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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 4, 2024 18:40:41 GMT -5
As we are in a Nor'easter snow storm.....
Red Sox roll into LA to play the Angels in 2 very late games, and a supper ( Sunday ) game. Red Sox starting pitching has been pretty darn solid first time thru the roto Offense, IMO, takes a month or so to shake out but they are handling the dreaded west coast swing pretty well.
Would like the D to more crisp, and no extra outs, blunders on the bases.
The probables are:
Friday: 9:30 eastern Crawford 0-0/ 0.00 vs Canning 0-1/ 9.00
Saturday Whitlock 1-0/ 1.80 vs Detmers 1-0/ 1.80
Sunday- 4pm
Houck 1-0/ 000 vs Silster 0-0/ 9.00
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 4, 2024 19:21:46 GMT -5
J.P. Long @soxnotes · 5h The Red Sox’ 1.54 ERA is their lowest through 7 games in the Live Ball Era (1920-present).
The Sox have allowed 4 runs or fewer in each of their 7 games (4, 1, 4, 1, 0, 4, 0).
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 5, 2024 5:12:58 GMT -5
Angels take on surging Red Sox in home opener FLM
The Los Angeles Angels will face the Boston Red Sox, who have won four in a row, in their home opener Friday night in Anaheim, Calif. But that's not the only streak on the line when the two clubs begin a three-game series.
Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel has reached base in the first 35 games of his career, the third-longest streak to begin a career in major league history. Only Alvin Davis (47 in 1984) and Truck Hannah (38 in 1918) had longer streaks.
Schanuel was fast-tracked to the big leagues, drafted out of Florida Atlantic in June 2023 and promoted to the majors after only 22 minor league games.
He hit .275 with a .732 OPS in his 29 games with the Angels last season, but despite his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame, hit only one home run in 132 plate appearances.
Angels manager Ron Washington isn't expecting homers from Schanuel.
"There will be times he can pick and choose when he wants to try to go for it," Washington said. "I just don't want him trying to go for it every night, because then we'll get away from his style of hitting. I want him to have his style of hitting and get some success first. Once he gathers that success, he'll know when to pick and choose. The power is in there. I don't want him trying to get it out of there every single night."
Despite reaching base consistently (.391 on-base percentage), he's off to a relatively slow start, batting .188 (3 for 16) with one homer.
Angels right-hander Griffin Canning (0-1, 9.00 ERA) will try to bounce back after losing his first start of the season, allowing five runs on seven hits and one walk in five innings against the Orioles last Saturday.
He is 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA in two career starts against Boston.
Right-hander Kutter Crawford (0-0, 0.00) is scheduled to start for the Red Sox. He earned a no-decision in his first start this year despite pitching well -- six innings, one run (unearned), three hits, one walk and seven strikeouts -- in a 4-3 extra-inning loss at Seattle on March 30.
Crawford isn't lacking for pitches -- he has a six-pitch repertoire (fastball, cutter, curve, splitter, sweeper and slider). The Red Sox are hoping to see Crawford pitch deep into games. He lasted at least six innings in six of his 23 starts last season.
"I know I have the ability to do it," he said. "And I think at the end of the day, it's all about just throwing a bunch of strikes, staying on the attack. There were some outings (last season) where I didn't do as good of a job throwing strikes, but I've seen that when I do throw strikes and I attack hitters and I stay ahead of hitters, I'm able to go deeper into ball games more efficiently."
Crawford is 0-1 with a 1.80 ERA in three career games (all in relief) against the Angels.
--Field Level Media
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 5, 2024 5:27:44 GMT -5
Red Sox’ hottest hitter, also their fastest hitter, using opposite field
Updated: Apr. 04, 2024, 4:57 p.m.|Published: Apr. 04, 2024, 4:29 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
OAKLAND, Calif. — The Red Sox’ offense hasn’t been great so far. Their 5-2 record has much to do with dominant pitching both from their starters and relievers.
Boston ranks 13th in the majors in batting average (.253), 14th in on-base percentage (.318), 20th in slugging percentage (.349) and 19th in OPS (.667).
But leadoff hitter Jarren Duran is on absolute fire. After only two hits in the Seattle series, he went 9-for-12 (.75) with a .786 on-base percentage, three runs, two RBIs, two hit by pitches and four steals in Boston’s three-game sweep in Oakland.
Duran is tied for the MLB lead in stolen bases (6) with Brice Turang. Nobody else has more than three.
“He’s hitting the ball hard the other way,” manager Alex Cora said.
Duran is using the opposite field consistently. Only four balls he has hit in play this year have been pulled, per his Fangraphs’ spray chart. Ten of his 11 hits so far have been to left field (opposite field) or center field, per Baseball-Reference.
