatse said. “We’re trying to keep him in that mind-set. Obviously [walks] should be on his mind, but when he’s executing, doing damage, and impacting the ball, that’s the most important thing for me.” Chang’s rehab derailed
Yu Chang was removed from his recent rehab assignment at Double A Portland. Chang had surgery to remove the hamate bone in his left hand last month and felt pain in the area when he returned to game action.
“He’s just sore,” said Cora. “There’s nothing structurally [wrong]. So we’ve just got to make sure he feels OK. Whenever he feels OK he’ll go out and play.”
Chang was back at Fenway Tuesday, taking grounders at shortstop and batting practice on the field with the club.
Adam Duvall (right wrist fracture) played in a rehab game for Triple A Worcester at Louisville. He went 0 for 3 in a 5-4 loss.
Christian Arroyo (hamstring strain) will begin his rehab assignment with Worcester on Wednesday. The team will assess Arroyo’s progress at the end of the week.
Richard Bleier played catch for the first time since suffering left shoulder inflammation, while Alex Verdugo was sick and got the day off. Cora believes Verdugo will be ready Wednesday.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2023 5:19:50 GMT -5
Reds @ Red Sox May 31rst 2023 7pm @ Fenway Park
Weaver 1-2/ 5.45
Paxton 1-1/ 5.14
Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at 7:10pm EDT Written by The Tower
Neither team is marooned, but the Cincinnati Reds (24-29) and Boston Red Sox (28-25) are closer to the bottom of their respective divisions than the top. This Tuesday clash will be the second of the series, as both sides try to avoid the crimson that accompanies defeat. It'll be the Reds and the Red Sox with Fenway Park's Green Monster looming large in the background. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. EDT. Let's see which teams' players will shine like rubies in the historic venue.
The Red-Hot Reds? Coming into this series, Cincinnati had gone 5-2 over their last seven games and averaged 6.7 runs per game. They put up at least five runs in six of those seven contests and finished with 25 runs in a three-game set at Wrigley. The Reds are only 16th in runs per game this season, but their lineup is raking right now. For the season, they're seventh in stolen bases and fourth in OBP. If they could hit more homers, improving upon their 28th-ranked total, Cincinnati's offense would be a force to be reckoned with. The world hasn't gotten a glimpse of that lately.
Pitching is far from Cincinnati's strength, as they enter New England 27th in team ERA. Their relievers are top-10 in ERA and FIP, so it primarily falls upon the starting rotation. Luke Weaver is up next, looking to bring down his 5.45 ERA this season. He made a step in the right direction last time out, tossing 6.1 innings of shutout ball. After allowing eight home runs through his first four starts, Weaver has only allowed one in the last three. His two best starts were also among his last three outings, so he may be getting into a groove.
Boston Back at Home Boston's nine-game swing through the west coast is over, and they're back in Beantown as the only professional franchise actively playing. After winning the first two in San Diego, the Red Sox dropped five of the final seven games. Their offense hit a rare dry spell, although it's been the source of their success this season. Only three teams average more runs per game than Boston, and the Red Sox's offensive numbers shoot up significantly at home. The team doesn't strike out often (6th in K%), and Rafael Devers (44 RBIs, 4th in MLB) is a huge threat in the heart of the lineup. With a .296/.361/.484 slash line in Fenway, the only way through Boston at home is outslugging them.
On the mound, this is a team that's still figuring it out. Their bullpen, with MLB's second-best walk rate, is 10th in ERA. That's a dramatic improvement from the 2022 Red Sox bullpen which was among baseball's worst. Rather, the Red Sox are 24th in ERA because of an incomplete rotation. James Paxton's return from injury was supposed to provide support, but he's been subpar thus far. He's allowed four homers in three starts and gave up five runs in 3.0 innings last time out. he's barely pitched since 2019, so it may be rest. Paxton has talent, but early results may be a sign that his best days are behind him.
