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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 8, 2021 7:19:57 GMT -5
Orioles rotation rookies on the rise By: Roch Kubatko May 8, 2021 4:30 AM
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Left-hander Keegan Akin made his first start last night with Triple-A Norfolk, inserted into a rotation that he tried to leave behind for good last summer. Left-hander Bruce Zimmermann follows Akin tonight as the extended series continues in Jacksonville.
Dean Kremer was the last rookie standing with the Orioles, having made it back from his option and preparing for Sunday afternoon’s game against the Red Sox. He’ll be joined tonight by left-hander Zac Lowther, whose second promotion bring his first major league start.
Akin didn’t break camp with the team after struggling with his command and posting a 10.00 ERA and 2.44 WHIP in nine exhibition innings. Zimmermann was optioned Monday after failing to complete five innings for the third start in a row, with the club giving him the same reset as Kremer and choosing the extra bullpen arm.
Chris Holt, the club’s pitching coach and director of pitching, handles the newcomers in much the same manner as the others. Drawing from them the strengths and areas where they need to improve. Formulating a work plan to accomplish those goals.
“From that vantage point, no different,” Holt said yesterday in a Zoom call. “And then navigating some of the new things for them and being able to understand kind of what their experiences are like going first time through as like a true full-season rookie presents challenges that we know what those things are.
“It’s a lot of new things and a lot of pressures and things to deal with, so being able to try to stay consistent with how we go about our work and also navigate the things that we need to navigate as they occur and continue to work to set the bar where we know they’re capable of pitching. There’s no question about what they’re capable of doing and working to that end is really what we’re about. So staying consistent with that message. And these guys can do it.
“These guys are phenomenal talents and consistency is the name of the game here, so that’s what we’re working for.”
The Orioles could have recalled Akin tonight, but kept him in Triple-A. He was a strong consideration for the last spot start before cutting his left index finger.
Wade LeBlanc was cut after making the start.
Akin worked two innings last night and was charged with two runs and two hits, with one walk, five strikeouts and a hit batter. He threw 34 of his 49 pitches in the first and surrendered a two-run homer to Jesús Sánchez, but struck out three batters in the second.
The Orioles could field four rookie starters in their rotation this summer with Kremer, Akin, Zimmermann and Lowther. All of them slotted behind John Means.
The likelihood grows if Matt Harvey is traded at the deadline. He’s a potential chip with the improvement shown, though last night was a disappointment. And if Jorge López is moved to the bullpen, though manager Brandon Hyde said he isn’t ready to give up on the right-hander as a starter.
That debate will intensify if López keeps slamming his head on the fifth-inning ceiling.
Mike Baumann also has been viewed as a debut candidate, but he’s got to get healthy. He’s back in Sarasota due to a recurrence of the arm soreness that cut short his time at the alternate camp site.
Alexander Wells offers the potential to also debut, now that his oblique has healed. He’s starting for Norfolk on Sunday after failing to get into an exhibition game.
Getting them to the majors offers more exposure to Holt and assistant pitching coach Darren Holmes, who held the title of bullpen coach last season. Holt replaced Doug Brocail as pitching coach and kept his other title and responsibilities.
“It’s been excellent,” Holt said of working with Holmes. “I think getting to know him last year, he’s an individual who is very invested in people and players. He shows up every day with a thirst for continuing to work to get that much better and has that rapport with all the pitchers, so the dynamic has been excellent.
“There’s so much crossover between he and I with, whether it’s delivery or pitch spins, you name it across the board. There’s so much crossover to work with. And of course he has years of major league experience as a player and a coach, which is hugely valuable. He’s also working to pick up some of the things I’ve been accustomed to working with in the last five, six years, as well, so it’s been tremendous and look forward to showing up to work with him every day.”
Four rookies started for the Orioles last season: Akin, Kremer, Zimmermann and Thomas Eshelman. However, four or more rookies have started at least five games only twice in club history, according to STATS.
