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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 18, 2021 18:39:34 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 3m Final: #WhiteSox 5, #RedSox 1.
Chicago sweeps the DH. Red Sox have lost 3 of 4. Scored three runs all day.
Series finale at 11:10 a.m. Monday. Giolito vs. Eovaldi.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 19, 2021 2:37:24 GMT -5
Red Sox eager to 'turn page' after sweep April 18th, 2021 Mark Feinsand
Mark Feinsand @feinsand
As well as the Red Sox have played of late, Sunday served as a stark reminder of just how quickly things can change.
The Red Sox dropped the second game of a doubleheader by a 5-1 final at Fenway Park, suffering a sweep at the hands of the White Sox. Any momentum from Saturday’s win disappeared courtesy of shaky pitching, troublesome defense and a lack of timely hitting, giving Boston its first losing streak since the season-opening three-game sweep by the Orioles.
Michael Kopech and a quartet of relievers held the Red Sox to one run on just four hits in the second game, while Dallas Keuchel led the White Sox to a 3-2 win in the opener with five innings of two-run ball. Boston hitters drew just one walk over 14 innings, resulting in only nine chances with a runner in scoring position all day.
“Stuff-wise, it’s one of the toughest staffs in the big leagues,” manager Alex Cora said. “They’ve got velo, they’ve got good secondary pitches. They were good the whole day.”
The teams will meet Monday in the annual 11:10 a.m. ET Patriots’ Day matinee as the Red Sox will try to earn a split of the four-game set.
“You turn the page,” Cora said. “Just like we did in Minnesota -- when you win two, you turn the page and you’ve got to be ready for tomorrow. … We're going to be OK. We’ve got a chance to split the series tomorrow, so that's the way we see it.”
Neither Boston starting pitcher was particularly sharp on Sunday. Martín Pérez scuffled through 3 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits, including a towering solo home run by Yermín Mercedes. Tanner Houck gave up three runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings in the opener, but it was a lack of offense that doomed the Red Sox to their 0-2 day as the lineup stranded seven runners, struggling to come through in the clutch.
“I do believe in the first game we hit a few balls hard that changed the game, but in the second game, it was hard,” Cora said. “We had a chance there, and they brought in [Matt] Foster and he did a good job.”
Cora was talking about the fourth inning, when the Red Sox came to bat facing a 4-0 deficit after the White Sox scored three times in the top of the frame.
Kopech, the Red Sox’s first-round pick in the 2014 Draft who was dealt to the White Sox in the December 2016 Chris Sale trade, had retired the first nine batters he faced. (Yoán Moncada, the other major piece of the Sale trade, also hurt the Red Sox on Sunday with superb fielding at third base and the game-winning RBI in the first contest.)
Kopech’s perfect evening disappeared in the fourth with a leadoff walk of Kiké Hernández, then Alex Verdugo singled, ending the 24-year-old’s night. Foster came in and gave up an RBI single by J.D. Martinez, but the reliever limited the damage, retiring Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers and Marwin Gonzalez without allowing another run.
“We're going to run into [pitching] like this,” Cora said. “It happens.”
Nathan Eovaldi will try to salvage the split on Monday as the Red Sox look to curb their losing streak at two. Despite Sunday’s setback, Boston remains confident in itself, especially after rattling off a recent nine-game winning streak.
“We're good enough to compete with any team; we just need to stay together and stay focused,” Pérez said. “Everybody knows what they have to do to put everything together and win games.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 19, 2021 2:48:00 GMT -5
Here’s why Martín Pérez believes Red Sox will bounce back after losing both ends of doubleheader "Everybody said before that we don’t have a good team."
By Tom Westerholm April 18, 2021
Four days ago, the Red Sox swept a doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins — part of the nine-game winning streak that boosted them to first place in the AL East.
On Sunday, the team experienced the opposite — the Chicago White Sox eked out a 3-2 victory in the opening game of their double-header, then beat the Red Sox 5-1 in the second.
After the second loss, a reporter noted that there were a lot of long faces to starting pitcher Martín Pérez, who gave up four runs in 3.2 innings of work. Does Pérez believe the Red Sox can bounce back?
Pérez noted that the Red Sox have only played 15 games.
