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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 30, 2024 5:12:05 GMT -5
Nick Pivetta strikes out 10 but Red Sox lose pitchers’ duel
Updated: Mar. 30, 2024, 12:05 a.m.|Published: Mar. 30, 2024, 12:05 a.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
SEATTLE — Nick Pivetta dominated but George Kirby was slightly better.
The Red Sox righty held the Mariners scoreless through the first 5 ⅓ innings Friday before J.P. Crawford took him deep with a 381-foot blast to right field. It was only the Mariners’ third hit but it put them ahead 1-0 in the sixth. Mookie Betts Hits Home Run: Dodgers vs. Ohtani Prop Bet AnalysisMookie Betts Hits Home Run: Dodgers vs. Ohtani Prop Bet Analysis
The Red Sox lost 1-0 to the Mariners at T-Mobile Park to drop to 1-1 on the young season. Boston’s offense stalled (leaving seven on base) without its best hitter. Devers was scratched from the initial lineup because of left shoulder soreness.
Pivetta pitched 6 innings and allowed one run, three hits and no walks while striking out 10. Kirby went 6 ⅔ scoreless innings, giving up two hits and two walks while striking out eight.
The Red Sox had their chances. Jarren Duran walked to begin the game, stole second with one out and advanced to third base on a wild pitch. But with runners on the corners and one out, Trevor Story struck out swinging and Triston Casas flied out to center field.
Ceddanne Rafaela singled off Kirby with two outs in the seventh inning, then pinch hitter Pablo Reyes singled off reliever Gabe Speier to put runners at first and second. But Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging to end the frame.
Boston threatened again in the eighth inning. Reese McGuire walked to lead it off and Masataka Yoshida singled with two outs to put runners at the corners. But Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz then entered and retired Story on a groundout.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 30, 2024 5:13:50 GMT -5
Red Sox starter (10 K’s) thinks momentum can carry from one season to next
Updated: Mar. 30, 2024, 2:50 a.m.|Published: Mar. 30, 2024, 2:45 a.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
SEATTLE — Nick Pivetta finished the 2023 season strong after a tough start, posting a 3.05 ERA (97 ⅓ innings, 33 earned runs) and 3.27 FIP in his final 28 games (eight starts). Opponents batted just .197 against him during the stretch.
After spending most of last season as a bulk reliever (following an opener), the Red Sox righty earned back his starting rotation spot in September. And he believes it’s possible to bring momentum from one season into the next.
“I don’t think anything’s not possible,” Pivetta said. “I think I’m carrying just as much momentum from last season into this season.”
Pivetta picked up right where he left off in his first start of 2024. He pitched 6 innings and allowed one run, three hits and no walks while striking out 10. He recorded 17 swings and misses but the Red Sox lost 1-0 to the Mariners.
“Nick was outstanding,” manager Alex Cora said.
Seattle’s George Kirby was slightly better. He went 6 ⅔ scoreless innings, giving up two hits and two walks while striking out eight.
Pivetta said he tried to pound the strike zone and get ahead of hitters as often as he could. The righty threw 57 of his 84 pitches (68%) for strikes.
“I think my curveball getting over for first-pitch strikes was really beneficial,” Pivetta said. “And then I was able to use my sweeper later to induce a lot of weak contact and swings and misses.”
The sweeper is a pitch he added during last season after being demoted to the bullpen.
“It’s been a huge contributor to my success,” Pivetta said. “Giving another look. And just being able to execute a little bit better later last year and into this year has helped. I know we’re still early but I have a little bit more feel for that pitch. It’s been good.”
Pivetta threw 28 sweepers and got eight swings and misses with it. He mixed in 24 four-seam fastballs (four swings and misses), 16 cutters (three swings and misses) and 16 curveballs (two swings and misses). His fastball averaged 94.1 mph and he topped out at 96.3 mph, per Baseball Savant.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 30, 2024 5:20:59 GMT -5
The good and the bad of the Red Sox' first loss By Rob Bradford WEEI 93.7 3 hours ago
SEATTLE - As the fans poured out of T-Mobile Park Friday night, the same words could be heard that were emanating out of New England the evening before.