The 2009 season featured six with Jason Berken (24), Brad Bergesen (19), David Hernandez (19), Chris Tillman (12), Koji Uehara (12) and Brian Matusz (eight). The 2002 season had four rookies in Rodrigo Lopez (28), Travis Driskill (19), John Stephens (11) and Sean Douglass (eight).
The 2021 Orioles probably feel a little bit better about their collection of pitching prospects.
I’d love to talk about it with my dad. He would have turned 81 today.
Miss him every day.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 8, 2021 13:54:35 GMT -5
Game 34: Red Sox at Orioles lineups and notesBy Brandon Chase Globe Correspondent,May 8, 2021, 1 hour ago Bobby Dalbec went 2-for-3 with a three-run home run to lead the Red Sox to a 6-2 win on Saturday in their series opener against the Orioles at Camden Yards. Garrett Richards gets the start for Boston in the second game of the series. Here are the lineups. Orioles lefty Zac Lowther is making his first MLB start. Lineups RED SOX (20-13):1. Michael Chavis (R) 2B 2. Alex Verdugo (L) CF 3. J.D. Martinez (R) DH 4. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS 5. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 6. Christian Vazquez (R) C 7. Marwin Gonzalez (S) LF 8. Hunter Renfroe (R) RF 9. Bobby Dalbec (R) 1B Pitching: RHP Garrett Richards (1-2, 4.40) ORIOLES (15-17):1. Cedric Mullins (L) CF 2. Austin Hays (R) LF 3. Trey Mancini (R) 1B 4. DJ Stewart (L) RF 5. Ryan Mountcastle (R) DH 6. Freddy Galvis (S) SS 7. Maikel Franco (R) 3B 8. Chance Sisco (L) C 9. Rio Ruiz (L) 2B Pitching: LHP Zac Lowther (0-0, 0.00) Time: 7:05 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Red Sox vs. Lowther: No data Orioles vs. Richards: Mullins 3-5, Mancini 2-5 Ruiz 1-3, Sisco 1-3, Galvis 0-3, Mountcastle 0-3, Stewart 0-1, Franco 1-1, Hays 0-1 Stat of the Day: J.D. Martinez has climbed to second in MLB in batting average (.342) Notes: Lowther made his MLB on April 25 as a reliever. He is the Orioles’ No. 11 prospect and was the 74th overall pick in the 2017 draft ... Richards pitched five innings against the Rangers in his previous start last Monday. He allowed one run on four hits, struck out seven, and picked up the win. Song of the Day: Van Halen "Jump"www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwYN7mTi6HM
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 8, 2021 14:52:07 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 11m Chavis and his career .304 OBP would seem like an unusual choice to hit leadoff.
But Sox are determined to keep their 2-3-4-5-6 as is. They lead the majors in runs, after all.
Chavis hit leadoff 4 times in 2019.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 8, 2021 15:26:15 GMT -5
Julian McWilliams @byjulianmack · 22m Cora said Sawamura has been throwing too many fastballs down in the zone, which has allowed hitters to tee off on him. Said it will play better up in the zone.
Cora on averages being down to .233 across the league: “I hate to say that’s what it is, but it looks that way." Says they need to adjust as an industry because pitching is way ahead.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 8, 2021 15:54:02 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 14m Chavis did not play OF during spring training. He also said he hasn't at the alt site.
2B today. Be interesting to see if they run him out there in left at some point.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 8, 2021 16:05:40 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 32m Cora's pre-game comments on Sawamura's HR issues: "Fastballs down in the zone. That's something we've talked about, we want him to elevate. Fastballs down in the zone are what they're hunting. Not saying throw there all the time, but you can expand up, then he can use the split."
The defense played behind Eovaldi has rated as -5 outs above average, this ranks 273rd/275 among pitchers.
All other Red Sox pitchers are between +1 and -2.
He currently has a 4.62 ERA... with a 2.03 FIP, .342 BABIP, and 61% left on base rate.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 8, 2021 17:16:48 GMT -5
Michael Chavis, Boston Red Sox: ‘I had a big, old smile on my face and I called my family’ when I found I was in lineup Saturday Updated 6:13 PM; Today 6:03 PM
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BALTIMORE — Michael Chavis will be in the Red Sox lineup for the first time this season Saturday. He’s leading off and playing second base.
