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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 24, 2020 4:41:33 GMT -5
Orioles @ Red Sox Thursday 24th September Last game @ Fenway so of course 730pm
Cobb 1-5/ 4.76
Trying to snap a 3 game losing streak despite tossing six innings of 2 run ball in his last start vs the Rays.
Perez 3-4/ 3.88
Has been the most durable SP of the staff this season. Fired six shutout innings vs the Yankees in his last game.
Red Sox look to continue late-season surge vs. Orioles FLM
The Boston Red Sox have experienced a highly disappointing season but are making a final-week push.
The Red Sox will go for their first four-game winning streak on Thursday when they close a three-game series against the visiting Baltimore Orioles.
A victory would also move Boston (22-34) out of sole possession of the American League East cellar and into a tie with the Orioles (23-33). The Red Sox have won the first two games by a cumulative 17-4 score.
Catcher Kevin Plawecki said it would have been easy for Boston to have mailed in the season after falling out of the playoff mix. He is impressed with the intensity the club is playing with in the final days of the campaign.
"We had a tough (nine)-game stretch early," Plawecki said of a dismal August losing streak that dropped the team's record to 6-18. "With the shortened season, I think we all kind of realized the magnitude of each and every game.
"We have a good team. We really do. We're going to keep fighting and try to win as many games as we can here. We have four left and we're going to keep fighting until the end."
Plawecki was one of the standouts of Wednesday's 9-1 trouncing of the Orioles.
He went 3-for-4 with two RBI and Rafael Devers smacked a three-run double raise his team-leading RBI count to 39.
But while Devers is potent with the bat, the 23-year-old has been a liability with the glove and leads all major league third basemen with 13 errors.
Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke says improvement is needed and feels there is a snowball effect once Devers makes one miscue.
"Raffy's got the toolset to be a good third baseman," Roenicke said. "If he can be even an average third baseman defensively, with the way he swings the bat it's a huge value for a team. But at times, there are some lapses. He knows it. He's really hard on himself when he makes an error. He doesn't like it. He works at it. And I think he'll just continue to get better and better."
The Orioles are sliding in the wrong direction with 12 losses in their past 15 games.
"It's always tough when the offense and pitching staff aren't lining up," Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. "Just wash it and move on to the next game and try to finish strong here these last few games and have fun playing baseball."
Baltimore avoided the shutout Wednesday when outfielder Austin Hays cleared the Green Monster in left-center field in the seventh inning.
Hays went 3-for-4 for his fifth multi-hit outing of the month. The 25-year-old is batting .371 (13-for-35) in September.
"Nice to see him get it going a little bit with three hits tonight," Hyde said. "Driving the ball out to left field, playing some exciting baseball right now. I think getting some at-bats under his belt, starting to feel a little bit more comfortable.
"It's nice to roll into the offseason swinging the bat well. Hopefully he can keep it going the next four days."
Orioles right-hander Alex Cobb (1-5, 4.76 ERA) is winless in eight starts since opening the season by beating the Red Sox. He allowed one run and four hits over 5 1/3 innings in that outing.
Cobb, 32, received a no-decision against Boston on Aug. 22 when he gave up two runs and six hits over five innings. He is 8-6 with a 3.73 ERA in 19 career starts against the Red Sox.
Christian Vazquez (11-for-16) and J.D. Martinez (11-for-22, one homer, five doubles) have regularly enjoyed success against Cobb.
In his last turn on Friday, Cobb gave up two runs and four hits over six innings while losing to the Tampa Bay Rays, 2-1.
Left-hander Martin Perez (3-4, 3.88) will look to help Boston complete the sweep.
Perez was solid in his last outing when he gave up three hits over six scoreless innings in a no-decision against the New York Yankees on Friday.
The 29-year-old Perez is 4-5 with a 4.77 ERA in 11 career starts against the Orioles.
--Field Level Media
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 24, 2020 7:41:58 GMT -5
Nathan Eovaldi leaves a great last impression … again
By Rob Bradford 3 hours ago
Nathan Eovaldi is the master of leaving you wanting more.
Sometimes it's more results, more along the line of what one would expect from a pitcher living life in the midst of a four-year, $68 million contract. There is no escaping that reality, as a 5.04 combined ERA over the last two seasons would suggest.
