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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 9, 2024 16:41:09 GMT -5
Red Sox hope to find more runs at home against Nationals
FLM
The Boston Red Sox will be looking to revive their offense when they open a three-game series against the visiting Washington Nationals on Friday night.
Boston is coming off Wednesday's 5-0 loss to Atlanta that left the Red Sox with a 1-4 record during a five-game road trip. Boston scored five runs over the four losses.
Wednesday's setback against Atlanta was Boston's fifth loss in its last six games. It was also the fourth time the Red Sox have been shut out this season.
Boston is 2-13 when it scores fewer than four runs and 0-14 when it trails after six innings.
"We need to be better," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "We have to. We didn't hit throughout the road trip.
"You start looking at our offense and we fall into this trap that it looks really, really good because we score runs, but look at the shutouts and the percentage of games where we haven't scored more than two runs. ... The story should be offensively we have to be better."
Boston's offense will face left-hander Patrick Corbin (0-3, 6.45 ERA) on Friday. Although he hasn't put up impressive numbers this season, Corbin turned in a quality start in his last outing when he allowed three runs in six innings in a 9-3 victory over Toronto. Corbin threw 92 pitches (61 for strikes), walked two and struck out three as the Nationals overcame a 3-0 deficit.
Corbin has a 1-2 record and a 5.27 ERA in three career starts against the Red Sox. He's allowed 21 hits and recorded 14 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings during those three starts.
Washington erased a two-run deficit twice before dropping a 7-6 decision to Baltimore in 12 innings on Wednesday. The Nationals split the two-game series with the Orioles.
"They battled all night long," Washington manager Dave Martinez said following Wednesday's loss. "To me that showed unbelievable character, it really does. We fell short, yeah, but they put two on, we come back, they put two on, we come back. That says a lot about this ballclub.
"The Orioles came in here pretty hot, right? They're one of the best teams in baseball. They've got one of the best records, we could have easily -- they could have easily just said, 'Hey, we're down 3-1.' We don't do that, we keep fighting. And you saw it tonight. That should be a pretty good wake-up call for those guys that we can play with anybody.
"So, we're going to take a day off (Thursday) and rest. Hopefully, these guys will sleep and come back Friday and try to go 1-0 again."
Tanner Houck (3-3, 1.99 ERA) is scheduled to start on the mound for Boston. Houck's only career appearance against the Nationals came in 2021, when he pitched five perfect innings and struck out eight during Boston's 5-3 victory.
Houck gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits in six innings during his last start, a 5-2 loss to Minnesota. He walked two and struck out five.
Friday's game is the beginning of Boston's seven-game homestand.
--Field Level Media
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 9, 2024 16:44:07 GMT -5
SP Match Ups
Friday, 7pm, Corbin 0-3/ 6.45 vs Houck 3-3/ 1.99
Saturday, 4pm, Irvin 2-3/3.72 vs Criswell 2-1/1.74
Sunday, 1:35pm, Gore 2-3/3.44 vs Bello 3-1/ 3.04
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 9, 2024 20:01:51 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK
Offensive struggles on the road nothing new for these Red Sox, whose cold nights rival some of baseball’s worst
By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated May 9, 2024, 1 hour ago
ATLANTA — After the Red Sox were shut out for the fourth time this season Wednesday, manager Alex Cora acknowledged Chris Sale’s stellar outing for the Braves, but was upfront about his team’s woeful offense.
“I think we made it tough on ourselves, to be honest with you,” Cora said after the 5-0 loss, stamping a two-game sweep. “I mean, we put some pressure on him and we didn’t cash in. He was good. We’ve seen that before, but we need to be better.”
Better has been tough to come by of late. The Sox went 1-4 on the road trip, scoring just 14 runs — third-worst in the majors in that span — with a .221 batting average. The Sox were solidly middle of the pack in runs scored entering Thursday’s play with 164 — 4.43 per game, just above the 4.36 average. But Cora hinted that isn’t a true reflection.
“Look at the shutouts and the percentage of games where we haven’t scored more than two runs,” he said. “We gotta be better.”
The Sox have scored two runs or fewer in 14 of their 37 games, losing 12, but it gets worse. They have scored one run or fewer in an astonishing 10, tied with the Rockies for the second-worst mark in the majors and trailing just the White Sox. Each team is an MLB-worst 9-28.
