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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 9, 2023 6:12:00 GMT -5
Matt McCarthy @mattmccarthy985 · 8h The Red Sox remain 2 games behind the Yankees for last place in the AL East.
The Sox have a real shot to pick up ground on NY this weekend as they get their faces kicked in by the Orioles. Massive series with the Yankees starting on Monday.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 9, 2023 6:16:45 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK In his first season with the Red Sox, Justin Turner continues to lead on and off the field By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated September 8, 2023, 8:09 p.m.
It was an evening in Cleveland this season. One that ended in a Red Sox loss to the Guardians.
Toward the back of the visitor’s clubhouse at Progressive Field sat Justin Turner, near Jarren Duran’s locker. Duran had gone cold after his scorching-hot start to the year, batting .154 (10 for 65) to go along with 26 strikeouts during the slump. Turner felt it was the right time to give his young teammate a pep talk, reminding him of the ebbs and flows of a season after Duran had gone 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Duran listened and nodded his head, affirming that the outfielder was receiving Turner’s feedback. It was quintessential Turner, a player who despite it being his first year with the Red Sox, had become a leader in the clubhouse at a rapid pace. As the season nears its end, and with the Sox’ playoff hopes dwindling, Turner is still that same guy.
“I don’t think it takes a lot of time or effort,” Turner said Friday, reflecting on that moment with Duran. “I know what it feels like to have a bad game and the team loses and you feel like if you would have done something better, maybe there would be a different outcome. So I just make sure I stop by guys’ lockers and tell them to keep their heads up.”
“The same goes for players who have good games. It’s important to a player to know that teammates and those around the club are noticing success.” Related: Orioles get to Tanner Houck in sixth inning, Red Sox drop series opener to American League’s top team
Turner has had success in a Red Sox uniform, perhaps the best season of his career. At least when it comes to his output at the plate.
The regular designated hitter entered Friday’s series opener against the Orioles at Fenway Park batting .282/.354/.474 with an .828 OPS and 22 homers. The 38-year-old’s 92 RBIs represent a career high. He has a $13.4 million option for next season, an opt out that he will surely exercise given he could earn more on the open market.
Remaining with the Sox is something of interest to Turner.
“I’ve enjoyed my time here,” he said before going 1 for 3 with an RBI double in the Sox’ 11-2 loss to the Orioles. “I’ve enjoyed everything about the city. I’ve enjoyed everything about coming to work here. The organization is first class all the way around. There isn’t a bad thing I can say.”
Even with his on-field success, it’s moments like that June evening with Duran that also stand out.
“What you’ve accomplished in this game doesn’t give you instant credibility or doesn’t mean anyone respects you right away,” Turner said. “You have to earn that. It’s something that I truly believe in and it’s something that I try to show up every day and do what I need to do to continually earn that respect from every single person in that clubhouse.”
Duran was 2 for 5 with an RBI in his next game against the Guardians and batted .340 in his final 17 June games. Justin Turner entered Friday’s series opener against the Orioles at Fenway Park batting .282/.354/.474 with an .828 OPS and 22 homers. Justin Turner entered Friday’s series opener against the Orioles at Fenway Park batting .282/.354/.474 with an .828 OPS and 22 homers.Barry Chin/Globe Staff Duran expects to be ready for spring training
Speaking of Duran, he was at Fenway following surgery on his left big toe last week that ended his season.
Duran, who is in a boot, said he will have the wrap around his toe removed in a couple of days, which will allow him to do a bit more activity. He’s expected to be ready for spring training.
He was in the midst of a fine season where he hit .295/.346/.482/ with an .828 OPS and eight homers. Duran also swiped 24 bags.
“I was able to keep a positive mind-set and just work through some things,” Duran said. “I came in and did good. Then I struggled and then did good again. I hit those waves and I was able to fight through them.”
Houck up for Clemente Award
Tanner Houck was named as the Sox’ 2023 nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award. The award is given to a player who best represents the game of baseball on and off the field through their positive contributions which includes sportsmanship and community involvement.
This is the first time the pitcher has been nominated for the award by MLB.
