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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 11, 2023 4:47:55 GMT -5
Tigers @ Red Sox Friday, 11th August 2023 7pm @ Fenway
Skubal 2-1/ 3.67
Sale 5-2/ 4.58
Friday, August 11, 2023 at 7:10pm EDT Written by Michael Briggs
The Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox will play Friday night at Fenway Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.
Detroit (51-63 SU and 59-55 RL) is starting southpaw Tarik Skubal. The 26-year-old is 2-1 with a 3.67 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP in six outings this season.
Boston (59-55 SU and 58-56 RL) is "most likely" starting fellow left-hander Chris Sale, per manager Alex Cora. The 34-year-old, who has been on the injured list since early June with a shoulder injury, is 5-2 with a 4.58 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP in 11 outings this year.
The Red Sox are -163 moneyline favorites and the game total is 9.5 runs scored.
*Article published before the conclusion of Thursday's games.
Skubal is aiming for consecutive wins Detroit wrapped up its series with Minnesota on Thursday. Even after winning the last two games, it's 12 games under .500 and eight games out of the division lead in the AL Central.
The Tigers score 3.96 runs per game (28th) and hit .235 (27th) with a .673 OPS (29th). They've launched 106 long balls (28th) and stolen 50 bases (28th) in 2023. The Detroit pitching staff has posted a 4.51 ERA (21st) and a 1.27 WHIP (10th) with 25 quality starts (29th).
Can Sale boost Boston's depleted starting rotation? The Red Sox took two of the first three games against the Royals earlier this week, snapping a four-game losing streak. Their latest victory pulled them out of last place and a half-game ahead of the Yankees in the AL East standings.
Boston scores 4.88 runs per game (8th) and hits .261 (4th) with a .759 OPS (7th). It's launched 128 home runs (18th) and stolen 79 bases (16th) this season. The Red Sox pitching staff has compiled a 4.39 ERA (18th) and a 1.32 WHIP (19th) with 33 quality starts (25th).
Sale is expected to take the hill for the home team on Friday. The 13th-year veteran has a 71:15 K:BB ratio in 59 innings pitched this year. He hasn't appeared in a game since June 1, though, exiting that outing early due to shoulder discomfort. The Florida native was beginning to find his groove prior to the setback, holding his previous five opponents to three or fewer runs.
Tigers at Red Sox Friday, at 7:10 PM EST Clear It's expected to be 78° F with a 1% chance of precipitation and 10 MPH wind blowing left to right in Boston at 7:10 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 11, 2023 4:50:19 GMT -5
Rest of Series Match Ups
Saturday, 4pm, Manning 3-4/ 5.06 vs Bello 8-6/ 3.64
Sunday, 12pm, E-rod 8-5/ 2.15 vs Crawford 5-5/ 3.62
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 11, 2023 4:51:09 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Sale set for return vs. Tigers August 10th, 2023 LATEST NEWS
Aug. 10: LHP Chris Sale set for Friday return There will be excitement in the air on Friday night when Sale makes his first start for the Red Sox since June 1. The lefty, who has been sidelined by a stress reaction in his left shoulder, tuned up for the series opener against the Tigers with two Minor League rehab appearances for Triple-A Worcester.
Sale struck out 10 in 6 1/3 scoreless innings in his rehab outings. Red Sox manager Alex Cora is hoping to get four innings from Sale in his return against the Tigers.
"Just to have him back, that's huge for us," Cora said. "And then, you know, we'll keep progressing from there. But to have him tomorrow, that’s going to be very important for us.”
Aug. 10: DH/INF Justin Turner could be in Friday's lineup The Red Sox are hoping that Turner, who has been limited since suffering a bone bruise in his left heel on July 31, can return to the lineup on Friday night. Turner has started just three of Boston' nine games since sustaining the injury.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 11, 2023 5:02:08 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 6h Alex Cora: “Just keep grinding, keep going. We won the series; we move on to the next one … we’ve just got to keep winning.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 11, 2023 5:05:12 GMT -5
Red Sox notebook: Rafael Devers took Triston Casas under his wing, helped rookie turn season around
By Mac Cerullo | mcerullo@bostonherald.com PUBLISHED: August 10, 2023 at 7:25 p.m. | UPDATED: August 10, 2023 at 7:43 p.m.
