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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2024 8:57:24 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe Series finale will be a little cold.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2024 9:42:04 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo @chriscotillo Casas to IL with left rib strain. Tyler Heineman is up. 11:24 AM · Apr 21, 2024 ·
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2024 11:56:09 GMT -5
Game 23: Red Sox at Pirates lineups and notes as Triston Casas hits the ILBy Amin Touri Globe Staff,Updated April 21, 2024, 1 hour ago The Red Sox keep losing players, but they seem to keep winning baseball games anyway. Triston Casas is the latest casualty as he hit the 10-day injured list Sunday with a rib strain suffered in Saturday’s win over the Pirates. Josh Winckowski has the ball for the series finale in Pittsburgh to make his first start of the season after opening the year in the bullpen. The righthander is 0-1 with a 7.88 ERA in two appearances (one start) against the Pirates. Old friend Martín Pérez is on the hill for the Pirates. He signed a one-year, $8 million deal in the offseason. Lineups RED SOX (12-10): Rafaela SS, Duran CF, Refsnyder RF, Abreu LF, Wong C, Dalbec 3B, Reyes 1B, Heineman DH, Valdez 2B Pitching: RHP Josh Winckowski (1-1, 4.63 ERA) PIRATES (11-10): Joe RF, Reynolds LF, Hayes 3B, Suwinski CF, McCutchen CF, Tellez 1B, Bart C, Cruz SS, Triolo 2B Pitching: LHP Martín Pérez (1-0, 2.55 ERA) Time: 1:35 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Red Sox vs. Pérez: Bobby Dalbec 0-4, Rafael Devers 3-7, Reese McGuire 2-3, Ceddanne Rafaela 0-2, Rob Refsnyder 0-3, Masataka Yoshida 0-2 Pirates vs. Winckowski: Oneil Cruz 0-3, Ke’Bryan Hayes 0-2, Andrew McCutchen 1-2, Edward Olivares 0-1, Bryan Reynolds 4-4, Rowdy Tellez 0-2 Stat of the day: The Red Sox have hit 29 homers this season, second-most in baseball. Notes: Casas left Saturday’s game with rib discomfort shortly after batting in the first inning Entering the matchup, Casas had homered four times in the past seven games. “We’ll know more over the course of the night,” Boston manager Alex Cora said after Saturday’s win. “There was a swing in that first at-bat where he kind of like stretched out. He came in and said, ‘I can play defense, but you need somebody to hit for me the next at-bat.’” ... Rafael Devers, who did not play in his third straight game Saturday because of a bone bruise in his left knee. Devers has missed nine games this season because of injury. He is not expected to return until at least Tuesday. ... Pittsburgh has lost five games in a row after opening the season with 11 wins in 16 games. ... The Pirates are 1 for 17 with runners in scoring position in the first two games of the series. ... Pérez is 5-2 with a 4.28 ERA in 10 career games (nine starts) against the Red Sox. ... Boston closer Kenley Jansen earned his fifth save of the season by striking out the side in the ninth inning Saturday. It was the 425th save of his career, fifth most in major league history. Song of the Day: Matthew Good Band - Apparitions www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-Gjt1t_HDs
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2024 11:59:39 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe Casas going back to Boston to get examined. Cora said he’s concerned it will be a lengthy absence.
Said the Sox need to meet tomorrow to discuss options.
On the plus side, Devers and O’Neill just hit and look good for Tuesday. 12:53 PM · Apr 21, 2024 ·
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2024 12:02:37 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe Casas was downcast when we spoke to him. Said he's in a lot of pain and felt it on the swing. Getting an MRI tomorrow.
Sounds like it's more of a fractured rib than a broken one. Either way, not good. Rib injuries are typically lengthy rehabs,
Some 40-man changes are coming. Sox may have to drop some players to add others so the MLB can field a team.
1:52 PM · Apr 21, 2024
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2024 19:27:26 GMT -5
Wilyer Abreu drives in a pair of runs as Red Sox complete sweep of reeling Pirates with 6-1 victory AP
PITTSBURGH (AP) Wilyer Abreu had three hits and drove in two runs and the Boston Red Sox beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-1 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.
Abreu's RBI single off Martín Pérez (1-1) in the third gave the Red Sox the lead for good. He added another RBI single in the sixth as Boston continued its strong play away from Fenway Park. Reese McGuire added a pinch-hit two-run single for the Red Sox, who improved to 10-3 on the road so far this season.
