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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 4, 2021 14:47:41 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 7m Cora: "I read something today that in our division, I think the only team that has a positive home record is actually the Jays. They’re playing in Dunedin. Maybe, I don’t know, go to Worcester, play there and see if it changes?"
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Post by Kimmi on May 4, 2021 16:34:51 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo @chriscotillo · 2m The Tigers enter this week's series at Fenway with a team average of .195. Ouch. We should sweep this series. That said, sweeping a team is not always as easy a task as it seems. I will settle for a series win, if I have to. If we lose the series, I'm quitting baseball. (At least for 20 hours.)
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Post by Kimmi on May 4, 2021 16:36:40 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 7m Cora: "I read something today that in our division, I think the only team that has a positive home record is actually the Jays. They’re playing in Dunedin. Maybe, I don’t know, go to Worcester, play there and see if it changes?" That is an interesting stat. Time to turn that around Red Sox.
Do not disappoint me.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 4, 2021 18:52:21 GMT -5
Great play by Bogaerts.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 4, 2021 20:03:38 GMT -5
8-3, top of the 5th, guy on 2nd with no outs. This ain't over despite the big league. I'd like to see Pivetta squirm out of this, but don't want to allow too much of a leash.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 4, 2021 20:06:45 GMT -5
1st & 2nd, no one out, with a quick walk by Pivetta. I'd pull him. He's already at 88 pitches, so I'm not sure he can even get his 5 innings in. You just can't walk anyone with a 8-3 lead.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 4, 2021 20:07:56 GMT -5
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne · 3m How many years will it be before we stop saying "Jackie would have had that" any time a center fielder doesn't make a play that possibly could have been made?
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 4, 2021 20:16:44 GMT -5
Fortunate in one regard that the Tigers continue to start Cabrera. He has a -1.2 bWAR over the past 5 years. An interesting stat is that he has 2 HRs in 52 ABs, with only 3 runs scored.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 4, 2021 20:17:34 GMT -5
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne Renfroe has been putting together better swings the last three games.
Ian posted that before his HR.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 4, 2021 20:52:57 GMT -5
Down to 9-7. Try to get one back this inning and then bring in Sawamura, Taylor & Barnes.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 4, 2021 21:09:19 GMT -5
Lucky to escape the top of the 7th. Would like to tack on an insurance run.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 5, 2021 2:49:28 GMT -5
Brice is a mess should be on the DFA train with Cordero
3 errors last night
a win, but sloppy baseball
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 5, 2021 2:57:01 GMT -5
Sale throws off mound; Duran timetable May 4th, 2021 Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
BOSTON -- Red Sox lefty Chris Sale reached a milestone in his recovery from Tommy John surgery on Tuesday when he took "a few throws off the mound" in Fort Myers, Fla., according to chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom.
"He did get up off a mound today, really more just to get the feel of it," said Bloom. "It was not an extensive throwing session, but at the end of the session this morning, he got up off the mound and threw a few pitches off the mound."
While Sale has thrown thousands of pitches off a mound in his life, this step was meaningful.
"So that is a great milestone for him," said Bloom. "It's the first time he's done that since the surgery. Very light today, but great for Chris, and awesome for the organization."
The Red Sox have been careful not to set a timetable for Sale to return, but Bloom said the goal is still for it to happen in 2021.
"Hopefully," Bloom said. "I think we're getting closer to a point where we can start mapping out a timetable, so I don't have one, but he is progressing. As you guys know, he started throwing with a lot more intensity. Today he got off a mound again and it was pretty light work, but the next step is to get into regular mound work, mound work with some intensity, then we can start thinking about facing hitters and mapping out a game schedule."
It will be a big boost for the Red Sox when Sale starts that game progression.
"Whenever it is, it is," said Bloom. "We have to do it right. The important thing is we're moving forward."
Sale's progression has gone a little slower than originally anticipated due to a neck injury that surfaced in the winter and also a couple of weeks when he was shut down due to COVID-19. Bloom also revealed for the first time Tuesday that Sale dealt with discomfort in his back at one point.
"They were things that, if he were healthy and getting ready for a season, wouldn't be that big of a deal," Bloom said. "They'd be very small disruptions. But when you're looking at getting a throwing program going and proceeding methodically through a Tommy John rehab, they obviously set you back."
Duran timetable Now that the Minor League season is underway, the Red Sox can get a better gauge on how close No. 3 prospect Jarren Duran is to being ready to play in the Majors.
"He's gonna tell us by how he's doing," said Bloom. "It's funny, because obviously we're used to the Minor League season starting around the same time as the Major League season does, and that's obviously not the case this year.
"He's going to be able to take his new swing and his new approach [to the Minors] that we haven't seen tested in affiliated ball yet and take that out against Triple-A competition. And then also for him to continue his progression in the outfield, so I think we're gonna learn a lot.
