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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 18, 2023 4:25:36 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Yankees
Friday, August 18th
7pm @ Boogie Down
Apple TV Game
Bello 8-7/ 3.81
Brito 4-5/ 4.76
Struggling Yankees head home to face rival Red Sox
FLM
The New York Yankees are looking forward to returning home even if the fans' reaction might turn hostile.
The Boston Red Sox are in contention for a wild-card spot and can bolster their postseason hopes while burying their rival even further.
Under .500 this late in the season for the first time since 1995, the Yankees host the Red Sox in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night.
New York returns home for the first time since splitting a four-game series with the Houston Astros on Aug. 6. The Yankees went 2-7 on a road trip against the Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves and are 6 1/2 games behind Toronto for the final American League wild-card spot.
"We've seen spurts of it throughout the year where we kind of get on a hot streak, but we're still looking for that long hot streak that we really haven't gotten all year," Yankees slugger Aaron Judge said. "No better time than now."
The Yankees entered the trip 4 1/2 games behind for the final wild card and split the first four games before losing the final five to drop to 60-61 -- their first losing mark after the All-Star break since they also were 60-61 following a loss to Seattle on Sept. 5, 1995. Those Yankees finished up 19-4 to snag the wild-card spot but this year's version showed little life in a three-game sweep in Atlanta.
Against the team with the best record in the majors, the Yankees were outscored 18-3 and scored once in the final 25 innings while mustering five combined hits in the final two games.
"I get it looks bleak," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "I don't want to even suggest we're in a position to even talk about that (playoffs). We gotta fix our own house and get going."
Boston won five of six meetings against the Yankees on consecutive weekends in June and trails Toronto by 3 1/2 games.
Since June 14, the Red Sox are 30-23 and, since dropping eight of 10, they are 5-3 in their past eight. Boston heads to New York after dropping two of three in Washington, where it ended the series by nearly erasing an eight-run deficit in a 10-7 loss on Thursday afternoon.
Rafael Devers, Luis Urias and Tristan Casas homered but Boston struck out 11 times as Trevor Story went 0-for-12 in the series.
"It's literally on to the next," Story said. "I think if we play the way that we want to play and the way we can, then we'll be where we want to be when the postseason comes."
After Chris Sale struggled in his second start off the injured list, the Red Sox open the series with Brayan Bello (8-7, 3.81 ERA), who owns a 5.67 ERA in six starts since the break. Bello last pitched in a 6-2 loss to Detroit last Saturday when he allowed four runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Bello is 1-2 with a 1.44 ERA in four career starts against the Yankees, who are hitting .198 against him. He last faced the Yankees on June 18 in Boston where he pitched seven innings of one-run ball.
New York did not announce a starter and could go with an opener before using rookie Jhony Brito as a bulk reliever. Brito is 4-5 with a 4.76 ERA in 15 games. In his three relief outings, he is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA and pitched five innings in Miami last Saturday when he relieved Michael King.
--Field Level
Red Sox
at
Yankees
Friday, at 7:05 PM EST
Clear
It's expected to be 78° F with a 5% chance of precipitation and 11 MPH wind blowing out in New York City at 7:05 PM EST.
Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com
Clear skies and comfortable temperatures are expected for Friday night's AL East matchup at Yankee Stadium. A moderate breeze blowing out to right-center field will give hitters an advantage in the game.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 18, 2023 4:28:05 GMT -5
Rest of the Week-end
Saturday/ 1:00pm/ Crawford 5-6/ 3.80 vs Cole 10-3/ 2.76
Sunday/ 1:30pm/ TBD vs Schmidt 8-7/ 4.76
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 18, 2023 4:45:27 GMT -5
After lost opportunity, it’s off to New York where Red Sox hope to revive their wild card hopes vs. moribund Yankees
By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated August 17, 2023, 8:46 p.m.
WASHINGTON — Like ballplayers of the past, only now carrying backpacks instead of valises, the Red Sox boarded a train to New York City after a discouraging 10-7 loss against the Washington Nationals on Thursday afternoon.
Next stop: Meaningful baseball or another lost September?