Boston bounced back after a bumpy homestand by keeping the Pirates in check yet again. Justin Slaten (1-0) worked two scoreless innings in relief to earn the victory as the Red Sox's road ERA dropped to 1.45.
Perhaps just as importantly, Boston found a way to take care of the Pirates without third baseman Rafael Devers and outfielder Tyler O'Neill. O'Neill is on the injured list and Devers didn't play in the series while nursing a bone bruise in his knee, forcing the Red Sox to rely even more on players such as the 24-year-old Abreu.
Asked how his team has responded despite having so many key players unavailable, manager Alex Cora just shrugged.
“Youth, to be honest with you,” he said. “They don’t know any better. Some of them, you know, they just show up every day, willing to work.”
Ke'Bryan Hayes had two of Pittsburgh's seven hits and drove in the Pirates' only run with a first-inning sacrifice fly. Pittsburgh has dropped six straight to fall to .500 (11-11) for the first time this season.
“It was a sloppy game,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “We didn’t play well. You can point out multiple things that we need to clean up. In certain situations, guys are trying to do a little too much. In certain situations, we just played sloppy.”
The Pirates have scored just nine runs during their slide and did little against five Red Sox pitchers. Pittsburgh didn't help itself with a couple of baserunning mistakes to take away scoring opportunities. Hayes and Jack Suwinski were both thrown out at second - Hayes in the fourth, Suwinski in the sixth - trying to grab an extra base in hopes of sparking a struggling offense.
Pérez, labored through four-plus innings. The veteran left-hander, who had been sharp in his first four starts with the Pirates, gave up four runs in four-plus innings, with four walks and seven strikeouts. Pérez left in the fifth after Abreu led off with a double and Connor Wong walked.
Pittsburgh reliever Ryder Ryan came on and gave up a flare to center by McGuire, a former Pirates prospect, that made it 4-1, more than enough considering Pittsburgh's current issues at the plate.
Josh Winckowski, a reliever these days, made his first start since last August and just his second since the end of the 2022 season for Boston. The right-hander worked 3 1/3 innings, giving up one run and three hits with a strikeout before being removed after 46 pitches. Winckowski is optimistic that what the starting pitchers have done without Lucas Giolito (elbow surgery) is sustainable.
“People are saying we need help in the rotation and the rotation (stinks) and whatnot,” Winckowski said. “So really happy for all the guys to be proving everyone wrong.”
TRAINER'S ROOM
Red Sox: Placed 1B Triston Casas on the 10-day injured list with a left rib strain. Casas injured the rib while fouling off a pitch in the first inning on Saturday. Boston called up C Tyler Heineman from Triple-A Worcester to take Casas' spot on the roster. ... Cora said after the game he expects Devers and O'Neill to be available this week.
Pirates: C Yasmani Grandal (left foot), who is rehabbing at Triple-A Indianapolis, will be evaluated by the team early in the week. Grandal general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Grandal could come off the injured list “not too long from now.”
UP NEXT
Red Sox: Are off Monday before beginning a three-game series in Cleveland on Tuesday. The Guardians took 3 of 4 from Boston at Fenway Park last week.
Pirates: Welcome NL Central rival Milwaukee to PNC Park on Monday to start a four-game set. Rookie Jared Jones (1-2, 3.13 ERA) starts for Pittsburgh. Joe Ross (1-1, 4.91) is scheduled to start for the Brewers.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2024 19:32:16 GMT -5
Young Sox team secures series sweep despite injuries to key players 6:59 PM ADT Jake Crouse
PITTSBURGH -- The lineup the Red Sox used in their series finale vs. the Pirates on Sunday was admittedly one of their thinnest of the season. Misfortune spelled by multiple injuries to everyday starters made it that way.
Trevor Story is out for the season. Rafael Devers missed a handful of games after a bone bruise in his left knee, and Tyler O’Neill landed on the concussion IL due to an outfield collision.
The good news is that the Red Sox have been able to weather these injuries, sweeping the Pirates with a 6-1 victory at PNC Park on Sunday afternoon. The even better news is that manager Alex Cora is confident that Devers and O’Neill will return to Boston’s lineup on Tuesday in Cleveland.
The bad news is they’ll have to weather one more absence created by an injury to another everyday player: Triston Casas. The Red Sox’s first baseman was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left rib strain, and the team is concerned it could be a lengthier absence. Casas had produced an .857 OPS in his first 22 games of the season before he injured himself on a swing in his first at-bat on Saturday.
