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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 3, 2024 6:21:44 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox vs.Minnesota Twins
Prediction and Picks – May 3
Friday, May 3, 2024 at 8:10pm EDT
Written by Paul Biagioli
A three-game series in the American League starts on Friday between the Boston Red Sox (18-13, 3rd AL East) and the Minnesota Twins (17-13, 4th AL Central). The Red Sox just finished off a home series against the Giants, taking two of the three games to win the series. The Twins took a day off after sweeping the White Sox in Chicago over three games. Boston is scheduled to start Tanner Houck (1.60 ERA), while the Twins will send out Chris Paddack (5.88 ERA). First pitch will be at 8:10 EST from Target Field in Minneapolis.
Four Game Streak Snapped
The Boston Red Sox were looking to sweep the Giants and go on a five game win streak heading into this series, but San Francisco has different plans. The Sox won their last two games against the Cubs at home, then almost swept the Giants before having to hit the road again. In their final game against San Francisco, the Red Sox only generated four hits in the 3-1 loss. They are now 2.5 games behind the division leading Orioles in the AL East.
Tyler O'Neil has become the top power hitter for Boston, as he leads the team with nine home runs and is one off the lead in the MLB. O'Neil can play multiple positions in the field including first base and left and right field, and is batting .309 on the year while filling the third spot in the lineup. Jarren Duran has been the most productive hitter, he leads the team in hits with 35 and has 15 RBIs while taking the lead-off spot in the lineup. Connor Wong has become a staple in the lineup at catcher, he has the second most hits on the team with 26 on the year to go with five home runs and 14 RBIs. Rafael Devers takes the second spot in the batting order, the third baseman has three home runs and is batting .286 at the plate.
Tanner Houck is a 27-year old right-hander making his seventh start of the season. He has a 3-2 record on the year, and has a strong ERA at 1.60. Houck has 41 strikeouts on the season to go with five walks and has only allowed one home run so far in 2024. In his last outing, he lasted 6.2 innings and gave up just one earned run in the win over the Cubs.
Red Hot Twins
The Minnesota Twins are on a scorching hot ten-game win streak coming into this series with Boston. With that said, a deeper dive into the schedule reveals that this double-digit win streak may not be as impressive as it seems. Seven of the ten wins in the streak came against the Chicago White Sox, the team with the worst record in the MLB. The other three wins came against the Angels, who have an 11-20 record. The level of competition is about to rise as they take on the Red Sox.
Ryan Jeffers has been one of the best hitters for Minnesota, he plays either catcher or fills the DH spot, while leading the team with 19 RBIs and a .300 batting average. Jeffers also has five home runs. The club leader in home runs is second baseman Eduoard Julien with seven, he has been batting second in the lineup and has added another 12 RBIs, but is batting just .216 at the plate. Willi Castro can play multiple positions defensively, he is second on the team in hits behind Jeffers with 27, and is batting .270 from the 8th spot in the order with two home runs. Byron Buxton starts in center field, he has 23 hits on the year with one home run and 11 RBIs.
Chris Paddack is a 28-year old right-hander starting on the mound with a 2-1 record. The team has gone 4-1 in his last five starts, and he has 1 5.88 ERA. Paddack has 21 strikeouts to six walks, with five allowed home runs on the year. In his last start, he went five innings and allowed four earned runs against the Angels, but the Twins were still able to win the game.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 3, 2024 6:23:44 GMT -5
Other SP Probables
Saturday, 2pm, TBP vs Lopez 2-2/ 4.83
Sunday, 2pm, Crawford 2-1/ 1.66 vs Ryan 1-1/ 3.38
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 3, 2024 6:30:43 GMT -5
Red Sox RHP Nick Pivetta walks four, charged with four runs in rehab start
By Mac Cerullo | mcerullo@bostonherald.com
PUBLISHED: May 2, 2024 at 7:20 p.m. | UPDATED: May 2, 2024 at 7:21 p.m.
