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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2024 5:33:36 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox vs.
#918 Oakland Athletics
Monday, April 1, 2024 at 9:40pm EDT
Written by Kevin V.
The Boston Red Sox (1-2) have opened the season on the West Coast and will start a three-game series in Northern California on Monday against the Oakland Athletics (0-3). Boston opened the season with a 6-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners but have lost each of the last two, 1-0 and 4-3 to the Mariners. Oakland has lost each of its first three games of the season, falling 8-0 on opening day to Cleveland. The A’s have lost 6-4 and 12-3 to the Guardians since. Boston will play without six pitchers as well as position players Vaughn Grissom and Rob Refsnyder. Oakland will play without six pitchers as well as position players Miguel Andujar and Aledmys DIaz.
Boston is struggling at the plate but is performing well on the mound
Boston has scored just nine runs, which is 18th in the MLB, while batting .210 as a team, which is 19th. The Red Sox have a .265 on base percentage which is 24th and a .324 slugging percentage which is 22nd. Rafael Devers and Tyler O'Neill each have one home run to lead Boston, while Devers is the leader in RBI with two, along with Pablo Reyes. Ceddanne Rafaela is the leader in hits with four.
On the mound, Boston is fifth in team ERA at 2.39, fourth in WHIP at 0.91 and sixth in batting average allowed at .194. Boston's starting rotation has two Quality Starts which is first in baseball. Nick Pivetta has a team best 10 strikeouts. Boston will hand the ball to Tanner Houck on Monday. In 2023, the right-hander was 6-10 with an ERA of 5.01 and 99 strikeouts.
Oakland is equally poor at the plate and on the mount
Oakland has scored seven runs this season which is 24th and has a team batting average of .191, which is 25th. The Athletics have a .271 on base percentage which is 22nd and a .298 slugging percentage, which is 27th. JD Davis is the early season stats king for the Oakland Athletics, leading the team in batting average at .400, home runs with two, RBI with two and hits with four. Davis is also the leader in on-base percentage with .455. Oakland does not have any other player that has hit a home run and five other players have one RBI each.
On the mound, Oakland is 27th in team ERA at 7.67 and 26th in WHIP at 1.81. The Athletics have a batting average allowed of .318 which is 26th and the starting rotation has not yet had a Quality Start through three games. Ross Stripling is leading Oakland in strikeouts with six. On Monday, Oakland will hand the ball to Joe Boyle. In 2023, the right-hander was 2-0 with an ERA of 1.69 and 15 strikeouts.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2024 5:35:14 GMT -5
Pete Abraham
@peteabe
Pitching matchups for the Sox-A's series:
Monday: Houck vs. Boyle, 9:40 ET
Tuesday: Bello vs. Wood, 9:40 ET
Wednesday: Pivetta vs. Stripling, 3:37 ET
All on NESN.
1:55 PM · Mar 31, 2024
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2024 5:36:30 GMT -5
Pete Abraham
@peteabe
Oakland announced a crowd of only 4,118 today.
Red Sox fans show up on the road, especially on the West Coast. Be interesting to see what it's like at the Coliseum the next three days.
9:44 PM · Mar 31, 2024
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2024 5:39:30 GMT -5
Strong showing from starting rotation gives Red Sox reason to believe | McAdam
Updated: Apr. 01, 2024, 1:12 a.m.|Published: Mar. 31, 2024, 8:48 p.m.
By
Sean McAdam | sean.mcadam@masslive.com
SEATTLE — The 2-2 mark isn’t bad, considering that it came against a quality opponent, and had they gotten a big hit in one game and a little luck in another, the Red Sox could have left T-Mobile Park with a season-opening sweep.
Then there’s the 22 innings pitched, an averaged of 5.5 innings per contest, which is more than encouraging when you recall the nightmare that was the 2023 season.
That’s the ERA of the starting rotation after the first series of the season, reason enough to suggest that maybe, just maybe, there’s reason to hope.
