Cubs @ Red Sox Game Thread/ 26th - 28th April 2024

Why Friday's Red Sox return to Fenway Park is worth paying attention to
By Rob Bradford
WEEI 93.7
an hour ago


CLEVELAND - The Red Sox' 6-4 loss to the Guardians wasn't a great way for Alex Cora's crew to end its six-game road swing. Some of the sloppiness that had been avoided for the first five contests reappeared, with the day feeling more like survival than legitimate steps forward.

Friday back at Fenway Park, there will be no such innocuous nature.

"I know it’s a tough one, but it doesn’t feel that way," Cora said after the defeat, which was highlighted for the hosts by Jose Ramirez's second-inning grand slam. "Get ready, hop on the plane and be ready for tomorrow."

The manager then added, "We’ve got to go. We’ve got to go. It’s very important."

So, why should Friday night stand out?

For starters, it's the starters.

Understand that why so many believed the Red Sox were making Yoshinobu Yamamoto their top priority, the reality was that they had their more realistic sights set on another Japanese pitcher, Shota Imanaga. Sure, they would have loved to have Yamamoto, but considering the price and competition, the organization understood what a longshot that would be.

Imanaga was a different story.

He was five years older than Yamamoto, and didn't possess the same shock-and-awe success in Japan. But Imanaga had caught Craig Breslow's eye well before the executive became the Red Sox' chief baseball officer. So much so, in fact, that when Breslow did come to Boston he brought with him a level of enthusiasm for the lefty pitcher the Sox front office simply didn't previously possess.

A Zoom call was had with Breslow, Red Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey and Sox manager Alex Cora, one which appeared to put the Sox in a good position when it came to reeling in Imanaga. But ultimately the Cubs' presentation - which was somewhat built on the work of the current Sox CBO - and a four-year, $53 million deal got Imanaga to Chicago.

Friday night, the Red Sox will get a chance to witness their former target first-hand. Imanaga is slated to make his fifth start of the season, having already made a powerful first impression, giving up just two earned runs in 21 1/3 innings, striking out 21 and walking just two.

"We’ve got a tough one tomorrow (against Imanaga)," Cora said after Thursday's losss. "He’s really good at what he does. But we’ve got to be ready. Friday night at Fenway. Make it fun."


Another part of the equation that should be factored in when finding a reason to prioritize Friday night is who Imanaga is going up against. That would be one of the few starters with an actual ERA better than the Cubs' rookie, Kutter Crawford.

As amazing as Imanaga has been, Crawford's five-start run has been nothing short of incredible. The righty hasn't allowed more than a run in any of his appearances, going at least five frames in each of them.

It is the kind of rare pitching showdown that should sell tickets simply on its own.

And then there is the need to give a reason for baseball fans in and around Boston to care about going to Fenway Park beyond the starters, opponents and touristy experience.

Since the beginning of 2022, the Red Sox are just 85-87 at Fenway, having going 3-7 on their initial homestand of the 2024 season. Last year the record was 39-42. In other words, homefield advantage hasn't really been a thing of late.

If the Red Sox are to find an avenue in staying in contention, there has to be some semblance of juice when it comes to playing in front of the home crowd. And that reset can start against a team in the Cubs that will bring people out just due to the novelty of the North-Siders' presence.

The hope is that Rafael Devers' knee allows him to ultimately start anchor third base once again (although a return to the field most likely won't come until Saturday), the commitment to Ceddanne Rafaela as the team's everyday shortstop, and Tyler O'Neill finding his pre-concussion form will allow for the desired optimism. And, ultimately, as the days progress, closing in on returns from the likes of Nick Pivetta, Brayan Bello and Vaughn Grissom (who is likely to debut during next week's Giants series) will supply an additional boost.

Thursday was easy for the Red Sox to put in the rearview mirror. Now Friday will help define what the road ahead might look like.

It's worth taking a peek.