"World Series back on!"
Such is life in the first week of the regular season, with fans embracing the lunacy of overreacting to Game 1 or Game 2. This time it was the Mariners' followers' turn thanks to a 1-0 win over the Red Sox.
The everything-went-right mantra that permeated the Sox' clubhouse after their Opening Day win was now rooted in reality. There would be no 162-0. But putting the dreams of a sweep in Seattle aside, what this 2 hours and 24 minutes did was continue to answer at least a few early-season questions.
Most striking was the Red Sox' inability to manufacture any offense, with the dominance of Seattle starter George Kirby serving as the primary impetus for the goose egg. He pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up just two hits while retiring 19 of 20 batters after walking a pair in the first inning.
Kirby is really good, and that was a big part of the problem.
"Good stuff on the other side," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "He’s one of the best pitchers in the league. He doesn’t walk people he walks two in the first inning we have shot, we didn’t cash in and he found his rhythm. Good fastball, mix up his slider, the split, the knuckle curve and that's why he is who he is. He’s a tough customer."
But there was a long-term wake-up call, as well. The Red Sox were reminded that there is no scenario where they can live life without the presence of Rafael Devers.
Devers was a late scratch from the lineup because of a sore left shoulder which had been acting up over the final few days in spring training. After testing it out in pregame batting practice, the Sox decided to not take any chances.
"In Fort Myers, the pain wasn’t that big," said Devers through translator Carlos Villoria Benitez. "I was able to handle it and play with it. But playing with that pain, it was getting worse and worse and worse to the point where I decided to stop."
He added, "It happens with the hitting machine. Sometimes the hitting machine is not very consistent. Sometimes it throws hard. Sometimes it throws changeups. I’m always gearing up to swing hard to the fastball and there is sometimes I swing to those slow pitches to those changeups that pulls me a little bit, and that’s where everything started. ... I think if I feel better there is a good chance I play tomorrow."
It took just one game to witness the difference Devers can make thanks to a homer and double in the opener. And then came another version of the reminder regarding the third baseman, whose team is 105-32 for his career in games he has driven in two or more runs.
But within these first wave of games, there is also the opportunity siphon the long-term optimism. That's exactly what Nick Pivetta delivered in the loss.
The righty dominated over his six innings, striking out 10 for the second time in his career (the other also coming in Seattle) while not allowing a walk and just three hits. Unfortunately for Pivetta, one of his miscues came in the form or J.P. Crawford's solo homer in the sixth inning.
"You saw his stuff, it's really good," Cora said. "Today, finally, the breaking ball played. He struggled with it the whole spring and tonight he threw it for strikes, the cutter was good. The sweeper was great. The fastball played at 93-94. So a good one. That's pretty good two nights for the starters. That's plus-11 (innings). We got three more starts of five or more and that's what we’re trying to shoot for. If we do that we're going to have a chance to win a lot of ballgames."
For the pitching staff as a whole, it has been a positive couple of days. Pivetta got 17 whiffs on the 43 swings against him, including eight of the 19 cuts taken against his sweeper. He was followed by two scoreless innings from reliever Josh Winckowski. Considering what the combination of Brayan Bello, Isaiah Campbell, Joely Rodriguez, Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen did the day before, that piece of the puzzle
"I think just building a good structure for the guys," Pivetta said. "I think everybody is equal at this point. We’re all men, we’re all here, we all have a job to do, we all love playing baseball. I think it’s just getting on a natural level with everybody, with respect and understanding the best I can help in any situation, I can. I made a lot of mistakes when I was younger so just making sure these guys are doing everything they can and helping them when I can. But we’re all equals."
Equals. But still somewhat unknown equals. Little by little - as Friday showed - the picture is becoming clearer.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 30, 2024 5:29:21 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats If Dalbec can't hit against a lefty reliever that isn't good against RHB, when is he ever going to hit again?
He has struck out in 53 of his last 109 MLB plate appearances! 12:24 AM · Mar 30, 2024 ·
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 30, 2024 5:33:19 GMT -5
Seattle Mariners deny Trevor Story two chances to change the game for Red Sox By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated March 30, 2024, 3:02 a.m.