Nick Pivetta struggled with his command in his first and possibly only rehab start in Worcester on Thursday night, walking four batters while being charged with four runs over three-plus innings against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Having not pitched in a game since April 3 after being placed on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow flexor strain, Pivetta was rusty out of the gate. He walked the first two batters of the game and allowed five straight baserunners to open his outing.
Lehigh Valley’s Weston Wilson tagged him for a two-run single and then David Dahl singled to reload the bases and put Pivetta on the ropes, but then the right-hander asserted control and struck out the next three batters to escape the jam.
From that point on he got into a groove.
Pivetta easily got through the second inning on 10 pitches, drawing a ground out and two flyouts, and in the third he got two strikeouts and a lineout for a quick 1-2-3 inning on only 11 pitches. He then came back out for the fourth after an extended wait but had trouble finding the plate again, walking his last two batters before reaching his pitch limit and exiting for reliever Jorge Benitez. Both of his inherited runners later came around to score.
Pivetta finished the day with 62 pitches, 36 for strikes. He allowed three hits and struck out five along with the four walks and four earned runs.
Before going on the IL Pivetta had posted an 0.82 ERA over his first two starts of the season. Barring any unexpected developments the 31-year-old could potentially return to the big league club during next week’s road series in Atlanta.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 3, 2024 6:36:39 GMT -5
Red Sox offense has been inconsistent, but so has the personnel
By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated May 2, 2024, 7:06 p.m.
Red Sox pitchers performed well enough on Thursday to sweep over the Giants. The team’s offense was unable to match.
And so, the Red Sox closed out their successful six-game homestand — which featured series victories over both the Cubs and Giants — with a false note, a 3-1 defeat in which the offense could manage almost nothing against the San Francisco staff. Even so, members of the team considered the week at Fenway a success, with wins in four of six contests against a pair of National League teams with playoff aspirations.
“It was a great homestand,” said manager Alex Cora. “We played great. We pitched well. We played clean baseball.”
The pitching and defense were indeed steady. The offense, not so much.
The homestand was bracketed by losses in which the Sox scored one run. In between, they won four straight — headlined by the 17-run eruption, but with steady yields of four, five, and six in the others.
The production this year has been volatile. Thursday marked the ninth time the Red Sox have scored one run or fewer, tied for second most in the big leagues and behind only the woeful White Sox.
Still, they have also had plenty of high-scoring days. Sixteen scoring five or more, tied for fifth-most entering Thursday. Somehow, the Sox ranked ninth in the big leagues in runs per game (4.8) and sixth in OPS (.743).
“There’s going to be games you don’t score, but I think overall, we’ve done a really good job,” said Cora. “I know everybody is talking about the pitching staff, but take a look at the numbers offensively and we’re one of the best offenses in the league.”
There’s some luck in play in terms of the frequency with which mediocre contact has produced hits, but the team need not apologize for production that, quite frankly, defies logic.
Vaughn Grissom is slated to make his debut on Friday against the Twins in Minnesota. In his absence, Red Sox second basemen have a combined .194 on-base — an offensive black hole. At the bottom of the order, Ceddanne Rafaela — along with Jarren Duran, one of the two lineup constants — is hitting .191/.220/.345, unable to deliver consistent production in his early taste of the big leagues.
Trevor Story is out for the season. Triston Casas is out at least two months. Masataka Yoshida landed on the injured list this week with a thumb strain, and neither he nor the team has ruled out surgery. Rafael Devers has missed more than a third of the Sox’ games, while Tyler O’Neill has been absent for nine contests.
At times, the lineup has been unrecognizable — or at least entirely unpredictable. In Wednesday’s win, first baseman Dom Smith started just minutes after his contract became official. On Thursday, Garrett Cooper and Zach Short — who joined the organization this week — were in the lineup.
Considering the shape-shifting and the substantial roles of players who have been absent, it counts as an early-season win for the Red Sox that their offense has not only avoided cratering, but has been reasonably productive.
