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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 30, 2023 1:55:02 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Blue Jays Friday, 30th June 2023 7pm @ Rogers Center
Paxton 3-1/ 3.19 vs
Berrios 8-5/3.60
Friday, June 30, 2023 at 7:07pm EDT Written by Chris King A pair of AL East rivals do battle as they open up a weekend series in search of a win north of the border. The Boston Red Sox are on the road as they play the first game of a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays Friday night. Boston closed a three-game home set against the Marlins Thursday night hoping to avoid a sweep: they were beaten 6-2 Wednesday night in the middle game of the series. Toronto played the rubber game of their three-game series with the Giants at home Thursday night. The Blue Jays earned a 6-1 victory in the middle game of the set Wednesday night. In the first series between the teams this season, the Red Sox swept all four games between May 1-4 at Fenway Park.
Boston Red Sox Trying to Gain Ground in AL East Boston dropped their fourth straight and their sixth in the last seven games as they were knocked off by Miami for the second straight night Wednesday. The Red Sox entered Thursday 40-41 on the year and stood in the basement of the AL East, 14 games behind Tampa Bay for the top spot in the division. On Wednesday, Boston got two hits each from Rob Refsnyder, Rafael Devers (two runs, RBI) and Jarren Duran (RBI) though it wasn’t enough to avoid the loss. Devers hit his 19th homer of the season in a losing effort for the Red Sox. Kaleb Ort started but didn’t factor in the decision as he threw two innings, allowing one run on two hits with no walks and one strikeout. Nick Pivetta (4-5) took the loss in relief as he allowed two runs on one hit with two walks and seven strikeouts in 3.1 innings of work.
James Paxton is on the mound for the Red Sox as he logs his ninth start of the season in this contest. He comes in 3-1 with a 3.19 ERA, a 1.016 WHIP, 11 walks and 54 strikeouts over 42.1 innings of work this season. Paxton didn’t factor in the decision in his last start, which came against the White Sox on the road Saturday. He threw four innings, allowing one run on two hits with no walks and three strikeouts in a game the Red Sox eventually lost 5-4. His start was cut short by knee soreness but he is confident that he’ll make this start. In his last three starts, Paxton is 1-0 with a 2.20 ERA, a 0.67 WHIP, two walks and 18 strikeouts over 16.1 innings of work. Paxton makes his 11th career start against the Blue Jays in this contest. He comes in 5-3 with a 4.53 ERA, a 1.329 WHIP, 26 walks and 48 strikeouts over 55.2 innings of work against them. Paxton is 4-1 with a 3.93 ERA, a 1.136 WHIP, 18 walk and 28 strikeouts over 34.1 innings in six career starts at Rogers Centre.
Toronto Blue Jays Hoping To Start Series on Positive Note Toronto rebounded after being blanked in the opening game of their set with the Giants by taking the middle game of the series Wednesday night. The Blue Jays entered Thursday 44-37 on the season and stood fourth in the AL East, 10 games behind the Rays for the top spot. On Wednesday, Toronto finished with 12 hits as George Springer (run, RBI) led the way with three while Danny Jansen (RBI) had a pair. Trevor Richards didn’t factor in the decision as he threw three scoreless innings, allowing one hit with one walk and five strikeouts. Bowden Francis (1-0) earned the win with four innings of relief, allowing one run on four hits with no walks and two strikeouts.