“Still early, and everybody said before that we don’t have a good team,” Pérez said. “It doesn’t mean that, because we lost two games in a row, we’re not good. We’re good, and we’re not going to quit. We’re good enough to compete with any team and we just need to stay together and stay focused. Everybody knows what we have to do to put everything together and win games. …
“We’re ready to face any team and see what happens tomorrow.”
The Red Sox have just a few hours to shake off Sunday’s losses — Monday’s first pitch is scheduled for 11:10 a.m (Pérez might not enjoy it, even though he isn’t pitching — the Red Sox opted to have him start the second half of Sunday’s game because, as Alex Cora put it, he is “not a morning person“).
Cora acknowledged that Monday’s game will be a challenge, but expects the team will be fine long-term.
“We’re going to run into stops like this, right? And it happens,” Cora said. “Tomorrow is going to be a tough one too, I think for everybody. But we’ve just got to grind, and all go back to you using the whole field. But either way, I do believe in the first game we hit a few balls hard that can change the game but they played good defense. But the second game, it was hard. It was hard.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 19, 2021 2:54:48 GMT -5
Offense hits snag as Red Sox swept in doubleheader against White Sox By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated April 18, 2021, 3:17 p.m.
A prospect of the past breezed through the Red Sox lineup in Game 2 of Sunday’s doubleheader at Fenway Park.
Heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, Chicago White Sox starter Michael Kopech had faced the minimum, stifling the Red Sox hitters mainly with his upper-90s fastball.
Kopech finally yielded his first baserunners in that fourth inning, issuing a walk to Kiké Hernández, followed by an Alex Verdugo single up the middle. It ultimately put a stamp on the evening for Kopech, who is still being stretched out, the reason why White Sox manager Tony La Russa had such a short leash. Nevertheless, the Kopech outing was a precursor to an evening in which the Sox’ bats went silent in a 5-1 loss and a sweep in the day’s doubleheader.
“They have stuff there,” manager Alex Cora said regarding the White Sox pitching staff. “I know they lost some games with the bullpen, but stuff-wise, it’s one of the toughest staffs in the big leagues. They’ve got velocity, good secondary pitches. They were good.”
The Red Sox had just four hits in Game 2. Combined with their 3-2 loss earlier in the day, the Red Sox struck out 11 times and walked just once. This is after the Red Sox headed into Sunday with the third-best on-base percentage in baseball (.346).
“We haven’t been walking, but at the same time, when we get pitches to hit, we’re not missing them,” Cora said. “So, it’s a combination of both, we like to swing the bat, we like to control the strike zone. There are certain guys that have to be more patient than others. And we’ll talk about it.” Related: Michael Kopech, Yoan Moncada temporarily add insult to injury, but Chris Sale trade still worth it for Red Sox
The Sox’ only run in Game 2 came in the fourth when J.D. Martinez’s single up the middle off White Sox reliever Matt Foster scored Verdugo from second.
The starting pitching wasn’t there for the Sox, either. Martín Pérez got shellacked in an outing that lasted just 3⅔ innings. Perez allowed four runs (all earned) on seven hits, including a booming solo shot by Chicago’s Yérmin Mercedes in the fourth.
“I was trying to throw a changeup down and away,” Pérez said. “It stayed away but in the zone and he hit the pitch very well. I just have to come back in my next outing and go as long as I can.”
Tanner Houck kept the Red Sox in Game 1. And despite recording only two strikeouts in his 4⅓ innings of work, Houck didn’t issue a walk, displaying solid command throughout the afternoon.
“Overall, it was a good outing,” Cora said. “He gave us a chance to win the game. So we’re very pleased with the way he threw the ball.”
Chicago pounced on the first pitch of the day, Tim Anderson drilling a Houck sinker for a homer to right-center. Houck allowed another run in the fourth inning on Yasmani Grandal’s RBI double off the Green Monster in left-center.
In the bottom half of that frame, Martinez singled with one out, moved up on a Xander Bogaerts groundout, then went to third on Rafael Devers’s single to left-center. Hunter Renfroe followed with a chopper that third baseman Yoan Moncada couldn’t handle, driving in Martinez to make it 2-1.
But with runners on first and third, Renfroe was picked off first by White Sox lefthanded starter Dallas Keuchel. Devers slammed his helmet once Renfroe was called out, recognizing the missed opportunity, which ultimately played into the final outcome.