“Yeah, there have been a ton of injuries, but a lot of guys have really stepped up,” said Rob Refsnyder, whose .343/.452/.600 line has been a part of that joint effort. “You’ve got to give [chief baseball officer Craig Breslow] a lot of credit. He’s come in and brought in some really, really good players and good clubhouse guys. He’s made moves immediately to address some things that are happening on our roster injury-wise. It’s not ideal having this much turnover, but I think we’ve done a pretty good job of just trying to control the at-bats.”
Several players have been able to outperform their career standards to a significant degree. O’Neill (.309/.429/.667 after an RBI double on Thursday) has the second-highest OPS in baseball among players with 75 plate appearances. Catcher Connor Wong (.351/.380/.595) has been a force. Wilyer Abreu (.313/.391/.513) has rapidly emerged as a middle-of-the-order presence.
There’s a good chance all will tail off. But whether those players are redefining their baselines or simply punching above their weight classes in the early stages of the season, the result has been a team that has scored enough to win — a lot. At 18-14, the Sox left Fenway with a sense of possibility about who they can be.
“You’ve seen a lot of new bodies in there, especially lately,” said O’Neill. “It’s just a matter of time before we jell and really get going.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 3, 2024 6:39:04 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK
Health improving for Red Sox starters
By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated May 2, 2024, 6:56 p.m.
Good health is on the horizon for Red Sox starters
Nick Pivetta (elbow) pitched four innings for Triple A Worcester Thursday evening, going three innings. He yielded three hits, four runs, four walks, and struck out five.
And Brayan Bello will make his start for Double A Portland.
Moreover, Garrett Whitlock (left oblique strain), who had been slow to progress, played catch Thursday and will throw his first bullpen Saturday.
“I’m feeling really good,” said Whitlock following the Sox’ 3-1 loss to the Giants in Thursday’s series finale. ”The doctors gave me the green light to start throwing.”
Whitlock went to the injured list on April 17. He tried to urge manager Alex Cora and the medical staff that he could try to pitch through it, but the club immediately shut Whitlock down.
“The whole thing was frustrating,” added Whitlock. “ Just like me thinking I can power through this. And the doctors were like, no, this isn’t something that you power through. Like, it’s still really early in the season and this is an actual injury.”
Once Whitlock began throwing again, the righthander still felt pain in his side which slowed his process. However, the Sox still kept Whitlock’s arm moving to ensure that he wouldn’t be too far behind. Now, Whitlock is finally beginning to feel like himself again.
And, for what it’s worth, what was left of the Sox rotation/pitching staff continued to perform, leading the majors with a 2.58 ERA.
“It’s a testament to the depth that we have, and to those guys,” said Whitlock. “They’re showing themselves to be real big leagues and it’s awesome.
Yoshida could need surgery
The Sox placed Masataka Yoshida on the 10-day injured list with a left thumb strain Wednesday (retroactive to April 29). Yoshida won’t return for the start of the Red Sox’ next homestand. Yoshida underwent an MRI/further testing Wednesday and the team is still gathering information. When asked Thursday if surgery was a possibility, Cora didn’t rule it out.
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“That’s why I was saying, we’re gonna gather information and we’ll decide what’s next for him,” he added.
Yoshida won’t be on the club’s trip to Minnesota for its series against the Twins.
Short on active roster
The Red Sox added Zack Short to the active roster for Thursday’s series finale. Short played second going 0 for 3 with two strikeouts.
To make room for Short, the Sox optioned Enmanuel Valdez to Triple A Worcester. Valdez hit just .156/.187/.452 with two homers in 98 plate appearances. However, Cora was encouraged about his progress, particularly defensively at second.
“It was night and day defensively. He did an amazing job,” said Cora. “Everything that we asked him to do in the offseason, he did. It started with the program with [former third base coach] Carlos [Febles]. He did an outstanding job defensively. Offensively, he hit the ball hard in the air. He’s a good at-bat. You see the at-bat, you probably thought that he was hitting .280 with an .850 OPS.”
