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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 28, 2023 4:58:46 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Giants 28th July 2023 10:15pm @ Oracle Park
Crawford 4-5/ 4.04 vs
Webb 8-8/ 3.48
Playoff contenders clash as Red Sox, Giants open set FLM
Two teams with ties dating back more than 100 years meet for the first time in four years when the Boston Red Sox visit the San Francisco Giants for a three-game interleague series beginning Friday night.
The opener pits a pair of right-handers -- Boston's Kutter Crawford (4-5, 4.04 ERA) and San Francisco's Logan Webb (8-8, 3.48) -- who had been in fine form before a hiccup in their latest outings.
The Giants won two of three the last time the clubs went head-to-head in September 2019 in Boston, a series that began with a 15-inning affair won by the visitors, 7-6. Webb, then a rookie, started that game, which featured a total of 24 pitchers.
That was 20 more pitchers than appeared when the Red Sox and Giants battled to a 6-6, 11-inning tie in Game 2 of the 1912 World Series. This season marks the 111th anniversary of a 4-3-1 Boston series win over a Giants team that then represented New York.
The century-old foes renew their rivalry with nearly identical records and predicaments in their respective leagues.
The Red Sox (55-47) sit in fourth place in the American League East, 1 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot. The Giants (56-47) reside second in the National League West, which lands them atop the NL wild-card standings.
Boston begins a six-game western swing on a four-game winning streak, having dumped the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves twice apiece in the past six days. Red Sox pitching has allowed just five runs in the past three games.
"I've got to give credit to those guys in that clubhouse," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said about a rise in the standings that has included passing the New York Yankees. "They're grinding. They're playing hard. They're doing everything possible to make it interesting."
Crawford, 27, saw a three-game unbeaten streak end in a 5-4 home loss to the Mets on July 21, when he gave up four runs in four innings. He had pitched six shutout innings, allowing one hit and striking out nine, in his previous outing, against the Cubs in Chicago on July 16.
The third-year pitcher has never faced the Giants, who are coming off a two-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics after a six-game losing streak.
Crawford can expect to see one of the Giants' top prospects -- infielder Marco Luciano -- in the lineup after the 21-year-old was promoted for the first time Wednesday.
Starting at shortstop, Luciano went 0-for-2 in his debut against the Athletics during an 8-3 win but vowed afterward to take the same excited approach to his next appearance.
"When I enjoy myself, good things happen," Luciano said, "so that's basically what I'm going to do. I don't feel any pressure. I'm just going to have fun out there."
Webb has a similar recent tale as Crawford. He is coming off one of the worst outings of his career, hammered for six runs in just 1 1/3 innings in a 10-1 road loss to the Washington Nationals on Saturday. He had been unbeaten in his previous three July starts, allowing four runs in 22 2/3 innings (1.59 ERA).
Webb, 26, allowed three runs in five-plus innings during the aforementioned contest at Boston in his sixth career start in 2019. He did not get a decision in that game, the only time he has faced the Red Sox.
--Field Level Media
Red Sox at Giants Friday, at 10:15 PM EST Clear It's expected to be 60° F with a 0% chance of precipitation and 17 MPH wind blowing out in San Francisco at 10:15 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 28, 2023 5:00:29 GMT -5
Rest of series Match Ups:
Saturday/ 7:15pm Paxton 6-2/ 3.46 vs TBD
Sunday/ 4:05 pm
TBD vs TBD
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 28, 2023 5:32:19 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Chris Sale throws live BP, says he is open to any role when he returns to Red Sox By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated July 27, 2023, 3:59 p.m.
WORCESTER — Lefthander Chris Sale took another step toward a return to the Red Sox Thursday, throwing live batting practice at Polar Park against two members of the Triple A Worcester Red Sox. It marked the first time he’d thrown to hitters since suffering a stress reaction in his left shoulder in a start against the Reds on June 1.