The Red Sox, meanwhile, have one of the best pitching staffs in the majors to date, leading the big leagues in starter (2.33) and overall (2.72) ERA. It has only amounted to being a game better than .500, 19-18.
“It’s early in the season,” said Kutter Crawford after the Sox lost Tuesday despite his holding Atlanta to two runs over six innings. “Obviously, we’ve seen what the offense can do. I think it’s just a matter of time before [they] start clicking on all cylinders.”
With the loss of Triston Casas for an extended period and Trevor Story for the year, the Sox have had to patch together lineups with Dominic Smith, Garrett Cooper, and Romy Gonzalez. Vaughn Grissom beginning the season on the injured list meant there was more needed from Pablo Reyes and Enmanuel Valdez, who both hit below the Mendoza line before they were sent to Triple A Worcester. Ceddanne Rafaela has had to learn how to hit at the major-league level, taking a ton of bumps and bruises.
Then there’s Rafael Devers. On paper, Devers is having his usual impressive season — .289/.405/.485 with four homers despite missing 11 games with lingering shoulder soreness and a bone bruise in his knee.
Yet with runners in scoring position, Devers is hitting just .217 with a hefty 38.5 percent strikeout rate. He’s struck out at a 22.4 percent clip on the year overall, above his 20.7 percent career clip before the season.
If there’s one person on the Sox who can carry the offense, it’s Devers. So far, he hasn’t.
“That’s part of the game,” said Devers.
And is also a big part of why the Sox are struggling.
Garcia done for year
A top Red Sox prospect is undergoing season-ending surgery.
Johanfran Garcia, a power-hitting 19-year-old catcher who was off to a spectacular start with Single A Salem (.385/.467/.596 with two homers and seven extra-base hits in 14 games), was carted off the field last week with a right knee injury incurred when he came to a quick stop while running the bases.
An MRI revealed what farm director Brian Abraham deemed a “significant” knee injury that will require surgery and prevent Garcia from playing again this season.
Garcia, signed to an $850,000 bonus out of Venezuela in 2022, was ranked the No. 13 prospect in the organization by Baseball America in its most recent rankings, thanks to his display of plus-power at a position where offense is rare.
Braves nab Short
Atlanta acquired utility infielder Zack Short from the Red Sox for cash considerations. The 28-year-old was designated for assignment Wednesday after just seven at-bats. He’d been acquired from the Mets on May 1, after New York designated the utility infielder. Short has a .177 average with 13 homers, 55 RBIs, and eight stolen bases in 189 career games, most with Detroit (2021-23) . . . The Red Sox welcome the Nationals to town Friday, with Tanner Houck scheduled to take the mound against Patrick Corbin. Cooper Criswell is in line to pitch Saturday against Jake Irvin, and Brayan Bello will likely take the hill against MacKenzie Gore on Sunday — Bello’s first major-league action since April 19. The Nationals (18-18) are 6-4 in their last 10 games.
Alex Speier of Globe Staff and material from The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 10, 2024 8:20:41 GMT -5
Game 38: Nationals at Red Sox lineups and notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated May 10, 2024, 13 minutes ago The Red Sox return to Fenway Park for a seven-game homestand after dropping four of five at Minnesota and Atlanta. They’ll look to get the bats going at Fenway, as they managed just five runs in the four losses. Wednesday’s 5-0 loss at the hands of Chris Sale and the Braves was the fourth time they’ve been shut out this season. They will open with a three-game series with the Nationals, who are tied for third in the National League East with the Mets, seven games behind division-leading Philadelphia. The Sox will then host AL East foe Tampa Bay for a four-game series beginning Monday. Tanner Houck will get the start for Friday’s opener. He has recorded a quality start in six of his seven outings, going at least 5 ⅔ innings in each of his seven starts. Lineups NATIONALS (18-18): Jacob Young (R) CF CJ Abrams (L) SS Luis García Jr. (L) 2B Joey Meneses (R) 1B Jesse Winker (L) DH Keibert Ruiz (S) C Eddie Rosario (L) LF Trey Lipscomb (R) 3B Victor Robles (R) RF Pitching: LHP Patrick Corbin (0-3, 6.45 ERA) RED SOX (19-18): Jarren Duran (L) LF Rob Refsnyder (R) DH Tyler O'Neill (R) RF Rafael Devers (L) 3B Connor Wong (R) C Vaughn