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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2023 4:02:39 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Rays 4th September 2023 4pm @ The Trop
Bello 10-8/ 3.57
Civale 7-3/ 2.64
The Boston Red Sox face the Tampa Bay Rays with both teams looking to improve on strong seasons. The Red Sox have a 71-66 record and are only a few games out of a wild card spot while the Rays have an 83-54 record and with seven wins in their last 10 games, they have leaped into the top wild card spot in the American League. For the upcoming game, the Red Sox will turn to Brayan Bello as their starting pitcher who has only allowed four runs in the last three starts while the Rays will turn to Aaron Civale who has only allowed five runs in his last three starts.
Red Sox hope lineup and Bello step up The Red Sox are having a great season and hope to step up in the final weeks to snag a wild-card spot in the American League. Brayan Bello will start the upcoming game and he hopes to build off a strong season on the mound as he's allowed only 55 runs in 131 innings pitched while tossing 106 strikeouts. In addition, with a 7.1 Barrel Percentage, a 55.3 Ground Ball Percentage, and a 4.30 expected ERA, opponents are making poor contact off the bat and struggling to drive in runs against Bello this year.
Bello has stepped up but the lineup has carried the Red Sox, scoring 4.97 runs per game with 22 runs in the last four games. Adam Duvall is slashing .274/.338/.583 with 18 home runs and 147 total bases while Triston Casas is slashing .265/.368/.495 with 22 home runs and 192 total bases but the entire lineup has stepped up. Rafael Devers is slashing .269/.342/.507 with 29 home runs and 249 total bases while Justin Turner and Alex Verdugo have added 35 home runs and 446 total bases to round out the lineup, making the Red Sox tough to stop at the plate.
Rays hope Civale and lineup start series strong The Rays are having a great season and hope to make a push in the division in the final weeks of the season. Aaron Civale was acquired at the trade deadline and has emerged as one of the top starters for the Rays, allowing only 10 runs in 25.1 innings pitched while tossing 25 strikeouts since being added to the team. Additionally, with a .379 expected opponent Slugging Percentage, a 5.8 Walk Rate, and a 3.71 expected ERA, opponents are making weak contact and struggling to drive in runs against Civale.
Civale has stepped up but the lineup has carried the Rays all year, scoring 5.34 runs per game with 29 runs in their last six games. Yandy Diaz is slashing .322/.398/.504 with 18 home runs and 227 total bases while Isaac Paredes is slashing .252/.349/.498 with 27 home runs and 205 total bases but the rest of the lineup has stepped up as well. Luke Raley is slashing .253/.332/.503 with 18 home runs and 163 total bases while Jose Siri and Randy Arozarena have added 46 home runs and 361 total bases to add depth to the lineup, making the Rays tough to stop.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2023 4:04:35 GMT -5
Rest of the Series
5th- 6:30pm/ Crawford 6-7/ 4.04 vs Eflin 13-8/ 3.40
6th- 6:30pm TBA vs Glasnow 7-5/ 3.17
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2023 4:23:50 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Verdugo (hamstring) day to day September 3rd, 2023 LATEST NEWS
Sept. 3: OF Alex Verdugo (left hamstring tightness) exits early against Royals Verdugo exited the series finale win vs. Kansas City in the sixth inning after calling for a trainer following Mauricio Llovera’s strikeout of Nelson Velázquez. On the play before, Salvador Perez hit an RBI single to right-center and Verdugo appeared to pull up and limp once he corralled the ball.
Manager Alex Cora said Verdugo is day to day, but the team will be cautious with his playing time on the turf in the upcoming series vs. Tampa Bay.
“We will probably stay away from [Verdugo] tomorrow and see how he feels,” Cora said. “He was in between the ball, and when he stopped he felt it. Hopefully there is nothing major there.”
Sept. 3: LHP Brennan Bernardino reinstated from COVID-19 related injured list; RHP Garrett Whitlock placed on bereavement list Bernardino traveled with the team to Kansas City and was reinstated before Sunday’s finale, the first day he was eligible to return. Bernardino was placed on the COVID-related IL prior to the game on Aug. 27 with flu-like symptoms, but according to manager Alex Cora he is back to full strength. Bernardino missed the minimum required seven games.
In a corresponding move, Whitlock was placed on the bereavement list. The righty has a 5.49 ERA in 16 games (10 starts) for the Red Sox this season.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2023 4:36:10 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Masataka Yoshida’s strong showing includes three-run homer in Red Sox’ win By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated September 3, 2023, 8:15 p.m.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Masataka Yoshida was one of the most productive players in the Red Sox lineup over the first half of the season.
