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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 1, 2023 4:52:08 GMT -5
John Tomase @jtomase · 8h Red Sox outs above average rankings by infield position.
1B Triston Casas (35th of 38) 2B Enmanuel Valdez (43rd out of 46) SS Kiké Hernández (38th out of 40) 3B Rafael Devers (18th out of 41)
Xander Bogaerts, incidentally, is first overall at shortstop.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 1, 2023 4:54:49 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 7h 'I think it's a bad loss, really.'
'The defense seems to be a problem that doesn't have an immediate solution.'
Joe Castiglione and Will Flemming dishing cold reality about the Red Sox, who fell to the Reds tonight.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 1, 2023 5:03:46 GMT -5
Red Sox shortstop Kiké Hernández refuses to get down about his performance in the field and at the plate By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated May 31, 2023, 8:48 p.m.
In many ways, the Red Sox offseason took shape around Kiké Hernández.
Once the Sox re-signed the versatile 31-year-old last September, Hernández’s ability to play center field, shortstop, and second base guided the other up-the-middle players the team pursued first when Xander Bogaerts left as a free agent, then when Trevor Story required elbow surgery.
Hernández opened the year at short, moved to center when Adam Duvall was injured, moved to second when Jarren Duran and Yu Chang entered the lineup, then moved back to short when Chang broke his hamate bone. Hernández’s versatility has been prized as the Red Sox have tried to adapt to the shifting contours of their roster.
Still, the reality is that Hernández represents the team’s best available option at short rather than its ideal one. The fact that Chang was at short and Hernández at second in April suggests as much, as does the fact that manager Alex Cora on Tuesday reiterated that Story will return to the Sox as their shortstop.
Even so, Hernández prides himself on defensive excellence, and the Sox trusted him to stabilize their infield defense. In the aggregate, that hasn’t happened. Hernández entered Wednesday’s game against the Reds with 11 errors, most in the big leagues.
According to Statcast, his defense has cost the Sox five outs and four runs relative to an average shortstop, both third worst among qualifying shortstops. Cora noted that 10 of the errors — including two on Tuesday — have been on throws, suggesting that Hernández has shown a shortstop’s range and athleticism but hasn’t been finishing plays.
“Are you making errors because you’ve been sloppy or are you making errors because you’re getting to balls that other shortstops don’t make or are you just throwing the ball away?” Cora asked rhetorically. “I think he’s just from the throwing the ball away. That’s what it is.
“Everything has been throwing. That’s something that we cannot hide,” Cora continued, noting that despite his errors, Hernández has made enough plays that Baseball Info Solutions pegs him at “only” two runs below average. “The range and the other stuff is part of [evaluating him at shortstop], he’s been solid … We’ve just got to keep working [on better throws], obviously. There’s a few things that we have identified that we have to get better. But overall, obviously the errors are part of [the defensive performance]. We don’t like that.”
Tuesday’s multi-error game obscured what Hernández and the Red Sox had seen as more consistent defensive play at the position through most of May. He had committed just one error in four weeks entering Tuesday, before he airmailed one throw to first and fired one too hard to second in an attempt to initiate a double play.
“I’ve been settling in well, a lot better, playing under control. Yesterday, I made one bad throw and one throw a little too hard to second. It’s one game,” said Hernández. “I can’t let one game stress me out and take away what I’ve been doing the last four weeks or so. Just go out there today like yesterday didn’t happen and we’re all good.”
The Sox have no immediate plans to turn in another direction at shortstop, though change is approaching even if not near at hand. Chang could be back as soon as this coming month and Story could follow him back by July. Until either returns — at which point, Hernández could slide to second or center, or triangulate between all three up-the-middle positions — Hernández is the team’s best option at short.
Of course, Hernández’s defensive struggles would seem less impactful if he was performing offensively as he and the team had hoped. Instead, Hernández — after going 0 for 3 with a strikeout and being replaced by a pinch hitter in the eighth inning Wednesday — is now hitting .233/.308/.352.
He’d sharpened his plate discipline in recent days, walking seven times to post a .393 OBP despite a .191 average in his prior eight games. Hernández is hopeful that the improved discipline is the start of the same sort of turnaround he experienced in 2021, when he carried a .225/.287/.383 line through roughly half the season, before posting a .271/.374/.502 line from atop the order over the final three-plus months of the season.
From that precedent, Hernández sees hope for his 2023 campaign.
“I haven’t really felt great all year. I’m starting to get there,” he said. “There’s a lot of time to get your numbers to where you want them to be.