Grissom (R) 2B Garrett Cooper (R) 1B Romy Gonzalez (R) SS Ceddanne Rafaela (R) CF Pitching: RHP Tanner Houck (3-3, 1.99 ERA) Time: 7:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Nationals vs. Houck: Keibert Ruiz 0-2, Jesse Winker 1-1 Red Sox vs. Corbin: Garrett Cooper 6-27, Rafael Devers 0-3, Rob Refsnyder 1-3, Dominic Smith 3-4, Connor Wong 0-2 Stat of the day: The Sox are 2-13 when they score fewer than four runs and 0-14 when trailing after six innings. Notes: Houck’s only appearance against the Nationals came in 2021, when he pitched five perfect innings and struck out eight during in a 5-3 victory. … He has held lefties to a .227 AVG/.537 OPS and righties to a .203 AVG/.518 OPS. … The Red Sox have 10 players with at least 10 RBIs: Rafaela 20, Duran 15, Wong 14, Abreu 13, O’Neill 13, Devers 12, McGuire 11, Valdez 11, Yoshida 11, Casas 10. … Corbin turned in a quality start his last time out, allowing three runs in six innings in a 9-3 victory over Toronto. He is 1-2 with a 5.27 ERA in three career starts against the Red Sox, allowing 21 hits and recording 14 strikeouts in 13 ⅔ innings. Nationals
at
Red SoxFriday, at 7:10 PM EST Partly Cloudy It's expected to be 49° F with a 12% chance of precipitation and 10 MPH wind blowing in in Boston at 7:10 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com Song of the Day: Beastie Boys "Make Some Noise" www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdgLMslbDuY
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Post by Kimmi on May 10, 2024 14:34:03 GMT -5
The Sox have scored two runs or fewer in 14 of their 37 games, losing 12, but it gets worse. They have scored one run or fewer in an astonishing 10, tied with the Rockies for the second-worst mark in the majors and trailing just the White Sox. Each team is an MLB-worst 9-28. Ouch. Losing Story and Casas obviously hurts a lot, but we have to find a way to score runs more consistently. We seem to have a lot of success when we take the approach of hitting to the opposite field. I don't know why that isn't stressed more. I feel good about this series against the Nats. I hope I'm not disappointed. |
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 10, 2024 15:03:30 GMT -5
Abreau sitting vs Corbin
god damn Analytic team.
Cora should be putting anything they send right to the shredder.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 10, 2024 16:14:15 GMT -5
Red Sox DH will avoid surgery, won’t swing bat for at least a few weeks
Published: May. 10, 2024, 4:57 p.m.
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — The third opinion Red Sox DH Masataka Yoshida received on his injured thumb determined that he won’t need surgery. But he’ll be out for a while.
Manager Alex Cora said the 30-year-old won’t swing a bat for at least a few weeks.
“Now we’ve just gotta wait,” Cora said before Boston’s game Friday against the Nationals here at Fenway Park. “Obviously treatment and then see how he feels in a few weeks. We go from there. No swinging. But at least we know that at one point he’s going to be available and he’s going to be able to help us.”
The Red Sox placed Yoshida (left thumb strain) on the 10-day injured list May 1. He left Boston’s game April 28 after jamming his hand during an at-bat.
Yoshida is in the second year of a five-year, $90 million contract. He is batting .275 with a .348 on-base percentage, .388 slugging percentage, .736 OPS, two home runs, three doubles, 12 runs, 11 RBIs, six walks and 11 strikeouts in 24 games (89 plate appearances).
“All I can say right now is that’s a rare case,” Yoshida said about his injury Wednesday through interpreter Yutaro Yamaguchi. “It’s a pretty rare case.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 11, 2024 5:50:31 GMT -5
Patrick Corbin gets 1st win of season, Nationals beat Red Sox 5-1
AP
BOSTON (AP) Patrick Corbin allowed one run in five innings for his first victory of the season, Trey Lipscomb had a two-run single and the Washington Nationals beat the Boston Red Sox 5-1 on Friday night.
Corbin (1-3) allowed seven hits and a walk and had four strikeouts in lowering his ERA from 6.45 to 5.91. He allowed runners to reach in four of five innings, helped in the first when right fielder Victor Robles threw out a runner at home for the final out.
“Got into a good rhythm as the game went on,” Corbin said. “I thought we used all our pitches well … pitched them in and pitched them away. Good to get through five and we tack on a few runs late to put the game out of reach.”