SEATTLE — On a night when Rafael Devers was scratched from the lineup with a sore left shoulder, the Red Sox needed Trevor Story to lift them up against the Seattle Mariners on Friday night.
Not because he’s their second highest-paid player behind Devers, although that matters. But more because he’s one of the leaders in a clubhouse that lacks experience.
Story had two opportunities to change the game but left four men on base in a bitter 1-0 loss at T-Mobile Park.
The Sox advanced only two runners as far as third base on a night Nick Pivetta and Josh Winckowski allowed four hits and struck out 14 with one walk.
Story came up both times, which was just what the Sox wanted.
With Jarren Duran on third base and Masataka Yoshida on first in the first inning, Story struck out swinging at a high fastball from George Kirby for the second out.
Kirby then retired Triston Casas on a fly ball to center field.
In the eighth inning, Reese McGuire drew a walk off Ryan Stanek and went to third on a two-out single by Yoshida. Mariners manager Scott Servais immediately went to closer Andrés Muñoz to face Story.
Story worked the count to 3-1 then swung and missed at a slider. Muñoz came back with the same pitch on the outside corner, too close to take.
“Tried to do all I could to fight it,” said Story, who grounded the ball to third base. Luis Urias, a former Red Sox player, bounced his throw to first base but Ty France dug it out to end the inning.
Muñoz then struck out the side in the ninth. Sox manager Alex Cora called the righthander one of the best pitchers in the league and he certainly looked like it on Friday.
Story accepted the blame.
“You always try to look at each inning as a separate event and try to separate yourself from that,” Story said. “But opportunities against [Seattle], you need to take advantage of them. I didn’t do that today.”
Story had a terrific spring training but is 1 for 8 through two games, striking out twice.
“He didn’t cash in,” Cora said. “It’s one of those, we moved the line enough but we missed it.”
With Devers out of the lineup, the Sox needed others to step up. But their first five hitters — Duran, Tyer O’Neill, Yoshida, Story, and Casas — were 2 for 18.
That was largely because of Kirby, who pitched into the seventh inning before turning the game over to the bullpen. He was outstanding, allowing two hits and striking out eight.
“They were making really good pitches I felt all night,” Story said.
It was a brutal loss for Pivetta, who allowed one run on three hits over six innings and struck out 10 without a walk. The only real mistake he made was leaving a cutter up and over the plate in the sixth inning that J.P. Crawford was able to keep inside the right field foul pole for a home run.
It was very similar to the start Pivetta had against Kirby last July 31 here. He allowed three runs and struck out 10 over 7 1/3 innings but was beaten by two home runs from Cal Raleigh.
Story has a lot to prove to Red Sox fans after two seasons marked by injuries. He wants as many pressure opportunities as he can get.
“Those are the spots I want to be in,” Story said. “That’s why we play. That’s the fun part.”
But there was no fun on Friday. Just frustration.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 30, 2024 5:35:35 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK With their improved speed and athleticism, the Red Sox could create ‘havoc on the bases’ By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated March 30, 2024, 1:35 a.m.
SEATTLE — The Red Sox haven’t had the benefit of much speed on the bases in recent years. Even with the emergence of Jarren Duran last season and his impact on the bases, Duran, for the most part, stood alone in that category.
Yet with a healthy Trevor Story, coupled with Ceddanne Rafaela and Tyler O’Neill as part of the mix, manager Alex Cora said for most of the spring he believed the team would provide the speed and athleticism that wasn’t a part of their repertoire for much of his tenure as manager.
During their Opening Day victory against the Mariners, that element was certainly on full display.
In the bottom of the sixth inning of Thursday night’s 6-4 victory, Rafaela turned what should have been a double down the left field line into a triple, sliding safely into third. In the ninth, Story registered a hit on a routine ground ball to third base. Duran, O’Neill and Story all had one stolen base each.
“I think our speed mix is very dynamic,” Duran said prior to Friday night’s matchup against Seattle. “I think being able to put pressure on the defense is huge. They’re not just going to be able to field ground balls and take their two hops and make an easy throw.