Reds at Red Sox Wednesday, at 7:10 PM EST Clear It's expected to be 74° F with a 0% chance of precipitation and 9 MPH wind blowing out in Boston at 7:10 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2023 13:46:52 GMT -5
Game 55: Reds at Red Sox lineups and notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated May 31, 2023, 2 hours ago It was too little, too late for the Red Sox in Tuesday’s series opener against the Reds. Trailing 9-3 in the ninth inning, the Sox rallied for five runs but ultimately fell short, 9-8, for their sixth loss in eight games. It was the fourth win in a row for Cincinnati, which trails Milwaukee by three games for first place in the National League Central. Alex Verdugo missed Tuesday’s game with an illness, but manager Alex Cora said he believed Verdugo could be available for Wednesday’s game. Lineups REDS (25-29): 1. Kevin Newman (R) 3B 2. Matt McLain (R) SS 3. Jonathan India (R) 2B 4. Spencer Steer (R) 1B 5. Tyler Stephenson (R) DH 6. Stuart Fairchild (R) RF 7. Nick Senzel (R) LF 8. Jose Barrero (R) CF 9. Luke Maile (R) C Pitching: RHP Luke Weaver (1-2, 5.45 ERA) RED SOX (28-26): 1. Alex Verdugo (L) RF 2. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 3. Justin Turner (R) 1B 4. Masataka Yoshida (L) DH 5. Rob Refsnyder (R) LF 6. Jarren Duran (L) CF 7. Enrique Hernandez (R) SS 8. Enmanuel Valdez (L) 2B 9. Connor Wong (R) C Pitching: LHP James Paxton (1-1, 5.14 ERA) Time: 7:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Reds vs. Paxton: Curt Casali 0-3, Luke Maile 1-4 Red Sox vs. Weaver: Triston Casas 0-2, Rafael Devers 2-4, Jarren Duran 0-1, Kiké Hernández 2-5, Reese McGuire 1-2, Rob Refsnyder 1-1, Raimel Tapia 5-13, Justin Turner 2-7, Alex Verdugo 1-3 Stat of the day: Rafael Devers is the 35th Red Sox player in franchise history with at least 500 RBI, and at 26 years and 218 days, the fourth youngest (behind Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, and Jim Rice). Notes: The Red Sox have recorded at least nine hits in 12 of their last 13 home games, and in 20 of their 27 home games, overall. They are 14-4 all time vs. the Reds (6-2 at Fenway) and 9-12 in interleague play this season. … This is Paxton’s first time facing the Reds. He is 8-2 with a 2.03 ERA in 18 career starts in the month of May. … In three appearances against the Sox, Weaver has a 7.86 ERA and did not factor in any of the decisions. Song of the Day: Devo - Whip It www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_QLzthSkfM
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Post by Kimmi on May 31, 2023 15:00:51 GMT -5
NESN feed after the long road trip. Personally, I prefer the NESN feed over just about any other feed.
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Post by Kimmi on May 31, 2023 15:02:22 GMT -5
Red Sox’ five-run ninth-inning rally falls short, Boston loses 9-8 to Reds Updated: May. 30, 2023, 10:27 p.m.|Published: May. 30, 2023, 10:27 p.m. By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com BOSTON — The Red Sox rallied with three runs in the seventh inning and five runs in the ninth inning. But it was not enough to overcome an 8-0 deficit after six and a half innings. Reliever Joely Rodriguez put Boston in a big hole, walking three batters and giving up a grand slam in an ugly five-run seventh inning. The Red Sox lost 9-8 to the Reds on Tuesday at Fenway Park. Red Sox starter Brayan Bello had some difficulty throwing strikes in the early innings, leading to a high pitch count and a quick exit. Bello allowed just one run but lasted only 4 innings. Bello allowed five hits and two walks while striking out four. He threw 62.9% strikes (97 pitches, 61 strikes). The righty used his four-seam fastball 32 times, averaging 95.5 mph and topping out at 96.8 mph, per Baseball Savant. But he recorded zero swings-and-misses with it. He got six whiffs in all, five with his changeup and one with his sinker. The Red Sox offense failed to score in the first six innings. The Red Sox were down 8-0 after six and a half innings before the offense finally showed life. Rafael Devers took part in a three-run seventh inning rally with an RBI single. He also had an RBI single in the ninth. The Red Sox did hardly anything against Reds starter Ben Lively who went 5 ⅔ scoreless innings and allowed just four hits and two walks while striking out six. Once again, the Red Sox do just enough to reel me in and leave me broken hearted. I would have been better off if we had lost the game 8-0.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2023 19:00:43 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 3h Alex Cora: “We’re not a good defensive team right now … The numbers don’t lie.” Said the Sox are putting in the necessary work but it hasn’t translated to the field.
Cora reiterated that Story will return as SS, but that’s a way down the road.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 31, 2023 23:53:10 GMT -5
Gas Can Gang strikes again....
same old same old
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 1, 2023 4:29:16 GMT -5
Reds win series vs. Red Sox for 1st time since 1975 Fall Classic The Associated Press 7h ago
BOSTON (AP) — Spencer Steer hit a two-run homer to break a seventh-inning tie and the Cincinnati Reds took advantage of Rafael Devers' throwing error to come from behind and beat the Boston Red Sox 5-4 on Wednesday night.