Even in the midst of their nine-game winning streak, the Red Sox knew — and voiced — that there would be games in which the club would hit a bump. Yet reality remains that the Sox have a chance at a series split Monday morning, spearheaded by Nate Eovaldi, who is 3-0 with a 2.08 ERA this season. With that perspective, the Red Sox like their chances despite the lack of productivity from the club that defined its two losses Sunday.
“We’re good enough to compete with any team,” Pérez said. “We just need to stay together and stay focused.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 19, 2021 2:56:35 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Garrett Whitlock preparing to get a longer look with Red Sox By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated April 18, 2021, 10:05 p.m.
Garrett Whitlock’s pronounced role with the Red Sox continues to take shape.
Whitlock has become a priority for the Sox as a result of how well he’s thrown the ball this year. In 6⅓ innings, he has fanned nine, allowing just three hits and zero runs. Whitlock hasn’t pitched since last Wednesday because the Red Sox want to stretch him out to two or three innings.
“As you know, this guy is important for us right now,” manager Alex Cora said before Sunday’s doubleheader, in which the Red Sox were swept by the White Sox. “He’s important for the future. Right now obviously he’s coming out of the bullpen. We will try to find a spot where we can stretch him out. He can go two or three innings like Matt [Andriese] did Saturday. Right now it seems like we’re playing a lot of close games.”
Whitlock’s sinker and changeup have smothered hitters since the start of spring training. The Rule 5 draft pick plucked from the Yankees this past offseason has entered his name into the conversation as a potential starter. For now, though, it’s about the Sox continuing to mold and develop Whitlock.
Before this season, Whitlock had never pitched above Double A, and being that he’s a Rule 5 pick he must stay on the Sox roster for the remainder of the year or else the club would risk losing him. Pushing Whitlock too hard in the pursuit of wins while, perhaps, stifling his development as a potential key cog for the Red Sox wouldn’t be a prudent move. The Sox realize that.
“Obviously we’ve got to be smart about it,” Cora said. “We’ve got to be disciplined. But as far as right now, we’re trying to stretch him out. The game will dictate what we do. The weeks are going to dictate what we do. As of right now there’s no limitations.”
Hernández goes ‘deep’
Kiké Hernández’s solo homer in the top of the sixth inning in Game 1 off Chicago White Sox starter Dallas Keuchel was his first at Fenway this year. The poke to right field, which wrapped around the Pesky Pole, was also Hernández’s first introduction to some of the good fortune that comes with hitting at Fenway.
Hernández, though, has gotten a number of first introductions this year. It’s the first time he’s had to play in the cold after spending most of his years in sunny southern California with the Dodgers. He’s now seeing everyday playing time, too, shifting from outfield to second base on any given day or game. He’s seeing new arms in a new division and league.
“You get a little more comfortable as you spend a few years in the same division and you keep seeing guys over and over again,” Hernández said. “There’s a lot of these guys that may have been in the league for a while, but to me, they’re all new because I haven’t really faced many of them. It’s a little bit of an adjustment period. It’s part of the challenge and it’s the big leagues, it’s not supposed to be easy. You either adjust or you die in this league.”
In the Sox’ young season, Hernández has been a mainstay in the leadoff spot. Cora placed an emphasis on Hernández hunting the fastball, and so far, he’s hitting .370 on that pitch, his highest mark since 2015.
