|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 11, 2024 6:21:46 GMT -5
Skidding Red Sox aim for offensive revival vs. Nationals FLM
The Boston Red Sox will search for solutions to their offensive woes on Saturday when they face the visiting Washington Nationals in the second contest of a three-game series.
Boston's losing streak reached three games when it dropped a 5-1 decision to Washington on Friday night. The Red Sox went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position during the loss, and are 2-for-29 with runners in scoring position and have stranded 33 baserunners during their three-game skid.
Boston has a 1-6 record in its past seven games, having scored seven runs total in the six losses.
"The way you come out of this is keep putting good at-bats (together), have traffic and at one point we're going to get the big hit and we're gonna get in that groove," Boston manager Alex Cora said following the Friday loss. "But it didn't happen tonight. We walked five times, but we struck out nine times, too. Just keep working and hopefully (Saturday) is the day."
The Red Sox are hitting .217 overall and .158 with runners in scoring position during their last seven games.
"Second and third, less that two outs you have to cash in," Cora said. "For me it's more about that situational at-bat. I don't know how many we had (Friday). Probably not many. It seemed like every opportunity was with two outs, but we just gotta keep digging and looking and see where we're failing and hopefully we can find it (Saturday)."
Timely hitting wasn't a problem for the Nationals on Friday. Washington scored each of its five runs with two outs and went 4-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
"We stayed on the baseball," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. "We were really just trying to stay in the middle of the field, and (the hitters) did really well. The two-strike approach was way better today. They're battling up there. They're battling. The big thing for us is to get on base, it really is. Move the baseball, get on for the next guy and good things happen."
The Nationals had a 3-0 lead after three innings and received five strong frames from Patrick Corbin, who earned his first victory of the season.
"When we come out and get the lead early, it gets our pitchers to relax a little bit, the starters," Martinez said. "We did that and (Corbin) was able to settle in a little bit and gave us what we needed and the bullpen came in and shut it down."
Boston hitters struck out five times with runners in scoring position. The Red Sox trailed 3-1 when Jarren Duran fanned with the bases loaded in the sixth inning. Robert Garcia entered out of the Washington bullpen for that at-bat.
"Our pitchers threw strikes when they needed to," Martinez said. "They made good pitches when they needed to. It was a good day for our guys. We have to come back (Saturday) and do it again."
The Nationals will send Jake Irvin (2-3, 3.72 ERA) to the mound on Saturday. He will be opposed by fellow right-hander Cooper Criswell (2-1, 1.74). Neither pitcher has faced the opponent in his career.
Irvin took the loss in his latest start, when Washington dropped a 6-3 decision to the Toronto Blue Jays on May 4. He allowed four runs in five innings, but all four runs were unearned. Irvin gave up five hits, struck out four and walked one.
Criswell didn't factor in the decision when the Red Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 9-2 on Sunday. He was pulled after throwing 80 pitches and surrendering one run in 4 1/3 innings. Criswell struck out five while yielding five hits and one walk.
