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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2021 11:09:53 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 50m Cora -- 'We're not here to prove people wrong. We're just here to play baseball. And we know we have a good baseball team. We play in a good division.' #RedSox
Cora -- 'We have to be better at home. We have to be better in the division. If we do that, we'll be in the hunt.' #RedSox
Cora said Tanner Houck was going to start the season in Triple-A. That was the plan all along. The dead arm for Eduardo Rodriguez changed the rotation. #RedSox
Cora on Houck -- 'It felt like early in camp he was trying to impress someone.'
'The velocity was way up. He was out of his delivery. We haven't talked about it, but he felt like he was off.'
Said Houck will pitch in front of his family for the first time on Saturday. #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2021 11:10:28 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 45m Gonzalez, Verdugo, Renfroe from left to right in the outfield on Friday. Cordero in for Gonzalez on Saturday. #RedSox
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 44m Hernandez 2B Verdugo CF Martinez DH Bogaerts SS Devers 3B Renfroe RF Gonzalez LF Vazquez C Dalbec 1B Eovaldi SP
That's your Friday lineup. #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2021 11:10:57 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 43m Cora, in Spanish, said Chris Sale will throw on flat ground as part of his workouts in Boston. Still no timetable to return to the mound. #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2021 11:11:37 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 37m #RedSox officially set their Opening Day roster.
Eduardo Rodriguez (left elbow inflammation) and Ryan Brasier (left calf strain) both to the IL and back-dated to March 29.
Tanner Houck officially recalled from the alternate site.
Jett Bandy the lone taxi squad member.
#RedSox roster: P - Andriese, Barnes, Brice, Eovaldi, D. Hernandez, Houck, Ottavino, Pérez, Pivetta, Richards, Sawamura, Taylor, Valdez, Whitlock C - Plawecki, Vázquez IF - Arroyo, Bogaerts, Dalbec, Devers OF - Cordero, Martinez, Renfroe, Verdugo IF/OF - Gonzalez, K. Hernández
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2021 11:13:39 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 1h Replying to @billkoch25 Cora -- 'The hope is for him to join us sooner rather than later. And sooner could be next week.'
Said Rodriguez will be back-dated. #RedSox
Cora -- 'I know there's a lot of guys who were very excited. I think it's for the best. Tomorrow will be a better day.'
'I'm just happy to be talking to you right now, for obvious reasons. I can wait 24 more hours.' #RedSox
Rodriguez will throw a simulated game at Triple-A Worcester on Friday. #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2021 11:14:15 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 1h Cora on the closer -- 'Let's keep you guys in suspense.'
Said he's spoken to Barnes and Ottavino.
'They know they're going to get important outs in the last two innings.' #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2021 11:15:13 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 1h Cora still not revealing his closer beyond saying Barnes and Ottavino will be important late in games.
Sorry to be cynical, but won't they both get traded anyway?
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2021 11:18:02 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 28m Eduardo Rodriguez was backdated to March 29 on the injured list.
So his potential first game is April 8 in Baltimore.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2021 13:31:05 GMT -5
Tanner Houck will be your Game 2 Red Sox starter By Rob Bradford 2 hours ago
It's not how the Red Sox drew it up, but thanks to the promise of Tanner Houck the situation remains palatable for Alex Cora and Co.
The Red Sox manager announced Thursday that Houck would be getting the start against the Orioles in Game 2, Saturday at Fenway Park. The move was needed due to Eduardo Rodriguez heading to the injured list with his dead arm.
Rodriguez's return to the starting rotation could come as early as next week, with the lefty throwing a simulated game in Worcester Thursday.
Despite the fact that stay in the Red Sox' rotation figures to be a short one, Houck's presence will be notable.
For starters, it marks the first time the former first-round pick will get a chance to pitch in a major league game in front of his parents. His three starts last season -- resulting in just one earned run over 17 innings -- were performed in stadium's with no fans.