Casas said he felt something in the area in the team’s series vs. the Guardians earlier in the week, but it was milder and he knew the lineup needed his bat. Now, he’s at a point where it hurts to breathe.
“Just with where the team was at, I was trying to grind it out as long as I could before I really pulled the plug,” Casas said.
Any injury is tough, but the timing is brutal for the Red Sox. Devers and O’Neill took batting practice at PNC Park on Sunday, and Cora said Devers even asked if he could play on Sunday instead of waiting until Tuesday. With their availability all but written in pen for Boston’s next series, Cora anticipated having his power trio back together.
“It’s one of those [things] where you can’t think too much about Triston, because he’s not going to be here,” Cora said. “But the way he’s swinging the bat and these two guys in the lineup, having Tyler in between those two, I was looking forward to it. But now, we have to readjust, and we’ll be OK.”
So the Red Sox will have their depth tested once again, and in that sense, their first run at production without Casas was a good one. The lineup provided consistent pressure to a struggling Pirates team, including two RBI singles by Wilyer Abreu and a pinch-hit two-run knock by Reese McGuire.
The Red Sox have won four of their past five games working with a lineup at limited capacity, and they’re now 13-10, keeping pace in a hot American League East.
The biggest factor in that success has been the starting pitching. But what’s driving the offense?
“Youth,” Cora said. “They don’t know any better, some of them. They just show up every day willing to work.” Get the latest from the Red Sox
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Abreu, the biggest bat in Sunday’s win, has played fewer than 50 MLB games. Cedanne Rafaela is not only at 51 games, but he’s also had to move from the outfield to shortstop with Story out. Though he struggled Sunday, Enmanuel Valdez entered the finale 6-for-22 with a double and a homer in his past seven games.
“We knew going into the year that the core of the team was going to be some young guys and rookies,” said Rob Refsnyder, the oldest position player on the roster at only 33 years old. “They’re learning on the go, and I think they’re doing a really, really good job in making those adjustments.”
Now, the team’s focus shifts to Cleveland, and the first task is filling the gap at first base. The duties were handed to Pablo Reyes on Sunday, and Bobby Dalbec is another option. Cora also mentioned Jamie Westbrook as a depth piece, and depending how long Casas’ stay on the injured list is, Romy Gonzalez -- who is recovering from a left wrist sprain -- could be a fit.
“There’s a lot of moving parts,” Cora said, “and I think tomorrow will be a great day for us to sit down and start thinking about Cleveland and the Cubs, and let’s see how long [Casas] is going to be out and decide what we’re going to do in the future.”
But despite it all, the Red Sox have gotten a jolt given the way they’ve played while as shorthanded as anyone in MLB.
“We’re just going to go out here and play with the 26 guys that we have, and we’re going to try to win every single game, fight ‘til the last pitch,” said rookie reliever Justin Slaten, who earned his first win. “Nobody comes in here sulking about who we have and who we don’t have. We feel confident.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2024 19:35:12 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe Winckowski will stay in the rotation. Devers and O’Neill return Tuesday.
Sox rotation coming up:
Tuesday: Houck Wednesday: TBA Thursday: Bello Friday: Crawford Saturday: Winckowski
5:46 PM · Apr 21, 2024
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2024 19:37:05 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo @chriscotillo Asked Cora if Yoshida was dealing with something, Cora said he's OK. Weird he didn't start or pinch-hit when McGuire came in there.
Expecting a flurry of roster moves before Tuesday's game in Cleveland. Some depth for the 1B spot possible. Hard to see Heineman staying. And could see a bullpen shuffle, too. 40-man in play.
Helpful that the WooSox are in Toledo, which is less than 2 hours from Cleveland.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2024 19:38:10 GMT -5
Tyler Milliken ⚾️ @tylermilliken_ Alex Cora gave credit to the young guys on the Red Sox roster for not knowing any better and showing up every day ready to play.
This team has suffered a number of blows already, but it’s nice to see them still locked in despite all that. Devers and O’Neill returning on Tuesday will be absolutely massive.
