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Post by Kimmi on May 19, 2021 16:38:43 GMT -5
Big series. I'd love to be able to take the first. Need a vintage ERod performance. Not a good baseball night for Red Sox fans.
I am not happy.
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Post by Kimmi on May 19, 2021 16:43:42 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 7h Devers can't swing at that 3-2 pitch, was never close to a strike. He had been doing so well with his discipline but it's been erratic this last week+, swinging at near 50% of pitches outside the zone. If this is the at bat that I'm thinking about, exactly.
The Sox squandered an early scoring opportunity. I know it ended up being a blowout, but if the Sox were about to put up a crooked number then, the course of the game might have changed.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 19, 2021 16:49:41 GMT -5
Let this be the last game Cordero is in before being sent down heck, let Chavis go down with him.
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Post by Kimmi on May 19, 2021 16:58:59 GMT -5
Let this be the last game Cordero is in before being sent down heck, let Chavis go down with him.
Just win Red Sox.
That is all.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 19, 2021 17:35:54 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 8m Most of the righty hitters in Red Sox batting practice seem to be working on getting the ball in the air to right field to take advantage of the wind. You'd have to really crush it to get it out to left.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 19, 2021 19:29:14 GMT -5
6-1, but feels like we are going to need more runs to win. Two innings by Richards with 3 walks and 2 doubles.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2021 2:38:31 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 5h Danny Santana was 2 for 4 with a double for Worcester tonight. He is 12 of 30 with six extra-base hits in eight MILB games.
Think he's MLB-bound by Friday. Not much left to prove.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2021 2:39:10 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 4h #RedSox 7, #BlueJays 3, final.
Sox improve to 26-18. Jays are 23-18.
7:37 p.m. tomorrow: RHP Nick Pivetta (5-0, 3.16) vs. LHP Steven Matz (5-2, 4.29)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2021 3:04:23 GMT -5
Sox burst out of gate, hang on to first 'Locked in' club rebounds from shutout loss, holds AL East lead for 40th straight day 1:21 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
The Red Sox are enjoying their surprise stint at the top of the American League East so much that they don’t want it to end any time soon.
However, it would have ended on Wednesday night with a loss to the Blue Jays. But Boston didn’t come close to letting that happen.
Instead, the Sox protected their first-place turf with an impressive early outburst in which the first five batters of the game belted hits en route to a 7-3 victory at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla.
Red-hot starting pitcher Garrett Richards was staked to a 5-0 lead before he even threw a pitch.
It was an impressive answer to the Jays drubbing the Sox, 8-0, in Tuesday’s opener of this three-game series.
“That’s part of our mindset as far as, ‘Win today. Worry about today, and we’ll get to tomorrow [later],’" said Richards. “The guys are just really locked in individually and as a whole. It’s really fun to be a part of, to be honest with you. We could get blown out last night and show up today and everybody thinks we’re going to win by 10. It’s a mindset. It’s an attitude. I think we’re in a good place right now.”
Make it 40 consecutive days that manager Alex Cora’s upstart squad -- predicted by most prognosticators to finish fourth in the division this season -- has been in sole possession of first.
“It’s important to win the series, and we have a chance to win it,” said Cora. “Not too many people thought we would be in first place for X amount of days during the season. That’s for other people to think about. Our thoughts are to give ourselves a chance to win the series. Now we do.”
Sometimes, that top spot in the standings has felt very tenuous, such as Wednesday, when the Red Sox took the field with a half-game lead over Toronto.
But just when the Red Sox seem like they are about to slip, they tend to tighten their grip.
“We have a really good team,” said Richards. “I think a lot of us have been saying that since the beginning, even in Spring Training when everybody kind of had us [written] off or said, ‘Hey, they’re not going to be that good.’ Before I even signed here, I looked at the roster, and you know, it was a no-brainer for me. This is a great team, we jell really well together.
“I’m having a lot of fun playing baseball, we’re having a lot of fun playing baseball. Obviously winning solves a lot of things, but this team very much just shows up every single day ready to win.”
Kiké Hernández (single), Alex Verdugo (homer), J.D. Martinez (homer), Xander Bogaerts (single) and Rafael Devers (double) came out firing in that first, and Jays righty Ross Stripling didn’t seem to even know what hit him.
It was the first time since Aug. 7, 2005, that the Red Sox have opened the first inning with five straight hits, and the fourth time in the 2000s they’ve accomplished that feat. Cora was the starting third baseman for Boston in that 2005 game.
As for the events of Wednesday, the offense added homers by Hernández and Christian Vázquez later in the night.
But after the first inning, the night was mostly about Richards, who had another strong outing, scattering seven hits and two runs while striking out five and inducing three double-play grounders over 6 2/3 innings.