“This group, they get it,” manager Alex Cora said. “With all due respect to [my other teams] they did their thing very quietly throughout the years but this group they’ve been amazing in the community.”
Since arriving in Boston, Houck has been a proponent of adoption. In 2018 he created “Pitch for Adoption,” a campaign aimed at raising money to place children between the ages of 6-18 who have experienced abuse or neglect with families.
Turner was the 2022 Clemente Award winner in his final season with the Dodgers. Reyes, Kluber with WooSox
Infielder Pablo Reyes (left elbow) began a rehab assignment Friday with Triple A Worcester. He was 1 for 3 (single) as the WooSox’ second baseman. On Saturday, Corey Kluber (right shoulder) will pitch for the WooSox in a rehab appearance … The Red Sox hosted Childhood Cancer Awareness Night at Fenway. Children and caregivers formed a ribbon and many Sox players were wearing cleats designed by Jimmy Fund patients that will be autographed and auctioned off … The Bruins’ Milan Lucic was on hand to toss out the ceremonial first pitch.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 9, 2023 6:21:49 GMT -5
Orioles @ Red Sox Saturday, 9th September 2023 4pm @ Fenway
Flaherty 1-2/ 6.66
Sale 6-3/ 4.46
Streaking Orioles aim to knock off Red Sox again FLM
The Baltimore Orioles can stretch their winning streak to seven games on Saturday when they face the host Boston Red Sox in the second game of a three-game series.
All six of Baltimore's previous wins in the burst have come on their current road trip. After a loss to Arizona to begin the trek, the Orioles (89-51) took the final two from the Diamondbacks and then swept three against the Los Angeles Angels. On Friday, they pummeled Boston 11-2.
Baltimore, which collected 14 hits on Friday, enters Saturday's matchup with a four-game lead over second-place Tampa Bay in the American League East.
Boston (72-69) has lost three in a row overall five straight home games.
"We're not here to teach them how to play ball. We're here to win games," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "We just have to keep playing hard, and we'll be OK."
Prior to the series against Boston, Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde announced that the Orioles are returning to a five-man pitching rotation. The Orioles have been using six starters since mid-August.
Hyde said Cole Irvin would shift from a starter into long relief, but added that the plan to go with five starters could change after the weekend.
"We're looking ahead with our rotation," Hyde said. "You try to give yourself the best opportunity (to win). When the season is coming to an end, for the last 20-plus games, you start looking ahead a little bit and try to line guys up the best you can."
Starting pitcher John Means could factor into the team's pitching plans. Means, who had Tommy John surgery in April 2022, made what is expected to be his final rehab assignment Wednesday, when he pitched five innings for Triple-A Norfolk.
Right-hander Jack Flaherty (8-8, 4.84 ERA) is Baltimore's scheduled starter for Saturday. The Orioles acquired Flaherty, 27, from the St. Louis Cardinals at the trade deadline on Aug. 1. Flaherty was 7-6 with a 4.43 ERA in 20 starts this season with the Cardinals, and is 1-2 with a 6.66 ERA in five starts with the Orioles.
Flaherty, who will be a free agent after the season, allowed four runs on six hits, including two home runs, in Baltimore's 8-5 victory over Arizona on Sunday. He struck out seven and walked one. This will be the first time Flaherty has faced the Red Sox.
Boston is expected to start lefty Chris Sale (6-3, 4.46). Sale's velocity has been down since he returned from a stress reaction in his left shoulder blade that was diagnosed following his first start in June, but he tossed five scoreless innings in Boston's 7-3 win against Kansas City on Sunday. Sale surrendered two hits, struck out five and walked two.
Sale is 10-4 with a 3.46 ERA in 25 career appearances (19 starts) against Baltimore.
The Orioles have won four of their seven meetings with the Red Sox this season.
--Field Level Media
Orioles at Red Sox Saturday, at 4:10 PM EST Partly Cloudy It's expected to be 84° F with a 37% chance of rain and 8 MPH wind blowing right to left in Boston at 4:10 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 9, 2023 7:26:28 GMT -5
Houck has no business in the starting rotation at all yet post game they parrot the same crap, and they are gonna march him out there next week.