Here are Duran’s hits in Oakland
~ 97.2 mph single to left field.
~ 70.4 mph infield single to second base.
~ 92.6 mph single to left field.
~ 109.3 mph single to center field.
~ 85.1 mph single to center field.
~ 101.5 mph single to left field.
~ 68.4 mph single to third base.
~ 61.1 mph single to left field.
~ 97 mph single to left field.
“He’s staying on pitches, not trying to do too much,” Cora said. “It seems like in Seattle, he fouled off a lot of pitches. He kept working and working and now he’s staying on top of the ball hitting the ball the other way, putting pressure on the position. And that was fun to watch.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 5, 2024 5:29:24 GMT -5
How Red Sox catcher is looking ‘to do a little more damage’ with bat
Published: Apr. 05, 2024, 6:24 a.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
OAKLAND, Calif. — Reese McGuire feels he can do some more damage with inside pitches this season.
McGuire — who has started four of Boston’s seven games at catcher this season and has appeared in six games — is 5-for-15 with a double, RBI, run, walk and four strikeouts.
“It was adjusting a little bit of my intent to pull the ball as well as go the other way,” McGuire said. “So in the past, I think I was always looking for ways to hit the ball to the opposite field. And this year, I’ve practiced and worked on hitting the balls in the air to right — and what contact point that is on certain pitches. So just kind of expanding the baseball field of where I’m looking to hit the ball.”
Seventy-eight percent of the left-handed batter’s hits last year went to the opposite field or center. He obviously doesn’t want to stop using the opposite-field. He just wants to pull the ball a little more this year.
“For me, I feel like my swing is at its best when I’m able to hit that low line drive to the opposite field,” McGuire said. “And that tells me my path and everything is smooth and on time and not being rushed or not being late. And then from there, I always felt like if I have that swing dialed in, I can react and make that adjustment to pull the ball. But I think just in certain situations of the game, I’m trying to look to do a little bit more damage on pitches that are closer to me. So I think that’s been a difference for me. Just the approach.”
Catcher Connor Wong, meanwhile, made a mechanical adjustment to his swing this past offseason. He limited his toe tap.
For both McGuire and Wong though, their main priority remains defense over offense.
“As a catcher, you’re there for 27 outs and offensively you might get three of four at-bats,” McGuire said. “And so three to four at-bats on offense and the importance of those are big but the importance of 27 outs on the other side of the game is much more important.”
McGuire led the league in caught stealing percentage (33%) in 2022. He threw out 42% (5-for-12) of base stealers in the final two months of 2022 after being traded from the White Sox to Boston.
Last year, his caught stealing percentage dropped to 17% (7-for-41). But new rules (pitch clock, limit on pickoff attempts, etc.) created an advantage for baserunners.
“I think the game is going to continue to be fast and continue to have attempts on the base paths,” McGuire said.
The Red Sox have worked with pitchers to speed up their times to plate. It’s preferable for a pitcher to get the ball to the plate in under 1.4 seconds, McGuire noted.
“If a pitcher is delivering the pitch and it’s not getting there for one and a half seconds, it’s definitely very hard to transfer and make that out,” McGuire said. “But if they’re in the 1.2, 1.3 range, we definitely have a chance. So I think just putting the body in a position behind the plate to not only be ready to receive and frame but also be ready to pop up quickly.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 5, 2024 5:48:12 GMT -5
What have we learned so far about the Red Sox during their season-opening road trip? By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated April 4, 2024, 7:59 p.m.
The Red Sox begin their final series of this season-opening road trip when they take on the Angels Friday evening in Anaheim, Calif.
The Sox have gotten off to a solid start, splitting a four-game set with the Mariners then sweeping the Athletics.
Here’s what we’ve learned:
▪ Despite some lack of competition, the starting pitching has been impressive. The Sox rotation entered Thursday ranked first in the majors in strikeout rate (31.7 percent), third in ERA (1.89), and had walked just three batters in 38 innings, for the majors’ lowest walk rate at 2.1 percent.
When Andrew Bailey took over as pitching coach, he said the first point of emphasis would be throwing strikes. The Sox have followed Bailey’s directive — though it should be noted the rest of the league has followed — of throwing more breaking and offspeed pitches in the zone, and weaponizing fastballs as the knockout punch. The Sox had the lowest fastball percentage at 29.9 through their first seven games. Meanwhile, they had thrown 50.1 percent offspeed/breaking pitches, sixth-highest in baseball.
Is it sustainable? Particularly as the schedule gets more difficult? Time will tell. For now, it’s working.