Robles and Eddie Rosario each had two hits to help the Nationals move over .500 for the second time this season at 19-18. Robles made his first start on Friday after getting activated off the injured list earlier in the week.
“I felt great and felt even better after I was able to contribute to the team,” said Robles, who made a nice running catch and crashed into the wall down the right-field line in the sixth inning.
Garrett Cooper doubled in Boston’s lone run. Red Sox starter Tanner Houck (3-4) ran into two-out trouble on two occasions, but delivered seven innings of three-run ball. The right-hander struck out four and threw 65 of his 95 pitches for strikes.
Boston stranded 11 and went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position. The Red Sox have lost six of seven to drop to 19-19.
“We didn’t get the big hit,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “The way you come out of this is keep putting together good at-bats and have traffic. At one point, we’re going to get the big hit and get in that groove. It didn’t happen tonight. Just keep working and hope tomorrow is the day.”
Washington had four straight two-out hits in the second inning. Lipscomb had the two-run single that scored Keilbert Ruiz and Eddie Rosario. Lipscomb tried to score on Robles’ hit, but was thrown out at the plate by left fielder Jarren Duran.
“I always say that if we come out and jump on the lead early, it gets our pitchers to relax a little bit," Washington manager Dave Martinez said. "We did that and (Corbin) was able to settle in and give us what we needed.”
The Nationals added a run in the fourth, with Luis Garcia doubling with two outs and scoring on a single by Joey Meneses. Washington scored two more runs in the ninth off Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen.
Boston’s lone run against Corbin came in the fourth inning. With two down and Connor Wong on first base, Cooper sent a shot that scraped off the Green Monster and rattled around enough in the outfield to allow Wong to score standing up.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: RHP Josiah Gray threw a 35-pitch bullpen session Friday. All the pitches were fastballs. Gray has been on the IL since April 9 with a right elbow/forearm flexor strain. … 1B Joey Gallo was scheduled to appear in his second straight rehab game for Triple-A Rochester but Friday’s game was rained out. On Thursday, Gallo went 2 fo -5 with a three-run home run. He’s been on the IL since April 26 with a left shoulder sprain.
Red Sox: Before the game, Cora said that surgery has been ruled out for OF Masataka Yoshida, though it will be a while before he picks up a bat. Yoshida has been out since April 29 with a left thumb strain. “At least at one point, we know he’ll be available and able to help us,” Cora said. … RHP Garrett Whitlock (left oblique strain) threw to live hitters Friday. “We’ll see how he feels (Saturday), then we decide if he goes on a rehab assignment next week,” Cora said.
UP NEXT
Nationals RHP Jake Irvin (2-3, 3.72) was set to face Red Sox RHP Cooper Criswell (2-1, 1.74) on Saturday in the second game of the three-game series.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 11, 2024 5:51:43 GMT -5
Pete Abraham
@peteabe
Last 3 games for the #RedSox: 3 R, 33 LOB, 2x29 RISP.
10:42 PM · May 10, 2024
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10.8K
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 11, 2024 5:53:31 GMT -5
Tyler Milliken ⚾️
@tylermilliken_
Red Sox just haven’t got the job done offensively since last Thursday (outside of Sunday’s explosion against the Twins).
If you can’t do any damage against Patrick Corbin, good luck. Couldn’t have faced a worst starter in baseball.
Figure it out. Starts with Devers and O’Neill needing to deliver in big spots. Houck deserved better.
3 straight losses and back to .500.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 11, 2024 6:04:18 GMT -5
Big hit evades Boston as recent offensive struggles continue
1:05 AM ADT
Ian Browne
Ian Browne
@ianmbrowne
BOSTON -- For the Red Sox, this offensive rut started in Boston, continued on in Minneapolis and Atlanta, and then reared its ugly head back at Fenway Park on Friday night.
It is bound to end soon, because that’s how these things go. But it doesn’t make it any easier for a team to go through.
The offense once again lacked the timely hit in a 5-1 loss to the Nationals that dropped the Sox to 1-6 in their last seven games and back to .500 (19-19) for the first time since April 18.
The lack of firepower is providing diminishing returns for a starting rotation that has the best ERA in the Majors at 2.39.
Tanner Houck (seven innings, three runs) was the latest starter to turn in a quality start that went for naught.