Losing two of three against the rebuilding Nationals was a leap in the wrong direction. The Sox managed a one-run victory on Tuesday then allowed 16 runs on 19 hits over 16 innings in the next two.
A team in better position could win six of 10 games against the Royals, Tigers, and Nationals and not look back. But the Sox are chasing two teams in front of them in the wild card race and needed to do better than that against a weak segment of their schedule.
Maybe that’s too much to ask. But they put themselves in that position.
That the Sox scored six runs in the seventh inning to cut into a 9-1 deficit gave manager Alex Cora hope that his team had regained its footing offensively after averaging only 3.7 runs over the first 14 games of this month.
But that’s not much consolation, especially given the six runs came off rookie Robert Garcia, who has spent most of the season in Triple A.
“Obviously the result was not the one we wanted,” Cora said.
Chris Sale pitched two scoreless innings before Jeter Downs — remember him? — drew a walk leading off the third inning.
That umpire Mark Wegner missed two if not three pitches inside the border of the strike zone was evident. But why was Sale pitching to the edges against a career .163 hitter with 22 strikeouts in 43 at-bats?
Downs stole second and scored on an error by Rafael Devers.
Sale somehow walked Downs again in the fifth inning as he continued to work the corners instead of attacking. That helped fuel a five-run inning.
Sale took a pass when asked about Wegner’s strike zone.
“I’m not going to get into that. I’ll let you guys be the judge of that,” he said.
Yes, Wegner missed some pitches. But a pitcher like Sale should be dicing up a hitter like Downs.
The Nationals have won 10 of 14 and could pass the Mets before the season ends. But it was still a missed opportunity for the Sox.
Now comes 13 games against the Yankees (3), Astros (7) and Dodgers (3).
The Yankees are in disarray, having lost eight of 10 to fall to 60-61. They have not had a losing record this late in a season since 1995.
“Right now we’re locked in on our stuff,” Cora said. “But obviously this division is not easy. They’ve been through injuries and all that stuff.”
It goes well beyond that. The Yankees are 26-38 since May 31 and have a team loaded with expensive, underachieving veterans.
For the first time in his 26-year tenure, general manager Brian Cashman fired a coach in the middle of the season, letting hitting coach Dillon Lawson go on July 9.
Sean Casey, who had no coaching experience, was hired to bring a more conventional and conversational approach to the job. But in the 30 games since, the Yankees have averaged 0.6 fewer runs and have had their team OPS drop from .711 to .689.
The Yankees are 1-9-3 in series since July 1. It hasn’t been this bad in the Bronx since the Danny Tartabull days.
The Sox have Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and Nick Pivetta lined up for the series, although there could be an opener ahead of Pivetta on Sunday afternoon.
The Yankees haven’t named a starter for Friday. Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt are scheduled for the last two games.
In the hearts of baseball-loving New Englanders and New Yorkers, Sox-Yankees will always resonate as the best rivalry in sports. But with the Sox in fourth place and the Yankees in fifth, it’s not a particularly compelling series outside of the two fanbases.