Triston Casas’ rookie season got off to a rough start. At times the 23-year-old seemed overmatched by big league pitching, and by the end of April he was batting .133 with a .283 on-base percentage and .293 slugging percentage, hardly the production the club had envisioned from their former top prospect.
Luckily for Casas, he didn’t have to look hard to find another left-handed power hitter in the clubhouse he could turn to for advice.
Through a series of conversations, meals and interactions around the ballpark, Rafael Devers took Casas under his wing and helped the talented first baseman adjust to the major leagues. The results have been undeniable, and now for three and a half months Casas has been among the most impactful hitters in baseball.
“I think Raffy really got through him in his own way as a leader in the group,” said Red Sox hitting coach Peter Fatse. “It was really cool for Raffy to go out and push the envelop.”
Devers said Casas approached him and the two started spending a lot of time together. They’d often go out for breakfast, hang out at Devers’ place and talk about various baseball situations during the game. Even though the two can’t speak each other’s languages fluently, Casas said he’s learned a lot from the two-time All-Star.
“I think more than the words he uses, I follow his example. Obviously because of his stats but how he leads the team in the middle of the order, taking good at bats, sometimes he has some uncharacteristic swings at some bad pitches but with the intent to do damage and be aggressive,” Casas said. “If I ever talk to him about anything, it’s like why do you do something you do, not so much how should I do it?”
“I know he’s somebody that doesn’t like to talk too much but he opened up with me, and I went through that, I went through that when I came up the first time, I needed to make my adjustment and that was the moment he was going through trying to make those adjustments,” Devers said through translator Carlos Villoria Benítez. “So that was my advice for him, to try and help him as much as I can so he could overcome that.”
One of the big issues Casas had early was tweaking his approach at the plate. Teammates and coaches felt he was trying too hard to be a high on-base guy, and the result was a passive approach that wound up resulting in pitchers attacking the zone.
Once he started being more aggressive, Casas started doing more damage and the walks began coming more naturally.
“Walking and on-base percentage isn’t a matter of having a good eye, it’s a matter of doing damage and scaring guys out of the zone,” said fellow infielder Justin Turner, who praised Casas for the progress he’s made. “If you do damage people are going to pitch you more carefully and you’re going to end up walking more. If you’re not doing damage they’re going to throw it over the plate and let you hit.”
The results have been striking. Since May 1, Casas is batting .289 with 15 home runs, 34 RBI and a .912 OPS over 76 games. He’s been especially hot since the All-Star break, and on Wednesday night his towering 431-foot home run helped make the difference in Boston’s 4-3 win.
“I go back and look at my at bats and I feel like I’ve made tremendous strides just the way I’m controlling the zone and then finally when I do get pitches to hit hitting them forward and hitting them hard,” Casas said. “I think I’m getting to that point in the season where stuff is starting to slow down.”
Yet while Casas has gotten much more confident, he still isn’t comfortable and feels he still has a lot to prove to earn his place in Boston long-term.
“It comes down to production, if I’m not producing to the level that I know I can and that I did last month and that I have been the last two, they’re going to find somebody else to do it,” Casas said. “So I need to keep my foot on the pedal and keep going like I haven’t earned anything.” Sale expected back Friday
Barring any last minute changes of plans, the Red Sox plan to activate Chris Sale (stress reaction in shoulder blade) from the injured list on Friday and have him start the series opener against the Detroit Tigers.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said they hope to have Sale pitch four innings, but even on a limited pitch count he expects the lefty will give them a big lift.
“Just to have him back, that’s huge for us,” Cora said. “We’ll keep progressing from there but to have him tomorrow, that’s going to be very important for us.”
