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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 19, 2024 6:23:39 GMT -5
Ian Cundall @iancundall Rehabbing Red Sox RHP Bryan Mata tonight in Greenville: 2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K. 26p/18s. Had a 1-2-3 first, but got hit around in the second. His velocity was in line with what it’s been in the past: FB 96-97, SL 86-87, CB 77-80 & CH 89-91 per @rotoclegg who’s in attendance. 9:48 PM · May 18, 2024 ·
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 19, 2024 6:27:10 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo @chriscotillo Some Red Sox numbers:
Boston is hitting just .229 in May.
Justin Slaten had a 0.52 ERA in April. It's at 10.80 in May.
Wilyer Abreu's struggles haven't been a big story but he's hitting .170 in May. 12:03 AM · May 19, 2024 ·
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 19, 2024 6:29:24 GMT -5
Why Red Sox’ Rafael Devers thinks his 4-game homer streak is ‘pointless’
Published: May. 18, 2024, 11:05 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
ST. LOUIS — Rafael Devers is on a powerful plate over the last few days, homering in each of his last four games. But the Red Sox, who are in something of a free-fall so far in May, haven’t won any of them.
Against the Rays, Devers took reliever Phil Maton deep on Wednesday and starter Zack Littell out of the ballpark on Thursday but the Red Sox lost both games by two runs. In St. Louis, Devers hit a 443-foot solo shot off Kyle Gibson in Friday’s series-opening loss before adding a 431-foot blast off Miles Mikolas to tie Saturday’s game, 1-1. Still, the Red Sox went on to lose, 7-2, when St. Louis scored five times in the eighth.
It’s safe to say Devers isn’t getting much enjoyment out of his showing of power.
“I feel good about the home runs but at the same time, we’re not winning so it’s bittersweet,” Devers said through translator Carlos Villoría Benítez. “The swing feels good but if we’re not winning, it’s just pointless.”
Devers’ swing has come alive with the weather heating up a bit in May. He homered just three times in April, when he was limited to 19 games, but has five blasts in his last 11 games dating back to May 5. Still, there’s a lack of satisfaction because he has frequently failed to come through in clutch situations. Before homering Saturday, he struck out with runners on first and second and one out in what would eventually be a squandered first-inning rally.
Devers is well-aware that he’s hitting just .182 (6-for-33) with one homer with runners in scoring position so far this year.
“I need to make an adjustment,” he said. “I like to hit with men in scoring position and I haven’t been able to hit with men in scoring position. Obviously, that gets me a little bit frustrated. But at the same time, I need to keep working.”
Devers has, unsurprisingly, been a force in a Red Sox lineup that has not met expectations through 46 games this season. Even with little around him with Trevor Story and Triston Casas out and Tyler O’Neill and Wilyer Abreu both scuffling in May, Devers is hitting .284 with eight homers, 19 RBIs, a .537 slugging percentage and a .918 OPS. Before Devers spoke about needing to be better with situational hitting, manager Alex Cora correctly predicted that the star third baseman would not be satisfied with his recent streak.
“He’s getting pitches that he can handle and he’s hitting them out of the ballpark,” Cora said. “If you ask him, he’ll tell you he’s not locked in. Yesterday, he got a pitch down and hit it out of the ballpark. Today, the same thing. He’s feeling better. But if you ask him, I bet he’ll tell you there’s more there. I don’t know what more is. But if that happens, it’ll be fun to watch.”
The Red Sox offense, which was outhit by the Cardinals 14-5 on Saturday, has combined to hit just .229 so far in May, plating less than three runs in 10 of 16 games. Devers acknowledged that things need to change fast if the club wants to get back on track after a solid April.
“We’re struggling as a whole,” Devers said. “They’re pitching us differently than they pitched us at the beginning of the season and we have to make an adjustment. We haven’t been able to do that. We’re working hard to make that adjustment to get the whole offense back clicking.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 19, 2024 6:39:36 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Two reasons why Red Sox catcher Reese McGuire is back to being one of MLB’s best at throwing out runners By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated May 18, 2024, 7:32 p.m.