“I’m always looking heater,” Hernández said. “You have to stick to your strengths. I know that I can do damage on the heater. So it’s not just swinging the heater, it’s swinging at the right heater. That’s been the focus. And that’s what we’re going to keep trying to do.” J.D. Martinez connects for a single in the fourth inning of Sunday's Game 2, giving him 18 RBIs this season. J.D. Martinez connects for a single in the fourth inning of Sunday's Game 2, giving him 18 RBIs this season.Kathryn Riley/Getty Honoring Marathon families
On the eve of what would have been the 125th Boston Marathon, the Red Sox welcomed a number of individuals who were affected by the tragic bombing that took place on April 15, 2013. During the ceremony before Game 1 of the doubleheader, the following individuals were introduced on the field: Bill and Denise Richard (parents of the late Martin Richard); Patty and Bill Campbell (mother and brother of the late Krystle Campbell) and Bill’s family; Helen and Sherman Zhao (aunt and uncle of the late Lingzi Lu); Audrey Epstein Reny, Steven Reny, their daughter, Danielle, and her husband, Kyle; Celeste Corcoran; Adrianne Haslet; Melida Arredondo; Roseann Sdoia Materia and Mike Materia; JP and Paul Norden and Paul’s fiancée, Jacqui Webb; Marc Fucarile and his son, Gavin; Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes . . . J.D. Martinez’s 18 RBIs are the most by a Red Sox player through the club’s first 16 games of a season since Shea Hillenbrand had 20 in that span back in 2003. Martinez has tallied as many as 18 RBIs in March/April two other times in his career: in 2018 (18), and with the Astros in 2012 (19) . . . Just before Game 2, the White Sox placed righthander Lance Lynn on the injured list with a strained right trapezius. Righthander Zack Burdi was recalled from the team’s alternate site . . . Monday’s annual Patriots Day game will begin at 11:10 a.m. Nate Eovaldi will start for the Red Sox against Chicago’s Lucas Giolito.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 19, 2021 2:58:55 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 8h Alex Cora on the White Sox -- 'They were good the whole day.' #RedSox
Cora -- 'We've got a chance to split the series. We've got Nate on the mound.' #RedSox
Cora -- 'The way I see it, we have one more day to grind.'
'We can start playing a lot of night games. We can reset.' #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 19, 2021 2:59:23 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 7h #RedSox announce they've returned Tanner Houck to the alternate site. He served as the 27th man for today's doubleheader sweep by the White Sox.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 19, 2021 3:00:02 GMT -5
RED SOX JOURNAL: A homecoming, of sorts, for Michael Kopech Bill Koch The Providence Journal
BOSTON — Michael Kopech made his long-awaited Fenway Park debut on Sunday evening.
That he was in a White Sox uniform was certainly different from how Boston executives might have envisioned the scene in June 2014. The 24-year-old right-hander was the 33rd overall pick in the draft and signed with the Red Sox for a bonus of $1.5 million.
Kopech was a hyped prep prospect out of an east Texas high school. His overpowering fastball exceeded 100 mph and was the premier offering among his four-pitch mix. Boston sandwiched Kopech in the draft with Michael Chavis out of a Georgia high school at 26th overall and Sam Travis from Indiana University at 67th overall.
Kopech was one of the headliners in a December 2016 trade between the Red Sox and Chicago. Chris Sale gave Boston an ace to top its rotation while Kopech, infielder Yoan Moncada, outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe and right-hander Victor Diaz went to the White Sox.
Tommy John surgery and a decision to opt out of the 2020 season are among the latest setbacks for Kopech over the last seven years. He suffered a broken hand during an altercation with a teammate and was suspended by Major League Baseball after testing positive for a banned substance while still with the Red Sox. Sunday marked just his ninth appearance in the big leagues.
Kopech made four starts in 2018, including one at home against Boston. He went three innings, allowed just one hit and struck out one. Kopech made four relief appearances in 2021 prior to Sunday, fanning 13 and surrendering just two hits in 7⅔ impressive innings.
Sale is rehabbing from his own Tommy John surgery after serving as a key part of two American League East champions and a World Series winner with Boston in 2018. Moncada has posted a career .775 OPS through 409 career games — 401 with Chicago — while Basabe was traded to the Giants for cash considerations in August and appeared in nine games. Diaz hasn’t pitched in the White Sox minor-league system since 2017. A lark or an owl?
Martin Perez isn’t a morning person.
That was the playful accusation made by Red Sox manager Alex Cora on Sunday. And that was the reasoning behind naming Tanner Houck his starting pitcher in the opener of the doubleheader at Fenway Park.
Perez took the ball for the 5:10 p.m. nightcap against Chicago. His ERA and opposing OPS numbers are nearly identical — 4.64 and .774 in day games, 4.74 and .779 at night.
“We’ve had a lot of day games and you don’t see him walking around too much in the mornings in the clubhouse,” Cora said. “When we have a night game, you see him walking around and talking.
“We just went with the data and decided, yes, it’s true.”
It was somewhat tongue-in-cheek from Cora but there could have been a couple of benefits at play. The shadows began to creep out from home plate as the sun began to set prior to first pitch. Houck is relatively straightforward with a fastball-slider combination while Perez works in a cut-fastball and changeup.