Jose Berrios takes the ball for the Blue Jays as he logs his 17th start of the season in this contest. He comes in 8-5 with a 3.60 ERA, a 1.221 WHIP, 28 walks and 87 strikeouts over 95 innings of work this season. Berrios earned the win in his last start, which came Saturday at home against the A’s. He threw six innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in a game Toronto won by a 7-3 score. In his last three starts, Berrios is 2-1 with a 3.57 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, four walks and 17 strikeouts over 17.2 innings of work. Berrios makes his 12th career start against the Red Sox in this contest. He is 1-5 with a 4.15 ERA, a 1.415 WHIP, 19 walks and 66 strikeouts over 65 innings of work against them. Berrios is 16-5 with a 3.34 ERA, a 1.126 WHIP, 35 walks and 182 strikeouts over 183 innings in 31 career starts at Rogers Centre.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 30, 2023 1:58:43 GMT -5
Rest of week-end
July 1rst- 3pm
Crawford 2-4/4.01 vs Kikuchi 7-2/3.75
July 2nd 1:30pm
Whitlock 4-3/5.15 vs Gausman 7-4/ 3.01
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 30, 2023 1:59:57 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 3h The Red Sox have scored 11 runs in their last 7 games, tied for their fewest over a 7-game stretch since 1981. They scored 4 runs while getting swept by the Marlins.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 30, 2023 2:01:24 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 1h The Red Sox have not had a lead since the third inning on Sunday. They haven’t won since last Friday.
They have played 33 innings and counting without having a lead and have been outscored 22 to 3.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 30, 2023 6:11:24 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Rehabbing Red Sox lefty Chris Sale gets the go-ahead to resume throwing By Varun Shankar Globe Correspondent,Updated June 29, 2023, 4:40 p.m.
Chris Sale got good news Thursday: He can throw again.
The Red Sox pitcher, who has been on the injured list since June 2 with a stress reaction in his shoulder blade, had an MRI and was told he can begin throwing every other day from 60 feet as he continues his rehab. He started that regimen Thursday and said he felt good.
Sale had been moved to the 60-day injured list on June 9, making Aug. 1 the earliest he could return. While he and manager Alex Cora declined to give a timetable, Sale said he didn’t want to be on the list any longer than necessary.
“It’s been enough time,” he said.
This injury is another in a long list of ailments that have plagued the 34-year-old lefthander in recent years. In 2019, he underwent Tommy John surgery, which kept him out of the shortened 2020 season and much of the 2021 campaign. In 2022, he pitched just 5⅔ innings because of illness, a broken finger, and a broken wrist.
After making at least 25 starts each season from 2012-19, Sale has made just 22 starts since.
“Not fun,” Sale said of his most recent stint on the injured list. “You almost don’t even feel like you’re part of the team at times. You’re not traveling, not playing, showing up to just work out and lift weights.”
That made Thursday’s step — however incremental — feel that much better.
“It’s big for me personally just because it’s baseball stuff,” said Sale. “I’m a baseball player, and showing up to a baseball field to not do anything baseball-related is not fun.
“To be able to show up and actually feel like I’m doing something to better myself, to hopefully sooner rather than later help this team, is good. Throwing is better than not throwing, that’s for damn sure.”
Sale struggled to start this season, posting an 8.22 ERA across his first five starts. But in his next six, he found the form that made him a seven-time All-Star, with a 2.25 ERA.
The lefthander believes he can replicate those results soon after returning because his layoff would be shorter than it has been with previous injuries.
“I think maybe not day one, pitch one, but I think it’ll be quicker,” he said. “Now that I’m moving my arm, I can start doing some dry stuff again and just start working on my mechanics and my delivery and stuff like that.
“So when that time does come, I’m not where I was to start the year. Hopefully I pick up where I left off and we just kind of keep rolling.” Cut that out
Brayan Bello, searching for a pitch he could throw inside to lefties for strikes, experimented with a cutter during his June 23 start against the White Sox. He threw the pitch nine times, per Baseball Savant, the same amount he threw his slider.
The pitch averaged 30 inches of vertical break, 14 less than his slider has this season.
It generated just one swing-and-miss. While Cora appreciated the confidence his young starter displayed in debuting the pitch, he didn’t think it was polished enough to use against major league hitters.
“One was good,” Cora said. “If two of those cutters, they go out of the ballpark, I’m the one that has to answer the questions.
“He’s going to keep working on it and there’s going to be certain spots that he might use it. But it’s a work in progress.”
Bello allowed just one earned run in seven innings Thursday, striking out five and carrying a no-hitter into the eighth inning. He threw four cutters — this time the pitch drew a much more favorable reaction from the Sox manager.