The .280 average and .850 OPS might be a stretch. But the defensive progress was certainly evident for Valdez, who seemed virtually unplayable at second last year. Now, Cora wants to challenge Valdez.
“One thing we’re going to do, this is something against what I wanted last year, last year I wanted him to concentrate on second base,” said Cora. “We talked about it and we’re going back to versatility. He’s moving around. He’ll play first, probably third, maybe reintroduce him to the outfield like in Houston, because the more versatile he is, the faster he’ll get back to us. We like the at-bat. We really do.”
Valdez’s limited versatility presumably led to his demotion over David Hamilton. Valdez is solely just a second baseman, limiting Cora’s roster flexibility and ability to mix and match during games.
As it pertains to Short, who can bounce around multiple infield positions, the Sox will use him in a similar manner as Pablo Reyes.
“He can play all over the infield,” said Cora. “Good defender, good base runner. Versatility and the defense is something that we want to have from him. He’s done that throughout his career.”
Dalbec sent to Triple A
Bobby Dalbec was optioned to Triple A Worcester after Thursday’s game, making room for second baseman Vaughn Grissom, whom the club will reinstate from the IL ahead of Friday’s contest … Tanner Houck will take the ball against Chris Paddack in the series opener against the Twins Friday at Minnesota. Saturday will be a bullpen game for the Sox with Pablo Lopez on the hill for the Twins. Cooper Criswell will start in the series finale Sunday vs. Joe Ryan … Naoyuki Uwasawa made his major-league debut for the Sox Thursday, pitching the final two innings in scoreless fashion without yielding a hit while striking out one.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 3, 2024 13:15:08 GMT -5
Red Sox aim to subdue red-hot Twins
FLM
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora took a moment to praise his team for a successful homestand in what has become a promising start to the season.
It was just a moment, though. Cora quickly turned his thoughts to Friday's opener of a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins in Minneapolis.
"It was a great homestand," Cora said of the 4-2 homestand, in which his team outscored opponents 34-16. "It wasn't better (than the last one), it was great. We played great. We pitched well. We played clean baseball. ...
"So now we have Minnesota. We'll try to do the same thing on the road."
It likely will not be easy.
The Twins have won 10 games in a row heading into the opener of their seven-game homestand. Minnesota is coming off a perfect road trip in which it reeled off three-game sweeps against both the Los Angeles Angels and the Chicago White Sox.
The latest victory for the Twins came at a cost, however. Byron Buxton injured his right knee in the series finale against the White Sox on Wednesday and limped slowly off the field.
Buxton has battled injuries throughout his career. He declined to speak to reporters after the game, and the team said it would know more about his injury soon.
"We're going to get some imaging done just so we know what we're dealing with, and we're going to start there," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said.
Teammate Ryan Jeffers said he spoke with Buxton after the injury.
"He's in good spirits," Jeffers said. "I don't know much about what (the injury) is, but he had some uplifting words, and he was in seemingly good spirits. Let's take that as a good sign."
Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck (3-2, 1.60 ERA) will look to continue his breakout season when he takes the mound in the series opener. Houck, 27, has walked five batters and struck out 41 in 39 1/3 innings this season.
In three career starts against the Twins, Houck is 2-0 with a 3.12 ERA. He has walked five and struck out 17 in 17 1/3 innings.
Minnesota will counter with right-hander Chris Paddack (2-1, 5.88), who is set to make his sixth start of the season. He has earned the victory in each of his past two starts, although he allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings in his most recent outing against the Angels.
Paddack has faced Boston only once in his career, and it did not go well. He gave up six runs on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings, leaving him with an 0-1 record and a 23.14 ERA against the Red Sox.
Red Sox infielder Vaughn Grissom is expected to be activated from the injured list before Friday's game and be available to play against the Twins. Grissom coped with a right hamstring injury and a groin injury in spring training that sidelined him for the first month of the season, and he recently took part in an injury rehabilitation assignment in the minors.