--Field Level Media
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 11, 2024 10:29:44 GMT -5
Game 39: Nationals at Red Sox lineups and notesBy Katie McInerney Globe Staff,Updated May 11, 2024, 2 hours ago The Red Sox are at .500 and on a three-game losing streak as they take on the Nationals on Saturday in the second contest of a three-game series at Fenway Park. The Red Sox went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position in Friday’s 5-1 loss, and are 2-for-29 with runners in scoring position and have stranded 33 baserunners during their three-game skid. Boston hitters struck out five times on Friday with runners in scoring position. In their last 27 plate appearances with runners in scoring position, the Sox have failed to score. The Nationals will send Jake Irvin (2-3, 3.72 ERA) to the mound on Saturday. He will be opposed by Cooper Criswell (2-1, 1.74) Here’s your preview. NATIONALS (19-18): 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: RHP Jake Irvin (2-3, 3.72 ERA) RED SOX (19-19): Jarren Duran (L) CF Wilyer Abreu (L) RF Tyler O'Neill (R) LF Rafael Devers (L) 3B Vaughn Grissom (R) DH Dominic Smith (L) 1B Reese McGuire (L) C David Hamilton (L) 2B Ceddanne Rafaela (R) SS Pitching: RHP Cooper Criswell (2-1, 1.74 ERA) Time: 4:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Nationals vs. Criswell: Nick Senzel 1-2 Red Sox vs. Irvin: Garrett Cooper 0-2 Stat of the day (courtesy of Stat Masterson himself, Alex Speier): Friday’s game marked the 12th time in 38 contests this year and fourth in the last seven that the Sox have been held to no more than one run. Notes: Boston has a 1-6 record in its past seven games, having scored seven runs total in the six losses. “The way you come out of this is keep putting good at-bats (together), have traffic and at one point we’re going to get the big hit and we’re gonna get in that groove,” Boston manager Alex Cora said following the Friday loss. “But it didn’t happen tonight. We walked five times, but we struck out nine times, too. Just keep working and hopefully (Saturday) is the day.” ... The Red Sox are hitting .217 overall and .158 with runners in scoring position during their last seven games. ... Timely hitting wasn’t a problem for the Nationals on Friday. Washington scored each of its five runs with two outs and went 4-for-8 with runners in scoring position. “We stayed on the baseball,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “We were really just trying to stay in the middle of the field, and (the hitters) did really well. The two-strike approach was way better today. They’re battling up there. They’re battling.” ... The Nationals had a 3-0 lead after three innings and received five strong frames from Patrick Corbin, who earned his first victory of the season. ... Neither starting pitcher has faced the opponent in his career. ... Irvin took the loss in his latest start, when Washington dropped a 6-3 decision to the Blue Jays on May 4. He allowed four runs in five innings, but all four runs were unearned. ...Criswell didn’t factor in the decision when the Red Sox beat the Twins 9-2 on Sunday. He was pulled after throwing 80 pitches and surrendering one run in 4 ⅓ innings. Criswell struck out five while yielding five hits and one walk. Song of the Day: Lenny Kravitz "Always on the Run" www.youtube.com/watch?v=em8JuUW-OOE
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 11, 2024 13:18:42 GMT -5
Red Sox set date for Garrett Whitlock’s rehab start in Worcester Updated: May. 11, 2024, 1:41 p.m.|Published: May. 11, 2024, 1:39 p.m.
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com BOSTON — Red Sox’ Garrett Whitlock will make a rehab start Wednesday for Triple-A Worcester against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at Polar Park.
Whitlock (left oblique strain) threw a live batting practice Friday here at Fenway Park. He went three innings.
Boston placed him on the 15-day injured list April 17, after he left his start the previous day when he threw only 54 pitches in four innings. The 27-year-old righty has a 1.96 ERA (18 ⅓ innings, four earned runs) in four starts this season.
Brayan Bello (right lat tightness) is expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list to start Sunday against the Nationals.
“So far, yeah,” manager Alex Cora said when asked if Bello will pitch tomorrow.
Bello struggled in a rehab start for Portland on Tuesday. He allowed three runs (two earned), four hits (one homer) and two walks while striking out five in 2 ⅔ innings.
Campbell throws up and down bullpen
Right-handed reliever Isaiah Campbell threw an up-and-down bullpen Friday.
“He feels better. I don’t know what the next step is but that was a good step for him,” Cora said.
Cora added that “he wouldn’t be surprised” if Campbell throws a live batting practice next week.
Boston placed Campbell on the injured list April 12 with a right shoulder impingement.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 11, 2024 18:32:47 GMT -5
Rafael Devers' 2-run double in the 8th inning lifts Red Sox over Nationals 4-2 AP BOSTON (AP) Rafael Devers hit a tiebreaking, two-run double in the eighth inning to lift the Boston Red Sox to a 4-2 victory over the Washington Nationals on Saturday.