Hard to be upset about being 13-10 with the roller coaster this team has been on. Props to Cora and the players for keeping things afloat.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2024 19:41:13 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Concerns growing that Triston Casas’s stint on the injured list could be a long one By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated April 21, 2024, 1 hour ago
PITTSBURGH — The Red Sox suffered another heart-wrenching setback Sunday, placing Triston Casas on the 10-day injured list with a left rib strain. However, the diagnosis is subject to change as Casas will travel back to Boston and will undergo further testing Monday.
Casas initially felt the injury during the Sox’ series against the Guardians last week. Knowing where the team was injurywise, Casas tried to play through it. But when the first baseman swung at a 3-1 offering in his first at-bat Saturday in Pittsburgh, the pain became too intense for Casas to continue playing.
“Right now I’m in a lot of pain,” said a somber Casas at PNC Park prior to the Sox’ 6-1 win Sunday afternoon. “Right now there’s just a lot of pain in my midsection. I don’t know the vocabulary or the word directly but I just know that it’s something abnormal.”
Casas, who had not missed a game this season until Sunday, is hitting .244/.344/.513 with an .857 OPS and six homers. But there’s growing concern that this will be a lengthy IL stint for the 24-year-old.
“I am concerned,” said manager Alex Cora. “This guy, he grinds. Triston, he plays. For him to come out of the game, yeah, I am concerned.”
“The midsection, it’s a tough thing to judge,” said Casas. “It’s not an oblique. It’s not that, which I know can be a long period of time, too. But when you’re dealing with bone and cartilage, there’s a lot of mending that has to do with those areas. So I haven’t been suggested any timetable right now.”
Cora will use Monday’s offday to decide how the team will proceed. Pablo Reyes, who started at first Sunday, will continue to be an option along with Bobby Dalbec, who played third in the absence of Rafael Devers.
“Somebody has to do the job,” said Cora. “That’s the bottom line. It’s an opportunity for somebody to play first base. We don’t know how long yet but they need to do the job. That’s how it works at this level.
We cannot just think about Trevor [Story] and Casas. We know we’re going to pitch. We knew this since spring training. Our defense needs to improve. We know that, but we got some capable guys offensively that can help us create runs.” Tuesday return dates for Devers, O’Neill
In all likelihood, Devers will return Tuesday after missing the last four games with a bone bruise in his left knee. Devers tried to push Cora to let him play Sunday, considering the Sox’ injury woes. Cora, however, didn’t budge.
“Let’s stay with the plan,” said Cora. “We’re not going to do something that doesn’t make sense for the team in the long run just because we don’t have Triston.”
Tyler O’Neill (concussion) should return by Tuesday as well, added Cora. Both Devers and O’Neill took batting practice Sunday.
The return of the pair would solidify the Sox’ lineup somewhat. But the thought always goes back to Casas and what the lineup could have been with the trio instead of a duo.
“You can’t think about Triston because he’s not here,” said Cora. “But the way he was swinging the bat and having Tyler in between those two guys in the lineup, I was looking forward to it. I was like ‘OK,’ but now we have to readjust and we’ll be OK.”
Josh Winckowski to remain in rotation
Sunday’s start won’t be the only one Josh Winckowski will make this season. With the Sox’ rotation also suffering from injuries, Winckowski will remain in the rotation until either Garrett Whitlock (oblique) or Nick Pivetta (elbow) return from the 15-day IL.
“I’m accustomed to what starting looks like,” said Winckowski, who was built up as a starter going into spring. “Spring training was only so long ago. I’m just going to kind of keep the same routine.”
Whitlock played catch for the first time Saturday while Pivetta threw a bullpen. Pivetta will have an up-and-down session Thursday for the Sox’ series finale in Cleveland that will be followed by a live batting practice. From there, the team will make a decision on what’s next. Cora said Saturday he would like for Pivetta to make a rehab start or two … The Sox’ rotation for the Guardians series is as follows: Tanner Houck will start Tuesday, pitcher to be determined Wednesday, and Brayan Bello on Thursday. Tanner Bibee, Ben Lively, and Carlos Carrasco are starting for Cleveland.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2024 19:44:31 GMT -5
Credit to the Red Sox’ players and coaches for punching above their weight so far By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated April 21, 2024, 1 hour ago
PITTSBURGH — The Red Sox boarded buses after Sunday’s 6-1 victory against the Pirates and made the two-hour trip to Cleveland. Paper bags with subs were available for the journey.
First baseman Triston Casas had already left, heading back to Boston for further testing on what is feared to be a fractured rib.
