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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 5, 2023 4:18:48 GMT -5
Casas homers and knocks in 4 as Red Sox beat Rays 7-3 to end 13-game skid at Tropicana Field AP
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) Triston Casas homered and drove in a career-high four runs, Brayan Bello earned his team-leading 11th win and the Boston Red Sox stopped a 13-game losing streak at Tropicana Field by beating the Tampa Bay Rays 7-3 on Monday.
Boston's slide at the dome began on April 23, 2022.
"Nothing special, to be honest with you," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of ending the streak.
Wilyer Abreu had a leadoff double before Justin Turner drew a one-out walk in the sixth inning, ending Aaron Civale's day. Chris Devenski (3-4) entered and gave up Casas' three-run shot that put the Red Sox ahead 4-3.
Casas added a run-scoring single and Masataka Yoshida connected on a two-run homer off Andrew Kittredge in the eighth that made it 7-3. Casas has three homers and 11 RBIs during a career-best 11-game hitting streak.
“He's a good hitter,” Cora said. “He knows what he's doing.”
Monday marked the first anniversary of Casas' major league debut. Two days later, he hit his first big league homer at Tropicana Field.
“We talked about Triston Casas before the game,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “He’s really turned it on, putting together a good season. Laid off a close pitch to put himself in a 1-0 count. Devenski had to throw a strike right there, looked like he was ready for it.”
Bello (11-8) gave up three runs, all in the first, and five hits over six innings.
While the Rays have a comfortable lead for the top AL wild card, Boston moved within 4 1/2 games of Texas for the final spot.
Boston closer Kenley Jansen, who pitched the ninth in a non-save situation, was checked by an athletic trainer with one out but remained in the game.
Cora said Jansen is fine and the issue was that a wrap on his leg was too tight. The right-hander has had some hamstring problems this season.
Civale, acquired from Cleveland on July 31, allowed three runs, two hits and three walks while striking out a career-high 12 during a 98-pitch outing. The right-hander has gone 5 1/3 or fewer innings in five of his six starts with Tampa Bay.
Brandon Lowe grounded a two-run single up the middle and Harold Ramírez had an RBI double down the third-base line off Bello as the Rays took a 3-0 lead in the first.
Bello recorded an out on 11 consecutive batters after Ramírez's hit. The righty ended his outing by striking out Ramírez with two on to end the sixth.
“It felt good just to keep them at bay like that,” Bello said through a translator. “Give time for the offense to do what they ended up doing. Feels good to keep us in it.”
Civale retired his first 10 batters, six on strikeouts. After a pair of walks in the fourth, Adam Duvall got Boston's first hit with a two-out RBI single later in the inning.
POSTSEASON SPEEDSTER?
Speedy OF Billy Hamilton is set to join the Rays’ Triple-A affiliate at Durham on Tuesday and is under serious consideration for a potential playoff roster spot.
“It’s something that we factor in all the time,” Cash said. “I think we would look at him as a potential weapon.”
The 32-year-old Hamilton has 326 stolen bases in 951 career games. He has been caught stealing 72 times.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: OF Alex Verdugo, who left Sunday’s game with left hamstring tightness, didn’t play and might miss the three-game series. … RHP Corey Kluber (right shoulder inflammation) threw off a bullpen mound.
Rays: SS Taylor Walls was out of the lineup due to groin soreness. He played two games over the weekend after missing six weeks with a strained left oblique.
UP NEXT
Rays RHP Zach Eflin (13-8) faces Boston RHP Kutter Crawford (6-7) on Tuesday night. Eflin and Toronto RHP Chris Bassitt, scheduled to pitch against Oakland, will be looking to become the AL’s first 14-game winners.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 5, 2023 4:37:57 GMT -5
Casas celebrates debut anniversary, backs Bello in big way September 4th, 2023 Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne ;
ST. PETERSBURG -- The Red Sox needed something special to end a 13-game losing streak at Tropicana Field that dated back to April 22, 2022.
They got it in various forms, and the common denominator was talented youth, which led Boston to a 7-3 victory over the Rays in Monday afternoon’s opener of a three-game series.
Triston Casas, on the one-year anniversary of his MLB debut and in the midst of a torrid second half of the season, hammered a game-changing three-run homer to left-center in the top of the sixth.
Then there was Brayan Bello, who pitched his team into a 3-0 hole in the bottom of the first inning, only to be lights out for the rest of the day.
