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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 2, 2023 19:13:45 GMT -5
Red Sox win behind Alex Verdugo (homer in 9th) Jarren Duran (5-for-5, 4 2B)
Updated: Jul. 02, 2023, 5:03 p.m.|Published: Jul. 02, 2023, 4:37 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
TORONTO — Alex Verdugo ended Saturday’s game by throwing out Bo Bichette at the plate, then he won Sunday’s game with his bat.
Verdugo belted a 415-foot solo homer off Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano in the ninth. The Red Sox won 5-4 at Rogers Centre to sweep the three-game series.
Jarren Duran went 5-for-5 with four doubles. It is only the 50th time in MLB history a player has had four doubles. He became the eighth player in Red Sox history to hit four doubles in one game. He became the first Red Sox hitter to do it since Rafael Devers on Aug. 13, 2019 at Cleveland.
No player has ever hit five doubles in one game.
Whitlock removed
Whitlock was removed after just one inning due to right elbow tightness.
The righty, who has gone 4-3 with a 5.23 ERA in 10 starts, spent 27 games on the 15-day injured list earlier this season due to right elbow ulnar neuritis.
Duran led off the game with a hustle double. He scored on Rafael Devers’ two-out RBI single to right field.
The Blue Jays tied it 1-1 in the bottom of the first inning on Brandon Belt’s solo homer against Whitlock.
Devers delivered another RBI single that scored Duran in the third inning to put Boston ahead 2-1.
Bo Bichette’s two-run single against Kaleb Ort in the bottom of the third gave Toronto a 3-2 lead.
The Jays went ahead 4-2 on Belt’s second homer of the game. He hit it off Nick Pivetta in the sixth.
But the Red Sox tied it 4-4 in the seventh. Duran led off with a double and scored on Justin Turner’s RBI single. A throwing error by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. then allowed the tying run to score.
Pivetta gives Red Sox length
Left-handed reliever Brennan Bernardino replaced Whitlock. He recorded four outs and allowed one run.
Kaleb Ort replaced Bernardino. He recorded two outs and allowed one run.
Nick Pivetta pitched 4 innings, allowing just one run, two hits and two walks while striking out six.
Chris Martin pitched a scoreless eighth innning. Joe Jacques recorded his first ever save with a perfect ninth.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 2, 2023 19:15:21 GMT -5
Garrett Whitlock update: Red Sox starter to undergo MRI, felt ‘stiffness’
Updated: Jul. 02, 2023, 7:28 p.m.|Published: Jul. 02, 2023, 5:17 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
Update: Garrett Whitlock will undergo an MRI on Monday.
TORONTO — Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Whitlock will undergo an MRI on Monday.
The 27-year-old righty was removed after just one inning Sunday vs. the Blue Jays due to right elbow tightness. Boston ended up winning 5-4 to sweep Toronto at Rogers Centre.
Whitlock described feeling “stiffness” during the first inning. He wouldn’t say his level of concern.
“Right now we’re just going to wait to see when we get to Boston, see what the doctors have to say about it,” Whitlock said.
Whitlock said he has been “dealing with” being stiff. When asked if he had been dealing with it before his start or just during his start Sunday, he replied, “A little bit of both.”
Whitlock, who has gone 4-3 with a 5.23 ERA in 10 starts, spent 27 games on the 15-day injured list earlier this season due to right elbow ulnar neuritis.
He said this doesn’t feel the same as what he felt earlier this season.
“This doesn’t feel very nervy,” he said. “So it’s not really like that.”
Manager Alex Cora said he knew he needed to remove Whitlock when he saw him moving his wrist and elbow.
“He’s going to get an MRI tomorrow,” Cora said. “Hopefully, it’s nothing bad.”
He also began the season on the IL as he recovered from a right hip arthroscopy.
The Red Sox already are down to just four starters on their active roster after Tanner Houck (facial fracture) joined Chris Sale (left shoulder inflammation) on the injured list.
The Red Sox demoted Corey Kluber to the pen in May but he’s not available to return to the starting rotation because he’s also on the IL with right shoulder inflammation. Boston also likes how Nick Pivetta is pitching out of the bullpen and has resisted putting him back in the rotation. They might have to reconsider if Whitlock’s injury requires an IL stint.
Boston has limited options down at Triple-A Worcester.
Brandon Walter is a candidate to be added to the active roster this coming week when James Paxton is on paternity leave. Paxton and his wife Katie are expecting their second child Monday. Paxton is expected to begin his paternity leave Tuesday. The Red Sox have Monday off. Paxton won’t pitch until sometime next weekend vs. the Athletics at Fenway.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 2, 2023 19:25:29 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Kenley Jansen is headed to his fourth All-Star game as the lone Red Sox representative By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated July 2, 2023, 1 hour ago
TORONTO — Kenley Jansen was the lone Red Sox player selected for the All-Star Game, the 34-year-old closer learning Sunday morning at a team meeting that he had received the honor for the fourth time in his career.
