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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2021 10:38:50 GMT -5
Tomase: La Russa's act a reminder White Sox should have hired Cora 52M ago / by John Tomase John Tomase RED SOX INSIDER
Before the Red Sox could win it all in 2004, they needed to jettison Grady Little and replace him with a new-school manager seeking a second chance. Terry Francona delivered and then some, leading the club to a pair of titles.B
Fifteen years later, the Chicago White Sox faced a similar crossroads. The 2020 club led the American League Central nearly all season, the culmination of a patient rebuild finally bearing fruit, before stumbling at the finish and losing the wild card series to the Oakland A's.
They fired the popular Rick Renteria just days before he finished second in the AL Manager of the Year race, recognizing the need for someone younger and more dynamic to take their talented core to the next level. So it came as no surprise on Halloween when they introduced Alex Cora as their 41st manager, capitalizing on the end of his season-long suspension to offer him a shot at redemption while showing the next generation how to win it all.
"In the end," said White Sox GM Rick Hahn, "this was simply too perfect an opportunity to ignore, and while many may disagree with our decision, we're confident that Alex has learned some important lessons over the past year. He's been humbled, and we know he's as hungry as we are to raise our first banner since 2005."
Except that's not what happened. Tomase: Schedule gauntlet will put Red Sox to the test
Instead, White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf stampeded in like the Merrill Lynch bull and made a stunning, perplexing, infuriating hire, unilaterally imposing longtime friend Tony La Russa on the organization. The 76-year-old Hall of Famer hadn't inhabited a dugout since leading the Cardinals to the 2011 World Series and ostensibly leaving on top.
Reinsdorf had other ideas, and he's now reaping the whirlwind, as La Russa keeps inserting himself into generational battles that show how ill-equipped he is to handle modern players. From overtaxing his starting pitchers to not knowing the new extra innings rules to the firestorm he caused in his own clubhouse by castigating breakout rookie sensation Yermin Mercedes for violating some sacrosanct unwritten rule, La Russa seems determined to spark a mutiny in his own clubhouse. It's possible the powder is already lit.
It didn't have to be this way.
Imagine a White Sox club with a rejuvenated Cora at the helm. He has taken a less-talented Red Sox team from worst to first, where they have resided for more than a month. The White Sox, meanwhile, own the American League's best record, but it feels like it's in spite of their manager and not because of him, with the Mercedes controversy the most serious threat to his authority yet.
On Monday, the White Sox led the Twins 15-4 in the eighth inning. Minnesota summoned burly infielder Willians Astudillo to pitch, and he lobbed a 47 mph parabola on a 3-0 count that Mercedes timed perfectly and launched for his sixth homer.
The exuberant DH has quickly become a fan favorite in Chicago for escaping obscurity to lead the American League in hitting and for displaying his emotions proudly. While he circled the bases and teammates waited to celebrate, La Russa fumed.
He then did something Cora would never consider, taking his complaints to the media over the course of two straight days, blasting Mercedes for missing a blatant take sign and accusing him of disrespecting the game. He even endorsed the Twins throwing behind him the next day. It's exactly the kind of get-off-my-lawn drivel that keeps baseball from modernizing and embracing brash stars like Fernando Tatis Jr., Tim Anderson, and Trevor Bauer.
They're the players fans increasingly pay to see, not some septuagenarian manager who just stepped out of Doc Brown's DeLorean and thinks he's still in 1985.
The shame is that during his years as an advisor to Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, La Russa filled a more avuncular role, impressing the baseball operations department with his willingness to engage without being overbearing. It seemed like the perfect way to stay in the game without the day-to-day pressures of running a team, and La Russa was so good at it, the four young executives who led the baseball operations department between Dombrowski's ouster and Chaim Bloom's arrival asked La Russa to remain on the job. Tomase: Meet Kaleb Ort, the other prospect Red Sox stole from Yankees
He briefly agreed before leaving for the Angels and spending the year as a special assistant. Then Reinsdorf made the roundly criticized decision to bring him back to the club he had managed from 1979-86, perhaps as a favor for La Russa's role in putting the undeserving Harold Baines in the Hall of Fame. Advertisement
Meanwhile, the White Sox didn't even engage with Cora, an ideal fit to lead a young club with an impressive mix of Latin stars who'd no doubt benefit from a manager sharing their language and understanding their culture.
