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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 11, 2021 3:26:43 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 7h Andriese is making his fourth appearance in May. He's faced 19 hitters (HR and single to the first two tonight), with those batters going 9-for-17 with 2 HR, 2 BB, 4 Ks.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 11, 2021 3:27:52 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 6h Cora says Sox felt they were set up with Andriese against the righties.
Alex Cora, in explaining the decision to pull Pérez, notes that he left him in for 5 2/3 IP his prior start against the Tigers and got burned on a JaCoby Jones bases loaded double. ‘He is who he is. We like the guy,’ Cora said of Pérez. ‘Today we felt like 5 innings was perfect.’
Martín Pérez, as he’s said before, says he’s ok with whatever decision Alex Cora makes.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 11, 2021 3:30:01 GMT -5
Alex Cora’s bold move backfires as Red Sox lose to Orioles
By Jason Mastrodonato | jason.mastrodonato@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald PUBLISHED: May 10, 2021 at 9:51 p.m. | UPDATED: May 10, 2021 at 10:56 p.m.
Alex Cora showed a lot of trust in his bullpen on Monday night.
This time, it backfired.
Starter Martin Perez was cru`ising through five innings of one-run ball on just 74 pitches when Cora replaced him with Matt Andriese in a tie game to start the sixth inning. Andriese promptly served up the go-ahead homer on a blast by Trey Mancini as the Red Sox eventually fell to the Orioles, 4-1.
The move looked bad at the time, but Cora had a strong explanation after the game.
Cora said he left Perez in too long during his most recent outing against the Tigers, when Perez gave up a two-run, go-ahead single to JaCoby Jones in the sixth inning that cost the Red Sox the game. Perez had started the sixth on 71 pitches in that game and needed 20 pitches before he was removed.
“He is who he is,” Cora said of Perez. “We like the guy. He had good stuff, good changeup. Just today we were set up with Matt to go multiple innings, he did a good job for five and we pushed Matt for three innings and that was good too.
“As far as the usage and all that, I don’t think that’s an issue. We managed the game as a group. And we had a plan against Detroit, we left him in against a righty and today we felt like five innings was perfect.”
There’s also an argument to be made for keeping Perez in the game for at least another inning vs. the O’s on Monday. The lefty had looked strong, ending the fifth inning on just 14 pitches after striking out Austin Hays on a well-placed cutter on the outer half of the plate.
“I was throwing 95 mph,” Perez said of his fifth inning. “But like I said, he made the decision to pull me out. I respect his position. He thought it was good enough for me and he took me out of the game. I have nothing to say.”
While the modern game has been trending toward taking the starting pitcher out before he goes through the batting order a third time (Blake Snell surely has some thoughts on that), Perez has not been one of those starters with substantially worse numbers.
This year, he’s holding hitters to a .190 average with a .451 OPS the third time facing them. Last year, same thing: he held them to a .190 average and .571 OPS the third time through.
Cora wanted the right-handed Andriese to face the right-handed Mancini, who has hit righties just as well as he’s hit lefties throughout his career.
“We were set up with Andriese with all those righties and I felt like that was good enough today,” Cora said.
It didn’t work as Andriese threw a breaking ball through the bottom of the zone that Mancini easily hammered well over the fence. It was his seventh homer of the year. And it broke a 1-1 ballgame and tilted it in the Orioles’ favor.
The Red Sox are now 19-10 when they get five innings from their starting pitcher. They’re 9-1 when they get six innings. But they’re just 1-3 when a starter begins the sixth, and doesn’t finish it.
The loss snapped their four-game winning streak. They now head home to face the first-place Oakland A’s in what should be an entertaining series at Fenway Park.
Other takeaways from Monday’s game:
1. Perez ran into trouble only briefly in the second inning, when Mountcastle got a juicy cutter and demolished it into the left-field bleachers for a solo homer. Perez looked shaky that inning, allowing two batters to reach as he worked the count to 2-2 with two outs against Ryan McKenna. But Christian Vazquez took control, pausing the game and motioning to Perez to calm down and take his time. Vazquez did this four or five times while waiting to give Perez the sign. The next pitch, Perez struck out McKenna. The O’s didn’t threaten off him the rest of the game. Perez now has a 4.01 ERA on the season.
2. The Red Sox offense was surprisingly quiet against right-hander Jorge Lopez, who entered with a 5.63 ERA but kept the Sox to just one run over 5 2/3 innings. J.D. Martinez had two of the four hits off him. It was just the fourth time this year the Red Sox were held to one run, and first since April 28-29, when the Mets’ Jacob deGrom and the Rangers’ Kyle Gibson each pitched very well against the MLB’s top offense.
