|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 15, 2023 19:23:37 GMT -5
Pivetta in the 3rd as usual gets hung up on his fast ball and the Nats are teeing off on it
4-3 Nats
3rd
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 16, 2023 4:14:14 GMT -5
Sox get down and dirty in hard-fought win Reyes' go-ahead sprint home on wild pitch caps off workmanlike night on all sides 1:05 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
WASHINGTON -- Somewhat fittingly, the Red Sox scored the go-ahead run in their 5-4 victory over the Nationals on Tuesday night when Pablo Reyes had a great read on a wild pitch and dove in safely even though the ball took a generous carom back to catcher Keibert Ruiz.
This wasn’t a game filled with artistry. Instead, it was a game that Boston scratched and clawed to win.
Though it was only the fourth inning, Reyes was prepared for what turned out to be one of the biggest moments of the contest.
“I was focused and ready for that play before it happened,” he said. “I just got a good jump, but it surprised me when it hit that back net, so it went back to the catcher very close [to home plate]. On the way to home plate, I was thinking, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got to go, I’ve got to go.’ It was too close. And I had no chance to go back to third base, so I just kept going and made it to home plate.”
It was a winning play, and it offset a baserunning blunder just moments earlier, when Alex Verdugo tied the game with a sacrifice fly but Reese McGuire got thrown out trying to tag up and advance from first base.
“We made a bad baserunning mistake, and then we got lucky with the wild pitch,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “We cannot do that. You know, we went from bases loaded, no outs to man at third and two outs. So we cannot do that. There's no more excuses about that.”
Thanks to the heads-up play from Reyes, who helped spark the two-run rally with a double, McGuire’s mistake didn’t haunt the Red Sox.
“That’s something we talked about. And you’ve just got to be alert,” said Cora. “[Reyes] did an outstanding job going from second to third [on Verdugo’s sac fly]. And then, you know, he saw the ball in the dirt, took off and scored the run.”
The run by Reyes was the last time either team scored.
At this point of the season, with 43 games left and the 63-56 Sox trailing the 67-54 Blue Jays by three games for the final American League Wild Card spot, style points mean little, but heady plays mean a lot.
Playing their first game at Nationals Park since the thrilling Game No. 162 in 2021 that clinched a postseason spot, Boston had an auspicious start to this one when Verdugo belted the fourth pitch of the game over the wall in right-center for a home run.
But don’t let the leadoff homer fool you. The Red Sox had to work for everything they got from that point on.
On a night Nick Pivetta didn’t have his best stuff -- allowing four runs on five hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings, while striking out seven -- his teammates picked him up.
“I didn’t compete with the strike zone very well tonight,” said Pivetta. “I think we take the positives from this. The offense did a tremendous job picking me up when [it] needed to.”
Again, it was about the little things. With two outs in the third, Rafael Devers and Trevor Story stayed patient and worked walks. That brought Triston Casas to the plate, and he hammered a two-run single to right on a 3-2 count to give the Red Sox a 3-0 lead.
“They had a good approach,” said Nats starter Josiah Gray. “They were not swinging and missing much. They were laying off some good pitches and spoiling some good pitches. So, hats off to them for their approach.”
That lead slipped away in the bottom of the third, when Pivetta gave up a four-spot.
After the Red Sox took the lead right back, the bullpen was nearly flawless the rest of the way, giving up one hit and no walks over the final 4 2/3 scoreless innings.
At this time of the season, nothing steadies a team more than a shutdown bullpen. Brennan Bernardino, John Schreiber, Chris Martin, Josh Winckowski and Kenley Jansen (who earned career save No. 419) took this one home.
“I think there's a lot of us down there right now that are in pretty good form and throwing the ball really well, throwing a lot of strikes,” said Winckowski. “I think we're definitely pushing each other. I think Kenley is pushing all of us with the stability and consistency that he's had, as well as Martin. Getting Schreiber and [Garrett] Whitlock back is a huge boost.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 16, 2023 4:15:54 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Houck set for final tuneup August 15th, 2023 ;
2 seconds remaining LATEST NEWS
Aug. 15: RHP Tanner Houck should return Monday in Houston If all goes well for Houck in his third rehab start for Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday, he will start for the Red Sox on Monday night in Houston, manager Alex Cora said. Last time out, Houck fired three scoreless innings while allowing one hit and no walks with three strikeouts. The righty threw 34 pitches (23 strikes). Houck suffered a facial fracture on June 16, when he was struck by a batted ball against the Yankees.
