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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 9, 2023 18:17:44 GMT -5
Pivetta worked 66 pitches 3 days ago at 17 pitches all ready......
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 9, 2023 18:31:56 GMT -5
Pivetta leaves a FB up and Melinda just crushed it alot of boos, 1-0 Royals
Pivetta up to 33 pitches. Guess they are close to drawing straws down in the bullpen.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 9, 2023 18:38:10 GMT -5
Pivetta melting down and here is something I have never seen Duffy hits a ball out to LF and the ball goes thru one of the lights in the scoreboard in the monster
anyway
still 1-0 Royals
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 9, 2023 18:40:09 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 3m A Fenway first in my experience -- Yoshida arrived at the Wall at the same time as the liner by Isbel. It went over his head and INTO the first "out" light -- smashing the fixture, and sticking inside of it -- for a ground-rule double.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 9, 2023 18:43:00 GMT -5
Casas Deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep to RF
1-1
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 9, 2023 19:00:27 GMT -5
Melendez cranks one over the monster going to review and confirmed
Home run
and Pivetta leaving pitches up
2-1 Royals
4th
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 9, 2023 19:08:26 GMT -5
wow Yoshida leads off the 4th and a golf shot to right ended up falling in between some Royals to lead off with a 2B
some weird shit going on here tonight
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 9, 2023 19:14:47 GMT -5
verdugo 2 run 2B 3-2 red sox 4th
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 10, 2023 4:36:27 GMT -5
Verdugo's clutch opposite-field hit signals changed approach 1:09 AM ADT Molly Burkhardt
BOSTON -- It didn’t have all the fanfare of a dramatic hit a player might look for, but it ended up being the difference for the Red Sox on Wednesday night.
Down 2-1 in the bottom of the 4th, Alex Verdugo laced a two-run opposite-field double to help propel the Red Sox to a 4-3 win over the Royals at Fenway Park.
Verdugo, who has dealt with noise on and off the field this season, got off to a hot start in 2023 before a cool July brought the outfielder down to earth. But at the end of the month, Verdugo noticed a shift in his body at the plate during Boston’s trip to Seattle that began on July 31.
“I was putting my body in a bad situation to put off a good swing and kind of lost my hands while doing that,” Verdugo said. “So for me it was just trying to get my hands back, try to be a little more upright with my posture and just let my hands work. I think that was a changeup off the plate away and was able to just kind of just let the arms get a little bit extended and get a good line drive [to the opposite field].”
In a 1-1 count against Royals starter Jordan Lyles, Verdugo got just enough of his bat on an 86.6 mph changeup outside the zone. A bounding MJ Melendez laid out for the ball in left-center before it grazed off the left-fielder’s glove and landed for a base hit.
“That was good, by tracking the pitches and going the other way, he was getting a little pull happy, swinging over pitches,” manager Alex Cora said. “And to be able to stay on that pitch and go the other way. Melendez, great effort. Credit to [Rafael Devers] too. Sometimes the runner when he sees the ball and it hits the glove they slow down, and he just kept going.”
Verdugo’s first test came in his first at-bat, when he rolled over a changeup from Lyles that resulted in a groundout. The left-handed hitter’s pull-rate has been up and down this season, reaching as high as 35.6 percent (May), and now down to 30.8 percent in an albeit small sample size just one week into August.
“I was just looking to put off a good swing and be on time,” Verdugo said of his second at-bat. “And for me, it’s not trying to go oppo, it’s trying to go through the ball. Try to stay inside the ball and through it. … That’s what I’m kind of trying to avoid is the hook-jobs, or the rollovers … I’d rather have a blooper to left than a rollover to first.”
In the same frame, Verdugo came around to score from second on an RBI single hit up the middle by Reese McGuire.
“Great send by [third-base coach] Carlos [Febles] there,” Cora said. “It was one of those that was gonna be ‘bang-bang,’ but [Verdugo] did a good job hustling to the plate and scoring.”
Verdugo has hit in nine of his past 11 games, dating back to just before the Seattle trip. Since July 28, he’s gone 11-for-35 (.314 average).