Argue if you’d like that, beyond Julio Rodriguez, there aren’t a lot of fearful bats in the Seattle lineup. Complain that they let two games get away from them.
Still, over 22 innings of strong work from Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta, Kutter Crawford and Garrett Whitlock, there was a lot to like. The quartet had a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 27-to-1, which is otherworldly, no matter the identity of the opponent.
Would you like to know the last time the Red Sox started the season with starts of five innings or more while allowing two runs or fewer in each game? That would be 2018, the year they last won a title.
No one is suggesting that the Red Sox have the equivalent of Chris Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello and Nate Eovaldi — all in their prime — as that Red Sox team did. But the numbers are the numbers.
“Like I’ve been saying all along, I do believe we’re going to pitch,” said manager Alex Cora. “It was a good start — four good games from the rotation. They’re very talented. We’ve been talking about these guys for a while. I know we’re going to miss Lucas (Giolito), but at the same time, they’re getting a chance to perform and the first four have been solid.”
When Giolito went down in early March with an elbow injury, it seemed the rotation had more openings than it did qualified candidates.
But new pitching czar Andrew Bailey has devised some specific game plans with which to attack opponents, and gotten buy-in from across the staff. Knowing that the Mariners crushed fastballs last season, Bailey had the starters rely more on soft serve, feeding Seattle a steady diet of breaking pitches.
The plan worked to perfection. Red Sox starters stayed away from the big innings, and allowed just two homers in the four games, including one solo shot. They pitched ahead, threw strikes and, remarkably, issued one walk.
They also adapted when necessary. When the Sox noticed that the Mariners starting to sit on breaking pitches, the pitchers reversed course and went back to featuring fastballs. By the time the Mariners adjusted again, it was too late.
As the series progressed, you could almost see the rotation collectively build confidence.
“We build off of each other. We’re all there competing with each other and cheering each other on,” said Whitlock, who limited Seattle to a solo run while piling up eight strikeouts in five innings. “It was huge to rally together.”
Catcher Reese McGuire, who helped Whitlock navigate through some mid-game adjustments, saw the rotation start to come together during spring training, and wasn’t surprised that it carried over to this series.
“Guys took what they had been doing in spring training and showed up here in this series,” said McGuire. “We still have room to grow, but I’m really proud of how they’ve taken the ball so far.”
Even major leaguers need outside motivation at times, and the pitchers in the rotation may have found theirs with the constant calls for Red Sox ownership to open the purse strings and spring for a big-name free agent like Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery.
“Everyone takes it personal in a way,” said McGuire. “Everyone in this clubhouse is a big leaguer and belongs in the big leagues. The outside noise is for sure always going to be there. But when it’s time to take the ball and cross the lines, they’re in compete mode. That’s one thing you can’t teach. We’ve got that. We’ve got some guys out there that want the ball, that want to go deep into the game. They’ve had some experience now over the last couple of years.
“Now, they’re seeing the hard work pay off. They’re starting to get more swing-and-miss, they’re starting to see their percentage of first-pitch strikes uptick, which is ultimately going to help them get quicker out and get deeper into games. I think in a way, we all take (that talk) to heart. We know that people do doubt us, but when it’s time to play ball, there’s 27 outs, just like we’ve always played all of our lives and we’re competitors.”
Avoiding walks is always welcome, but McGuire sees the improved control as a symbol of something bigger.
“What it tells me is it’s a confidence thing,” he said. “For our guys to trust their stuff....It’s one thing for someone to say, ‘Trust your stuff, trust your stuff.’ But when you do trust it and you do throw it in the zone and you get a good result, that’s just going to boost your confidence even more. Instead of thinking, ‘I don’t want him to hit this,’ and creating a shape to get out of the zone, you don’t know if it plays. But when you throw it in the zone, you’re going to find out.”
The Red Sox found out this weekend. And so, too, did the Mariners.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2024 5:45:36 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK
Tanner Houck excited to take ball for first start Monday in Oakland
By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated March 31, 2024, 6:47 p.m.