Then he fell off sharply, hitting .253 with a .669 OPS in his first 41 games after the All-Star break with only three home runs. Yoshida struck out only 26 times over 158 at-bats but the contact he made was often weak.
That changed Sunday with a three-run home run in the fourth inning that boosted the Sox to a 7-3 victory against the Royals.
With runners on first and third and one out, Yoshida pulled a changeup from Zack Greinke over the wall in right field for his 14th home run.
“A big swing for me,” Yoshida said via an interpreter. “I’ve been working on my swing in batting practice. I needed to take it into the game.”
Yoshida also had an opposite-field single against Greinke in the second inning. He has been working on his timing at the plate.
The 39-year-old Greinke is long past his All-Star prime. But the Sox were heartened to see Yoshida have a productive day.
“He’s been feeling better the last few days,” manager Alex Cora said. “He’s been grinding through a few things. But little by little his swing is getting back.
“He took some good cuts, he let it fly. That’s a good sign.”
Caution for Verdugo
Alex Verdugo came out of the game during the sixth inning with what the team described as a tight left hamstring.
Verdugo said he felt something chasing down a ball hit to right field by Salvador Perez.
With pitching coach Dave Bush at the mound talking to righthander Mauricio Llovera, Verdugo motioned to the dugout. Cora and athletic trainer David Herrera walked out to right and Verdugo accompanied them back to the dugout.
“I think it’ll be a day or two. It’s nothing bad,” Verdugo said. “I didn’t want to take any chances.” On to Tampa Bay for three vs. Rays
On Monday, the Sox open a three-game series at Tampa Bay. The Sox are 1-7 against the Rays this season.
The series marks the first time the teams have met since June 3-5 at Fenway Park.
The Sox have Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford lined up for the first two games. A starter is undecided upon for Wednesday but Cora indicated they could push back James Paxton and use Nick Pivetta as a conventional starter or following an opener.
Paxton is 1-3 with a 7.62 ERA and 1.96 WHIP in his last six starts with opponents posting a 1.065 OPS.
“We’ll see what we do during the week,” Cora said. “We’ll talk to Pax.”
Paxton couldn’t get through two innings Friday against the Royals, giving up six runs. He described his pitches as “lifeless.”
The Rays’ starters will be Aaron Civale, Zach Eflin, and Tyler Glasnow.
Civale played for Northeastern from 2014-16. The Rays acquired the righthander from the Guardians on July 31. He is 2-1 with a 3.55 ERA in five starts for Tampa Bay.
The Rays were 47-19 on June 9. They are 36-35 since.
“They looked like the greatest team in the history of the game the way they played” Cora said. “They’ve been banged up but they keep playing good baseball.” Bernardino activated, Whitlock on bereavement leave
Lefthander Brennan Bernardino was activated off the COVID-19 injured list and pitched a scoreless eighth inning. Righthander Garrett Whitlock was placed on the bereavement list and will be away from the team for at least three days … Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., son of the former Canton High star and big league pitcher, was 1 for 5 but saw 34 pitches in those at-bats … The Sox are 54-3 when leading after six innings … Righthander Zack Kelly is scheduled to pitch for Single A Salem on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday as he continues a rehabilitation assignment. Kelly, who is from nearby Roanoke, Va., is coming back from an elbow injury … The Royals have lost 15 of 18 games and are 0-8-1 in their last nine series … John Martin, a 100-year-old World War II veteran, threw out the first pitch and waved to the crowd. Martin saw combat in Germany and Belgium and was awarded a Bronze Star … Players from both teams had gold ribbon decals on their jerseys in recognition of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The Sox will have a pregame ceremony Friday to celebrate 300 children who have battled cancer in conjunction with the Jimmy Fund, the Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation, and Sophia’s Fund.
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Post by Kimmi on Sept 4, 2023 8:50:47 GMT -5
Rest of the Series
5th- 6:30pm/ Crawford 6-7/ 4.04 vs Eflin 13-8/ 3.40
6th- 6:30pm TBA vs Glasnow 7-5/ 3.17 The Rays always have tough pitching and we always seem to have trouble scoring runs at the Trop. I hope our offense shows up.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2023 10:02:30 GMT -5
How the Red Sox can feel a little bit better about themselves
By Rob Bradford WEEI 93.7 3 hours ago Things are getting chaotic in the MLB Power Rankings
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Was it too little, too late? Perhaps. But it was ... something, and right now that's certainly better than what the Red Sox went to bed with Friday night.
While you were floating on your Labor Day rafts, reveling in another year of fantasy football draft dominance, the Red Sox have won their last two games. The most recent victory came in the form of a 7-3 win over the Royals Sunday, putting them 5 1/2 games out of the final Wild Card spot.