The group didn’t include Trevor Story, who is away from the team as he recovers from season-ending shoulder surgery. Or Lucas Giolito, also out for the season after elbow surgery.
In all, the Sox have 12 players on the injured list, at least eight who would surely be on the active roster if healthy.
Yet the Sox are 13-10, which is better than 17 other teams, including the Dodgers, Rangers, and Diamondbacks.
You can be — and should be — upset with ownership for cutting the payroll and seemingly turning its attention to other matters.
But at the same time you can be impressed with the job the Sox players and coaches have done persevering through a series of injuries.
Manager Alex Cora looked wrecked before the game while discussing the loss of Casas to a rib cage injury. Every indication is that he will miss significant time.
But Cora was smiling afterward while assessing a three-game series sweep.
“It’s good for everybody,” he said. “It was a total team effort. We know where we’re at rosterwise right now.”
The Sox’ lineup was quite something.
Tyler Heineman, who arrived from Triple A Worcester about an hour before first pitch, batted eighth as the designated hitter. He’s a 32-year-old journeyman backup catcher who was called up Sunday because he was the only healthy position player on the 40-man roster not already in the majors.
Connor Wong, who is usually at the bottom of the lineup, batted fifth. Bobby Dalbec, who was 1 for 26 with 15 strikeouts, batted sixth.
You don’t see a lot of .038 hitters batting sixth 23 games into the season.
Josh Winckowski came out of the bullpen to start. He was followed by former carpenter Cam Booser, Greg Weissert, Rule 5 pick Justin Slaten, and Chase Anderson, a 36-year-old playing for his seventh team in the last six years.
“That was a fun game,” said Slaten, who picked up his first major league win.
Congrats to all of you who have wished the Red Sox could collect spare parts like the Rays and put together effective lineups. Now they do.
“They don’t know any better, some of them. They just show up every day willing to work,” Cora said. “The coaching staff has done an amazing job. You see the work we put in. It’s a little different than in the past. More specific. More, actually.
“It’s a different group than in the past … it’s a good bunch.”
Tyler O’Neill is set to come off the concussion injured list in Cleveland on Tuesday. Rafael Devers, who has missed the last four days with a sore left knee, also should return.
Devers told Cora he was ready to play Sunday. But with a day off Monday, the manager decided to wait. Watching his teammates win three games — and score 18 runs — without him could get Devers going at the plate.
Cora cited Rob Refsnyder as bringing some needed leadership on the position-player side. He reached twice Sunday and scored a run.
“A lot of young guys, a lot of injuries,” Refsnyder said. “But we knew going into the year, the core of the team would be some young guys and rookies. “They’re learning on the go and I think they’re doing a really, really good job adjusting and making those necessary adjustments.”
This is not a sustainable model for even modest success. But the rotation has a 1.73 earned run average, the defense is much better with Ceddanne Rafaela at shortstop, and Wilyer Abreu has been getting on base like a Venezuelan Wade Boggs the last few weeks.
Modest as they were, the Sox have exceeded expectations.
“We’re having fun,” Refsnyder said. “Hopefully it continues.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2024 19:49:20 GMT -5
J.P. Long @soxnotes Red Sox starting pitchers lead the majors with a 1.73 ERA.
Last 5 starts:
0.68 ERA 26.1 IP, 2 R .157 AVG (14-for-89) .191 SLG (0 HR) 25 K, 6 BB 3:55 PM · Apr 21, 2024 ·
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 21, 2024 19:50:23 GMT -5
J.P. Long @soxnotes The Red Sox:
- Have the AL’s 5th best record - Own MLB’s lowest ERA (2.52) - Rank 2nd in MLB in HR (29) - Are 4-1 in their last 5 games - Have a +18 run differential 8:15 PM · Apr 21, 2024 ·
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 22, 2024 6:12:38 GMT -5
Peter Gammons @pgammo The Red Sox have 12 players on the IL. Their expected 2B-2B-SS-3B-LF, 3 Starting pitchers on that list. Granted, the Pirates are in a slump, but the preparation of Jason Varitek and Andrew Bailey's pitching college of cardinals have been remarkable.
Craig Breslow's adds--Booser, Slaten, Weissert, Anderson--have allowed 8 R in 39 IP w/30-6 K-BB. Two LH Indy gradf relievers reminds us that Breslow went from Indy Ball to ALCS-WS hero in 2013. 7:26 AM · Apr 22, 2024 ·
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