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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 7, 2021 15:26:52 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 20m Cora -- 'We still have the best record record in baseball. We've got to take a look at the positives, right?'
'We're in a good spot, but we still have to keep getting better. We still have to work.' #RedSox
Cora said Hernandez (right hamstring) received treatment at Camden Yards today. Arroyo (left hand) also received treatment.
Brian O'Halloran is on the trip. They'll have a roster phone call with Chaim Bloom later this afternoon. #RedSox
Cora said Arroyo can run and play defense. They'd like to stay away from him hitting until making a possible start on Sunday. #RedSox
Cora on Workman -- 'Sometimes it's just going out there and getting repetitions. I don't know how his buildup went in spring training and all that, but that's something we always talked about here.'
'I know he's happy. There's a comfort level that can hopefully help him out.'
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 7, 2021 15:28:06 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 11m Cora on the Orioles -- 'They did a good job last year. Everybody talks about the three teams or the four teams in the division -- their program is going to be good.'
'It's trending up. They've got stuff guys.' #RedSox
Cora -- 'Brandon (Hyde) is outstanding. I do believe they will be competitive this year.' #RedSox
Cora said he doesn't feel prepared to start the lineup with Verdugo and Devers. They're reluctant to change the current construction 2-5 (Verdugo, Martinez, Bogaerts, Devers). #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 7, 2021 16:38:11 GMT -5
Roch Kubatko @masnroch · 1h Hyde isn't ready to name a starter for Saturday. Still needs to see what happens tonight with weather, perhaps bullpen usage #orioles
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 7, 2021 19:32:05 GMT -5
heard this early last year as well. thanks again to the gas can gang Alex Speier @alexspeier · 50s Cora says Sox are thin in the bullpen, leaving the team hopeful that Rodriguez can go at least six innings. Red Sox Notes @soxnotes · 1h FIP Leaders: Starters 1. Mets – 2.89 2. RED SOX – 3.13 3. Dodgers – 3.16 4. Giants – 3.24 Relievers 1. Mets – 2.67 2. Yankees – 3.03 3. RED SOX – 3.36 4. Padres – 3.48
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 7, 2021 20:45:02 GMT -5
6-run Nats lead in the bottom of the 8th. Rainey comes in and walks the first guy. I wonder how often a manager will yank someone for something like that?
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 7, 2021 21:21:25 GMT -5
11-4 Nationals over the NYY. 6-run 8th with 3 errors. Look for me tomorrow in Section 311, Row 1. Brother is a life-long Expo fan. I used to love those trips up to Montreal. The flight to Montreal was $200 r/t. We figured we could do a r/t to Burlington for $59, and the difference paid for the room and car. Almost by accident, we stumbled onto Crescent Street.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 7, 2021 21:38:33 GMT -5
Awful pitch to Dalbec ahead in the count 0-2.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 7, 2021 21:46:13 GMT -5
ERod struggling and at 91 pitches after 5. Meaning 4 innings of a shaky BP. We need insurance run(s).
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 7, 2021 22:16:06 GMT -5
We've won 6-10, so that's okay, but it feels like every game is a slog.
No-hitter by Miley, and Manea with a no-hitter after 7.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 8, 2021 2:52:39 GMT -5
Red Sox Place Enrique Hernandez On 10-Day Injured List, Recall Michael Chavis
By TC Zencka | May 7, 2021 at 5:52pm CDT
The Red Sox have placed Enrique Hernandez on the 10-day injured list because of a right hamstring strain. Michael Chavis has been recalled in his place, per Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). Chavis had been on Boston’s taxi squad.
Kiké has been the Red Sox primary centerfielder thus far this season, though he has also seen time up the middle in the infield. Offensively, he clocks in with a .239/.298/.425 triple slash line with four home runs in 124 plate appearances. While Hernandez has been a touch light at the plate (or exactly average with a 100 wRC+), his overall contributions amount to 0.6 bWAR/0.5 fWAR. That puts the former Dodger on a 2.5 fWAR pace over 150 games.
Chavis pinch-ran and scored a run in his only appearance of the season to date. The 25-year-old has hit .241/.304/.424 in 634 career plate appearances between 2019 and 2020.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 8, 2021 3:04:42 GMT -5
Red Sox first to 20 wins as Dalbec breaks out 3:03 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
For the Red Sox, this is the week that slumps are fading away.
Or in the case of Bobby Dalbec in Friday night’s 6-2 win over the Orioles at Camden Yards, his slump was belted deep into the seats in left field for a three-run homer. The victory moved the Red Sox to 20-13, making them the first team in MLB to reach the 20-win mark.
• Box score
Dalbec, who came into the night in an 0-for-27 rut, showed his first sign of promise in the top of the third when he lined a single to right with an exit velocity of 104.5 mph.