“Overall a good game,” said Cora. “Garrett was amazing. It's not easy to pitch here. If I'm a pitcher and I see that first inning, yeah, I'm happy with the five runs, but you see the conditions and you're like, 'I'd better keep the ball down.'”
When Richards started the season by going 0-2 with a 6.48 ERA in his first four starts, it was easy to second-guess Boston for signing him to a one-year, $10 million contract with a 2022 option back in February.
Now, it feels more like the contract could wind up being a bargain. In his past five starts, Richards is 4-0 with a 2.27 ERA. Did you like this story?
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2021 3:05:40 GMT -5
Notes: Renfroe's dazzling D; Santana on cusp May 19th, 2021
If Hunter Renfroe’s most known skill is his ability to hit baseballs a long way, his best skill is his defense.
Perhaps now that Renfroe is playing for a high-profile team in the Red Sox, he will finally earn the recognition he deserves as one of the best outfielders in the game.
“I hope so. I take a lot of pride in my defense,” said Renfroe. “Always have. Always look forward to getting better.”
Renfroe’s cannon arm was on full display May 12 at Fenway Park, when he made a 92-mph throw from right-center field to third base to nail the A's Matt Chapman trying to stretch a double into a triple. It was a bit of a “wow” moment for the fans at Fenway.
Where does that throw rank of all the ones Renfroe has made?
“I definitely think it’s probably top three. I’ve made some good throws. I definitely made harder throws, but definitely top three, probably [top] two,” said Renfroe.
While playing half of his games at Fenway Park, Renfroe has already proven he can handle perhaps the toughest right field in the game for defenders.
Renfroe entered the day tied for the MLB lead in outfield assists with five and third in defensive runs saved with seven.
If he keeps that pace up, perhaps he will win his first Gold Glove Award. Is that a goal of his?
“For sure,” said Renfroe. “I told people, I think it was in ‘18 or ‘19, I told them I’d much rather win a Gold Glove than a Silver Slugger award. Obviously both of them would be great, but one of my things is, I feel like a Gold Glove is helping your teammates a lot more than that Silver Slugger is as far as pitching-wise. I think pitchers really tip their hat to us if we’re making great plays for them.”
After struggling defensively in his rookie year with the Padres in 2017, Renfroe was determined to make necessary improvements.
“And I went into the exit meeting just talking about my defensive abilities and what I could do, and I took that to heart. I really wanted to go out there and prove to everybody that I’m a plus-plus defender. I keep working at it,” said Renfroe.
Coming attraction: Danny Santana It should come as no surprise if veteran infielder/outfielder Danny Santana arrives in Boston’s clubhouse in the next few days.
Santana, who was delayed in starting the season due to a severe right foot infection, has sizzled at the plate (.423/.467/.846) in seven Minor League games, the last four of which have been with Triple-A Worcester.
With the Red Sox struggling to get consistent production at left field, second base and first base, the versatile defender could give the club a boost. Santana smashed 28 homers for the Rangers two years ago before missing most of 2020 due to injuries.
“We know how he’s playing,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “I really don’t know when his opt-out is, I really don’t know that situation, but he’s done a good job. We can’t hide that. It’s a guy that we liked from the get-go, and he’s done an amazing job. He’s healthy, so we’ll see where it takes us.”
Cora lauds Bush Though Cora picked Dave Bush to be his new pitching coach following the 2019 season, he didn’t get a chance to start their working relationship until this season. Cora was not with the Red Sox in 2020 but was re-hired by the club last November.
The starting rotation has performed above expectations this season. In the past 21 games, Boston's starters have a 3.49 ERA.
Bush has obviously played a role in that success.
“He’s been really good about simplifying stuff. Good communicator. This is not an easy staff, right?” said Cora. “I think the combination between him and [assistant pitching coach Kevin Walker] and [game planning coordinator] Jason [Varitek], in different ways, they have contributed to the success of this pitching staff.
“But going back to Bushy, he did a good job for us a few years ago, helping in the Minor Leagues and whenever he came up here. He’s doing an amazing job. I think it’s more about simplifying stuff.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2021 3:23:34 GMT -5
Five-run first inning helps Red Sox top Blue Jays, extend AL East lead By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated May 19, 2021, 10:47 p.m.
DUNEDIN, Fla. — The Red Sox learned to play the wind at a new course on Wednesday night.
A day after they were shut out by the Toronto Blue Jays, many of the Sox hitters spent batting practice adjusting their swings trying to take advantage — or, in some cases, avoid — the gusty wind that blows from left to right at TD Ballpark.
With Rogers Centre in Toronto unavailable because of coronavirus protocols, the Jays stayed at their spring training ballpark for the first two months of the season. As is typical of smaller parks on the Gulf Coast of Florida, the wind plays a major factor in the game.