“You give the opposition more than 27 outs, most of the time they’re going to score. They’re going to make you pay,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who lamented his team's poor defense before the game and then watched it hurt them again. “That play we have to make, we didn’t. And it opened the gates for them.”
Kevin Newman, Matt McLain and Nick Senzel had two hits apiece for the Reds, who have won five in a row, taking the first two of their three games in Boston to beat the Red Sox in a series for the first time since the 1975 World Series.
Ian Gibaut (5-1) pitched one inning of perfect relief for Cincinnati, which trailed 2-0 and 3-1 before scoring one in the sixth and three unearned runs off Josh Winckowski (2-1) in the seventh to take a 5-3 lead. With closer Alexis Díaz needing a break after finishing the previous three games, Buck Farmer pitched the ninth, retiring Devers on a deep fly to center to end it.
“It's an honor for them to be able to trust me like that,” said Farmer, who earned his first save of the season and the third of his 10-year career. “It’s kind of a feeling that I can’t explain. But I thank them and was happy to get it done.”
Masataka Yoshida curled a home run around the Pesky Pole and Emmanuel Valdez landed one on the shelf atop the Green Monster for Boston. Devers and Jarren Duran had RBI doubles.
Boston led 3-1 after five and 3-2 through six before Luke Maile led off the seventh with a hard chopper to third base and Devers one-hopped the throw past first baseman Justin Turner. It was Devers' fifth error of the season, and the 35th for the team in 55 games.
Newman and McLain singled to load the bases, then one run scored on Jonathan India’s double play groundout. Steer cleared the Green Monster with his eighth homer of the year to make it 5-3.
“That’s always huge,” Farmer said. “When you can tack on — and not only that, take the lead — from it and capitalize on that, it's a momentum shift. And then from then putting up zeros is huge.”
The Red Sox loaded the bases in the bottom half, but Alex Young got Turner to ground out to short to end the threat. Duran's double made it 5-4 in the eighth, but Lucas Sims got Raimel Tapia on a lineout to center and then struck out Valdez to strand Duran at second.
FOR STARTERS
James Paxton allowed one run on four hits and a walk, striking out eight in five innings for Boston. He left with a 3-1 lead. Luke Weaver gave up three runs on seven hits, striking out five in 5 2/3 innings; he averted the loss when the Reds scored one in the sixth and one in the seventh to tie it.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Newman got hit by a pitch in the ninth inning with a high fastball that was headed for his face before he got his left arm in front of it. Reds manager David Bell said he would be OK.
UP NEXT:
The teams complete their three-game series on Thursday, with Red Sox LHP Chris Sale (5-2) facing Reds RHP Hunter Greene (1-4).
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 1, 2023 4:37:42 GMT -5
Sox bullpen can't finish Paxton's strong start 2:01 AM ADT
Craig Forde
BOSTON -- Staked with a two-run lead 12 outs away from victory, the Red Sox's bullpen could not uphold a strong start from James Paxton as they fell to the Reds, 5-4, on Wednesday at Fenway Park, Boston's second straight defeat to Cincinnati.
“These are tough losses,” said Paxton, who threw 100 pitches (68 strikes) in five innings. “This is going to happen in a season, and we have to keep on taking it one game at a time and come out here and play as hard as we can, and it will turn around.”
Boston jumped out to an early lead on Masataka Yoshida's solo home run in the second inning, then tacked on another run in the bottom of the third before the Reds pulled within one in the top of the fifth inning.
The Sox would get that one right back on one swing thanks to Enmanuel Valdez, who smacked his fourth home run of the season, a solo shot to put the Sox up, 3-1.
Meanwhile, Paxton was gassing his fastball up to 98 mph, and his breaking ball was working effectively, and he allowed just one run on four hits and a walk while striking out eight.
“He pitched a great game,” Reds manager David Bell said of Paxton. “We did what we could off him, but he was pretty impressive. I know he’s a good pitcher, but he didn’t miss any spots tonight.”
“I felt good,” said Paxton, making his fourth start of the season after missing time with a right hamstring strain. “Fastball felt really good coming out. I felt the breaking ball took some steps forward. I was throwing some first pitch breaking balls for strikes like I wanted to. … They grinded out at-bats really well. They weren’t easy outs. A testament to them taking good at-bats against me.”
The Reds would continue to grind at-bats, patiently working a run off of reliever Kutter Crawford, who walked two batters and gave up an RBI single in the sixth inning before being pulled.