The easy way to downplay the pair of victories is to simply look at the standings. It is there you will find the team you just beat - Kansas City - owning the worst record in all of baseball. Yes, even below the Oakland A's.
So be it. The games need to be played and narratives are continuing to be formed.
In the case of the swing through Kansas City, there were a few bright spots for the Red Sox. Their starting pitchers actually gave them back-to-back outings of five innings of work, with Chris Sale tossing five shutout frames while allowing just two hits over his 100-pitch outing Sunday.
Any concerns over Rafael Devers' wrist were pushed to the side, with the third baseman collecting a team-high five hits over the three-game set. Masa Yoshida's bat also finally emerged, joining Triston Casas, Adam Duvall and Alex Verdugo as the only Red Sox to hit home runs.
But, true to form, for every step forward, there was at least one step back, this time coming in the form of a Verdugo hamstring injury, which forced the outfielder from the game Sunday. And the continued offensive struggles of Trevor Story (1-for-13) didn't exactly give Alex Cora and Co. the warm and fuzzies, with the shortstop now hitting just .176 with a .496 OPS. (Note: Story, however, does continue to play stellar defense, with the Red Sox owning an 11-10 mark in games he has played this season.)
In other words, it was another round of the downs and ups of these Red Sox against a team everybody in baseball expects to beat. What awaits in the coming days is something a bit different.
The Red Sox are heading back into Tropicana Field for the first time since being obliterated by the Rays via a four-game sweep. It was the first sign that this was going to be an uphill battle for a Sox team in the big-bad-world of the American League East.
As we head into the final month of the regular season, what has been done, has been done for both the Red Sox and Rays. Tampa Bay has won all but one of the teams' eight meetings, allowing Kevin Cash's club to sit 29 games over .500 and two games out of the top spot in the A.L. East. The Red Sox? They can take solace that in games against other divisional teams their record stands at 18-7.
What this reunion with the Rays can do is start making the Red Sox feel like they are actually moving in the right direction. Wins at Kauffman Stadium don't really do that all that much. Victories at Tropicana Field? That's another story.
The Red Sox have lost 13 in a row at the home of the Rays, with a regular season record of 4-20 at Tropicana since the beginning of 2021. And, to top it off, they are being asked to turn this tide against a still-formidable World Series contender.
The feel-goods can obviously start with Brayan Bello's latest test, a Monday start against the team with the fourth-best OPS (.777) and fourth-most total bases in all of baseball. And he gets to go against the pitcher - Aaron Civale - many Red Sox fans wondered how got to their division rivals heading into the Trade Deadline.
That showdown will be followed by an opportunity for Kutter Crawford to shake off his recent downturn and beat another starter the Red Sox narrowly out on, Zach Eflin (who chose Tampa Bay over Boston in the free agent market).
If Bello and Crawford take care of business against this team in this place, that would supply the Red Sox with the kind of legitimate optimism it hadn't experienced since leaving the Bronx.
Such victories aren't going to immediately turn New England sports fans' attention away from Tom Brady's return, or allow for the kind of late-season excitement and anticipation the Sox' next two opponents - the Rays and Orioles - will feel regardless of the outcomes.