With their third straight win, the Red Sox (72-66) moved to within 4 1/2 games of the Rangers for the final American League Wild Card spot, the closest Boston has been since Aug. 27. The Red Sox hold a 2-1 edge in the season series against Texas, and the teams play a three-game series in Arlington from Sept. 18-20. The winner of the head-to-head series claims the first tiebreaker if two teams are tied in the standings.
The Blue Jays are a half-game behind Texas, but they lead Boston by four games. The Red Sox, who have already clinched the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Blue Jays, have a three-game series in Toronto from Sept. 15-17.
Per FanGraphs, Boston has an 8.1% chance to make the postseason.
Despite the uptick in playoff odds, Monday was more about two key pieces of the team’s core going forward than October.
Casas seems to become a bigger force by the week. His 23rd homer of the season -- a certified rocket that left his bat at 105.9 mph and traveled a Statcast-projected 419 feet to the opposite field -- turned the team's two-run deficit into a one-run lead.
Fittingly, Tropicana Field is where Casas belted his first Major League homer on Sept. 6, 2022.
“It’s just the most special day of my life, so I’ll always mark it on my calendar as a pretty special day in my book,” Casas said of the one-year anniversary of his debut. “Yeah, I did know. And it was pretty cool a year ago today being here, too. I thought that was pretty weird, too. Lots of coincidences, for sure.”
As for Bello, he went six innings, allowing five hits and just those three runs. He walked two and struck out seven.
To have any shot at the playoffs, the Red Sox will need better starting pitching than they’ve received in recent weeks. Bello’s six-inning performance marked the first time a Boston starter recorded more than 15 outs in a game since Bello went seven innings in Houston on Aug. 24.
The key for Bello on Monday was keeping his composure after things went wrong in the first inning.
“Throwing strikes was the plan from the jump. That first inning, I fell behind a bunch of hitters, but that’s what it takes to be in the big leagues, to make adjustments,” said Bello. “In the second, I made adjustments and kept the same routine. It felt good to just keep them at bay like that, give time for the offense to do their thing, which they ended up doing.”
The development of Bello and Casas is as important as anything that has happened for the Red Sox this season.
“Compared to last year? A lot better,” manager Alex Cora said of Bello. “I remember there was a game here last year that happened and he was in the tunnel just kind of like, ‘What's going on?’ That's part of it.”
Bello remembers those growing pains well.
“Last year, whenever I would have a bad inning or things were going bad, they would snowball a little bit on me and I would get mad at myself in those moments,” Bello said. “But now, I’m able to block those things out.”
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Casas, who got off to a rough start this season, has also made a big jump on the mental side. Cora recently mentioned that the 23-year-old has become a leader in hitters’ meetings, which is rare for a rookie.
In 147 at-bats since the All-Star break, Casas has a slash line of .340/.443/.680 with 14 homers.
“He’s a good hitter, man. He knows what he's doing. He's very patient with his process and he dominates the strike zone,” said Cora. “Numbers-wise, he's probably one of the top 10 hitters in the league. And he keeps getting better.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 5, 2023 4:39:27 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Verdugo iffy for Rays series September 4th, 2023 LATEST NEWS
Sept. 4: OF Alex Verdugo (left hamstring tightness) iffy for Rays series Verdugo was not in Monday's lineup against the Rays after exiting Sunday's win over the Royals in the sixth inning with left hamstring tightness. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Verdugo will also miss Tuesday's game and possibly Wednesday. The club doesn't want to risk making it worse by playing on the turf at Tampa Bay's Tropicana Field. The Sox are off on Thursday before opening a homestand on Friday.
"Obviously, playing here doesn't help, but we'll see how he reacts to treatment today," Cora said. "Of course, [we'll] stay away from him [Tuesday], maybe Wednesday, and hopefully, we can get better throughout the week and be ready for Friday.”
Sept. 4: RHP Logan Gillaspie claimed off waivers; OF Jarren Duran transferred to 60-day IL The Red Sox added some organizational depth by claiming Gillaspie from the Orioles on Monday and optioning him to Triple-A Worcester. Gillaspie, 26, pitched in 11 games for the O's this season, allowing seven runs (six earned) in nine innings. The right-hander also posted a 4.71 ERA over 36 1/3 innings in 34 games for Triple-A Norfolk. Originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Brewers on July 13, 2018, the California native has recorded a 4.10 ERA in 28 career games over the past two seasons.