This meeting in the Bronx will be more about survival than sentiment. The Yankees are desperate and the Sox might be there soon with the schedule coming up.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 18, 2023 4:48:20 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK
Jarren Duran acknowledges mental health struggles on social media amid breakout season with Red SoxBy Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated August 17, 2023, 9:22 p.m. WASHINGTON Jarren Duran’s breakthrough season has been one of the biggest reasons for the Red Sox’ continued postseason ambitions. He entered Thursday’s game as the team’s leader in Wins Above Replacement (as calculated by Fangraphs) with 2.4 while making enormous strides as a multi-dimensional contributor. His .299/.350/.492 line with 23 steals represents a monumental step forward in his career. It followed what Duran characterized as a major offseason personal and professional reset that became necessary after the 2022 season, when he struggled with his sense of self-worth after feeling like he’d let down his teammates through his struggles. Recently, however, Duran has struggled on the field (.074/.138/.111 in his last 10 games), in a way that has seemingly weighed on him. In recent social media posts, the 26-year-old reposted content that suggested he was again struggling with his mental health. “We are aware of it and we talked to the player. We’ll keep it private,” manager Alex Cora said. “I think he took a huge step last year when he opened up [in an interview late last year] about his situation, how he felt. … I saw the [recent social media] message, but we’ll keep it private and we’ll keep talking to the player and he’ll be ready to play.” Cora noted that Duran has built a support system among teammates, coaches, and staff members who can help him with struggles both on and off the field — something he felt he hadn’t established a year ago. “He’s open to go to guys and talk to them, understanding that they’re teammates. That’s what we are — the coaches, the support system that we have here, and the players. We’re all teammates and we want the best for him,” said Cora. “He’s in a better place [than in 2022]. Coming in, your first year in a big league clubhouse is not easy and I think he did a good job last year with the group. This year he feels more comfortable. He has a year under his belt and that helps.” While Duran sat on Thursday against Nationals lefty Patrick Corbin, he entered as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning and delivered a double down the left-field line, adding to what Cora praised as his immense season-long contributions. “Shoot, if you would tell me he’d hit .299 with an [.842] OPS when we sent him down in spring training, I’d say, yeah, I’ll take that player,” said Cora. “It was just a bad stretch for him. I think the quality of the at-bats are still the same. He’s still with [the] game plan. [Opponents] are looking to make adjustments and now it’s time for us to make adjustments.” Deadline, redux? It’s now just over two weeks since the trade deadline passed, when the Red Sox could not find a deal that would deepen their pitching staff for the short- or long-term. However, the team has seen its staff take a considerably different shape with the return of Chris Sale and Garrett Whitlock from the injured list, with Tanner Houck likewise expected back in the coming days. Given that the return of those contributors is now at hand (instead of being theoretical at the deadline), how does chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom feel about the team’s non-moves at the deadline? “We were going to be in a good spot [with the pitching staff] regardless [of what happened at the trade deadline],” said Bloom. “Obviously, the chances that we would get fully healthy and stay that way the rest of the year were low, because this is baseball. [Injuries] happen and you have to plan for them. But the bottom line was that we wanted to make additions if they made sense in terms of getting who we were getting and what we would have to give up, as well as who they’d be replacing on the staff. I feel the same way about it now as I did then.” Houck, who threw four scoreless innings for Triple A Worcester on Wednesday, will join the Sox in New York for the series against the Yankees. Barring a setback, he’ll be activated from the injured list on Monday in Houston, a bit more than two months after suffering facial fractures on a liner off his right cheek. Shortstops Pablo Reyes started at shortstop on Thursday, with Trevor Story getting a day at DH and Justin Turner taking a day off to rest his injured heel. Reyes has started 11 consecutive games for the Sox. “Right now he’s earning his spot in the lineup every day not only against lefties, but against righties. The quality of the at-bats is really good,” said Cora. “That combination of short to the baseball and not chasing and hitting the ball hard in the zone, that always works.”
Though Story didn’t play short on Thursday, the Sox are thrilled with his defense at the position.
“He’s a joy to watch,” said Cora. “He’s really good defensively. He’s a good player. Like I said, you know, very dynamic. He’s a game-changer at that position.”