“Like you saw, Trevor beating out that ball and then Rafaela hustling for the triple. I think we’re going to be able to get extra bases which is going to put guys in scoring position for guys like Rafael Devers and Triston Casas to be able to drive guys in.
“It’s just creating havoc on the bases.”
When Story beat out the ball to third, Luis Urias tapped his glove one time too many before releasing the ball, which allowed Story to get down the line. He was initially called out, but after a review, the call was overturned.
“It’s awesome,” said Duran. “I mean, I think it makes baseball fun for us. All we have to do is run hard and we can put pressure on guys. I feel like other teams are going to start to notice that as the season goes on, and they’re going to have to learn how to speed things up. That then could cause a bad throw here and there, which just keeps ending alive. So, it’s going to be fun to watch us around the bases like that.”
Duran led the Red Sox with 24 steals last season. Even though Story was injured, he took notice of the new rule — which included limiting pitchers to three throws to the bag and bigger bases — and how that could benefit his game.
“You feel the energy is contagious,” Cora said of Duran. “When he’s in that box, sure, we would love for him to hit a homer,but we love when he hits that ground ball through the left side and gets to second.
“That’s fun to watch. He gets it, he understands that and he’s the one that gets us going.” First for Breslow
Craig Breslow registered his first win as the Sox’ chief baseball officer Thursday night. The Sox celebrated Breslow’s feat with a champagne bath following the contest.
“It’s what it’s all about,” said Cora. “The one thing that I told him yesterday, it really doesn’t matter what people think about us. It’s what we think about the group, and where we’re at as an organization, his vision and structure and the way we do things.
“I think it’s the right thing. We’re including every department in every decision.” Devers sits out
Devers was a late scratch for Friday’s game with left shoulder soreness. Devers was seen in the clubhouse prior to the contest with his left shoulder wrapped in tape. Devers said after the game that he’s day-to-day but the club will strongly consider staying away from him in Saturday’s matchup. Devers injured his shoulder during spring training, taking large hacks on the team’s pitching machine. Initially, it was something he could play through, but the pain worsened over time.
“It’s early in the season,” said Devers. “So we got to be smart about it and take one or two days instead of playing through it.”
Devers took a round of batting practice on Friday, during which he relayed to Cora that he felt stiffness.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 30, 2024 17:20:47 GMT -5
Crawford vs Gilbert 9:40pm No Devers again
Jarren Duran (L) LF Masataka Yoshida (L) DH Trevor Story (R) SS Triston Casas (L) 1B Wilyer Abreu (L) RF Ceddanne Rafaela (R) CF Enmanuel Valdez (L) 2B Pablo Reyes (R) 3B Connor Wong (R) C
J.P. Crawford (L) SS Julio Rodríguez (R) CF Jorge Polanco (S) DH Mitch Haniger (R) RF Cal Raleigh (S) C Ty France (R) 1B Luke Raley (L) LF Dylan Moore (R) 2B Josh Rojas (L) 3B
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 30, 2024 18:52:16 GMT -5
Rafael Devers (sore shoulder) once again out of Red Sox lineup vs. Mariners Updated: Mar. 30, 2024, 7:47 p.m.|Published: Mar. 30, 2024, 6:20 p.m.
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com SEATTLE — Rafael Devers will miss his second straight game Saturday. He’s out of the lineup again as the Red Sox continue their opening series against the Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Manager Alex Cora is hopeful Devers will return to the lineup Sunday.
“One more day probably,” Cora said before Saturday’s game. “He felt OK today. Feeling better. So we’ll keep him out from this one and most likely it will be tomorrow.”
Devers was scratched from the lineup Friday because of left shoulder soreness. He said after the game that he began feeling some soreness during spring training.
“It’s early in the season so we’ve got to be smart about that,” Devers said through translator Carlos Villoria Benítez. “And it’s better to take one or two days than play through and then miss two or three weeks.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 31, 2024 5:35:48 GMT -5
Sox stung late despite another stellar start Jansen unavailable, bullpen falters in extras to Mariners 3:33 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
SEATTLE -- There were numerous storylines developing for the Red Sox on Saturday night in what was shaping up as a satisfying, early-season victory.