Pitching, pitching depth has been horrible since the spring.
On that alone should make Bloom Ball's seat hot.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 9, 2023 10:13:19 GMT -5
Game 142: Orioles at Red Sox lineups and notesBy Amin Touri Globe Staff,Updated September 9, 2023, 1 hour ago The Red Sox are fading, with a recent three-game winning streak followed up by this current three-game losing skid that has left them six games adrift in the wild-card race. Chris Sale will be tasked with stopping the slide against the Orioles on Saturday afternoon. Sale had one of his best outings of the season last week in Kansas City, throwing five scoreless innings against the Royals. Baltimore will turn to deadline addition Jack Flaherty, who has struggled since joining the AL’s best team with a 6.66 ERA through five starts. Lineups ORIOLES (89-51): Adley Rutschman (S) DH Ryan Mountcastle (R) 1B Anthony Santander (S) RF Austin Hays (R) LF Aaron Hicks (S) CF Gunnar Henderson (L) 3B Jordan Westburg (R) 2B James McCann (R) C Jorge Mateo (R) SS Pitching: RHP Jack Flaherty (7-6, 4.43 ERA) RED SOX (72-69): Alex Verdugo (L) RF Rafael Devers (L) 3B Justin Turner (R) DH Triston Casas (L) 1B Masataka Yoshida (L) LF Trevor Story (R) SS Wilyer Abreu (L) CF Enmanuel Valdez (L) 2B Connor Wong (R) C Pitching: LHP Chris Sale (6-3, 4.46 ERA) Time: 4:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Orioles vs. Sale: Adam Frazier 2-4, Austin Hays 6-16, Gunnar Henderson 0-1, Aaron Hicks 10-31, Jorge Mateo 1-5, James McCann 9-38, Ryan McKenna 1-6, Ryan Mountcastle 3-10, Cedric Mullins 4-12, Adley Rutschman 2-5, Anthony Santander 3-10, Ramón Urías 1-6 Red Sox vs. Flaherty: Adam Duvall 1-4, Trevor Story 1-5, Justin Turner 2-13, Luis Urías 2-4, Alex Verdugo 1-2 Stat of the day: The Red Sox tied a season-low with four hits at home Friday. Notes: The Red Sox have lost five straight home games, including a sweep at the hands of the Astros ... Sale has famously dominated the Orioles in his career, going 10-4 with a 3.46 ERA in 25 career appearances (19 starts). Baltimore has exacted its revenge on the big lefty this season, however, hanging 12 runs on Sale in just eight innings across two starts ... The Orioles have won six in a row and enter Saturday’s matchup with a four-game lead over second-place Tampa Bay in the AL East ... 15 of the Sox’ 21 remaining games are against AL East teams (eight at home). Song of the Day :The Clash - Should I Stay or Should I Go www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMaE6toi4mk
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 9, 2023 11:22:05 GMT -5
Pete Abraham reposted Tom Caron (blue checkmark redacted) @tomcaron ·
Sox have lost 10 straight homestand openers at Fenway, and are 1-11 in the first game of their 12 homestands this season. They’ve been out scored by 36 runs in those games
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 9, 2023 13:10:08 GMT -5
dear jesus
ian browne twitter 24 min ago Why did Casas play every day last September but not Rafaela this year?
Cora: 'I think last year, we were "out", "out". This year, we're still kind of like in the hunt. It doesn't look good but we've still got games against Toronto.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 9, 2023 14:55:40 GMT -5
They stopped both SP before warm up, tarp is being put on, telling folks to take cover the the inner concourse shitty weather coming game is delayed
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 9, 2023 18:00:28 GMT -5
Orioles up 7-2 in the 4th Sale looks horrible O'Brien is insufferable enough of this shit.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Sept 9, 2023 21:41:07 GMT -5
dear jesusian browne twitter 24 min ago Why did Casas play every day last September but not Rafaela this year?