Sale went through a full warmup, sat down in the dugout, then logged 20 pitches against Caleb Hamilton and Niko Kavadas. He threw his entire mix, working at 92-94 miles per hour with his fastball, and sounded an optimistic note that his next step would be a minor league rehab game Tuesday.
“Overall, today was a good day,” said Sale. “I’m ready for the next step, whatever it may be. Felt great. Felt normal, which is a good thing. So, it’s just about building up.”
Sale is familiar with working his way back from injury at this time of year. In 2018, after being shut down for two months with shoulder inflammation, he returned to the Sox in mid-September and progressively built his workload, pitching one inning in his first outing. In 2021 and 2022, he built to a fuller starter’s workload, getting to 89 pitches in 2021 and 72 in 2022.
The Sox could hasten his return if they elect to have him build his workload in the big leagues, whether as an opener or reliever. Sale deferred to the team to make that call.
“I’ve got a locker, not an office; those aren’t my calls,” said Sale, who is 5-2 with a 4.58 ERA this season. “I want to get there as quick as I can, but I’m not here to force anybody’s hand or step on anyone’s toes.
“I’m going off of what they say. If they want me coming back throwing two innings as an opener, I’m in. If they want me to build up to six innings, I’m in. If they want me coming out of the bullpen in the seventh inning, deal.
“I want to come in here, do my work, do everything I can to get healthy as quickly as possible, and then it’s up to them how they want to use me.”
While Sale isn’t certain of the role or timing of his return, he is enthused about the prospect of rejoining the team in the middle of a push for a playoff spot.
“Pitching in a pennant race is a lot more fun than not,” said Sale. “The guys have been holding it down very well. They’ve been playing great baseball after the break. We’ve put ourselves in, I think, a really good position.
“I’m excited to be a part of it and be a contributing factor.” Story building back
Sale is far from alone as a rehabbing Red Sox in Worcester. Shortstop Trevor Story and catcher Reese McGuire are playing during rehab assignments, and with the Sox on the West Coast, righthanders Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck are both building pitch counts with the team.
“Our crew’s getting a little big down here,” said Sale.
Story is likely the closest of the group to a return. The shortstop is 4-for-14 with a homer, double, seven strikeouts, and four walks through the first five games of his rehab assignment. He said his timing at the plate is improving rapidly, and expressed satisfaction with the increased arm strength he’s felt (relative to 2021 and 2022) while back on the left side of the diamond.
“I take a lot of pride in playing shortstop and doing it well. That’s been really fun getting back there,” said Story. “I feel at home there, just being able to run and throw on the run and be athletic out there and not so stagnant as at second.”
Story described himself as amidst a “mini spring training” to build up to a return, but didn’t identify a specific target date for a comeback.
“Being back by next homestand would be great,” said Story, referencing a 10-game stretch at Fenway that starts Aug.4. “But there’s not one certain date that I’ve circled. If that happens, then that happens, but we’ve still got some work to do. We don’t want to rush this thing and be irresponsible about it.
“Usually, I get, like, 50 at-bats in spring,” he added. “I don’t know if that’s going to happen just given the landscape of where we’re at . . . If there’s a chance to come back a little earlier and maybe not play so much right away, all the options are on the table. Obviously with where we’re at in the standings — we’re playing well — it’s a fine balance.” Paxton prepares
As his name persists as the subject of industry trade speculation, lefthander James Paxton (6-2, 3.46) is slated to start Saturday against the Giants. He’s spent little time trying to discern the likelihood of being dealt.
“I’m just focused on doing my job, and that’s being here and winning ballgames,” said Paxton. “I want to stay here, but obviously, that’s out of my control. I’m just focused on getting myself ready for my next start.”
Saturday will mark his eighth start in 2023 on at least six days’ rest. With the 34-year-old making regular big league starts for the first time since 2019, the team has taken advantage of off-days to control his overall workload.