“Hopefully it turns around and I can have the season I had in ‘21. To date, my numbers are probably around the same as they were in ‘21. So I’m not really stressing about it. “Obviously, I want to do my best because it’s a big season for me, and I know that if I’m playing at my best, I can be a game-changer for this team. I want to be one of the team’s X-factors. It’s disappointing not to perform the way that you you’re capable of, but I’m just trying to stay the course.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 1, 2023 5:05:47 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK The Red Sox’ defense has been a train wreck. Is it simply due to injuries or is it baked into the roster? By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated May 31, 2023, 8:19 p.m.
Team defense was one of the concerns for this Red Sox club before the start of the season. The starters’ health, of course, was a question mark that hovered over the team entering camp. Lineup construction and the offense was another source of doubt among critics and fans.
The Sox have answered the last of those questions, despite some of their recent struggles offensively. The starters, namely Chris Sale and James Paxton, have remained healthy while displaying promise and production on the hill.
The defense? It’s been a train wreck.
“We’re not a good defensive team,” manager Alex Cora said Wednesday before another error proved costly in a 5-4 loss to the Reds. “The numbers don’t lie.”
The Red Sox have committed 35 errors, tied for the fifth most in the majors. They have committed 21 throwing errors, the second most in the majors. The club entered Wednesday ranked 29th in both defensive runs saved and 29th in defensive runs saved at second.
The numbers and struggles become even more amplified when you consider the pitching staff.
“We have a pitching staff that doesn’t have swing and miss stuff,” Cora said. “We get to two strikes and we induce weak contact, we have to make the play. When we do that, we’re really good. When we’re not making plays, we struggle.”
Kiké Hernández leads the league with 11 errors at shortstop, 10 of which have been throwing. Enmanuel Valdez, a bat-first player, has seen his share of struggles at second with Christian Arroyo on the injured list.
Rafael Devers, while improved, committed a throwing error Wednesday and doesn’t have a Gold Glove etched in his future. Masataka Yoshida is a one-dimensional player whose skill set is rooted solely in his bat.
The Sox’ issues in the field have much to do with the absence of Trevor Story, who has missed the first two-plus months as he recovers from elbow surgery. Story is the stabilizing force for this team’s defense and Cora reiterated Wednesday that when the infielder does return, he will be the starting shortstop.
Adalberto Mondesi’s absence (ACL), and to a lesser extent, Yu Chang’s hamate bone injury, have also plagued the Sox. But Story is the biggest piece of the puzzle. His return will allow the Sox to shift pieces around, beginning with Hernández’s move to either second or to center field, where he grades as elite. If the move is to center, that would allow Jarren Duran to shift to left, and Yoshida could see more time as the designated hitter. Justin Turner and Triston Casas could then split action at first based on the matchup.
The Sox have preached defense since Cora’s return for the 2021 season. So far this year, they have performed below the team’s expectations.
“You can only do what you can do,” Cora said. “It’s not like we just let them go out there and make plays or don’t make plays. We have a process. We believe in that process.” Devers back to No. 2 in lineup
The Sox have flipped Yoshida and Devers in the lineup the last few days with Devers back to his usual spot in the No. 2 hole and Yoshida batting fourth. It’s mainly centered around getting Devers going.
“I don’t think it changes the at-bat, but I know Raffy likes to hit second and just one of those that I’m like, ‘You know what, let’s put him there for a while,’ ” Cora said. “Let’s see if we can get a few pitches early on. He’s been very passive lately early in the count.”
Duvall, Arroyo, Chang on the mend
Adam Duvall (hand fracture) played center field for the WooSox in his rehab game Wednesday and went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts for the second consecutive night. . . . Christian Arroyo resumed his rehab assignment Wednesday and went 1 for 4 . . . Chang hit on the field and took grounders Wednesday during pregame. Cora said he felt pain in his surgically repaired hand on inside pitches. It’s a matter of pain tolerance before Chang, who was removed from a rehab assignment recently, resumes game action . . . Catcher Jorge Alfaro has an opt-out in his contract that will kick in Thursday. Alfaro signed a minor-league deal with the Sox ahead of spring training and is hitting .320/.364/.523 with six homers for the WooSox. While Cora acknowledged his production, he said the team is comfortable with Connor Wong and Reese McGuire behind the dish.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 1, 2023 5:13:34 GMT -5
Reds @ Red Sox Thursday, June 1rst 7pm @ Fenway
Greene 1-4/4.18
Sale 5-2/ 4.72
Chris Sale faces Reds, attempting to end Red Sox's skid FLM
The Boston Red Sox like what they've been getting from Chris Sale lately. The left-hander now gets an opportunity to end the team's three-game losing streak when he starts against the visiting Cincinnati Reds on Thursday night.