And then there are nights like Wednesday.
You watch Eovaldi pitch a game like he did against the Orioles in the Red Sox' 9-1 win and it's human nature to yearn for another dose of what the pitcher was delivering. It's the kind feeling Dave Dombrowski clearly had when committing to the pitcher's current contract after those postseason heroics.
And even with all the downturns it's a feeling that still won't go away.
"I love watching him pitch," said Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke after his team's third win in a row.
While the optimism supplied by Tanner Houck and Nick Pivetta over the past week has tempered frustration over slipping down in the Draft order, nobody can supply a tidal wave of "what if?" Like Eovaldi.
He represents the potential for an on-the-mound dominance few in baseball possess.
This time it was six shutout innings that included eight strikeouts. It punctuated a three-appearance run since returning from a calf injury that saw Eovaldi allow one run over 14 innings, fanning 19 and walking just one.
When the 2020 story was finally told for the 30-year-old, there were nine starts with a 3.72 ERA, with the Red Sox going 6-3 in those appearances. On the surface, the Sox would probably take that resume from a pitcher which was supposed to be its No. 3 guy in the rotation.
But uncertainty is still going to linger. That is Eovaldi's lot in life until further notice.
Whether it's a lack of production -- as was the case when building a 5.93 ERA over his first five starts this season -- or injuries, benefit of the doubt isn't quite in the pitcher's corner as of yet.
What we do know is that Eovaldi is heading into 2021 healthy and brimming with the same sort of confidence he springboards out of 2018 with. Those two things -- along with his 100 mph fastball, lethal split-finger and wipeout slider -- will have to be good enough for now.
It's a step in the right direction for a team and a pitcher who have spent way too long running in place
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 24, 2020 7:44:33 GMT -5
Red Sox Notes @soxnotes
Nathan Eovaldi’s last 4 starts: 0.86 ERA (21.0 IP, 2 ER) 25 SO, 2 BB .224 AVG (17-for-76) 0.90 WHIP
Red Sox starters, last 6 games: 0.84 ERA (32.0 IP, 3 ER) .167 AVG (18-for-108)
Red Sox starters, last 17 games: 2.89 ERA (74.2 IP, 24 ER) .232 AVG (63-for-272)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 24, 2020 9:43:09 GMT -5
Jackie Bradley Jr. won’t get the potential farewell he deserves
It’s a pandemic side effect I hadn’t thought of until this morning. By Matt_Collins@MattRyCollins Sep 24, 2020, 10:30am EDT
Tonight is a night that would usually be circled on the schedule each and every year. This is the final game that will be played at Fenway Park in 2020, with the Red Sox heading out to Atlanta this weekend to finish up the season. Obviously the hope at the start of any given season is that the final game at Fenway will actually be in October, but we know that’s not always the case and there’s always a solid chance whenever the regular season home finale takes place is the last time we’ll see action at the home park in the calendar year. This season, though, it doesn’t really feel like an event at all, or really anything of significance. It’s just another day, for some obvious reasons.
The biggest reason is obviously the fact that the ongoing pandemic has prevented fans (except for that one guy) from entering the park at all this year. That is part of the significance of the final home game, that this is the last chance for the fans of the club to go in person and see their favorite team and their favorite players. More somberly, it is also the time to say good-bye to players who could be on their way out the door. Nobody knows what’s going to happen in any given offseason, and that goes doubly for a winter like the one coming up. But we generally have an idea of who could be on their way out the door, and the home finale is the time to show our appreciation for that player’s time.
For this season, the player that should get that deserved appreciation but will only get it from some pre-recorded crowd in Jackie Bradley Jr. Now, as I said, we don’t know what’s going to happen. I actually think there’s a decent enough chance they could come together for another contract this winter. But the fact of the matter is that Bradley is a free agent after the season and there’s apparently been no extension talks between the two. Bradley will have his chance to find a new organization, and the Red Sox a chance to find a new center fielder.
In a way, this feels more significant than some other recent departures because of how Bradley brought most of his value. We all know there was constant frustration with his performance at the plate, and there was a segment of the fan base who wanted him replaced in the lineup a whole lot over the last few years. But on the other side of the coin, Bradley was one of the very best defensive outfielders to call Fenway Park home. Ever. Period. And when you’re a defensive outfielder, you are just naturally more connected to your home park than anybody else. Part of baseball’s allure is that every park is different, and the differences come in the outfield.