Wearing their alternate bright-yellow jerseys with powder-blue lettering, numbers and caps, the Red Sox snapped a three-game losing streak with just their second victory in eight games.
Devers hit his two-out double over the head of left fielder Eddie Rosario off Robert Garcia (0-2) after Tyler O’Neill was intentionally walked.
Chris Martin (2-1) worked a scoreless inning and Kenley Jansen got three outs for his sixth save, the 426th of his career.
Wilyer Abreu hit a solo homer and Jarren Duran added an RBI double for Boston.
Rosario and Joey Meneses each hit a solo homer for the Nationals, with Meneses’ his first this season.
Meneses hit a 2-2 sweeper from Cooper Criswell over the Green Monster, pushing the Nationals ahead 1-0 in the second. When he rounded second base, he looked at the Nats’ dugout, spreading his arms with a wide smile on his face with a look of relief that he finally hit his first.
Abreu tied it with his shot into Washington’s bullpen an inning later before Rosario hit a fly ball in the fifth that barely cleared the 37-foot Monster, bouncing off the top before caroming toward the left-field foul pole.
Washington starter Jake Irvin allowed two runs on four hits and struck out six without a walk in the longest start of his two-year career.
Duran’s double tied it in the fifth after David Hamilton reached on a fielder’s choice when he failed to get a sacrifice down, but made up for it by stealing second.
Criswell struck out a career-best nine over five innings, giving up two runs - on solo homers - and three hits with a walk.
Entering the day, Boston’s starters had an MLB-best 2.39 ERA. Overall, the Red Sox's staff had a 2.78 ERA, lowest by the club at this point in a season since 1920.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: Manager Alex Cora said right-hander Garrett Whitlock (strained left oblique) will make a rehab start for Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Nationals LHP MacKenzie Gore (2-3, 3.44 ERA) is slated to start Sunday series finale against RHP Brayan Bello (3-1, 3.04), who's expected to come off the injured list and start for the first time since April 19. He has been sidelined since experiencing right lat tightness.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 11, 2024 18:38:45 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Bello expected to start Sunday 4:20 PM GMT-3 MLB.com
Share
LATEST NEWS May 11: RHP Brayan Bello expected to start Sunday The rotation is getting healthy again for the Red Sox. Bello, Boston's Opening Day starter, is expected to be activated to pitch Sunday's finale of the 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.
May 11: RHP Garrett Whitlock to rehab in Worcester on Wednesday A day after Whitlock threw three innings of live batting practice at Fenway, the Red Sox cleared him to make a Minor League rehab start for Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday. There's a good chance Whitlock will return to Boston's rotation for the road series against the Rays that takes place from May 20-22. 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.
May 11: RHP Isaiah Campbell close to return The Red Sox should get a key middle reliever back in the near future in Campbell, who threw two innings in the bullpen on Friday. The next step is a live batting practice session, which could happen at Fenway Park early next week. After that, Campbell should start a Minor League rehab assignment. Campbell was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement on April 12.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 12, 2024 5:42:47 GMT -5
Red Sox make surprising roster move to make room for return of Brayan Bello
Published: May. 11, 2024, 8:12 p.m.
By
Sean McAdam | sean.mcadam@masslive.com
BOSTON — The Red Sox needed a roster spot to make room for the imminent return of Brayan Bello Sunday, but their move to do so was a surprising one.
The team optioned Josh Winckowski to Worcester after Saturday’s 4-2 win over Washington, a baseball source confirmed. Bello will start for the Red Sox in Sunday’s series finale against the Nationals.
Winckowski appeared stunned by the news as various teammates approached him in the clubhouse and offered support.
Winckowski, 25, had split time between the bullpen and the starting rotation this season. Appearing in 12 games, he had posted a 1-1 record with a 3.33 ERA. In nine relief appearances, he had compiled a 4.61 ERA while in three starts, he had a 1.69 ERA.
He was part of the competition for the starting rotation in spring training before losing out and being re-assigned to the bullpen. He began the season as a reliever, but when injuries to the rotation hit — Nick Pivetta, Garrett Whitlock and Bello all were forced to the IL — he was moved back into the rotation.