Nathan Eovaldi is expected to start the series finale on Patriots' Day. White Sox win the opener
Houck allowed a career-high three earned runs while taking the loss, 3-2, in the afternoon contest.
Tim Anderson drove his first pitch of the day to the home bullpen in right field. Yasmani Grandal’s RBI double off the Green Monster nicked Houck for another run in the top of the fourth inning and Moncada’s RBI single to center against Josh Taylor in the fifth plated an inherited runner.
Houck was summoned as the 27th man from the alternate site at Worcester. He was likely to be returned following the close of the doubleheader and took his latest cameo for what it’s worth.
“I look at it as a growing experience,” Houck said. “Any time you get out there, you can always learn from something.”
Houck went 4⅓ innings and threw 43 of his 58 pitches for strikes. He touched 97.6 mph with his fastball in the first inning and threw three split-fingered fastballs. General command and refinement of his secondary pitches are what Boston seeks as he continues his attempt to crack the rotation.
“He keeps developing other stuff, other pitches,” Cora said. “Slowing down the running game. Getting lefties out. Developing the pitch mix and getting better.” Going slow with Whitlock
The Red Sox have no current plans to hand Garrett Whitlock his first start in the big leagues.
That’s the role Boston sees for him in the future. For now, the right-hander will continue to work out of the bullpen as a Rule 5 Draft pick from the Yankees.
Whitlock has impressed thus far in three appearances, allowing just three hits and striking out nine. He’s covered 6⅓ innings, including 3⅓ in his debut against the Orioles on April 4. The Red Sox have used him for a lone inning since his April 8 outing at Baltimore.
“Right now, obviously, he’s coming out of the bullpen,” Cora said. “We will try to find a spot where we can stretch him out. He can go two or three innings.”
Whitlock didn’t pitch in New York’s system last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Only four of his 42 appearances in the minor leagues were out of the bullpen.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @billkoch25
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 19, 2021 3:01:04 GMT -5
Kiké is everything the Red Sox had hoped for Bill Koch The Providence Journal
BOSTON — The version of Kiké Hernandez you see playing for the Red Sox isn’t much different from the kid who grew up around the game in Puerto Rico.
He’s always been energetic. Playing multiple defensive positions seems part of his DNA. His approach at the plate — find a good pitch and attack it — is about as timeless as it gets.
Boston manager Alex Cora is enjoying the reunion with his former batboy in Winter Ball, and Hernandez’s performance has helped to spark the club in the early going. He manned center field and batted leadoff for the opener of Sunday’s doubleheader with the White Sox at Fenway Park, won by Chicago, 3-2.
“This kid is good,” Cora said about Hernandez, who hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. “I don’t even know what to say. He’s been great for us.”
Hernandez carried an .833 OPS over his last nine games into the afternoon meeting with Chicago. The third four-hit game of his career was achieved on Saturday in a 7-4 victory. Hernandez went on a 13-for-38 streak after opening the season just 2-for-18 through his first five games.
“I feel comfortable,” Hernandez said. “There are still some things I need to get better at. Swing at strikes. Take balls. That way I don’t only get on base by swinging the bat. I need to also get on base by walking.
“Those are things I’m conscious about, because my job is to get on base. The guys behind me are really, really good.”
Hernandez was an 8-year-old pestering big-leaguers like Cora to play some pregame catch while working for the Caguas Criollos in their native Puerto Rico. He developed into a sixth-round draft pick by the Astros in 2009 and debuted with Houston in 2014. Two offseason trades eventually sent Hernandez to the Dodgers, where he reached the World Series three times and captured a championship in 2020.
It was a combination of factors — his defensive versatility, his relationship with Cora and his October experience — that convinced Boston to target Hernandez in free agency. He signed a two-year deal in February and started all but two of the first 15 games for the Red Sox. Marwin Gonzalez, Hunter Renfroe, Garrett Richards and Adam Ottavino are also no strangers to playoff baseball — they joined Hernandez among the reinforcements to arrive last offseason.
“I think experience and being in that situation and winning — it helps a lot but it helps in a lot of little ways,” Hernandez said. “It’s not something like, ‘Oh, we’ve got some winners now. It’s going to turn right away.’
“It’s more part of a process than anything — getting to know guys and figuring out ways to help them out. Guys gravitating toward us and asking us questions, I think that’s what it’s all about.”