Boston recalled Chavis on Friday to take Kiké Hernández’s spot on the active roster. Hernández was placed on the IL with a right hamstring strain.
“As soon as I found out I was in the lineup today, I had a big, old smile on my face and I called my family,” Chavis said.
Chavis struggled offensively during the second half of 2019 and throughout the shortened 2020 season. Christian Arroyo beat him out this spring training for the final position player Opening Day roster spot.
“I’m not sure if I’m here to prove anything,” Chavis said. “I think I’m here to do what I can do, take care of what I can control and that’s about it. ... I was talking yesterday and I asked our hitting coach, ‘Do you think I should approach this 10-day stint as an opportunity to prove myself and maybe earn a spot?’ After really thinking about it with him and talking it through with him, I don’t think that’s the appropriate approach for my own mindset. Just because I think it’s going to cause me to press or chase a result. And I always talk about staying process orientated.”
In his first 26 major league games, Chavis batted .296 with a .389 on-base percentage, .592 slugging percentage, .981 OPS, nine home runs, two doubles, 24 RBIs, 14 walks and 30 strikeouts (119 plate appearances). In 112 major league games since then, he has batted .228 with a .281 on-base percentage, .382 slugging percentage, 14 homers, 13 doubles, three triples, 53 RBIs, 25 walks and 147 strikeouts (427 plate appearances).
“I know what to expect. I’ve been here before,” Chavis said. “The nerves are definitely a little bit less than my first time. I’m not absolutely terrified and unsure of everything that’s going to happen.”
Manager Alex Cora said during spring training that he wanted Chavis to focus only on the infield (first, second and third). But Cora mentioned Friday that Chavis is available to play left field, too.
Chavis didn’t play left field at all at the alternate site.
“But I’ve communicated with our outfield coach and everything like that and communicated with AC as well,” he said. “Like I said before, I’m going to do whatever I can to get in the lineup. I want to play baseball. And if it means going out there and doing early work in left field every single day, that’s what I’m more than happy to do.”
Chavis said he feels “absolutely incredible” and more mobile after slimming down in the offseason.
“I’ve written in my notebook multiple times that I’m working on being comfortable, being uncomfortable,” he said. “And it sounds stupid, but for what it means for me is there’s going to be a bunch of times throughout my career and everybody’s career that there are going to be uncomfortable situations whether it’s stuff going on back home, stuff with the clubhouse. Whatever’s going on, there’s going to be times that you’re uncomfortable and you have to find a way to be comfortable. So that’s one thing I’ve been working on. And I think a lot of that is really just a mindset.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 8, 2021 17:20:44 GMT -5
Guess all the scribes that are in OPACY are at the soft serve ice cream machine cuz no other pre game stuff I can find,,,,,
One thing though....tomorrow is 5 months sober for me......and I thank u guys for coming on here, giving your input, and putting up with me shitting on the front office
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 8, 2021 18:08:53 GMT -5
Chavis brings his banjo up and promptly K's to lead the game off
Same old, same old.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 8, 2021 18:43:02 GMT -5
Chavis with a 2 run home run Sox up 4-1 and my late night snack now is all crow.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 8, 2021 21:35:51 GMT -5
Guess all the scribes that are in OPACY are at the soft serve ice cream machine cuz no other pre game stuff I can find,,,,,
One thing though....tomorrow is 5 months sober for me......and I thank u guys for coming on here, giving your input, and putting up with me shitting on the front office Congrats my friend.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 8, 2021 21:47:06 GMT -5
Chavis with a 2 run home run Sox up 4-1 and my late night snack now is all crow. He still had a 2/0 K/W. IMO, unless his long-term number is closer to 2/1, he won't amount to anything. You have to be able to work out a walk before a pitcher is willing to start throwing strikes.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 9, 2021 3:28:56 GMT -5
Bats erupt for 11 runs in rout of Orioles Bogaerts, Verdugo, Vázquez and Renfroe have multi-hit games 1:10 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
There have already been four big league no-hitters this season. Entering the day, MLB had a cumulative average of .233. It seems that hitting has never been harder than it is these days.