From the strong pitching of Kutter Crawford to the tremendous plays on defense by Trevor Story and rookie Ceddanne Rafaela and some nice contact hitting from Pablo Reyes, the Sox seemed primed to clinch at least a split of this four-game series against a tough opponent in the Mariners.
But when it came time for Boston to close it out in the bottom of the 10th, closer Kenley Jansen wasn’t available due to back tightness.
That proved to be costly when a two-run lead slipped away. Young superstar Julio Rodríguez came through with a walk-off single to cap the three-run rally that gave Seattle a 4-3 win over the Red Sox.
Jansen woke up with discomfort in his back, but hoped he could get it loose in time to pitch. His back didn’t cooperate. That same ailment slowed the big righty late in Spring Training.
“Tried to come to the ballpark and get ready, but [the back] wouldn’t allow me to so I’ve got to be smart,” Jansen said. “If I go out there and aggravate it, it could be worse for a week or two so I’d rather lose one day or two.”
Without the man who has 421 career saves, manager Alex Cora turned to Joely Rodríguez.
The lefty had a tough night -- and also some tough luck. Luke Raley started Boston’s demise with a 62.2 mph bloop that found a patch of grass in short left field for an RBI single that sliced the deficit to 3-2. The only hard-hit ball the Mariners had the whole inning came next when Luis Urías hit a 104.7 mph seed that second baseman Enmanuel Valdez snared for the out.
A single to right by Josh Rojas was likely going to get Raley to third regardless, but it turned out to be worse when the ball went through the legs of right fielder Wilyer Abreu, putting the potential tying and winning runs in scoring position.
With the infield in, the Red Sox couldn’t prevent the tying run from scoring because J.P. Crawford simply hit the ball too soft (53.3 mph).
At that point, Cora went to Rule 5 rookie Justin Slaten for his Major League debut, and Julio Rodríguez found a way to get the job done, placing a 92.2 mph single into right to end it.
Why did Cora go to Joely Rodríguez -- who also struggled on Opening Day -- in that spot?
“That was a great pocket for him,” Cora said. “Jam shot over the third baseman. They put the ball in play and they found holes. Obviously, we would love to work ahead in the count. That would be better. But the quality of the contact wasn’t great. Bad luck.”
Jansen is also feeling like a victim of bad luck. He had no issues with his back when he saved Boston’s win on Opening Day. And when he went to sleep after not pitching in Friday’s loss, he had no inkling anything was wrong. The closer hopes he can pitch Sunday.
“It’s frustrating,” Jansen said. “You go to bed [fine], wake up in the morning, and have a bad back. You try to ramp it up and it’s not allowing you to, so we’ll see how it goes.”
Despite the loss, the Red Sox got a third straight strong performance out of the gate from a starting pitcher. Crawford went six innings, giving up three hits and just an unearned run, walking one and striking out seven. Starters Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta and Crawford have compiled 17 innings while giving up 11 hits and three earned runs, walking one and striking out 19.
The starting staff's combined ERA of 1.59 is fifth best by Boston starting pitchers through three games in the past 30 years, and the best such tally since the club's World Series season in 2018.
Cora’s hope for the Red Sox to be surprise contenders this season hinges largely on his starting pitchers going five innings or more as much as possible.
The development of young position players like Rafaela will also help in that quest. The center fielder made a spectacular diving catch to rob Cal Raleigh in the bottom of the fourth.
In the top of the fifth, Rafaela led off with a double, sped to third on a flyout and scored on a fielder’s choice groundout by Reyes.
“The play was great,” Cora said. “The at-bats have been good. I think Pablo did outstanding for the role he played. It’s just a tough one. We’re pitching. We made two errors and it cost us the game.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 31, 2024 5:38:30 GMT -5
Three outs from victory, extra-inning collapse dooms Red Sox | McAdam
Updated: Mar. 31, 2024, 2:13 a.m.|Published: Mar. 31, 2024, 1:52 a.m.