While Verdugo quietly delivered the go-ahead hit, Triston Casas loudly opened the scoring for Boston with a solo homer to right-center field in the 2nd inning. The blast registered at 431 feet, per Statcast, to give him eight straight homers of 410-plus feet.
“Every run was big today,” Verdugo said. "Whether it was the homer by Casas, the two runs I drove in, Reese’s line drive up the middle. These are all big at-bats, and you saw today we won by one. Reese’s big play on defense throwing [Dairon Blanco] out. I think it was just one of those things, it was a team effort and our pitchers did the job, [Nick Pivetta] did a really good job starting and bullpen came down, shut it down as well. It was a good all-around win.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 10, 2023 4:50:45 GMT -5
Red Sox win: Alex Verdugo, Triston Casas have big hits vs. Royals
Updated: Aug. 09, 2023, 10:07 p.m.|Published: Aug. 09, 2023, 9:34 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
BOSTON — Royals left fielder MJ Melendez has destroyed the Red Sox with his bat so far this week. His glove? A different story.
With Kansas City leading 2-1 in the fourth inning Wednesday, Alex Verdugo laced a two-out, opposite-field line drive that glanced off Melendez’s glove and gave the Red Sox a lead they wouldn’t surrender. Boston won, 4-3, improving to 59-55 with just its third win in 11 games.
Sox starter Nick Pivetta pitched well, striking out eight Royals in five innings, but couldn’t keep emerging Sox killer Melendez in the ballpark. Melendez opened the scoring with a 445-foot shot in the second, then after Triston Casas answered a half-inning later with a blast off Jordan Lyles, Melendez went opposite field to clear the Green Monster and give Kansas City a lead with his third homer in two days. The Royals took a 2-1 lead to the bottom of the fourth.
Masataka Yoshida led off with a bloop double and Rafael Devers worked a one-out walk before Verdugo stepped to the plate with two outs. After Verdugo gave the Sox a lead with his two-run double, Luis Urías looked to have ended the inning with a lineout to third. That play, though, was ruled a catcher’s interference, allowing the inning to continue. Reese McGuire drove in an insurance run before Urías was gunned down at the plate to end the inning.
With Pivetta at 90 pitches through five innings, manager Alex Cora turned to a trio of righties who dominated Kansas City’s lineup as a bridge to closer Kenley Jansen. John Schreiber pitched a 1-2-3 sixth and Josh Winckowski struck out two in a dominant seventh before setup man Chris Martin worked around a two-out Michael Massey double to retire the side in the eighth.
In the ninth, catcher Freddy Fermin launched a solo homer off Jansen to make it a one-run game with one out. The closer then battled back to record his 25th save of 2023. Jansen walked Edward Olivares, but McGuire threw out pinch-runner Dairon Blanco, who was trying to steal second.
Offensively, the Sox had just seven hits (including three singles by Pablo Reyes, who bunted for one hit) but made the most of their opportunities, going 2-for-5 with runners in scoring position and stranding just two runners. Pivetta picked up the win and improved to 8-6 with a 4.16 ERA.
In his second game back from the injured list, Trevor Story (the designated hitter Wednesday) again looked off at the plate. He was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts for the second straight night.
Fenway first?
In the second inning, Kansas City outfielder Kyle Isbel hit a line drive to left. Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida made a leaping attempt at the ball, but couldn’t glove it as it sailed past him. The ball then struck one of the red lights on the left field scoreboard that keeps track of the number of outs — and disappeared.
Paxton to pitch finale
Left-hander James Paxton (6-3, 3.60 ERA) will look to bounce back from a rough start against the Blue Jays as the Red Sox aim to secure a series win over Kansas City in the finale of the four-game set Thursday. Righty Alex Marsh (0-5, 6.75 ERA) will pitch for the Royals.
First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Red Sox will then finish their long homestand with a three-game series against the Tigers from Friday to Sunday.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 10, 2023 5:00:16 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Bruised heel is vexing Justin Turner, who expects the effects of the injury to linger By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated August 9, 2023, 4:33 p.m.