Garrett Whitlock (right elbow bone bruise) is expected to be activated on Sunday. Tanner Houck (facial fracture) was scheduled to start Thursday for the WooSox before the game was rained out, and the club hasn’t determined whether or not he’ll need an additional rehab outing before returning to the majors. Cora was also noncommittal on whether Houck would be used as a starter or a reliever once activated.
Cora said Trevor Story should be back at shortstop on Friday and Sunday, and after Monday’s off-day he’ll play two of three during the upcoming series in Washington. He also confirmed Masataka Yoshida was just given a day off Thursday and isn’t dealing with any issues. Lynn appearance
Former Red Sox great Fred Lynn will appear at the 29th annual Oldtime Baseball Game, which is scheduled to take place on Thursday, Aug. 24 at St. Peter’s Field in Cambridge. The pregame program will begin at 7 p.m.
Established in 1994, the Oldtime Baseball Game features a collection of throwback uniforms coupled with period music and local players, and numerous former Red Sox players have participated over the years. Past players include Pedro Martinez, Roger Clemens, Tim Wakefield, Jim Lonborg, Mike Timlin, Lou Merloni, Oil Can Boyd and the late Jim Corsi, and this year Lynn will serve as an honorary manager.
This year’s game will also serve as a fundraiser for The Boston Home, a non-profit residence and national resource for adults with advanced neurological disorders, primarily multiple sclerosis. For more information, visit oldtimebaseball.com and thebostonhome.org.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 11, 2023 5:10:10 GMT -5
Chris Sale’s return to the mound Friday will give the Red Sox a needed boost: ‘We’ve been waiting for this day’ By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated August 10, 2023, 11:47 p.m.
As the Red Sox were playing the Royals in the rain on Thursday night, the scoreboard showed the Astros, Rays, and Jays had all lost.
Those are three of the four teams ahead of the Sox in the American League wild card standings and these days, any little sliver of hope is welcome at Fenway Park.
The Sox did their part to add to it with a 2-0 victory.
The harsh truth of the matter is more Boston sports fans were probably interested in the first Patriots exhibition game than they were in the actual game the Sox played.
But they did what was required by taking three of four from the rebuilding Royals and are now four games out of a playoff spot with 47 games to play.
The odds remain against the Sox, especially with the schedule soon to get much tougher. But the door remains open.
“Just keep grinding, keep going,” manager Alex Cora said. “We won the series; we move on to the next one . . . We’ve just got to keep winning.”
Chris Sale returns to the roster on Friday night to face the Tigers in what will be his first start since June 1. Before he fractured his shoulder blade, Sale was pitching well and the buzz that usually accompanies a Friday night home game should be even louder when he takes the mound.
It’s impossible to know what to expect of Sale after 10 weeks on the injured list, but it should be better than yet another bullpen game.
“We’ve been waiting for this day,” Cora said. “He’s been around us and he feels good.”
Sale’s presence alone should give the team a jolt.
“For me it’s definitely exciting,” Kenley Jansen said. “That’s the one guy, I remember when I signed here, I was excited to see. I saw him for so many years on the other side and I’m beside him now. That’s awesome.
“You see the fighting spirit that he has. Things that people cannot see off the field that I see every day. The fighting spirit he has and the positivity that he brings.”
We’ll have to take Kenley’s word on that one. The Sox were either unable or unwilling to make Sale available to answer a few questions on Thursday, something Clayton Kershaw did before he rejoined the Dodgers after a six-week absence with a sore shoulder.
Outside of the score, Thursday was notable because Trevor Story doubled to center field for his first hit of the season after an 0-for-9 start.
Yes, the ball popped out of the glove of rookie Dairon Blanco, but Story hit it 385 feet to the base of the wall. That moved Triston Casas to third base and he scored on a sacrifice fly by Alex Verdugo.
Story also drew a walk in the sixth inning and felt frisky enough to try a steal of second. He nearly had the base, too, before a review showed shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. was able to get the tag on his leg.
It’s also a positive that the bullpen trio of Josh Winckowski, Chris Martin and Jansen retired the final eight Royals in order, striking out six.