▪ Sox fans shouldn’t be worried about Kenley Jansen just yet. He didn’t have much of a spring training, so he’s still building up. But it is something to keep an eye on. Jansen grinded through back-to-back outings Tuesday and Wednesday, needing 20-plus pitches in each. His velocity was down close to 3 miles per hour on his cutter, too.
But perhaps a silver lining is that Jansen’s nagging back tightness did not prevent him from pitching on back-to-back days.
“I think I’ve just got to keep getting my rhythm,” said Jansen. I know that my spring was short. But I feel good.”
▪ Brayan Bello still has the highest upside of the Sox starters. He has stuff you can’t teach, especially his sinker, which when at its best could be likened to trying to hit a bowling ball.
Bello yielded four runs on two homers to the Athletics on Tuesday, and might have become too predictable, which he does at times, with his slider and changeup. He hasn’t found command of those pitches, but strangely has walked just one batter.
He also has a 47.3 percent strikeout rate on his slider and a 42.3 percent whiff rate on his changeup. It’s just a matter of finding the strike zone consistently with those pitches, and not deviating too far from his greatest weapon: his sinker and changeup mix.
▪ Rafael Devers sat out consecutive games in the Mariners series with a sore shoulder. He’s just 3 for 18 since returning. Devers spent much of the spring going to the opposite field, and he tagged Mariners ace Luis Castillo for an opposite-field homer in the first game of the season. But Devers’s movements have become a bit quicker since returning, appearing as if he’s pulling off of the ball, perhaps trying to cheat to make up for his shoulder.
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Post by Kimmi on Apr 5, 2024 12:45:11 GMT -5
As we are in a Nor'easter snow storm.....
Red Sox roll into LA to play the Angels in 2 very late games, and a supper ( Sunday ) game. Red Sox starting pitching has been pretty darn solid first time thru the roto Offense, IMO, takes a month or so to shake out but they are handling the dreaded west coast swing pretty well.
Would like the D to more crisp, and no extra outs, blunders on the bases.
The probables are:
Friday: 9:30 eastern Crawford 0-0/ 0.00 vs Canning 0-1/ 9.00
Saturday Whitlock 1-0/ 1.80 vs Detmers 1-0/ 1.80
Sunday- 4pm
Houck 1-0/ 000 vs Silster 0-0/ 9.00 It'll be nice to get this long west coast swing over with. Let's hope the Sox pitching can keep it going.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 5, 2024 13:23:49 GMT -5
Red Sox facing another winnable series against Angels to close out season-opening road trip
By Michael Hurley, WBZ.com Sports
Updated on: April 5, 2024 / 12:26 PM EDT / CBS Boston
BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox are 5-2. With an asterisk.
Yes, the Red Sox did technically compile three of those victories against a Major League Baseball team. Technically. But the Oakland A's -- as the shameful developments on Thursday displayed loudly and clearly to the world -- are just barely an MLB team. Barely.
The A's currently sit at 1-6 on the season. Their lone win came when a Guardians reliever walked in the winning run on four pitches in a game with an announced attendance of just over 4,000 fans. Along with the Rockies (1-6 record, minus-34 run differential), Marlins (0-8, minus-30) and White Sox (1-5, minus-20), the Oakland A's (1-6, minus-29) are in the absolute lowest tier of MLB teams this season.
So, yes, the Red Sox' three wins in Oakland do count. And to be honest, beating bad teams was no sure thing for the Red Sox a year ago. There's reason for positivity in that sense. But nobody's mistaking the Red Sox as currently constructed for being a World Series contender.
With that being said ... the Red Sox have another winnable series awaiting them in Anaheim.
The Angels have a winning record at 4-2, but they likewise benefited from facing one of those terrible, horrible, no good, very bad teams in the basement of MLB. After losing their first two games of the year in Baltimore by a combined score of 24-7, the Angels salvaged a 4-1 victory to close out that series before sweeping the miserable Marlins in Miami.
The Angels, like the Red Sox, have exceeded the non-existent expectations placed upon them entering the season. Though in Anaheim's case, the outlook was even drearier than Boston's. Preseason win totals had the Angels at 72.5, while the Red Sox were up at 77.5. The Angels had the fifth-lowest over-under, better than only the Nationals, White Sox, Rockies and A's.
In terms of preseason evaluations of these two teams, you have quite bad (Red Sox) to even worse (Angels). Mathemetically and scientifically, that means the Red Sox have a decent chance of winning this series and heading back to Boston with a 7-3 or perhaps even an 8-2 record.
Here's what the matchups will look like. Angels Hottest Hitters
The Angels, as you might have heard, lost Shohei Ohtani over the winter. But they still have Mike Trout, and he's still Mike Trout.