Had the White Sox courted Cora, there's a chance he wouldn't have even been available to the Red Sox, who were still sorting through their own candidates. In fact, when the news broke that the White Sox had fired Renteria, there was a belief in some corners of Jersey Street that Cora would land in Chicago.
That never happened because Reinsdorf put his meddlesome foot down and almost immediately discovered he had stepped in something. He was savaged when it came out that he had buried La Russa's DUI admission during the interview process. That set a fitting tone for La Russa's rocky tenure, which has included questionable in-game strategy and a lack of understanding of the game's rules, written and otherwise.
The Red Sox share no such concerns, because Cora has maximized their talents. He should probably be on Chicago's South Side instead, regaling Anderson, Jose Abreu, Lucas Giolito and Co. with tales of World Series titles as a player, coach, and manager.
My guess is that White Sox players would be enraptured with their cocky new skipper and willing to do whatever it took to please him. He might periodically light them up behind closed doors, but that's where it stays. They just want a ring, and it's hard to envision anyone being better suited to give it to them.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2021 13:11:42 GMT -5
For Alex Cora, standing by his players comes first Bill Koch The Providence Journal MLB umpire Sam Holbrook, left, talks with Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa during a game on May 5 in Cincinnati.
Alex Cora would have backed Yermin Mercedes.
As he sees it, baseball's unwritten rules and their enforcement shouldn’t divide managers and the players in their respective clubhouses. Any member of the Red Sox who happens to swing at a 3-and-0 pitch in a blowout would have Cora’s public support, regardless of the eventual fallout.
Mercedes didn’t enjoy that with the White Sox this week. Tony La Russa, Chicago's first-year manager and a former special assistant to Boston president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, chided Mercedes for homering against the Twins. La Russa expressed no displeasure when Minnesota threw behind the American League’s leading hitter the following night.
“At the end of the day, these are my players — the Red Sox,” Cora said Wednesday on his weekly segment on WEEI’s "Ordway, Merloni & Fauria" show. “You have to take care of them. Not only on the field but also through the eyes of the fan base and in the media.
“With all due respect — because I love Tony, he’s amazing, he was amazing to be here — I think that was a mistake.”
Chicago enjoyed an 11-run lead in the top of the ninth inning at Target Field on Monday when Mercedes dug in against Willians Astudillo. He slugged a 47-mph lollipop to deep left-center for a solo homer in what wound up as a 16-4 final. La Russa was asked postgame about Mercedes swinging in that spot — violating one of the game’s unspoken codes — and promised internal discipline.
“He made a mistake,” La Russa said. “There's a consequence he'll have to endure within the family.”
The White Sox enjoyed a two-run lead the following night in the top of the seventh when Mercedes batted with one out. Tyler Duffey sent a fastball behind his knees and was ejected along with Twins manager Rocco Baldelli. La Russa was asked after a 5-4 loss what he thought of Minnesota’s actions in that situation.
“I'm suspicious when someone throws at someone's head,” La Russa said. “I didn't have a problem with how the Twins handled that.”
Lance Lynn and Tim Anderson were among the Chicago players who spoke out defending Mercedes. Lynn is a 10-year veteran who was in the Cardinals' system and debuted during La Russa’s final season with St. Louis in 2011. La Russa proceeded to publicly rebuke Lynn for his comments.
“Lance has a locker,” La Russa said. “I have an office. I don’t agree.”