The Red Sox acquired Grissom from the Braves in December as part of a deal that sent veteran left-hander Chris Sale to Atlanta. The 23-year-old Grissom hit .287 with five homers, 27 RBIs and five stolen bases in 64 career games with the Braves.
--Field Level Media
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 3, 2024 13:16:45 GMT -5
Folks really buzzing about the Twins
is all good and all.
BUT
a good chunk of this roll they are on were against the White Sox....
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 3, 2024 13:19:02 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats
@redsoxstats
After the 2017 season, Dustin Pedroia underwent a knee surgery that essentially marked the end of his career. Since then, Red Sox second basemen (35 players) rank 26th in wRC+, 26th in defense, and 27th in WAR at the position. Hopefully today starts a new era of stability there.
9:41 AM · May 3, 2024
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 3, 2024 13:27:16 GMT -5
Game 33: Red Sox at Twins lineups and notesBy Emma Healy Globe Staff,Updated May 3, 2024, 10:10 a.m. The Red Sox’ successful home stand concluded without fanfare, as Boston’s four-game win streak ended with a 3-1 loss to the Giants on Thursday. The Sox went 4-2 in their most recent stretch at Fenway, and are in third place in the AL East. Repeating that success on the road will be a tall task. Minnesota, Boston’s first opponent on the road, has won 10 straight and is coming off a perfect road trip. Tanner Houck will pitch against righthander Chris Paddack in the series opener. Red Sox infielder Vaughn Grissom is expected to be activated from the injured list before Friday’s game and be available to play against the Twins. Grissom dealt with a right hamstring injury and a groin injury in spring training that sidelined him for the first month of the season. First pitch is at 8:10 p.m. Let’s get into it. Lineups RED SOX (18-14): Jarren Duran (L) CF Rafael Devers (L) 3B Tyler O'Neill (R) LF Wilyer Abreu (L) RF Garrett Cooper (R) 1B Dominic Smith (L) DH Vaughn Grissom (R) 2B Reese McGuire (L) C Ceddanne Rafaela (R) Pitching: RHP Tanner Houck (3-2, 1.60 ERA) TWINS (17-13): Alex Kirilloff (L) LF Edouard Julien (L) 2B Ryan Jeffers (R) C Max Kepler (L) RF Carlos Correa (R) SS Trevor Larnach (L) DH Carlos Santana (S) 1B Willi Castro (S) CF Jose Miranda (R) 3B Pitching: RHP Chris Paddack (2-1, 5.88 ERA) Time: 8:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Red Sox vs. Paddack: Garrett Cooper 0-3, Rafael Devers 2-2, Tyler O’Neill 0-3, Dominic Smith 1-7 Twins vs. Houck: Willi Castro 2-3, Carlos Correa 1-5, Kyle Farmer 0-1, Ryan Jeffers 0-2, Edouard Julien 0-3, Max Kepler 2-9, Trevor Larnach 2-5, Manuel Margot 3-5, Jose Miranda 1-3, Christian Vázquez 0-4 Stat of the day: Paddack has faced Boston only once in his career, and it did not go well. He gave up six runs on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings, leaving him with an 0-1 record and a 23.14 ERA against the Red Sox. Notes: Minnesota is coming off a perfect road trip in which it reeled off three-game sweeps against both the Los Angeles Angels and the Chicago White Sox. The latest victory for the Twins came at a cost, however. Byron Buxton injured his right knee in the series finale against the White Sox on Wednesday and limped slowly off the field. ... Houck, 27, has walked five batters and struck out 41 in 39 1/3 innings this season. In three career starts against the Twins, Houck is 2-0 with a 3.12 ERA. He has walked five and struck out 17 in 17 1/3 innings. ... Paddack (2-1, 5.88) is set to make his sixth start of the season. He has earned the victory in each of his past two starts, although he allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings in his most recent outing against the Angels. Song of the Day: Great White " Wasted Rock Ranger" www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h1uFBKaoi4
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Post by Kimmi on May 3, 2024 14:53:37 GMT -5
Folks really buzzing about the Twins
is all good and all.