Cora: 'I think last year, we were "out", "out". This year, we're still kind of like in the hunt. It doesn't look good but we've still got games against Toronto. Just stuff I can think of: 1-Casas was playing well, and Ceddanne is not. 2-The RS were going to start Casas this year. Ceddanne is not in that position. 3-Casas was ranked #30 while Ceddanne is ranked about #72. The two are not really in any way similar in their development. Ceddanne needs another year in AAA.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 10, 2023 5:06:25 GMT -5
Orioles hang on to beat Red Sox 13-12 for 7th straight win as McCann homers twice AP
BOSTON (AP) Yenier Cano retired Enmanuel Valdéz on a game-ending flyout that stranded the tying run on third as Boston’s ninth-inning rally fell short, and the Baltimore Orioles hung on to beat the Red Sox 13-12 Saturday behind a pair of James McCann home runs for their seventh straight win.
Closing in on its first postseason berth in seven years, the Orioles opened leads of 7-2 in the fourth, 12-6 in the seventh and 13-9 in the ninth as Aaron Hicks and rookie Gunnar Henderson hit three-run homers and Jordan Westburg had a solo shot.
“It was just one of those days. It’s like a heavyweight boxing match. Every time we threw up some runs, they found a way,” McCann said.
Boston, which outhit the Orioles 23-14, closed in the ninth on Trevor Story's two-run, two-out double and Wilyer Abreu's RBI single before Cano hit a flyout to left that Austin Hays caught well in front of the Green Monster.
Baltimore (90-51) won for the 13th time in 16 games and became the first AL team to reach 90 wins, maintaining a four-game lead over second-place Tampa Bay in the AL East. Shintaro Fujinami (7-8) pitched 1 2/3 innings.
“I feel like every time I come here it’s one of those games - a lot of runs and constant back-and-forth, a lot of fighting going on,” Hicks said.
Boston (72-70) dropped seven games behind Toronto for the AL's last wild-card berth and also is 5 1/2 games back of Texas.
“We had a chance. We had one swing to win that game. Loved the effort. Loved the at-bats,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.
In a game that started 1 hour, 32 minutes late because of rain, McCann hit a two-run homer in the fourth off Chris Sale (6-4) and a solo drive in the sixth against Zack Weiss, who gave up Westburg's homer on his next pitch.
Henderson's seventh-inning homer off Mauricio Lovera raised his season total to 24.
Fenway Park was filled with orange-clad Orioles fans, who haven’t seen their club in the postseason since 2016 and have gone without an AL East title since 2014.
Justin Turner hit a two-run homer in the first off Jack Flaherty, who gave up five runs - four earned - and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings. Flaherty is 1-2 in six starts since he was acquired from St. Louis for Baltimore's playoff push.
“I can’t pitch any worse than I have. First time out was good. Since then, it's been a little bit up and down.” Flaherty said, “It's going to get better. I'm going to figure it out.”
Sale allowed seven runs - six earned - and six hits in four innings. The 34-year-old left-hander was coming off his first win since May 26, ending a stretch in which he was 0-1 in five starts.
“We’re putting guys in situations that are really, really tough now as far as usage,” Cora said. “We’re all-in and we’re trying, which is the most important thing. Nobody’s quitting here. It was good to see the guys trying so hard and picking each other up.”
POPPED
The game was delayed for a few moments in the fourth when a beach ball bounced from the seats down to left field, where Hays delivered a two-footed stomp with his spikes that popped the ball and drew boos from some fans. After disposing of the ball's remains, Hays robbed Verdugo with a diving catch on a sinking drive that would have been extra bases and multiple RBIs.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: LHP John Means (Tommy John surgery) threw a bullpen session Saturday. Manager Brandon Hyde said Means felt good but wasn’t ready to offer a time when Means could join the rotation and pitch again for the first time since his April 2022 injury.
Red Sox: Weiss was recalled from Worcester and LHP Brandon Walter was optioned to the Triple-A team. Boston claimed Weiss off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 25 and he made his debut for the Red Sox when he took over for Sale to start the fifth.