“I’m sure at some point here, we’ll get to some [starts on] five days’ [rest],” said Paxton. “I want to be fresh for those games down the stretch as we’re pushing here to make it to the postseason. I haven’t thrown many innings in the past couple of years, so I think they’re also being careful with my workload to make sure I still have innings left in the tank when it does come down to that.”
Paxton said he’s pleased with how his body is bouncing back between starts. Though he left a start on June 24 with right knee soreness and wore a brace in three subsequent outings, Paxton said he didn’t need the brace for his most recent start against the Mets on July 22.
“We were able to strengthen that knee up with just some exercises and therapy,” said Paxton. “I feel like I don’t need it anymore.”
The Sox released righthander Jake Faria, who made one appearance this year. Recently acquired righthanders Nick Robertson and Justin Hagenman both joined Triple A Worcester.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 28, 2023 11:04:53 GMT -5
Game 103: Red Sox at Giants lineups and notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated July 28, 2023, 5 minutes ago After a day off, the Red Sox will be back in action late Friday night when they open a three-game series at San Francisco. It marks the beginning of a six-game West Coast trip, with the Sox facing the Mariners next week after their series with the Giants. The Sox have won four in a row and are a season-high eight games above .500 after sweeping a two-game series with the Braves. They are now 19-12-2 in series play, having won six of their last seven. The Sox are in fourth place in the AL East, but just seven games out of first. They are 1½ games behind Toronto for the final wild card spot. The Giants are in second place in the National League West and own the top spot in the NL wild-card standings. Here are the standings | Wild Card standings. RED SOX (55-47): Jarren Duran (L) LF Masataka Yoshida (L) DH Justin Turner (R) 2B Rafael Devers (L) 3B Adam Duvall (R) CF Triston Casas (L) 1B Alex Verdugo (L) RF Connor Wong (R) C Yu Chang (R) SS Pitching: RHP Kutter Crawford (4-5, 4.04 ERA) GIANTS (56-47): Joc Pederson (L) DH Michael Conforto (L) LF Wilmer Flores (R) 1B Mike Yastrzemski (L) RF J.D. Davis (R) 3B Patrick Bailey (S) C Luis Matos (R) CF Brett Wisely (L) 2B Marco Luciano (R) SS Pitching: RHP Logan Webb (8-8, 3.48 ERA) Time: 10:15 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Red Sox vs. Webb: Jorge Alfaro 0-3, Rafael Devers 0-3, Adam Duvall 3-12, Justin Turner 4-9 Giants vs. Crawford: Has not faced any San Francisco batters Stat of the day: Red Sox relievers have posted a 1.00 ERA with 55 strikeouts in their last eight games. Notes: Crawford’s three-game unbeaten streak came to an end in a 5-4 home loss to the Mets on July 21, when he gave up four runs in four innings. Prior to that, he pitched six shutout innings, allowing one hit and striking out nine against the Cubs in Chicago on July 16. … Webb is coming off one of the worst outings of his career, tagged for six runs in just 1⅓ innings in a 10-1 road loss to the Nationals on Saturday. He had been unbeaten in his previous three starts, allowing four runs in 22⅔ innings (1.59 ERA). … The Giants won two of three the last time the teams met in September 2019 at Fenway, a series that began with a 15-inning affair won by San Francisco, 7-6. Webb, then a rookie, was the starter, allowing three runs in five-plus innings in a game which featured a total of 24 pitchers. Song of the Day: The Verve - Lucky Man www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH6TJU0qWoY
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 28, 2023 21:10:42 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 1h Chris Sale came through his live BP on Thursday feeling good. He's lined up for a minor league rehab game on Tuesday.
Red Sox plan to activate RHP Mauricio Llovera tomorrow.
Cora got his monthly question on Adalberto Mondesi's status.
He's in Fort Myers doing "low-impact activities."
Back in the old days the Sox thought he'd be on the roster in April.
Verdugo batting seventh, his lowest spot in the order since May 15, 2022.