ST. LOUIS — Scouting reports praised catcher Reese McGuire’s defense when the Pirates picked him in the first round of the 2013 MLB draft. It was his best skill set, combining exquisite blocking and footwork with a strong arm.
In 2022, McGuire led the American League in caught-steal percentage (33 percent). But that number dropped all the way to 17 percent last year, nabbing just seven runners in 41 steal attempts. One of McGuire’s greatest gifts had abandoned him.
This year, however, McGuire is once again making runners think before attempting to steal, registering a 30 percent caught-steal percentage, cutting down six runners in 20 attempts.
So, what changed?
The answer is twofold.
“You only have a chance as much as the pitcher gives you as far as time to the plate,” McGuire said prior to Saturday’s 7-2 loss to the Cardinals. “So we’ve done a good job lately of controlling the running game with slide steps and holding the ball, and, you know, giving us a chance to throw the guy out.”
Last season’s implementation of MLB’s rule limiting pitchers to a maximum of three pickoff attempts per plate appearance was an adjustment for the Sox pitchers. They had to learn to mix up their looks to first — or second — base, understanding when to throw over and when not to during an at-bat. Pitchers had to key in more to their patterns, ensuring they were mixing up their tempo and speed on the mound. Sometimes it would involve being quick to the plate. Other times, pitchers would slow the pace and hold the ball longer when they came set.
That proved to be tough for Sox pitchers, which, in part, led to McGuire seeing a dip in the his success throwing out runners.
However, the other aspect of McGuire’s return to prominence involved going back to what he always did: catching in a crouched position, at times, with men on instead of being on one knee, a method that is taught league-wide in an effort to steal strikes at the bottom of the zone.
“Mechanically, there’s been a couple lately where I have not been with my right knee on the ground,” said McGuire. “I’ve been two legs up. So I’ve felt a little more athletic to be able to throw like I traditionally have all my career. Being down on my right knee and then trying to make a throw is still a work in progress. It’s still a learning adjustment. So lately a couple of my good throws have been with two feet up.” Related: Shared World Series history between Red Sox, Cardinals remains relative
The Sox have seen the benefit of having both McGuire and Connor Wong playing well. And for McGuire, he’s back to flashing his arm again.
“We were joking yesterday that Reese plays two out of three and he does well,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “Then Wong plays three straight in St. Louis. That’s the beauty of having two good catchers.” Mata out of options
Bryan Mata (hamstring) continued his rehab assignment for High A Greenville, pitching two innings Saturday, yielding four hits, two runs, and a walk.
The righthander doesn’t have any minor league options left and must be added to the parent club at the end of his rehab stint. If he’s not added to the roster, the Sox would have to designate him for assignment.
“We just want him to throw strikes and hopefully the stuff is back,” Cora said. “It’s hard. So we’ll see what happens in the upcoming weeks. Hopefully he stays healthy. That’s the most important thing.” Nothing new on Whitlock
Cora didn’t have any new information on Garrett Whitlock, who the team shut down indefinitely due to elbow soreness. Cora said the club will know more Monday . . . Wong will catch every game this series. Temperatures are set to reach 90 degrees Sunday in St. Louis . . . Isaiah Campbell (shoulder) is set to throw a live batting practice for Triple A Worcester Sunday. The Sox reliever has been on the injured list since April 12 . . . Catcher Tyler Heineman (hamstring) was reinstated from the 10-day IL and optioned to Triple A Worcester after Friday’s game.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 19, 2024 6:45:36 GMT -5
I did a bit of digging on this and like last year if you have the existing MLB ticket or MLB Extra Innings package you should be able to get these games on Roku ( check your listings) Indeed I can tune into the Red Sox getting swept today.
How to watch Sunday’s Red Sox game on Roku
By Mac Cerullo | mcerullo@bostonherald.com May 19, 2024 at 5:45 a.m.