SEATTLE — Tanner Houck has seen some quality pitching to start the year. He’s watched his teammates go toe-to-toe with the Mariners, who have a rotation that’s widely considered the best in the business.
Brayan Bello went five innings Thursday. Nick Pivetta and Kutter Crawford registered back-to-back six-inning starts Friday and Saturday. Garrett Whitlock tossed five innings Sunday.
Monday will be Houck’s turn when he takes the ball against the Athletics in Oakland.
“The four days here have been great to watch the team and fun to support everyone,” said Houck. “But knowing tomorrow is my day, I’m excited and you know, super energetic about it. I love getting out there and getting to help this team win in any way.”
Houck made 21 starts last season in what was a forgettable one for the righthander. He registered a 5.01 ERA in 106 innings in an injury-riddled season. Houck was hit with a comebacker against the Yankees last June 16, resulting in a facial fracture that required surgery. He lost just over a month, returning to the mound Aug. 22.
He also had back surgery before the start of the 2023 season, destroying his plans to prepare for the year the way he wanted.
Now he’s finally healthy, and, after a solid spring, believes he’s due for a better year.
After a healthy spring training, something he didn't have last season, Red Sox hurler Tanner Houck is excited for his first start of the season in Oakland on Monday.
That certainly could be the case, but in order for that to happen, Houck must throw strikes. The Red Sox and pitching coach Andrew Bailey have lectured the Sox starters on the importance of getting ahead in the count. Between Bello, Pivetta, Crawford, and Whitlock, the Sox have commanded the ball, walking just one batter in their four combined appearances.
Houck has taken note.
“There’s going to be rocky roads,” said Houck. “You’re not going to be perfect all the time. That’s what being human is. But when that time comes, just getting back to the roots, so you know, counting on going right after guys and trusting yourself.”
Slaten recovers from loss
Justin Slaten’s major league debut came in the most pressurized moment of Saturday night’s game. Red Sox manager Alex Cora went to the righthander in the bottom of the 10th inning of a tie game with runners on first and third, and Julio Rodriguez at the plate. Rodriguez laced a walkoff single to right-center.
On Sunday, Slaten found redemption, pitching 2⅓ scoreless innings to close out the Mariners in the Sox’ 5-1 win and earn his first career save.
“Like , he’s a big leaguer,” said Cora. “Now, he’s really a big leaguer.”
Slaten, a Rule 5 draft choice by the Sox this winter, struck out Dylan Moore on three pitches to end it.
“It was my first time ever pitching in a major league stadium against a guy like that [Saturday],” said Slaten after Sunday’s win. “He did his job. But to be able to come back and do my job today was awesome.”
Available if needed
Kenley Jansen was available Sunday after he was sidelined Saturday because of back tightness. Jansen woke up Saturday morning with back pain, something he’s been dealing with since spring training.
“He’s moving around and getting treatment,” said Cora. “The chiropractor was here the last few days. Obviously the [training staff], too.”
Jansen was warming up in the ninth inning and said afterward that he was ready to pitch.
Rookie gets a day off
Ceddanne Rafaela had a day off in Sunday’s series finale. Rafaela had hit safely in the Red Sox’ first three games, going 4 for 12 with three runs, a double, a triple, and an RBI.
In Saturday night’s loss, Rafaela registered two hits (single, double) off a tough foe in Logan Gilbert.
“He’s been good,” said Cora, who also acknowledged Rafaela’s tendency to chase pitches outside the zone. “He’s been catching up with the fastball. He’s been able to lay off some offspeed pitches.
“I think so far, the fact that he’s gone the other way with two strikes shows you a lot about adjustments and taking a humble approach.”
Arms in Oakland
Houck will take the ball against Joe Boyle Monday. The rotation then turns back to Bello Tuesday, with Alex Wood on the hill for Oakland. Pivetta will start Wednesday in the series finale against Ross Stripling.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2024 8:08:46 GMT -5
Red Sox look to pick up steam in opener against A's
FLM
Two teams that used strong starting pitching as the foundation for series-ending wins in their most recent outings will look for more of the same Monday night when the Boston Red Sox visit the Oakland Athletics.