Cora said a simple matter of getting a hotter hitter (Casas) more at-bats.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 28, 2023 21:12:41 GMT -5
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne · 1h Update from briefing with Alex Cora. Chris Sale appears on track to start Tuesday in the Minors. Corey Kluber didn't feel great after his last outing. He is on hold. Reese McGuire should return next week. Mauricio Llovery, trade acquisition, should be activated for Saturday.
"One of them is hot and the other one is struggling. We’re trying to give the guy that is hot more at-bats than the other one.” -- Alex Cora on hitting Casas fifth and Verdugo seventh.
Will Sox add help before deadline? Cora: "I believe so. Some people might not agree with the way we're gonna get better but we will. We’re trying to improve and I think we have a good baseball team. We get one of our best players in the upcoming weeks. And also three pitchers."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 28, 2023 21:14:05 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo @chriscotillo · 1h Alex Cora said Trevor Story won't be ready to go in Seattle early next week. Expectation is he could be active when the Red Sox return home a week from today.
Chris Sale close to a rehab assignment next week. Corey Kluber had a setback; next steps TBD.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 29, 2023 4:42:54 GMT -5
Casas' moonshot draws comparison to legendary slugger 3:58 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
0:23
0:30
SAN FRANCISCO -- The Red Sox switched time zones for Friday night’s 3-2 win against the Giants at Oracle Park, but that did nothing to take Triston Casas out of the zone he has been in for several weeks.
The rookie left-handed hitter’s in-season turnaround has helped fuel the Red Sox into the heart of postseason contention.
The Sox (56-47) stretched their winning streak to five games and their MLB-best record since June 30 to 16-5 to remain 1 1/2 games behind the Astros and Blue Jays in the American League Wild Card standings.
While most of the lineup was quiet in the opener of this six-game swing on the West Coast, Casas had two loud hits (an RBI double and a rocket solo homer) that propelled Boston to victory over the Giants.
The homer against tough San Francisco righty Logan Webb in the fifth inning really stood out. It was hammered to left-center at an exit velocity of 109.5 mph and traveled a Statcast-projected distance of 435 feet.
There aren’t many baseballs that are hit that deep into the seats in that section of Oracle Park. Your browser does not support HTML5 video tag.
Even Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who was a firsthand witness to the greatness of Barry Bonds in the early 2000s as part of the Giants-Dodgers rivalry, was wowed by the way Casas impacted the ball on that swing.
That’s why Cora didn’t flinch when asked what the most impressive part of Friday’s win was.
“That home run to left-center,” said Cora. “I played here a lot of games and I saw one of the great ones dominating from like 2000 to 2004, and that ball [Casas] hit to left-center, that’s one of the best home runs I’ve seen here, and I saw many. I think I saw 500, 600, 700, 73 [in 2001 by Bonds], and that was a great swing.”
Casas was honored to hear the comparison to Bonds.
“Yeah, definitely, any time that I get my name mentioned with Barry Bonds, it’s awesome,” Casas said.
Casas has gone deep seven times in the 12 games he’s played since the All-Star break. The only players in Red Sox history besides Casas to hit seven homers in a 12-game span at the age of 23 or younger?
Ted Williams, Tony Conigliaro, Mookie Betts, George Scott and Ellis Burks.
Casas is tied for the MLB lead in homers since the All-Star break while putting together a ridiculous batting line of .472/.568/1.139 in that stretch.
"I probably shouldn’t try to sneak a fastball by him at that point,” said Webb. “He’s a good fastball hitter. Looking at the [scouting] sheet, it’s lit up red. I probably shouldn’t have thrown it."
While the latest heroics of Casas took center stage, there were some other crucial moments that made the win possible.
Turner, Winckowski combine to snuff out rally In the bottom of the seventh, the Giants had two on and nobody out, down just a run. That’s when Blake Sabol belted one toward the middle and Justin Turner, who was making just his fourth start of the season at second base, ranged over to field the ball. From the ground, the veteran flipped the ball straight from his glove to shortstop Yu Chang for the force.