“They were good actually,” Cora said. Live arm
Lefthander Richard Bleier (shoulder inflammation) threw four at-bats of live bullpen Thursday … Trevor Story threw on the Fenway infield, with Cora saying the shortstop’s mechanics looked good. His rehab from a modified version of Tommy John surgery brings unique concerns; unlike with a pitcher, the Sox can’t be sure a rehab game will require Story to test his arm … John Schreiber (right teres major strain) will be with the Sox sooner rather than later, per Cora, but not before the All-Star break … James Paxton is good to start Friday at Toronto … Cora said Pablo Reyes (abdominal strain) will begin rehab games Monday … Connor Wong was in the lineup to catch his 60th game Thursday, more than double his previous career high in the majors. He has played in every game since June 18, in part because of Reese McGuire’s injury. Wong will likely get Saturday off, Cora said … Adam Duvall also will likely get an off-day Friday. Cora said the outfielder is slowly getting more comfortable and that he’s pleased with Duvall’s latest at-bats ... Dorchester native and NBA champion Bruce Brown threw out the first pitch for Thursday’s game … Former Red Sox Mookie Betts (RF) and J.D. Martinez (DH) were both named National League All-Star game starters. The Red Sox will not have any.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 30, 2023 11:50:33 GMT -5
Jon Couture @joncouture · 3h Anatomy of a slump:
In #RedSox last six games, Christian Arroyo has seen 56 pitches. He's swung at 39 — a whisker under *70 percent*. He's missed on 14 swings — more than a third.
He's 1 for 16 with six strikeouts. Ton of effort for little production.
Team story of the moment.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 30, 2023 13:12:43 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 4h Red Sox wins and losses. The level of back-and-forth whiplash is unbelievable. It would be incredibly typical for these players to now play well against Toronto and Texas and then play down and get embarrassed by Oakland, Chicago, and Oakland again.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 30, 2023 13:24:14 GMT -5
Game 83: Red Sox at Blue Jays lineups and notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated June 30, 2023, 10:00 a.m. The Red Sox are hoping a weekend getaway ahead of the holiday will do them some good. (Baseball players, they’re just like us!) After Thursday night’s 2-0 loss to the Marlins, the Sox are off to Toronto for a three-game series with the Blue Jays. They will enter the weekend on a five-game losing streak, despite Brayan Bello’s seven no-hit innings in the finale against Miami. The bats again came up short, and the Sox have scored a total of four runs in the last four games. In their last eight games, they are batting .184 (42-for-228) with 11 runs (1.4 per game) and nine extra base hits (1.1 per game). They batted .313 with 60 runs and 39 extra base hits in their previous nine. A trip out of town to face an American League foe might just be what the Sox need, as they are coming off having been swept for the fifth time this season, including three at home, all to National League teams. After this weekend, the Sox will be off on Monday before returning to Fenway for a pair of three-game series with the Rangers and Athletics leading into the All-Star break. Lineups RED SOX (40-42): 1. Jarren Duran (L) CF 2. Alex Verdugo (L) RF 3. Masataka Yoshida (L) LF 4. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 5. Justin Turner (R) DH 6. Triston Casas (L) 1B 7. Christian Arroyo (R) 2B 8. David Hamilton (L) SS 9. Connor Wong (R) C Pitching: LHP James Paxton (3-1, 3.29 ERA) BLUE JAYS (45-37): 1. George Springer (R) RF 2. Bo Bichette (R) SS 3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (R) 1B 4. Matt Chapman (R) 3B 5. Alejandro Kirk (R) DH 6. Danny Jansen (R) C 7. Whit Merrifield (R) LF 8. Daulton Varsho (L) CF 9. Santiago Espinal (R) 2B Pitching: RHP José Berríos (7-5, 3.64 ERA) Time: 7:07 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Red Sox vs. Berríos: Christian Arroyo 1-6, Triston Casas 0-2, Rafael Devers 5-25, Jarren Duran 3-5, Adam Duvall 0-5, Kiké Hernández 1-16, Rob Refsnyder 0-3, Justin Turner 1-5, Alex Verdugo 7-17, Connor Wong 1-3, Masataka Yoshida 2-3 Blue Jays vs. Paxton: Brandon Belt 1-3, Bo Bichette 0-1, Cavan Biggio 3-6, Matt Chapman 0-14, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 2-8, Danny Jansen 1-5, Kevin Kiermaier 2-5, Whit Merrifield 4-15, George Springer 8-33