RED SOX NOTEBOOK
Ceddanne Rafaela’s defensive prowess makes him the choice to be the Red Sox’ starting shortstop
By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated April 25, 2024, 5:53 p.m.


CLEVELAND — Ceddanne Rafaela started at shortstop every day during the Red Sox’ six-game road trip.

Moving forward, you can expect that to stay the case.

When Trevor Story went down with a season-ending shoulder injury, the Red Sox infield was a wreck. Story had impressed not only with his glove work but also his knack for making those around him better. He was the stabilizer.

Though Rafaela doesn’t have the same capabilities, he is still a quality shortstop. And, much like Story, that has a trickle-down effect.

“We’ve been able to slow down the game [with Rafaela at short],” manager Alex Cora said prior to the Sox’ 6-4 loss to the Guardians. “You look at the homestand and there were, like, three bad innings, you know, and we made a big deal out of it. But I think [his] range is real and the arm is different.”


Rafaela, who started 16 games in center field, enhanced the outfield, too. But the Sox were in dire need of his skill set in the dirt. Jarren Duran has improved as a center fielder and is capable of commanding the position.



Plus, the move for Rafaela isn’t a daunting one since he initially signed as an infielder.

“It’s nothing strange. I’ve been doing it for my career,” said Rafaela, who went 0 for 4 with an RBI Thursday. ”I’m just here to do my job, to do whatever they say.”

The bat is still a work in progress. Rafaela is hitting just .163 in 93 plate appearances. He often overswings, gearing up too much for a fastball that is already by him. He also still chases, coming into Thursday with a 44.1 percent chase rate.

But the defense is exceptional. Too exceptional to sit — especially since he’s the best option.



“I love playing defense,” said Rafaela. “I love playing shortstop, too.”
Iron man Duran

Duran has played in all 26 games this year.

He entered Thursday leading the American League in plate appearances (117). He’s ahead of the Yankees’ Juan Soto and the Rangers’ Marcus Semien, known as players who hate taking days off.


If you ask Cora, that’s by design.

“I challenged him the other day,” said Cora. “I told him ‘You will play. You tell me [when you need a breather.]’ I think, physically, he can handle it. And he makes us better. We’re pro taking care of players. But if you look around the league, the big boys, the good teams, the teams that are in the playoffs every [year], those dudes, they play. You look at Atlanta, they play.”

Though Duran has struggled at the plate of late, speed never slumps. That ability alone, matched with run-saving defense in the outfield, amplifies the Sox’ athleticism. With Story out for the season, Duran’s tool set, as well as Rafaela’s, becomes even more important.

“It will be good to challenge him, kind of like a change of culture,” said Cora. “I’m all about taking care of players, but there’s something about posting every day that helps you. That’s why they’re everyday players and I think that that’s a good challenge.”
Kelly turning heads

Zack Kelly caught Cora’s attention in Wednesday night’s win when he went two innings and struck out three to close out the Guardians. Kelly’s four-seam fastball sat at 96 m.p.h.



“It’s a real 96,” Cora said. “And we don’t have that four-seamer in the bullpen until yesterday.”


If Kelly continues to throw strikes, it will give Cora more wiggle room to mix and match against the opposition depending on their bat paths. The Sox’ bullpen features a lot of pitchers who have a horizontal approach, moving pitches from side to side. But Kelly’s vertical attack is less predictable.

“A lot of guys are east and west and he can go north,” said Cora. “Everything that [everyone] has been talking about with our pitching staff, saying that we don’t throw four-seamers, well, it’s not that we don’t throw them, it’s just the quality of the pitch, and his is a good one.”
Injury wire

Nick Pivetta (elbow) will throw a live batting practice Saturday. Garrett Whitlock (oblique strain) is still playing catch. The team will meet Friday to figure out what the next steps might be … Romy González (left wrist sprain) is not progressing as well as the Sox had hoped, and is still experiencing soreness … Vaughn Grissom (groin strain) is progressing well. The Red Sox won’t reinstate him for their upcoming series with the Cubs, but he is getting close. Similar to Whitlock, the organization will meet to discuss the upcoming plan for the second baseman … The Sox begin a three-game set against the Cubs Friday. Here are the pitching matchups: Kutter Crawford vs. Shota Imanaga; Josh Winckowksi vs. TBD; Tanner Houck vs. Jordan Wicks. Imanaga has dominated his opponents. In four starts, he has an 0.84 ERA. Crawford, however, has been better, with an 0.66 ERA in five starts, the best mark in the majors entering Thursday.