A pair of tall Missouri natives are the projected starters for the opener of the three-game series, as 6-foot-5 right-hander Tanner Houck of the Red Sox will square off against 6-7 righty Joe Boyle of the A's.
The Red Sox managed a split in their season-opening series in Seattle despite putting up just 14 runs in the four games. Fortunately for the visitors, the Mariners countered with just 10, which was good enough for two Seattle wins thanks to 1-0 and 4-3 decisions in the middle two games of the set.
Houck (6-10, 5.01 ERA in 2023) has some big shoes to fill as he follows Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta, Kutter Crawford and Garrett Whitlock to the mound. The top four pitchers in Boston's starting rotation limited the Mariners to just 14 hits and five runs (four earned) in 22 innings.
Most impressively, the foursome stuck out 27 and walked just one.
Houck had good control in the spring, issuing just three walks in 15 innings. He went 2-0 with a 2.40 ERA in five appearances, striking out 16.
The 27-year-old has made just one previous appearance against the A's, facing four batters and giving up two hits and no runs out of the bullpen in 2022.
The Red Sox managed the split in Seattle despite not having new closer Kenley Jansen available because of back tightness. He hopes to be ready to go by series end in Oakland.
"Nothing I can do about it. Tried to come into the ballpark and tried to get ready, but they wouldn't allow me," Jansen said of the team's conservative approach over the weekend. "So got to be smart. I go out there and aggravate it, then it could be worse for a week or two. I'd rather lose one day or two so I can be back."
The A's are expected to counter with Boyle (2-0, 1.69 in 2023), who has yet to face the Red Sox in his career.
In fact, the 24-year-old has seen just three teams on a major-league diamond in a regular-season game -- the San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels last September -- and impressed everyone with 15 strikeouts in 16 innings.
Boyle will be backed by a team feeling a whole lot better about itself than the one that walked off the field Saturday. Oakland had lost a third straight game to the Cleveland Guardians by a total score of 26-7.
One day later, the A's were rushing onto the field -- instead of slumping into the clubhouse -- at game's end to celebrate Abraham Toro's walk-off walk that produced a 4-3 win.
"Nobody wants to start 0-4," A's manager Mark Kotsay said. "I was proud of the effort there and proud of the fight-back that we showed after the eighth inning (in which Cleveland tied the score). That's a good sign -- not just folding or not having the energy to fight back from what was pretty ugly and turn things into a positive day."
--Field Level Media
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2024 8:14:10 GMT -5
J.P. Long
@soxnotes
Red Sox starters have a 1.64 ERA, 27 K, and 1 BB.
This is only the 4th time Red Sox starters have thrown 5.0+ innings and allowed 2 runs or fewer in each of the team’s first 4 games (also 1916, 1999, and 2018).
5.0 IP, 2 R
6.0 IP, 1 R
6.0 IP, 1 R (0 ER)
5.0 IP, 1 R
Red Sox pitching rankings:
.178 opponent AVG (1st)
0.82 WHIP (1st)
7.5 K/BB ratio (1st)
2.04 ERA (2nd)
11.46 K/9.0 IP (2nd)
35.1 IP, 45 K, 6 BB, 8 ER, 23 H
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2024 13:32:37 GMT -5
Previewing Red Sox-Athletics three-game MLB series in Oakland
Mike Masala
04-01-2024
• 3 min read
The Boston Red Sox are coming off of a series split against the Seattle Mariners to open their season, and they're staying on the West Coast for three games against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland Coliseum this week.
Alex Cora's team is expected to trot out Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello and Nick Pivetta to pitch, while former Red Sox outfield and current Athletics manager Mark Kotsay is set to send Joe Boyle, Alex Wood and Ross Stripling to the mound.
Game 1
Houck is making his season debut on Monday after starting 21 games in 2023 and recording 5.01 ERA and 1.368 WHIP.