When the Red Sox take on the St. Louis Cardinals for the final game of their three-game series on Sunday afternoon, you won’t be able to watch the game on NESN. The game won’t be on Fox or ESPN either.
The game will be streamed exclusively by Roku, which last week was announced as the new home of MLB’s Sunday Leadoff package.
Introduced in 2022, the Sunday Leadoff package encompasses the first game of the day on every Sunday from now through Sept. 15. The package was previously hosted by NBC’s Peacock streaming service, and this weekend’s Red Sox vs. Cardinals game will be the first game broadcast by Roku.
The deal with Roku is reportedly worth $30 million over three years, according to Evan Drellich of The Athletic.
To watch Sunday’s Red Sox game, fans can stream the Roku Channel for free with no subscription or sign-up required. Viewers can access the service with their Roku devices or TVs, via TheRokuChannel.com, through the Roku app on iOS and Android devices, Amazon Fire TVs, Samsung TVs and Google TVs and other Android TV OS devices. In addition, fans who subscribe to MLB.TV can watch all Sunday Leadoff games blackout free from anywhere in the world.
Sunday’s game is scheduled to begin at 1:05 p.m. ET and will feature Chip Caray on play-by-play, NESN’s Will Middlebrooks as an analyst and Alexa Datt as a reporter.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 19, 2024 6:49:54 GMT -5
Cards go for sweep of Red Sox behind Matthew Liberatore FLM
The St. Louis Cardinals like what left-hander Matthew Liberatore brought to their bullpen, but now he is being wedged back into the rotation.
Liberatore will continue getting used to life as a starter again when St. Louis tries to complete a three-game series sweep of the visiting Boston Red Sox on Sunday afternoon.
The Cardinals won the first two games of the series to extend Boston's losing streak to four games. St. Louis banged out 14 hits on Saturday in a 7-2 victory, winning for the fifth time in six games.
"It was tough at-bats, guys not trying to do too much," St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said. "Just all the way around, guys aren't trying to do too much. Because of it, we're getting plenty."
Liberatore (1-1, 4.56 ERA) will make his third start of the year for the Cardinals after spending most of the season working out of the bullpen. He is filling in while Steven Matz recovers from a back injury.
In his latest outing, Liberatore allowed four runs on five hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings in St. Louis' 10-5 win at the Los Angeles Angels on Monday. He did not factor into the decision.
"(Liberatore) competed," Marmol said. "Especially not being able to throw a bullpen like a regular starter in between starts and work on something and command the baseball and be ready to start. We're asking him to do multiple things, which is very difficult for anybody to do, let alone a young guy to do it. He handled it extremely well."
Liberatore has a 3.78 ERA in 16 2/3 innings as a reliever this season and a 6.43 ERA in seven innings as a starter. He is blending a cutter, a pitch he added to his arsenal during spring training, into his repertoire.
"The cutter is a real player for him, especially as a starter," Marmol said. "It can be a pitch that allows him to go through a lineup a couple times. And even if there are righties in there, (he'll) have something that's coming into them."
Sunday marks Liberatore's first career appearance against the Red Sox.
Boston's scheduled starter, Nick Pivetta (1-2, 3.48), came away with a no-decision after holding the Tampa Bay Rays to two runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings on Tuesday in his most recent start. He struck out eight and walked none in a game the Red Sox eventually won, 5-4, in 12 innings.
It was Pivetta's second start after missing more than a month with an elbow strain.
"I think from the beginning, just the way I was able to command my pitches and attack the strike zone, it felt comfortable, and then I was able to just work myself into some good counts," Pivetta said. "We had good command of all three of those pitches, fastball, curveball and sweeper."
Pivetta is 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA in five career starts against the Cardinals, who have scored 40 runs in their past six games. Ivan Herrera is 14-for-33 (.424) during a nine-game hitting streak, while Paul Goldschmidt is 10-for-32 (.313) during a seven-game run.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox have scored three runs or fewer 10 times in their past 15 games.