Aug. 15: OF Masataka Yoshida resting for a day or two Yoshida is still trying to fully adapt to the more rigorous travel schedule of MLB as compared to NPB in Japan. For that reason, manager Alex Cora had the left fielder out of the lineup on Tuesday and indicated that Yoshida might also sit on Wednesday. Combined with Monday's off-day, that would give Yoshida three days of rest.
"We'll see where we’re at tomorrow, but I think he he'll benefit from this one. You can see it in the way he's moving and obviously, hitting-wise, a lot of ground balls and all that stuff," said Cora. "I just believe he’s not using his legs. Even his takes, he's out in front. There's a lot of ground balls right now, a lot of rollovers. And we talked about it during the season, that’s one of the red flags that we heard from the people in Orix, and I think he’ll benefit from this one.”
RHP Corey Kluber (right shoulder inflammation) Expected return: TBD Kluber, who has been shut down from throwing since his last Minor League rehab appearance on July 26, is expected to resume playing catch the week of Aug. 21. It is unknown whether Kluber will pitch again this season. (Last updated: Aug. 15)
RHP Zack Kelly (right elbow surgery) Expected return: September at earliest Kelly is making progress, and he has started throwing off the mound in Fort Myers, Fla. Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who called Kelly one of his key relievers going into the season, did not rule out the chance the righty could return this year. Kelly has a 3.68 ERA in six appearances. (Last updated: Aug. 15)
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 16, 2023 4:24:51 GMT -5
Red Sox win: Alex Verdugo hits leadoff HR, bullpen dominant in trip opener
Updated: Aug. 15, 2023, 10:46 p.m.|Published: Aug. 15, 2023, 10:05 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The most popular bar near Nationals Park is called “The Bullpen.” Red Sox relievers might just meet there for a celebratory pint after their dominant performance Tuesday night.
Five Red Sox relievers combined for 4 ⅔ scoreless innings as Boston held onto a 5-4 win over the Nationals in the opening game of a three-city, 10-game road trip. The quintet of Brennan Bernardino, John Schreiber, Chris Martin, Josh Winckowski and Kenley Jansen retired 14 out of the 15 batters they faced as Boston won its sixth game in eight tries and improved to 63-56.
Before the relief corps dominated, both starters — Washington’s Josiah Gray (31 pitches) and Boston’s Nick Pivetta (26 pitches) — worked through long first innings but only the Red Sox were able to scratch across a run. Alex Verdugo led off the game with a solo shot to right field, marking his second leadoff dinger of the season.
Boston then tacked on two more runs in the third when Gray issued back-to-back two-out walks to Rafael Devers and Trevor Story, then paid for his wildness when Triston Casas laced a two-run single into right. The Sox’ didn’t keep their 3-0 lead for long, though, as Pivetta was tagged for four runs in the bottom of the inning. He allowed a leadoff single then issued two straight one-out walks before Keibert Ruiz sat on a curveball and sent it into right field to make it a one-run game. Two batters later, Stone Garrett went the other way to give the Nats the lead with a two-run double of his own.
The Red Sox responded immediately in the top of the fourth. Jarren Duran singled and Pablo Reyes doubled before McGuire clipped Ruiz’s glove on a swing and loaded the bases with a catcher’s interference. Verdugo tied things with a sacrifice fly, though McGuire was gunned out at second trying to take the extra base. Washington’s wildness once again bailed out the Sox as Reyes scampered home on a Robert Garcia wild pitch, making it 5-4 in Boston’s favor.
Pivetta allowed four runs in an outing for the first time since May 16, striking out seven in 4 ⅓ innings. Boston’s bullpen took over from there. Bernardino got two quick outs before handing the baton to Schreiber, who struck out two in a 1-2-3 sixth. It was then Martin’s turn to throw a perfect inning; the lanky righty needed just 10 pitches to retire the side.