His last outing came out of the bullpen Wednesday in Atlanta, when he pitched the fifth inning in relief of Pivetta, who was making his first start in weeks.
It had been thought that the Sox might option lefty Cam Booser. But with a number of starters returning to good health — Pivetta returned last week, Bello will do so Sunday and Whitlock may be back in another week or so after a scheduled rehab start set for Wednesday — the Sox didn’t need Winckowski as a starter option.
Meanwhile, a number of new acquisitions, led by Zack Kelly, Greg Weissert and Rule 5 pick Justin Slaten, have emerged as trustworthy righthanded bullpen options.
It’s unknown what role the Red Sox have in mind for Winckowski in Worcester. He could continue to pitch in relief and be called back up if there are injuries or performance issues in the bullpen. Or, they could put him in the rotation and stretch him out, giving them a depth starter option at Triple A.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 12, 2024 6:01:11 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Brayan Bello appears ready to return from injured list to further bolster Red Sox rotation By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated May 11, 2024, 5:07 p.m.
There’s a strong chance that Red Sox starter Brayan Bello (right lat tightness) will be reinstated from the injured list ahead of Sunday’s series finale against the Nationals at Fenway Park. Bello made one start for Triple A Worcester and came out of it without incident, giving the Sox optimism for his return.
The Red Sox have been hampered by injuries to their pitching staff. Nick Pivetta was recently reinstated from the injured list and though he was roughed up and lasted just four innings while allowing five earned runs in Wednesday’s loss to the Braves, the starter, who was originally placed on the IL with a right elbow flexor strain, saw it as a positive step forward.
“I mean, hats off to the training staff and [head athletic trainer] Brandon Henry,” Pivetta said. “He’s been with me since [my injury]. It takes a team to get everybody back. I’m happy that I feel good and I look forward to my next start.”
The rotation has been the bright spot for the Red Sox despite the injuries. Entering Saturday, Sox starters led the league with a 2.39 ERA while ranking third in WHIP (1.06) and opponent batting average (.217).
“I had no doubt from the pitching side that guys in spring training, that the guys that were here and the guys started in Triple A were going to do a good job,” manager Alex Cora said before the Sox won the middle game vs. the Nationals, 4-2. “I truly believed that in spring training. I felt like [Cooper] Criswell, if we wanted to go another route with [Garrett Whitlock] in the bullpen and keeping [Criswell] in the rotation, we were going to be fine. Because of the way he pitches. So, I feel pretty confident that we were going to pitch. The thing is that when you have so many guys injured, then the five innings and the four innings, it becomes hard, and that’s what we ran into last year, especially with the bullpen.”
Criswell pitched well again Saturday, going five innings and yielding just two runs (both on solo shots) while striking out a career-high nine. Related: The inside story of how the Red Sox remade their pitching philosophy
Whitlock (oblique) will return to the rotation when the club reinstates him from the IL, meaning the Sox will have a decision to make as it pertains to Criswell. On Wednesday, Whitlock is scheduled to start for Worcester. It’s still to be determined whether Whitlock will need more than one start before returning from the rehab assignment.
“I’m just happy that we’re getting our guys back,” Cora following the win. “And [Criswell] will be a part of this.” Rafaela on upswing
Ceddanne Rafaela was batting .350/.357/.600 across 11 games, with a .957 OPS, heading into Saturday. While that could be a positive sign, Cora refrained from suggesting that his rookie, who has a tendency to chase pitches outside the strike zone, had completely figured out the big leagues.
“He’s been getting hits,” Cora said. “I don’t know where we are at as far as like chasing pitches and all that, but he’s not expanding much. I do believe he becomes more selective when men are on. He’s still learning, and you start looking at the numbers he’s starting to get his hits. I think he put up great at-bats against Chris [Sale] in Atlanta. Friday [against the Nationals] the walk was huge. Little by little, he’s getting there. But I do believe there’s more.”