"I think at the end of the day, we've got to score runs," Boston manager Alex Cora said. "(Close) games all the way, it puts pressure on the bullpen. At one point, we have to start producing runs."
--Field Level Media
Red Sox at Cardinals Sunday, at 1:05 PM EST Clear It's expected to be 87° F with a 0% chance of precipitation and 5 MPH wind blowing out in St. Louis at 1:05 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 19, 2024 9:27:57 GMT -5
Game 47: Red Sox at Cardinals lineups and notesBy Katie McInerney Globe Staff,Updated May 19, 2024, 9 minutes ago The Red Sox hope to break a four-game losing streak on Sunday when they wrap up their series against the Cardinals in St. Louis. The Cardinals like what lefthander Matthew Liberatore (1-1, 4.56 ERA) brought to their bullpen, but now he is being wedged back into the rotation with Steven Matz recovering from back surgery. Sunday is Liberatore’s third start of the season. He’ll be up against Nick Pivetta, who will make his third start since returning from an elbow strain. Here’s your preview. Lineups RED SOX (22-24): Duran LF, Refsnyder RF, O’Neill DH, Devers 3B, Wong C, Cooper 1B, Gonzalez SS, Grissom 2B, Rafaela CF Pitching: RHP Nick Pivetta (1-2, 3.48 ERA) CARDINALS (20-25): Carpenter DH, Nootbaar RF, Goldschmidt 1B, Arenado 3B, Burleson LF, Donovan 2B, Crawford SS, Pagés C, Siani CF Pitching: LHP Matthew Liberatore (1-1, 4.56 ERA) Time: 1:05 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI Red Sox vs. Liberatore: Garrett Cooper 1-2 Cardinals vs. Pivetta: Nolan Arenado 3-8, Dylan Carlson 0-2, Matt Carpenter 4-16, Brandon Crawford 2-6, Brendan Donovan 0-3, Paul Goldschmidt 4-9, Iván Herrera 0-3 Stat of the day: The Cardinals have scored 40 runs in their past six games. The Red Sox have scored three runs or fewer 10 times in their past 15 games. Notes: St. Louis banged out 14 hits on Saturday in a 7-2 victory, winning for the fifth time in six games. “It was tough at-bats, guys not trying to do too much,” St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said. “Just all the way around, guys aren’t trying to do too much. Because of it, we’re getting plenty.” ... In his latest outing, Liberatore allowed four runs on five hits and two walks in 3 ⅓ innings in St. Louis’ 10-5 win at the Los Angeles Angels on Monday. He did not factor into the decision. ... Liberatore has a 3.78 ERA in 16 ⅔ innings as a reliever this season and a 6.43 ERA in seven innings as a starter. He is blending a cutter, a pitch he added to his arsenal during spring training, into his repertoire. ... Sunday marks Liberatore’s first career appearance against the Red Sox. ... Nick Pivetta (1-2, 3.48), came away with a no-decision after holding the Tampa Bay Rays to two runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings on Tuesday in his most recent start. He struck out eight and walked none in a game the Red Sox eventually won, 5-4, in 12 innings. It was Pivetta’s second start after missing more than a month with an elbow strain. ... Pivetta is 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA in five career starts against the Cardinals. ... Ivan Herrera is 14-for-33 (.424) during a nine-game hitting streak, while Paul Goldschmidt is 10-for-32 (.313) during a seven-game run. Song of the Day: Asia " Heat of the Moment" www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCALGlGuVUA
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 19, 2024 10:01:40 GMT -5
Tyler Milliken ⚾️ @tylermilliken_ Dear @redsox ,
I’d like for the offense to not make me feel physically ill today.