Houck has only ever faced two Athletics - Brent Rooker (0-for-3 with two strikeouts) and Abraham Toro (0-for-4 with one strikeout.
Boyle is also making his first start in 2024 after starting three games for the team last year and recording a 1.69 ERA and a 0.813 WHIP. He's never faced any member of the Red Sox.
Game 2
Bello pitched for the Red Sox on Opening Day against the Mariners, tossing five innings of two-run ball while giving up five hits and striking out just two.
In his young career, he's faced JJ Bleday (1-for-2 with a home run and two RBIs), Shea Langeliers (1-for-2), Nick Allen (0-for-2 with a strikeout) and Seth Brown (0-for-1 with a walk).
Wood was the Opening Day starter for Oakland against the Cleveland Guardians, and he got rocked, allowing six runs on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings.
The only history he has against any member of the Red Sox is facing Trevor Story, who is 6-for-23 against him (.261) with a home run and five RBIs.
Game 3
Pivetta, after going back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen last year, started Boston's second game of 2024, tossing six innings and allowing just three hits and one run against the Mariners. Unfortunately, he was handed the loss.
He's faced nine different members of Oakland's roster, but only Brown (1-for-13 with a home run), Langeliers (1-for-4) and J.D. Davis (2-for-3).
Stripling also got knocked around a bit in his first appearance of the year, allowing four earned runs on seven hits and two walks over five innings.
He also has a history with six batters for Boston. However, only Story (5-for-14 with two home runs), Jarren Durran (2-for-3 with a home run) and Rafael Devers (8-for-22) have hits against him.
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Post by Kimmi on Apr 1, 2024 13:51:47 GMT -5
Pete Abraham
@peteabe
Oakland announced a crowd of only 4,118 today.
Red Sox fans show up on the road, especially on the West Coast. Be interesting to see what it's like at the Coliseum the next three days.
9:44 PM · Mar 31, 2024· That attendance number is really, really sad. It will indeed be interesting to see how many Sox fans show up for the series. BTW, these late start times are the pits. I am on spring break, and even with not having to wake up early, I don't think I'll be able to stay up for the entire game. I'll be glad when the Sox finish this west coast swing. |
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Post by Kimmi on Apr 1, 2024 13:54:43 GMT -5
J.P. Long
@soxnotes
Red Sox starters have a 1.64 ERA, 27 K, and 1 BB.
This is only the 4th time Red Sox starters have thrown 5.0+ innings and allowed 2 runs or fewer in each of the team’s first 4 games (also 1916, 1999, and 2018).
5.0 IP, 2 R
6.0 IP, 1 R
6.0 IP, 1 R (0 ER)
5.0 IP, 1 R
Red Sox pitching rankings:
.178 opponent AVG (1st)
0.82 WHIP (1st)
7.5 K/BB ratio (1st)
2.04 ERA (2nd)
11.46 K/9.0 IP (2nd)
35.1 IP, 45 K, 6 BB, 8 ER, 23 H Again, it's obviously very early, but I like what I've seen so far. The Mariners announcers were talking about how many off speed pitches, rather how relatively few 4 seamers, the Sox pitches were throwing. I wonder if that's a Bailey thing. |
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2024 14:44:08 GMT -5
RED SOX AT ATHLETICS | 9:40 P.M. (NESN)
Game 5: Red Sox at Athletics lineups and notesBy Amin Touri Globe Staff,Updated April 1, 2024, 9:20 a.m. After splitting the first series of the season in Seattle, the Red Sox head down the coast to Oakland to open a three-game set with the Athletics on Monday night. Tanner Houck is on the bump for Boston for his first start of the season. Sox pitching impressed in Seattle, allowing just 2.5 runs per game, the best mark in the majors through the season’s first weekend. Rookie Joe Boyle has the ball for Oakland. The 24-year-old was a September call-up at the end of last season and acquitted himself well, allowing just three earned runs over three starts and 16 innings of work. Lineups RED SOX (2-2): Jarren Duran (L) LF Rafael Devers (L) 3B Trevor