Stat of the day: The Blue Jays are 7-17 against the AL East and 38-20 against all other teams.Notes: The Red Sox five-game losing streak is the longest since a six-game skid from Sept. 21-26 in 2022. … They have lost seven of their last eight games following a six-game winning streak from June 14-20. …Paxton is 5-3 with a 4.53 ERA in 10 career starts against Toronto. … In 11 career starts against the Red Sox, Berrios is 1-5 with a 4.15 ERA. He got a no-decision at Fenway on May 1, when he gave up five runs on 11 hits in 5⅓ innings of his team’s 6-5 loss. Song of the Day: Bryan Adams - Cuts Like A Knife, 40th Anniversary, Live At The Royal Albert Hall www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnkzR1sYAUY
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 30, 2023 21:00:12 GMT -5
James Paxton dominates for 7.2 innings, Red Sox hit 3 HRs to beat Blue Jays Published: Jun. 30, 2023, 9:38 p.m.
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com TORONTO — The Red Sox talked about pushing back James Paxton after he left his start last weekend with right knee soreness. But he made his start Friday and dominated the Blue Jays.
“I’m good to go,” manager Alex Cora said Paxton told him and the staff.
The Red Sox won 5-0 at Rogers Centre to end a five-game losing streak.
Paxton pitched 7 ⅔ scoreless innings, his longest outing since going 8 innings for the Yankees against Boston on April 16, 2019. He allowed only three hits and two walks while striking out seven.
Paxton recorded 15 swings-and-misses, including eight with his cutter and five with his fastball. He threw his four-seamer 64 times, averaging 96.3 mph and topping out at 98.2 mph, per Baseball Savant. he added 23 cutters, 17 knuckle-curveballs and six changeups.
Justin Turner’s 379-foot homer to left-center field in the fifth inning put the Red Sox ahead 1-0.
Jarren Duran crushed a 417-foot, 106.2-mph two-run home run to center field in the sixth inning, giving Boston a 3-0 lead.
Masataka Yoshida’s 444-foot, 106.8-mph blast to right-center field in the sixth made it 4-0 Red Sox.
It was Yoshida’s second longest homer in the big leagues. He had one that traveled 447 feet earlier this season.
Turner’s sac fly in the eighth put the Red Sox ahead 5-0.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 1, 2023 1:17:37 GMT -5
Sox scoop Blue Jays for 3 HRs in much-needed offensive surge Vet Paxton delivers 7 2/3 scoreless innings in home country 1:40 AM GMT-3 Julia Kreuz Julia Kreuz
@juliackreuz
TORONTO -- Here’s how Alex Cora described the Red Sox’s recent offensive struggles before the series opener at Rogers Centre:
“It’s like Baskin Robbins -- there’s a lot of flavors right now.”
His team then went ahead and put that wide array of problems to bed, taking three scoops of the same flavor and riding it all the way to a skid-snapping 5-0 win over the Blue Jays on Friday night.
Justin Turner, Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida homered in the much-needed offensive surge, which put Boston back in the win column after five straight losses. The victory also furthered the Red Sox’s run of dominance over Toronto this season, as the visitors improved to 5-0 against their AL East opponents.
“It was a good night,” Cora said after the game. “We did some good things, and we needed this one.”
It took a bit for the good times to start rolling.
The Red Sox needed four innings to figure out José Berríos, who traded zeros with Canadian lefty James Paxton until Turner finally popped the lid open with a solo homer in the top of the fifth. He had to work for it, too, grinding out a nine-pitch at-bat in which he fouled off four straight offerings before unloading on a 3-2 sinker that hung over the zone.
That paved the way for the following inning, when Duran added a two-run blast and Yoshida launched a solo homer that traveled a Statcast-projected 444 feet to right-center field.
