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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2023 6:34:50 GMT -5
Red Sox’s 7-game winning streak vs. Blue Jays ends, Toronto belts 5 homers
Published: Aug. 04, 2023, 9:44 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — The Red Sox won their first seven games against the Blue Jays this season, outscoring them 49-29. But Toronto belted its way to an easy victory Friday.
The Jays crushed five homers to win 7-3 at Fenway Park.
Boston (57-52) trails Toronto (61-50) by three games for the final Wild Card spot. The Red Sox are two games behind the Blue Jays in the loss column.
James Paxton has been Boston’s ace this season but he didn’t pitch well Friday. He gave up four runs, nine hits (three homers) and two walks while striking out four. His fastball velocity was slightly down. He averaged 94.9 mph with his four-seamer compared to his 95.5 mph average this season, per Baseball Savant.
Whit Merrifield connected on the first pitch of the game, a 93.2 mph fastball from Paxton, and sent it 352 feet into the Monster seats. One out later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sent a Paxton cutter into the Monster seats. His blast went 387 feet and put the Blue Jays ahead 2-0.
Davis Schneider, in his first major league plate appearance, connected on a curveball from Paxton and sent it 377 feet over the Green Monster to put Toronto ahead 3-0 in the second inning.
Jarren Duran cut the deficit to 3-2 in the third. He belted a 361-foot opposite-field homer off Alek Manoah into the Monster seats. His two-run homer was his eighth home run and 42nd extra-base hit .
But Paxton couldn’t keep the deficit at one run when he returned to the mound for the fourth inning. Daulton Varsho singled and George Springer doubled to make it 4-2 Blue Jays.
Mauricio Llovera replaced Paxton in the sixth. He gave up a 413-foot homer to Varsho and an RBI double to Vladimir Guerrero as the Jays increased their lead to 6-2.
Yu Chang homered in the seventh, a 411-footer to left to cut it to 6-3.
Matt Chapman belted the Blue Jays’ fifth homer of the game, a 394-foot opposite field blast against Richard Bleier.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2023 6:36:50 GMT -5
Alex Cora’s Red Sox open series flat; ‘Let’s not make a big deal out of it’
Updated: Aug. 04, 2023, 11:27 p.m.|Published: Aug. 04, 2023, 11:20 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — The Red Sox won their first seven games against the Blue Jays this season, outscoring them 49-29. But they came out flat Friday in the first game of an important three-game home series against a Toronto team they are right behind for the third and final AL Wild Card spot.
Boston allowed a season-high in homers (5) and extra-base hits (8). Starter James Paxton gave up three of the Blue Jays’ five home runs in a 7-3 loss at Fenway Park.
Paxton and the Red Sox fell behind immediately. Whit Merrifield connected on the game’s first pitch, a 93.2 mph fastball from Paxton, and sent it 352 feet into the Monster seats. One out later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sent a cutter from Paxton into the Monster seats, making it 2-0.
“It’s always tough (to fall behind early) but it’s just one game,” manager Alex Cora said. “Let’s not make a big deal out of it. They played good. At one point, they were going to beat us. Yeah, you can go 17-2 or whatever it was. They played a good game. We didn’t. And that’s the bottom line. We’ve got to be ready for tomorrow.”
Cora was referring to last year when Toronto won 16 of 19 games against Boston. This season has been the complete opposite. The Red Sox have stayed in the Wild Card race simply because of how well they have played against the Blue Jays and Yankees, posting a combined 12-2 record against the AL East rivals.
Boston (57-52) trails Toronto (61-50) by three games for the third Wild Card spot. It is two games behind the Jays in the loss column.
The Red Sox have lost five of their past six games. And tomorrow’s game should be a tough one. John Schreiber will open for the Red Sox on Saturday opposite talented righty José Berríos (8-7, 3.31 ERA).
“It’s one game,” Jarren Duran said. “It’s over and done with. We’re gonna flush it. It’s baseball. It happens.”
Duran went 3-for-4 with an opposite field two-run homer. But the rest of the offense went a combined 3-for-27 (.111). Boston has scored three or fewer runs in six of its past seven games.
“We hit some balls hard. It was kind of like a weird night offensively,” Cora said.
Paxton gave up four runs, nine hits (three homers) and two walks while striking out four. His fastball velocity was slightly down. He averaged 94.9 mph with his four-seamer compared to his 95.5 mph average this season, per Baseball Savant.