Story (R) SS Triston Casas (L) 1B Tyler O'Neill (R) RF Masataka Yoshida (L) DH Enmanuel Valdez (L) 2B Ceddanne Rafaela (R) CF Reese McGuire (L) C Pitching: RHP Tanner Houck ATHLETICS (1-3): Ryan Noda (L) 1B JJ Bleday (S) CF Zack Gelof (R) 2B Seth Brown (L) LF Brent Rooker (S) DH Abraham Toro (S) 3B Shea Langeliers (R) C Lawrence Butler (L) RF Darell Hernaiz (R) SS Pitching: RHP Joe Boyle Time: 9:40 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Red Sox vs. Boyle: Has not faced any Boston batters Athletics vs. Houck: Brent Rooker 0-2, Abraham Toro 0-4 Stat of the day: Sox starters allowed just four earned runs in 22 combined innings in Seattle, striking out 27 batters and walking only one. Notes: A pair of tall Missouri natives are the projected starters for the opener of the three-game series, as the 6-foot-5-inch Houck will square off against the 6-foot-7 Boyle. ... Houck had good control in the spring, issuing just three walks in 15 innings. He went 2-0 with a 2.40 ERA in five appearances, striking out 16. The 27-year-old has made just one previous appearance against the A’s, facing four batters and giving up two hits and no runs out of the bullpen in 2022. ... The Red Sox managed the split in Seattle despite not having closer Kenley Jansen available because of back tightness. He hopes to be ready to go by series end in Oakland. ... Oakland had lost three straight games to the Guardians, by a total score of 26-7, to open the season before Abraham Toro’s walk-off walk in Sunday’s series finale. Song of the Day: Green Day - Warning www.youtube.com/watch?v=eebfMFzJHNs
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Apr 1, 2024 18:56:54 GMT -5
Pete Abraham
@peteabe
Oakland announced a crowd of only 4,118 today.
Red Sox fans show up on the road, especially on the West Coast. Be interesting to see what it's like at the Coliseum the next three days.
9:44 PM · Mar 31, 2024· That attendance number is really, really sad. It will indeed be interesting to see how many Sox fans show up for the series. BTW, these late start times are the pits. I am on spring break, and even with not having to wake up early, I don't think I'll be able to stay up for the entire game. I'll be glad when the Sox finish this west coast swing. One of my friends explained that to me. In the early days , a lot of the IT stuff was centered in Boston. When Silicon Valley took over, a lot of Bostonians went out there with the business. My friend made the same trek much later. When I had to go to Santa Rosa for an inventory count, he asks if I want to catch an As game. Turns out that not only were the RS in town, but Pedro was pitching. The A's were ahead 1-0 by the time we get in, but I don't remember the A's touching Pedro after that. The park was nice. but dated, and that was 15+ years ago. |
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 2, 2024 5:32:53 GMT -5
Duran's stolen base feat a first in Red Sox history
2:43 AM ADT
Ian Browne
Ian Browne
OAKLAND -- After Jarren Duran’s latest baserunning clinic earned him a milestone on Monday night at the Oakland Coliseum, Tanner Houck referred to his teammate as a “menace.”
You won’t get any arguments from opposing pitchers and fielders, as Duran is all too happy to torment them when he is roaming the basepaths.
By swiping three bases to bring his total for the season to five while leading the Red Sox to a 9-0 rout of the Athletics, Duran became the first player in club history to make that many steals in the first five games of a season.
And he completed the feat on the basepaths where all-time stolen base king Rickey Henderson did much of the damage during his Hall of Fame career.
Does Duran agree with the menace label winning pitcher Houck (six innings, three hits, no walks, 10 strikeouts) bestowed on him?
“Yeah, I’d like to think so,” Duran said. “Every time I get on the bases, I’m looking to cause havoc, [whether it is to] run in guys’ faces, make guys fumble the ball while running down the line, and stuff like that. So I guess that’s a good thing to call me.”