Trout is hitting just .273 thus far in the season, but he's made the most of those six hits, with three of them soaring over fences for home runs, giving him a 1.015 OPS. Unfortunately for the Angels, all three of those homers were solo shots.
Left fielder Taylor Ward is off to the best start of all Angels, as he's hitting .320 with a 1.080 OPS, with two doubles and three homers. He also leads the team with eight RBIs. And in just 16 at-bats, catcher Logan O'Hoppe is batting .438 with a 1.175 OPS on the strength of a double, a triple, and three walks.
In terms of hitters who are decidedly not hot, Anthony Rendon -- who only kinda-sorta likes baseball -- is 0-for-19 on the season. Red Sox Hottest Hitters
The lone Red Sox batter with an OPS over 1.000 is Tyler O'Neill, thanks to his two solo home runs in 18 at-bats and his team-high five walks. Jarren Duran raised his average from .125 to a team-high .393 with his preposterous 9-for-12 finish at the plate in Oakland.
Catchers Connor Wong and Reese McGuire are each hitting .333 on the young season, while Rafael Devers -- despite a homer and an excuse-me double through a vacated left side of the infield -- is hitting just .217 with a .715 OPS thus far. Red Sox-Angels Pitching Matchups
Friday, 9:38 pm. ET: Kutter Crawford vs. Griffin Canning
Kutter Crawford was solid in his 2024 debut, allowing just one unearned run over six innings in Seattle, striking out seven batters and walking one. The Red Sox lost that game, 4-3, in 10 innings.
Griffin Canning wasn't quite as sharp in his first start of the year, as he allowed five runs (all earned) on seven hits in Baltimore, striking out just two batters while walking one. Canning went 7-8 with a 4.32 ERA last year.
Saturday, 9:38 p.m. ET: Garrett Whitlock vs. Reid Detmers
Garrett Whitlock gave the Red Sox five strong innings in the series finale in Seattle, allowing one run in five innings of work in a 5-1 victory. He struck out eight batters without walking anybody.
Reid Detmers was the starter for the Angels' lone win in Baltimore, as he also allowed one run in five innings. He struck out seven hitters but did issue three walks.
Sunday, 4:07 p.m.: Tanner Houck vs. Chase Silseth
Tanner Houck got the start to begin Boston's series in Oakland and shut down the A's for six shutout innings. He allowed just three hits while striking out 10 and not walking anybody.
Chase Silseth got roughed up in his three innings of work in Miami, when he allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and a pair of walks while striking out five Marlins. He left the game with the Angels trailing 4-1 through three innings, though they rallied for a 7-4 win.
Collectively, Red Sox starters have a 1.89 ERA, which ranks third-best in baseball. That's thanks in large part to facing the A's, yes, but also to the work of the bottom three starters in Crawfrod, Whitlock and Houck. Red Sox-Angels Bullpen Matchup
Raise your hand if you had the Red Sox' bullpen leading the majors in bullpen ERA at any point this season. Anyone?
The Red Sox are currently tied for that honor with the Tigers, as their bullpen arms have allowed just three earned runs over 26.1 innings thus far.
Chris Martin has been the best of the bunch, as the 6-foot-8 righty has been untouchable this season. He's allowed four hits without allowing any walks in his four innings, striking out five batters and recording a pair of holds. He is, quite simply, nasty.
Four other Red Sox relievers have 0.00 ERAs in multiple outings: Greg Weissert, Justin Slaten, Kenley Jansen and Josh Winckowski.
Angels relievers have posted a 5.11 ERA in their 24.2 innings of work, allowing 27 base runners (17 hits, 10 walks) while striking out 16 in that span. Carlos Estevez has locked down two saves with two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit. Matt Moore has also pitched two scoreless innings, while Jose Soriano has three scoreless innings under his belt.