"We want to make sure we don't try to learn too much from a really small sample, but just having him go through the ups and downs of the season and playing every day and doing it with the various ways that we have to track his performance. We're gonna learn a lot pretty quickly, but at the end of the day, it's up to the player. We have confidence that Jarren is going to go out there and knock that door down, but he'll tell us when he's ready."
Welcome back, Minors Count Red Sox manager Alex Cora among those thrilled that the Minor Leagues opened up on Tuesday after not having a season in 2020.
"I'm happy for the baseball world," said Cora. "We're going to have Minor League baseball for all those towns that have their teams. It's going to be amazing. For us, as baseball fans, it's a great day. For those kids to be able to compete after 19 months or whatever it is, it has to be great, and I'm happy we're going to have Minor League baseball going on today."
Raffy rests Third baseman Rafael Devers, who experienced right shoulder soreness after taking a swing on Saturday night, was not in the lineup on Tuesday against the Tigers, even after the team had an off-day on Monday.
"We're going to get him one more day," said Cora. "He came in for treatment yesterday for his shoulder. We felt like one more day is going to benefit him, so he's not starting today."
Tuesday was the beginning of a stretch of 13 straight days with a game for the Red Sox. It was also the start of an abbreviated homestand, as the Sox go on the road for a four-game series in Baltimore starting on Friday, and then come back home for a homestand against the Athletics and Angels next week.
Cora and A.J. reunite Tuesday marked the first time that Cora and A.J. Hinch managed against each other since 2019.
Both managers were suspended for the 2020 season for their role in the '17 sign-stealing scandal with the Houston Astros.
"I'm happy that he's back doing what he does," Cora said of Hinch. "Like I've been saying before, from my end, that's what I can control. There's a lot of people who are happy that I'm managing. There's others that don't agree, but at the end, both of us are back in baseball doing what we love and we have a job to do. It's to take our team to the next level. In their situation, obviously, it's a different one than us, but he's going to be OK."
With Hinch managing the Astros and Cora serving as his bench coach in 2017, Houston won the World Series.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 5, 2021 2:58:56 GMT -5
Renfroe hits 100th HR: 'He's in a good place' 1:49 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
BOSTON -- Though they lead the American League in several offensive categories, the Red Sox have been too top-heavy in the batting order to this point in the season.
But if they can get Hunter Renfroe to keep swinging the bat the way he has the past three games near the bottom of the order, Boston's offense would be even more dangerous and more sustainable. And if Bobby Dalbec, Franchy Cordero or Marwin Gonzalez want to join in on the fun soon, Fenway Park will turn into a place no opponent wants to pitch.
Renfroe had his best night with the Red Sox in Tuesday's 11-7 victory over the Tigers, belting three hits, including a moonshot over the Green Monster, a double that scorched off his bat with an exit velocity of 108.5 mph and an RBI single as part of the four-run bottom of the first.
"He's been swinging the bat well. It started in Texas," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "He hit the home run, but then like we said earlier today, he got two hits the opposite way. He put the ball in play, and today he did the same thing. Even the out [to deep right] was a good swing going to the opposite field. He's in a good place now. It looks like he's having confidence. He's seeing the ball better, and it seems like good things are going to happen."
The homer was No. 100 in Renfroe's career and the Red Sox sent some staffers to go looking for the baseball. It appears it was a successful mission.
"I got it," Renfroe said. "I don't know if it's the right one or not, but I got a ball. They wrote 100 career homers. So I don't know if it's the right one or not, but we'll see."
While Renfroe's defense in right field is an added bonus, the main reason the Red Sox got him is for his power. Renfroe (.222/.275/.389 slash line) has just three homers on the season, but two have come in the past three games.
This is a player who hit at least 26 homers in three straight seasons (2017-19) for the Padres.
What has keyed Renfroe's recent turnaround? One thing he cited was better luck – i.e., the ball not being hit right at somebody. But he also noted some changes behind the scenes.
"I think I've been going pretty good. Just changing a little timing, making sure it's a little better, that's really what I've been working on in the cage a little bit and just staying with my approach," said Renfroe.
After a decent start from Nick Pivetta and a tough night for middle reliever Austin Brice (one out, four runs allowed), this was a night that called for a command effort from the offense.
Kiké Hernández, who is still trying to find his rhythm in the leadoff spot, got on base three times, including a homer in his final at-bat. Much like Renfroe's contributions, Hernández's night could have big-picture implications.
"It starts with walks. He controlled the strike zone, and then he put a big swing on it," said Cora. "That's what it's all about. We do believe that he can do the job. He didn't try to do too much today. He got us going, and it was a good night for him."
No. 2 hitter Alex Verdugo hit a laser beam over the Monster for a solo shot and is hitting .314 with an .899 OPS. Xander Bogaerts (.351, six homers) also went deep for a two-run shot to continue his sizzling start. Early MVP candidate J.D. Martinez (2-for-5, three runs) had another impactful night. Christian Vázquez (3-for-5, two RBIs) made his presence felt.