“We were joking with him: indoors, turf … he’s back home,” Cora said of the Japanese-native Yoshida’s success at Rogers Centre. “He knows the environment. But I’m glad that he’s with us and not here.”
Those long balls accounted for three of Boston’s nine hits on the night, but that number could have been higher given the amount of long, loud outs the team had in the outing. But no one in that clubhouse is arguing with a good thing.
“You can't get too greedy, especially with this game,” Duran said. “Because once you get greedy, it’ll smack you in the face and make you go for 0-for-4 with four punchies. So I think we're just happy with what we're doing, putting really good swings on the ball.”
The Red Sox have good reason to be happy with what they did in the opener, and this will go down as an undeniable positive for a lineup that has struggled to find consistency all season.
During that five-game skid against the White Sox and the Marlins, Boston posted a .211 average with a .546 OPS while being outscored 27-8. Countering that stretch with holding a division opponent scoreless on the road may serve as a pivotal shot in the arm for this team.
It may also be a reminder of what the ceiling truly is as the Red Sox prepare for the challenges ahead.
“Baseball's hard, you know,” Duran said. “You go to those grinding moments. I'm just happy that we came together and stayed together.”
What the offense provided was more than enough to support a brilliant start by Paxton, who pitched 7 2/3 innings of scoreless ball in his home country. More than a bounce back, this was a durability statement for Paxton, who had been lifted from his previous start after four innings due to right knee soreness.
“Once we got going, I wasn’t thinking about [my knee], I was just focused,” Paxton said. “There were a couple of times when I felt it, but it didn't stay. So that was good, and we'll continue making progress with it.”
Paxton pitched with a brace for the first time this season, saying that it helped with potential discomfort. There was still some concern ahead of the outing, especially given Paxton’s history with injuries, but Cora trusted the veteran pitcher to be open and respect his own limitations.
“He worked hard during the week just to be able to make a start, and it paid off,” Cora said. “He’s very honest. Throughout the whole process, the rehab, he was honest with us as far as how he was feeling. I don't think he's going to take a chance with everything that has happened in the last few years. When he said he was ready to go, he was ready to go. He did an amazing job."
The 34-year-old Paxton struck out seven batters, holding the Blue Jays to three hits and two walks in the outing and putting a damper on home fans’ early celebrations on the eve of Canada Day.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 1, 2023 1:20:14 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Schreiber (right teres major strain) 'on schedule' June 30th, 2023
RHP John Schreiber (right teres major strain) Expected return: Mid July at earliest Schreiber, who was transferred to the 60-day injured list on June 22, is "right on schedule" in his recovery from a right teres major strain, according to manager Alex Cora. The right-hander threw a bullpen session on June 27 and another on June 29, and the next step is to get Schreiber into live BPs, which Cora anticipates will happen the week of July 3. A rehab assignment may follow if all goes well.
Given that his last outing for the Red Sox came on May 15, the earliest Schreiber can pitch for the Red Sox is the first series after the All-Star break at Wrigley Field. A key righty in Boston's bullpen, Schreiber has been missed. He has a 2.12 ERA in 18 appearances this season. (Last updated: June 30)
RHP Zack Kelly (right elbow surgery) Expected return: September at earliest Kelly underwent an ulnar nerve transposition revision on May 2 after suffering an elbow injury during his outing on April 12 at Tropicana Field. On June 30, the right-hander posted a video on Twitter that showed he's back to throwing, as his recovery continues to progress.
"Good for him," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said ahead of the series opener in Toronto. "Obviously, with the surgery and all that stuff, for him to take that first step is awesome."