BUT
a good chunk of this roll they are on were against the White Sox.... If we can score some runs, we should be able to take the series. We looked so much better in this last home stand than we did in the first one, both offensively and defensively. Let's keep it rolling. Merloni said our record was something like 13-2 when we didn't allow an unearned run. Incredible. |
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 3, 2024 15:22:15 GMT -5
Christopher Smith
@smittyonmlb
Red Sox officially activate Vaughn Grissom, option Bobby Dalbec
5:15 PM · May 3, 2024
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 3, 2024 17:55:06 GMT -5
Pete Abraham
@peteabe
A few updates:
* Pivetta likely to face Atlanta
* Bello rehab game on Tuesday with AA. Then likely back in rotation.
* Whitlock bullpen here tomorrow. Feeling better.
* Yoshida getting a second opinion
* Mata threw live BP at JetBlue today.
7:11 PM · May 3, 2024
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 3, 2024 17:56:02 GMT -5
Pete Abraham
@peteabe
Alex Cora on Vaughn Grissom being back: “This is a guy we recognized in the offseason. It was a big trade, right? Now and for the future and the future is now.”
He also mentioned that Grissom is actually younger than Ceddanne Rafaela (by 109 days).
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 4, 2024 5:21:48 GMT -5
Twins stretch win streak to 11 with 5-2 victory over Red Sox behind Paddack's 6 innings
AP
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Chris Paddack pitched six scoreless innings to carry the Minnesota Twins to their 11th consecutive victory, a 5-2 decision over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.
The Twins matched win streaks in 2003 and 2006 for their third-longest ever, trailing the club record of 15 straight during its last World Series championship season in 1991. Minnesota won 12 in a row in 1980.
The Twins (18-13) also have the longest winning streak in the major leagues this year. There were only four last season of 10-plus games, topped by Tampa Bay's 13 straight.
“I felt great out there. I wasn’t going to be the guy that ended the streak. I made it personal out there,” said Paddack, who has been run-free in two of his last three starts. “We’re definitely on a tear right now, and we want to keep the ball rolling.”
Edouard Julien hit a two-out RBI single to give Paddack (3-1) a lead in the third, and the lanky, long-haired right-hander took it from there. He allowed two hits, struck out six and walked one in perhaps his finest start with the Twins, who acquired him in a trade with San Diego at the beginning of the 2022 season. He made just five starts that year and was lost to elbow ligament replacement surgery.
“He’s grinded through Tommy John. He’s grinded through the rehab process," catcher Ryan Jeffers said. "He’s always looking for ways to get better.”
Red Sox starter Tanner Houck (3-3) completed six innings for the sixth time in seven turns, but he was pulled three batters into the seventh as the Twins broke the game open with a four-run inning.
Julien drew a bases-loaded walk on an automatic ball for a pitch clock violation called on Naoyuki Uwasawa, before Jeffers delivered a two-run double.
The Red Sox were right away on the verge of one of those big innings when Jarren Duran reached on a rare error by shortstop Carlos Correa to start the game and Rafael Devers followed with a double. But Paddack deftly escaped on a strikeout, a popup to Correa and a soft grounder to second base.
“It was a chance to get the lead with one of our best pitchers," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "You score one or two there with Tanner Houck on the mound, you feel pretty good.”
Devers hit a two-run double in the eighth to cut the lead to three, but Jhoan Duran worked a perfect ninth inning for his second save. Boston (18-15) struck out 13 times.
The Twins happily returned home from six games on the road that gave them their first undefeated trip of six-plus games in franchise history, toting their lucky summer sausage and a lineup full of hot hitters.
Willi Castro, who scored on Julien's single in the third, is 3 for 5 in his career against the right-handed Houck with a double and a home run.