Guillermo Zuniga has a save but has allowed three earned runs in his five innings of work, while Luis Garcia (36.00 ERA, 5.000 WHIP), Jose Cisnero (9.00 ERA, 2.000 WHIP), Jose Suarez (5.40 ERA, 1.200 WHIP) are off to some tough starts
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 5, 2024 13:36:09 GMT -5
Game 8: Red Sox at Angels lineups and notesBy Katie McInerney Globe Staff,Updated April 5, 2024, 9:35 a.m. The Angels are back at Angel Stadium without Shohei Ohtani — who signed with the Dodgers in the offseason — for the first time in 2024. It’s the home opener for Los Angeles, who will pitch Griffin Canning against the Red Sox’ Kutter Crawford when the first game of a three-game series gets underway this evening. Canning will try to bounce back after losing his first start of the season, allowing five runs on seven hits and one walk in five innings against the Orioles last Saturday. So will Rafael Devers, who sat out consecutive games in the Mariners series with a sore shoulder. He’s just 3 for 18 since returning. After the series wraps, Boston will head back east for its own home opener on Tuesday. First pitch is at 9:38 p.m. EDT. Here’s your preview. Lineups RED SOX (5-2): Jarren Duran (L) LF Rafael Devers (L) 3B Trevor Story (R) SS Masataka Yoshida (L) DH Tyler O'Neill (R) RF Triston Casas (L) 1B Enmanuel Valdez (L) 2B Ceddanne Rafaela (R) CF Reese McGuire (L) C Pitching: RHP Kutter Crawford (0-0, 0.00 ERA) ANGELS (4-2): Anthony Rendon (R) 3B Nolan Schanuel (L) 1B Mike Trout (R) CF Taylor Ward (R) LF Brandon Drury (R) 2B Miguel Sanó (R) DH Mickey Moniak (L) RF Logan O'Hoppe (R) C Zach Neto (R) SS Pitching: RHP Griffin Canning (0-1, 9.00 ERA) Time: 9:38 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Red Sox vs. Canning: Triston Casas 1-2, Bobby Dalbec 0-1, Rafael Devers 1-6, Jarren Duran 0-3, Reese McGuire 0-2, Tyler O’Neill 0-3, Pablo Reyes 0-2, Trevor Story 2-3, Enmanuel Valdez 1-3, Masataka Yoshida 0-3 Angels vs. Crawford: Brandon Drury 1-3, Aaron Hicks 1-6, Mickey Moniak 1-1, Zach Neto 0-4, Logan O’Hoppe 0-2, Luis Rengifo 0-1, Miguel Sanó 0-1, Matt Thaiss 0-1, Mike Trout 0-0, Taylor Ward 0-4 Stat of the day: The Sox had the lowest fastball percentage at 29.9 through their first seven games. Meanwhile, they had thrown 50.1 percent offspeed/breaking pitches, sixth-highest in baseball, per Julian McWilliams. Notes: Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel has reached base in the first 35 games of his career, the third-longest streak to begin a career in major league history. Only Alvin Davis (47 in 1984) and Truck Hannah (38 in 1918) had longer streaks. ... Schanuel was fast-tracked to the big leagues, drafted out of Florida Atlantic in June 2023 and promoted to the majors after only 22 minor league games. He hit .275 with a .732 OPS in his 29 games with the Angels last season, but despite his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame, hit only one home run in 132 plate appearances. ... Despite reaching base consistently (.391 on-base percentage), he’s off to a relatively slow start, batting .188 (3 for 16) with one homer. ... Canning is 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA in two career starts against Boston. ... Crawford earned a no-decision in his first start this year despite pitching well — six innings, one run (unearned), three hits, one walk and seven strikeouts — in a 4-3 extra-inning loss at Seattle on March 30. ... The Red Sox are hoping to see Crawford pitch deep into games. He lasted at least six innings in six of his 23 starts last season. ... Crawford is 0-1 with a 1.80 ERA in three career games (all in relief) against the Angels. Song of the Day: Nirvana - The Man Who Sold The World www.youtube.com/watch?v=fregObNcHC8
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Apr 5, 2024 15:17:37 GMT -5
As we are in a Nor'easter snow storm.....
Red Sox roll into LA to play the Angels in 2 very late games, and a supper ( Sunday ) game. Red Sox starting pitching has been pretty darn solid first time thru the roto Offense, IMO, takes a month or so to shake out but they are handling the dreaded west coast swing pretty well.
Would like the D to more crisp, and no extra outs, blunders on the bases.
The probables are:
Friday: 9:30 eastern Crawford 0-0/ 0.00 vs Canning 0-1/ 9.00
Saturday Whitlock 1-0/ 1.80 vs Detmers 1-0/ 1.80
Sunday- 4pm
Houck 1-0/ 000 vs Silster 0-0/ 9.00 It'll be nice to get this long west coast swing over with. Let's hope the Sox pitching can keep it going. It would be nice to win the first. Then we can relax and root for a split of the last two.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 6, 2024 5:18:32 GMT -5
Big shock here
See ya next spring Trevor.
Red Sox SS Trevor Story injured on diving stop, awaits MRI
Associated Press
Apr 5, 2024, 11:46 PM ET
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story exited Boston's game against the Angels in the fourth inning Friday night after injuring his left shoulder on a backhand dive to stop a hit by Mike Trout.
Story and the Red Sox won't know the severity of his injury until he undergoes an MRI exam Saturday, but Story was somber in the clubhouse after Boston's 8-6 victory. He said he wasn't even certain whether his shoulder had dislocated after he landed on it with most of his body weight.
