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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 19, 2023 21:43:22 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 10m #RedSox 9, #Twins 3. That's five in a row for the Sox, now 38-35.
#RedSox have 27 XBHs in their last five games.
And 39 runs, too.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 20, 2023 4:37:50 GMT -5
Multiple heroes lift red-hot Red Sox to 5th straight win 1:57 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
MINNEAPOLIS -- A Sunday day-night doubleheader against the Yankees followed by a late-night flight to Minneapolis left the chance for the Red Sox to be a little weary as they arrived at Target Field for Monday night’s opener of a four-game series.
Perhaps winning erases fatigue. The Red Sox are back in a groove after escaping an 11-19 lull that went from May 12-June 13.
Tired or not, the Sox rolled to their fifth straight victory on Monday, downing the Twins, 9-3, for Alex Cora’s 400th victory as manager.
Here were three ingredients that keyed the win that put Boston just 1 1/2 games back in the American League Wild Card standings.
Verdugo’s latest heroics against Twins Just about every player has one team that he just torments. For Red Sox right fielder Alex Verdugo, that team is the Twins.
Perhaps the key at-bat of this game was in the top of the sixth with the bases loaded and two outs and Verdugo coming to the plate against Twins lefty reliever Jovani Moran. In the bottom of the fifth, Boston’s three-run lead had disappeared on one swing – Christian Vázquez’s first home run of 2023.
But Verdugo took away Vázquez’s chance to talk trash to his former team when he belted an 0-2 changeup into the corner in right for a bases-clearing triple that opened up a 6-3 lead.
Verdugo added insurance with an RBI single in the eighth. For the left-handed hitter, it was par for the course against the Twins. In 80 career plate appearances against Minnesota, Verdugo has a slash line of .394/.450/.690 with seven doubles, one triple, four homers and 21 RBIs.
“I don't really pay too much attention to that,” Verdugo said. “Some teams, you just hit better against, but I wasn't really too aware of it. I just know that when I come out here, I want to play well.”
Duran’s eventful night While the rest of the bats were quiet early, Jarren Duran stood out. It didn’t seem like it would be a particularly special night for him when he broke his bat into several pieces while fouling off the first pitch of the ballgame. On the next pitch, he turned a single into a double with pure hustle. It was one of three doubles he had on the night.
“I hit it pretty hard,” said Duran. “And I kind of did the same kind of thing in New York where it was just kind of in the gap where I thought I could take [second]. [Kyle Hudson], our first-base coach, we always talk about putting the pressure on.”
In his second at-bat, Duran again doubled, helping to set up his team’s first run. And he broke another bat. Contrary to the unofficial stats on NESN, Duran broke two bats in the game, not four.
“Yeah, my dad texted me and said, ‘You broke four bats.’ I was like, ‘No, I only broke two,’ so I don’t know where the announcers were getting four from,” said Duran. “[Justin Turner] is supplying the wood right now, so I have to buy him some gifts for that.”
Turner provided comedy for the entire dugout after that second busted piece of wood.
“Every time I broke a bat, it was like I was going to my disappointed father anytime I’d look in the dugout,” said Duran. “After the second one, he was standing on the end of the railway holding his whole bat bag, like, shaking it at me, and I was on second base.”’
Duran’s third double was the big one, a two-run knock with two outs in the fourth that opened Boston’s lead to 3-0.
Paxton stands out again Lefty James Paxton continues to be a big storyline for the Red Sox in his comeback after not pitching for two full seasons.
Though Paxton did have the one blemish on the homer by Vázquez, he was again outstanding. Over 6 1/3 innings, Paxton (3-1, 3.29 ERA) allowed three hits and three runs while walking one and striking out seven. Paxton has yielded three runs or fewer in six of his seven starts.
With Chris Sale out indefinitely after suffering a stress reaction in his left shoulder on June 1 and Tanner Houck on the injured list for an unspecified amount of time after suffering a facial fracture, Paxton’s importance is huge at this point of the season.