3. Xander Bogaerts made a rare mistake in the field that led to the O’s adding some insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth. The speedy Cedric Mullins lifted a blooper to the edge of the dirt between third and short, but Bogaerts couldn’t come up with it. He reached the ball on the run, but bobbled the catch a few times as Mullins ran all the way to third base. The O’s plated two in the inning.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 11, 2021 3:33:21 GMT -5
Alex Cora explains replacing Boston Red Sox starter Martín Pérez for Matt Andriese after 5 innings (74 pitches) with game tied 1-1 Updated May 10, 2021; Posted May 10, 2021
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BALTIMORE — Manager Alex Cora pulled starter Martín Pérez after just five innings and 74 pitches in a 1-1 game against the Orioles on Monday.
Pérez allowed just one run, four hits and one walk while striking out four. The one run came on Ryan Mountcastle’s solo homer in the second inning.
So why take him out so early?
“Because we were set up with (Matt) Andriese with all those righties,” Cora explained. “And I felt like that was good enough (for Pérez) today. He did an amazing job. Had good stuff. Kept them off balance. Just one pitch — that cutter that ran into Mountcastle. But besides that, he was really good and we were set up with Matt to go multiple innings today. So that’s the reason I did it.”
Andriese allowed a homer to No. 3 hitter Trey Mancini, the first batter he faced. The Red Sox went on to lose 4-1 here at Camden Yards.
The Orioles had their Nos. 3, 4 and 5 hitters, Mancini, Mountcastle and Pedro Severino, all right-handed hitters, due in the sixth for the third time through the batting order. No. 6 hitter Freddy Galvis is a switch-hitter who hits better vs. lefties.
Pérez has pitched more than 5 innings just twice this season.
Cora was asked if he feels Pérez isn’t equipped to go deeper into games.
“The other day I pushed him 5 ⅔ and had bases loaded against (JaCoby) Jones with two outs and he gave up a (single),” Cora said.
In his previous start, Pérez allowed a two-out single to Jones with the game tied 1-1 in the sixth.
“He is who he is and we like the guy,” Cora said. “He had good stuff. Good changeup. Just today we were set up with Matt to go multiple innings. He (Pérez) did a good job for 5 and then we pushed Matt to three innings. And that was good, too. Just a fluky play at the end that happened.
“But when we got to the eighth inning, they only scored two runs,” Cora added. “So that’s the name of the game. Avoid runs and score runs. And today we didn’t score runs. But as far as the usage and all that, I don’t think that’s an issue. We manage the game as a group. And we have a plan. Against Detroit, we left him in against the righty and we got burned. And today, we felt like 5 innings was perfect.”
Mancini connected for an RBI single against Andriese in the eighth after Cedric Mullins led off the inning with a strange 70.7 mph, 161-foot triple that Xander Bogaerts was unable to catch. That was the fluky play Cora was referencing.
Bogaerts sprinted back and toward the left field foul line. He got a glove on it but the ball deflected away after he juggled it.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 11, 2021 3:34:29 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox notebook: Xander Bogaerts juggles ‘fluky’ 161-foot triple; Fenway Park ‘going to feel different’ with capacity increased to 25% Tuesday Updated 12:13 AM; Today 11:58 PM
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BALTIMORE — Cedric Mullins’ triple against Red Sox reliever Matt Andriese to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning went just 161 feet and left his bat with only a 70.7 mph exit velocity.
The Orioles scored two runs in the eighth and beat the Red Sox 4-1 here at Camden Yards on Monday.
Shortstop Xander Bogaerts was shifted to the second base side. So he had a long way to go to make the play toward the left field foul line. He sprinted to catch it but the ball popped out his glove. He juggled it and it dropped in.
“It was a fluke play,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “I believe everybody reacted the right way. ... Good heads-up play by their guy.”
Catcher Christian Vázquez covered third base but Mullins dived in safely ahead of the tag.
“I don’t think he was late (to the third base bag),” Cora said. “The guy was safe. It’s just a fluky play.”
Devers ‘a funny person’
Rafael Devers isn’t just a slugger.
“He’s a funny person, man,” Marwin Gonzalez said before Monday’s game. “When you don’t know what to expect from him, he will make like a really crazy comment when you’re not expecting it. Saying stuff about himself when he does not do good. ... Something you’re not expecting. That’s why he’s special, too.”
Gonzalez has mentored Devers on defense, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.
“He’s really hard on himself,” Gonzalez said about Devers. “I think that’s the thing about him. Like sometimes he gets frustrated really quick.”
Devers said he likes to ask Gonzalez questions.
“I didn’t know he was that good,” Gonzalez said. “I respect him as a player before I got here. But he’s totally impressed me. He’s way better than I thought he was. He’s a superstar. It’s been fun to play with him. He’s a funny guy, too. I’ve been trying to help him (with) little things, to slow the game down and all that kind of stuff.”
Red Sox confident Houck’s injury is short-term
Tanner Houck, Boston’s top depth starter, has been shut down for the time being with a sore flexor muscle.
“He’s getting treatment already,” Cora said. “I don’t know about the specifics. But he’s feeling better. We just gotta make sure he is where he’s supposed to be. He’s very important to this organization. Not only this year but for the future. So when things like this happen, you’ve got to be smart about it and take your time. But as a whole, the training staff and everybody that I’ve talked to, they feel very comfortable that this is just something short-term. So he’ll be OK.”