Duran, meanwhile, had surgery on his left big toe last week. He was already ruled out for the rest of the 2023 season.
RHP Corey Kluber (right shoulder inflammation) Expected return: Possibly September Kluber, who last pitched in a Minor League rehab appearance on July 26, is making progress. The veteran righty thew a bullpen session at Tropicana Field on Monday and could go on a rehab assignment soon. Cora said on Sept. 2 that the team hopes Kluber can still return to the big leagues in 2023. (Last updated: Sept. 4)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 5, 2023 4:44:19 GMT -5
Red Sox, focused on present for now, get glimpse of future, too, in win | McAdam
Published: Sep. 04, 2023, 8:45 p.m.
By
Sean McAdam | sean.mcadam@masslive.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — For now, they live in the moment, day-to-day, their attention occupied by the task at hand: a wild card spot that remains just beyond their reach.
Fewer than four weeks remain and it’s the only way they can approach it. It’s why their two prospects, added to the roster last week, are playing sparingly. The Red Sox have to exhaust every possibility, make every effort they can, until the math officially slams the door on their season.
Until then, they soldier on, fighting the fight, uphill though it may be.
But on Monday, in the ballpark that has been been host to only heartbreak for them the last two seasons, the present and the future interceded for the Red Sox. Desperate for a win and intent on building some momentum after two wins over the weekend, the Sox stomped on their longtime nemesis, the Tampa Bay Rays, 7-3, snapping a 13-game losing streak at Tropicana Field in the process.
Not unimportantly, they were carried to victory by the younger member of their starting rotation and their youngest everyday player.
Former football coach George Allen preached it; the Red Sox lived it — the future is now. And for one holiday matinee, it was glorious.
It was fitting that the heavy lifting was shared by first baseman Triston Casas and starter Brayan Bello. They’ve shared stops along the minor league leader and been teammates often.
Bello beat Casas to the big leagues last year by about two months, but didn’t initially stick. In need of additional development, he returned to Triple A for a few weeks before returning in the final week of August. Ten days later, Casas joined him in Boston.
Now, they stand as twin pillars in the Red Sox foundation. Enter your email address here to receive the Fenway Rundown email newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday. Betting Language (bottom third)
“To have a good young core as a team, you need pitching and hitting,” said Casas, whose three-run homer in the sixth erased a two-run deficit and put the Red Sox in front to stay. “For him to hopefully be at the forefront of the rotation for many years to come is really encouraging. I’m trying to establish myself as a respectable hitter in the league and I think he’s already (established himself) for the amount of time that he’s been here. Nobody underestimates him and his stuff.
“So I think, yeah, it’s exciting for the future of our team and this organization.”
There have been growing pains, of course, for both, but it was telling that Monday showed how far the two had come.
Bello was cuffed around in the first for three runs, though few of the balls were hit hard against him and a better infield defense might have limited the damage for him. But behind 3-0 early, Bello dug in and didn’t allow another run thereafter, adding five scoreless frames after a rocky first.
By his own admission, that’s something that he might not have been able to do earlier.
“Last year, whenever I would have a bad inning or things were going bad, they would kind of snowball a little bit on me,” said Bello through a translator. “I would get mad at myself in those moments. But now, just being able to block those things out...If I want to get mad after the game, then I’ll get mad after the game.”
Bello made an unspecified mechanical adjustment after the first. Whatever he did, it worked as he retired the next 10 batters in succession and 11 of the next 12. In the sixth, he encountered some difficulty after a leadoff double from Josh Lowe and a two-out walk to Brandon Lowe gave the Rays runners at the corners.
Again, however, Bello stiffened, and fanned Harold Ramirez with the tying run 90 feet away. He allowed himself a celebratory jab as he walked off after 96 pitches.
In the top of the same inning, Bello had been bailed out by Casas. The Sox trailed 3-1 as the sixth began and were unable to get anything going against Tampa Bay starter Aaron Civale, who had racked up a season-high 11 strikeouts through the first five.
But a leadoff double from Wilyer Abreu had kick-started the sixth and a one-out walk to Justin Turner had led to the end of Civale’s outing. In came Chris Devenski to face Casas.
Casas anticipated Devenski might throw him a changeup in order to induce a rally-killing groundball double play. The first baseman was determined to get under the pitch to avoid such an outcome.