“I think location-wise, he was off,” Cora said. “He didn’t have a secondary pitch. The breaking ball wasn’t great today. He had to be creative and try to give us as much as possible, which he did.”
Paxton added, “Not ideal. I left some balls over the middle of the plate.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2023 6:38:59 GMT -5
Why big Red Sox-Blue Jays series attracted so many Toronto fans to Fenway
Published: Aug. 05, 2023, 6:25 a.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.comJoey Aliberti | MassLive
On Friday’s episode of MassLive’s Fenway Rundown podcast, Blue Jays play-by-play announcer Dan Shulman joins Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam leading up to the Boston-Toronto weekend series. They discuss where the Blue Jays stand, their struggles against the Red Sox this season, this weekend’s series, Fenway memories and much more.
You can listen to the full podcast here and subscribe on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Shulman on why there are so many Blue Jays fans at Fenway Park this weekend:
“The first word I would use is passion and I would expand it from Toronto. I would say we have a very unique situation in that we have a national team. They’re the only team in Canada. You guys will see it because it’s a weekend series. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are 3,000 or 4,000 Blue Jay fans who have come down from various spots in Canada who have come down to Fenway Park.
When the Blue Jays go to Seattle, which is always a weekend series in the summer, and that’s not a coincidence, there are, and I’m not exaggerating, 25,000-30,000 Canadians there, many from Vancouver. When the Blue Jays go to Minnesota, everybody from Winnipeg comes down. When the Blue Jays go to Detroit, Cleveland, all the towns that are close to the border, this team has an unbelievable following from coast to coast.”
Shulman on the AL East being the best it’s ever been:
“I think certainly, it’s the best a division has ever been since they went to the three divisions, five teams per division format,” Shulman said.
“Those divisions (in the 80′s) were great too, but since they’ve gone to the three division format, there’s no question that’s the best division there has ever been. And, and I’ll tell you from a Blue Jay perspective… The Blue Jays are 8-23 in the American League East. 8-23.
“They are 52-27 outside the division, they have the second-worst record in baseball within their division, only Oakland is worse. And (Toronto has), I believe, the best record in baseball outside of it, outside of their own division. So that’ll tell you how the Blue Jays are feeling about the American League East right now.”
On how Toronto fans reacted the other AL East team’s trade deadline moves:
“The Blue Jay fan base, I think tends to notice the Yankees first,” Shulman said. “No matter what’s going on with the Yankees, they notice the Yankees first. So people definitely took notice of the fact that the Yankees didn’t do anything.
“And we certainly talked on the air that day about how the Yankees and the Red Sox didn’t do very much at all. The Rays and the Orioles made more significant moves. Three, four days ago, the Blue Jays inched up on the Orioles and Rays, but now it’s more like, hey you got to pay attention to the Red Sox and Yankees, like if you want to make the playoffs.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2023 6:40:08 GMT -5
Dan Shaughnessy @dan_Shaughnessy · 11h Fenway official scoring corruption continues as obvious Casas error is ruled infield single
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2023 6:46:32 GMT -5
Red Sox put Trevor Story’s return date in his hands By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated August 4, 2023, 7:43 p.m.
Trevor Story is days away from returning to the Red Sox roster from a rehab assignment in Triple A Worcester, and several players are right behind him.
Manager Alex Cora said the Sox will let Story — rehabbing from an internal brace procedure on his right elbow — tell them when he’s ready to return to big league competition. His 20-day rehab assignment can run through Wednesday, after which the Sox will have to put him on their big league roster. But the team is leaving it up to the shortstop to say whether he feels ready to play in the majors before then.
“Whenever he says he’s ready, he’ll be here,” said Cora. “One thing for sure, his presence means a lot — defensively, offensively, running the bases. There’s going to be a period there that probably he’s going to struggle. We’ll take that. The more reps he gets here, the better he’s going to be.”
Meanwhile, Tanner Houck (facial fractures) is slated to start a rehab assignment for the WooSox with a two- to three-inning outing on Saturday in Syracuse, with Chris Sale (shoulder) slated to make his second Triple A rehab start on Sunday. Cora said Houck will likely make one or two additional rehab appearances, while “there’s a good chance” Sale will be activated after the Sunday outing, depending on how he feels.
Garrett Whitlock, meanwhile, could start a rehab assignment in his return from an elbow bone bruise next week. The Sox plan to prepare him to return as a multi-innings reliever.