Pushing his hitting streak to a career-best nine games, Castro went 2 for 3 with two runs and a sacrifice bunt. He's slated for regular duty in center field with Byron Buxton on the injured list with knee trouble.
“I don’t think anybody in this clubhouse is counting what number are we on," Jeffers said. "It’s fun winning baseball games, and we keep doing it and finding different ways to win.”
UP NEXT
The Red Sox have scheduled a bullpen game for Saturday afternoon, with a hole in their injury-ravaged rotation, and LHP Brennan Bernardino (0-1, 0.73 ERA) will start. RHP Pablo López (2-2, 4.83 ERA) will take the mound for the middle game of the series for the Twins.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 4, 2024 5:37:32 GMT -5
'He gave us a chance to win': Houck solid on mound despite loss
1:24 AM ADT
Patrick Donnelly
;
MINNEAPOLIS – The final result wasn’t what he was looking for, but Tanner Houck gave the Red Sox exactly what they needed on Friday.
Houck pitched into the seventh inning for the third time in his last four starts, but Minnesota rallied for four runs in the seventh and held on for a 5-2 victory, the Twins' 11th in a row.
Quality starting pitching has been a concern for the Red Sox of late, which is no surprise given they’ve got four starting pitchers on the injured list. Three of them --Nick Pivetta, Brayan Bello and Garrett Whitlock -- appear to be close to returning. But on Saturday, for the second time in three games, manager Alex Cora will turn the pitching duties over to the bullpen.
And that’s why Houck’s outing Friday was especially important.
“He was excellent,” Cora said. “We needed him to go deep into the game … the good ones do. When you need innings, he goes out there. It’s not like he just gave us innings. He gave us a chance to win.”
Indeed, Houck cruised through the first six innings, allowing just one run on four hits. Then the game’s key play came after Minnesota’s first two batters singled to start the seventh inning.
Willi Castro laid down a bunt, which catcher Reese McGuire pounced on just in front of home plate. McGuire had time to set himself and throw to second base for a forceout. But he rushed the throw and it skipped into center field, allowing a run to score.
That was the end of the line for Houck, who matched his season high with 99 pitches. After the game, his manager was still thinking about what might have been.
“We didn’t make a play there on the bunt. If we get that out, we’re one pitch away and it’s his game right there,” Cora said. “But at that point, so many pitches, and we’re obviously thinking about him.”
Houck also had a case of the what-ifs after seeing his record drop to 3-3 on the year.
“To be able to get into the seventh again -- I want to go out there and I want to finish it,” Houck said. “I made a few quality pitches when the ball snuck through.”
One of those frustrating moments came when the Twins scored their first run. In the third inning, Castro was on third base after a leadoff double and two groundouts. Houck got ahead of Edouard Julien 0-2, then threw a belt-high sinker on the outside corner. Julien went with the pitch and hit a slow roller that slithered between third baseman Rafael Devers and shortstop Ceddanne Rafaela for an RBI single.
According to Baseball Savant, the ball left Julien’s bat at a pedestrian 74.9 mph and had an expected batting average of .150.
“Two inches left, two inches right, and we might make those plays,” Houck said. “Just a few pitches that maybe are left up a little bit too much that they got some good wood on.”
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said he anticipated a battle from the start, knowing that Houck was on the mound. “Their starter was pretty much dialed in, like he’s been this entire season, and we knew it would be a challenging, likely low-scoring affair.”
That’s exactly how the game played out until Minnesota’s rally in the seventh. Devers hit a two-out, two-run double in the eighth to break up the shutout, but Twins closer Jhoan Duran struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth to slam the door.
But Houck left a good impression on the Twins, who haven’t had cause to praise opposing starters much during their 11-game winning streak.
“Their guy was really good tonight,” said Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers, who capped the seventh inning with a two-run single off reliever Naoyuki Uwasawa. “He looked good. His stuff was good. He’s had a good season and when you face him you can tell why.”