Josh Winckowski came in and stopped the bleeding with an inning-ending strikeout, but his return trip to the hill in the top of the seventh inning was far less successful after the frame opened with a throwing error on a ground ball to Rafael Devers.
“It’s tough,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “It’s a routine play that we have to make at this level. I always say, if you give the opposition more than 27 outs, most of the time, they’re going to score, they’re going to make you pay. That play, we have to make. We didn’t, and it opened the gates for them.”
Indeed it did, as the Reds followed with two singles and a run-scoring double play. Spencer Steer delivered the final blow, a tiebreaking two-run homer into the Monster Seats in left-center.
“They’re human,” Cora said of the bullpen. “They’ve been doing an amazing job. It’s one of those where it’s a tough one, we lost the series, so tomorrow we’ve got to come here and get one.”
Yoshida would cross the plate once more in the eighth after Jarren Duran drove him in from second with a double, bringing Boston within a run.
Then in the ninth, the Sox made two quick outs before Devers strolled to the plate and took hold of a Buck Farmer offering, sending it high and deep to center field where Nick Senzel wrangled it in against the wall for the final out.
“Honestly, I thought it was going to be a home run and he was going to tie the game,” Valdez said. “Unfortunately, it didn’t happen, and we just need to turn the page and come back tomorrow and keep working.”
“I was disappointed, but it’s already finished today,” Yoshida said. “We need to be ready for tomorrow’s game.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 1, 2023 4:48:42 GMT -5
Red Sox bullpen falters as Kutter Crawford, Josh Winckowski can’t hold lead
Updated: Jun. 01, 2023, 2:15 a.m.|Published: May. 31, 2023, 10:18 p.m.
By
Sean McAdam | sean.mcadam@masslive.com
BOSTON - For much of the season, Kutter Crawford and Josh Winckowski have been among the most effective pitchers on the Red Sox staff, offering dependable multiple-inning relief when called upon.
That was not, however, the case Wednesday night at Fenway Park.
Inheriting a two-run lead in the sixth, Crawford was touched for a run, and an inning later, Winckowski allowed three more, handing a 5-4 decision to the Cincinnati Reds. The loss was Boston’s third straight and seventh in the last nine games.
The Reds grabbed the lead for the first time in the seventh. After pinch-runner Will Benson scored the tying run on the back end of a double play, first baseman Spencer Steer cranked a two-run homer into the Monster Seats off Winckowski, who had allowed just two homers this season.
With a chance to get back into the game in the bottom of the inning, the Red Sox loaded the bases with two out. But lefty Alex Young got Justin Turner to ground out to shortstop, ending the threat.
The Sox managed to claw back to within a run on doubles from Masataka Yoshida and Jarren Duran in the eighth, but with Duran in scoring position, pinch-hitter Raimel Tapia (lineout) and Enmanuel Valdez (strikeout) failed to get the tying run home.
In the ninth, Rafael Devers drove a ball to the base of the center field wall which was hauled in for the final out of the game.
The defeat, which dropped the Red Sox to just gave over the .500 mark (28-27) was just the second this season for the Red Sox when leading after six innings.
The Red Sox had built a 2-0 lead through the first four. Yoshida’s solo homer to lead off the second put them up and a two-out, opposite-field double from Rafael Devers plated Connor Wong (single) in the third.
Valdez accounted for the third Red Sox run of the night with an opposite-field homer in the fifth, his fourth of the season.
Starter James Paxton encountered little trouble in the early innings, limiting the visitors to just two hits through the first four innings, allowing just two baserunners through the first four frames -- a one-out single to Matt McLain in the first and a two-out double to Nick Senzel in the second.
In the fifth, Cincinnati finally broke through when a two-out walk opened the door. After Jose Barrero worked a free pass, a double to left by catcher Like Maile scored him all the way from first. A single from leadoff man Kevin Newman gave the Reds runners at the corners, but on his 100th - and final - pitch of the night, Paxton fanned McLain to strand two.
It marked Paxton’s third strong start in four outings since returning from the IL last month. In three of those, he’s allowed two runs or fewer.
Sale tasked with avoiding sweep
The series concludes Thursday night as the Reds go for a three-game sweep at Fenway. Chris Sale (5-2, 4.72) will be matched against Hunter Greene (1-4, 4.18) at 7:10 p.m. The Red Sox have already been swept at home twice this season -- both times by National League opponents (Pittsburgh, St. Louis). The Red Sox are 0-8 vs. teams from the National League Central at home.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 1, 2023 4:50:28 GMT -5
Lou Merloni @loumerloni · 8h Defense matters. Killed them last night and got them again to start this inning.
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