“It’s huge,” said Cora. “We've been seeing this for the last month. It’s six, seven innings. He’s a horse. He’s a big kid that can do that. You know, obviously we have to take care of him. He’s an important part of what we’re trying to accomplish.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 20, 2023 4:40:13 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Houck to be examined Tuesday June 19th, 2023
June 19: RHP Tanner Houck (facial fracture) to see doctor on Tuesday The Red Sox hope to have more of an update on Houck, who was hit just under his right eye by a batted ball on Friday night, when he has a followup with a doctor on Tuesday. At this point, the Sox aren't sure if Houck will need surgery or how long he might be out. They hope to know more after his exam. At this point, the club is cautiously optimistic the righty starter won't be out for an extended period.
"First things first, [Houck is] blessed that it wasn’t worse," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "He's been able to get some rest the last few days. It was kind of hard in the beginning. You know, talking to doctors [and] all that, hopefully it's not that bad and he can actually join us sooner rather than later.”
LHP Joely Rodríguez (left shoulder inflammation) Expected return: Possibly this week Lefty reliever Rodríguez will start a Minor League rehab assignment on June 20 with Triple-A Worcester. Rodríguez threw off the main mound at Fenway Park on June 16. There's a chance he will be activated by the Red Sox during the road trip that concludes on June 25 in Chicago. Rodríguez is serving his second stint on the injured list this season, this one due to left shoulder inflammation that has prevented him from pitching for Boston since May 31. (Last updated: June 19)
INF Yu Chang (left hamate fracture) Expected return: Late June/Early July Chang is in a holding pattern as he continues to feel some discomfort in his surgically repaired left wrist that started to develop during his abbreviated Minor League rehab assignment. The hope was that Chang would return to the field in the Minors during the week of June 19. Chang played one game for Double-A Portland on May 26 and three for Triple-A Worcester from June 6-8. (Last updated: June 19)
LHP Richard Bleier (left shoulder inflammation) Expected return: July Bleier is starting to improve and recently resumed throwing off flat ground. He will need to progress to mound work before the Red Sox gain a better idea of his timetable to return to the club. (Last updated: June 19)
SS Trevor Story (right UCL surgery) Expected return: July or August Originally, Story was going to travel with the Red Sox to continue his rehab on their road trip. But he decided he'd be more productive staying back in Boston and ramping up his hitting program. Story is throwing from a distance of 120 feet. His goal is to play shortstop for the Red Sox at some point in August and perhaps return as a designated hitter in July. (Last updated: June 19)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 20, 2023 4:44:50 GMT -5
Alex Verdugo has big hit, 4 RBIs as Red Sox beat Twins for 5th straight win
Published: Jun. 19, 2023, 10:32 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
MINNEAPOLIS — Alex Verdugo continues to be a certified Twin killer.
Verdugo, who entered Monday’s series opener at Target Field with a .388 average and a 1.112 OPS in 18 games against Minnesota, had the game-winning hit and four total RBIs for the Red Sox, who beat the Twins, 9-3, to extend their winning streak to five games. Verdugo’s three-run triple broke a tie in the sixth inning before Triston Casas broke things open with a two-run homer an inning later as the Sox made sure another strong James Paxton outing did not go to waste.
Paxton continued his strong stretch of starts, holding to Minnesota to three runs (all on a Christian Vázquez homer in the fifth) and three hits while striking out six batters in 6 ⅓ innings. Before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the sixth, Jarren Duran had three straight doubles and two RBIs. The Sox improved to 38-35, marking the first time they’ve been three games over .500 since June 3.
Boston opened the scoring in the third when Twins starter Pablo López walked Adam Duvall with the bases loaded, then added two more when Duran’s third double of the game scored Connor Wong and Pablo Reyes. Nursing a three run lead in the fifth, Paxton made his only mistake of the night as Vázquez got revenge on his longtime former team with a three-run homer — his first in 162 plate appearances this season — to tie things up.
The Sox’ potent-of-late lineup didn’t take long to take the lead back. With runners on second and third and two outs, pinch-hitter Rob Refsnyder walked to load the bases for Verdugo, who laced a three-run triple down the right-field line. An inning later, Casas’ eighth homer of the year (a 110.8 mph blast to right field) made it 8-3. A Verdugo RBI single in the eighth made it a six-run advantage.
Paxton improved to 3-1 with a 3.29 ERA in seven starts this season. Josh Winckowski and Justin Garza combined for the final 2 ⅔ scoreless innings, combining to strike out four.