UP NEXT
Orioles RHP Brayson Rodriguez (5-3, 4.91 ERA) is scheduled to face RHP Brayan Bello (11-8, 3.61) in Sunday's series finale.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 10, 2023 5:16:49 GMT -5
'Nobody is quitting': Sox pound out 23(!!) hits in loss to O's 12:28 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
0:09
1:16
BOSTON -- The Red Sox had a hit parade to celebrate, but they also had one to bemoan, if that makes sense.
The best part of a wild Saturday at Fenway Park was a breakout performance by Boston’s No. 17 prospect Wilyer Abreu, who went 5-for-5 with three RBIs in a positively zany 13-12 loss to the Orioles.
“It feels good, individually, to be able to have a five-hit game in such a short period of time [in my career],” Abreu said. “That is obviously something positive, but at the same time, I feel disappointed that we weren’t able to win the game tonight.”
Given that the Sox smashed 23 hits, it seemed almost inconceivable that they could lose.
But they did, marking the first time in history the club had that many knocks in a nine-inning game and lost.
“We kept playing,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “That’s the most important thing. Those kids kept putting together good at-bats and grinding at-bats and gave us a chance with one swing to win that game. Love the effort. Love the at-bats. Not enough, obviously.”
It is no secret that run prevention has been the downfall of the 2023 Red Sox, and that was never more glaring than Saturday, a day Boston’s losing streak stretched to four games.
“Obviously, we haven’t played good defense throughout the season, the pitching has been on and off, and it’s tough,” Cora said. “Just have to keep grinding. Nobody is quitting here. It’s good to see the guys trying so hard and picking each other up. It was fun to watch that part. “
Down 13-9 entering the bottom of ninth, the Sox kept coming. Fittingly, it was Abreu who had the final hit and RBI of the day, belting a two-out RBI single to left that made it a one-run game.
Trevor Story was held at third by third-base coach Carlos Febles, which wasn’t surprising, given Fenway’s shallow dimensions in left field.
“That’s a tough one. Everybody wanted him to go, but it was right there. Play catch with the catcher, and they’ve got an out,” Cora said.
Up stepped Enmanuel Valdez, who came to the Red Sox along with Abreu last August in the trade with the Astros for Christian Vázquez. With Fenway buzzing with anticipation, Valdez flied out to left to end the classic Fenway slugfest.
There’s no question that losing pitcher Chris Sale felt worse than anyone about the defeat that pushed the Sox seven games behind the Blue Jays for the third American League Wild Card spot with 20 games left.
Staked to a 2-0 lead when Justin Turner golfed a two-run homer in the first, Sale (4 IP, 6 H, 6 ER) allowed an unearned run in the second, four runs in the third and two more in the fourth, pinning his team in a 7-2 deficit.
Sale has a 5.53 ERA in six starts since he returned from a stress reaction in his left shoulder.
“Just kind of fell apart,” Sale said. “Command started getting kind of all over the place. Stuff wasn’t there, either. They took advantage of it.”
With each sluggish start, Sale sounds increasingly frustrated.
“You see flashes of it, and then it kind of disappears for a little bit,” he said. “Pitch to pitch, inning to inning, you know it’s in there. It's just, you're kind of scrounging around the bottom of a barrel trying to find it. It’s tough. We were a starting pitcher away from winning this game. We scored 12 runs. What is going on? It’s just frustrating. Very disappointing.”
On the other end of the pendulum, there was Abreu putting on a show. He got help from Rafael Devers, who went 4-for-6. Masataka Yoshida and Trevor Story each had three-hit games.
The 24-year-old Abreu’s combination of a sweet swing and solid plate discipline is what stands out.
“Since Spring Training, we knew Abreu was able to hit the ball, and we knew that he was going to be able to hit well here in the big leagues, and he’s showing it to everybody,” Devers said.
What could have been a highly memorable victory instead turned into a loss that left one of the most prideful members of the team seething.