The glove flip from the ground isn’t a play Turner can practice in fielding drills.
“It was just kind of in the moment,” said Turner. “And I was joking earlier, I’m glad it wasn’t too low so I didn’t have to bend over too far. People don’t think I can get down there anymore. It ended up being a pretty good play.”
But there were still runners at the corners with only one out when reliever Josh Winckowski came up clutch, striking out Brett Wisely and Marco Luciano.
“I think the most impressive thing of this game was Winckowski getting out of that seventh with the back-to-back punchouts with first and third,” said Casas. “I thought that was huge.” Get the latest from the Red Sox
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Ref’s big hit Yet another big moment took place in the top of the eighth, when Cora called on Rob Refsnyder to pinch-hit for Jarren Duran against lefty Taylor Rogers.
Refsnyder, who has destroyed lefties at a clip of .358/.475/.457 this season, rifled an RBI single to left for some insurance. That extra run proved to be vital when Chris Martin gave up a solo homer to Joc Pederson in the bottom of the inning.
“That’s his job,” Cora said of Refsnyder. “That’s what he’s here for, and he’s been really good at it.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 29, 2023 4:44:35 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Updates on Sale, Story, Kluber July 28th, 2023 LATEST NEWS
July 28: LHP Chris Sale 'probably' will start rehab assignment Tuesday Sale threw a live batting practice session for Triple-A Worcester on Thursday. The next step is expected to be a Minor League rehab start "probably" on Tuesday, when the WooSox play in Syracuse, said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. Sale indicated earlier this week that he would be fine with having an abbreviated rehab in the Minors and building back up with the Red Sox as an opener or however Cora wants to use him.
July 28: SS Trevor Story goes deep with Triple-A Worcester All signs continue to point to Story getting activated at some point during the next homestand, which starts on Aug. 4 against the Blue Jays. Story went 1-for-2 with a walk and a homer for Worcester on Friday.
July 28: RHP Corey Kluber on hold Kluber didn't recover well after his previous rehab game with Triple-A Worcester on July 26, and Red Sox manager Alex Cora said the veteran's next step is unclear.
"Corey didn’t feel great after the last one," said Cora. "The first one was good. The second one was OK. We’ll reassess the situation in the upcoming days. He was throwing the ball well; he just wasn’t able to recover the way he wanted.”
C Reese McGuire (right oblique strain) Expected return: Week of July 31 McGuire is on the fast track toward a return to the Red Sox. He logged seven innings at catcher on July 27 and is scheduled to play back-to-back games on July 29 and 30. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said McGuire should return next week, either in Seattle (July 31-Aug. 2) or for the start of the homestand against the Blue Jays on Aug. 4. (Last updated: July 28)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 29, 2023 4:46:32 GMT -5
Triston Casas homers again as Red Sox beat Giants to open west coast trip
Updated: Jul. 29, 2023, 1:47 a.m.|Published: Jul. 29, 2023, 12:33 a.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
SAN FRANCISCO — A chilly night by the bay couldn’t cool off the hottest hitter in baseball at Oracle Park on Friday night.
Triston Casas homered, doubled and drove in Boston’s first two runs as the Red Sox beat San Francisco, 3-2, to open a six-game west-coast trip. Starter Kutter Crawford gave the Red Sox 5 ⅔ strong innings as Boston won its fifth straight and improved to 56-47. The win was Boston’s 16th in its last 21 games; the club is nine games over .500 for the first time this season.
Casas, who entered with an MLB-leading .469 average and 1.669 OPS since the All-Star break, opened the scoring in the second, following an Adam Duvall double with a RBI ground-rule two-bagger of his own. Three innings later, Casas took launch against Giants starter Logan Webb, driving an opposite-field rocket to left-center for a solo shot. Casas’ 16th homer of the season (and seventh of the second half) went 435 feet with an exit velocity of 109.5 mph as the Sox took a 2-0 lead.