Offense keeps rolling
The Red Sox continued their breakout of a prolonged offensive slump and have now scored 46 runs in their last six games. That’s good for an average of 7.7 runs per game.
Crawford looks to keep streak going
On Tuesday night, right-hander Kutter Crawford (1-3, 4.20 ERA) will make his third start since rejoining the rotation in place of the injured Chris Sale. The Twins will send righty Bailey Ober (4-3, 2.65 ERA) to the mound. First pitch is at 7:40 p.m. ET.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 20, 2023 4:46:27 GMT -5
Red Sox’s Alex Cora explains what 400th managerial win means to him
Updated: Jun. 19, 2023, 11:54 p.m.|Published: Jun. 19, 2023, 11:43 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
MINNEAPOLIS — The visiting clubhouse at Target Field smelled like champagne late Monday night after the Red Sox beat the Twins. There was reason for manager Alex Cora to celebrate.
Boston’s series-opening 9-3 win over the Twins was the 400th of Cora’s managerial career. He became just the ninth manager in franchise history to reach the mark. Among managers to win 400 games with the Red Sox, Cora ranks third in win percentage behind only Don Zimmer (.575, 411-304) and Terry Francona (.574, 744-552). He’s 400-321 (.555) in his stints with the Sox from 2018-19 and 2021-23.
After the game, Cora explained what the feat meant to him.
“I’ve got to thank my family because they’ve grinded with me since Day 1,” Cora said. “I put them in a bad situation a few years ago (getting suspended for the 2020 season) and the fact that they are here, it means a lot. Angelica (girlfriend) is here, the boys (5-year-old twins Xander and Isander) are here. My mom texted me already.
“Like I told the guys, it has been a lot of players, a lot of coaches, different front offices. Same ownership. The fact they trusted me in Nov. 2017 and then after the suspension, they trusted me again. Here we are. It took a while. 300 wins here and now 400 is here. It took a lot longer than we expected but we’ll keep grinding and I’ll tip my hat to everyone who has been part of this.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 20, 2023 4:50:50 GMT -5
J.P. Long @soxnotes · 13h Lowest team ERA since June 9: 1. Red Sox (2.39) 2. Giants (2.79) 3. Mariners (2.89)
Lowest team WHIP since June 9: 1. Red Sox (1.02) 2. Mariners (1.07) 3. Phillies (1.13)
In his last 4 starts, James Paxton has posted a 2.22 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and .189 opponent AVG with 32 K, 5 BB, and 1 HR.
5.0 IP, 1 ER, 8 K 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 9 K 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 8 K 6.1 IP, 3 ER, 7 K
Overall, Paxton has a 3.29 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, .210 opponent AVG, and 11.97 SO/9.0 IP.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 20, 2023 4:52:31 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 7h Alex Cora picks up his 400th win as Red Sox manager.
Boston would be considerably worse without him in charge. Their shortcoming is talent, not dugout direction.
Let's see if they can extend this current hot streak. Good start to the road trip.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 20, 2023 5:07:26 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK With injured starters and a lack of depth in minors, Red Sox keep Kutter Crawford in rotation to face Twins By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated June 19, 2023, 8:49 p.m.
MINNEAPOLIS — The statistics are impossible to ignore.
Kutter Crawford has a 1.66 earned run average over 21⅔ innings as a reliever this season and a 7.11 ERA over 19 innings as a starter.
The obvious solution would be to keep the 27-year-old righthander in the bullpen. But with Tanner Houck and Chris Sale on the injured list and the team lacking starter depth in Triple A, Crawford is in the rotation and scheduled to face the Twins on Tuesday night.
Crawford threw only 53 of his 80 pitches for strikes when he faced the Rockies last week. He walked three over four innings and took the loss at Fenway Park.
“The mind-set should be the same as coming in from the bullpen,” manager Alex Cora said Monday, before the Sox won the series opener, 9-3, at Target Field. “Throw your best pitches as much as possible with a lot of conviction … don’t start thinking about five innings or six.”
Rather than trying to set hitters up for at-bats later in the game, Cora wants Crawford to attack hitters.
“The mentality should be [throwing] my best pitch in that moment,” Cora said. “Just be aggressive.”