Thank you. 10:28 AM · May 19, 2024 ·
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 19, 2024 12:33:35 GMT -5
Red Sox up 2-0 after Cooper doubled Wong in the 2nd
O'Neil cranked a dinger ( solo) in the first
The Cards broadcast team said yesterday that out of the 42 home runs hit by the Red Sox this year, 32 have been solo shots
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 19, 2024 19:27:54 GMT -5
Devers homers for fifth straight game, tying Red Sox record, in 11-3 win over Cardinals AP
ST. LOUIS (AP) Rafael Devers tied a Boston record by homering for his fifth consecutive game, and the Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals 11-3 on Sunday to stop a season-high, four-game losing streak.
Devers hit a two-run homer in the sixth off Ryan Fernandez, his ninth home run this season.
“It feels good,” Devers said through an interpreter. “It’s important when we win these kind of games.”
He became the seventh Boston player to homer in five straight games, the first since Bobby Dalbec from Sept. 5-10, 2020.
“When that guy gets on a heater, it’s really fun to watch,” teammate Tyler O’Neill said. “He’s been one of the best hitters in the league for a long time.”
O’Neill homered against his former team as Boston rebounded after falling two games under .500 for the first time this season. The Red Sox outhit St. Louis 14-6.
O’Neill received a 45-second standing ovation prior to his first at-bat in the series opener on Friday. He also got a smattering of applause from St. Louis fans after the home run on Sunday.
“A very special weekend for me,” O’Neill said. “I’ve had this series circled on the calendar for a little while. The fans have greeted me with a lot of positively. This has been really heartwarming.”
O’Neill, who played for St. Louis from 2018-23, had two hits and a pair of walks. He hit his 11th home run of the season, a go-ahead, first-inning drive on a 3-0 pitch off Matthew Liberatore (1-2).
Nick Pivetta (2-2) gave up one run on one hit in six innings with eight strikeouts and no walks. He retired 18 of the 19 batters he faced.
“I was able to get in a good rhythm from pitch one,” Pivetta said.
Garrett Cooper hit an RBI double in the second, and Boston opened a 4-0 lead in the fourth on Romy González’s RBI double and Jarren Duran’s run-scoring triple.
Liberatore gave up four runs and six hits in three innings.
Lars Nootbaar homered for St. Louis, which had won five of its six previous games.
Pinch-hitter David Hamilton had a solo homer for the Red Sox in the ninth against Nick Robertson.
St. Louis scored 17 runs in winning the first two games of the series. The Cardinals have homered in seven successive games.
“We’re finally scoring runs and it feels good,” St. Louis infielder Brendan Donovan said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cardinals: RHP Giovanny Gallegos threw a bullpen session on Friday. He went on the 15-day IL on May 6 with right shoulder impingement.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: RHP Tanner Houck (3-5, 2.17) will open a three game series Monday at Tampa Bay and RHP Taj Bradley (1-1, 2.45). Houck threw a career-high 112 pitches over 5 2/3 innings in a 4-3 loss to the Rays on Wednesday.
Cardinals: RHP Sonny Gray (5-2, 3.05) will start Monday’s series opener against Baltimore and RHP Dean Kremer (3-3, 3.72).
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 19, 2024 19:48:46 GMT -5
Sunday’s Red Sox offensive breakout a reminder that luck sometimes evens out By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated May 19, 2024, 2 hours ago
ST. LOUIS — In “Bull Durham,” an error-prone infielder wanted to cut the head off a live rooster to take a curse off his glove. Pedro Cerrano prayed to a voodoo doll named Jobu in “Major League” because he was convinced his bats were afraid of curveballs.
In real life, the Red Sox did not sacrifice any poultry or set up any shrines to finally get a few hits with runners in scoring position on Sunday afternoon. They prepared the best they could and waited.
Patience — impatience, to be more accurate — was rewarded with an 11-3 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals. It was not cinematic, but close enough.
“This team needed a day like this,” said first baseman Dominic Smith, shouting to have his voice heard over the music in the clubhouse.
The fifth inning was a perfect example of how baseball can be so confounding.