Rafaela has had to learn at the big-league level while also commanding shortstop in the absence of Trevor Story. Neither is an easy task, particularly for a player in his first full season in the majors. Though he’s had his struggles at the plate, the pressure, including playing in a tough market, hasn’t flustered Rafaela.
“I think it’s part of the game,” he said. “You [have to] have more bad days than good days. Then you go 3 for 10 and you’re one of the best in the game. It’s always going to be more failure than success. I think you just need to just keep focus, and try to help the team every day. I think that’s the biggest one for me.” Campbell at work
Rehabbing reliever Isaiah Campbell (shoulder) recently tossed an up and down … Corner infield prospect Blaze Jordan left a game for Double A Portland with a finger injury on his left hand, incurred on a play at the plate. The extent of the injury had yet to be determined.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 12, 2024 6:06:49 GMT -5
Nationals vs.Boston Red Sox
Sunday, May 12, 2024 at 1:35pm EDT Written by Chris King
It’s the conclusion of an interleague series on the diamond as a pair of teams hovering around .500 take the field in Beantown. The Washington Nationals are on the road as they close out a three-game series with the Boston Red Sox on Sunday afternoon. In the opening game of the series Friday night, it was Washington picking up a 5-1 victory and giving themselves a shot to win the series regardless of the events of Saturday’s contest. Will the Nationals pick up the win here on getaway day or can the Red Sox earn a needed victory at home? This article was published before the conclusion of the middle game of the series at Fenway Park on Saturday afternoon.
Washington Nationals Looking to Pick Up Road Victory in Finale Washington won for the ninth time in 13 games as they earned the road win in the opening game of this series Friday night. The Nationals entered Saturday 19-18 on the season and stood third in the NL East, seven games behind the Phillies for the top spot in the division. On Friday night, Washington got two hits each from Eddie Rosario (two runs) and Victor Robles (RBI) in the contest. Patrick Corbin (1-3) earned the win as he allowed one run on seven hits with one walk and four strikeouts over five innings of work. Five relievers combined to throw four scoreless innings to close out the win.
MacKenzie Gore takes the hill to make his eighth start of the season for the Nationals in this contest. He is 2-3 with a 3.44 ERA, a 1.471 WHIP, 11 walks and 42 strikeouts over 34 innings of work this season. Gore didn’t factor in the decision in his last start, which came against the Blue Jays at home Sunday afternoon. He threw three innings, allowing six runs (two earned) on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts in a game the Nationals rallied to win 11-8. In his last three starts, Gore is 0-2 with a 3.21 ERA, a 1.64 WHIP, five walks and 15 strikeouts over 14 innings of work. Gore didn’t factor in the decision in his lone career start against the Red Sox, which came on August 16, 2023 at home. He threw 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing one hit with two walks and seven strikeouts in a 6-2 Nationals win. Gore, in his 51st career major league appearance and 48th start, pitches at Fenway Park for the first time here.
Boston Red Sox Hoping to Prevail at Home Boston dropped their third straight and their sixth in the last seven games as they were beaten in the opening game of this series Friday night. The Red Sox entered Saturday 19-19 on the year and stood third in the AL East, 6.5 games behind the Orioles for the top spot in the division. On Friday night, Boston finished with nine hits with Connor Wong (run) the lone player to pick up two in the game. The Red Sox went a dismal one for nine with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base in the contest. Tanner Houck (3-4) took the loss as he allowed three runs on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts over seven innings of work.
The expectation is that Brayan Bello will be activated off the IL to make his sixth start of the season for the Red Sox in this contest. He is 3-1 with a 3.04 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP, seven walks and 26 strikeouts over 26.2 innings of work this season. Bello won in his last start, which came on April 19 on the road against the Pirates. He threw six innings, allowing no runs on one hit with two walks and seven strikeouts in an 8-1 Red Sox victory. In his last three starts, Bello is 2-1 with a 1.62 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, six walks and 18 strikeouts over 16.2 innings of work. Bello, in his 47th career major league appearance and 45th start, pitches against the Nationals for the first time here. He makes his 24th career appearance, 23rd start, at Fenway Park in this contest. Bello is 7-12 with a 3.80 ERA, a 1.401 WHIP, 39 walks and 105 strikeouts over 120.2 innings of work in those outings.