Unless one of his teammates is selected as a replacement, this will be the first year since 2015 the Sox will have only one player in the Midsummer Classic, which is July 11 in Seattle.
Jansen was selected by the league to fulfill the rule that every team be represented in the game.
“It’s a testament to who he is,” Sox manager Alex Cora said. “I’m very proud of him.”
Alex Verdugo and Masataka Yoshida were thought by some to be worthy candidates for the last-place Sox. But neither outfielder did well in the fan voting and finished behind Yordan Alvarez (Astros), Adolis Garcia (Rangers), and Austin Hays (Orioles) in the player voting.
“I think Alex deserves to be in the All-Star Game,” Cora said. “Hopefully that happens.”
Verdugo is hitting .295 with an .827 OPS and has been one of the best defensive right fielders in the game.
Jansen is 2-4 with a 3.45 ERA and 18 saves in 21 chances. Through Saturday, he was fifth in the American League in saves.
Jansen picked up his 400th career save in Atlanta on May 10, a feat celebrated by his teammates after the game. His 408 saves are seventh all-time.
This is Jansen’s first All-Star selection since 2018 when he was a member of the Dodgers. He also was picked in 2016 and ‘17.
“I think it’s awesome. I wasn’t expecting it to be honest with you,” said Jansen, who had made plans to spend the break in his native Curaçao. “When I heard my name, it was pretty special.”
The Sox signed Jansen to a two-year, $32 million contract in December.
After utility player Brock Holt was their only All-Star in 2015, the Sox had 25 players selected from 2016-22.
That group included now former Red Sox mainstays Xander Bogaerts (four times), Mookie Betts (four times), J.D. Martinez (four times), and Nate Eovaldi (once).
Betts, Martinez, and Eovaldi are All-Stars again this season with their new teams. It was the seventh selection for Betts and the sixth for Martinez. On the shelf
The Sox were without Yoshida and Adam Duvall for Sunday’s 5-4 victory against the Blue Jays. Duvall was feeling sick while Yoshida was still feeling the effects of being hit in the lower right leg by a 102-mile-per-hour pitch from Nate Pearson on Saturday.
“He’s sore, very sore,” Cora said.
Duvall has hit .154 with a .508 OPS over 19 games since returning from the injured list June 9. He has one home run over 65 at-bats and has struck out 26 times.
The hope is both players return Tuesday. History repeats
Saturday’s game-ending throw to the plate by Verdugo was the first time the Sox won a game in that fashion since July 5, 2011, at Fenway Park.
The Blue Jays were the opponent that day, too. Down 3-0, Toronto got a two-run homer in the ninth inning by Jose Bautista off Jonathan Papelbon.
Edwin Encarnacion singled and J.P. Arencibia walked with two outs. John McDonald singled to left and Encarnacion was thrown out by Darnell McDonald, with Jason Varitek putting down the tag.
It was a close play at the plate. Then Blue Jays manager John Farrell contended Encarnacion was safe, but Major League Baseball did not have replay challenges at the time.
Varitek is now a Red Sox coach and Darnell McDonald and Papelbon are regulars on NESN’s pregame and postgame shows. In fact, McDonald worked the postgame show on Saturday night. On the run
The new rules designed to increase stolen bases by limiting how often a pitcher can throw over to first base certainly have affected the Red Sox.
The Sox have 55 steals in 67 attempts, an 82.1 percent success rate, through 85 games. They stole 52 bases in 72 attempts all of last season, a 72.2 percent success rate.
The Sox have done well holding down steals. They have allowed 53 steals in 70 attempts (75.7). Opponents stole 102 bags in 130 attempts last season (78.4). A big part of that has been Connor Wong throwing out 15 of 40 base stealers. Pitching plans uncertain
The Sox, who have Monday off, haven’t set their rotation for this week other than Brayan Bello starting Wednesday . . . In a positive development for both players, John Schreiber is scheduled for 25 pitches of live batting practice Tuesday at Fenway Park against Trevor Story. Schreiber, one of the team’s most effective relievers the last two seasons, has been out since May 16 with a strained shoulder muscle. The Sox have refused to give a timetable on Story’s return from elbow surgery, but taking live batting practice is usually a step toward getting into games . . . Yu Chang had Sunday off and is scheduled to play nine innings at shortstop Monday at New Hampshire as he continues his return from surgery on his left wrist. Pablo Reyes, out with an abdominal strain, is scheduled to start a rehab assignment on Tuesday . . . The series drew 120,486 fans to Rogers Centre.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 3, 2023 6:32:42 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Whitlock to undergo MRI after early exit July 2nd, 2023
LATEST NEWS July 2: RHP Garrett Whitlock exits after one inning, MRI scheduled for Monday Whitlock experienced right elbow tightness early in his start against the Blue Jays in Sunday's series finale. Manager Alex Cora said after the game that the right-hander would undergo an MRI on Monday in Boston before the club could determine next steps. Whitlock, who opened the season on rehab assignment due to right elbow ulnar neuritis, said this issue feels different from what he experienced in April.