The list of Sox players who stole four bases in the season’s first five games is an eclectic one to say the least, including Tommy Dowd (1901), Harry Lord (1909), Tris Speaker (1915), Harry Hooper (1920), Johnny Watwood (1932), Jerry Remy (1978) and Otis Nixon (1994).
The three-steal performance -- the second of his career -- was more satisfying to Duran because it occurred on a night he found his hitting stroke. After going 2-for-16 in the season-opening, four-game series in Seattle, Duran topped that total in the first three innings on Monday, belting three hits over that span and swiftly following each knock with a stolen base.
"Obviously, the hits are nice to get," Duran said. "I feel like I've been hitting the ball really hard, just right at people and I feel like I'm right there. I'm not trying to get out ahead of myself, like, 'I want the hit, I want the hit.' I'm just trusting the process right now and keep hitting the ball hard and hopefully the game rewards me and gives me those knocks when I hit the ball hard. Just trying to have those quality at-bats."
The 27-year-old is coming into his own and could do special things at the top of the Boston batting order this season if he stays healthy. Duran was well on his way last season, hitting .295 with an .828 OPS and stealing 24 bases in 26 attempts over 102 games. But he lost the final six weeks of '23 when he had to undergo surgery to repair turf toe on his left foot.
Clearly, Duran hasn't lost any speed from the surgery. And the scary thing for opponents is that he's still gaining knowledge.
"I think last year he was very efficient stealing bases but he was just running," said Red Sox first base coach/baserunning instructor Kyle Hudson. "He was using his speed and athleticism. This year, he's seeing some of the keys and the tells that are gonna allow him to steal even more bases. Maybe even off guys that are a little bit lower times [to the plate], but they give you something to maybe up that time.
"So I think that's kind of a transition that you're seeing right now. It's not just pure speed and athleticism right now. It's the understanding of what pitchers are doing and he's taking advantage of it."
One of the first decisions Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced at Spring Training was that Duran would be his leadoff hitter this season.
The left-handed hitter is making that look like a no-brainer.
"We're gonna push the envelope as a group, and he's the leader," Cora said. "He did a good job going the other way, stealing bases, putting pressure on the opposition."
While Duran was in the process of his personal track meet in those first three innings, the A's made five errors. Unsurprisingly, two of those defensive gaffes took place while Duran was in motion.
"I've been told since I was in college that the team that makes the least amount of errors usually wins the game, so I'm just trying to cause problems and make them make errors," Duran said. "And we just have to capitalize on the mistakes, which we did tonight and it was awesome to see."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 2, 2024 5:33:51 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Grissom, Refsnyder rehab updates
April 1st, 2024
MLB.com
LATEST NEWS
April 1: 2B Vaughn Grissom and OF Rob Refsnyder could play rehab games next week
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Monday that Grissom (left groin, left hamsring) and Refsnyder (fractured left pinkie toe) will both come to Fenway Park on April 9 to be part of the home opener festivities. Both players have been in Fort Myers, Fla., ramping up. Cora's hope is that the two right-handed hitters can start Minor League rehab assignments shortly after that. Grissom, acquired in an offseason trade for Chris Sale, was expected to be Boston's starting second baseman on Opening Day before his entire Spring Training was derailed by injuries. Refnsyder is an important piece for the Red Sox against left-handed starters.
"Texted with them today. They feel good," said Cora. "They’re going about their business. They should join us for the home opener and then from there, I don’t know where we go. Hopefully games for both of them.”
April 1: RHP Kenley Jansen available again
Without the services of Jansen (back tightness) on Saturday night, the Red Sox couldn't hold a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the 10th inning and lost, 4-3. Prior to Monday's opener of a three-game series, Cora said his closer is a full go again. In fact, Jansen would have pitched in Sunday's 5-1 victory if a save situation had presented itself.