“We can dissect this any which way. I'm just not getting it done,” Sale said. “I’ve gotta find a way to find a way. I'm supposed to be something on this team, and I’m not.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 10, 2023 5:17:34 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Reyes to return against Yankees September 9th, 2023 LATEST NEWS
Sept. 9: INF Pablo Reyes to return against Yankees Utility infielder Reyes, an invaluable contributor to the Red Sox this season, opened his Minor League rehab assignment for Triple-A Worcester on Saturday, going 1-for-3 while making the start at second base. Reyes will stay with the WooSox through the weekend and be activated for the series against the Yankees that starts on Monday night at Fenway.
Sept. 9: RHP Zack Weiss recalled from Triple-A Worcester; LHP Brandon Walter optioned to Worcester Again in need of a fresh arm, the Red Sox called on the 31-year-old Weiss, the pitcher they claimed off waivers from the Angels on Aug. 25. Weiss has a 5.79 ERA in 19 career Major League outings for the Reds and Angels. In his first four outings for Worcester, he had six strikeouts in four innings while holding opponents to a .154 average.
Walter allowed four runs in 1 1/3 innings against Baltimore on Friday. The left-hander has pitched in eight games for the Red Sox this season, recording a 7.20 ERA (16 ER/20 IP).
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 10, 2023 5:20:55 GMT -5
Alex Cora explains why Red Sox are barely playing Ceddanne Rafaela so far
Updated: Sep. 09, 2023, 4:36 p.m.|Published: Sep. 09, 2023, 4:25 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
BOSTON — Saturday marks the 11th Red Sox game since they called up top prospect Ceddanne Rafaela on Aug. 28. For the ninth time in those 11 games, Rafaela is not in the starting lineup. For the most part, the versatile speedster’s first taste of major league action has come as a bench player and defensive replacement.
Since being promoted, Rafaela has started just two games (both at shortstop) and has entered seven others as a late replacement. He has gotten just 16 plate appearances but has produced, hitting .438 (7-for-16) with two doubles and an RBI. Despite the hype surrounding Rafaela and his potential to immediately contribute, manager Alex Cora has been patient, taking a much different approach than he did a year ago when first baseman Triston Casas was called up and played every day. On Saturday, Cora explained that Rafaela’s lack of playing time is based on Boston’s position in the standings.
The Red Sox entered Saturday six games behind the Blue Jays for the final American League wild card spot and with a 2.7% chance of making the playoffs, according to FanGraphs. But because the team will face a couple of their chief wild card competitors on next week’s road trip, Cora isn’t waving the white flag quite yet. That means winning — and not developing young players like Rafaela — is the top priority, at least for now.
“Last year we were out, out,” Cora said, explaining the difference between the Casas and Rafaela situations. “This year, we still are kind of like in the hunt. It doesn’t look great but we’ve still got games against Toronto. We’ve still got Texas. We get on a hot streak here, those games might mean something. Right now, this is where we’re at.”
Before being called up, Rafaela was an everyday player For Double-A Portland, then Triple-A Worcester, where he was promoted in late June. Between the two levels, the 22-year-old played 84 games in center field, 15 at shortstop and eight as designated hitter. The Red Sox are generally set at those positions with Trevor Story at short and Adam Duvall and Wilyer Abreu mixing and matching in center field. Rafaela’s best chance to play may come at second base, a spot where he didn’t spend a single inning during the minor league season. He played one game there last season for High-A Greenville and a handful more in 2021 with Single-A Salem. Still, the Sox are comfortable with him at second, using him as a defensive replacement there in each of the last two games. The expectation is that Rafaela will get some starts at second base as a right-handed alternative to Enmanuel Valdez in the coming days.
“I think everybody’s comfortable with it... He should be fine,” Cora said. “It’s just a matter of for me to have the comfort level to play him out there, especially with the double plays. Obviously, with the different rules now, it’s not as dangerous as in the past, but still, we have to be smart about it. I don’t want him to get hit on a double play and something bad happens. We’ve got to be smart but at one point, he’ll start at second.”
If the Red Sox want Rafaela to play every day again, they might choose to send him back to the WooSox when Pablo Reyes returns from the injured list in the coming days. Even if his first stint in the majors is a short one, Rafaela still made an impression on Cora and others.