After reflecting on his outing, Houck was confident he’d be ready to do it all over again the next time his name is called.
“I’ll get back out there in a few days and go out there and throw a quality bullpen, have another week of quality catches and just get back out there and get ready again,” said Houck.
And as he’s done more often than not this season, he’ll give the Red Sox more of what they need from their workhorse right-hander.
'He gave us a chance to win': Houck solid on mound despite loss
1:24 AM ADT
Patrick Donnelly
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MINNEAPOLIS – The final result wasn’t what he was looking for, but Tanner Houck gave the Red Sox exactly what they needed on Friday.
Houck pitched into the seventh inning for the third time in his last four starts, but Minnesota rallied for four runs in the seventh and held on for a 5-2 victory, the Twins' 11th in a row.
Quality starting pitching has been a concern for the Red Sox of late, which is no surprise given they’ve got four starting pitchers on the injured list. Three of them --Nick Pivetta, Brayan Bello and Garrett Whitlock -- appear to be close to returning. But on Saturday, for the second time in three games, manager Alex Cora will turn the pitching duties over to the bullpen.
And that’s why Houck’s outing Friday was especially important.
“He was excellent,” Cora said. “We needed him to go deep into the game … the good ones do. When you need innings, he goes out there. It’s not like he just gave us innings. He gave us a chance to win.”
Indeed, Houck cruised through the first six innings, allowing just one run on four hits. Then the game’s key play came after Minnesota’s first two batters singled to start the seventh inning.
Willi Castro laid down a bunt, which catcher Reese McGuire pounced on just in front of home plate. McGuire had time to set himself and throw to second base for a forceout. But he rushed the throw and it skipped into center field, allowing a run to score.
That was the end of the line for Houck, who matched his season high with 99 pitches. After the game, his manager was still thinking about what might have been.
“We didn’t make a play there on the bunt. If we get that out, we’re one pitch away and it’s his game right there,” Cora said. “But at that point, so many pitches, and we’re obviously thinking about him.”
Houck also had a case of the what-ifs after seeing his record drop to 3-3 on the year.
“To be able to get into the seventh again -- I want to go out there and I want to finish it,” Houck said. “I made a few quality pitches when the ball snuck through.”
One of those frustrating moments came when the Twins scored their first run. In the third inning, Castro was on third base after a leadoff double and two groundouts. Houck got ahead of Edouard Julien 0-2, then threw a belt-high sinker on the outside corner. Julien went with the pitch and hit a slow roller that slithered between third baseman Rafael Devers and shortstop Ceddanne Rafaela for an RBI single.
According to Baseball Savant, the ball left Julien’s bat at a pedestrian 74.9 mph and had an expected batting average of .150.
“Two inches left, two inches right, and we might make those plays,” Houck said. “Just a few pitches that maybe are left up a little bit too much that they got some good wood on.”
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said he anticipated a battle from the start, knowing that Houck was on the mound. “Their starter was pretty much dialed in, like he’s been this entire season, and we knew it would be a challenging, likely low-scoring affair.”
That’s exactly how the game played out until Minnesota’s rally in the seventh. Devers hit a two-out, two-run double in the eighth to break up the shutout, but Twins closer Jhoan Duran struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth to slam the door.
But Houck left a good impression on the Twins, who haven’t had cause to praise opposing starters much during their 11-game winning streak.
“Their guy was really good tonight,” said Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers, who capped the seventh inning with a two-run single off reliever Naoyuki Uwasawa. “He looked good. His stuff was good. He’s had a good season and when you face him you can tell why.”
After reflecting on his outing, Houck was confident he’d be ready to do it all over again the next time his name is called.
“I’ll get back out there in a few days and go out there and throw a quality bullpen, have another week of quality catches and just get back out there and get ready again,” said Houck.
And as he’s done more often than not this season, he’ll give the Red Sox more of what they need from their workhorse right-hander.
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