High A prospect injured
High A Greenville shortstop Mikey Romero, the team’s first-round pick in 2022, left Thursday’s game because of what a team official described as lower back soreness following a defensive play. He missed the first 2½ months of the season because of a lower back injury. He’s hitting .214/.294/.286 in 34 games.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 18, 2023 11:37:16 GMT -5
Game 122 lineups and notes: Brayan Bello, Red Sox look to rebound against struggling YankeesBy Greg McKenna Globe Correspondent,Updated August 18, 2023, 2 hours ago Both the Red Sox and rival Yankees will try to inject life into their declining playoff hopes Friday as the two worst teams in the AL East begin a three-game set in New York. Brayan Bello will look to bounce back from a tough outing last Saturday, when he allowed four runs on nine hits in 4⅔ innings and took the loss against Detroit. The Sox hope to rebound after starting their 10-game road trip with a series loss to Washington. Boston nearly erased an eight-run deficit after the sixth inning Thursday but fell 10-7, remaining 3½ games behind the Blue Jays in the race for the final AL wild card with the Mariners just a ½ game back. The situation for the Yankees, who did not announce a starter and could go with an opener, is even more dire after New York went 2-7 on a road trip against the White Sox, Marlins, and Braves. Under .500 this late in the season for the first time since 1995, the Yankees sit 6½ games behind Toronto. Both teams last met in June on consecutive weekends, with the Sox taking five out of six. Lineups RED SOX (63-58): Alex Verdugo (L) RF Rafael Devers (L) 3B Justin Turner (R) DH Masataka Yoshida (L) LF Triston Casas (L) 1B Trevor Story (R) SS Jarren Duran (L) CF Reese McGuire (L) C Pablo Reyes (R) 2B Pitching: RHP Brayan Bello (8-7, 3.81 ERA) YANKEES (60-61): DJ LeMahieu (R) 3B Aaron Judge (R) DH Jake Bauers (L) 1B Giancarlo Stanton (R) RF Gleyber Torres (R) 2B Billy McKinney (L) LF Harrison Bader (R) CF Anthony Volpe (R) SS Ben Rortvedt (L) C Pitching: Brito 4-5/ 4.76 Time: 7:05 p.m. TV, radio: Apple TV+, WEEI-FM 93.7 Red Sox vs. TBD: Yankees vs. Bello: Harrison Bader 1-3, Jake Bauers 1-6, Oswaldo Cabrera 2-11, Kyle Higashioka 0-2, Aaron Judge 2-4, Isiah Kiner-Falefa 0-2, DJ LeMahieu 1-3, Billy McKinney 2-6, Giancarlo Stanton 0-5, Gleyber Torres 5-11, Anthony Volpe 0-3 Stat of the day: The Sox are in a stretch of 32 games in 34 days from July 28 to Aug. 30. Monday was their only scheduled day off in a 27-day span from Aug. 4-30. Notes: Bello leads the Sox in starts (20) and innings (113⅓), but the effects of his workload are starting to show. The 24-year-old posted a 2.35 ERA and held opponents to a .219 batting average in his previous 12 starts before the All-Star break. He has a 5.67 ERA in his six starts since. ... Bello earned the win in his last start against New York, allowing one run on four hits in seven innings. ... Besides Rafael Devers, Triston Casas and Luis Urías also homered for the Sox on Thursday. Casas is second in home runs (20) among rookies, while Urías’s grand slam was his first homer in the majors since June 14. Sox reliever Chris Martin has allowed just one run in his last 25 outings (22⅔ innings). His 0.40 ERA over that span leads MLB. Song of the Day: Ace Frehley "New York Groove" www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKdHy18rZcI
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 18, 2023 16:41:43 GMT -5
talk about not much hype going into this week-end
all though some of the press will spew the best rivalry in sports nonsense
Bello has looked vey ordinary for the last month so would be a good thing to see him finish strong, not like we are saving bullets for fall baseball.
Gonna follow along on my phone for a bit and surf the games that have some play off fever...
It is also pretty telling that neither Saturday or Sunday game was flexed by FOX or ESPN for National broadcast....been a darn long wile since that has happened.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 19, 2023 5:39:19 GMT -5
Red Sox power past Yankees in opener of crucial series
Yoshida's 1st career HR at Yankee Stadium caps four-run 1st; Bello holds Yanks to one run
2:24 AM ADT
Ian Browne
Ian Browne
@ianmbrowne
0:24
0:29
NEW YORK -- When the Red Sox hammered a barrage of runs and hits through the first two innings at Yankee Stadium on Friday night, they were finally able to breathe a little.
During a tense August, with the team trying to stay in the mix for the third American League Wild Card spot, lopsided wins have been invisible.
For one night at least, that changed, as the Sox started rivalry weekend auspiciously.
Backed by that early onslaught by the offense and the latest sterling effort against the Yankees by righty Brayan Bello, Boston rolled to an 8-3 victory over struggling New York.
“I felt a little bit relaxed obviously with that lead,” said Bello through an interpreter. “It was really good, so my mindset changed completely just to try to attack batters and try to get out of the innings as quickly as I could so I could get the guys back to hit.”