La Russa was a member of the Red Sox front office when Cora was hired for the first time in November 2017. The two enjoyed private dinners together during road trips and La Russa often went to Cora with advice about how to navigate his way through his early stages on the job. La Russa is a three-time World Series champion as a manager who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.
“The whole thing that probably makes it worse is the back-and-forth between the players and the manager,” Cora said. “That’s a hard one to deal with. Just watching from afar, I’m glad that I’m here.
“We don’t have to deal with that situation right now. I’ll leave it at that.”
Chicago’s hiring of La Russa after a decade off the bench shocked the baseball world. The 76-year-old had not publicly expressed a desire to return. White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, having fired La Russa early in the 1986 season, was widely seen as making a last attempt to right an old personal wrong.
The Red Sox dealt Chicago an 11-4 loss on April 19 and forced the White Sox to use a pair of position players over the final two innings. Mercedes and Danny Mendick each took the ball for three outs at Fenway Park and Boston added a single run in the bottom of the seventh. Franchy Cordero stole second base against Mercedes in a six-run game and J.D. Martinez eventually singled in Kiké Hernandez.
“Do we have to stop playing because we’re up [six]? It’s complicated," Cora said.
"I think it’s a lot different compared to back in the day. You didn’t see so many position players pitching. That’s something that’s a lot different.
“We’ve got 14 pitchers. If we have to use a position player, it has to be in a very, very bad spot.”
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @billkoch25
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2021 13:14:22 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 43m
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2021 14:05:01 GMT -5
damn it
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 11m #RedSox at Yankees on June 6 has been picked up by ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Originally scheduled for 1:05 pm in the Bronx.
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Post by Kimmi on May 20, 2021 16:56:03 GMT -5
Obviously, I'm still pulling for the Sox.
But I'd MUCH rather the Blue Jays win the division than the Yankees. I do not get all the reaction and hype on the Yankees They have Cole and that is about it pitching wise.
A closer who shits the bed in big spots
a line up that cant stay healthy.
A skipper who is a big doofus.
I still pick the Yankees to win the division, much to my dismay. They've had their struggles, and yet they keep winning.
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Post by Kimmi on May 20, 2021 16:58:18 GMT -5
make that 6 no no's after Kluber last night So what gives? Is it the tweak that they made to the baseballs?
I'm a fan of pitcher's duels, but at the same time, I don't think pitchers should have an unfair advantage.
The juiced baseballs from last year were no good either.
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Post by Kimmi on May 20, 2021 17:02:45 GMT -5
For Alex Cora, standing by his players comes firstBill Koch The Providence Journal MLB umpire Sam Holbrook, left, talks with Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa during a game on May 5 in Cincinnati. Alex Cora would have backed Yermin Mercedes. As he sees it, baseball's unwritten rules and their enforcement shouldn’t divide managers and the players in their respective clubhouses. Any member of the Red Sox who happens to swing at a 3-and-0 pitch in a blowout would have Cora’s public support, regardless of the eventual fallout. Mercedes didn’t enjoy that with the White Sox this week. Tony La Russa, Chicago's first-year manager and a former special assistant to Boston president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, chided Mercedes for homering against the Twins. La Russa expressed no displeasure when Minnesota threw behind the American League’s leading hitter the following night. “At the end of the day, these are my players — the Red Sox,” Cora said Wednesday on his weekly segment on WEEI’s "Ordway, Merloni & Fauria" show. “You have to take care of them. Not only on the field but also through the eyes of the fan base and in the media. Amen Alex.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2021 17:03:56 GMT -5
make that 6 no no's after Kluber last night So what gives? Is it the tweak that they made to the baseballs?
I'm a fan of pitcher's duels, but at the same time, I don't think pitchers should have an unfair advantage.
The juiced baseballs from last year were no good either. I blame it on the launch angle clowns
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Post by Kimmi on May 20, 2021 17:04:41 GMT -5
damn itBill Koch @billkoch25 · 11m #RedSox at Yankees on June 6 has been picked up by ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Originally scheduled for 1:05 pm in the Bronx. Oh goody!