The right-hander was replaced by Brennan Bernardino ahead of the second inning on Sunday, after striking out one batter and allowing a solo home run in the first frame.
This may be another tough blow for Boston's rotation, which is without Chris Sale, Tanner Houck and Corey Kluber for an extended period of time. Left-hander James Paxton will be placed on the paternity list next week, and though he won't be away from the team for long, the Red Sox may run into some depth issues if Whitlock's injury lingers.
July 2: OF Masataka Yoshida out of lineup day after HBP Yoshida's X-rays came back negative after he took a 102 mph fastball to the upper part of his right calf in the seventh inning of Boston's 7-6 win over Toronto on Saturday. The slugger was "sore" on Sunday, according to manager Alex Cora, and he was held out of the lineup for the series finale against the Blue Jays.
The 29-year-old Yoshida was wearing a shin guard, but the pitch from Blue Jays reliever Nate Pearson hit Yoshida in an unprotected area, causing him to immediately drop to the ground in clear pain as Boston's trainers rushed to the box to check on him. Yoshida originally stayed in the game to run the bases, but he was removed in the following inning with what the Red Sox called a right lower leg contusion.
After homering in the series opener against Toronto, Yoshida added two hits and one RBI prior to his exit.
LHP Joely Rodríguez (left shoulder inflammation) Expected return: Early July "There's a good chance" Rodríguez will be activated from the 15-day IL during the Red Sox's homestand that begins on July 4, manager Alex Cora said on July 1. The left-hander pitched one scoreless inning in back-to-back rehab outings with Double-A Portland on June 29 and June 30. That Friday frame marked Rodríguez's fifth rehab appearance as he recovers from left shoulder inflammation.
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Post by Kimmi on Jul 3, 2023 7:13:41 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. Spot on. We'd be in great shape if we could play the Jays all season.
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Post by Kimmi on Jul 3, 2023 7:18:28 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Whitlock to undergo MRI after early exitJuly 2nd, 2023 LATEST NEWS July 2: RHP Garrett Whitlock exits after one inning, MRI scheduled for Monday Whitlock experienced right elbow tightness early in his start against the Blue Jays in Sunday's series finale. Manager Alex Cora said after the game that the right-hander would undergo an MRI on Monday in Boston before the club could determine next steps. Whitlock, who opened the season on rehab assignment due to right elbow ulnar neuritis, said this issue feels different from what he experienced in April. The right-hander was replaced by Brennan Bernardino ahead of the second inning on Sunday, after striking out one batter and allowing a solo home run in the first frame. This may be another tough blow for Boston's rotation, which is without Chris Sale, Tanner Houck and Corey Kluber for an extended period of time. Left-hander James Paxton will be placed on the paternity list next week, and though he won't be away from the team for long, the Red Sox may run into some depth issues if Whitlock's injury lingers. This bites. Our rotation and pitching staff as a whole were really shaping up to be quite good until the injuries started. We'll keep our fingers crossed.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 3, 2023 11:09:11 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe13m Home after a great weekend in Toronto, a favorite stop. One takeaway: Didn’t truly appreciate how many ways Justin Turner can help win games until seeing him play every day. Influential on and off the field. Shows up trying to find ways to win. Old school in all the good ways. ⚾️
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 3, 2023 11:13:53 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe 6m One other one: Not sure I can recall a Red Sox player in the last 15 years who made a greater improvement from one year to the next than Jarren Duran. It’s remarkable and, truthfully, something I didn’t think was possible. Anyway, couple of days off. Enjoy the 4th. Be safe.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 3, 2023 11:15:17 GMT -5
Again, The analytics team has to get their heads out of their asses and put Duran's name in the line up vs a south paw.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 3, 2023 11:17:28 GMT -5
Whitlock's future, Verdugo's present and other Red Sox thoughts The Red Sox left Toronto with a sweep of the Blue Jays -- and a few lingering questions. By John Tomase, Red Sox Insider • Published 44 mins ago • Updated 42 mins ago
Three thoughts from a three-game sweep in Toronto over the weekend that should send the Red Sox home with some momentum for six games against the best and worst of the AL West, but instead leaves them with even more questions:
1. Maybe Garrett Whitlock isn't meant to start In the interests of consistency, I liked the idea of moving Whitlock to the rotation, where his arsenal played, and where the Red Sox could conceivably get 175-200 innings of productivity out of him as opposed to 60 or 70 in relief.