For Jackie Bradley Jr. we have years and years of memories of him crashing against the Monster, navigating the triangle, reaching over the short wall in right and masterfully learning the bounces of the Monster and throwing out unsuspecting runners at second base who thought they had an easy double. That last part fittingly took place on Wednesday in his penultimate game at home.
If and when Bradley does find another organization, we’re going to have plenty of time to look back at his career in Boston, the good and the bad. But there’s no doubt he was easy to root for no matter how frustrated you got with the bat at times. The defense, the personality, the clutch swings — remember, he won the ALCS MVP in 2018 basically because of two big swings — are all cemented in his legacy as a fan favorite for many. And the fact that he is potentially playing his last game in the park with which he will always be connected while not being able to say good-bye and, more importantly, not having the fans be able to show their appreciation for his time here? Well, that’s just another tremendous bummer to be placed on the giant pile of them that is 2020.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 24, 2020 12:19:11 GMT -5
Here’s how the Red Sox can avoid finishing in last place in the AL East By Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated September 24, 2020, 1 hour ago
Heading into the final four games of the season, the Red Sox are perilously close to finishing in last place in the American League East for the fourth time in nine seasons.
They might avoid that fate, though, as a three-game winning streak has pulled them within a game of the Orioles for fourth place.
The Red Sox could pull even by completing a three-game sweep Thursday of Baltimore in their final home game of the season. After that, they have a three-game series in Atlanta with a Braves team that has already clinched a postseason berth with a first-place finish in the National League East.
The two teams met earlier this month, with the Braves sweeping a three-game series at Fenway.
The Orioles finish the season with a trip to Buffalo for a three-game series with the Blue Jays, who are closing in on clinching a playoff spot.
Those two teams have met seven times this season, with Toronto winning six — a three-game sweep at Camden Yards Aug. 17-19., and three out of four in Buffalo Aug. 28-31.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2020 14:15:02 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 7h Eovaldi as thrown 112 innings and made 21 starts the last two seasons.
Have to go back to 2015 for the last time he made 27 starts in a season. Such a difficult guy to project for 2021. Yet knowing he can`t give 120 innings a year they thought giving him a 4-68 was a good idea.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 24, 2020 14:19:14 GMT -5
Game 57: Orioles at Red Sox lineups and notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated September 24, 2020, 2 hours ago After winning their third in a row, the Red Sox will play their final home game tonight against Baltimore. Martín Pérez will be on the mound for the Sox. Lineups ORIOLES (23-33): 1. Hanser Alberto (R) 2B 2. Jose Iglesias (R) DH 3. Ryan Mountcastle (R) LF 4. Pedro Severino (R) C 5. Austin Hays (R) RF 6. Pat Valaika (R) 1B 7. Rio Ruiz (L) 3B 8. Ramon Urias (R) SS 9. Cedric Mullins (S) CF Pitching: RHP Alex Cobb (1-5, 4.76 ERA) RED SOX (22-34): 1. Alex Verdugo (L) RF 2. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 3. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS 4. J.D. Martinez (R) DH 5. Christian Vazquez (R) C 6. Jackie Bradley Jr. (L) CF 7. Bobby Dalbec (R) 1B 8. Michael Chavis (R) LF 9. Christian Arroyo (R) 2B Pitching: LHP Martín Pérez (3-4, 3.88 ERA) Time: 7:30 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Orioles vs. Pérez: Alberto 5-12, Hays 1-3, Holaday 0-3, Iglesias 1-9, Mountcastle 0-3, Mullins 0-5, Núñez 5-15, Ruiz 0-2, Severino 1-5, Urías 1-2, Valaika 3-4 Red Sox vs. Cobb: Bogaerts 6-22, Bradley Jr. 6-24, Devers 2-16, Lin 2-7, Martinez 11-22, Plawecki 1-2, Verdugo 3-5, Vázquez 11-16 Stat of the day: Jackie Bradley Jr. is batting .329 with a .937 OPS in 20 games this month. Notes: Pérez is 4-5 with a 4.77 ERA in 11 career starts against the Orioles. In his last outing on Friday, he gave up three hits over six scoreless innings in a no-decision against the Yankees. ... Rafael Devers has reached base safely in 20 of his last 22 games. During that stretch, has a .356/.408/.678 batting line. ... Xander Bogaerts has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games (.327 avg., 17-for-52) and scored in 12 of his 18 games this month (14 total runs). ... Cobb is 8-6 with a 3.73 ERA in 19 career starts against the Red Sox. Song of the Day: Pearl Jam "Lightning Bolt"www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0lXz5jmWdc