But it will a small feather in the Red Sox' hat. And after living life devoid of much panache, of late, that will have to do.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2023 10:10:32 GMT -5
Game 138: Red Sox at Rays lineups and pregame notesBy Matt Pepin Globe Staff,Updated September 4, 2023, 2 hours ago The Red Sox recovered from a tough stretch against Houston and the LA Dodgers by taking two of three from the last-place Royals in Kansas City over the weekend. Now the degree of difficulty goes back up with a three-game set in Tampa to start the week. Monday’s opener against the Rays, who are 2 1/2 games behind the Orioles at the top of the American League East standings, features righthander Brayan Bello on the mound for Boston, which is 5 1/2 games out of the final spot in the wild-card standings. Tampa counters with righty Aaron Civale, whom the Rays acquired at the trade deadline from the Guardians. Civale is 1-1 with a 4.66 ERA in three career starts vs. Boston. The Red Sox are 1-7 against the Rays this season. They have not faced each other since early June. Lineups RED SOX (71-66): Wilyer Abreu (L) CF Rafael Devers (L) 3B Justin Turner (R) DH Triston Casas (L) 1B Adam Duvall (R) RF Masataka Yoshida (L) LF Trevor Story (R) SS Reese McGuire (L) C Luis Urias (R) 2B Pitching: RHP Brayan Bello (10-8, 3.57 ERA) RAYS (83-54): Josh Lowe (L) RF Luke Raley (L) CF Randy Arozarena (R) LF Brandon Lowe (L) 2B Harold Ramirez (R) DH Jonathan Aranda (L) 1B Osleivis Basabe (R) 3B Vidal Brujan (S) SS Christian Bethancourt (R) C Pitching: RHP Aaron Civale (5-2, 2.34 ERA) Time: 4:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Red Sox vs. Civale: Triston Casas 1-3, Rafael Devers 1-4, Reese McGuire 2-4, Rob Refsnyder 0-1, Trevor Story 1-2, Justin Turner 0-3, Luis Urías 0-5, Alex Verdugo 1-2, Masataka Yoshida 0-3 Rays vs. Bello: Jonathan Aranda 2-2, Randy Arozarena 1-4, Vidal Bruján 0-5, Yandy Díaz 5-7, Josh Lowe 2-8, Isaac Paredes 0-2, Luke Raley 1-4, Taylor Walls 0-6 Stat of the day: At 45-23, the Rays have the best home record in the American League (.662 winning percentage). Related: Masataka Yoshida’s strong showing includes three-run homer in Red Sox’ win Notes: Tampa Bay won on Sunday to prevent being swept in Cleveland ... Bello will make his 24th start of 2023 and the 35th of his career. He took the loss vs. Tampa Bay in Boston on July 6 and recorded a no-decision five days later in St. Petersburg, Fla. ... Across three career starts vs. the Rays, Bello is 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA. The Rays have hit .317 in 14 innings against Bello ... The Red Sox are 19-14 against the AL East this season ... The Rays placed righthander Jason Adam on the 15-day injured list with an oblique injury. He is 4-2 mark with a 2.67 ERA and 12 saves in 18 chances this season. The Red Sox have 25 games left ... Leadoff hitter Alex Verdugo will not play Monday because of a tight left hamstring. Song of the Day: Eddie Cochran - Summertime Blues www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAM1k9vEVqg
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2023 14:02:21 GMT -5
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne · 2h Today in St. Pete, where the Red Sox try to break a 13-game losing streak at Tropicana Field that dates back to April of 2022.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2023 14:02:50 GMT -5
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne · 49m Alex Verdugo likely won't play tomorrow (hamstring). Best case scenario is Wednesday. Friday night be most realistic.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2023 14:10:52 GMT -5
Christopher Smith @smittyonmlb · 3h It's kind of crazy Triston Casas had just 10 hits in April and he's probably going to finish second for AL Rookie of the Year. He had a .642 OPS on June 3. He now leads all Red Sox qualified hitters with a .862 OPS. He's slashing .336/.431/.664/1.095 in the second half
Wilyer Abreu — hitting leadoff for the Red Sox today — has a chase percentage of just 5%. On average, major leaguers have had a 28% chase rate this year. Of course, he's only had 21 plate appearances. That # should grow with a bigger sample size but still impressive so far
Red Sox' Masataka Yoshida has batted just .259 with a .288 on-base percentage, .407 slugging percentage and .696 OPS in 42 games (170 plate appearances) during the second half compared to .316/.382/.492/.874 in 78 games (335 plate appearances) during the first half.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2023 16:42:35 GMT -5
a rough start for Bello few hits and a big double got the Red Sox behind 3-0 early Bello has settled in nicely since
The bats are still in Kansas City ( Sox have been moaning all game about the K-Zone) then again here in the 6th Civale just got the hook
he has 12 k's
Rays up 3-1
Grateful for the Rays feed ( any feed other than NESN)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2023 16:43:56 GMT -5
Analytic department screws Cash over again
Casas with a 3 run home run......Civale is livid in the dug out.
4-3 Red Sox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2023 17:02:46 GMT -5
Bello strands 2 in the 6th and pumps his fist coming off the mound loved the fight in the kid today did not have his best stuff early, and fought thru it.
Bello's Line as that is likely it ( wink is warming)
6IP/ 5/3/3/2BB/ 7k/96-57
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2023 17:30:35 GMT -5
Yoshida 3 run jack in the 8th
7-3 good guys
Where in hell has this scrappy team been all year?
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Sept 4, 2023 18:06:13 GMT -5
How the Red Sox can feel a little bit better about themselvesBy Rob Bradford WEEI 93.7 3 hours ago Things are getting chaotic in the MLB Power Rankings The writers need to look at this from a math perspective. Give me a number. No matter what any of the writers predicted, they were probably within a few games of where the RS should finish. They get too high when we win, and get too low when we lose. We are your basic 85-win team.
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