“Baseball is a hard game,” said Houck. “Hitting is hard. We left a lot of guys on base tonight. So those clutch hits will come around. I know those guys in there are working hard each and every day, trying to do the best they can. I have full faith in them that they’ll get it done.”
In this 1-6 stretch, Boston has scored two runs or fewer in all six of its losses.
“We all know that there's ups and downs and we’ve got to ride the waves, but we're staying really neutral,” said Red Sox leadoff man Jarren Duran. “We're staying together in the clubhouse.”
The Red Sox looked primed to take the lead in the first inning when Connor Wong lined a single to right. However, Victor Robles came up firing in his first game since April 3 -- and first in right field since 2019 -- and made a throw that was just off the mark enough for Tyler O’Neill to be out at the plate.
That’s how things go for a team that is struggling.
“We didn’t get the big hit. Wong gets a hit to right field, it's not a great throw, it’s off the line, and it just happens Tyler was right there,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “But the way you come out of this is [to] keep putting good at-bats and have traffic. Obviously at one point we’re going to get that big hit and get in a groove, but it didn’t happen tonight. We walked five times, but we struck out nine times. So just keep working and hopefully tomorrow is the day.”
In this period of futility that started with a 3-1 loss to the Giants on May 2, the Red Sox have hit only two homers, the fewest in the Majors. They’ve scored 16 runs, which is the second fewest. Their .328 slugging percentage is the fourth lowest, while the .623 OPS is fifth worst.
And they are 9-for-70 with runners in scoring position for a .158 average that ranks 28th in the Majors since May 2.
In the last three games -- all losses -- the futility has been particularly glaring with the Sox going an aggregate 2-for-29 with runners in scoring position while scoring just three times and stranding 33 runners.
When Garrett Cooper ripped an RBI double off the scoreboard in left in the fourth to slice Washington’s lead to 3-1, it seemed like maybe the Red Sox had something to build on.
Instead, they didn’t score the rest of the night.
“Any time someone drives a run in, it hopefully gets guys going,” said Cooper. “We didn’t capitalize the rest of the game tonight, but that's part of baseball. There's so many times where everybody’s coming through with guys on. We're in a little bit of a tough stretch right now.”
There are some injury issues that the Red Sox haven’t used as an excuse. Trevor Story (left shoulder) is out for the season. Triston Casas (torn cartilage in left rib cage) is out indefinitely. There is also no timetable for the return of Masataka Yoshida (left thumb sprain), though surgery was ruled out on Friday.
Injuries or not, the Red Sox feel they have more offense than they’ve been showing. And the consensus in the clubhouse is that they will soon prove it.
“You go through a six-month season, 162 games, and you’re gonna go through rough patches like this,” Cooper said. “All it takes is a couple guys with a couple of big hits that can turn the tide pretty quickly. You can't dwell too much on the past. It's something that every team goes through. It’s not just us.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 11, 2024 6:05:45 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Yoshida to avoid surgery
May 10th, 2024
MLB.com
LATEST NEWS
May 10: DH Masataka Yoshida to avoid surgery
Yoshida received a second and third opinion on his sprained left thumb this week, and the good news is that he will not have to undergo surgery. However, it is expected to be several weeks at least until Yoshida returns to action. The left-handed hitter last played for the Red Sox on April 28.
"Yeah, no surgery, so that's good news," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "Now we’ve just got to wait. Obviously treatment, and see how he feels in a few weeks. We go from there. No baseball activities, I mean, no swinging. At least we know at one point he's going to be available and he's going to be able to help us.”
May 10: RHP Brayan Bello trending toward Sunday return
The rotation is getting healthy again for the Red Sox. There's a good chance Bello, Boston's Opening Day starter, will be activated to pitch Sunday's finale of this three-game series against the Nationals. Bello last pitched for the Red Sox on April 19 before he was placed on the 15-day injured list with right lat tightness. Bello made a rehab start for Double-A Portland on May 7, going 2 2/3 innings and allowing four hits and three runs (two earned) while walking two and striking out five. He threw 52 pitches.
“As of now, everything is trending in the right direction," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "There's a chance he'll pitch Sunday. If he’s ready to pitch in the big leagues, he’s pitching in the big leagues. That's the way I see it. That's the way we're talking. And like I said, he's trending in the right direction and there's a good chance he'll pitch Sunday.”