He also drove the ball to left-center, something he’s been doing with more regularity of late.
“I think it’s really encouraging,” said Casas. “That’s been one of my MO’s as a hitter, being able to use the whole field. But now using it with power unlocks a sense of calmness at the plate, knowing that I can go that way with the effort level that I have. Doing it consistently in the last week or so has been very encouraging.”
It’s been a season of growth for Casas, 23, and Bello, 24, getting better all the time, providing hope for 2024 and beyond, twin linchpins for the future.
And with 2023 not yet completely written off yet, they spent the holiday making an impact on the here and now, too.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 5, 2023 4:50:17 GMT -5
As Brayan Bello learns to settle down, he’s settling in as a big part of Red Sox rotation By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated September 4, 2023, 9:08 p.m.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Whether it’s via free agency or trade, the Red Sox must obtain a No. 1 starter during the offseason. It’s imperative.
The rotation has been a wreck this season and can’t be fixed with more value signings or reclamation projects. The Sox need a top dog.
Lest we forget, Corey Kluber was the Opening Day starter this season.
Here’s the added benefit: A team with Brayan Bello as its No. 2 sounds like a pretty good one.
The 24-year-old righthander allowed three runs in the first inning of Monday afternoon’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays, something that might have blown up his start earlier in his career.
This time Bello was still on the mound in the sixth inning and protected a one-run lead by striking out Harold Ramirez to leave runners stranded at first and third.
Bello popped off the mound and spun as he pumped his fist. His day was done after 96 pitches in a game the Sox went on to win, 7-3.
“He kept his composure; he kept making pitches and made adjustments,” manager Alex Cora said. “He was big for us.” Related: Red Sox snap 13-game losing streak at Tampa Bay with third consecutive victory
Bello’s line — 6 innings, 5 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and 7 strikeouts — did not reflect how well he pitched. He retired 15 of the final 18 batters he faced, giving his teammates a chance to get back in the game.
Nine of those outs came on ground balls as the Rays weren’t able to get the ball in the air. As Bello held Tampa Bay down, the Sox scored a run in the fourth inning then got a three-run homer from Triston Casas in the sixth to take the lead.
“It felt good to keep us in it,” Bello said via an interpreter.
Changing his pitch mix was the biggest adjustment.
Bello threw 25 pitches in the first inning, 16 of them fastballs. Over the next five innings he incorporated his changeup and slider more often and threw only 33 fastballs among his 71 pitches.
“He used his offspeed pitches really well today,” pitching coach Dave Bush said. “Threw a lot of changeups and used his slider effectively. Early on he missed a couple of spots with fastballs and the ball got put in play.”
The other key to his outing was letting the first inning go.
“Last year whenever I would have a bad inning or things are going bad, they would kind of snowball on me and I would get mad at myself during those moments,” Bello said. “Now being able to block those things out, if I want to get mad after the game then I’ll get mad after the game.”
Said Bush: “Most young players struggle with their emotions and frustration. Disappointment and anger come out in different ways depending on the player. He’s become better at handling that.”
The biggest moment came in the sixth inning. With a runner on third and one out, Bush came to the mound to strongly suggest Bello work around lefthanded hitting Brandon Lowe to face Ramirez, a righthanded hitter who had struck out his previous time up.
The idea was to throw a competitive first pitch and see what happened from there.
But Bello didn’t waste time. He threw three fastballs a foot above the strike zone and another that was a foot outside. It wasn’t an intentional walk but may as well have been.
Bush was smiling as he discussed Bello’s approach.
“Situational awareness,” he said.
Bello then went after Ramirez and struck him out swinging at an 89-mile-per-hour slider.
Bello was 0-2 with a 7.70 ERA in three prior starts against the Rays. That was on his mind Monday.
“That was the main reason why I wanted to win this game,” he said.
The Sox have won three in a row to keep their longshot playoff hopes flickering. It also was a good day in the baseball education of a promising young pitcher. Bello is 11-8 with a 3.61 ERA with four or five starts remaining.
“He keeps getting better and that’s good for us,” Cora said.
No doubt. Now go get an ace to pair with him.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 5, 2023 4:53:42 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK As his rookie season winds down, Triston Casas continues to put up numbers for the Red Sox By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated September 4, 2023, 5:07 p.m.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Triston Casas has put together a quality season.