While Houck did get off to a rocky start in spring training this year, the righty finished strong with a 4 1/3-inning scoreless showing against the Braves in his most recent start.
"Just watching him pitch the last one, him knowing the situation, you can tell he breathed," Cora noted. "It felt like early in the camp he was trying to impress someone. I told him before his start, you just go out there and pitch. The velocity was way up, he was out of his delivery. We haven’t talked about it but he felt like he was off. And you saw it the last one. He was under control, just throwing his sinker and his four-seamer up, the slider. That was a good lineup too. There were some bad swings. The comfort level, it’s not that he was uncomfortable early on but he was trying to do more. That’s the learning process, right? Now you saw it in the last one. He’s going to be excited on Saturday because he’s going to be pitching in front of his family for the first time as a big leaguer. But I think he’s in a good position now to come here and contribute."
While Rodriguez didn't quite make it back in time for Opening Day, Christian Vazquez did manage to make himself ready for the opener. After missing the last week due to a baseball hitting his face, the catcher is slated to hit eighth in Cora's lineup against the Orioles Friday afternoon.
Here is Cora's lineup against Orioles' lefty John Means Friday: Kiké Hernandez 2B, Alex Verdugo CF, J.D. Martinez DH, Xander Bogaerts SS, Rafael Devers 3B, Hunter Renfroe RF, Marwin Gonzalez LF, Vazquez C, Bobby Dalbec 1B.
Franchy Cordero is slated to start in left field Saturday.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2021 13:51:32 GMT -5
Red Sox Notes @soxnotes · 5h Prior to today, the Red Sox’ last two Opening Day postponements were 2016 (in Cleveland) and 2009 (in Boston).
Rafael Devers is entering his 5th MLB season, and he’s still the youngest position player on the Red Sox’ Opening Day roster (24). He won’t turn 25 until October.
The only Red Sox pitcher who is younger than Devers is Darwinzon Hernandez (turns 25 in December).
6 Red Sox made their first career Opening Day roster:
Bobby Dalbec Darwinzon Hernandez Tanner Houck Hirokazu Sawamura Josh Taylor Garrett Whitlock
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2021 13:52:30 GMT -5
Red Sox Notes @soxnotes · 3h Garrett Whitlock is the first pitcher in 26 years to make the Red Sox’ Opening Day roster after being selected by the club in the Rule 5 Draft the previous winter. The last to do it was Vaughn Eshelman in 1995.
The Red Sox’ Opening Day roster features 14 players born in the United States, 3 in the Dominican Republic, 3 in Venezuela, 2 in Puerto Rico, 1 in Aruba, 1 in Canada, 1 in China, and 1 in Japan.
9 members of the Red Sox’ Opening Day roster were not in the organization during the 2020 season:
RHP Matt Andriese OF Franchy Cordero INF/OF Marwin Gonzalez INF/OF Kiké Hernández RHP Adam Ottavino OF Hunter Renfroe RHP Garrett Richards RHP Hirokazu Sawamura RHP Garrett Whitlock
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 1, 2021 14:50:35 GMT -5
Cora in no rush to get season started Bill Koch The Providence Journal The Red Sox will host the Baltimore Orioles Friday at Fenway Park for the 2021 season opener.
Alex Cora was content to wait one more day.
The Red Sox manager seemed rather nonplussed by Thursday’s postponement of the season opener against the Orioles. What’s generally a circled afternoon on the Boston calendar was moved to Friday, as the threat of rain kept both teams off the field at Fenway Park.
“I’m lucky to be here,” Cora said. “One day, two days, three days — I really don’t care to be honest with you.”
Cora is set to make his return to the dugout after serving a season-long suspension in 2020. His lineup card was filled out and the Red Sox roster was set prior to the postponement, which was announced in a 9 a.m. release.