Sunday’s opening game marked the 70th career start for Hernandez leading off in the batting order. He’s been most frequently featured at seventh or eighth in the lineup during his career but Boston has been holding open auditions at the top since trading Mookie Betts to Los Angeles in February 2020. Going into Sunday, Hernandez was 5-for-13 in the first inning and 7-for-23 leading off any inning — his single against the Orioles on Opening Day was the first leadoff hit by the Red Sox since Dustin Pedroia in 2008.
“It’s the same but a little more responsibility — which I’m OK with,” Hernandez said. “I’m about to be 30 years old, so I would say I’m close to being a grownup now. It’s part of it.
“It keeps me on my toes and it makes me focus even more. I’ve been embracing it. I’m looking forward to keep doing it and looking forward to getting better at it.”
Hernandez has the comfort of Alex Verdugo hitting behind him in the second spot. Verdugo can be a grinder at the plate — his 10-pitch at-bat and Thursday double in Minnesota was testament to his generally determined approach. That gives Hernandez a bit of freedom to swing early in the count, and his contributions have been welcomed thus far.
“He brings energy every day,” Cora said. “He’s very serious about his craft and what he expects out of his teammates. All he knows is playoffs.
“For him, there are no vacations. It’s playoffs and then going to work in November. His expectations are the same as he had on the West Coast, and that’s really good.”
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @billkoch25
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 19, 2021 3:02:31 GMT -5
Repeat 10 times and rejoice, Red Sox fans Bill Koch The Providence Journal
BOSTON --- The Red Sox will wake up early Monday morning a sliver shy of 10% finished with the baseball season.
Sunday’s doubleheader at Fenway Park delivered Boston to 16 games played. It will be a mostly pleasant arrival at Patriots Day.
The White Sox authored a sweep to secure at least a split of this four-game series. Chicago’s pair of seven-inning victories, 3-2 and 5-1, saw the Red Sox sputter at the plate and commit some curious mistakes in other areas.
One win in its last four games shouldn’t overshadow the big picture. Boston, if it repeats this stretch of play 10 times, would finish no worse than 100-62. The Red Sox could be 102-60 or 101-61. (Those two extra games are a pest to project.) Regardless, that would almost certainly be a good enough record to reach the American League playoffs.
“We have one more day to grind,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “Then it seems like Tuesday on, as far as the timing of everything, is like the regular season.”
Monday marks the 13th day game on Boston’s schedule in its first 17. The unique 11:10 a.m. first pitch generally coincides with runners striding through Kenmore Square on their way to the Boston Marathon finish. That event has been postponed until at least October, and at this pace it could coincide with a Red Sox postseason game instead.
“It doesn’t mean because we lost two games in a row we’re not good,” Boston pitcher Martin Perez said. “We’re good and we’re not going to quit. We’re good enough to compete with any team.
“We just need to stay together and stay focused. Everybody knows what they have to do to put everything together and win games.”
Boston rattled off its nine-game winning streak because of the all-around contributions it received from the roster. Saturday was a bit of a reminder as to how those can be stifled on occasion. The Red Sox drew just one walk in 14 innings, managed three extra-base hits and only scored single runs in three different innings.
“We’ve been doing a good job,” Cora said. “But it feels like we can play a lot of night games, reset, get to your routine in the regular season and go from there.”
Perhaps that will spark Boston’s bats a bit. The Red Sox were held down by Michael Pineda throughout most of Thursday’s defeat against the Twins. They only broke through at Target Field thanks to a three-run double by Alex Verdugo in the top of the eighth.
Saturday saw an infield single by Hunter Renfroe, a solo home run by Kiké Hernandez and a lined single up the middle by J.D. Martinez account for the offense. Boston was mostly controlled by seven different White Sox pitchers, including former Red Sox prospect Michael Kopech in the nightcap. Liam Hendriks got in on the act twice, recording the final three outs to finish each game.
“They’re really good,” Cora said. “I know they’ve lost some games in the bullpen, but stuff-wise it’s one of the toughest staffs in baseball. They have (velocity), they have good secondary pitches – they were good the whole day.”
Chicago cast a similar hex on a rampant group of Boston hitters in 2018. The Red Sox were limited to just seven runs while dropping two of three at home from June 8-10, including a 1-0 loss where Chris Sale was outdueled by Dylan Covey. Boston followed by winning four straight, including a road sweep at Baltimore.