Jansen has converted 26 of 29 save chances and Martin has been near untouchable since coming off the injured list on April 30.
A lockdown bullpen can make a difference if the Sox are still in contention a month from now.
Jansen has made the playoffs every season since 2013. He tested that streak by signing with the Sox after playing for the Dodgers and Braves. But he’s not ready to give it up.
“You have to take it one pitch at a time, one at-bat at a time,” he said. “If you can come to the mindset at 2 o’clock and expect to win a ballgame, that’s a great start to our day.
“Just focus on that one game and take care of that one game. Hopefully we all stay healthy. If we can do that, we’ll be in good shape.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 11, 2023 5:12:09 GMT -5
Chris Martin continues to leverage his value as an effective set-up man in the Red Sox bullpen By Greg McKenna Globe Correspondent,Updated August 10, 2023, 9:01 p.m.
Chris Martin knows high-leverage relievers are valuable assets at the trade deadline. The 37-year-old righthander has been dealt on July 30 twice in the last five years, so he knows it comes with the territory.
“If they felt like they could get something out of me and trade me and it would benefit the team, that’s fine,” Martin said. “It’s kind of what I’ve signed up for.”
With a 5-year-old, 3-year-old, and 8-month old at home, sticking around was ideal. The family loves living just outside of Boston, and it’s a bit cooler in the summer than in his home state of Texas, where summer temperatures have consistently soared over 100 degrees.
Martin, who went undrafted in 2006 and spent several years away from the game after struggling with shoulder injuries, was signed by the Red Sox out of the independent league in 2011. He’s played for seven organizations over his major league career, not including a two-year stint in Japan, where Shohei Ohtani helped him develop a splitter. The Sox would have demanded a hefty return for him this year, because Martin is putting up anything but journeyman numbers.
Since returning on May 1 from a 15-day stint on the injured list, Martin had posted a 1.19 ERA and given up just one home run — holding opposing batters to a slash line of .207/.248/.261 — pitching a scoreless eighth inning Thursday night before handing it over to All-Star closer Kenley Jansen in a 2-0 victory over the Royals.
“The whole season he’s been holding it up, man,” said Jansen. “That’s just motivation, when you see a story like [Martin’s].”
Martin has allowed just one run in his last 23 outings, and his 0.46 ERA over the previous 22 is second-best in the majors during that span.
Martin also pitched well during the back half of the season for the Dodgers after being dealt by the Cubs, posting a 1.46 ERA in 26 appearances. He then signed a two-year, $17.5 million contract with the Sox during the offseason.
“I think mentally I’m in a better place this year than I was last year,” he said.
Over the course of his career, Martin said he’s become better about going into the training room, which has helped him stay healthy and establish a more consistent routine. He also credited an open line of communication with manager Alex Cora for keeping him fresh.
Martin may be 6-foot-8-inches, but he doesn’t overpower hitters, recording only 34 strikeouts in 38⅓ innings. Instead, he keeps opposing hitters off-balance with a six-pitch mix that leans on his cutter, four-seam fastball, and changeup.
Martin has been one of the best in the big leagues at generating weak contact. The average exit velocity of balls put in play against him was 83.7 miles per hour, per MLB Statcast, which ranks in the top percentile in the majors.
Besides crediting Martin’s stuff and command, Cora also cited his tempo on the mound. Ironically, Martin initially struggled to adjust to the pitch clock during spring training.
“He got frustrated a few times, but little by little he’s gotten used to it and it’s [now] the other way around,” Cora said. “He’s putting pressure on the hitter because he’s right on top of you.”
If the Red Sox, who were five games out of the third wild card spot, miss the postseason, it won’t because they lacked an elite late-inning combo in Martin and Jansen. Boston (60-55) may be five games above .500, but the Red Sox are 31-10 when Martin pitches.
Martin said having Jansen available to lock it down in the ninth inning has allowed him to settle into his role as the set-up man. Boston is 21-6 when Martin throws in the eighth, with the bulk of those appearances coming with the Red Sox tied or ahead by two runs or less.