Through those first two innings, as the Sox built a 7-0 lead, the quartet at the top of the order (Alex Verdugo, Rafael Devers, Justin Turner and Masataka Yoshida) went 8-for-8 with six runs and seven RBIs.
“We’re a good offensive team,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “We believe that. It just hasn’t happened [much in August]. But if you look at the guys in that lineup, hopefully it's a time everybody clicks at the same time and we can go on a run.”
The Red Sox now trail the Mariners by three games for the third AL Wild Card spot. The Jays are a half-game behind Seattle and 2 1/2 in front of Boston.
With head-to-head record determining tiebreakers in the standings, the Red Sox do have the edge on the Jays, having already clinched the season series. Boston and Seattle finished 3-3. In a two-way tie between those clubs, the next tiebreaker is intradivision record. At this point, the Mariners hold that edge.
If the Sox, Jays and Mariners finish in a three-way tie, then the team with the best combined winning percentage against the two other clubs would get that final Wild Card spot. Boston has already clinched that tiebreaker.
Verdugo, who is starting to warm up again, set the tone by opening the game with a double. Devers and Turner followed with singles. The big blow against Yankees starter Jhony Brito was a three-run homer by Yoshida in the top of the first, as the Sox opened the game with four straight hits.
“We like those plays,” said Cora. “The three-run homers, those are cool.”
In this case, it was especially cool for Yoshida, who belted his first Yankee Stadium homer after going 0-for-11 in his first career trip to the Bronx in June.
“Yeah, I was really happy to hit in that great situation,” said Yoshida through an interpreter. “I'm really honored to play at this stadium. I knew [of] this stadium when I was growing up.”
With a big cushion throughout his performance, Bello (9-7, 3.70 ERA) didn’t lose any concentration. Instead, he locked in for his sharpest start in weeks, scattering six hits and a run while walking one and striking out four over six innings and 98 pitches.
For those who were worried about Bello hitting a wall during the latter stages of his first full season, the righty seemed to get through that wall on Friday. Bello’s sinker was in top form and his changeup kept the Yankees off balance.
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“Today, he did a good job pounding the strike zone after we got the lead, and he gave us six strong innings to put us in a good spot,” said Cora.
In five career starts against the Bronx Bombers, Bello owns a 1.45 ERA.
“I feel really comfortable with that mound,” Bello said. “That mound is really nice, although the ballpark is small in a couple places, so I don't want anybody to hit it that way.”
Verdugo is another player who always seems to thrive whenever he’s in the Bronx, and he went 3-for-5 with three runs and a pair of doubles. Back in the leadoff spot of late, where he spent the first couple of months of the season, Verdugo appears to be back in the groove.
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“I mean, obviously you get the first taste of the game and you get an opportunity to do something,” Verdugo said. “So any time you can get it started good is a good thing.”
Now 8-8 in August, the 64-58 Red Sox are hoping a rejuvenated offense can lead to a hot finish to the month.
“From top to bottom, we're really good offensively,” said Cora. “It's just kind of like we have to get it [going] together, and hopefully this is the beginning of something great.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 19, 2023 5:40:18 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Houck to start Monday or Tuesday
August 18th, 2023
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15 seconds remaining
LATEST NEWS
Aug. 18: RHP Tanner Houck to start Monday or Tuesday in Houston
Houck will start on either Monday or Tuesday in Houston in what will be his return from the injured list. This will mark the first time Houck has pitched for Boston since June 16, the night he suffered a facial fracture when he was hit by a batted ball against the Yankees. The Red Sox got exactly what they were looking for from Houck in his third and final rehab start for Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday. The righty fired four scoreless innings, allowing one hit and no walks while striking out four. Houck threw 59 pitches (36 strikes).
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 19, 2023 6:02:41 GMT -5
Red Sox blitz Yankees for 7 early runs in easy win; Brayan Bello dominates
Updated: Aug. 18, 2023, 11:03 p.m.|Published: Aug. 18, 2023, 9:57 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
NEW YORK — The opening game of a three-game series between the Red Sox and Yankees on Friday night was not a game for long.