But the real fun came an inning later when with two on and two outs, Dalbec swatted a hanging curveball from Matt Harvey for a no-doubter that left his bat at 107.9 mph with a launch angle of 36 degrees and a Statcast-projected distance of 399 feet.
These heroics came a day after Franchy Cordero broke an 0-for-25 dry spell with three big hits to lift Boston to a 12-9 comeback win over the Tigers.
Did Cordero’s breakout on Thursday help inspire Dalbec on Friday?
“Yeah, me and him had a few good talks, and [we’ve] been pulling for each other and talking with each other after games, just so it didn't feel like we were alone going through it,” Dalbec said. “So that helps a lot. He’s an awesome dude, and I'm glad that he came up to me in Texas after one of the games. We talked for five to 10 minutes, so it's great. It’s good to have teammates like that. I'm very fortunate to have teammates like that.”
It turns out Dalbec got pep talks from more than just teammates. How about a recently retired Red Sox legend?
You see, Dalbec isn’t the first highly touted rookie to slump mightily for Boston. In 2007, Dustin Pedroia -- who, by the way, won the American League Rookie of the Year Award that season -- was hitting .172 on May 1.
Alex Cora, Boston’s manager, was the guy who spelled Pedroia a lot during Pedroia’s early slump in ’07. And it was Cora who put Dalbec in touch with Pedroia earlier this week.
“Yeah, a couple days ago, I talked to [Cora] about [Pedroia],” Dalbec said. “I talked to Pedey about it the other day, too. You’ve just got to talk about it. If you keep it internalized the whole time, it’s going to eat you up.”
What type of advice did Pedroia give Dalbec?
“Just that this is part of it, just got to grind through it,” Dalbec said. “It's never as bad as it seems, and it's never as good as it seems, too. So that's the whole ‘ride the wave’ thing. Just got to be the same guy. He's awesome.”
On Tuesday, it was Hunter Renfroe who busted out with three hits, including a homer.
You might say that it’s finally bottoms up for the much-maligned lower third of Cora’s batting order.
As it is, the Red Sox lead the Majors in most of the most significant offensive categories. If that offense becomes more balanced, a team that has led the AL East for most of the season becomes even more dangerous.
As for Dalbec, this is the type of showing people expected when he belted eight homers in 80 at-bats in his first taste of big league life last season, and after he led the Grapefruit League this year with seven homers. His homer against Harvey was his second of the season.
“He’s been working hard,” Cora said. “It’s not lack of effort. I’m glad he got a single on the first one, and [Harvey] hung a breaking ball and he put a good swing on it. Like I said about Franchy yesterday and today [with Bobby], it’s good to see them smile. This is a tough sport, and for them to see results, it’s a good feeling. And hopefully they can take off now.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 8, 2021 3:06:41 GMT -5
Notes: Chavis back up; Workman returns May 7th, 2021 Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
Rather than risk being short-handed on the bench, the Red Sox placed Kiké Hernández on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain prior to Friday’s game against the Orioles at Camden Yards.
Hernández suffered the injury sliding into second on a double in Thursday’s 12-9 win over the Tigers at Fenway Park.
Infielder Michael Chavis, who played for the Red Sox in 2019 and '20, was recalled from Triple-A Worcester to take Hernández’s spot on the roster.
Christian Arroyo is also ailing after being hit on the left wrist by a pitch for the second time this season on Wednesday. His availability is limited, which played a role in Boston making a roster move Friday.
Manager Alex Cora hopes that Arroyo will be ready to start by Sunday.
Hernández has been Boston’s primary leadoff man this season and has been valuable with his defensive versatility, spending most of his time in center field and second base.
Marwin Gonzalez got the first shot to lead off in Hernández’s absence. Gonzalez had 37 career plate appearances in the leadoff slot entering Friday’s game, slashing .333/.459/.433.
“I told him, ‘Just be Rickey Henderson today and hit home runs.’ His on-base percentage against righties has been solid,” Cora said. “I know the numbers are not there, but it’s kind of like a long at-bat with him all the time. It’s a grind.”
Chavis is also versatile, with the ability to play first, second and third.
Workman back with original team Brandon Workman had the best days and years of his career playing for the Red Sox. So perhaps it makes sense that Boston is the team he will try to regain his form with.
The Red Sox signed Workman to a Minor League deal on Thursday. He will start at Worcester and try to pitch his way back to Boston.
Workman was dominant for the Red Sox in 2019 (1.88 ERA in 73 outings) and was traded to the Phillies last Aug. 21.
He struggled mightily for the Phillies (6.92 ERA in 14 appearances) and signed with the Cubs as a free agent on Feb. 18. Workman couldn’t find it in Chicago, either, notching a 6.75 ERA in 10 games before getting released.