At the trade deadline, the Red Sox chose to keep their 1-2 punch of Martin and Jansen intact. That decision paid dividends Thursday night, with Martin retiring the side in the eighth before Jansen picked up his 26th save to give Boston a much-needed series win.
“That’s what we envisioned in the offseason,” Cora said, “and it has worked out.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 11, 2023 5:14:27 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Red Sox staying patient with Trevor Story as he searches for rhythm after long injury absence By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated August 10, 2023, 7:38 p.m.
The Red Sox knew it would be like this for Trevor Story.
They recognized that, after not playing for close to a year, Story’s timing would be off. The at-bats, at times, hard to watch.
Though it’s late in the season for the Red Sox, it’s early for Story who made his season debut Tuesday following offseason elbow surgery. In his first two contests, Story has registered back-to-back 0 for 4 performances, striking out three times in each.
“He’s out in front [on offspeed stuff] and late on fastballs,” manager Alex Cora said before Thursday’s series finale with the Royals. “So that’s part of it. It’s not that easy, man. It’s the big leagues and they’re gonna go to places where they feel you’re not there yet.”
Last year, when Story was rehabbing a broken wrist, he ditched a leg kick for a toe tap. He felt that would get him to be more balanced, more grounded in his swing. It worked.
Story hit .340/.389/.500 with an .889 OPS and a homer across 13 games before a heel injury ended his season in September.
But balance is futile when the timing isn’t there.
In his eighth inning at-bat against he Royals’ Jordan Lyles Wednesday, for example, Story was up 2-1 in the count, and took a middle-middle heater for a strike. Story’s initial toe tap was in tune with Lyles. But the second tap that triggered the swing was late. By the time Story got his foot down to hit, the ball was by him.
“He saw a lot of spin early yesterday,” said Cora. “Then he made the adjustment to stay back and he got fastballs. It’s the game within the game. The more pitches he sees the better he’s going to be.”
Certainly, Story will be OK. His game is dictated by feeling, movement, and being an athlete — not necessarily science. More reps translates to better feel and rhythm for Story at the dish, and thus better results.
Story hit in the DH spot again Thursday and got his first hit since returning, going 1 for 3 with a double and a walk.
“He was better,” Cora said. “He was able to catch up with the fastball after seeing all the sliders and put a good swing on it. Then the walk was good. So just keep grinding, keep going.”
The plan is for him to play shortstop Friday and Sunday against the Tigers.
No matter the results, Story is a significant upgrade for the Red Sox — especially defensively.
“He’s one of the best athletes in the big leagues,” said Cora. “We know defensively, he’s gonna be a plus for us. Offensively, hopefully we can get him going right away so he can impact the game, not only at the plate, but running the bases. It’s a great addition for us. We just have to be patient, you know, and understand that this is a process. At one point, he’s gonna get it and he’s gonna start hitting the ball in the air. It should be fun.” Sale set to make start
Chris Sale (shoulder) will be reinstated from the injured list for Friday’s series opener against Detroit. The Red Sox expect Sale to go roughly four innings, roughly around 50 pitches.
“Just to have him back, that’s huge for us,” said Cora. “And then we’ll keep progressing from there but to have him tomorrow that’s going to be very important for us.”
Just how important?
“Less Medallas [for me],” said Cora, referring to a Puerto Rican beer, “and more water.”
Whitlock nears return
Garrett Whitlock (elbow) will likely be reinstated from the injured list Sunday. Tanner Houck (facial fracture), who was scheduled to go three innings for Worcester Thursday before the game was postponed by rain and will pitch Friday instead, isn’t too far behind Whitlock. But the Sox want to make sure Houck fine tunes his mechanics.
“With him, obviously mechanics come into play,” said Cora. “The arm was unrelated [to his injury]. The strike throwing, let’s see how he feels about it. Then we’ll decide what we do. He might need one he might not.”