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2021 17:24:21 GMT -5
Jon Heyman @jonheyman · 34m In the last 10 years (since May 20, 2011) there have been 469 3-0 pitches with batter’s team up 10-plus runs. Only 3 times the batter swung. Jhonny Peralta in 2013, Clint Frazier 4/30/21 (he fouled it) and Mercedes. @eliassports
What the Yerminator did was rare but not wrong.
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 29m Genuinely wondering: Why would swinging on 3-1 be OK but 3-0 is disrespectful?
Did Cap Anson decide that one day?
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2021 18:35:32 GMT -5
make that 6 no no's after Kluber last night So what gives? Is it the tweak that they made to the baseballs?
I'm a fan of pitcher's duels, but at the same time, I don't think pitchers should have an unfair advantage.
The juiced baseballs from last year were no good either. Pregame the Jays guys talking with Grichuk of the Jays he thinks it is a blend of launch angle and pitchers with big arms.......and using "stuff" on the balls.....
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 20, 2021 18:37:59 GMT -5
Jon Heyman @jonheyman · 34m In the last 10 years (since May 20, 2011) there have been 469 3-0 pitches with batter’s team up 10-plus runs. Only 3 times the batter swung. Jhonny Peralta in 2013, Clint Frazier 4/30/21 (he fouled it) and Mercedes. @eliassports
What the Yerminator did was rare but not wrong.
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 29m Genuinely wondering: Why would swinging on 3-1 be OK but 3-0 is disrespectful?
Did Cap Anson decide that one day? I'm with Pete on this one. What's the batter to do, take every pitch? That's insane. I remember my daughter's team in the 6th grade on the neighborhood team. They were really good. One team complained, so they had her entire team stand there with their hands in the air, so they wouldn't guard anyone. I know no one likes to get blown out, but you still have to play. If they don't want the hitter to swing, just institute the mercy rule.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2021 19:38:21 GMT -5
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2021 2:30:33 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays lined up for four-way battle
Bradford DoolittleESPN Staff Writer
Here we are, three weeks into May, 11 days from a traditional measuring stick day in baseball -- Memorial Day. While it might be more trope than policy, the truism has always been that it is the first date during the long season when teams start to make qualitative judgments about their rosters -- and the rosters of their primary competitors.
What judgments, then, can we make about the American League East? Here is one: The rebuilding Baltimore Orioles appear to be headed for the cellar. But we kind of knew that already, did we not?
The Boston Red Sox have been clinging to first place in the division since the first week of the season. Clinging is the right word: The Red Sox needed a ninth-inning rally against Toronto on Thursday to beat the Blue Jays 8-7, and maintained a one-game advantage over the Rays in the division.
If Toronto had held on, things would be even tighter, but even so, the AL East is officially a four-team logjam. Four teams are separated by a single game in the loss column. AL East standings TEAM W L GB DIFF Red Sox 27 18 -- +42 Rays 26 19 1.0 +38 Yankees 25 19 1.5 +15 Blue Jays 23 19 2.5 +39
Last season, because of the bloated playoff format, we actually had a division with four teams in the postseason: the NL Central. But now that we've reverted to the familiar 10-team format, someone in the AL East is going to miss out.
More than a quarter of the way through the season, we know diddly-squat about how this division race is going to play out. Though all four contenders are tight in the standings, they've taken different paths to get to the same place. Does that say anything about where they might be going?
Boston Red Sox
The perennially strong Red Sox are coming off a disastrous 2020 season in which they posted their worst winning percentage since the 1960s. While there figured to be some regression, most odds and projection systems saw Boston as a middling club that figured to slot as the fourth-best team in a strong division.
Boston set that expectation on its proverbial ear early in the season, rising to first place by the end of the first week and sticking there. That almost ended Thursday, but as of now, the Red Sox have been sole possessors of the top spot since they grabbed it on April 10.