“I texted with him a few days ago. Just thanking him for giving us a chance and told him to just get to work,” Cora said Friday. “And he feels good about it. Obviously, it didn’t go well in the second half last year, and it didn’t go well with the Cubs. There’s a few things that we recognize with our information department that hopefully he can regain, and he can become a factor.”
The Red Sox have had some inconsistency from the lower-leverage members of their 14-man pitching staff. Workman certainly could provide a boost if he can get back on track.
A key for Workman will be to get some of his velocity back so there will be enough of a differential with his offspeed pitches.
“I saw his last one against the Braves [on April 27], and he threw a lot of breaking balls,” Cora said. “He threw some good ones and some bad ones. I think with him, velocity is very important because the shape of the breaking ball and the spin, it’s usually the same. It’s still a good breaking ball, but if he doesn’t have something else to separate, he becomes a one-pitch pitcher and game-planning comes into play. His cutter, too, is part of the equation. We have to get him back and get [him] some confidence, too.”
In his first stint with the Red Sox, Workman was part of World Series-winning teams in 2013 and ’18. Boston drafted him as a starter as a second-round pick from the University of Texas in '10.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 8, 2021 3:28:54 GMT -5
Bobby Dalbec breaks out of slump with three-run homer in Red Sox’ 6-2 victory over Orioles By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated May 7, 2021, 6:41 p.m.
BALTIMORE — Bobby Dalbec endured an 0-for-27 skid.
One that included 11 strikeouts. His last hit? April 27 vs. the Mets.
In the face of his struggles, his manager, Alex Cora, unwaveringly made the decision to stick by his rookie infielder, understanding that it only takes one to get Dalbec going. All Dalbec needed, Cora said, was a breaking ball he could pull. In the top of the third inning, Dalbec shattered his funk, finding that one hit up the middle off Orioles starter Matt Harvey. The Red Sox wouldn’t score that inning, but in the fourth inning with two outs the club blitzed Harvey for four runs.
The Sox finally brought across their first run on a Hunter Renfroe RBI single. Franchy Cordero elicited a walk, bringing Dalbec to the plate.
And an 0-2 Harvey offering, Dalbec finally got his hanging breaking pitch, obliterating a Harvey curveball into the misty dark sky in left field. It solidified a Sox 6-2 win at Camden Yards.
“You got to be patient with the player,” Cora said. “One of the things that I told you guys a week ago, if we don’t feel these guys can do the job, then we made a bad choice in spring training.”
Eduardo Rodriguez gave the Sox five solid innings. They were five tough innings for the lefthander, however, who yielded seven hits and 14 foul balls. The Orioles worked Rodriguez’s pitch count up to 91. Rodriguez yielded his only run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Cedric Mullins doubled followed by an RBI single by Trey Mancini. Rodriguez is now 11-5 with a 3.28 ERA in his career vs. Orioles. He is 7-2, with a 2.76 ERA at Camden Yards. In nine straight games he’s pitched against the Orioles, the Red Sox have won.
Hirokazu Sawamura came into the game in place of Rodriguez in the sixth inning and immediately allowed a solo shot to Ryan Mountcastle that shrunk the Red Sox lead to 4-2.
Heading into the evening, the Red Sox have played .500 ball since their nine-game winning streak was snapped by the Twins last month. Cora said on numerous occasions that his team has to play better, while still acknowledging the success that his team has had in the midst of their inconsistent play over the last 20 games.
“At the end of the day, before this game we had the best record in baseball,” Cora said. “Not too many people thought we were going to be able to do that before the season.”
Yet Cora also acknowledged the improvement in the Orioles, an organization that has seen its struggles as of recent.
“I believe that they will be competitive this year. And they’re getting to the point that they’re going to be in the conversation of one of those teams in the division.”
Garrett Whitlock worked two scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth. Meanwhile, the Sox’ offense added some much needed insurance behind a Christian Vázquez RBI single in the eighth that scored Rafael Devers and an RBI double by Marwin Gonzalez in the ninth that scored Dalbec.
The Sox collected just seven hits to the Orioles’ 11. Yet the time in which the Red Sox gathered their seven, most notably Dalbec’s blast, was the difference in this one.
“It all comes down to timing, seeing the ball. And it’s usually not a swing thing. I’ve never taken a bad swing when I saw the ball well, and I was on time. So I think you know, that learning curve, it’s huge,” Dalbec said.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 8, 2021 3:31:35 GMT -5
red sox notebook Kiké Hernández placed on injured list By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated May 7, 2021, 8:39 p.m.
BALTIMORE — The Red Sox placed Kiké Hernández on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain, the team announced Friday evening prior to their opening series matchup against the Orioles. Michael Chavis was activated. Hernández tweaked his hamstring Thursday on a double vs. the Tigers.