While the Red Sox have started to get some players back from the injured list, they also are dealing with the loss of a lineup mainstay.
Justin Turner suffered a bruised right heel while crossing first base July 31. He sat out the next three games, returned in a reduced state for three games from Saturday through Monday (2 for 10) and was sitting out for a second straight game in Wednesday’s 4-3 win over the Royals, with the expectation that he won’t return before the weekend.
While Turner said his heel is improving, he also said that the issue is one that’s likely to linger.
“It’s an interesting one,” he said. “It’s a bone bruise. There’s no real remedy for a bone bruise. You ask a medical person, they’ll tell you 4-6 weeks avoiding impact.
“Obviously, I don’t have that luxury. So, trying to calm it down and get it as under control as I can and then try to go again and not piss it off. You don’t really have a lot of options.”
Turner appeared particularly frustrated during Monday’s game (0 for 4, two strikeouts), when he was moving gingerly and unable to get off his A-swing without the ability to plant firmly on his heel. He said his distress was related less to the results of the at-bats than to the cascading effects of his injury.
“When you have something going on, subconsciously, you guard that thing, and in doing that you put other areas at risk,” he said. “I had a little bit of that going on.
“It wasn’t so much just the heel yesterday and today. There was some other [stuff] that was flaring up because of it.
“I’m trying to just be smart. I don’t know what the answer is at this point in the season. The right thing to do versus what you have to do are two different things. You just have to duct tape it and put some WD-40 on it, go out there, and try to help us win games.”
Turner dismissed the idea of going on the injured list. But his absence has been palpable.
He’s hitting .284/.353/.474, and his grinding at-bats, as well as his production in pivotal situations, have been central elements in making the Sox one of the top offenses in baseball. It is likely not a coincidence that the Sox’ recent offensive funk — 40 runs in their last 12 games — has come at a time when Turner has been unavailable or reduced.
“It’s there right now, but I’m going to do everything I can to get as far away from it as I can, get back in here, and go,” said Turner.
A healthy Turner and his presence in the lineup is sorely missed. In the last seven games heading into Wednesday, the Red Sox were hitting just .223, which ranked 22nd in the majors, to go along with a .686 OPS and a 24.8 percent strikeout rate.
“We haven’t been as sharp as we were in the beginning of the year,” said bench coach Ramón Vázquez, who filled in for manager Alex Cora at the pregame presser. “There are a lot of moving parts. We’re not grinding out at-bats. [We have] to see more pitches, and foul off pitches, pitcher’s pitches. That’s something we haven’t done in a few games. It’s hard at times to try to foul off pitcher’s pitches, [because sometimes], you put the ball in play and you make outs
Fouling off pitches and making the pitcher work is at the fulcrum of Turner’s success as a hitter, and he helped bring that focus to this Red Sox this year.
“Guys are going out there trying to get hits, trying to get on base, and things like that,” Vázquez said. “So at some point, we’ll turn this thing around, but definitely it’s not the same offense we had in the beginning. They’re working. They’re busting their butt.”
…
Chris Sale (shoulder) will be reinstated from the injured list for the series opener Friday against the Tigers. Pitching coach Dave Bush said Sale will be on a pitch-count limit, tossing close to the same amount of pitches (50) that he threw during his most recent rehab outing. While Sale will start, the limited number of pitches suggests that his current role is more comparable to that of an opener.
…
Garrett Whitlock (elbow) went 2⅓ scoreless innings in a rehab outing in Worcester’s 5-4 win on Wednesday over the Buffalo Bisons, striking out three while yielding two hits on 46 pitches. Whitlock labored in the first inning, tossing 28 pitches while loading the bases and drawing just one swing and miss (five total). Bush said that Whitlock’s outing got stronger in the second frame which was a sign of encouragement, according to Bush.
The Red Sox plan on reinstating Whitlock from the injured list for Sunday’s series finale against the Tigers as a multi-inning reliever.
“We’re happy to see him out there,” said Vázquez. “We need to get him back to competing.”