All of this makes what the Red Sox are doing even more impressive.
They did it again on Saturday with a well-rounded batting barrage that toppled the Orioles, 11-6, at Camden Yards.
“We’ve been very disciplined,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “We understand who we are, and we understand we’re going to hit the ball in the air and we can hit home runs. But at the same time, we’ve been talking about it since Spring Training -- put the ball in play in certain situations. And we’ve been doing a good job.”
“I do believe when your best players buy into the concept, that’s what happens. J.D. [Martinez], for how great of a slugger he is, he gets his singles. He goes the other way. He goes up the middle. When your best hitters do that, I think everybody buys into the concept, and we’ve done a pretty good job the first 30-something games.”
Good enough that Boston’s 21-13 record is the best in MLB.
“Amazing, man. Absolutely amazing,” said winning pitcher Garrett Richards. “I mean, these guys, this team in general, you guys have seen it for a month and a half now, it’s a really good team. We’re not weak in very many areas and I think it’s still early. I don’t even think we’ve peaked yet. We just show up every day with the mindset that we’re going to win today.”
Unlike much of the season, when Boston’s production was largely dependent on the fearsome two through five hitters (Alex Verdugo, Martinez, Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers), the lineup is now producing from top to bottom.
Never was that more evident than Saturday, when the Sox had 11 runs by the sixth inning.
The contributions came from the expected (Verdugo, Bogaerts, Christian Vázquez) to the not-as-expected (Michael Chavis).
Bogaerts hit a prodigious home run (Statcast-projected 414 feet to left) as part of his three-hit night. Verdugo also added three hits. Vázquez scored twice, had two hits and drove in two. Hunter Renfroe had two hits, an RBI and a run scored. And Chavis, playing in his first Major League game of the year after being recalled from Triple-A on Friday, led off and smashed a two-run homer.
“Chavis, he comes up and he gets a homer his first game,” said Bogaerts. “I mean it's just, it's contagious, surrounding him with good hitters. I feel like good things happen that way, you know, and from top to bottom. I mean, especially the bottom half of the lineup. There was a lot of talk about that [earlier]. Now they're getting on base and they're doing a heck of a job. Obviously, being on base for the top of the order has been very nice and just having a lot of traffic, that creates a lot of problems for the other team.”
Riding the wave of offense was Richards, who made an easy night for the bullpen by going seven innings.
“It’s huge,” said Richards. “I can go out there and eat as many innings as possible and try to save as many arms in the bullpen. Especially with the lead, I can go out there and throw one more inning out there in the seventh. That was kind of my mindset, continue to attack the zone and get outs.”
Then there is the offense, which continues to pile up runs and hits.
The Red Sox lead the Majors in runs (183), hits (312), doubles (76), RBIs (166), average (.269), slugging percentage (.445) and OPS (.779).
“It’s really fun to watch,” said Richards. “It’s really cool to be a part of on a daily basis just the way everybody’s going about their business and knowing where we stand in this league. We have a very good baseball team and we’re trying to make it all the way to the end.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 9, 2021 3:50:36 GMT -5
Xander Bogaerts continues to show why he’s among the game’s best shortstops in Red Sox’ rout of the Orioles By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated May 8, 2021, 10:32 p.m.
BALTIMORE — In an era defined by talented shortstops, and in a league that has seen talented players such as Francisco Lindor and Fernando Tatis rise to the sport’s forefront,, Xander Bogaerts’s has made his own ascent, his talent propelling him into the same strata as his well-healed and handsomely-paid counterparts.
Manager Alex Cora spoke to Bogaerts’s supreme skill and competitive fervor ahead of the Red Sox’ series with the New York Mets a couple of weeks ago, adding his shortstop’s calm demeanor, his lack of flashiness in the field can, at times, downplay what Bogaerts actually brings to the game.
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Yet, with the season Bogaerts has had to this point, and the career he’s fashioned with the Red Sox, that should no longer be the case.