Boston blitzed Yankees starter Jhony Brito for four runs in the first inning and three more in the second en route to an 8-3 win at Yankee Stadium. After a sleepy three days in Washington, the Sox’ offense exploded for nine hits in the first three innings to chase Brito as Boston improved to 6-1 against their rivals this season. The Red Sox improved to 64-58 with the victory behind six strong innings from starter Brayan Bello.
The offense came instantly Friday night. Alex Verdugo led off with a double, then Rafael Devers singled before Justin Turner made it 1-0 with an RBI single on a liner to center. The next batter, Masataka Yoshida, broke things open with his first homer since July 25, a three-run shot that made it 4-0. The Red Sox scored four times off Brito before he recorded an out.
The second inning didn’t go much better for the young righty. With one out, Pablo Reyes reached on a fielding error by Gleyber Torres, then the Sox teed off on Brito with four straight singles. Devers, Turner and Yoshida all drove in runs to make it 7-0. Brito lasted just 2 ⅓ innings, allowing seven runs on six hits.
On the other side, Bello was once again dominant against the Yankees. He lasted six innings, holding New York to one run on six hits while striking out four. New York’s only damage came in the third, when Anthony Volpe led off with a double then scored on a D.J. LeMahieu RBI groundout. Bello improved to 9-7 and his ERA dropped to 3.70.
Garrett Whitlock’s struggles with the long ball continued after a rough outing Wednesday against Washington. Aaron Judge took him deep for a two-run shot in the eighth inning that made it 7-3. Overall, Whitlock was much sharper, though, as he struck out five batters in two innings.
In the top of the ninth, Verdugo doubled for a second time, then advanced to third on a wild pitch before Devers drove him in with a single. Yoshida led the Red Sox with four RBIs while the top three hitters in the lineup (Verdugo, Devers and Turner) all had three hits.
Bello owns Yankees again
Bello beat the Yankees for the third time this year and now has a 1.45 ERA (5 earned runs in 31 innings) in five starts against them over the last two seasons. According to the Red Sox, among pitchers who have started at least five games against New York, Bello has the lowest ERA of the live ball era (1.45). Johnny Cueto is second at 1.50.
Sox pick up ground on Jays as Mariners move into pole position
The Blue Jays lost and the Mariners won Friday, meaning Seattle now controls the third and final wild card spot in the American League. The Red Sox are three games behind Seattle and 2 ½ games behind Toronto with 40 games to go.
The Mariners beat the Astros, closing the gap on the second wild card spot a bit, too. Boston is 5 ½ back in that scenario but has seven games against the Astros in the next two weeks.
Sox face tough test in Cole on Saturday
The Red Sox will face a tough test Saturday afternoon with the Yankees sending ace Gerrit Cole (10-3, 2.76 ERA) to the mound in the second game of the series. Righty Kutter Crawford (5-6, 3.80 ERA) will start for the Red Sox.
The game will start at 1:05 p.m. ET and air on both NESN and FS1.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 19, 2023 6:03:53 GMT -5
Red Sox’s Brayan Bello dominates Yankees again: ‘He likes the big games’
Published: Aug. 18, 2023, 11:05 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
NEW YORK — Entering Friday, Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello had a 5.93 ERA over his last five outings. A matchup against a team he has always dominated served as the perfect antidote.
Bello once again dominated the Yankees, holding New York to one run on six hits in six innings in an 8-3 Red Sox win in the opener of a three-game series at Yankee Stadium. In five career starts against the Yankees, Bello owns a 1.45 ERA (5 earned runs in 21 innings) while striking out 25 batters and holding Yankees hitters to a .212 average. Among pitchers who have started at least five games against New York, Bello actually has the lowest ERA of the live ball era.
Bello has now beaten the Yankees three times this season, including twice at Yankee Stadium. Armed with an early 7-0 lead after the Sox ambushed starter Jhony Brito with two straight big innings to start the game, Bello cruised again.
“He has stepped up big against them,” said outfielder Alex Verdugo, who had three hits (including two doubles). “He likes the big games, man. He’s a good pitcher. Lot of confidence. He knows his stuff, what’s his strengths, and he pitches to them really well.”