…
The Red Sox added righthander Kyle Barraclough to the active roster Wednesday. The club also recalled lefthander Brandon Walter and optioned Nick Robertson to Triple A Worcester following Tuesday night’s contest. Righthander Dinelson Lamet, who allowed three runs in two innings in Tuesday’s loss, was designated for assignment.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 10, 2023 5:07:35 GMT -5
Royals @ Red Sox Thursday, 10th August 2023 7pm @ Fenway
Cox 0-1/ 3.58
Paxton 6-3/ 3.60
Thursday, August 10, 2023 at 7:10pm EDT Written by Michael Briggs
The Kansas City Royals and Boston Red Sox will take the field on Thursday at Fenway Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.
KC (37-78 SU and 45-70 RL) is starting right-hander Alec Marsh. The 25-year-old is 0-5 with a 6.75 ERA and a 1.68 WHIP in seven appearances (six starts) this season.
Boston (58-55 SU and 58-55 RL) is countering with left-hander James Paxton. The 34-year-old is 6-3 with a 3.60 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP in his 14 starts.
The Red Sox are -270 moneyline favorites and the game total is 10.5 runs scored.
*Article published before the conclusion of Wednesday's game.
Kansas City is still fighting for victories Kansas City has won eight of its last eleven games prior to Wednesday's contest, including a 9-3 victory over Boston on Tuesday. Are the Royals going to continue to play spoiler?
KC averages 3.92 runs (28th) and hits .239 (21st) with a .686 OPS (27th). It's hit 108 home runs (27th) and stolen 112 bases (4th). The pitching staff sports a 5.19 ERA (28th) and a 1.41 WHIP (25th) with 25 quality starts (28th).
Boston is fading fast in the Wild Card chase Boston has been dreadful lately, dropping eight of its last ten games. The Red Sox are back in last place in the AL East and just three games over the .500 mark.
Boston scores 4.88 runs per game (8th) and hits .261 (4th) with a .759 OPS (7th). It's launched 127 home runs (19th) and stolen 79 bases (16th) this season. The Red Sox pitching staff has compiled a 4.40 ERA (18th) and a 1.32 WHIP (19th) with 33 quality starts (25th).
Paxton will get the start for the home team Thursday. He is coming off one of his worst performances of the season, a nine-hit, four-run loss to Toronto. He surrendered three home runs in his five innings of work. The veteran southpaw has been mostly dependable for Boston this year, holding 11 of 14 opponents to three or fewer runs.
Royals at Red Sox Thursday, at 7:10 PM EST Possibility Of A Delay Or Rainout It's expected to be 76° F with a 62% chance of rain and 13 MPH wind blowing out in Boston at 7:10 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 10, 2023 8:14:10 GMT -5
The Red Sox have been reminded the power of an actual starting pitcher
By Rob Bradford WEEI 93.7
Remember when it was as simple as rolling out a starting pitcher, banking on that guy going five, six, seven, or (gasp) eight innings? For the Red Sox, that concept has recently seemed like such an aberration.
Since the beginning of this month, only two other teams have had few innings from their starters than the Red Sox, now sitting with 33 frames in eight games. Conversely, the Phillies have gotten 58 1/3 starting pitching innings. The Rangers? Their starters are at 55 1/3 innings for the month.
It just feels different to be living and dying with starting pitchers, a reality that Philadelphia soaked in Wednesday night thanks to Michael Lorenzen's no-hitter.
And while Nick Pivetta didn't come away with a Gatorade bath after throwing 124 pitches and not allowing a single hit, he did supply the kind of feels this Red Sox team has been starved for.
Pivetta anchored what would be a much-needed 4-3 win for the Red Sox over the Royals with a five-inning start that was only tarnished by a pair of solo homers from Kansas City's MJ Melendez. It marked the 18th time over the Sox' last 30 games their starter has pitched more than three innings. And during that stretch - dating back to July 2 - the team is is 10-4 when its starting pitcher goes at least five innings.
The Red Sox' record when their "starters" have gone three or fewer innings? That would be 8-13, including losses in their last three such scenarios.
Much of this life-without-starting pitching has come out of necessity due to injuries and the Red Sox' belief Pivetta had found his perfect lot in life as a reliever. But times are changing.