After a rough April, the Red Sox first baseman has turned himself into one of the best hitters in baseball. Entering Monday’s series opener against the Rays, Casas was batting .297/.386/.543 with a .929 OPS since May. His overall slash line through 123 games of .268/.368/.503 with 23 home runs and a team-leading .871 OPS should surely put him in the discussion for American League Rookie of the Year.
More importantly, Casas has proven himself to be a huge piece of the Sox’ present and future, which raises the question: Would the 23-year-old entertain a contract extension?
“Yes, it’s something that I would entertain,” Casas said before contributing a three-run homer and RBI single to the Sox’ 7-3 win.
Diamondbacks rookie Corbin Carroll signed an eight-year, $111 million extension during spring training after just 115 plate appearances in 2022, continuing a recent trend — spearheaded by the Braves — of locking up young stars. Carroll hasn’t made Arizona regret the decision, batting .282/.362/.523 with 24 homers and an .885 OPS through 132 games while also playing exceptionally well in the outfield.
Carroll’s overall tool set is heavier than Casas’s, but when it comes to offense, among all rookies with at least 450 plate appearances, Casas’s OPS ranks second to Carroll, who is the same age.
“I think in my short time that I’ve been in the org [organization], everybody’s treated me really well and with open arms,” Casas said. “They have always provided me with all types of resources to be successful, which is all I can ask for.
“I’m not a super-high-maintenance person. I don’t need a lot. I just need the fundamentals and necessities and I’m happy.
“I’m really happy with the people in the organization. So, yeah, of course, I’d love to spend my whole career here in Boston.”
Casas has struggled defensively, but his age suggests that he could still improve.
The Red Sox and Casas haven’t had any discussions on an extension. The club stuck with Casas, allowing him to figure it out at the big league level and believing he could make the necessary adjustments, and now it’s paying off.
“He’s a good player, man,” manager Alex Cora said. “And not only offensively, he’s getting better defensively. That’s something we need. He’s been picking throws better than earlier in the season. Moving better to his left. Better decisions over there.
“Offensively, now he’s hitting the ball all over the place. He’s driving the ball to left, left-center. He’s going to get his hits that way, and he doesn’t get away from his plan. At the end of the day, what he wants is to do damage in the zone or he’s going to take his walks.” Hamstring sidelines Verdugo
Alex Verdugo (left hamstring tightness) was out of the lineup. The injury occurred during Sunday’s series finale against the Royals.
The right fielder also will miss Tuesday’s contest, but there is a possibility he could play Wednesday. However, that timeline might be too ambitious, considering the turf at Tropicana Field and the offday Thursday.
Friday’s series opener against the Orioles at Fenway Park is more likely in play for Verdugo. Jansen finishes despite cramp
Cora and a member of the training staff checked on Kenley Jansen during the ninth inning. The closer stayed in the game to secure the victory. Jansen, who suffered a right hamstring injury in Houston during the club’s most recent road series, said he felt some cramping in that area. However, it is something he believes he can pitch through.
Gillaspie in on waiver claim
The Red Sox claimed righthander Logan Gillaspie off waivers from the Orioles and optioned him to Triple A. To make room for the reliever on the 40-man roster, outfielder Jarren Duran (toe) was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Gillaspie, 26, pitched in 11 games for the Orioles this season, yielding six runs in nine innings.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 5, 2023 4:56:25 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Rays Tuesday, 5th September 2023 7;30pm @ The Trop
Crawford 6-7/ 4.08
Eflin 13-8/ 3.40
Red Sox pursue rare road winning streak vs. Rays FLM
In their longshot push for a wild-card spot, the Boston Red Sox did something Monday afternoon they have not been able to accomplish in more than a year -- win on the road against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Having snapped a 13-game losing streak at the dome with a 7-3 win in the series opener, Boston will try to clinch the three-game set Tuesday night in its second matchup with the Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Desperately needing a victory, Boston (72-66) got a career-high four-RBI game from Triston Casas and a strong start from Brayan Bello to win for the third consecutive outing and first time in the bayside ballpark since April 22, 2022.
"I think he's going to keep hitting fourth in this lineup," Boston manager Alex Cora said after Casas produced a two-hit game that included a 419-foot homer -- his 23rd -- to put Boston up for good in the sixth inning.
The Rays (83-55) started fast with three runs on three hits in the first inning, but they managed only two more hits over the next eight frames.