Boston is 10-8 in May with a plus-9 run differential, so we're not talking collapse here. Instead, the Red Sox have played like the team they projected to be while their competitors in the East have picked things up.
The offense remains elite, ranking third in the majors in OPS this month. But the run prevention part of the equation, which is what held back Boston's preseason forecast, has regressed to expectation after a strong start to the campaign. The Red Sox rank 17th in runs allowed per game this month and 21st in opposing OPS.
The key question for the next few weeks: Can the Red Sox continue to tread water until Chris Sale returns in a few weeks? If not, the Red Sox might have to start bringing on some additional arms to keep things stable.
Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay's trajectory has been the flip side of that of the Red Sox. The defending AL champs had a sluggish start to the season, losing eight of their first 14 games. But since May Day, the Rays have been one of baseball's hottest teams.
Tampa Bay is 13-5 this month, tied with the Yankees for the best May mark in baseball, with MLB's top run differential during that span. The Rays have been getting it done on both sides of the ball, ranking third in runs per game and runs allowed per game during May.
As you'd expect with the Rays, it's been a collective effort. Still, there have been some standouts. Randy Arozarena has of late started to resemble the guy who looked like he reinvented baseball last October. Rotation ace Tyler Glasnow has blossomed into a leading Cy Young candidate.
But the thing that should worry AL East competitors most about the Rays: They have lots more where that came from. The "that" in that cliché refers to high-level, major-league-ready young talent.
That's true in terms of pitchers. It's also true of baseball's top prospect, 20-year-old Wander Franco, who has an .867 OPS for the Durham Bulls, Tampa Bay's top minor league affiliate. The Rays might keep getting better as the season progresses without swinging any kind of major trade.
Toronto Blue Jays
At 11-7, Toronto is two games behind the May pace set by the Rays and Yankees. Like Boston, the Blue Jays have gotten it done with offense. Toronto is third in runs per game this month and sixth for the season as a whole. And let us remember: The Jays have not played a game on their actual home field since Sept. 22, 2019.
What excites you about the Blue Jays is who is driving the high-octane offense. Toronto's top two hitters in total bases this season are Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, two foundation pieces for this franchise. Guerrero has been fantastic, with an early OPS well over 1.000. Key offseason pickup Marcus Semien has recovered from a lackluster start to post an OPS over 1.100 so far this month.
All of this has happened even though the Blue Jays have gotten just four games and three hits from prized free-agent signee George Springer.
All this said: Can the Blue Jays pitch well enough to differentiate themselves in a division full of potent offenses? Other than Hyun Jin Ryu, Toronto's starting pitching this month has been fairly abysmal, ranking 26th with a 5.04 rotation ERA.
Maybe touted prospect Nate Pearson can help down the line. But for now, the Jays need veterans Steven Matz, Robbie Ray and Ross Stripling to pick up the pace -- and soon. Toronto is headed into a key early-season four-game series against the Rays beginning Friday.
New York Yankees
New York entered the season as the general favorite to win the American League, but started off 6-11. Panic and chaos ensued. And the schadenfreude cult chased after the Yankees with shovels, ready to bury their season in dirt. Since then, New York is 19-8.
This month, the high-risk Yankees rotation we wrote so much about before the season has been on point. Gerrit Cole continues to put up a strong argument against the "Jake deGrom is baseball's best pitcher" crowd.
Corey Kluber, author of baseball's latest no-hitter, and Domingo German have been even better than Cole this month. Jameson Taillon has been inconsistent with his command but has a strong strikeout rate and can hope to gain consistency as he continues to distance himself from his long injury rehab. And don't forget about the eventual return of Luis Severino.
The Yankees have the worst run differential among the division's four contenders, largely because of an offense that continues to underachieve, particularly at Yankee Stadium. Does anyone really expect that state of affairs to last all season?