"Frustrating, man," Story said. "A lot of emotions. We don't know how severe it is just yet, but a lot of frustration. ... Pretty painful."
Story got his glove on Trout's hard grounder, but he was left writhing in pain after hitting the grass hard on his left arm and shoulder. Third baseman Rafael Devers put both hands on Story's head in empathy after watching the injury. Story stayed on the grass for about two minutes with manager Alex Cora and the athletic training staff before heading to the dugout.
Story has already endured major injury problems in each of his first two seasons with Boston after leaving Colorado as a free agent for a $140 million, six-year contract.
Story played in just 94 games in 2022 after missing significant time with injuries to his right hand and left foot. He appeared in only 43 games last season after recovering from major offseason surgery on his right elbow.
"You go out there and he's in pain and all that, and you start thinking about everything he did in the offseason to get to this point," Cora said. "He's a guy that very quietly has become the leader of this team. He took ownership of what we were trying to accomplish. It's not going to stop, and hopefully nothing is going on and he'll be with us soon. But you start thinking about that. That's the tough part of this job."
Pablo Reyes replaced Story at shortstop. Cora said he wasn't sure who would replace Story going forward if necessary.
Story went 0-for-2 against Los Angeles before leaving. He is batting .226 this season, but began the night tied for the team lead with four RBIs.
"He's done everything right, everything possible to [play] more than 150 games and the playoffs," Cora said. "Hopefully we still can do that, but it was tough to go out there."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 6, 2024 5:36:08 GMT -5
O'Neill hits two of Boston's five homers to topple Angels 2:30 AM ADT
Kyle Glaser
0:17
0:48
ANAHEIM -- Nothing came easy for the Red Sox on Friday night at Angel Stadium.
They lost shortstop Trevor Story to injury. Their defense melted down at the most inopportune time. Their previously dominant bullpen blew a lead not once, but twice.
But in the end, Jarren Duran and Tyler O'Neill came through to bail them out.
O’Neill homered twice, Duran hit a tiebreaking solo home run in the top of the eighth inning and the Red Sox beat the Angels 8-6 for their fifth consecutive victory.
“We didn't stop playing, and that's a good sign,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We talk about last year when we were in August, and it's not that we stopped playing, but we didn't compete the way you need to compete at a certain level here to be successful. And regardless of the hit-by-pitches and the losses and the errors, we kept competing.”
The Red Sox hit five homers in the game, none bigger than Duran’s.
Duran, who went to high school about 15 minutes west of Angel Stadium at Cypress High, drilled a 99 mph fastball from reliever José Soriano an estimated 409 feet over the center-field fence to snap a 6-6 tie and put the Red Sox ahead for good.
It was Duran’s first career hit at Angel Stadium and came with his friends and family packed down the right-field line.
“To be honest, I put so much pressure on myself because there's been people that have never seen me get a hit in person,” Duran said. “... It was kind of a relief for myself in a way, just putting so much pressure on myself.”
O’Neill and Triston Casas led off the second inning with back-to-back homers and Reese McGuire added a two-run shot later in the frame to stake the Red Sox to a 4-0 lead. After the Red Sox blew the lead, Duran put them back ahead with his homer, and O’Neill hit his second homer of the game in the ninth to give the Red Sox needed insurance.
Boston stretched its lead to 5-1 in the sixth and appeared firmly in control before its defense committed errors on back-to-back plays to let the Angels back into the game.
Center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela dropped Taylor Ward’s liner to center to lead off the inning. On the next play, second baseman Enmanuel Valdez couldn't catch Rafael Devers’ throw on a double-play turn. Miguel Sanó was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and two batters later, Logan O’Hoppe launched a grand slam off Josh Winckowski to tie the score.
The grand slam snapped a stretch of 17 consecutive scoreless innings for the Red Sox’s bullpen.
“That was a bad inning,” Cora said. “We put [Winckowski] in a tough spot. He threw a strike and they hit a home run.”
Valdez gave the Red Sox the lead back with a sacrifice fly in the seventh, but the bullpen was again unable to hold the lead. Chris Martin, who had not allowed a run in his previous 24 appearances dating back to July 30, served up an RBI single to Sanó to allow the Angels to tie it up.
That set the stage for Duran and O’Neill to power the Red Sox to victory with their late homers. Kenley Jansen retired the side in order in the ninth for his third save.
The win, while satisfying, came at a cost. Story left in the fourth inning after diving for a Mike Trout one-hopper and landing hard on his left shoulder.
Story was not in a sling after the game and will have an MRI on Saturday.