Regular Tampa Bay starters Yandy Diaz, Isaac Paredes and Jose Siri were given the day off, but manager Kevin Cash gave credit to Bello for shutting down his squad. The Red Sox right-hander gave up three runs and struck out seven in six innings.
"We had good at-bats early on, but I felt like Bello settled in," said Cash, whose club is 7-2 against the Red Sox this year. "He threw a good ballgame. He had a lot of late movement between the sinker and changeup going in one direction and the big sweeping slider going in the other direction. He made it tough for us."
The pitching matchup Tuesday night will feature a pair of native Floridians, Boston's Kutter Crawford and Tampa Bay's Zach Eflin.
A product of the lakeside town of Okeechobee, Crawford (6-7, 4.08 ERA) will appear in his 27th game and make his 19th start of the year.
The right-hander surrendered six runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings and absorbed a 7-4 loss to the Houston Astros on Wednesday.
Before the start, Cora said Crawford had progressed tremendously from 2022 (3-6, 5.47 in 21 games).
"Since day one, he's been one of our best pitchers," the manager said. "Whenever he pitches, he gives us a chance to win. He's grown so much from last year."
Crawford is 1-0 with a 2.21 ERA in five appearances (two starts) against the Rays, 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two games (one start) this year.
Eflin (13-8, 3.40 ERA) went 2-2 in August with his best monthly ERA this season -- 2.62 -- but had tough no-decisions against the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins.
In those two starts, the Orlando native allowed a total of one run and nine hits in 13 1/3 innings -- a 0.68 ERA.
Tied for the AL lead in victories (13) with Toronto's Chris Bassitt and Baltimore's Kyle Gibson, Eflin also has two no-decisions in his pair of career starts against Boston to go along with a 7.00 ERA over nine innings. Both of those outings occurred in 2020.
--Field Level Media
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 5, 2023 12:44:28 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 2h Chris Martin since May 1: 38.1 IP 29 H 4 ER 7 BB 28 K .209/.247/.266
He has a 2.7 bWAR, which is crazy for a setup man. Only Bello, Verdugo and Devers have been more valuable by that measure. Jansen, who any reasonable person would say has been just fine, is at 1.3.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 5, 2023 12:49:20 GMT -5
Game 139: Red Sox at Rays lineups and notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated September 5, 2023, 1 hour ago The Red Sox won their third game in a row Monday afternoon, defeating the Rays 7-3 in the series opener. The victory pulled the Sox to within 4½ games of the final American League wild-card spot with 24 games remaining and snapped a 13-game losing streak at Tropicana Field. With the loss, Tampa Bay dropped to 3½ games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East but still holds the top wild card. The Sox will turn to Kutter Crawford as the series continues Tuesday night. Tampa Bay will counter with Zac Eflin, who is tied for the AL lead for most wins this season at 13. Lineups RED SOX (72-66): Ceddanne Rafaela (D) SS Rafael Devers (Z) 3B Justin Turner (D) DH Triston Casas (Z) 1B Adam Duvall (D) RF Masataka Yoshida (Z) LF Wilyer Abreu (Z) CF Connor Wong (D) C Enmanuel Valdez (Z) 2B Pitching: RHP Kutter Crawford (6-7, 4.08 ERA) RAYS (83-55): Yandy Diaz (R) 1B Brandon Lowe (L) 2B Isaac Paredes (R) 3B Randy Arozarena (R) LF Josh Lowe (L) RF Jose Siri (R) CF Vidal Brujan (S) SS Jonathan Aranda (L) DH Rene Pinto (R) C Pitching: RHP Zach Eflin (13-8, 3.40 ERA) Time: 6:40 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Red Sox vs. Eflin: Rafael Devers 4-5, Adam Duvall 7-18, Trevor Story 3-8, Justin Turner 3-11, Luis Urías 0-3, Alex Verdugo 3-9 Rays vs. Crawford: Jonathan Aranda 2-3, Randy Arozarena 1-5, Christian Bethancourt 1-3, Yandy Díaz 1-8, Brandon Lowe 1-4, Josh Lowe 1-9, Isaac Paredes 0-2, Luke Raley 0-2, Harold Ramírez 1-7, Taylor Walls 1-5 Stat of the day: Three Red Sox players rank in the AL’s top 10 in OPS (Casas, Devers, Turner), more than any other team. Notes: Monday marked Alex Cora’s 434th win as manager of the Red Sox. The only people to manage at least 500 Red Sox games and post a better winning percentage than Cora’s .552 mark are Don Zimmer (.575) and Terry Francona (.574). … The Red Sox are 20-14 against AL East teams this season (6-4-0 in series), after going 26-50 in 2022 (6-17-1 in series). … Crawford is making his 19th start and has appeared in 27 games this season. He is 1-0 with a 2.21 ERA in five appearances (two starts) against the Rays, 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two games (one start) this year. … Eflin went 2-2 with a 2.62 ERA in August. In two starts against the Sox, both in 2020, Eflin has a 7.00 ERA. Song of the Day: Smash Mouth - Walkin' On The Sun www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQj--Kjn0z8
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 5, 2023 19:11:31 GMT -5
Crawford having control issues walked 4 batters Cora pulls him in the 4th and Jacques plunks in a run
in other words
same old same old
Rays up 5-2
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 5, 2023 19:51:55 GMT -5
6th inning Sox scratch a run to make it 5-3 Rays load the bases up and of course the next 2 batters K
Rays Analytic team shocks Cash to go make a change so off he goes, and it worked.