And this was on a cool night. It doesn't take much of an imagination to contemplate the type of damage this offense will do once those summer winds start blowing around Fenway.
"This is a really, really good lineup. Obviously our Padres lineup in '19 was pretty special," said Renfroe. "The thump that this lineup has from one through nine is pretty incredible. I don't know if you could necessarily put another group up there that has the potential that we have."
If Dalbec and Cordero find their swings, watch out.
"You've got guys in the bottom of the lineup who can hit the ball 500 feet," said Renfroe. "I think that's a pretty special [element at the bottom of the lineup] that not a lot of people have. It could just take the load off of Bogaerts, and J.D. and those guys at the top of the lineup knowing that they don't have to necessarily be on their A game when you've got guys at the bottom of the lineup picking up their slack."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 5, 2021 3:21:14 GMT -5
Hunter Renfroe, Red Sox bats come to life to beat lowly Tigers in series opener By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated May 4, 2021, 10:49 p.m.
Hunter Renfroe believed his swing was there. The approach despite the lackluster numbers (hitting just .191 entering Tuesday night) was there. Good fortune, Renfroe noted, wasn’t.
“”I feel like I’ve been hitting the ball hard,” Renfroe said Sunday. “Just haven’t been finding a hole to hit it in. There’s no necessarily big adjustment for me to make right now except for just keeping the ball out of a glove.”
On Tuesday, Renfroe finally saw his barrels meet results. In the Sox’ 11-7 win against the Tigers, Renfroe finished just a triple shy of the cycle. His 3 for 4 night included two runs scored and two RBIs.
In his at-bat in the seventh, Renfroe flied out on a hard-hit ball to right. If it weren’t caught, Renfroe would have had another extra-base hit, and he certainly had a triple on his mind.
“I wasn’t going to stop at second, that’s for sure,” Renfroe said. “I was going to get thrown out at third before stopping at second. I was going for it.”
In his past three games Renfroe has collected six hits, and seeing the ball drop has given him some sense of reprieve.
“Any time you’re a baseball player, you want to see some hits fall,” Renfroe said. “It’s good. Like I said, just stay with my approach and I know it’s going to work out. I know, some balls are going to fall eventually. So now I can go there and work hard and keep hitting.”
Renfroe’s homer was his 100th of his career. Alex Verdugo, Xander Bogaerts, and Kiké Hernández each homered, too, and the Red Sox collected a total of 14 hits.
“We needed all that,” manager Alex Cora said. “We put together some good swings. We were relentless. We put the ball in play early. And that’s what we’re trying to do with the big part of the field. So when you do that, big things are going to happen.”
Yet what looked like a convincing win against the worst team in baseball suddenly turned into a late-night nailbiter for the Red Sox
Their underwhelming pitching, spearheaded by the team’s bullpen, forced manager Alex Cora to go to Matt Barnes in a 10-7 game with just one out and the bases loaded in the eighth inning. Barnes induced a double play to preserve the lead.
“We had to go win the game,” Cora said. “You know, our offense did an outstanding job. You have to go to the best in that situation.”
Hernández’s homer in the bottom half of the eighth added an insurance run, followed by Barnes’ clean 1-2-3 ninth.
Christian Vázquez had three hits with two RBIs.
The Red Sox (18-12) put up four runs in the first inning beginning with a J.D. Martinez force out that scored Hernández. With runners on the corners, Martinez hit a potential double play grounder to third base but beat it out just in time to score Hernández.
The Red Sox plated three more runs that inning off Tigers starter Michael Fulmer on RBI singles by Vázquez, Marwin Gonzalez, and Renfroe. It ultimately forced Tigers manager A.J. Hinch to go to his bullpen with just two outs in the first frame. By the end of three innings, the Sox had seen four different Tiger pitchers.
The first inning set the table for what ended up being a game charged by offense. Verdugo and Bogaerts left the yard in the following frame. Then Renfroe homered in the fifth to make it 9-3, his third hit of the evening.
Despite the offensive display, the Sox’ pitching had its struggles, too. Nick Pivetta gave the Sox five innings, yielding three runs on six hits and two walks while striking out eight.
“Nick was OK today. I mean, he battled with control,” Cora said. “They put some on bats, and it feels like he wasn’t as aggressive in the strike zone.
But when Austin Brice took over in the sixth inning, that lead quickly diminished, turning what appeared to be a blowout into an actual contest.
Detroit’s Niko Goodrum led off the sixth with a single. After a flyout, Brice plunked Willi Castro. The next batter, JaCoby Jones, belted a three-run shot to left to make it 9-6 before a double by Victor Reyes ended Brice’s evening. Cora called on Matt Andriese from the bullpen, and he allowed an RBI single by Detroit’s Robbie Grossman that shrunk the Sox lead to 9-7. But Andriese recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat, including a called third strike on Miguel Cabrera to finish a 10-pitch at-bat.
In the end, the Sox’ bats saved the club.
“The thump that this lineup has is from one to nine is pretty incredible,” Renfroe said.
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