“Obviously did something to the shoulder there. [It's] pretty painful,” Story said. “We didn't get images yet so … not trying to put any words on it yet because we don't know for sure. Just kind of landed all the body weight on the shoulder there and yeah, it didn't feel good.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 6, 2024 5:37:23 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Story (shoulder) to have MRI after exiting game 3:51 AM ADT
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April 5: SS Trevor Story leaves game with apparent left shoulder injury Story left Friday’s game against the Angels in the fourth inning after diving for a Mike Trout line drive and landing hard on his left shoulder. Story immediately reached for his shoulder and remained on the ground writhing in pain for several minutes while being tended to by an athletic trainer and Red Sox manager Alex Cora. Story walked off the field with his left arm dangling. Pablo Reyes replaced Story at shortstop.
Cora said after the game that Story will have an MRI on Saturday afternoon.
“Right now we're just hoping for the best,” Cora said. “... It sucks. You go out there and he's in pain all that and you start thinking about everything he did in the offseason to get to this point. He's a guy that very quietly has become the leader of this team.”
Story was not in a sling after the game, but declined to say whether his shoulder popped out of the socket.
“Obviously did something to the shoulder there. [It's] pretty painful,” Story said. “We didn't get images yet so … not trying to put any words on it yet because we don't know for sure. Just kind of landed all the body weight on the shoulder there and yeah, it didn't feel good.”
April 5: 2B Vaughn Grissom and OF Rob Refsnyder taking live BP Manager Alex Cora said Friday that Grissom (left groin, left hamstring) and Refsnyder (fractured left pinkie toe) are both participating in live batting practice in Fort Myers, Fla., and progressing well at the plate. Cora added that Grissom and Refsnyder will fly to Boston and be with the team Tuesday for the Red Sox’s home opener. While Cora did not have a exact dates for the players to begin rehab assignments, he expects both to be playing in games soon.
“I’ve got a texting group with them,” Cora said, “and Ref said that Vaughn is dominating rookie ball pitchers over there in live BP, and then Vaughn said that Ref is hitting the ball harder than anybody in camp. They'll be with us for the home opener, and from there we decide what they're going to do. But they should be playing soon, which is the most important thing.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 6, 2024 5:39:35 GMT -5
Why’s Red Sox’ Alex Cora starting Reese McGuire more than Connor Wong?
Updated: Apr. 05, 2024, 9:05 p.m.|Published: Apr. 05, 2024, 8:50 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Catcher Reese McGuire is in the Red Sox lineup again Friday here at Angel Stadium. This will be his fifth start in eight games.
Why is McGuire receiving more playing time than Connor Wong who had the much heavier workload last year? Wong caught 121 games, including making 105 starts in 2023.
“He’s swinging the bat well. Bottom line,” manager Alex Cora said about McGuire. “He’s catching well. Both of them, they are really good at what they do. But right now Reesey is swinging the bat well and that’s why he’s playing more.”
Cora said McGuire arrived at Fort Myers a month before spring training began. The catcher also spent time in November hitting at the JetBlue Park complex with hitting coach Peter Fatse and Jason Varitek as well as Wong and Ceddanne Rafaela.
“His at-bats have been solid,” Cora said. “Not chasing many pitches and hitting the ball hard in the zone. So a testament to him. Nobody made him go. He decided, ‘Yeah, I’m going to work.’ He wasn’t happy with the season he had last year. And the cool thing is that in a very good way, he’s been selfish. ‘I want to play. I want to be an everyday catcher.’ He did everything possible in the offseason to put himself in a good spot. And right now he’s doing a good job of hitting the ball all over the place, finishing at-bats. And more similar to the guy that we got two years ago than last year.”
McGuire batted .337 with a .377 on-base percentage, .500 slugging percentage, .877 OPS, three homers, five doubles and one triple in 36 games (108 plate appearances) for Boston in 2022 after being traded at the trade deadline from the White Sox. His stats then dropped last year when he posted a .267/.310/.358/.668 line in 72 games (206 plate appearances). He spent time on the IL with a right oblique strain.
“Physically, I think he was a little bit behind last year,” Cora said. “He’ll be very honest and let you know.”
Cora said they also asked McGuire to improve his bat speed in the offseason.
“How do you do that, we can have the bat speed program with the different bats or you can get stronger,” Cora said. “I think it was a combination of both.”
McGuire is a left-handed hitter. Wong is right-handed. The Red Sox have faced just one left-handed starter so far.
“I think having all the lefties playing, that helps,” Cora said. “Tomorrow is a lefty, a tough one. So we’ll go with the righties and then Sunday we’ll see where we’re at.”
McGuire is attempting to use the whole field this season.