The Red Sox are hopeful Kelly can return by September. The righty had a 3.68 ERA in six outings this season. (Last updated: June 30) LHP Richard Bleier (left shoulder inflammation) Expected return: July Bleier will pitch one inning in a rehab assignment on July 2, manager Alex Cora said ahead of the Red Sox's June 30 series opener in Toronto. The lefty "threw the ball well" in a live bullpen session on June 29, according to Cora. The Red Sox are still monitoring Bleier's progress and have not given a timetable for his return to the club. (Last updated: June 30)
INF Pablo Reyes (abdominal strain) Expected return: Early July Reyes will appear in a rehab game either in Double-A or Triple-A on July 3, according to manager Alex Cora. The infielder was scratched from Boston's lineup on June 20 in Minnesota. He pinch-ran on June 21 and returned to the lineup the next day, but exited after one plate appearance. On June 23, Cora said Reyes was sore and the Red Sox were being cautious.
"We took it out of his hands," Cora said of the IL move. "Hopefully he can be back sooner rather than later." (Last updated: June 30)
RHP Corey Kluber (right shoulder inflammation) Expected return: TBD Kluber was with the Red Sox in Toronto on June 30, but manager Alex Cora said the right-hander had yet to start a throwing program, instead working on strength and conditioning as he deals with right shoulder inflammation. Kluber was placed on the injured list on June 21. It has been a rough season for the 37-year-old, who complained of discomfort in his shoulder after getting hit hard in a relief appearance on June 20. The Red Sox decided that the best course of action was to shut the veteran down for an unspecified period. (Last updated: June 30)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 1, 2023 1:22:19 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 4h Adding to what was a nice night for James Paxton, he will return to Boston tomorrow. His wife, Katie, is expecting their second child on Monday.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 1, 2023 5:28:01 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Kutter Crawford’s flexibility to work in starting rotation or out of bullpen of value to Red Sox By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated June 30, 2023, 10:37 p.m
TORONTO — Kutter Crawford was dropped into the Red Sox bullpen after two starts this season when Garrett Whitlock came off the injured list.
The righthander knew the move was coming and excelled in relief, allowing four earned runs over 21⅔ innings as opponents hit .143.
“Pitching is pitching. I wanted to start but you take the role they give you,” Crawford said.
Crawford returned to the rotation on June 3 in place of the injured Chris Sale. He has since gone 1-2 with a 4.71 ERA in five starts. He will make another start Saturday against the Blue Jays and Yusei Kikuchi.
“He’s handled the back-and-forth very well,” pitching coach Dave Bush said Friday, before the Sox beat the Blue Jays, 5-0, at Rogers Centre. “He’s gotten back into a routine and built up his innings. He can go as long as we need him.”
The Sox have already used 11 starters this season. Crawford’s flexibility has been valuable.
“It’s been good for us and good for him,” Bush said.
Crawford stayed with a six-pitch mix as a reliever, although he’s cut back on some of his secondary pitches. His four-seam fastball and splitter have been particularly impressive.
“I look at it like I’m a starter and I prepare that way,” Crawford said. “If you’re stretched out as a starter, it’s not hard to go back to the bullpen. I feel good with what I’ve been able to do this season.”
Positive injury updates
Righthander Zack Kelly, who initially feared he’d miss the rest of the season when he injured his elbow on April 12, started a throwing program Friday at the team complex in Fort Myers, Fla. The reliever had surgery on May 2 to reposition the ulnar nerve.
“Good for him,” manager Alex Cora said. “For him to take that first step, that’s a positive.”
There’s also good news for righthander John Schreiber, who has thrown twice in the bullpen as he returns from a muscle strain in his shoulder.
Schreiber, who was pitching very well out of the bullpen before being hurt on May 15, will need to face hitters before getting into minor league games.
“Right on schedule,” Cora said.
Infielder Yu Chang is scheduled to play back-to-back games with Double A Portland starting Saturday. That would be his third attempt at a rehab assignment after a breaking the hamate bone in his left hand on April 24.
Infielder Pablo Reyes (abdominal strain) is set to start a rehab assignment on Tuesday.
Lefthanded reliever Richard Bleier will pitch Sunday for Portland. He has been out since May 21 with a sore shoulder.
Rodríguez continues rehab
The Sox don’t seem to be in much of a hurry to activate lefthanded reliever Joely Rodríguez off the injured list.