Crawford, who started throughout the minors, is focused on being more efficient.
“Get ahead and stay ahead,” he said. “I know I need to throw strikes. I feel like the work we’re doing has been productive.”
Crawford will oppose Bailey Ober, a righthander who has a 2.65 ERA over 10 starts. Ober has faced the Sox twice in his career and pitched 11 innings without allowing an earned run. Houck to see specialist
Houck, who was struck on the right side of his face by a batted ball in Friday’s win at Fenway over the Yankees, is scheduled to be examined by a Boston-based specialist Tuesday to get a further assessment of his injuries.
To date, the team has been sparse with information, saying only that Houck has a “facial fracture.”
“We have no idea what’s next,” Cora said. “Honestly, if there’s multiple fractures there we’ll know more [Tuesday].”
Houck was in the clubhouse on Sunday but was not made available to speak to reporters. He told teammates he is hopeful of not missing an extended period. Casas holding on to job
Last Tuesday, Cora said the Sox would prioritize defense and give less playing time to Triston Casas at first base and Kiké Hernández at shortstop.
But Casas has started four of the six games since with Justin Turner starting the other two. He started at first base on Monday and was 2 for 5 with a two-run homer, raising his OPS to .730.
The Sox did carry through with their plans at shortstop. Pablo Reyes has started five of six games with Hernández getting a start in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader against the Yankees.
Reyes was purchased from Oakland on May 12 after being designated for assignment while in Triple A. He has hit .308, albeit with little power, and played solid defense at shortstop. In Monday’s win, he was 2 for 3 with a walk and scored three runs. Weekly awards go to … Greenville
High A Greenville swept the South Atlantic League weekly honors as Blaze Jordan was named player of the week and Dalton Rogers pitcher of the week.
Jordan, a third-round pick in 2020, was 13 of 26 with 4 doubles, 3 homers, 10 RBIs, and 6 walks. The 20-year-old corner infielder is hitting .323 with a .925 OPS through 58 games.
Rogers, who was taken in the third round of last year’s draft, threw six no-hit innings against Greensboro on Wednesday, striking out 11 and allowing only a walk. The 22-year-old lefthander is 1-1 with a 2.61 ERA in 10 starts for Low A Salem and Greenville. Milestone victory No. 400
The victory was Cora’s 400th with the Sox. He’s the ninth manager in team history to hit that mark and needs only 33 more to pass Don Zimmer (411), Jimy Williams (414), and John Farrell (432) for sixth place … The Sox signed 33-year-old righthander Kyle Barraclough out of the independent Atlantic League and assigned him to Triple A Worcester. Barraclough made 288 major league relief appearances with five teams from 2015-22. He was 1-0 with a 1.00 ERA in seven games (two starts) with the High Point, N.C., Rockers … Trevor Story initially planned to join the team on the road but elected to stay behind to continue rehab work on his elbow. After spending most of the season in Fort Myers, Fla., the infielder will now be in Boston until he starts a minor league rehab assignment. That should be sometime in July … Closer Kenley Jansen is wearing a brace on his right knee for pregame work but not using it in games. He tweaked his knee earlier this month while making a pitch … Lefthander Joely Rodriguez is scheduled to make a rehab appearance with Worcester on Tuesday at Polar Park. The reliever is returning from shoulder inflammation.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 20, 2023 5:13:36 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Twins Tuesday, June 20th 2023 8:30pm @ Target Field
Crawford 1-3/ 4.20
Ober 4-2/ 2.65
Red Sox put 5-game winning streak on line vs. Twins FLM
Everything is clicking for the Boston Red Sox, who have outscored their opponents 40-14 during their current five-game winning streak.
Boston will look to maintain its momentum when it continues a four-game series against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday in Minneapolis.
Alex Verdugo drove in four runs and Triston Casas belted a two-run homer in Boston's 9-3 win over Minnesota on Monday. Jarren Duran added three doubles and two RBIs.
Alex Cora, who recorded his 400th victory as the Red Sox's manager on Monday, said the team's recent offensive output has been building for several weeks.
"The line was moving before we started scoring runs the last few days," Cora said. "Now we're getting the big hits, so hopefully the fun starts."