Sale, an All-Star every year from 2012 to 2018, has battled injuries during the last three seasons that limited him to 48 1/3 innings on the mound during that stretch, but he has looked like his former self during his past five starts. He went 4-0 with a 2.23 ERA in those five outings, striking out 35 and walking four in 32 1/3 innings.
"I feel like I'm trending in a good direction," Sale said following his latest start, when he pitched five innings of one-run ball during a 7-2 triumph against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. "I've been around here too long to feel like I'm on top of a mountain and all, and I've still got a lot of work to do."
Sale (5-2, 4.72 ERA) had an 11.25 ERA after his first three starts of the season, and he had allowed 25 baserunners in 12 innings. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said the turning point came after Sale tweaked his delivery before he faced the Baltimore Orioles in his fifth start of the season on April 24.
Thursday will be Sale's first career appearance against Cincinnati.
"I'm going out there and having fun again -- and not throwing every pitch with three years of hate behind it," Sale told USA Today. "I'm going out there with the attitude that today is a new day. Take it for what it is. Appreciate it, because I sure know it can be taken away."
Hunter Greene (1-4, 4.18 ERA) will take the mound for the Reds, who have won the first two games of the three-game series and are riding a five-game winning streak.
The 23-year-old right-hander was stellar in his latest outing, when he didn't allow a hit in six innings to help the Reds defeat the Chicago Cubs 9-0 on Friday. He struck out 11 and walked two.
Greene has made one career start against the Red Sox -- one year ago to the day. He took the loss after allowing four runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings as Boston won 7-1. Greene struck out seven and didn't allow a run in the first three innings of that game, but the Red Sox chased him by scoring four times in the fourth.
The Reds hung on to beat the Red Sox 9-8 on Tuesday, then rallied from a 3-1 deficit to prevail 5-4 on Wednesday.
Cincinnati manager David Bell called the Wednesday win a team effort, but he singled out reliever Buck Farmer, who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to collect his first save of the year.
"Everybody (got) in the game that was available, and Buck Farmer stepping up," Bell said. "(Closer) Alexis Diaz needed a day off. He's been pitching a lot. Buck stepped right in and showed what kind of pitcher he was. That was how it ended, but great at-bats throughout the night, good defensive plays (and) Luke Weaver with a nice start."
--Field Level Media
Reds at Red Sox Thursday, at 7:10 PM EST Clear It's expected to be 82° F with a 0% chance of precipitation and 7 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 Jun 1, 2023 8:55:51 GMT -5
The Red Sox are wasting a potential golden opportunity
By Rob Bradford WEEI 93.7 2 hours ago Getting giddy about prospects
They had seemingly landed in a semi-perfect place.
The Bruins? Done. The Celtics? Eliminated. The Patriots? Sitting in a nowhere-man's existence when it came to both the calendar and expectations.
This was the Red Sox' chance to reel in all those who were more focused on the Fenway Park concert series than whatever baseball had been played the last two months. And as those folks looked to the Boston sports landscape sky, it sure appeared as though the clouds were parting in favor of Alex Cora's crew.
The Sox certainly hadn't defined themselves as any sort of juggernaut, but there were enough signs to suggest they were a team which was worth a second glance. They had proven resilient. The record was over .500, continuing some semblance of Wild Card optimism. And it sure seemed as though things were only going to get better.
Chris Sale had become an ace once again. James Paxton has reemerged as a legitimate top of the rotation option. Adam Duvall's return was on the horizon. Masa Yoshida had proven himself as a legitimate major league hitter. Players like Enmanuel Valdez, Raimel Tapia, Rob Refsnyder, Connor Wong and Pablo Reyes were exceeding expectations. Alex Verdugo was entering into the All-Star conversation. The bullpen had the kind of certainty they were starving for a year before. And there was always going to be Rafael Devers to save the day.
And get this: On the first day the Red Sox got free and clear of all that Celtics excitement, they get to play the Reds, a team certainly perceived as one living in the lower tier of the MLB Power Rankings.
But as Wednesday turned into Thursday, all that momentum has run into a wall at a most inopportune time.
After Wednesday night's 5-4 loss to the 26-29 Reds, the Red Sox have not only fallen back into last-place in the American League East, but sit four games out of the third Wild Card spot (with three teams - Toronto, the Angels, and Seattle sitting in front of them).
And to make matters worse, the series finale has the Red Sox needing to figure out how to solve one of the most electric young pitchers in the game, Cincy's Hunter Greene. And after that? Oh, yeah. In comes the Rays for four games.
This wasn't part of the plan.
The Red Sox were supposed to be riding the wave of a successful series against the Reds on the way to having a chance at not becoming yet another Rays victim. In case you haven't paid attention, Tampa Bay has made a habit of digging holes for their opponents. It was a reality the Red Sox experienced while hitting their low-point via a Rays four-game sweep at Tropicana Field.