One thing I noticed again today and not just with the Red Sox, but alot of teams, How many god damn coaches do they need?
And what do all these assistant coaches do?
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 5, 2023 20:13:00 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 15m The Sox have assembled a lot of DHs. Unfortunately for them, a few have to play the field.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 6, 2023 4:38:50 GMT -5
Brandon Lowe hits three-run homer in the 11th inning, Rays beat Red Sox 8-6 AP
ST. PETERSBUG, Fla. (AP) Brandon Lowe hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the 11th inning and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox 8-6 on Tuesday night.
Lowe won it with his 18th homer off Kenley Jansen (3-6), who had his streak of converting 20 consecutive chances end. Erasmo Ramirez (3-3) got the win.
“Every walk-off is going to feel nice,” Lowe said. “Every walk-off homer is going to feel better.”
Luis Urías hit an RBI single in the 11th inning to give Boston a 6-5 lead, a flare to shallow right that went of the glove of Lowe at second base.
“It’s September,” Lowe said. “Any win that we can grab at this moment we’re going to take it. We understand we need to be better in every facet, so understand it, take it in."
The Rays loaded the bases in the 10th with one out against John Schreiber but failed to score when Josh Lowe was thrown out by right fielder Adam Duvall trying to score from third on Christian Bethancourt's fly.
Boston started the day 4 1/2 games out of the final AL wild-card spot. The Rays hold the top AL wild-card spot.
“It is what it is. We just have to keep playing hard, keep going,” Boston manager Alex Cora said.
Tampa Bay's Zach Eflin failed to become the AL's first 14-game winner despite departing with a two-run lead. He gave up three runs and five hits over five-plus innings.
Justin Turner had an RBI infield single in the sixth and drove in another run on a base-hit in a two-run seventh as Boston rallied to tie it at 5. Triston Casas got Boston even and extended his career-high hitting streak to 12 games with his 177-foot pop-up single down the left-field line.
Turner set a career-high with 91 RBIs.
René Pinto hit a two-run homer off Kutter Crawford during a three-run second as the Rays took a 3-0 lead. The Rays went ahead 5-2 in the fourth.
Crawford allowed five runs, three hits and four walks over 3 2/3 innings in a season-high 96-pitch outing. The right-hander was coming off a loss against the Houston Astros last Wednesday in which he gave up six runs in 2 2/3 innings.
Boston loaded the bases with no outs after Turner's sixth-inning run-scoring hit but failed to score again.
“We didn’t cash in there,” Cora said. “We had the lead at one point. Just one of those (games). It’s tough, but we’re going to show up tomorrow.”
Enmanuel Valdez cut the Red Sox deficit to 3-2 on a third-inning two-run homer. Ceddanne Rafaela had three hits for the Red Sox.
SEATS AVAILABLE
The announced crowd was 9,119. Tampa Bay entered averaging 18,067, which is the fourth lowest in MLB.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: OF Alex Verdugo (left hamstring) missed his second straight game and will likely sit out Wednesday. … RHP Corey Kluber (right shoulder) threw 32 pitches over two innings of live BP and will pitch in a minor league game Friday night.
Rays: SS Taylor Walls (groin) sat out for the second consecutive game but could be back in a couple days.