Masataka Yoshida (rest) was not in the lineup Thursday. The Sox hope to have Justin Turner (heel) back this weekend.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 11, 2023 11:34:12 GMT -5
Chris Sale set to start for Red Sox as three-game series vs. Tigers opens Friday (lineups)By Katie McInerney Globe Staff,Updated August 11, 2023, 2 hours ago Chris Sale is back. The oft-injured Red Sox ace has not made a start for Boston since June 1, having spent the last two-and-a-half months on the injured list with a fractured shoulder blade. But he’ll be on the mound on Friday at Fenway Park as the Red Sox open a three-game series against the 52-63 Tigers. Related: Chris Sale’s return to the mound Friday will give the Red Sox a needed boost: ‘We’ve been waiting for this day’ Pitching coach Dave Bush said Sale will be on a pitch count similar to the number of pitches he threw (53) when he tossed 4 ⅓ scoreless innings for Worcester on Sunday. “We’ve been waiting for this day,” Manager Alex Cora said. “He’s been around us and he feels good.” Lineups TIGERS (52-63): Matt Vierling (R) CF Andy Ibanez (R) 2B Spencer Torkelson (R) 1B Jake Rogers (R) C Miguel Cabrera (R) DH Kerry Carpenter (L) RF Javier Baez (R) SS Zack Short (R) 3B Eric Haase (R) LF Pitching: LHP Tarik Skubal (2-1, 3.67 ERA) RED SOX (60-55): Rob Refsnyder (R) LF Rafael Devers (L) 3B Adam Duvall (R) CF Masataka Yoshida (L) DH Trevor Story (R) SS Alex Verdugo (L) RF Pablo Reyes (R) 2B Triston Casas (L) 1B Connor Wong (R) C Pitching: LHP Chris Sale (5-2, 4.58 ERA) Time: 7:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Tigers vs. Sale: Javier Báez 2-7, Miguel Cabrera 17-57, Riley Greene 0-3, Eric Haase 1-3, Andy Ibáñez 1-2, Jake Rogers 1-2, Spencer Torkelson 1-3, Matt Vierling 0-2 Red Sox vs. Skubal: Rafael Devers 1-3, Jarren Duran 1-3, Reese McGuire 0-2, Rob Refsnyder 2-3, Trevor Story 0-2, Alex Verdugo 3-5 Stat of the day: Sale made 11 starts for the Red Sox before heading to the IL, and posted a 2.87 ERA (15 runs in 47 innings) in his final eight starts before being placed on the IL. Notes: Sale is 11-8 with a 3.03 ERA in 34 career appearances (24 starts) against the Tigers. ... Lefthander Tarik Skubal (2-1, 3.67) is Detroit’s probable starter. Skubal held Tampa Bay to one run (unearned) in 5 ⅓ innings when the Tigers posted a 4-2 victory over the Rays on Saturday. He struck out six and walked one. Skubal is 1-1 with a 5.59 ERA in two career starts (9 ⅔ innings) against Boston. ... The Tigers are on a three-game win streak. Song of the Day: Robbie Robertson - Showdown At Big Sky www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u7UZPxu7H0
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 11, 2023 14:32:13 GMT -5
Sale off the IL Walter back to WOO is the move of the day
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 11, 2023 16:24:34 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo twitter 1h
Turner is working out pregame today and could be back in the line up on Saturday.
Whitlock on track to be active in the bullpen Sunday.
Houck rehabbing with Woosox right now.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 11, 2023 16:27:17 GMT -5
Alex Speier twitter 55m The Sox are wearing their yellow City Connect uniforms for the 5th straight game. Cora was unsure whether the team can wear them on the road.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 12, 2023 5:34:57 GMT -5
Sale (7 K's) grateful to be back: 'That feeling will never get old' Left-hander retires first 14 batters faced in first start for Red Sox since June 1 1:02 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
BOSTON -- Chris Sale’s latest restart on Friday night was perfect. Well, just about perfect.
Boston’s ace, making his return from a stress reaction in his left shoulder sustained on June 1, retired the first 14 Tigers he faced in an impressive display of dominance.