But with Whitlock leaving Sunday's start after just one inning because of elbow tightness ... which comes just two months after shutting down with nerve irritation in that same elbow ... which comes not even a year after hip surgery ended his 2022 in August ... which comes four years after Tommy John surgery in the Yankees organization made him available in the Rule 5 draft in the first place ... there's a lot of evidence that Whitlock isn't built to last.
Whitlock's only stretch of uninterrupted health came exclusively in relief during his 2021 debut while being carefully managed by Alex Cora and the medical staff. Whitlock made 46 appearances and threw 73.1 innings, pitching on back-to-back days only once and generally pitching twice a week. Cora featured him as a multi-inning weapon to the tune of a 1.96 ERA that earned Whitlock a team-friendly $18.75 million contract extension.
That deal represented a fair contract for a reliever and an absolute steal for a starter, but in an attempt to maximize his value, the Red Sox ultimately may have done Whitlock a disservice. We still don't know the severity of his latest injury, but when a pitcher who has already undergone Tommy John complains of elbow tightness, it's not alarmist to fear the worst.
2. Alex Verdugo should be an All-Star The knee-jerk reaction to the Red Sox only earning one All-Star (closer Kenley Jansen) is that it's all they deserve, seeing as they've spent most of the season in last place in the American League East.
Their 43-42 record actually puts them middle of the pack in the AL, though, at eighth overall, and so in that context, a second All-Star would be defensible.
With all due respect to Masataka Yoshida, that man should be Verdugo, who may yet be added as an injury replacement. It's fitting that on the day he was snubbed, Verdugo blasted a game-winning homer in the ninth to complete Sunday's sweep of the Blue Jays.
He has easily been the team's best all-around player as part of what might be baseball's most underrated outfield. He put his skills on display over the weekend, winning Sunday's game with his bat one day after cutting down the tying run at the plate for the final out of a 7-6 victory.
Verdugo is the only plus defender in the starting lineup, and he's hitting for everything except power. Send this man to Seattle.
3. Here come the Rangers The Red Sox have had a strange habit of losing to mediocre teams and beating good ones, with the Jays being the latest example. They get their sternest test in weeks starting Tuesday vs. the Rangers, who own the second-best record in the AL (behind only the rampaging Rays) on the strength of baseball's best offense.
When last we paid attention to Texas, general manager Jon Daniels was losing his job for overseeing a spending spree that yielded only 68 wins last year. The centerpieces of that plan -- second baseman Marcus Semien and shortstop Corey Seager -- are now the club's two best players.
Every single regular in the Rangers lineup owns an OPS of at least .800, including castoffs like right fielder Adolis Garcia (a team-leading 20 home runs), and catcher Jonah Heim (56 RBIs), as well as rookie third baseman Josh Jung. All five of them will be at the All-Star Game, alongside old friend Nathan Eovaldi.
Speaking of Eovaldi, he tried to return to the Red Sox, but they pulled their offer after he attempted to find something better on the market. He signed with Texas for only two years and $34 million and has delivered a 10-3 record and 2.64 ERA while leading the AL in innings.
Given Whitlock's situation, not to mention another injury to Chris Sale, the ineffectiveness of Corey Kluber, and the freak liner to the face that sidelined Tanner Houck, and the Red Sox could sure use Eovaldi right now.
At least when the Rangers leave, the woeful A's come to town. After a weird seven-game winning streak in early June, Oakland has reverted to form, losing 13 of 17 while packing for Vegas.
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Post by Kimmi on Jul 4, 2023 8:01:13 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe13m Home after a great weekend in Toronto, a favorite stop. One takeaway: Didn’t truly appreciate how many ways Justin Turner can help win games until seeing him play every day. Influential on and off the field. Shows up trying to find ways to win. Old school in all the good ways. ⚾️ 100% agree. I love Turner's at bats. Even when he doesn't get a hit, he's fouling off a ton of pitches and making productive outs.
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Post by Kimmi on Jul 4, 2023 8:02:59 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe 6m One other one: Not sure I can recall a Red Sox player in the last 15 years who made a greater improvement from one year to the next than Jarren Duran. It’s remarkable and, truthfully, something I didn’t think was possible. Anyway, couple of days off. Enjoy the 4th. Be safe. As Joey pointed out, his peripherals still give a reason to be cautiously optimistic, but you have to love what we've seen out of him thus far this year.
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