Nationals at Red Sox Sunday, at 1:35 PM EST Partly Cloudy It's expected to be 55° F with a 3% chance of precipitation and 7 MPH wind blowing right to left in Boston at 1:35 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 12, 2024 10:16:21 GMT -5
Red Sox Activate Brayan Bello From Injured List
By Nick Deeds | May 12, 2024 at 9:23am CDT
The Red Sox announced this morning that the club has activated right-hander Brayan Bello from the 15-day injured list. Right-hander Josh Winckowski was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move. Bello is slated to start this afternoon’s game against the Nationals at Fenway Park.
Bello, who will celebrate his 25th birthday later this week, has been on the shelf since late April due to a bout of lat tightness. Prior to the injury, the young righty had pitched solidly through five starts with the Red Sox this year with a 3.04 ERA and 4.06 FIP in 26 2/3 innings of work. He’s struck out a respectable 23.6% of batters faced and generated groundballs at a 51.3% clip during that time, although a whopping 19% of his fly balls leaving the yard for home runs stands out as a potential red flag in an otherwise impressive early-season performance.
That success on the mound has been par for the course among Red Sox starters this year, as the club’s 2.42 rotation ERA is the best figure in the majors to this point in the season thanks to excellent starts from the likes of Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck. With righty Nick Pivetta having also been activated from the injured list in recent days, the club’s rotation is once again approaching full strength. While righty Garrett Whitlock remains on the shelf due to an oblique strain, righty Cooper Criswell has performed admirably in his absence with a 2.10 ERA and 3.94 FIP in 25 2/3 innings of work.
Making room for Bello on the active roster is Winckowski, who will turn 26 next month. It’s a somewhat surprising move given his success over the past two seasons. The righty was among the best multi-inning relief arms in all of baseball last year as he posted a 2.88 ERA with a 3.91 FIP in 84 1/3 innings of work across 60 appearances. He hasn’t quite kept that performance up this year, although he’s still enjoyed solid results with a 3.33 ERA and 4.27 FIP in 24 1/3 innings of work.
While that sort of performance would seem to warrant a spot in the club’s bullpen over other optionable arms such as Cam Booser, it’s worth noting that Winckowski’s peripherals have taken a significant turn for the worse this year. The right-hander has struggled to miss bats this year as his strikeout rate has fallen from a respectable 22.3% last year all the way to just 16.8% this season. Meanwhile, his walk rate has ticked up from 8.4% to 9.7% and his groundball rate has dropped more than five points after sitting at a strong 51.2% last season. Those shaky peripheral numbers suggest that regression may have been on the horizon for Winckowski had he remained in the majors, a possibility supported by is elevated 4.53 xFIP and 5.43 xERA.