“The decision to postpone our first game of the season was not made lightly,” Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy said. “The built-in off day was created for just this purpose and tomorrow’s forecast for sunshine also factored into our decision." Nathan Eovaldi will take the mound for Boston when the Red Sox open the season Friday afternoon by hosting the Baltimore Orioles. The opener was delayed a day by rain.
Tickets for Thursday's game can be used Friday for the 2:10 p.m. first pitch. It will be the first time in 18 months fans will be allowed to attend a game at Fenway. Massachusetts COVID-19 restrictions currently allow just 12% capacity.
Nathan Eovaldi will take the ball and the expected Boston lineup will include team debuts for Kiké Hernandez, Hunter Renfroe and Marwin Gonzalez. Franchy Cordero is expected to play left field on Saturday, his first game with the Red Sox after an offseason trade from Kansas City. Tanner Houck will earn the start after Eduardo Rodriguez (left elbow inflammation) was officially placed on the 10-day injured list.
“Him going on the IL is nothing long-term,” Cora said. “We ran out of time to build him up. The hope is for him to rejoin us sooner rather than later, and sooner is like next week.”
Houck was a perfect 3-0 in his three September starts, and his family is expected to be in the stands for the first time to watch him in person. Garrett Richards is likely to close the series against the Orioles on Sunday. Nick Pivetta and Martin Perez should start the first two games against the Rays on Monday and Tuesday.
“Like I told you guys in spring training early on, we’re not here to prove people wrong,” Cora said. “We’re here to play baseball. We know we have a good baseball team.”
Cora will leave the results of the closer competition private until the season’s first save situation. He’s been unwilling to name Matt Barnes or Adam Ottavino to the role but said he has spoken with both pitchers privately. Ryan Brasier (left calf strain) will open on the IL, leaving Darwinzon Hernandez, Josh Taylor, Hirokazu Sawamura, Phillips Valdez and Austin Brice to set up.
“It’s just a matter of I don’t want to say this is the closer, and there are three outs we can get before and I handcuffed myself,” Cora said. “It’s more for the player than anything else. Both of them, they understand.”
Barnes and eight other members of the organization were cleared after a positive COVID-19 test late in camp. The same couldn’t be said of the Nationals, who reported a second positive on Thursday and saw their opener against the Mets postponed. Washington could be in the beginning stages of an outbreak – the Cardinals and Marlins faced makeup games by the handful in a shortened 2020 after widespread positive cases among their players.
“This is where we’re at,” Cora said. “I hate to say it’s a wakeup call for organizations, but you still have to be on top of this. It’s nonstop.
“The next hurdle is you fly to your city and families are in. You hop on a plane and they’re at the airport. Families have to be as disciplined as the players. Coming to the ballpark I was thinking about it. I told you guys what I told the players – you take care of yourself, you’re taking care of your family.”
Gates will open Friday at 12:10 p.m. and pregame ceremonies will begin at 1:40 p.m. Springfield native Michelle Brooks-Thompson will perform the national anthem and aircraft from Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire will conduct a flyover. Boston will honor more than 100 healthcare workers prior to first pitch and plans to distribute more than 10,000 tickets to them throughout the 2021 season.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @billkoch25
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Post by Kimmi on Apr 1, 2021 16:10:48 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 6h Current weather forecast in Boston calls for clearing by first pitch at Fenway Park. Will be a bit soggy pregame and generally raw -- temperatures in the upper 40s.
But is looks like there will be baseball. And fans. Two more steps toward normalcy. #RedSox Or not. And I was so excited to come home and watch the game.
Oh well, at least we have baseball! I was able to watch most of the Yankees game.
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Post by Kimmi on Apr 1, 2021 16:13:06 GMT -5
I do hope today even though it is at Fenway that Trey Mancnni gets recognized today.... I've never been much of a Mancini fan in terms of baseball, but I'm very happy to see him back, and I'll be pulling for him all the way. Except against the Sox, of course.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 2, 2021 2:46:32 GMT -5
Ok today is Opening Day
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