Tyler O’Neill and Rafael Devers drew walks off righthander Ryan Fernandez, a Rule 5 pick from the Sox in December. Connor Wong (hitting .354 with a .916 OPS) then reached on a slowly hit infield single to third baseman Nolan Arenado, a 10-time Gold Glove winner.
Wilyer Abreu pinch hit and tapped a grounder with an exit velocity of 38.4 m.p.h. toward first base. Paul Goldschmidt, a four-time Gold Glove winner, took his time picking the ball up and it went for an RBI single.
Smith pinch hit and blooped a ball over third base to drive in two runs. Exit velocity: a scalding 60. That gave the Sox a 7-1 lead, and they were able to enjoy the rest of the game.
“I couldn’t have thrown that ball to a better spot,” Smith said. “But that’s baseball. You can hit the ball hard and get nothing for it and sometimes it just falls in. I was laughing to myself.”
The Sox were 13 of 96 (a ghastly .135) with runners in scoring position their previous 11 games and left 83 runners on base. Manager Alex Cora said before Sunday’s game he was confident the team’s luck would change at some point.
If Sunday was indeed that day, the Sox could be in for a good run of clutch hits.
“It was good to watch,” Cora said. “That’s the beauty of this game. You never know what’s going to happen, how we’re going to do it.”
With a 12-team playoff format, a 23-24 record is hardly a death knell. The Sox left the ballpark 1½ games out of a wild card spot despite having lost 11 of their previous 16 games.
“It’s good to be around .500, but we expect more,” Cora said. “We haven’t played bad this week, we just haven’t won games and at the end of the day, that’s what matters.
“Let’s get back to .500 and start winning series on a consistent basis.”
The Sox open a three-game series at Tampa Bay on Monday, then play nine of 12 at home. The most astonishing statistic in baseball is the Sox rotation’s 2.77 ERA. If that keeps up, maybe the summer will be interesting.
“This lineup is better than what people think,” Smith said. “I believe that.”
Cora and hitting coach Pete Fatse kept the same approach with the players as they struggled for big hits.
“Pitchers take a mindset to the mound that they want to get ahead and go to their safety spots,” Fatse said. “Be willing to stay within yourself. A hitter has to take that same mindset, not to try and do too much.
“Take what they give you, anticipate more breaking ball usage. Just staying within yourself.”
Fatse is a believer that one game can get a lineup going.
“One hundred percent,” he said. “It’s one of those things where sometimes it’s the mental break of knowing you don’t have to hit it perfectly to get a hit. Once guys start to get that feeling, it can build. That’s why we play so many games. You hope that it evens out.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 19, 2024 19:51:46 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Tyler O’Neill enjoys homer, closure after a welcome homecoming in St. Louis By Julian McWilliams and Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated May 19, 2024, 57 minutes ago
ST. LOUIS — Tyler O’Neill received cheers in each of his first at-bats this weekend at Busch Stadium. None were louder than Friday’s, but each game, the Cardinals’ crowd showed their appreciation for their former outfielder.
Each time, he stepped out of the batter’s box a minute to let it all soak in. On Friday, he singled. On Sunday, he homered, the first blow of an 11-3 Red Sox victory.
The whole weekend was special, O’Neill said. It also brought some closure.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a little while. I just was wondering how it was all gonna feel,” O’Neill said. “I didn’t know what I was gonna be walking into. I’m really glad. Obviously, again, wish we won the series, but the boys fought hard this weekend.”
O’Neill was 2 for 3 Sunday, with three runs scored. The home run, his 40th in 246 regular-season games at Busch, brought on some fond memories.
“It was awesome,” he said. “Just like I remember it.” Big hits needed
Despite a 5 for 17 day with runners in scoring position Sunday, the Red Sox are still hitting .159 (18 of 113) in such spots the last 12 games, with 89 left on base.
“We’re creating opportunities. There’s traffic out there. From that end, we’re in a good spot,” Cora said. “Now it’s just a matter of driving them in.”