Handed the eighth, Winckowkski was the only Sox reliever to run into some trouble, as he allowed a two-out double to Dominic Smith. One pitch later, Winckowski got Garrett to ground out to Devers, who made a nice play to retire the side. Jansen needed only five pitches to record a perfect ninth and his 28th save of the season.
Despite win, Sox don’t pick up ground
The Boston win didn’t lead to any ground being picked up in the American League wild card race. Toronto beat Philadelphia, Houston beat Miami and Seattle is closing in on a win over Kansas City, meaning everyone around the Red Sox will (likely) end the night victorious.
Barring a Royals comeback against the Mariners, the Red Sox will remain three games behind the Blue Jays for the third wild card spot (and a half-game back of the Mariners). The Astros are two games ahead of Toronto for the second spot (and therefore five ahead of the Sox).
Paxton to pitch Wednesday night
The Red Sox will be back in action Wednesday night behind lefty starter James Paxton (7-3, 3.36 ERA), who is making just his second career start at Nationals Park (2020). He’ll be opposed by young Nats lefty MacKenzie Gore (7-3, 3.36 ERA).
First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. ET.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 16, 2023 4:45:01 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Red Sox rest weary left fielder Masataka Yoshida to allow him to regroup By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated August 15, 2023, 7:47 p.m.
WASHINGTON — Masataka Yoshida has hit the wall.
The left fielder was out of the lineup for Tuesday night’s game against the Nationals and Red Sox manager Alex Cora suggested that would be the case on Wednesday, too.
Yoshida had hit .236 with a .614 OPS in his last 23 games with one home run. His slugging percentage has dropped from .500 in early June to .468.
“He’ll benefit from [the rest]. You can see it, the way he’s moving and hitting-wise, all the ground balls,” Cora said. “He’s not using his legs. Even on mistakes he’s out in front.
“Good for him that when he struggles, he gets hits anyway. But there’s a lot of ground balls right now, a lot of rollovers.”
In his previous five games, Yoshida grounded into outs 11 times in 20 plate appearances.
That was something Yoshida’s coaches in Japan told the Red Sox to watch out for during the season.
With Jarren Duran, Adam Duvall, Rob Refsnyder, and Alex Verdugo also available to play the outfield, the Sox have the luxury to sit Yoshida.
Duran started in left field and was 1 for 4 with a run scored. Protecting Paxton
James Paxton, the scheduled starter on Wednesday, has pitched 80⅓ innings this season, his most since 2019 when he made 29 starts and worked 150⅔ innings for the Yankees.
By design, Paxton has made only two of his 15 starts on four days of rest. He’ll get an extra day again before facing the Nationals.
“I think we’re doing a good job,” Cora said. “He pitched once a week for five straight starts.”
Tanner Houck is scheduled to start for Triple A Worcester on Wednesday afternoon against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at Polar Park. If that goes well, Houck would start at Houston on Monday with Paxton following on Tuesday.
“I feel great,” said Paxton, who is 7-3 with a 3.36 earned run average. “The extra days have been helpful in terms of strength. But I feel like I could pitch on four days. It’s up to them.” Altavilla released
The Sox activated righthander Dan Altavilla from the minor league injured list and released him.
The 30-year-old righthander, who has six seasons of major league experience, was signed to a two-year minor league contract in 2022 as he was coming back from Tommy John surgery.
The initial hope was Altavilla could contribute to the major league team late in the ‘22 season. But he was not cleared to pitch until July.
Altavilla pitched four rehab games in the Florida Complex League and four others for High-A Greenville before being released. Not done yet?