At this point - particularly with the impending return of Garrett Whitlock to the bullpen - Pivetta's full-time reintegration into the rotation seems like a no-brainer.
Now you have Pivetta. Then comes James Paxton. After him is Chris Sale. Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford round things out. Suddenly, there is an actual starting rotation.
Too little, too late? Maybe. But if there is a chance to make up these five games on the Wild Card-leading Blue Jays, it will be rooted in outings like the one Pivetta offered.
It figures to improve the Red Sox' bullpen, the Red Sox' record, and the Red Sox' fans peace of mind.
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Post by Kimmi on Aug 10, 2023 8:35:52 GMT -5
Pivetta leaves a FB up and Melinda just crushed it alot of boos, 1-0 Royals
Pivetta up to 33 pitches. Guess they are close to drawing straws down in the bullpen. Pivetta ended up with a pretty good outing, as did the pen guys. The offense is still sputtering. We need to get the bats going again.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 10, 2023 13:35:21 GMT -5
Game 116: Royals at Red Sox lineups and notesBy Emma Healy Globe Staff,Updated August 10, 2023, 8:55 a.m. The Red Sox got what they needed from Nick Pivetta Wednesday night, taking a 2-1 series lead over the Royals after the Sox starter turned in five innings of work in a 4-3 win. They have a chance to win the four-game series Thursday, a feat the Red Sox haven’t managed in two weeks. Lefthander James Paxton will take the mound Thursday, while righthander Alec Marsh is expected to get the majority of the work for the Royals. But first, the Green Monster in need of a minor repair, as Kyle Isbel’s liner toward the scoreboard in left field smashed into the circular light cover that that gets illuminated for the first out of the inning. A shard of the light cover had broken off, and the ball had lodged within the fixture — inside the wall. Isbel’s hit was ruled a ground rule double, preventing Matt Duffy — who’d been on first, but likely would have scored had the ball been in play — from scoring. Pivetta retired his next batter to end the frame and escaped the inning down only 1-0. Lineups ROYALS (37-79): Maikel Garcia (R) 3B Bobby Witt Jr. (R) SS Michael Massey (L) 2B Salvador Perez (R) 1B MJ Melendez (L) RF Freddy Fermin (R) C Edward Olivares (R) DH Samad Taylor (R) LF Dairon Blanco (R) CF Pitching: RHP Alec Marsh (0-5, 6.75 ERA) RED SOX (59-55): Pablo Reyes (R) SS Rafael Devers (L) 3B Adam Duvall (R) CF Triston Casas (L) 1B Trevor Story (R) DH Alex Verdugo (L) RF Jarren Duran (L) LF Luis Urias (R) 2B Reese McGuire (L) C Pitching: LHP James Paxton (6-3, 3.60 ERA) Time: 7:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Royals vs. Paxton: Matt Duffy 1-3, Salvador Perez 4-13 Red Sox vs. Marsh: Has not faced any Boston batters Stat of the day: Paxton is 3-0 with a 1.70 ERA in seven career starts against the Royals. He has 53 strikeouts in 42 ⅓ innings. Notes: The Royals will use lefthander Austin Cox as an opener Thursday, but Marsh is expected to get the bulk of the work on the mound. Cox (0-1, 3.58) has a 1.16 WHIP in 27 ⅔ innings this season. ... Paxton had a 4.95 ERA in four July starts, then gave up three home runs in five innings during his only start in August — Friday night’s 7-3 loss to the Blue Jays. ... Justin Turner, who has been dealing with a bruised left heel, isn’t expected to return to the Red Sox lineup until Friday at the earliest. Turner was injured on July 31 when he beat out an infield single against Seattle. He missed three games and then played in the next three, but hasn’t been in the lineup since Monday’s 6-2 victory over Kansas City. Turner is hitting .284 and is third on the team in home runs (17) and RBIs (71). ... Trevor Story is 0-for-8 with six strikeouts since being activated from the 60-day injured list Tuesday. Song of the Day: Prince - Batdance www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulOLYnOthIw
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