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 24, 2020 15:26:43 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 23m Ron Roenicke joins us on Zoom. #RedSox
Roenicke said Sale, Rodriguez, Eovaldi and Perez is 'a good staff' if they're all healthy in 2021. #RedSox
Roenicke said Sale has started throwing in Fort Myers. No details on how much, how frequently, etc. #RedSox
Roenicke said Bradley Jr. is 'a great guy' and that it's been 'a privilege' to coach and manage him. This could be his final home game tonight with free agency looming. #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 24, 2020 15:28:09 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 13m Roenicke said the efforts from the front office and the medical staff have gone a long way toward helping the #RedSox avoid a COVID outbreak. Also credits the players for their daily attention to it.
Roenicke said there were 'a couple times during the season' where he questioned whether or not they would finish. COVID-19 outbreaks among the Marlins and Cardinals made him skeptical. #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 24, 2020 15:29:46 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 15m Roenicke said Verdugo has 'all the things you like in a ballplayer' in terms of skill and the way he plays the game. #RedSox
Roenicke said the pitching staff -- starters specifically -- has finally settled. That's given the #RedSox a chance to win down the stretch.
Roenicke isn't sure what Atlanta will do through these next three games regarding rest ahead of the playoffs, pitching rotation, etc. #RedSox
Roenicke said he sees Barnes, Brasier and Hernandez as the potential back end of the bullpen in 2021. #RedSox
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Post by Kimmi on Sept 24, 2020 15:54:58 GMT -5
The Sox have been playing better than they were at the season. And without many of our regulars. There's work to be done for next season, but we aren't nearly as bad off as some people like to think we are.
I was shocked at one of the trivia points on the RS telecast-before Arroyo got here, the RS did not have a HR from a 2B. That was Sept 12. That's 46 games without a HR from 2B. In fact, outside of Arroyo, their OPS was only .523. I had heard them talk about lack of production from 2B before. I knew it was bad, but I didn't know how bad. It's been a very small sample, but I'm wondering if Arroyo can handle everyday duties at 2B next year. That would be one less thing to worry about.
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Post by Kimmi on Sept 24, 2020 16:01:45 GMT -5
It's nice to see Eovaldi finish on a high note. That goes for several other players and the team as a whole. It will make the offseason a little easier to bear for those guys.
On a bright note, this is the last Os telecast I will have to listen to this year.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 24, 2020 17:28:43 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 47m Alex Verdugo joins us on Zoom. #RedSox
Verdugo -- 'I have a lot of things internally that drive me.' #RedSox
Verdugo on Roenicke, when asked, saying he was likely the team MVP in 2020 -- 'To hear that is nice. It's a cool thing.' #RedSox
Verdugo said he played this season 10 pounds lighter than he's ever been. Wants to get in the weight room this offseason and get back to 205-210 pounds. Will focus on adding some muscle, strengthening his core and his arm. #RedSox
Verdugo said he will stay in Boston for a few days after the season to settle his affairs. Then he'll travel to Arizona -- hasn't seen his family since January. #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 24, 2020 17:30:02 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 46m Verdugo -- 'I'm happy with the season I've had. I am. But the competitor in me wants more.' #RedSox
Verdugo -- 'I feel like I grow every year.'
Said this year, with COVID and no fans and a trade and an injury, was obviously a challenge. #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 24, 2020 17:30:38 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 49m Verdugo said Bradley Jr. 'is one of the good guys. He's amazing. His heart is pure. He's someone you wish well for.' Hopes he's back with the #RedSox in 2021.
Verdugo said the good finish (6-3 in their last nine) should have the #RedSox relatively optimistic for 2021.
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