“At the end of the day, it’s going to be a good pitching staff — a really good pitching staff,” said Cora, who praised the depleted staff for posting a 3.74 ERA (second in the AL, fifth in the big leagues) since May 16. “Adding these guys, I think it’s going to make us better and get us ready for the next two months, two-and-a-half months.”
Turner out again
Justin Turner was out of the lineup for Friday’s 7-3 loss to the Blue Jays, his third straight missed game due to a heel injury he incurred in Seattle last Monday. Cora said the DH/infielder was available off the bench . . . After Friday’s game, the Red Sox announced that righthander John Schreiber will serve as the opener for Saturday afternoon’s game. The Sox have both lefty Chris Murphy and righty Nick Pivetta available as long-relief options. They have not identified a starter for Sunday. Brayan Bello will get an extra (fifth) day of rest before starting against the Royals on Monday . . . Prospect Ceddanne Rafaela homered Friday in Syracuse, becoming the first WooSox player to homer in four consecutive games. The dynamic outfielder has 10 homers in 29 Triple A games.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2023 6:58:38 GMT -5
Blue Jays @ Red Sox Saturday, 5th August 2023 4pm @ Fenway
Berrios 8-7/ 3.31
vs
Opener
Jays' Jose Berrios on roll ahead of start vs. Red Sox FLM
The visiting Toronto Blue Jays will try to increase their lead over the host Boston Red Sox in the American League wild-card race when the teams play the middle game of a three-game series on Saturday afternoon.
Toronto moved three games ahead of Boston in the battle for the final wild-card spot by beating the Red Sox 7-3 Friday night. The Blue Jays hit five solo home runs but continued to struggle with runners in scoring position.
Toronto owns a .235 batting average and a .671 OPS with runners in scoring position, with both stats ranking 28th among the 30 major league teams. The Blue Jays were 2-for-29 in that category in a four-game series against Baltimore earlier this week before going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position on Friday.
"We're trying not to talk about it too much," Blue Jays manager John Schneider told Sportsnet 590. "Guys are aware of it. They're aware of all those stats. ... I think they're trying not to harp on it. They're trying to move on from it and get better at it. So having a consistent approach is definitely a thing that has been here and there with us sometimes.
"Trying not to dwell on those and trying to move on from them is what we're doing. And I think the way we have to do it is to come up with a very convicted approach as a team and stick to it. ... We have to stick to it for 27 outs."
Toronto entered the Friday game 0-7 against the Red Sox this season. The victory improved the Blue Jays' record against teams in the American League East to 9-23.
"They're a good offense -- really good," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "They played a good game, we didn't -- that's the bottom line. We have to get ready for (Saturday)."
Jose Berrios (8-7, 3.31 ERA) is scheduled to start for Toronto on Saturday. The right-hander has allowed two runs or fewer in each of his past five starts and has a 1.84 ERA during that span -- but he didn't get a win in any of those outings.
He gave up a run on six hits in six innings during Toronto's 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday but didn't factor into the decision.
Berrios allowed four runs on five hits in six innings and took the loss when Boston beat Toronto 5-0 on June 30. Three of the hits he gave up were home runs. He struck out eight and didn't walk a batter.
Berrios is 1-6 with a 4.31 ERA in 12 career starts against the Red Sox.
John Schreiber (1-1, 3.74) will serve as the opener for Boston on Saturday. He has made one start in 22 appearances this season. In his most recent outing, Schreiber took his first loss of the year after allowing four runs in his lone inning during a relief outing against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.
In nine career outings against the Blue Jays, all out of the bullpen, Schreiber has no decisions and a 0.00 ERA in 10 innings. He threw a combined 2 2/3 innings against Toronto in outings on May 2 and May 4.
The Red Sox designated infielder Christian Arroyo for assignment before the Friday game. That move made room on the roster for Luis Urias, who was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers at the trade deadline. Urias went 1-for-3 with a walk and scored a run in the Friday loss.
"Pablo (Reyes) is more versatile than Arroyo," Cora said. "That's basically what happened. Obviously Arroyo has been great for us. He's a good kid. Up-and-down season. ... One thing about him, he can play second base. Obviously we'll miss him. We'll see what the future holds, and we'll go from there."
--Field Level Media
Blue Jays at Red Sox Saturday, at 4:10 PM EST Partly Cloudy It's expected to be 79° F with a 8% chance of rain and 6 MPH wind blowing in in Boston at 4:10 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2023 7:42:58 GMT -5
Red Sox name one of their top relievers as opener Saturday vs. Blue Jays
Updated: Aug. 05, 2023, 7:57 a.m.|Published: Aug. 05, 2023, 7:55 a.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — The Red Sox named John Schreiber their starting pitcher against the Blue Jays on Saturday. It marks his second time being used as an opener.