Kerry Carpenter, the 15th batter, broke up Sale’s perfect string with a solo homer. After the lefty’s 58th pitch hit Javy Baéz on the left foot, manager Alex Cora came out to get him.
As Sale walked off the mound with the Red Sox en route to a 5-2 victory, he got a loud ovation from the Fenway faithful.
Over 4 2/3 innings, Sale gave up just the one hit while walking none and striking out seven.
“The first start back always means a little something more, just because a lot of work goes into it,” said Sale. “You just kind of appreciate it a little bit more. You get something taken away that you really like, it’s never fun. You take a kid’s favorite toy away, he’s going to throw a fit for a little bit."
Sale’s power and precision were equally impressive in that this was his first Major League start in 10 weeks. The Tigers had 12 whiffs against Sale in 29 swings.
“It was like 70 percent strikes, [velocity] was up to 95 to 96 [mph] again. That was a little more vintage Sale, maybe even a little more aggressive than we expected,” said Detroit manager A.J. Hinch. “He threw a ton of strikes and really commanded the day.” Your browser does not support HTML5 video tag.
Using a fastball that maxed out at 96.5 mph and a slider that had its usual nasty dip, Sale hardly showed any rust considering he made just two Minor League rehab starts.
“He’s in a great place,” said Cora. “I think Chris -- over the years and with everything that has happened, whatever obstacles life presents -- he's going to be OK. I don't think he's going to fight [the ups and downs] anymore. He's just going to keep working. And you see him -- he looks stronger.”
With Friday’s win, the Red Sox (61-55) moved to three games behind the Blue Jays (65-53) for the third American League Wild Card spot.
Prior to injuring his shoulder, Sale had at last regained his form after suffering a barrage of ailments in recent years.
In his last six starts before going on the injured list, Sale was 4-0 with a 2.25 ERA, holding opponents to a .191 batting average.
If Friday is any indication, Sale looks ready to pick up where he left off.
One thing Sale made clear is that the fleeting nature of his stints on the active roster in recent years has done nothing to diminish his love for the competition.
“All the in-between stuff sucks,” Sale said. “I've said it. It is not fun rehabbing. I’m not the first to say it, I'm probably not going to be the last to say it. There are moments that you can enjoy during the process. But as a whole, it flat-out sucks.
“But on the flip side of that, any time I ever step on that mound and stare down that barrel and have competition, batter facing me, I don't care if I’m in the Complex League, I don't care if I’m [with Triple-A] Worcester. I said it to Trevor [Story] after my first Worcester start. I said, 'There's nothing like that feeling I get out there. That feeling will never get old. And if it does, it’s time to pack it up and take it to the house.'"
Don’t expect Sale to hold anything back down the stretch.
“The needles going in, the suction cups, the machines you put on, all the different things -- that’s the not-fun part," Sale said. "Going out there, that never gets old. Tomorrow’s not guaranteed. I’m not saving anything for tomorrow, because I don’t know if it’s coming.”
With Garrett Whitlock due back from the injured list on Sunday and Tanner Houck likely to be activated on Tuesday in Washington, the Red Sox are on the verge of finally having their pitching staff in full working order.
Story, one of the team’s best all-around players, also returned from the IL at the beginning of this week.
“It’s just going to bring a boost to the clubhouse, and hopefully, we can hold it down and make a push and start playing some games in October,” said Sale.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 12, 2023 5:36:57 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Houck closing in on return August 11th, 2023
Aug. 11: RHP Tanner Houck (facial fracture) has solid rehab start In his second Minor League rehab outing for Triple-A Worcester on Friday, Houck fired three scoreless innings while allowing one hit and no walks with three strikeouts. The righty threw 34 pitches, 23 of them for strikes. There's a strong chance Houck will be activated on Tuesday, when the Red Sox open their road trip in Washington. Houck suffered a facial fracture on June 16 when he was struck by a batted ball against the Yankees.