UP NEXT
Rays RHP Tyler Glasnow (7-5) will start Wednesday night’s game. RHP Nick Pivetta (9-7) will start for Boston.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 6, 2023 4:41:38 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 9h Joe Jacques.
Stop. Please.
Stop with fringy draft picks who have limited success in the minor leagues.
The Red Sox need standards. They should spend enough to demand standards.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 6, 2023 4:43:36 GMT -5
Red Sox fall to Rays in 11th after attempt to go 'all in' Jansen surrenders walk-off 3-run HR, Duvall has up-down night, Crawford goes 3 2/3 in loss 1:54 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
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ST. PETERSBURG -- The Red Sox, with some help from the Rays, had done the improbable to come all the way back from an early deficit to finally take their first lead of an eventful Tuesday night in the top of the 11th inning.
Their last line of defense for what would have been one of their grittiest wins of the season was Kenley Jansen, who came on needing three outs for the 421st save of his career.
Instead, the normally trusty righty didn’t get any. Jansen gave up a walk-off three-run homer to Brandon Lowe that handed Boston a stinging 8-6 defeat at Tropicana Field.
Jansen started his night with a walk. Up stepped Lowe, who bashed the fifth pitch of the at-bat, a cutter up and in, and walloped it down the right-field line to end a wild contest.
“That’s a tough one,” Jansen said. “Didn't get the job done. We just have to move on from this. We’ve got to keep our heads up. Got plenty of more games to play. I’ll be back out there tomorrow.”
It is highly doubtful Jansen will pitch Wednesday, no matter the situation. Tuesday marked the first time he pitched on three straight days all season.
“I mean, we were all in,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “It doesn’t matter. We’re trying to win games. I don’t care what people think, four and a half, five and a half [games back], it doesn’t matter. Win that game, we win the series and we move on.”
The Red Sox will take their next crack at winning the series in the rubber match on Wednesday when rover Nick Pivetta shifts back to a conventional starter and takes the ball against Tyler Glasnow.
With Tuesday’s tough loss, the Sox (72-67) fell five games behind the Blue Jays, who leapt over the reeling Rangers for possession of the third American League Wild Card spot.
Though he didn’t come through, Jansen appreciated Cora’s “all in” mindset.
“We have to,” Jansen said. “We’re here for one thing, to try and get in the playoffs. It sucks that we lost today. As hard as it is, we just have to move on.”
Here were a couple of other notable subplots from Tuesday’s game.
Duvall’s mixed bag Adam Duvall has been one of the hottest hitters on the Red Sox for the past two weeks. But that changed in this one, as the veteran went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. Most glaringly, Duvall came up with the bases loaded and nobody out in the sixth and looked at a middle-middle fastball from Colin Poche for strike three.
“I felt like it was a lost opportunity for me because I’m supposed to drive those runners in,” Duvall said. “That’s how I feel right now. The big one there was with the bases loaded, I took a pitch I don’t normally don’t take for whatever reason. I was wishing I had it back.”
Duvall did provide some redemption on defense. Christian Bethancourt had a chance to end the game with a sacrifice fly in the 10th, but Duvall gathered under it and fired a bullet to the plate to nail automatic runner Lowe for an inning-ending double play.
The Red Sox took the lead, albeit briefly, in the 11th.
“I always feel like you can change the game on two sides of the ball, offense or defense,” said Duvall. “Obviously, it wasn’t my night on offense. To be able to contribute on defense, that was big. I’m still kicking myself for not driving those runners in.”
Another short start taxes ‘pen A recurring theme reared its ugly head again for the Red Sox on Tuesday when a starting pitcher -- this time Kutter Crawford -- went fewer than five innings.
While Crawford was victimized by a couple of misplays, he also lacked command, throwing 96 pitches and walking four in 3 2/3 innings, pinning his team in a 3-0 hole in the process.
The Red Sox have received fewer than 15 outs from a starting pitcher in eight of the last 10 games. The cause and effect is an overworked bullpen. It was the second tough start in a row for Crawford, who went 2 2/3 innings and gave up six runs in his previous start against Houston. Get the latest from the Red Sox
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“It’s not fun knowing your pitch count is going up because you’re not attacking the strike zone, working behind,” Crawford said. “I’m trying to get through as many innings as possible on as little pitches as possible, so I’m just frustrated at myself for not being able to command the baseball.”
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