“We like to control the strike zone,” Cora said. “There are certain guys who have to be more patient than others. We’ll talk about it as a group.”
Renfroe’s misadventures while being picked off on the bases in the opener and Christian Vazquez’s throwing error in the second game were both instances of sloppy baseball. Verdugo didn’t get a great jump on a looper to center by Danny Mendick, helping the White Sox to the clinching three-run rally in the fourth against Perez. Cora has insisted all along the Red Sox need to improve and their margin for error remains thin – these were prime examples.
It will still be a generally celebratory atmosphere around the ballpark Monday, and the game marks a first for Perez. He was an international signing from Venezuela by the Rangers in 2007, a survivor of showcase tournaments that start in the morning and finish well after sundown. It’s been more than a decade since a similar game helped determine the course of his professional life.
“I’ll feel like I started playing baseball again,” Perez said. “Like 16 years old when I signed. That’s funny.
“For a long time we don’t play morning games – it's going to happen for me for the first time in my career at this level. It doesn’t matter what time we play. We just need to come here and do our jobs.”
It's certainly worked so far. There's still a long way to go.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @billkoch25
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 19, 2021 3:21:40 GMT -5
Pale Hose @ Red Sox Monday, 19th April 2021 11am @ Fenway
Giolito 1-0/2.55
Threw 7 shutout frames in his last game vs the Tribe. Through 3 starts he has struck out 26 batters with just 5 walks.
Nasty Nate 2-1/2.08
Has given up 2 earned runs or less in each of his starts this season. Is 1-1/5.59 lifetime (3 games) vs the Pale Hose.
Wake-up call: White Sox, Red Sox head into early start According to STATS
The Boston Red Sox have little time to dwell on getting swept in a doubleheader as they get set to host the Chicago White Sox on Monday morning in their annual Patriots Day game.
The 11:10 a.m. first pitch is the earliest of the MLB season, a ritual that coincides with the running of the Boston Marathon. This year's race was pushed back to Oct. 11 as a result of COVID-19, but the Red Sox opted to keep the morning contest on their schedule for tradition's sake.
Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (2-1, 2.08 ERA) takes the mound for a Boston team that has suddenly lost three of its last four games since a nine-game winning streak. Ace righty Lucas Giolito (1-0, 2.55) gets the nod for Chicago.
The White Sox beat the Red Sox twice Sunday after the opener of their four-game series Friday was postponed by rain and snow in the area. Chicago led from start to finish in both contests, taking Game 1 by a 3-2 margin before a more comfortable 5-1 victory in Game 2.
"You turn the page," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said in the wake of the two defeats. "... We're going to be OK. We've got a chance to split the series tomorrow, so that's the way we see it."
Boston won the first game of the series 7-4 on Saturday. Monday's contest will complete a stretch of four games within 43 hours for the two clubs.
"It's a body check to get back mentally," noted White Sox skipper Tony La Russa of the early-morning finale.
Chicago gets the benefit of running out its top pitcher coming off his best performance of the season.
Giolito held the Cleveland Indians scoreless over seven innings last time out, surrendering just three hits, walking two and striking out eight. He has whiffed 26 batters in 17 2/3 innings through three starts.
Giolito is without a decision in three career outings against the Red Sox, allowing seven runs in 17 innings (3.71 ERA).
Eovaldi has also been dominant to start the season, as he has yet to allow more than two runs in an outing. The veteran held the Minnesota Twins to two runs on five hits over five innings in a victory April 14.
Eovaldi is 1-1 with a 5.59 ERA in three games (two starts) versus the White Sox.
Boston's offense will look to get back on track after being held to four hits in Sunday's nightcap.
"We're going to run into (pitching) like this," Cora, said, referring to Chicago's talented arms. "It happens."
White Sox relievers combined to pitch six scoreless innings between Sunday's two contests.
"I'm telling you, we're going to have a really good bullpen," La Russa said.
After Monday's game, Chicago will hit the road for two at Cleveland before kicking off a nine-game homestand Friday.
Boston will welcome the Toronto Blue Jays for a two-game set, followed by the Seattle Mariners for four.