• All Red Sox transactions
10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST
2B Vaughn Grissom (right hamstring strain)
Expected return: Late April/early May
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said a few weeks back that Grissom could return by mid-to-late April. Seeing that he has yet to play in games, mid-April no longer seems realistic. Grissom, who has been rehabbing in Fort Myers, Fla., is expected to travel to Boston for the home opener on April 9. Cora hopes his second baseman can start a Minor League rehab assignment shortly after that. Given that Grissom didn't play at all in Spring Training, his rehab assignment could end up being the maximum allowed, which is 20 days. (Last updated: April 1)
OF Rob Refsnyder (left pinkie toe)
Expected return: Late April/early May
Refsnyder contnues to make progress in his comeback from a fractured left pinkie toe, and has been doing baseball activities on a daily basis at the team's Spring Training base in Fort Myers, Fla. Refsnyder could go on a rehab assignment around April 10. (Last updated: April 1)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 2, 2024 5:37:45 GMT -5
Hapless Athletics commit five errors in Red Sox 9-0 win
By Mac Cerullo | mcerullo@bostonherald.com
PUBLISHED: April 2, 2024 at 12:12 a.m. | UPDATED: April 2, 2024 at 12:39 a.m.
Last season the Red Sox were not a good defensive team, and over the course of the season the club cost itself numerous games thanks to ill-timed miscues.
But bad as it often seemed, we never saw anything like the pathetic display put on by the Oakland Athletics on Monday night.
The hapless Athletics committed five errors within the first three innings to effectively hand the game to Boston on a silver platter. The Red Sox took full advantage, running out to a big early lead and cruising to a decisive 9-0 win in the series opener.
Whether it was sailing a throw on a stolen base attempt, botching a pickoff or a routine throw to the first base bag, airmailing a throw home or just flat out letting an easy fly ball fall in, the Athletics couldn’t get out of their own way. Starting pitcher Joe Boyle didn’t help his own case, issuing four walks with a wild pitch, and the Red Sox broke the dam in the top of the third, scoring five runs aided by two Oakland errors.
All told, the Athletics have committed 13 errors through their first five games, by far the most in MLB.
Jarren Duran set the tone early en route to one of the best games of his career, recording a hit and a stolen base in each of the game’s first three innings. He finished 3-5 with three steals, an RBI, and he also scored on Triston Casas’ RBI single to break the ice in the top of the first.
Though Duran forced Oakland’s first error with his initial stolen base attempt, nobody benefitted more from the Athletics’ ineptitude than Enmanuel Valdez. The 25-year-old second baseman reached on errors in consecutive at bats, first on a deep fly ball that center fielder JJ Bleday inexplicably failed to catch in the second, and then on an infield grounder that first baseman Ryan Noda threw away in the third, allowing a run to score.
Both of those errors were immediately followed by Ceddanne Rafaela sacrifice flies, one of which also led to another error allowing a second run to score. While the Red Sox failed to capitalize on a subsequent bases-loaded, one-out situation in the second inning, they had no such trouble in the third. Following the Valdez infield play and Rafaela’s second sac fly, Duran came through with an RBI single and then Trevor Story delivered the dagger with a two-run double to make it 8-0.
Masataka Yoshida added an RBI fielder’s choice in the sixth to round out the offense, and in addition to Duran’s big day, Casas also finished 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI.
While the Red Sox lineup gave the Athletics’ defense fits, Tanner Houck continued the starting rotation’s early dominance. The 27-year-old tied his career-high with 10 strikeouts while holding the Athletics scoreless over six innings. He drew 16 whiffs in the process while allowing only three hits with no walks.
Through the first turn of the rotation Boston’s starters have now collectively posted 37 strikeouts against only one walk. They’ve allowed four earned runs over 28 innings, good for a 1.29 ERA.
“They definitely set the bar high but that’s what you want from your teammates,” Houck said of his fellow starters’ performances leading into Monday. “You want to go out there and compete against them and make each other better.”
Chase Anderson came out of the bullpen and wound up finishing the game for Boston, throwing three shutout innings to record a save in his Red Sox debut. With the win Boston improves to 3-2 on the season and will look to clinch the series with another win Tuesday night when Brayan Bello takes the mound against Oakland’s Alex Wood.
First pitch is scheduled for 9:40 p.m. ET.
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