Cubs come to Boston to show Red Sox what a real rebuild looks like
Jed Hoyer and the Cubs have a plan, which is more than the Red Sox can say.
By John Tomase, Red Sox Insider • Published 4 hours ago • Updated 4 hours ago

John Tomase reacts to Tyler O’Neill being placed in ‘concussion protocol’ after colliding with Rafael Devers during Monday’s loss to the Guardians, and why it’s part of a larger issue with the defense stemming from the loss of Trevor Story to injury for the season.

There are two ways to rebuild in the modern big leagues: the meandering Red Sox way, and the let's-make-this-quick Cubs way.

The differing approaches will be on display this weekend when Chicago visits Fenway Park for a three-game set. The similarities are obvious. Both are big-market teams that play in historic ballparks. Both overcame decades of historic failure only relatively recently. Both could commission statues of Theo Epstein.

But that's where the similarities end. Each started rebuilding in 2019 after 84-win seasons. The Red Sox fired Dave Dombrowski and replaced him with the unproven Chaim Bloom to undertake a complete teardown that still feels amorphous under replacement Craig Breslow. The Cubs promoted longtime lieutenant Jed Hoyer after Epstein stepped down, and they prioritized a hybrid rebuild to minimize the pain of too many losing seasons, recognizing that they couldn't tank their way back to contention like the previous title winner did over five long years.

The result? The Cubs were already on the upswing by last summer thanks to a shrewd allocation of resources, and remained in the playoff hunt until the final weekend. They own a 16-9 record today that's among the best in the National League, just a half game behind the Brewers in the division.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, don't seem to know what they are. Ownership famously promised a full-throttle offseason and then delivered the hum of an electric lawnmower on a dying charge. They refused to spend in free agency, stubbornly content to await the promising youngsters currently tearing up Double-A. Maybe Marcelo Mayer and Co. are the next great things, but in the meantime, the big-league product languishes.

They're currently an overachieving 14-12 that feels distinctly temporary, thanks to an avalanche of injuries to the starting rotation. A July 31 sell-off remains a distinct possibility. It didn't have to be this way. Just ask the Cubs.


They knew five years ago that the 2016 championship core had basically expired. They did something about it at the 2021 trade deadline with a breathtakingly bold 24 hours that saw them deal franchise stalwarts Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Javier Baez. No running out the clock with Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Nathan Eovaldi, and J.D. Martinez before losing them all for virtually nothing. The Cubs acted.

They received young talent in return, including top prospects Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kevin Alcántara, as well as prized infielder Nick Madrigal. While they've yet to feel much of an impact at the big-league level, those deals were only a part of the rebuild.

The Cubs immediately spent in free agency, signing shortstop Dansby Swanson from the Braves for seven years and $177 million. They identified Swanson as the surest glove in his class, and he rewarded them with his second Gold Glove last year, as well as an All-Star berth. He's already a team leader.

They paired him in the middle with former top prospect Nico Hoerner, who finally broke through in his fifth season at age 26 to win his first Gold Glove while stealing 43 bases. Hoerner is now a linchpin, but it didn't happen overnight. The Red Sox would be wise to consider that learning curve when their own top prospects finally arrive.

The Cubs saw needs and filled them. In addition to Swanson, they bet big on former MVP Cody Bellinger. He overcame three injury-marred seasons with the Dodgers to regain his All-Star form last year, and when agent Scott Boras badly misread the market this winter, the Cubs happily signed him for one year and $30 million. He's still only 28 years old, but he just went on the injured list after breaking two ribs while crashing into the fence.