While Boston is receiving contributions from throughout the order, Minnesota's offense is becoming a source of concern. Byron Buxton is mired in an 0-for-24 slump for the Twins, who have lost four of their past five.
"Baseball is a hot and cold game, and we're kind of lukewarm right now," Twins infielder Kyle Farmer said. "We've just got to keep playing and putting good at-bats together and stick to our routines and keep working."
Minnesota will aim to bounce back against Boston right-hander Kutter Crawford (1-3, 4.20 ERA), who is set to make his sixth start of the season. Crawford returned to the rotation earlier this month after Chris Sale landed on the injured list with a stress reaction in his scapula.
Crawford allowed four runs over four innings in a no-decision against the Colorado Rockies on June 13.
Crawford owns a 5.40 ERA in seven home games (three starts) this season compared to a 2.60 mark in six appearances (two starts) away from Fenway Park. He is 0-1 with a 12.00 ERA in two career games (one start) vs. Minnesota.
Right-hander Bailey Ober (4-3, 2.65 ERA) will get the nod for the Twins. He earned a win on Wednesday after allowing two runs and striking out seven over six innings in a 4-2 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Ober has pitched at least five innings in each of his 10 starts this season, compiling a 54-to-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.86) over that stretch.
Ober will be facing the Red Sox for the third time in his career after not allowing an earned run in his previous two starts covering 11 innings.
Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli is looking for an improved effort on Tuesday after his team struck out 11 times and had just one extra-base hit -- Christian Vazquez's three-run homer -- in the series opener.
"One of these days we're going to show up and this is going to flip on us, but not everything is up to chance. It's up to us," Baldelli said. "We have our work cut out for us, and we have to figure it out because we aren't playing well."
The Twins will need a strong game at the plate to keep pace with Boston, which is averaging 7.7 runs per game in its past six games. Verdugo is 17-for-43 (.395) with seven RBIs during his 10-game hitting streak.
"Just kind of keep the next guy going and just timely hitting, I think that's the big thing," Verdugo said. "We were getting a lot of hits, but getting the runners in is what we're trying to pride ourselves with."
--Field Level Media
Red Sox at Twins Tuesday, at 7:40 PM EST Clear It's expected to be 90° F with a 0% chance of precipitation and 11 MPH wind blowing right to left in Minneapolis at 7:40 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com
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Post by Kimmi on Jun 20, 2023 7:53:47 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · The pitch modeling metric Stuff+ grades out Bello's changeup as an 81 this year, with 100 being average. Last night, it graded out as a 62.
Bello's changeup this year .211 BA, .246 SLG .185 xBA, .234 xSLG 43% Whiff%
I would love to understand the disconnect. I don't get it either. I read up on the stat a little bit, and I still don't get how Bello's changeup is graded below average.
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Post by Kimmi on Jun 20, 2023 7:56:59 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 3m Christian Vazquez's first HR as a Twin naturally ties the game against the Red Sox.
Vazquez had one HR in his previous 91 games and 282 ABs before tonight I've said it before - our former players always seem to "take revenge" on us when they play us. Thankfully, Vazquez' HR did not cost us the game, but at the time that it happened, it stung.
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Post by Kimmi on Jun 20, 2023 7:58:09 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 10m #RedSox 9, #Twins 3. That's five in a row for the Sox, now 38-35.
#RedSox have 27 XBHs in their last five games.
And 39 runs, too. The offense is finally again scoring runs like they should be doing. Great pitching also. Another good start by Paxton.
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Post by Kimmi on Jun 20, 2023 8:00:11 GMT -5
Alex Verdugo has big hit, 4 RBIs as Red Sox beat Twins for 5th straight win
At the beginning of that at bat, I was thinking how nice a bases clearing double would be. OK, I'll take a bases clearing triple.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 20, 2023 8:16:30 GMT -5
Is patience about to pay off for the Red Sox?
By Rob Bradford WEEI 93.7 an hour ago
Maybe it will take a turn for the worse. But for now, the Red Sox have to like the way things are trending.
Part of that upward mobility conversation has to do with the team, which has now won five straight after its 9-3 win over the Twins at Target Field and sits just 1 1/2 games out of the final Wild Card spot.
But another piece of the puzzle that has allowed for the optimism is something that surfaced Monday night. That was the effectiveness of Jarren Duran and Triston Casas. And throw in James Paxton and Alex Verdugo to the mix, while you're at it.