In the Sox’ 11-6 win against the Orioles Saturday at Camden Yards, Bogaerts’s imprints were all over the outcome. Bogaerts went 3 for 4 on the night, hitting a two-run home run to left in the top of the sixth inning to stretch the Sox’ lead to 11-2. at the time.
In the bottom half of that frame, Bogaerts flashed on defense, making a back-handed stab of a sharply-struck Maikel Franco rocket to the hole. He initiated what ended up being an inning-ending double play that enabled Red Sox starter Garrett Richards to get out of a jam.
In the bottom of the seventh, Bogaerts leaped and caught a Cedric Mullins line drive that also ended the inning. The Sox went on to collect 14 hits, their 11 runs scored giving the team in the contest has the club at 44 in the last five contests facing the Orioles. Related: Box score: Red Sox 11, Orioles 6
At the fulcrum of it all is Bogaerts. He’s currently hitting .357, .400, .603 with a 1.003 OPS to lead all shortstops.
“I just want to strive to get better,” Bogaerts said afterward. “I want to go somewhere really high, and that’s what I expect of myself every day. I have that mentality of, of going out there and even surprising myself.”
Bogaerts’s play left Red Sox starter Garrett Richards in awe of his teammate. Richards, who went seven solid innings and allowed four runs on eight hits, including a Freddy Galvis solo shot in the second, knows how important it is to have Bogaerts behind him.
“Absolutely amazing,” Richards said of Bogaerts. “I mean these guys, this team in general, I mean, you guys have seen it for, you know, a month and a half now.” Related: Peter Abraham | On baseball: Batters be aware, the year of the pitcher is upon us
The bottom of the Sox order contributed in each of the last two Red Sox wins after delivering virtually nothing for a large chunk of the season. The Red Sox (21-13) survived some ninth-inning drama to put their third consecutive win under wraps when Josh Taylor entered the game for a shaky Austin Brice and struck out Trey Mancini on three pitches.
Marwin Gonzalez’s double in the top of the second off Orioles lefthanded starter Zac Lowther, who made his big league debut, scored the Sox’ first run of the game. Orioles right fielder D.J. Stewart’s throw from right skidded away from second baseman Rio Ruiz, allowing Christian Vázquez to score. Hunter Renfroe’s RBI single up the middle later in the frame scored Gonzalez, giving the Red Sox a 2-1 lead. Related: Red Sox notebook: Michael Chavis makes an immediate impact in return to the lineup
Michael Chavis, who was activated from the team’s taxi squad Friday and was in the leadoff spot Saturday, belted a two-run shot off Lowther to highlight the Red Sox’ four-run outburst in the inning that expanded their lead to 4-1.
Yet few teams have a Bogaerts, and as he reaches his prime in a Sox uniform that has over 1,000 games of dominance, his manager can’t help but look across the league and put his shortstop at the top of the pack.
“The whole package if he’s not the best shortstop in the big leagues, well, you know, I mean, somebody needs to show me somebody else, to be honest with you. That’s how I feel about him. This guy is amazing.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 9, 2021 3:53:37 GMT -5
Red Sox notebook Michael Chavis makes an immediate impact in return to Red Sox lineup By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated May 8, 2021, 7:56 p.m.
BALTIMORE —It’s been a while since he erupted onto the scene, but Michael Chavis’s opportunity with the Red Sox arrived once more in Saturday evening’s game against the Orioles.
In the first half of 2019, Chavis’s debut season, he hit .263 with 15 home runs only to see his average plummet to .221 the rest of the way. That was followed by a pandemic-shortened, 60-game season during which his batting average fell to .212.
As the 2021 season approached, Chavis found himself on the outside looking in when it came to a roster spot. A couple of key acquisitions, including Marwin Gonzalez and Kiké Hernández, coupled with the positive impression Christian Arroyo made during spring training, meant Chavis would start his season in Triple A Worcester.
However, Chavis, who was placed on the team’s taxi squad for this four-game series against the Orioles at Camden Yards, found his way back to the big leagues when he was called up after Hernández was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday with a strained hamstring.