The first-place Sox made it work for them by scoring five runs on six hits in the first inning. That led to a 7-3 victory.
Kiké Hernández led the game off with a low line-drive single to left field. Then Alex Verdugo launched a pitch that caught a gust and landed on the roof of the home clubhouse far beyond the fence in right.
Then J.D. Martinez homered the same way.
“It was a good approach,” Sox manager Alex Cora said. “Overall, offensively, it was a good night.
“You don’t make excuses, right? You’ve got to play where they tell you to play.”
The Sox finished with 13 hits, four of them home runs.
Garrett Richards pitched into the seventh inning for the win before a crowd of 1,581 that included many Sox fans.
For the first time since Aug. 7, 2005, the Sox opened the game with five consecutive hits.
It was Tony Graffanino, Edgar Renteria, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, and Kevin Millar in 2005 before the immortal Roberto Petagine finally made an out against Minnesota’s Joe Mays in a game the Sox went on to win, 11-7.
Cora started at third base in that game and was 0 for 4.
This time it was Hernández, Verdugo, Martinez, Xander Bogaerts (single), and Rafael Devers (RBI double) off Ross Stripling.
Christian Vazquez then put the ball in play on an 0-and-2 count, driving in Bogaerts from third with a groundout to second base.
“That was a big at-bat that people don’t realize how important it was” Cora said. Related: Speier: In yet another example of his stunning turnaround, Garrett Richards overcomes a shaky start with a solid finish vs. the Blue Jays
Bobby Dalbec added an RBI double as the Sox built a lead that held up. The six hits in the first were one more than the Sox had in the entire game on Tuesday, snapping a 13-inning scoreless streak.
The Sox sent nine men to the plate in the inning as Stripling threw 27 pitches.
Hernández then led off the second with a home run that sliced through the wind and easily cleared the fence in left field.
“Getting a five-run lead in the first inning makes things a little bit easier,” said Hernández, who finished 3 for 5 in his second game back from the injured list.
Stripling (0-3) lasted only 3 2/3 innings.
The bountiful run support should have made it an easy night for Richards. He allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings, throwing a season-high 99 pitches. But it wasn’t that simple.
Richards allowed seven hits, walked four, and threw two wild pitches.
“Today wasn’t great in my eyes,” Richards said.
The Jays grounded into three double plays and were 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position with Richards on the mound.
Richards struck out the first two hitters in the seventh before Reese McGuire singled. Garrett Whitlock replaced him and allowed a home run to Marcus Semien that cut the lead to 6-3.
Richards (4-2) dropped his earned run average to 3.72. He is 4-0 with a 2.27 ERA over the last five starts following adjustments to improve his delivery.
The Sox got a run back when Vázquez homered to left center off Jeremy Beasley in the eighth. It was his third of the season, the first since April 7. Related: Once a roster doubt, Nick Pivetta has become the best arm in the Red Sox’ rotation
The Sox are 13-6 on the road, the best record in the majors by percentage.
“We’ve got a very good team,” Richards said. “A lot of us have been saying that since the beginning, even in spring training when everybody kind of had us [written] off or, hey, we’re not going to be that good.
“Before I even signed here I looked at the roster. That was a no-brainer for me. This is a great team. We’ve jelled really well together.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2021 3:25:50 GMT -5
In yet another example of his stunning turnaround, Garrett Richards overcomes a shaky start with a solid finish vs. the Blue Jays By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated May 19, 2021, 11:27 p.m.
Even with a 5-0 advantage before he stepped on the mound in the bottom of the first, it took just four batters and 17 pitches for Garrett Richards to immerse himself in trouble against the Blue Jays.
The righthander opened the first by walking Marcus Semien, then gave up resounding doubles to Bo Bichette (on which Semien took too wide a turn past third, resulting in a gifted out) and Vlad Guerrero Jr., before issuing another walk to Teoscar Hernández. Richards had given back one run but seemed in danger of yielding plenty more.
Pitching coach Dave Bush jogged out of the dugout, and after a quick conversation, Richards caught his breath. In six pitches, he was out of the inning with a fielder’s choice and strikeout.
“I just needed to take a deep breath,” said Richards. “[The meeting] was just about making pitches, stay out of the danger zone, and just try to get ahead of guys.”
From there, Richards settled into what has become typically strong form in a 7-3 Red Sox win over the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla. He made it through 6⅔ innings while allowing just one more run, continuing what has been a drastic early-season about-face.
Richards had a 6.48 ERA with 13 walks and 12 strikeouts through four starts, averaging just over four innings. He needed to be better. He and Bush dove into his woes.
Richards adjusted his windup after his four rough starts, both creating less movement at the start of it and taking more time to gather over the rubber to sync his arm with his stride — a change that allowed him to attack the strike zone more reliably.