May 10: RHP Garrett Whitlock airs it out in BP
It was a welcome development for the Red Sox to see Whitlock throw three innings of live batting practice at Fenway Park on Friday. Whitlock was placed on the injured list on April 17 with a left oblique strain. He was off to a terrific start before the injury, posting a 1.96 ERA in four turns through the rotation. The Red Sox are hopeful Whitlock can make a Minor League rehab start around May 15 and perhaps be activated as soon as May 20.
"Let's see how he feels tomorrow," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "Then we decide if he goes on a rehab assignment next week.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 11, 2024 6:10:27 GMT -5
Red Sox slugger (18 Ks in last 10 games) among several hitters slumping
Updated: May. 10, 2024, 11:49 p.m.|Published: May. 10, 2024, 11:47 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — Slugger Tyler O’Neill is a big reason the Red Sox posted a 17-13 record during the first month of the season despite 16 players being on the injured list.
But O’Neill has struggled lately and the Red Sox have lost six of their past seven games to drop to .500 (19-19).
Boston lost 5-1 to the Nationals on Friday. O’Neill doubled in the first inning but then struck out three times, including a punch-out in the bottom of the fifth with runners at the corners and one out.
Manager Alex Cora pointed out that two of O’Neill’s strikeouts, including the one in the fifth, came on full counts.
“They were good at-bats,” Cora said. “He got two 3-2 counts. So that’s what you try to do.”
O’Neill entered Friday in the 97th percentile in barrel percentage (18.2%), 92nd percentile in walk percentage (13.7%), 91st percentile in expected slugging percentage (.525) and 84th percentile in expected weighted on-base percentage (.370).
But he is 7-for-38 (.184) with 18 strikeouts in his past 10 games. He has punched out in 42.9% of his 42 plate appearances during the stretch. He has struck out in 29.5% of his plate appearances this season.
“He’s probably swinging and missing more than early in the season,” Cora said. “He’s a good hitter. We know what he can do. Just gotta stay patient with him and keep working. And he’ll get out of it.”
The Red Sox are struggling up and down the lineup. Boston, which left 11 men on base Friday, ranks 23rd in batting average with runners in scoring position (.238). The Red Sox are 19th in on-base percentage (.322) and 21st in slugging percentage (.365) with runners in scoring position.
“The two out RBIs, that’s not easy,” Cora said. “Of course you want them. But like I said before, it’s the one before — second and third and less than two outs. You have to cash in.”
Ceddanne Rafaela and Jarren Duran stroked back to back singles to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning with Boston trailing 3-1. Rob Refsnyder then flied out to right field and Rafaela tagged up to third. But O’Neill struck out looking and Devers grounded out.
Boston loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth inning still down 3-1. Vaughn Grissom singled with one out. Wilyer Abreu and Rafaela walked with two outs. But Duran struck out looking on a 95.1 mph fastball from lefty reliever Robert Garcia, who was brought in to face the left-handed hitter.
“For me, it’s more about that situational at-bat (runners in scoring position with less than two outs),” Cora said. “I don’t know how many we had today. Not many. It seems like every opportunity was with two outs. But we’ve just gotta keep digging and looking and see where we’re failing. Hopefully, we can find it tomorrow.”
Rafaela went 1-for-3 with a walk Friday. But he’s near the bottom of the league in chase percentage (40.1%) and walk percentage (3.6%). He has just five walks in 140 plate appearances. Swinging at pitches out of the zone is leading to weak contact. He entered Friday in the sixth percentile in average exit velocity (85.0 mph).
Boston, meanwhile, has scored two or fewer runs in each of its past six losses.
“It’s just baseball, man,” Duran said. “It’s just one of those stretches. We’re getting pitched really good. It’s just not happening. But I know we’re gonna come out of it. So we’re not worried.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 11, 2024 6:15:40 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats
@redsoxstats
They are dead last in Whiff% on swings in the heart of the zone.
When they make contact, they rank 5th in wOBA, but only 14th in expected wOBA...
Their lineup is just decimated, they were too cheap to get real depth, AAA options failed, and Breslow had to make emergency adds.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 11, 2024 6:19:13 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK
Jarren Duran has graduated from uneven promise to steady performance for the Red Sox
By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated May 10, 2024, 7:34 p.m.
On a Red Sox roster that has been subject to constant shuffling, Jarren Duran has emerged as a constant.
On Friday, he was in the team’s lineup for the 38th straight game this year, with 36 of those appearances coming in the leadoff spot. The automatic inking of his name on the scorecard represents a new stage in his development.