Crawford allowed just two baserunners through the first five innings but ran into a little trouble in the fifth. Rookie Marco Luciano hit a leadoff single, advanced on a wild pitch, then scored on a Michael Conforto single to make it a 2-1 game. Crawford left having allowed a single run on three hits and striking out seven.
Facing Josh Winckowski, San Francisco’s offense led off the seventh with back-to-back singles but was unable to scratch a run across. Winckowski battled back to retire the next three, punctuating the frame by catching Luciano looking on strike three with runners on the corners.
In the top of the eighth, manager Alex Cora seemed to will Boston to plating an insurance run. Connor Wong led off the inning with a single, then advanced to second on a Yu Chang sacrifice bunt. Cora pulled Jarren Duran in favor of lefty masher Rob Refsnyder once the Giants put in Taylor Rogers, and Refsnyder delivered, making it 3-1 with an RBI single to left.
It wasn’t a two-run game for long. Joc Pederson led off the bottom of the eighth with a solo blast that made it 3-2. It was just the second homer righty Chris Martin has allowed all season and the first since April 10. Entering Friday, Martin hadn’t allowed a run since June 6 (16 appearances).
Closer Kenley Jansen worked a 1-2-3 ninth to secure the win, but it didn’t come without drama. Giants catcher Patrick Bailey hit a fly ball to the warning track with one out; Adam Duvall caught it easily against the wall 383 feet away from home plate. Jansen blew a 1-2 cutter by Sabol to strike him out and end the game; it was his 23rd save of the season.
Turner flashes leather at second
In just his fourth start at second base, Turner made a game-changing play. With two runners on and no outs in the seventh, pinch-hitter Blake Sabol smoked a grounder up the middle, but Turner corralled it on a dive and flipped to Chang for the first out of the inning. Winckowski then struck out Brett Wisely and Luciano with runners on the corners to escape the jam.
Paxton on tap for Saturday
Lefty James Paxton (6-2, 3.46) will pitch for the Red Sox on Saturday night in the middle game of the series. The Giants have not yet announced a starter.
First pitch is at 7:15 p.m. ET.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 29, 2023 4:48:26 GMT -5
J.P. Long @soxnotes · 6h Triston Casas has 7 HR in only 12 games since the All-Star break.
Red Sox to hit at least 7 HR in a 12-game span at the age of 23 or younger:
Triston Casas Ted Williams Tony Conigliaro Mookie Betts George Scott Ellis Burks
Triston Casas’s last 6 HR distances:
425 419 417 428 410 435 (tonight)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 29, 2023 4:48:53 GMT -5
J.P. Long @soxnotes · 5h The Red Sox bullpen had allowed 0 HR in 52.1 consecutive innings, the club’s longest single-season streak since 2008 (63.0 IP from June 29-July 30).
h/t @eliassports
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 29, 2023 4:49:25 GMT -5
J.P. Long @soxnotes · 5h The Red Sox: - Are a season-high 9 games over .500 - Own the AL’s longest active win streak (5 games) - Have MLB’s best record since June 30 (16-5, .762) - Are tied with PHI for MLB’s 9th best record overall (56-47, .544) - Have allowed only 7 runs in their last 4 games
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 29, 2023 4:51:02 GMT -5
Matt McCarthy @mattmccarthy985 · 4h This is easily one of the most impressive home runs across baseball this year. Lefties do not hit homers with this type of authority to the opposite field in SF. The ball goes to die in that part of the ballpark. Absurd.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 29, 2023 4:54:47 GMT -5
Sean McAdam @sean_McAdam · 4h Lefty reliever Joe Jacques has been optioned to Worcester. Red Sox needed to clear a roster spot for recently acquired RHP Mauricio Llovera, who is expected to be added to roster Saturday.
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