Corey Kluber, who hasn’t appeared in a major league game since June 20 because of shoulder inflammation, may not be done for the season. The righthander will start a throwing program next week. Kluber started a minor league rehab assignment in July and was shut down after two games and four innings . . . Garrett Whitlock will receive a day off for every inning pitched as he works in relief the rest of the season . . . Infielder Adalberto Mondesi, who has been on the injured list all season recovering from knee surgery in May of 2022, has ramped up his activities in Fort Myers. Whether that could lead to his playing this season is uncertain . . . After wearing their lucky blue and yellow City Connect uniforms during the last homestand, the Sox will sport their usual gray road duds on the trip . . . Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and general manager Brian O’Halloran are with the team for this series . . . The Nationals activated righthander Hunter Harvey from the injured list and optioned lefthander Joe La Sorsa to Triple A Rochester. Harvey had a 3.12 ERA and nine saves before being shelved with an elbow sprain a month ago . . . Sox third base coach Carlos Febles was away from the team because of a personal matter and will return Wednesday. First base coach Kyle Hudson moved over to third base and field coordinator Andy Fox coached first base . . . Triston Casas has hit safely in 21 of 28 games since the All-Star break with 13 extra-base hits, 14 walks, 20 RBIs and 18 runs.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 16, 2023 4:54:05 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Nationals Wednesday, August 16th, 2023 7pm @ Nationals Park
Paxton 7-3/ 3.36
Gore 6-9/ 4.62
Wednesday, August 16, 2023 at 7:05pm EDT Written by Michael Briggs
The Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals will play Wednesday at Nationals Park. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. ET.
Boston (62-56 SU and 61-57 RL) is starting left-hander James Paxton. The 34-year-old is 7-3 with a 3.36 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP in 15 outings this year.
Washington (53-66 SU and 65-54 RL) is starting lefty MacKenzie Gore. The 24-year-old is 6-9 with a 4.62 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP in his 23 outings.
Boston needs to keep building momentum Boston is warming up following consecutive series victories over Kansas City and Detroit. Can it keep rolling on the road in the nation's capital?
The Red Sox score 4.84 runs per game (9th) and hit .262 (3rd) with a .760 OPS (7th). They've launched 132 home runs (19th) and stolen 83 bases (16th) in 2023. The Boston pitching staff has posted a 4.32 ERA (18th) and a 1.31 WHIP (19th) with 33 quality starts (26th).
Paxton will start for the visitors on Wednesday at Nationals Park. The tall left-hander held the Royals scoreless in 5.1 innings in his last appearance, picking up a win. He has had a couple of poor performances recently but has been mostly dependable, holding 11 of his 15 opponents to two or fewer runs.
Washington isn't going down without a fight Washington has swept two of its last three opponents, Cincinnati and Oakland, and has won 10 of its last 15 games overall. Can it continue to play spoiler down the stretch of the regular season?
The Nationals average 4.34 runs (19th) and hit .260 (6th) with a .720 OPS (17th). They've launched 108 long balls (29th) and stolen 85 bases (15th) this year. The Washington pitching staff has posted a 4.88 ERA (27th) and a 1.46 WHIP (28th) with 35 quality starts (23rd).
The Nats will turn to Gore on Wednesday in D.C. The young southpaw is coming off a poor showing on the road in Philadelphia (six runs on seven hits and three home runs) but was much better in his previous three outings, holding the Giants, Mets, and Brewers to five runs in 16 combined innings
Red Sox at Nationals Wednesday, at 7:05 PM EST Partly Cloudy It's expected to be 81° F with a 0% chance of precipitation and 5 MPH wind blowing left to right in Washington, D.C. at 7:05 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com
|
|
|
Post by Kimmi on Aug 16, 2023 7:22:37 GMT -5
With emotions in motion, Nick Pivetta embraces role of ‘hybrid pitcher’ when he takes the mound for Red SoxBy Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated August 14, 2023, 6:21 p.m. Maybe it's my imagination, but it seems that Pivetta does better when he has an opener, like Bernardino, pitching roughly 2 innings before he comes into the game, rather than being a traditional starter. At any rate, Pivetta did enough to keep us in the game, and the offense did just enough to get the win. Great start to the road trip. Let's keep it going.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 16, 2023 11:44:38 GMT -5