It marked his second stint with the big league club. He was recalled April 10 at Baltimore, entering as a pinch runner in the 10th inning of a 6-4 victory over the Orioles during which he scored on a wild pitch.
“I was talking yesterday with our hitting coach, and I was like, ‘Do you think I should approach this 10-day stint as an opportunity to prove myself and maybe earn a spot?’” recalled Chavis, who drew the start at second base and was penciled into Alex Cora’s lineup as the leadoff hitter in a 11-6 win over the Orioles.
“After really thinking about it with him, and talking through it with him, I don’t think that’s the appropriate approach from my own mindset.”
When the competition tightened during spring, Cora noticed Chavis began chasing results, something the player noted as the reason he started to get outside of his tried-and-true approach.
Not controlling the strike zone has always been an issue for Chavis, and it reared its head once more. So, when Chavis was optioned to Worcester, the team wanted him to focus on his control of the strike zone.
Judging from his second plate appearance Saturday night, it was apparent Chavis had solved his issues. After striking out in the first inning, Chavis’s persistence paid off when he belted a two-run homer off Orioles lefthanded starter Zac Lowther to give the Red Sox a 4-1 lead in the second.
“Well, first at-bat, I’d never faced that guy before and if we’re being completely honest, we’re human and I was scared,’' Chavis admitted after going 1 for 6. “I’ve been in the big leagues before and I’ve had some experience up here, but 100 percent I was a little bit nervous.
“It was kind of weird, but those jitters showed up and that first at-bat it sped me up a little bit, and that second at-bat, I was able to slow it down a little bit and it just kind of fell into place. We’re just going to try and keep getting better every single day.”
But, given the circumstances of the season, Chavis said it was a difficult task getting things sorted out at the team’s alternate training site.. During simulated games, the team didn’t have umpires. As a result, Chavis said it was difficult to get a really good sense of the strike zone.
“It was odd,” Chavis said. “Working on zone recognition when we didn’t have any umpires, to say the least, I mean, you don’t have a legitimate consistent strike zone. You’d have a guy either standing behind the pitcher’s mound calling balls and strikes. So you have a catcher who’s working with the pitcher to call balls and strikes. But he doesn’t want to mess up his pitcher. He doesn’t want to mess you up, [either].”
It also helped Chavis prepare for this opportunity when he came into spring training lean and in better shape.
“Somebody else thinks I’m quick,” Chavis joked. “I feel good. I really do.” Stretching out starters
The Red Sox have gotten at least five innings from their starters in five of their last six appearances. For much of the season, that has been the standard for this Red Sox pitching staff. But Cora said before the game that his team now needs more length.
“We’ve been talking about it,” Cora said. “The whole 30 whatever games, it feels like we’ve been in every game from day one. And that’s great. But sometimes it’s like, this is too much. Right now, we’re not getting that [length]. We’re getting five quality innings and so hopefully, we start turning the corner and it’s time to start getting there.”
Righthanded starter Garrett Richards, meanwhile, delivered another seven strong innings for the Sox, allowing four runs on eight hits, including one homer, while issuing one walk and striking out five batters. It was the second time in his last three outings Richards has lasted seven innings.
“It’s huge,” Richards said. “To go out there and grab another [inning] right there at the end, it saves an arm. It goes a long way. The bullpen is a moving piece. And sometimes it gets in trouble. But if you can do everything you can on your day to make that easier, it goes a long way.” Tweaking Sawamura
Hirokazu Sawamura has allowed four runs in his last 4⅓ innings of work. Those outings included three homers, including one in Friday’s 6-2 victory over the Orioles. Cora believes there’s an adjustment Sawamura needs to make.
“Fastball is down in the zone,” Cora said. “That’s something that we have talked about it. We actually we want him to elevate.”
Cora was encouraged by Sawamura’s velocity Friday, which came in at 97-98 m.ph. But he believes the stuff will play more aggressive at attacking hitters with those fastballs up.
“That’s what they’re hunting and they put good swings on it,” Cora said regarding Sawamura throwing too many low fastballs. “Besides that he’s been okay.”
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