By
Sean McAdam | sean.mcadam@masslive.com
SEATTLE — For the first two games and most of the third, the Red Sox pitched well and defended even better, offering the hope that two areas which conspired to limit them last year had been markedly improved.
After pushing across two runs in the top of the 10th inning, the Red Sox seemed ready to guarantee themselves no worse than a split of their season-opening series with the Seattle Mariners. They were poised to claim wins in games started by Luis Castillo and Logan Gilbert. And for the third straight game, they had a strong outing from their starting rotation.
Then came the 10th inning.
Then came reality, like a cold, hard slap in the face, in the form of a dispiriting 4-3 loss.
It was as though the game, which appeared in their grasp, had gotten away from them and begun rolling downhill. There was nothing the Red Sox could do to slow it down, much less stop it.
The first signs of trouble came in the top of the 10th, as the Red Sox were in the process of taking their first lead of the night. Instead of the familiar sight of Kenley Jansen warming for a save situation, there was Joely Rodriguez.
That Rodriguez is even on the roster was something of a surprise. He hardly distinguished himself in spring training, while Brennan Bernardino built upon his successful 2023 yet somehow earned himself an option to Worcester. The appeal of Rodriguez is something of a mystery.
It got worse quickly. A bloop single to left by Luke Raley, producing a run to pull the Mariners within a run. Then a hard-hit, low liner that Enmanuel Valdez managed to snare for the first out. Next, a sharp single to right that, in his haste, Wilyer Abreu managed to overrun, allowing baserunner Luke Raley to take third and batter-runner Josh Rojas to move into scoring position.
With the infield in, J.P. Crawford slapped a grounder to second and Valdez couldn’t get the throw home in time as Raley scored the tying run.
Next came a matchup that seemed almost unfair: Justin Slaten, in his major league debut, facing Julio Rodriguez, with the potential winning run at third. The outcome — a run-scoring, game-winning single to right — could not have been more predictable.
Oof.
Of the four Mariner runs, two were unearned. Pablo Reyes’s errant throw in the first resulted in the first Seattle run, and Abreu’s miscue in the 10th contributed to the last.
Sandwiched in between was a pretty good performance from the Red Sox. Kutter Crawford demonstrated that he may have figured some things out when it comes to providing length, giving the Red Sox six strong innings that saw him close with a flourish — he retired 15 of the final 16 hitters he faced, and five of the last six outs came via strikeout.
The offense did very little for the first nine innings, which could partly be explained by the presence of Gilbert (seven innings, four hits, one run) and the absence of Rafael Devers. Devers sat out for the second straight night with a balky shoulder and his unavailability served to prove how essential he is to the Red Sox lineup.
Without him, at least for the time being, the Red Sox are one-dimensional in their attack, with only Trevor Story and Triston Casas representing threats. In three games, they’re a combined 2-for-25.
Jansen’s unavailability also could not be papered over. The Red Sox don’t have anyone else with much in the way of closing experience. Asked if he considered holding back Chris Martin to use in the ninth, Cora said: “When he came in (in the eighth), yeah, it was the bottom of the lineup, but Julio (Rodriguez) was fourth so you have to manage around that guy. He’s that good. He did an outstanding job. It’s one of those where you would love to hold him, but you still have to have the lead or be tied going into the ninth.”
Not all the second-guessing applied to the in-game strategy.
It’s worth asking if the Red Sox did the right thing by hurrying Jansen onto the Opening Day roster. Battling a lat injury first and then the lower back soreness that sidelined him Saturday night, he made all of four appearances in the spring. The Sox seemed intent on having him available for the first series, but when the same physical issue arises three games into the season, how healthy is he?
“I don’t know man, it’s frustrating,” said Jansen. “What can I do? You go to bed, wake up in the morning and you have a bad back. You try and ramp it up and it’s not allowing you to. We’ll see how it goes.”
That hardly sounded encouraging, and neither was the sight of Jansen slowly ambling through the clubhouse afterward, though Cora had already said he was hopeful that Jansen would be available for the series finale Sunday afternoon.