Brasier throws bullpen
Reliever Ryan Brasier threw a bullpen session this past week in Fort Myers, Cora said.
“It was a good one,” Cora said. “I think it was a 20, 25 pitch bullpen. And he was pretty solid.”
There are no plans yet to send him out for a rehab assignment.
Brasier strained his calf late in spring training. He dealt with a right pinkie fracture this past offseason. He also was behind in spring training after leaving camp for a personal reason in February.
Pivetta tipping pitches?
Nick Pivetta said after Sunday win that he might have been tipping his pitches early in the game. Pivetta began the game wearing a red long-sleeve shirt under his jersey. But he took it off and went with bare arms. He hinted that the sleeves might have had something to do with the tipping.
Cora gave credit to quality control coach Ramón Vázquez on Monday.
“We have a good coaching staff,” Cora said. “What my coaches do on a daily basis is amazing. I know Nick mentioned me. But it wasn’t me. It was actually Ramón. We’re always paying attention. We’re always looking for stuff. Not only to the opposition but our guys. Because at the end of the day, we have to take care of our guys for them to be successful. That’s the most important thing. And we’re very detail orientated.
“Ramon yesterday, he felt there was something going on and he addressed it. I don’t know. Maybe that was the reason he dominated after that. Or probably it’s just his stuff and he’s that good.”
25% capacity at Fenway
The Red Sox will be allowed to increase from 12% capacity to 25% on Tuesday. So Fenway Park will be able to hold roughly 9,400 fans for games beginning against the Athletics.
“It’s going to feel different,” Cora said. “To be honest with you, when we came from Texas to play the Tigers, I was worried that first inning. It felt like a spring training game with no fans. Nothing against the people that showed up, but it’s that big of a difference.”
Texas’ Globe Life Field is at 100% capacity and it got loud in there.
“So looking forward for that,” Cora said. “Obviously looking forward for a packed house whenever it is. I think it’s going to be fun. But to have more tomorrow is going to mean a lot to all of us.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 11, 2021 3:38:35 GMT -5
Red Sox Notes @soxnotes · 7h Martín Pérez will remain 0-2 through 7 starts, but he has kept the Red Sox in every game. The run support will come eventually, but these have been the scores when he exits the game:
1-2 2-2 0-3 3-2 1-1 1-3 1-1
Pérez has a 2.20 ERA in his last 3 starts (16.1 IP, 4 ER).
The Red Sox won the series, 3-1, and will head back to Boston with the best record in MLB (22-14, .611). They are 5-2 in their last 7 games.
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Post by Kimmi on May 11, 2021 16:41:38 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 6h Cora says Sox felt they were set up with Andriese against the righties.
Alex Cora, in explaining the decision to pull Pérez, notes that he left him in for 5 2/3 IP his prior start against the Tigers and got burned on a JaCoby Jones bases loaded double. ‘He is who he is. We like the guy,’ Cora said of Pérez. ‘Today we felt like 5 innings was perfect.’
Martín Pérez, as he’s said before, says he’s ok with whatever decision Alex Cora makes. Frustrating game. Our offense just couldn't get anything going. One measly run is usually not going to win the game. I have no issue with most of Cora's decisions. Had he not pulled Perez and Perez gave up the lead, there would be just as much criticism.
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Post by Kimmi on May 11, 2021 16:44:56 GMT -5
Red Sox Notes @soxnotes · 7h Martín Pérez will remain 0-2 through 7 starts, but he has kept the Red Sox in every game. The run support will come eventually, but these have been the scores when he exits the game:
1-2 2-2 0-3 3-2 1-1 1-3 1-1
Pérez has a 2.20 ERA in his last 3 starts (16.1 IP, 4 ER).
The Red Sox won the series, 3-1, and will head back to Boston with the best record in MLB (22-14, .611). They are 5-2 in their last 7 games. And there you have it. That's the way to look at things. No division leader has a bigger lead on the 2nd place team than the Red Sox' 3 game lead. Also, the 2nd best run differential behind the White Sox.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 11, 2021 19:15:05 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 6h Cora says Sox felt they were set up with Andriese against the righties.
Alex Cora, in explaining the decision to pull Pérez, notes that he left him in for 5 2/3 IP his prior start against the Tigers and got burned on a JaCoby Jones bases loaded double. ‘He is who he is. We like the guy,’ Cora said of Pérez. ‘Today we felt like 5 innings was perfect.’
Martín Pérez, as he’s said before, says he’s ok with whatever decision Alex Cora makes. Frustrating game. Our offense just couldn't get anything going. One measly run is usually not going to win the game. I have no issue with most of Cora's decisions. Had he not pulled Perez and Perez gave up the lead, there would be just as much criticism.I think there is a lot to be said about the long-term effects following last year's short season. How many of these guys are going to wear down after 120 innings?
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