Game 120 lineups and notes: James Paxton and the Red Sox look to stay hot vs. NationalsBy Greg McKenna Globe Correspondent,Updated August 16, 2023, 46 minutes ago Starter James Paxton and the Red Sox will look to stay hot Wednesday night in the second of three games at Nationals Park. The Sox, winners of six of their last eight, beat Washington, 5-4, Tuesday to remain three games behind Toronto in the race for the final AL wild-card spot. After the Nationals put up four runs on Nick Pivetta in the third inning, Pablo Reyes hit a double and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the fourth. The Red Sox bullpen did the rest, retiring 16 of the final 17 Washington hitters. Paxton is coming off a strong start against Kansas City last Thursday, when he allowed just six hits and struck out six without walking a batter over 5⅓ scoreless innings. He’s 2-1 with a 2.95 ERA over his last four starts. Fellow lefthander MacKenzie Gore is on the hill for the Nationals, who had won seven of their last 10 before Tuesday. Gore, the third overall pick in the 2017 draft, has never faced the Sox. He gave up six runs and three homers in his last start, a loss to the Phillies. Lineups RED SOX (63-56): Rob Refsnyder (R) LF Justin Turner (R) DH Rafael Devers (L) 3B Trevor Story (R) SS Adam Duvall (R) CF Alex Verdugo (L) RF Pablo Reyes (R) 2B Triston Casas (L) 1B Connor Wong (R) C Pitching: LHP James Paxton (7-3, 3.36 ERA) NATIONALS (53-67): CJ Abrams (L) SS Lane Thomas (R) RF Joey Meneses (R) DH Keibert Ruiz (S) C Stone Garrett (R) LF Dominic Smith (L) 1B Ildemaro Vargas (S) 3B Michael Chavis (R) 2B Alex Call (R) CF Pitching: LHP MacKenzie Gore (6-9, 4.62 ERA) Time: 7:05 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Red Sox vs. Gore: Adam Duvall 0-2, Pablo Reyes 1-2, Justin Turner 0-2 Nationals vs. Paxton: Michael Chavis 0-8 Stat of the day: The Red Sox have won their last six games against the Nationals and nine of their last 10 vs. Washington since July 2018. Notes: Paxton has one career start against the Nationals. He allowed three runs on five hits in one inning to take the loss. ... After throwing a scoreless seventh inning Tuesday, Chris Martin has allowed just one run in his last 25 outings since June 9. His 0.40 ERA during that span leads MLB. ... Triston Casas had two hits Tuesday, including a two-run single in the third. He has hit safely in 21 of 28 games since the All-Star break, batting .337 with 10 home runs and 20 RBIs in that span. ... The Sox enter Wednesday 9-1 all-time at Nationals Park since the stadium opened in 2008. Song of the Day: Stone Temple Pilots - Trippin' On A Hole In A Paper Heart www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVPzWkdhwrw
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 16, 2023 13:17:36 GMT -5
Katie Morrison-O'Day @katiemo61 · 50m Tanner Houck's day is done in Worcester and he looks ready to go. Four innings, one hit, four strikeouts. 59 pitches/36 strikes
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 16, 2023 13:18:10 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 3m Kenley Jansen had bad outings on back-to-back days vs. St. Louis in May (1 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 4 BB). Absent those two games, he has a 1.83 ERA and 1.04 WHIP.
The Martin/Jansen end-of-game combo has been better than anybody could have expected.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 16, 2023 16:49:22 GMT -5
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne · 1h Tanner Houck aced what was all but certain to be his final Minor League rehab start today. Four scoreless innings. He likely opens the Houston series on Monday night.
Adalberto Mondesi resumed baseball activities recently, only to have to shut it down again. It just doesn't seem to be happening for him this season and time is running out.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 16, 2023 16:51:26 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo @chriscotillo · 49m Red Sox want to keep Turner off his feet for now and will likely keep him at DH. The backup first baseman behind Casas? Pablo Reyes.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 16, 2023 17:54:59 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo @chriscotillo · 1h Red Sox list Bello, Crawford, TBD for this weekend in New York. Pivetta is lined up for Sunday but could follow an opener.
Also, a rarity here: Two day games in the Bronx (Sat, Sun).
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 16, 2023 18:03:54 GMT -5
Wow, that last line from Chris is something. ESPN usually gets to flex any game to the Sunday night, this week-end it is Philly and the Nats
Just off the top of my head, I can not remember a Sunday where the Red Sox/ Yankees were playing a week-end series and ESPN did not carry the Sunday game.
I know that the rivaly is no longer around, heck the last fun moment was Dempster plunking A-rod, but this is kind of surprising.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 16, 2023 18:11:40 GMT -5
Love the hustle by Vargas chasing after and catching that foul ball off Devers.....
|
|