Then there's Seiya Suzuki. The Cubs bet big on the Japanese outfielder in 2022, signing him to a five-year, $85 million deal, beating out the Red Sox in the process. After an up-and-down debut while getting acclimated to the big leagues, he broke out last year with 20 homers and an .842 OPS. He was off to an even better start this April before landing on the injured list with an oblique strain that's expected to sideline him for a month.

The Red Sox responded to missing out on Suzuki by badly overpaying for Masataka Yoshida, a DH who hasn't even been able to crack the everyday lineup with multiple regulars injured. His $90 million contract has Rusney Castillo potential.

The Cubs never stopped developing their own players, with no success story more pronounced than left-hander Justin Steele. Drafted out of high school in 2014, he spent seven years in the minors, underwent Tommy John surgery, and finally debuted in 2021. He went 16-5 last year and is currently rehabbing a hamstring strain.

Nowhere is the difference between the two clubs more apparent than in Friday night's marquee pitching matchup between the two biggest surprises in baseball.

The Red Sox will hand the ball to Kutter Crawford, a homegrown talent drafted by Dombrowski and developed by Bloom who leads baseball with a 0.66 ERA. The Red Sox needed starters this winter, but declined to engage with anyone of note once they got blown out of the Yoshinobu Yamamoto sweepstakes. They rather weakly pivoted to how great they felt about their internal options, who have all exceeded expectations to varying degrees, but none more than Crawford.

The Cubs counter with Shōta Imanaga, who's exactly the kind of pitcher the Red Sox could've targeted this winter with just a little more belief in the current roster. Chicago landed the left-hander for a paltry two years and $22.5 million, plus two team options. All he has done is go 3-0 with a 0.84 ERA.

There's one final difference between the clubs, and that's how they've approached their managers. The Cubs liked David Ross, but when the opportunity came to steal Craig Counsell from the rival Brewers, they didn't hesitate, giving him $40 million over five years and making him the richest manager in history.

The Red Sox have not shown that kind of love to Alex Cora, allowing him to enter a lame-duck season with the possibility that he becomes the hottest name on the market this winter. One club acted decisively, while the other dithered.

And that sums up the difference between the two organizations overall. The Cubs have a plan, and it involves developing young players while giving the big-league club the resources to compete. At some point, maybe the Red Sox will belatedly reach the same conclusion.

The Analytic team is awesome

Red Sox lineup: Masataka Yoshida and Boston’s hottest hitter not starting

Updated: Apr. 26, 2024, 3:09 p.m.|Published: Apr. 26, 2024, 3:07 p.m.

By

Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com

BOSTON — Left-handed batter Wilyer Abreu, one of Boston’s hottest hitters, is not in the starting lineup against Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga here Friday.

The Red Sox and Cubs will play at 7:10 p.m. at Fenway Park. Boston is returning from a 4-2 road trip. It swept a three-game series at Pittsburgh, then lost two of three games at Cleveland.

Abreu is batting .307 with a .389 on-base percentage, .516 slugging percentage and .905 OPS in 72 plate appearances. He went 12-for-24 with two homers and four doubles on the six-game road trip but he mainly starts against right-handers. He has taken only 10 at-bats against left-handed pitchers this year.

Jarren Duran will play center field and lead off. Rob Refsnyder is in left field and Tyler O’Neill will play right field.

DH Masataka Yoshida again is not in the lineup with Rafael Devers again DH’ing. Devers (knee) is expected to need until at least Saturday before playing third base.

Imanaga, who the Red Sox were rumored to be interested in this past offseason, will start for the Cubs. He has allowed just two earned runs in 21 ⅓ innings (0.84 ERA). Opponents are batting .175 against him.

Imanaga signed with the Cubs out of Japan for four years, $53 million.