“It was adjusting a little bit of my intent to pull the ball as well as go the other way,” McGuire said. “So in the past, I think I was always looking for ways to hit the ball to the opposite field. And this year, I’ve practiced and worked on hitting the balls in the air to right — and what contact point that is on certain pitches. So just kind of expanding the baseball field of where I’m looking to hit the ball.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 6, 2024 5:41:33 GMT -5
Red Sox win wild game: Jarren Duran belts go-ahead homer in eighth
Updated: Apr. 06, 2024, 5:33 a.m.|Published: Apr. 06, 2024, 1:18 a.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Red Sox setup man Chris Martin entered Friday with a streak of 24 consecutive scoreless outings dating back to last July 30. But he gave up a game-tying single to Miguel Sanó that made it 6-6 in the seventh.
Jarren Duran quickly put the Red Sox back ahead though. Duran’s 409-foot home run to center field in the top of the eighth inning lifted Boston to a wild 8-6 victory here at Angel Stadium. The Sox improved to 6-2.
Duran — playing in front of plenty of family and friends — went 2-for-5 with two RBIs. The 27-year-old has gone 11-for-17 (.647) with four runs, four RBIs, two hit by pitches and four steals in his past four games.
He entered Friday 0-for-11 with six strikeouts at Angel Stadium, which is right down the street from where he grew up. He graduated from Cypress High, approximately 15 minutes from here. He played at Long Beach State, which is about 15-20 minutes from here.
“To be honest, I put so much pressure on myself because there’s been people who have never seen me get a hit in person,” Duran said. “Like my roommates had never seen me get a hit in person. So I’m glad I got at least one of those out of the way for them. That was pretty fun.”
Tyler O’Neill homered to add an important insurance run in the ninth. It was his second homer of the game and it traveled 382 feet.
The Red Sox hit more home runs Friday (5) than they hit in their first seven games (4).
“We didn’t stop playing and that’s a good sign,” manager Alex Cora said.
Story injures shoulder
Trevor Story left the game with an injured shoulder in the fourth inning.
He dived to his right to field Mike Trout’s ground ball in the fourth inning. He gloved it but then landed on his left arm.
Story remained down on the shallow outfield grass for a few minutes in obvious pain before walking off with the trainer and Cora. He will undergo an MRI on Saturday.
“Obviously did something to the shoulder there. Pretty painful,” Story said. “We didn’t get images yet. So we’ll have that tomorrow. I’m not trying to put any words on it yet because we don’t know for sure. So yeah, painful. Just kind of landed on the body weight on the shoulder there.
“We’re refraining from kind of diagnosing it right now until we get more information tomorrow,” he added.
Two errors lead to Angels tying game
Two Red Sox errors behind reliever Josh Winckowski in the bottom of the sixth inning allowed the Angels to tie it 5-5.
Center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela dropped a 327-foot routine fly ball off the bat of Taylor Ward. Second baseman Enmanuel Valdez then made an error on the next play. Brandon Drury grounded to third baseman Rafael Devers who threw to second. But Valdez dropped Devers’ throw.
Winckowski hit Miguel Sanó with a pitch to load the bases. One out later, Logan O’Hoppe crushed a 407-foot grand slam to tie it 5-5.
Red Sox belt three homers in the third
The Red Sox hit just four home runs in seven games in Seattle and Oakland to begin the season. But they crushed three homers a total of 1,199 feet in the second inning alone against the Angels on Friday.
Tyler O’Neill started it with a 101.6 mph, 410-foot home run to center field. It was his third blast this season. Triston Casas went back-to-back with O’Neill. His traveled 397 feet to left-center field. It had a 104 mph exit velocity.
Reese McGuire then joined in with a 102.8 mph, 392-foot blast to right field.
McGuire’s blast
McGuire’s homer, pulled to right, is exactly what he’s trying to do more of this season.
“It was adjusting a little bit of my intent to pull the ball as well as go the other way,” McGuire said earlier this week. “So in the past, I think I was always looking for ways to hit the ball to the opposite field. And this year, I’ve practiced and worked on hitting the balls in the air to right — and what contact point that is on certain pitches. So just kind of expanding the baseball field of where I’m looking to hit the ball.”
Crawford’s line
Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford held the Angels hitless through three innings and scoreless through four innings. But he struggled with control in the fifth inning, walking three batters. He walked in a run with the bases loaded.
Crawford went 4 ⅔ innings, giving up one run, two hits and three walks while striking out five.
Saturday’s matchup
Red Sox righty Garrett Whitlock (1-0, 1.80 ERA) will start Saturday opposite lefty Reid Detmers (1-0, 1.80 ERA).
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