A year ago, the outfielder might have been on the bench with a lefthander on the hill (albeit Nationals southpaw Patrick Corbin has considerable reverse splits). This year, the Sox have challenged Duran to produce regardless of a pitcher’s handedness. So far, he’s largely answered the call.
Duran, who went 1 for 5 in Friday’s 5-1 home loss, was 1 for 4 against Nationals lefties, leaving him with a .279 average and .404 OBP against lefties this season. Though that production has come without power (one extra-base hit off lefties thanks to an approach geared for liners to the middle of the field and opposite field), the Sox are thrilled with his ability to contribute every day on both sides of the ball.
“The guy is doing everything. He’s playing well,” said Sox manager Alex Cora. “He’s not hitting homers, but he’s getting on base, stealing bases. He’s been good for us putting pressure on the opposition, playing good defense, hanging in there against lefties, posting every day.”
The Sox were particularly excited about Duran’s in-game adjustments against Chris Sale, a left-on-left nightmare, in Atlanta on Wednesday. Duran struck out twice on a total of six pitches in his first two plate appearances, flailing against Sale’s sliders.
A year ago, Duran — notoriously hard on himself — might have found it difficult to adjust. But in Atlanta, Red Sox assistant hitting coach Ben Rosenthal suggested Duran look up and away to avoid chasing sliders that would drop below the zone. Duran responded by lining an up-and-away slider to right for a single on the first pitch of his third at-bat.
The Sox believe Duran has benefited from a consistent spot in the lineup. The certainty of being back on the field regardless of his performance the previous day has allowed him to better compartmentalize a bad game or at-bat, in the process allowing him to make better game-to-game and in-game adjustments.
“[Being hard on himself] is part of his DNA. He’s learning how to manage that,” said Rosenthal. “He’s turning into a pro ― a legitimate, everyday pro. He’s so much better at conversing during the game and talking, even if he gets mad and gets out.
“I tell him every day, ‘Dude, if this is our bad, the [performance] floor has risen.’ It’s outstanding.”
Yet Rosenthal believes Duran’s performance to date — a .264/.333/.409 line — represents a solid baseline, as opposed to a five-tool ceiling in which he taps into more power, with a recent 11-game run (.311/.392/.556 with seven extra-base hits) offering a reminder of even greater possibility.
“To me, this is still the floor,” said Rosenthal. “I think we’re getting closer to seeing some of the ceiling.”
Bello on tap Sunday
Righthander Brayan Bello, out since April 21 due to soreness in his right lat, is expected to return from the injured list Sunday against the Nationals. While Bello’s command was spotty in a rehab start in Double A Portland on Tuesday, he worked comfortably with a 95-97 m.p.h. sinker and felt fine using his full mix over a 52-pitch start that lasted 2 2/3 innings.
“If he’s ready to pitch in the big leagues, he’s pitching in the big leagues. That’s the way I see it. That’s the way we’re talking,” said Cora. “He’s trending in the right direction and there’s a good chance he’ll pitch Sunday.”
No surgery for Yoshida
Masataka Yoshida received a third opinion on his left thumb strain that agreed with the first two: The designated hitter won’t need surgery to address an issue he incurred on a swing against the Cubs on April 28. That said, the 30-year-old, hitting .275/.348/.388 this year, won’t be back anytime soon.
“No surgery, so that’s good news,” said Cora. “Now we’ve just got to wait. Obviously [he’ll get] treatment and see how he feels in a few weeks. We’ll go from there.”
Cora said Yoshida, who was wearing a hard plastic guard protecting the base of his thumb, is unlikely to swing a bat for the next few weeks. That reality suggests Yoshida will be sidelined through at least mid-June, and perhaps later.
“I don’t want to put a timeline [on his return],” said Cora. “At least we know at one point he’s going to be available and he’s going to be able to help us.”
Whitlock faces friendly fire
Righthander Garrett Whitlock threw three simulated innings of live batting practice against teammates at Fenway Park on Friday. The team will make a determination Saturday about whether his next step will be a minor league rehab outing . . . With the lefthanded Corbin on the mound, the Sox started Romy Gonzalez at shortstop, allowing them to put Ceddanne Rafaela in center — just the second time in the team’s last 18 games that Rafaela has started at his best defensive position . . . Triston Casas is feeling better in his recovery from torn rib cartilage, but has yet to commence rehab activities.
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