Going forward, Winckowski will head to the Triple-A level and look to recapture what made him such an effective reliever for the club last season while acting as an optionable depth arm for the club to lean on alongside former NPB starter Naoyuki Uwasawa. Meanwhile, the Red Sox appear poised to lean on right-hander Justin Slaten to fill the sort of high leverage, multi-inning role they turned to Winckowski for last year. Slaten has impressed in 13 contests this year with a 1.74 ERA and 2.34 FIP in 20 2/3 innings of work.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 12, 2024 10:21:03 GMT -5
Game 40: Nationals at Red Sox lineups and notes as Brayan Bello returnsBy Amin Touri Globe Staff,Updated May 12, 2024, 1 hour ago The Red Sox have just about managed to tread water at .500 despite all their injuries, but they’re finally getting a big piece back for Sunday’s series finale against the Nationals. Brayan Bello was activated from the 15-day injured list and will take the ball on Sunday. He hasn’t pitched since April 19 after experiencing lat tightness following a scoreless outing against the Pirates. Washington will turn to southpaw Mackenzie Gore for the rubber match. He struggled in his last outing, pitching just three innings and allowing six runs (though only two earned) against the Blue Jays. Lineups NATIONALS (19-19): CJ Abrams (L) SS Luis García Jr. (L) 2B Joey Meneses (R) 1B Jesse Winker (L) LF Nick Senzel (R) DH Eddie Rosario (L) RF Ildemaro Vargas (S) 3B Riley Adams (R) C Victor Robles (R) CF Pitching: LHP MacKenzie Gore (2-3, 3.44 ERA) RED SOX (20-19): Romy Gonzalez (R) SS Rob Refsnyder (R) DH Tyler O'Neill (R) RF Rafael Devers (L) 3B Connor Wong (R) C Garrett Cooper (R) 1B Vaughn Grissom (R) 2B Jarren Duran (L) LF Ceddanne Rafaela (R) CF Pitching: RHP Brayan Bello (3-1, 3.04 ERA) Time: 1:35 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Nationals vs. Bello: Eddie Rosario 1-5, Nick Senzel 0-1, Jesse Winker 1-3 Red Sox vs. Gore: Garrett Cooper 0-3, Rafael Devers 0-3, Rob Refsnyder 0-3, Connor Wong 0-1 Stat of the day: In their recent three-game losing streak, the Red Sox stranded 33 runners and went 2 for 29 with runners in scoring position. Notes: Devers doubled off of Robert Garcia to break a 2-2 tie in the eighth inning Saturday, after the Nationals elected to intentionally walk Tyler O’Neill with Romy Gonzalez on second base. “I thought that was the right matchup,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “It’s a good battle up there. He fouled a couple of good, tough pitches off, and [Devers] just got the best of him (Saturday). But Garcia’s throwing the ball good. He’s our left-handed guy, so we decided to go that route.” ... “Raffy against anybody — we’ll take that,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. ... Sunday will mark Bello’s first career appearance against the Nationals. Gore’s only career appearance against the Red Sox came last August, when he gave up one hit and no runs in 6 ⅓ innings during Washington’s 6-2 victory. Gore struck out seven and walked two but settled for a no-decision. Song of the Day Queen "Tie Your Mother Down" www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvB2MnIIdMw
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 12, 2024 11:43:31 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe Josh Winckowski will work as a starter in AAA. Cora was to the point about the decision, saying it was a combination of Winckowski needing to get better and the Sox having better pitching talent this season.
Yesterday was Kenley Jansen's first save situation since April 20.Yesterday was Kenley Jansen's first save situation since April 20.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 12, 2024 11:48:55 GMT -5
Jen McCaffrey @jcmccaffrey Cora said Winckowski will be in the Worcester rotation. They want him to add another pitch and find more separation between his existing pitches. 12:10 PM · May 12, 2024 · 7,647 Views
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 12, 2024 12:20:06 GMT -5
Not one reporter on twitter asked Cora thru him to the Analytic team about the line up today..... once again horse shit
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 12, 2024 13:05:44 GMT -5
Christopher Smith @smittyonmlb Perhaps these seats in right field and the bleachers will fill in some as the game moves along. But damn, that’s a lot of empty seats for a 1:35 p.m. start on a Sunday. Superstars are expensive but selling more seats earns $$$
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 12, 2024 13:15:30 GMT -5
What a weird 2nd Sox ended up loading the bases on a pop up to RF then after a swinging bunt, Wong gets nabbed ( no where to go) heading to the plate ( pitcher and catcher covering) Rafaela takes a lob wedge out, chips one towards RF foul territory and it drops in then Duran scores on a wild pitch
Gore has been barking at the ump all inning.
3-0 Red Sox
and I will agree with NESN on one thing....Mothers Day Afternoon games are usually wacko.....remember the Mothers Day Miracle...
|
|