Both catcher Jett Bandy and Chavis made the trip to Baltimore as members of the team’s taxi squad. Manager Alex Cora said before the game that if they did decide to put Hernández on the IL, that Chavis would likely be the one to fill his role. Chavis began the season in Triple A Worcester
“He’s versatile,” Cora said. “He can play first, second, third. We can put him in left. He’s a right-handed bat.”
Hernández has provided solid defense for the Red Sox, with the majority of his time coming in center field. Nonetheless, he has struggled with the bat at the leadoff spot, hitting .239 with just a .298 on-base percentage. Get 108 Stitches in your inboxGet everything baseball from the Globe's Red Sox reporters every Monday-Friday during baseball season, and weekly in the off season.
Alex Verdugo has found his place in Boston.
In reality, that might not be that much of a feat for the fiery, passionate and personality-filled outfielder. Even in a pandemic-plagued 2020 season which ended in a last place American League East finish, you heard Verdugo’s voice echo throughout a stadium of none. He had the numbers to back up his talk in the Sox’ 60-game shortened season, finishing the year slashing .308/.367/.478 with an .844 OPS and six homers. But not the fans to appreciate what he brought to the table.
Now, with the Red Sox increasing their audience up to 25 percent capacity as of May 10, more eyes will be on him, something that excites the outfielder.
“I love it,” said Verdugo, noting that the team began the season with roughly 4,500 fans. “We’ve had some times where it gets pretty noisy. Obviously just to see double that and just see some more fans filling [the stands] is going to be huge.”
Verdugo hasn’t let up with the bat this season. Heading into the Red Sox’ series against the Orioles, the outfielder slashed .315/.377/.509 with four homers and an .886 OPS from the two-hole. Verdugo, who loves to talk hitting, intimated that this is a club that feeds off each other’s information when it comes to that aspect of the game.
While J.D. Martinez has established himself as a hitting nerd, scouring video and constantly making mechanical adjustments/tweaks, Verdugo, in his own right, is one, too.
“I’m more of an approach guy,” Verdugo said. “If I’m following my approach, and following what I want to do, my game plan at the plate, then the results happen and my swing follows suit.”
Verdugo relies on feel, too. If he feels his shoulder flying open, he’ll tap his shoulder. If his hips open quickly, he’ll tap there also. If he’s lunging over the plate, he’ll push his chest back. For Verdugo, it’s a reminder of what he needs to do to be successful.
“Every swing I take, I kind of see where it is,” Verdugo said. “See how I felt against it. See, where my body landed? And then if it’s like, I didn’t like that, to fix that.”
Verdugo has slowly become a fan favorite, known for not only his unfiltered honesty, but also his high IQ on the baseball diamond, particularly when he stands in the box.
“I love to play baseball, Verdugo said. “I come every day to win. I come to compete and my emotions are sometimes raw but they’re real, and I think Boston fans appreciate it. I think they like the way I play and the passion that I bring.” Brandon Workman’s back
The Red Sox signed reliever Brandon Workman to a minor league deal Thursday and assigned him to Triple A Worcester. Workman was one of the best closers in baseball during the 2019 season as a member of the Red Sox, owning a 1.88 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 71 ⅔ innings pitched. Yet in 2020, he fell off a cliff, registering a 4.05 ERA in 6 ⅔ innings with the club. He was traded to the Phillies along with reliever Heath Hembree in exchange for Nick Pivetta and pitching prospect Connor Seabold. Workman’s struggles continued. He registered a 6.92 ERA in 13 innings with the Phillies, and then followed that up with a 6.75 ERA in eight innings with the Cubs before he was released in late April. Workman has a devastating curveball when he’s at his best. In 2019, hitters hit just .128 on that pitch. But much of the success on his curve according to Cora, has a lot to do with his four-seam fastball velocity. Over the last two years he’s seen a slight dip in his average four-seam velo, going from 92.9 m.p.h. in 2019 to 91.5 this season. “When his velocity is a tick up, it helps everything else,” Cora said. “With him velocity is very important because the shape of the breaking ball and the spin is usually the same. It’s still a good breaking ball. But if he doesn’t have something else to separate it he becomes a one-pitch pitcher.” The Sox feel as if they can help Workman regain some of his old form and want him to contribute at some point this season. “There’s a comfort level [with the Red Sox],” Cora said. “And hopefully we can help him regain that confidence. And like I said, hopefully he can become a factor” . . . Christian Arroyo (hand contusion) is still receiving treatment and is available to pinch run and play defense. The hope is that he can start Sunday.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 8, 2021 3:34:57 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 5h Hirokazu Sawamura has the 6th with a 4-1 lead.
Eduardo Rodriguez with a second consecutive start of just 5 innings -- 7 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 91-61 9 swing/miss.
Fastball didn't break 93 mph tonight. His average fastball velocity in previous seasons was 93.1 mph minimum. #RedSox
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