A split of the series remains on the table. But more disconcerting was that the Red Sox had seemingly already claimed that for themselves in the top of the 10th inning, only to be reminded just how tenuous those things can be, and how thin the margin for error can be for a team trying to gain it’s early-season footing.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 31, 2024 5:40:29 GMT -5
Why no Kenley Jansen for Red Sox in 10th? Why Joely Rodriguez in that spot?
Updated: Mar. 31, 2024, 2:16 a.m.|Published: Mar. 31, 2024, 1:56 a.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
SEATTLE — The Red Sox held a two-run lead entering the bottom of the 10th inning Saturday but closer Kenley Jansen was unavailable due to back tightness.
Manager Alex Cora instead gave Joely Rodriguez the save opportunity and Boston lost 4-3 to the Mariners at T-Mobile Park.
“A tight back,” Cora said. “He came in today. He felt really tight. He moved around and we decided not to use him today.”
Jansen said it’s the same back tightness he dealt with late in spring training.
“I just woke up with a bad back again today,” Jansen said. “Nothing I can do about it. ... Tried to get ready but it wouldn’t allow me. So you’ve gotta be smart. If I go out there and aggravate it, then it could be worse for a week or two. So I’d rather miss one day or two so I can be back.”
He said his back felt worse during spring training.
“It’s not as worse ... but still, I don’t think it’s smart to just go out there and pitch today and then I’ll be down for two weeks,” Jansen said. “So just take a day.”
Jansen recorded the save in the opener Thursday.
“It’s frustrating,” Jansen said. “What can I do? You go to bed, you wake up in the morning and have a bad back. You try to ramp it up and it’s not allowing you to. So we’ll see how it goes.”
Why did Cora use Rodriguez in that situation?
Rodriguez is the only left-handed pitcher on Boston’s 26-man roster. Seattle had two left-handed hitters, Luke Raley and Josh Rojas, due up. It also had left-handed hitter J.P. Crawford due up fourth.
“That was a great pocket for him,” Cora said. “A jam shot over the third baseman. Out-in-front base hit. Contact play. They put the ball in play and found holes. Obviously we’d love to work ahead in the count. That’d be better. But the quality of the contact wasn’t great. So bad luck.”
Raley’s jam shot had just a 62.2 mph exit velocity and went 183 feet to left field. It scored the automatic runner to cut it to 3-2.
Right-handed hitter Luis Urías was the only batter Rodriguez retired. He lined out hard to second.
Rojas then stroked an RBI single to right field. Wilyer Abreu made an error, allowing Raley to advance to third base and Rojas to second. Abreu charged in and overran the ball.
“There’s no rush there,” Cora said. “Just catch the ball and throw to second. He missed it. He’s a good defender. Just one of those.”
Crawford hit a 53.3 mph grounder to second baseman Enmanuel Valdez who threw to home plate late. Raley scored to tie it.
Cora replaced Rodriguez with righty Justin Slaten who was making his big league debut. With runners on the corners and one out, Rodriguez gave up the game-winning single to Julio Rodriguez.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 31, 2024 5:49:02 GMT -5
Gethin Coolbaugh @gethincoolbaugh Brennan Bernardino watching in Worcester... #DirtyWater
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 31, 2024 5:50:21 GMT -5
Matt McCarthy @mattmccarthy985 I haven’t been able to watch a single pitch this season since I am out of town and trust me when I am say I am already mad.
The hate watch begins tomorrow. 159 miserable games to go. 1:29 AM · Mar 31, 2024
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 31, 2024 5:53:58 GMT -5
Rob Bradford @bradfo 'I don't know, man. It's frustrating. What can I do? You go to bed, wake up in the morning and you have a bad back. You try and ramp it up and it's not allowing you to. We'll see how it goes' - Kenley Jansen 1:56 AM · Mar 31, 2024 · Tyler Milliken ⚾️ @tylermilliken_ This happens like 10 times a season, Kenley.
Not happening with any other closer this frequently. I have such little faith he’s going to be worth anything by the trade deadline.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 31, 2024 5:58:15 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 NESN currently -- Soundless in Seattle.
John Henry taking these Red Sox budget cuts to the next level. 11:13 PM · Mar 30, 2024
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