In his second season of big league action, Bello seemed to have hit a bit of a wall after a dominant stretch in May and June. In 12 starts from April 29 to June 5, he posted a 2.35 ERA while recording 62 strikeouts in 72 ⅔ innings with the Red Sox winning eight of his outings. Since the All-Star break, things have been bumpier with opposing teams tagging the 23-year-old for three or more runs in five of six starts. Bello had allowed 10 homers in 40 ⅓ innings since July 1.
The Red Sox never expressed worry about their tantalizing young righty during his rough patch and were able to breathe a bit of a sigh of relief Friday night.
“He’s good against everybody,” said manager Alex Cora. “I think we get caught up sometimes on (him giving up) three runs in six innings. The lefties are hitting him and all that but it’s part of the progression. He’s still learning and he’s good. Today, he did a good job finding the strike zone after we got the lead and gave us six strong innings to put us in a good spot.”
Bello benefited from an early offensive explosion by the Sox. The club scored four times before Brito recorded an out as Masataka Yoshida’s three-run shot (his first since July 25) broke things open. In the second inning, four straight batters singled to make it a 7-0 game.
“I felt a little bit relaxed with that lead, seven runs after two innings,” Bello said through interpreter Carlos Villoria Benítez. “It was really good. My mindset changed completely, just to try to attack batters. I tried to get out of the innings as quickly as I could so I get the guys back to hit.”
Bello barely ran into trouble, with the lone damage against him coming in the third when Anthony Volpe doubled and came around to score on a D.J. LeMahieu RBI groundout. Bello allowed just one extra-base hit and departed after recording 18 outs on 98 pitches.
“I feel really comfortable with that mound... The mound is nice, although the ballpark is small in a couple places, so I don’t want anybody to hit it that way. I feel like that’s the reason why I pitch so well here,” he said.
Bello’s outing was a tone-setter after two tough losses in Washington. The Red Sox will look to keep rolling Saturday but face a challenge with ace Gerrit Cole set to pitch for the Yankees opposite Kutter Crawford.
“It feels good to be able to bounce back like that,” Bello said. “I know the last few starts haven’t bene really good for me and to be able to go deep into the game and throw six here is really important for me. I’m happy I was able to help the team get the win.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 19, 2023 6:05:41 GMT -5
Jared Carrabis
@jared_Carrabis
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9h
The Apple TV broadcast tonight has talked about the Babe Ruth sale, the Mookie Betts trade and now just showed the Aaron Boone walk-off. That’s Red Sox hater Bingo.
Jon Couture
@joncouture
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9h
It remains a baseball broadcast for people who don't watch baseball, but for whatever reason are watching baseball tonight.
That's not even a gripe. It's just ... odd.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 19, 2023 6:07:49 GMT -5
Matt McCarthy
@mattmccarthy985
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11h
The Yankees are an abject disaster. Amazing that Cashman and Boone have kept their jobs for so long.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 19, 2023 6:09:14 GMT -5
Bill Koch
@billkoch25
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9h
Nathan Eovaldi will never have to buy a drink in Boston again partly because he shoved against the Yankees.
Brayan Bello, if ever given the same October/postseason chance, shows signs of producing the same.
J.P. Long
@soxnotes
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9h
Brayan Bello has a 1.45 ERA in 5 career starts against the Yankees (31.0 IP, 5 ER, 0 HR).
5.0 IP, 0 ER
6.0 IP, 1 ER
7.0 IP, 2 ER
7.0 IP, 1 ER
6.0 IP, 1 ER
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 19, 2023 6:10:21 GMT -5
J.P. Long
@soxnotes
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9h
Lowest ERA against the Yankees in the Live Ball Era (since 1920):
1. Brayan Bello – 1.45
2. Johnny Cueto – 1.50
3. Clayton Kershaw – 1.85
4. Matt Harvey – 1.91
(Min. 5 starts vs. NYY)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 19, 2023 6:13:56 GMT -5
Pete Abraham
@peteabe
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9h
The concept of keeping the double play in order is something that escapes too many Red Sox players.
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