In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, "To lose patience is to lose the battle." At least for the time being, the Red Sox are winning.
Duran is the former top prospect, whose roller coaster of a career was starting to make too many starting to feel uneasy up until recently. A 1.061 OPS in April turned into .670 in May. But now, the outfielder is seemingly paying off on his promise, collecting three doubles in the latest win while hitting .326 with an .885 OPS this month.
As for Casas, the guy who was supposed to be benched - a fate that lasted one day - he lived up to his word from Sunday night. He was a difference-maker. After blasting his eighth home run of the season, Monday night, the first baseman is now hitting .273 with an .894 OPS in June, drawing almost as many walks (12) as strikeouts (13).
Verdugo, of course, might be the most important payoff for patience, sitting on the cusp of an All-Star appointment after three seasons of uncomfortably living under the shadow of the Mookie Betts trade. After his fifth straight multi-hit game, the outfielder is hitting .303 with an .844 OPS.
And, finally, there is Paxton, the pitcher who the Red Sox basically paid in 2022 to only pitch in 2023. The payoff was frankly been more than the team could have asked for so far, with the lefty compiling a 3.29 ERA with a .210 batting average and .640 OPS against. There have also been 51 strikeouts and just 11 walks in 38 1/3 innings. This time around, his only blemish came courtesy a Christian Vazquez three-run homer, with Paxton going 6 1/3 innings on the way to the win.
Maybe all the waiting, patience and perseverance is about to culminate in a very real run by the Red Sox. It happened a year ago, going 20-6 in June before watching the wheels fall off the following month.
“Patience is the best remedy for every trouble.” —Plautus.
At least it was Monday night.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 20, 2023 13:15:17 GMT -5
The Red Sox are on fire, and no one's hotter than manager Alex Cora Several of Cora's bold decisions have helped snap Boston out of a recent funk. Published 2 hours ago • Updated 2 hours ago NBC Universal, Inc.
Alex Cora is riding a heater.
Every recent decision the Red Sox manager has made is paying off, and he's as big a reason as any that the Red Sox have ripped off five straight wins at exactly the moment when their season appeared to be teetering on the edge of oblivion.
One week ago, Cora made a series of changes to his starting lineup to prioritize defense. That meant moving one of his favorite players, Kiké Hernández, off shortstop. It meant benching rookie slugger Triston Casas at first base in favor of veteran Justin Turner. It meant giving everyday at-bats to the unheralded Pablo Reyes, a glove-first defender up the middle.
The results speak for themselves. The Red Sox have made only three errors during the winning streak, compared to 16 in the 16 games that preceded it. Not only are they playing cleaner, they're making some game-saving plays, too, like Jarren Duran's running catch in the triangle to rob New York's Anthony Rizzo during a recent sweep of the Yankees, or a leaping snare up the middle by Reyes the same day.
If that's all Cora had done, the Red Sox would be benefiting, but there's more. He was criticized for sitting Rafael Devers the day after Devers broke out of a long slump with a two-homer game vs. the Rockies. The Red Sox won the series finale without him and haven't lost since. Meanwhile, Devers received two days off to recharge.
Since the return of slugging center fielder Adam Duvall, Cora has continued to find at-bats for Duran, an explosive youngster who had just started to cool. Duran is 6 for his last 10 despite no longer starting every day, including three hustle doubles in Monday's 9-3 victory over the Twins.
In previous years, the Red Sox might have sent Duran back to Triple A to get consistent at-bats. The 26-year-old is well past that point, though, and Cora recognized it. Finding at-bats for his three center fielders -- Duvall, Duran, and Hernández -- isn't easy, but Cora is keeping everyone active. Duran benefits because he remains engaged on a daily basis. It's a good problem to have.
Meanwhile, Cora's moves at first base have ignited both Casas and Turner. The former has quietly been on a tear all month, culminating in Monday's long insurance homer, but he also has settled down with the glove since booting a ball vs. the Rockies that cost the Red Sox a game in extra innings and prompted Cora's realignment. Turner has started twice at first base and recently delivered a two-homer, six-RBI game vs. the Yankees. He's not showing his age (38) in the least.
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