He started a rehab assignment with Triple A Worcester on June 20 and has since made four appearances, allowing two runs on seven hits over 3⅓ innings. Rodríguez is scheduled to pitch again Saturday.
The Sox signed Rodríguez to a one-year, $2 million deal last November. The 31-year-old journeyman strained an oblique muscle during spring training, then allowed eight earned runs over four innings in five appearances in May. He returned to the injured list on June 1 with shoulder inflammation, an ailment rampant among Sox pitchers who have struggled this season.
Guerrero has bright Future
Double A righthander Luis Guerrero was selected to the Futures Game roster to replace Triple A lefthander Shane Drohan, who came out of his last start with a slight calf strain. The 22-year-old is 3-1 with a 1.19 earned run average in 26 relief appearances.
Guerrero was born in the Dominican Republic, grew up in Boston, and was drafted in 2021 out of a junior college in Florida. He has a 2.34 ERA over two minor league seasons despite a childhood knee condition that causes him to walk with a limp.
“I have a lot of respect for him,” Cora said. “For him to have the stuff that he has, you have to have not only the ability but you’ve got to have the heart and the courage to overcome what he has.”
Coaching shift
With third base coach Carlos Febles missing the series for a personal matter, first base coach Kyle Hudson moved across the diamond and major league field coordinator Andy Fox stepped in at first. Triple A bench José David Flores was temporarily added to the staff … Third baseman Rafael Devers is likely to get a day off Saturday rather than play three consecutive games on the artificial turf at Rogers Centre.Coaching shift
With third base coach Carlos Febles missing the series for a personal matter, first base coach Kyle Hudson moved across the diamond and major league field coordinator Andy Fox stepped in at first. Triple A bench José David Flores was temporarily added to the staff … Third baseman Rafael Devers is likely to get a day off Saturday rather than play three consecutive games on the artificial turf at Rogers Centre.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 1, 2023 5:33:35 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Blue Jays July 1rst 2023 3pm @ Rogers Center
Crawford 2-4/ 4.01
Kikuchi 7-2/ 3.75
On Canada Day, Jays seek first win vs. Red Sox in '23 FLM
The visiting Boston Red Sox will try to continue their recent dominance over the Toronto Blue Jays and clinch their three-game series on Saturday afternoon.
The Red Sox defeated the Blue Jays 5-0 Friday night in the series opener.
Left-hander James Paxton, a native of Ladner, British Columbia, pitched 7 2/3 innings and the Red Sox tagged Toronto right-hander Jose Berrios for three home runs.
The Red Sox have won all five games matchups with Toronto this season, starting with a four-game sweep at Boston from May 1-4.
The Blue Jays also continued to struggle against the American League East. They are 7-18 within their division this season and sit in fourth place.
"I don't know why we don't play so well against the American League East," Berrios said.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider added, "There comes a point in time where you've got to look at who you're playing and say, 'OK, these games are a tick more important.'
"It's not putting pressure on the guys, it's not trying harder or anything like that. But there comes a point in time, and we're probably there, where it's really important to win this series."
The Red Sox ended a season-high, five-game losing streak with their first shutout win of the season.
"It was a good night," Boston manager Alex Cora said. "We did some good things. We needed this one."
The second game of the series will be played on Canada Day, which was not lost on Paxton.
"It was really fun," Paxton said. "I've got some friends in the stands tonight, a cousin. It was fun to be out pitching in Canada this close to Canada Day."
In 2018, when he was with the Seattle Mariners, Paxton pitched a no-hitter in Toronto. He became the first Canadian major-leaguer to throw a no-hitter in Canada.
The Red Sox are scheduled to start right-hander Kutter Crawford (2-4, 4.01 ERA) on Saturday. He is 0-1 with a 5.25 ERA in three career games, two starts, against Toronto.
Crawford has moved between the bullpen and the rotation. He was shifted to a relief role after two starts this season when Garrett Whitlock returned from the injured list.
"Pitching is pitching. I wanted to start but you take the role they give you," said Crawford, who threw 1 1/3 scoreless relief innings against Toronto on May 3.