Cora believes the issue started in Atlanta on May 7, when Adam Duvall made a nice sliding catch to take away what could have been a two-run double for O’Neill in the eighth inning of a 4-2 loss.
“If he doesn’t make that play, maybe we wouldn’t be having this discussion. That ball falls and we start getting into the groove,” Cora said. “You start looking at the numbers and it’s still a small sample size. But the numbers are the numbers, right?
Such trends usually go in cycles, but the Sox have been waiting a while for an upswing.
“It’s been tough. We haven’t hit the ball hard, either. It’s not like we’re hitting into bad luck,” Cora said. “We’ve just got to continue to grind, talk about the process. It will happen at one point. That’s how it works over 162 [games]. But we’re going through a long stretch here where we haven’t done the job.”
Cora said the team could try tactics like a safety squeeze bunt with a hitter like Ceddanne Rafaela up, but that would be limiting the team’s top RBI producer.
“You stay the course,” he said. “It’s frustrating for everybody, we know that. At the end, you got to stay the course, and hopefully it evens out.” Going deep
Since literally the first day of spring training, Cora has prioritized the need for starting pitchers to go deeper into games. He doesn’t want to see what happened last season, when the bullpen wore down after too many short starts.
Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck were listening. Both have averaged an inning more per start than they did last season. Crawford is up to 5⅔ innings and Houck 6⅓.
As a group, the Sox are 20th in innings pitched by starters. That should improve as Brayan Bello and Nick Pivetta build up more endurance after stints on the injured list. Bello was out nearly a month with lat tightness, and Pivetta missed a month with an elbow strain.
The fifth starter, Cooper Criswell, has a 2.67 ERA in six starts, but has thrown only 27 innings as he builds up from being in the bullpen.
“It’s a mindset as much as anything,” said Houck, who is scheduled to face the Rays on Monday night at Tropicana Field. “You have to go out there not being satisfied to go five innings.”
Said Cora: “It’s been awesome; it’s been great. Even with OK stuff, they’ve been able to maneuver six innings.”
Crawford went 5⅔ innings and allowed one run in Saturday’s 7-2 loss. He was under 90 miles per hour in the first, but persevered.
“They have weapons. They can go different ways,” Cora said. “Kutter read the game.” Paying tribute
Players on both teams wore military-style caps, socks, and other pieces of equipment to honor members of the armed services and their families. Sox catcher Reese McGuire had a desert camouflage-colored helmet, chest protector, and shin guards . . . The Sox are 11-14 against St. Louis in interleague games . . . The Sox are 1-6 against American League East teams as they head for Tampa Bay and a three-game series. Only three teams — the Angels, Reds, and Cardinals — have played fewer games in their division to date.
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Post by Kimmi on May 20, 2024 14:41:58 GMT -5
Tyler Milliken ⚾️ @tylermilliken_ I can’t even be upset at Brennan Bernardino. He’s been ridiculous since rejoining the team.
Red Sox offense has left the pitching staff with no room for error for weeks.
Tonight is just another example of that. Pathetic. 10:15 PM · May 18, 2024· Bingo. We have wasted a lot a very strong starts. That said, we finally had a game last night with a comfortable win. Very solid pitching and some rarely seen offense.
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Post by Kimmi on May 20, 2024 14:44:44 GMT -5
I did a bit of digging on this and like last year if you have the existing MLB ticket or MLB Extra Innings package you should be able to get these games on Roku ( check your listings) Indeed I can tune into the Red Sox getting swept today. Even though it was a Roku game, it was still televised on my Extra Innings package, thank goodness. I'm getting tired of streaming services having exclusive rights to games. I'm not about to pay for 3 or 4 different streaming services to watch baseball games.
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Post by Kimmi on May 20, 2024 14:45:31 GMT -5
Tyler Milliken ⚾️ @tylermilliken_ Dear @redsox ,
I’d like for the offense to not make me feel physically ill today.
Thank you. 10:28 AM · May 19, 2024 · Dude feels like my soulmate.
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