-Field Level Media
White Sox at Red Sox Monday, at 11:10 AM EST Clear According to Forecast.io, it's expected to be 57° F with a 1% chance of rain and 4 MPH wind blowing out in Boston at 11:10 AM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com Forecast.io
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 19, 2021 6:37:10 GMT -5
Red Sox continue Patriots Day tradition with morning start time on Monday. Here’s a previewBy Matt Pepin Globe Staff,Updated April 19, 2021, 8 minutes ago After losing both games of a doubleheader on Sunday, the Red Sox are right back to work Monday morning with the series finale against the White Sox scheduled to begin at 11:10 a.m. The morning start at Fenway Park is traditional on Patriots Day, which in most years also features the running of the Boston Marathon through nearby Kenmore Square. In normal years, many baseball fans go watch the marathon after the game. But for the second consecutive April, the Boston Marathon is not being run because of the coronavirus pandemic. Despite the 2021 marathon’s postponement to October, the Red Sox wanted to retain the morning start time to continue the tradition. Here’s a preview: Lineups WHITE SOX (8-8): 1. Tim Anderson (R) SS 2. Adam Eaton (L) RF 3. Luis Robert (R) CF 4. Jose Abreu (R) 1B 5. Yasmani Grandal (S) C 6. Yermin Mercedes (R) DH 7. Jake Lamb (L) 3B 8. Leury Garcia (S) LF 9. Nick Madrigal (R) 2B Pitching: RHP Lucas Giolito (1-0, 2.55 ERA) RED SOX (10-6): 1. Enrique Hernandez (R) 2B 2. Alex Verdugo (L) CF 3. J.D. Martinez (R) DH 4. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 5. Christian Vazquez (R) C 6. Marwin Gonzalez (S) SS 7. Hunter Renfroe (R) RF 8. Franchy Cordero (L) LF 9. Bobby Dalbec (R) 1B Pitching: RHP Nate Eovaldi (2-1, 2.08 ERA) Time: 11:10 a.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 White Sox vs. Eovaldi: José Abreu 1-3, Tim Anderson 0-2, Adam Eaton 1-4, Yasmani Grandal 2-5, Jake Lamb 0-2, Yoán Moncada 1-1 Red Sox vs. Giolito: Xander Bogaerts 2-8, Rafael Devers 0-4, Marwin Gonzalez 3-13, J.D. Martinez 3-8, Christian Vázquez 0-5 Stat of the day: Eovaldi has faced 66 batters and not allowed a home run this season. Notes: The Red Sox have lost three of their last four games after a nine-game winning streak ... In sweeping Sunday’s doubleheader, the White Sox led from start to finish in both games ... Monday’s game will complete a stretch of four games within 43 hours for the two clubs ... Giolito held the Indians scoreless over seven innings last time out, allowing just three hits, walking two, and striking out eight ... Giolito is without a decision in three career outings against the Red Sox, allowing seven runs in 17 innings (3.71 ERA) ... Eovaldi has not allowed more than two runs in an outing this season. He is 1-1 with a 5.59 ERA in three games (two starts) vs. the White Sox ... Next for the Red Sox on their 10-game homestand is two games against the Blue Jays, followed by four against the Mariners. Song of the Day- Juice Newton "Angel of the Morning"www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTzGMEfbnAw
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 19, 2021 9:10:58 GMT -5
Julian McWilliams @byjulianmack · 11m There’s a group of players getting the vaccine after the game today Cora said.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 19, 2021 9:12:10 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 18m Cora said Garrett Whitlock could be important today in bridging the gap between Eovaldi and the high-leverage relievers.
Some #RedSox players will be getting vaccinations today, others on Wednesday.
Alex Cora said he is hopeful the Sox as a group will get to 85 percent. The team has had presentations made by medical professionals.
Cora is scheduled for his second shot on Wednesday,
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 19, 2021 9:14:51 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 22m Replying to @billkoch25 Cora said the early day games have been okay coming off the morning/afternoon schedule in Florida, but he'd still rather play at night.
'You could see it yesterday. We're grinding now physically.' #RedSox
Cora said Phillips Valdez was the MVP of the Sunday doubleheader. Pitched in both games, covered three innings.
Could see Garrett Whitlock for multiple innings behind Eovaldi. Hernandez, Ottavino, Barnes all available. #RedSox
Cora said it's a scheduled day off for Xander Bogaerts. #RedSox
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