Crawford returned to the rotation in early June to take the place of injured left-hander Chris Sale. Crawford has since gone 1-2 with a 4.71 ERA in five starts.
"He's handled the back-and-forth very well," Red Sox pitching coach Dave Bush said on Friday. "He's gotten back into a routine and built up his innings. He can go as long as we need him."
The Blue Jays are scheduled to start left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (7-2, 3.75 ERA). In six career games (four starts) against Boston, he is 0-1 with a 5.32 ERA. The Red Sox pounded him for five runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings on May 2.
Boston's Jarren Duran hit a two-run homer on Friday and supported Paxton with a superb catch at the center field wall in the first inning on a drive by Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
"It was nice to just watch (Paxton) cruise and do his thing, just kind of sit out there and watch," Duran said. "Sometimes I caught myself not paying attention because he was just grooving."
Cora added of Paxton's lengthy outing, "We needed something like this for the bullpen."
In five games against the Jays this season, Duran has gone 7-for-17 (.412) with two homers and five RBIs.
Toronto center fielder Kevin Kiermaier (back spasms) sat out his fourth consecutive game on Friday.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 1, 2023 10:28:37 GMT -5
Game 84: Red Sox at Blue Jays lineups and notesBy Amin Touri Globe Staff,Updated July 1, 2023, 5 minutes ago After an ugly five-game slide for the Red Sox, James Paxton managed to stop the bleeding in his native Canada on Friday with a scoreless gem. Kutter Crawford will take the mound Saturday as the Sox look to build a little momentum against the Blue Jays. He threw 1 ⅓ scoreless innings against Toronto in a relief appearance in May. Toronto will turn to Yusei Kikuchi, who struggled against Boston in that May series at Fenway; the Japanese lefthander allowed five earned runs in 4 ⅓ innings but escaped with a no-decision. Lineups RED SOX (41-42): 1. Rob Refsnyder (R) LF 2. Alex Verdugo (L) RF 3. Justin Turner (R) 1B 4. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 5. Adam Duvall (R) CF 6. Masataka Yoshida (L) DH 7. Enrique Hernandez (R) SS 8. Christian Arroyo (R) 2B 9. Caleb Hamilton (R) C Pitching: RHP Kutter Crawford (2-3, 3.74 ERA) BLUE JAYS (45-38): 1. George Springer (R) RF 2. Bo Bichette (R) SS 3. Brandon Belt (L) DH 4. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (R) 1B 5. Matt Chapman (R) 3B 6. Daulton Varsho (L) LF 7. Danny Jansen (R) C 8. Cavan Biggio (L) 2B 9. Kevin Kiermaier (L) CF Pitching: LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-2, 3.97 ERA) Time: 3:07 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Red Sox vs. Kikuchi: Christian Arroyo 1-7, Triston Casas 0-0, Rafael Devers 0-10, Jarren Duran 0-1, Kiké Hernández 2-8, Rob Refsnyder 2-4, Justin Turner 1-8, Alex Verdugo 5-10, Connor Wong 2-4, Masataka Yoshida 1-2 Blue Jays vs. Crawford: Bo Bichette 1-6, Cavan Biggio 1-2, Matt Chapman 3-5, Santiago Espinal 2-4, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 4-7, Danny Jansen 1-2, Kevin Kiermaier 0-1, Alejandro Kirk 0-3, George Springer 2-6, Daulton Varsho 0-1 Stat of the day: The Red Sox have won all five matchups with Toronto this season. Notes: The Red Sox ended a season-high, five-game losing streak with their first shutout win of the season Friday ... Crawford is 0-1 with a 5.25 ERA in three career appearances against Toronto. He returned to the rotation in early June to take the place of injured lefthander Chris Sale. Crawford has since gone 1-2 with a 4.71 ERA in five starts ... In five games against the Jays this season, Jarren Duran has gone 7 for 17 (.412) with two homers and five RBIs ... The Blue Jays are 7-18 against AL East opponents this season and sit in fourth place. Song of the Day: Talking Heads - Wild Wild Life www.youtube.com/watch?v=616-QGQyx-I
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