As with each of the other three teams logjammed in the East, there are plenty of reasons to think that the Yankees have not yet been the best version of themselves. And if those reasons prove to be true for each club in this quartet, a race that we still know very little about is only going to gain in intrigue as we advance into summer.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2021 3:48:55 GMT -5
Why so many no-hitters (6) in MLB? No easy answers Bill Koch The Providence Journal New York Yankees pitcher Corey Kluber, without his hat, is congratulated by his teammates after throwing a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers on Wednesday, the sixth no-hitter in the major leagues this season.
Major League Baseball is on pace to shatter its previous record for no-hitters thrown in a single season.
Corey Kluber did the honors for the Yankees on Wednesday in a 2-0 victory over the Rangers. The right-hander issued a lone walk and struck out nine at Globe Life Park.
Kluber’s gem came on the back of Spencer Turnbull making history for the Tigers against the Mariners. Turnbull issued just a pair of walks and fanned nine the previous night at T-Mobile Park as Detroit recorded a 5-0 win over Seattle.
The Rangers, Mariners and Cleveland have all been on the receiving end of a pair of gems. Seattle entered Thursday batting just .198 with a .639 OPS — both last in the big leagues. Offenses are on the defensive like they haven’t been since the famed Year of the Pitcher in 1968.
“Sometimes you go a long time without hearing about a no-hitter,” Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts said. “We’re approaching the end of May and we already have six of them.
“It’s a little funny. It’s a little weird. I don’t have any answers as to why.”
Without taking a deep dive into the statistics, a few common themes could help explain it. Pitchers have never thrown harder or featured nastier secondary offerings. Defenses have never shifted more to counter tendencies on batted balls. Hitters have never sold out more in an attempt to do damage — home runs and extra-base hits are the goal, not simply putting the ball in play.
“It’s where we’re at right now in the game,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “Pitching is that good and offense is taking a while to make adjustments.”
To suggest many hitters can match Bogaerts with their respective skill sets and physical tools would be foolish. He was a premier prospect before his 2013 debut with Boston and has developed into one of the game’s top sluggers. Bogaerts carried an even 1.000 OPS into Thursday’s series finale with the Blue Jays at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida.
But the 28-year-old has found a way to marry his considerable talents with an effective approach at the plate. Bogaerts is comfortable deep in counts and isn’t averse to using the whole field with two strikes. He has fanned in 17.2% of his plate appearances thus far in 2021 — Mike Trout was at 28.1% prior to being placed on the injured list with a calf strain this week.
“I actually kind of developed that in the minor leagues,” Bogaerts said. “Listen, I’m in Aruba — I don’t have a two-strike approach. I don’t know anything about that. I’m trying to see the ball and hit the ball hard.
“Coming up through the minors, the hitting coaches and the hitting coordinators just reminded you to shorten up on the bat and give yourself more of a chance. The effort level doesn’t have to be that high. You’re more in a protect-type mode.”
Bogaerts has gone to two strikes in 102 of his 174 plate appearances to date. He holds an .822 OPS in those situations, belting five of his nine home runs. Bogaerts holds a 1.075 OPS with five home runs and seven of his 13 doubles when finishing with pitchers ahead in the count.
“Sometimes I feel like every time I’m up there, I have two strikes already,” Bogaerts said. “I’m taking the first and then I’m fouling off the second — or I take the second, too.
“For me, it’s very weird — I'm extremely comfortable with two strikes. I’ve done it so much. I don’t want to do it. It’s just the way I operate, the way my approach is.”
Nick Pivetta took the ball for the Red Sox on Thursday night against Toronto, looking to give yet another opponent a hard time. The right-hander was allowing just 5.91 hits per nine innings and was limiting hitters to a .189 batting average. Pivetta allowed two earned runs or less in five of his first eight outings, including in a 4-3 win over Trout and the Angels on Friday.
“You get the information,” Cora said. “You prepare. You put guys where you think they’re going to get ground balls.
“It’s not easy right now to hit at this level.”
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @billkoch25
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