Schreiber also opened against the Braves on July 25. He allowed one run, two hits and one walk in one inning before Nick Pivetta replaced him as the bulk reliever to begin the second inning.
The 29-year-old has struggled since the Red Sox activated him from the injured list. He spent from May 16 to July 25 on the 60-day IL because of a right teres major strain. In four outings since his return, Schreiber has allowed five runs, seven hits, two walks and one hit by pitch while striking out three in 4 ⅔ innings. He allowed four runs in 1-plus innings against the Mariners in Seattle on Wednesday.
Pivetta likely will serve as the bulk reliever, although Boston could use lefty Chris Murphy who hasn’t pitched since Saturday, if the Blue Jays go with a left-handed lineup. Pivetta tossed 5 scoreless innings after replacing Schreiber on July 25. He has been successful in a bulk reliever role following an opener since late June. But he started Monday against the Mariners, striking out 10 in 7 ⅓ innings. He gave up three runs, five hits and no walks.
Why not just start Pivetta after he had success starting Monday?
“He was good before that, too,” manager Alex Cora said. “So I think you pitch whenever we tell him to and he’ll be fine. I think it’s good to have both guys (Pivetta and Murphy) available. ... I think it’s actually an advantage in a certain way when you have both of them available. The opposition has to make a decision lineup-wise not knowing who will come in. Because it’s not like, ‘Hey, by the way, Pivetta’s the bulk guy.’ It doesn’t work that way. They see the lineup card and they have to make decisions. And you go and try to take advantage of it. It’s never a guarantee it’s going to be successful but at least you feel like you have the upper-hand.”
Talented righty José Berríos (8-7, 3.31 ERA) will start for Toronto.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2023 11:58:39 GMT -5
Berrios vs Opener
4pm
Blue Jays
Whit Merrifield (R) LF Brandon Belt (L) DH Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (R) 1B George Springer (R) RF Danny Jansen (R) C Matt Chapman (R) 3B Daulton Varsho (L) CF Davis Schneider (R) 2B Paul DeJong (R) SS
Bloom Ball's Underdogs
Jarren Duran (L) CF Masataka Yoshida (L) LF Justin Turner (R) DH Rafael Devers (L) 3B Triston Casas (L) 1B Alex Verdugo (L) RF Luis Urias (R) 2B Connor Wong (R) C Yu Chang (R) SS
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2023 13:31:58 GMT -5
Pete Abraham 9min Verdugo is out of the line up. Sox not saying why which is unusual.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2023 13:33:26 GMT -5
Jarren Duran (L) CF Masataka Yoshida (L) LF Justin Turner (R) DH Rafael Devers (L) 3B Adam Duvall (R) RF Triston Casas (L) 1B Luis Urias (R) 2B Connor Wong (R) C Yu Chang (R) SS
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2023 14:15:25 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo 10m Red Sox injury notes Story will play for Woosox today and Sunday, will re-assess after. Houck goes today for Woosox, Sale tomorrow. Seems likely to be Sale's last rehab outing. Kluber remains shut down.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2023 15:55:47 GMT -5
Pivetta comes into the game serves up a home run to belt
then the Red Sox slide into their keystone cops mode Devers with a throwing error and the Jays scratch 2 other runs
sloppy Underdogs
3-0 Jays early
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2023 18:03:04 GMT -5
Well that ending was infuriating.
As for the game Devers did tie it up at 3, which compensated his shaky glove all and throwing arm all game.
Bernarddino shit all over him self to make it 5-3 late
But the ending , bottom of the 9th takes the cake.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2023 18:10:18 GMT -5
Red Sox bottom of the order in the 9th scratch a run in to make it 5-4 Verdugo clearly still chained to the bench , so McGuire comes up to bat and gets on, next batter get on 1 out Wong is up, and hits it deep to CF McGuire turns puts his arms up like Wong hit it out and runs like his hair is on fire, avoids the stop sign, , meanwhile Varshou catches it at the wall, throws back a pea to 2b to double off McGuire to end the game.
That may be the dumbest base running I have ever seen at any level. and it is par for the course for this team.
Sox lose 5-4
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2023 18:21:06 GMT -5
Ian Browne 2 min "Today the team took a step back as a team". Alex Cora , fuming at having to bench Alex Verdugo today. It appears the benching was disciplinary.
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