The Red Sox need people to believe, now more than ever.
The excitement has to stretch beyond Marcelo Mayer being promoted to Double-A, Duvall taking swings with the Worcester Red Sox, or the idea that Trevor Story will solve what might ail the Red Sox at shortstop.
In this results business, the Red Sox need results.
Fortunately there is a path to regain the good vibes last found with those two straight wins in Phoenix. Much like the first game of Arizona series - on the heels of a four-game losing streak - the Red Sox were able to reap the rewards of uncovering an actual ace in Sale. The guy who stops losing streaks and changes conversations.
It turns out, Sale is the right guy at the right time, once again.
The lefty can get the train back on the tracks in front of a Fenway crowd that is seemingly more flush with students taking advantage of $9 tickets than those desperate to be part of a pennant push. And if he does, the Red Sox will be then presented with the ultimate opportunity for punctuation - success against the best team in baseball.
The floor is yours, Red Sox. Now what are you going to do with it?
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Post by Kimmi on Jun 1, 2023 14:41:18 GMT -5
Lou Merloni @loumerloni · 8h Defense matters. Killed them last night and got them again to start this inning. Defense has always mattered. I usually think that people underrated defense way too much.
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Post by Kimmi on Jun 1, 2023 14:42:42 GMT -5
We seem to be playing down to the level of our opponent.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 1, 2023 14:49:29 GMT -5
We seem to be playing down to the level of our opponent. The piss poor play has been going on long before Cincy rolled into town.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 1, 2023 14:55:25 GMT -5
Game 56: Reds at Red Sox lineups and notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated June 1, 2023, 43 minutes ago After another one-run loss, the Red Sox will look to avoid getting swept by the Reds Thursday night. The latest defeat came after the bullpen squandered a 3-1 lead as Cincinnati rallied for a 5-4 win. The Reds have won five in a row, tying their longest winning streak of the season. This also marks the first regular-season series win over the Red Sox for the Reds in eight tries, having gone 0-5-2 previously. It was the third straight loss for the Sox, who have gone 6-7 in their last 13 games and went 13-13 in May. It will not get any easier after tonight’s game, as the Tampa Bay Rays — with their MLB-best 40-18 record — come to town for a four-game series starting Friday. Lineups REDS (26-29): Newman 3B, McLain SS, India 2B, Steer 1B, Stephenson DH, Fairchild RF, Senzel LF, Barrero CF, Casali C. Pitching: RHP Hunter Greene (1-4, 4.18 ERA) RED SOX (28-27): Verdugo RF, Devers 3B, Turner DH, Yoshida LF, Duran CF, Hernández SS, Casas 1B, Wong C, Valdez 2B. Pitching: LHP Chris Sale (5-2, 4.72 ERA) Time: 7:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Reds vs. Sale: Curt Casali 3-7, Luke Maile 2-6 Red Sox vs. Greene: Rafael Devers 1-2, Raimel Tapia 0-2, Justin Turner 2-5, Alex Verdugo 1-2 Stat of the day: The Red Sox are 2-6 in their last eight games at Fenway Park, after going 11-3 in their previous 14. Notes: Devers is the first player to record 150 homers and 200 doubles for the Red Sox before turning 27. … Masataka Yoshida has 21 multi-hit games, second in the American League to Bo Bichette’s 23. … Sale is 4-0 with a 2.23 ERA in his last five starts. This will be his first time facing the Reds. … Greene’s only previous start against the Red Sox came in a 7-1 loss in 2022 in which he allowed four runs on six hits in 3⅔ innings.
Song of the Day: Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band ( 56 Years Old today)www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFKSeV17-w0
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 1, 2023 15:03:12 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 3h
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 1, 2023 15:03:50 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 2h Red Sox offense
April, 107 wRC+ .333 OBP, .436 SLG, .769 OPS
May, 107 wRC+ .332 OBP, .433 SLG, .765 OPS
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 1, 2023 16:47:20 GMT -5
hahahahha hahahahahahahahah
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne · 1h Houck will pitch one of the doubleheader games on Sunday. Kluber is a possibility to start the other one.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 1, 2023 16:47:44 GMT -5
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne · 1h Arroyo playing again for Worcester tonight. Duvall getting the night off and will be back in there tomorrow. Cora unsure if Arroyo will be activated this weekend.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 1, 2023 17:27:38 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 19m Good seeing @shanevictorino doing some work with @nesn .
Second-highest bWAR on the '13 team. Of all the astute additions that season, none bigger than him.
Two-time WS champion, two-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glover. Heck of a career for a two-time Rule 5 pick.
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