“A lot better than what we saw in spring training,” Cora said. “He’s made some adjustments. Not chasing that much, especially the breaking balls off the plate. So far, it has been good.
“Smart kid. He wants to work. Those three kids (Rafaela, Abreu and Valdez) get here early. He has to work in the outfield, at short and second and has been good.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 10, 2023 5:22:35 GMT -5
Red Sox’s Chris Sale: ‘We scored 12 (expletive) runs. What is going on?’
Updated: Sep. 09, 2023, 11:12 p.m.|Published: Sep. 09, 2023, 11:02 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — The Red Sox recorded 23 hits but still lost to the Orioles on Saturday in one of their wildest games this season.
“We were a starting pitcher away from winning this game,” said Chris Sale who gave up seven runs in 4 innings. “I mean, we scored 12 (expletive) runs. I mean, what is going on? Just frustrating. Very disappointing.”
The Red Sox lost 13-12 at Fenway Park. This game had everything, except for solid starting pitching as both Sale and Orioles starter Jack Flaherty combined to give up 12 runs.
Boston almost rallied back after being down 7-2 after three and a half innings and 12-6 after six and a half innings.
Rookie Wilyer Abreu went 5-for-5 with a double, walk, three RBIs and two runs. His fifth hit came with two outs in the ninth and the Red Sox down 13-11. He singled to left field with Masataka Yoshida at third base and Trevor Story at second base. Yoshida scored to cut it to one run but third base coach Carlos Febles stopped Story at third.
“That’s a tough one,” manager Alex Cora said. “Everybody wanted him to go but it was right there. Play catch with the catcher and get the guy out.”
Enmanuel Valdez flied out with Story at third base and Abreu at first base to end the game. Enter your email address here to receive the Fenway Rundown email newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday.
It was the first time in franchise history that the Red Sox had as many as 21 hits in a nine-inning game but lost. It tied a franchise record for most hits in a loss. It was the fourth time in franchise history Boston lost despite recording 20 or more hits.
“Abreu having a huge night,” Sale said. “Everybody in our lineup got a hit. Cas (Triston Casas) was the only one who didn’t (but) drew a walk and still (had) an RBI. Everyone did something to help win this game. They got me a lead. I (expletive) it away. They never quit. As long as you have that mentality, you’ll always have a chance.”
Cora added about his players, “Kept playing. That’s the most important thing. It really doesn’t matter. Those kids kept putting good at-bats and grinding at-bats and we had the chance. We had one swing to win that game. Love the effort, love the at-bats. Not enough, obviously.”
Six of the seven runs Sale allowed were earned runs. He gave up six hits and two walks while striking out five. The lefty has allowed 18 earned runs in 12 innings (13.50 ERA) over three starts vs. Baltimore this year. The O’s have recorded 22 hits, including five homers against him. Two of those homers came Saturday.
“We can dissect this any which way. I’m just not getting it done,” Sale said. “I’ve gotta find a way to find a way. I’m supposed to be something on this team and I’m not. Anybody that knows me knows that that’s just unbelievably frustrating and disappointing. I have a lot of expectations and I try to meet those. And it’s just tough not (to).”
Sale looked strong during the first two innings but gave up a four-spot in the third. Aaron Hicks crushed a 381-foot homer with two outs in the third that hit the Plymouth Rock sign above the Green Monster. That made it 5-2 Orioles. Sale allowed a 406-foot two-run homer to James McCann in the fourth inning that put the O’s ahead 7-2.
“It just kind of fell apart,” Sale said. “Command started getting kind of all over the place. The stuff wasn’t there either. They took advantage of it.”
Sale topped out at 95.3 mph but his 29 four-seam fastballs averaged just 92.3 mph compared to his 94.2 mph average for the season, per Baseball Savant. He threw one fastball that registered at 88.3 mph.
“You see flashes out of it and then it kind of disappears for a little bit pitch to pitch, inning to inning,” Sale said. “You know it’s in there. You’re just scrounging around the bottom of the barrel trying to find it. It’s just tough. There’s no other way to put it.”
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