Aug. 11: DH/INF Justin Turner 'trending in right direction' Turner was out of the lineup for the fourth straight day on Friday. The veteran has been limited since suffering a bone bruise in his left heel on July 31, and he has started just three of Boston's past 10 games since sustaining the injury.
“Feeling better. He’s going to go through the whole workout today," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said prior to Friday's game. "We’ll see tomorrow. Today, he’s going to hit. I don’t know if he’s going to take ground balls, but [he's] trending in the right direction. We’ve just got to be patient.”
Aug. 11: LHP Chris Sale reinstated off IL; LHP Brandon Walter optioned to Triple-A Worcester To make way for Sale to return to the roster for his much-anticipated start on Friday night against the Tigers, the Red Sox sent Walter, who is the club's No. 24 prospect per MLB Pipeline, back to Triple-A Worcester, where he's recorded a 5.74 ERA in 16 games (13 starts).
RHP Garrett Whitlock (right elbow inflammation) Expected return: Aug. 13 Whitlock gave up two hits and struck out three with one hit-by-pitch over 2 1/3 scoreless innings in his first rehab appearance with Triple-A Worcester on Aug. 9. The Red Sox plan on activating Whitlock for the series finale against the Tigers on Aug. 13. Whitlock will be used as a multi-inning reliever, a role he has excelled at throughout his career. (Last updated: Aug. 11)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 12, 2023 5:38:55 GMT -5
Chris Sale dominates Tigers, Triston Casas hits big homer as Red Sox win
Updated: Aug. 11, 2023, 10:38 p.m.|Published: Aug. 11, 2023, 9:47 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
BOSTON — Chris Sale’s return to the mound after two-plus months on the injured list couldn’t have gone much better Friday night.
Making his first start since June 1, the Red Sox lefty retired the first 14 Tigers hitters he faced, dominating Detroit’s lineup while leading the Red Sox to a 5-2 win in the opener of a three-game set between the teams at Fenway Park. Triston Casas provided most of the offense, launching a three-run homer to right field in the fourth inning.
Sale, who only built up to 53 pitches in his last rehab outing Sunday with the WooSox, was on a short leash Friday but made the most of an abbreviated start. He tossed 58 pitches over 4 ⅔ innings, allowing just one hit (and two earned runs) while recording seven strikeouts. In 12 Sale starts this year, the Red Sox are 9-3.
After Sale struck out the first two batters of a 1-2-3 first, the Sox immediately got on the board against lefty Tarik Skubal. Rob Refsnyder reached on an error by shortstop Javier Báez, then came around to score on a Masataka Yoshida fielder’s choice. Sale then dominated for the next three frames, recording at least one strikeout in each inning.
Boston’s offense got to Skubal in the fourth as Trevor Story and Pablo Reyes each singled before Casas stepped to the plate and pounded a middle-middle slider to the right field seats for his 19th homer of the season. With a 4-0 lead, Sale came back out for the fifth and ran into his only trouble of the night, surrendering a solo shot to Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter. After Sale hit Spencer Torkelson with a pitch, he left the game for new reliever Kyle Barraclouth, who walked Zack Short before allowing an RBI single to Eric Haase that made it 4-2.
An inning later, the Sox added an insurance run when Story singled, stole second and scored on a Connor Wong RBI chopper through the right side. Lefty reliever Chris Murphy carved up the Tigers from there, tossing three hitless and scoreless innings while striking out four batters to seal the win. Murphy earned his first career save.
Trevor Story (2-for-4, R, SB) had multiple hits and a steal; Wong and Reyes both had two-hit games for Boston.
The Red Sox have now won four of their last five and are back to six games above .500 at 61-55. They are 4-0 against the Tigers this season and 25-5 all-time in their yellow City Connect uniforms.
Bello on tap for Saturday
Righty Brayan Bello (8-6, 3.64 ERA) will get the ball for the Red Sox on Saturday afternoon as they look to keep their streak rolling. The Tigers will send righty Matt Manning (3-4, 5.06 ERA) to the mound with first pitch at 4:10 p.m. ET.
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