“That changed his career, making the windup shorter,” said catcher Christian Vázquez. “He didn’t know where the ball was going. Now, it’s good control, quiet. Attack the zone.”
He’s also attacking the zone not just with his fastball and slider but also increasingly with a power curveball that is emerging as one of baseball’s best. The results have been dazzling. In his last five starts, Richards is 4-0 with a 2.20 ERA while averaging more than six innings.
“It’s been great to see, and not just because it’s helped us win games,” said Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. “We know that when somebody comes in who’s new to the organization, new to us, everybody’s intentions are going to be great, but it’s going to take some time not just to build the person-to-person relationships but to understand how to get the results we all want.
“To see everyone, including Garrett, really work at that, work together to find something that could help him be more effective, and then to have it happen, take it out there on the mound and get results quickly with it is such a good feeling for everyone involved.”
Richards is not alone in his evolution since joining the Red Sox. Nick Pivetta likewise has consistently elevated his fastball at the top of the strike zone — where it’s most effective — and turned his slider from an afterthought into a primary weapon. Related: Once a roster doubt, Nick Pivetta has become the best arm in the Red Sox’ rotation
“His best pitch,” said Vázquez. “I’ll call that slider anytime.”
Martín Pérez, too, has been a different pitcher in his two seasons with the Sox than he was before joining them, scaling back his sinker and increasing the use of his changeup and cutter.
Those changes reflect behind-the-scenes work between the rotation members, Bush, bullpen coach Kevin Walker, and gameplanning coordinator Jason Varitek. The group’s combined efforts have played a huge role in the Sox’ sustained run atop the American League East.
A group of starters that entered the year with modest expectations has exceeded them. The rotation has a solid 3.96 ERA, sixth best in the A.L., while delivering a major league-high 37 starts of at least five innings.
Members of the team credit the communication of the pitching braintrust as critical to that performance. Successful coaches have to distill the terabytes of available information about how to help pitchers perform at their best into a few digestible morsels.
Moreover, they have to earn the trust of their pitchers not by telling them how to pitch but by listening to their feedback and jointly setting a course. Whereas Pivetta, for instance, sometimes was at odds with the Phillies when they tried to tweak his approach, he’s bought into the messaging of the Red Sox to find a path to early-season success.
“This is not an easy staff,” said manager Alex Cora, noting the disparate plans of attack of the five rotation members. “[Bush has] been really good about simplifying stuff . . . It’s not that complicated as far as gameplanning, mechanics, and all that. I’m very happy with the way he has [communicated]. The chemistry they have is pretty solid.”
That chemistry has contributed to the team’s strong start. So, too, has the health of the rotation — whose members have remained on turn since Eduardo Rodriguez was activated for the seventh game of the season.
Of course, there will be struggles ahead — and there are concerns about the team’s depth. Primary rotation depth option Tanner Houck (flexor muscle) is throwing on flat ground but not yet off a mound. There is promise with Chris Sale, who has thrown off the mound “several times with increasing intensity,” according to Bloom, though the lefthander still has yet to face hitters in live batting practice.
Still, while both struggles and depth tests are inevitable, for the Red Sox, the promise of the early season has been not just in the team’s record but also in the evidence that the team’s starters and coaches can work together to identify ways of fixing what goes awry while trying to unlock new levels of success.
“I’m kind of growing into a complete pitcher I guess you would say,” said Richards. “I’m just excited about coming out every day, trying to learn something new, trying to figure out something in my delivery that is going to make me better. Bushy has a lot to do with it. We’re gelling well right now, a lot of information out there, a lot of good communication . . . I’m excited about being able to get to that next level.”
Peter Abraham of the Globe staff contributed from Dunedin, Fla.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2021 3:28:12 GMT -5
Red Sox Notebook Once a roster doubt, Nick Pivetta has become the best arm in the Red Sox’ rotation By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated May 19, 2021, 8:13 p.m.
DUNEDIN, Fla. — The Red Sox will send their best starter to the mound on Thursday night in the final game of their series against the Blue Jays.
It’s righthander Nick Pivetta, who had to earn a spot in spring training but has been a standout since.
The Sox are 7-1 in his starts with Pivetta going 5-0 with a 3.16 earned run average. He has worked at least five innings in all but one start and allowed three or fewer earned runs seven times.
The 28-year-old Pivetta was 2-0 in two starts at the end of last season. But he’s improved his mix of pitches this season, using his slider effectively.
“Obviously what he did last year was eye-opening. But the way he’s doing it this year is a lot different and his stuff is a lot better than last year,” manager Alex Cora said Wednesday.
Earlier this season, the Sox considered splitting up Nate Eovaldi and Eduardo Rodriguez to lessen the potential load on their relievers. But Pivetta and Garrett Richards have pitched well enough to table that idea.
“Now it’s like, ‘OK, we’ll keep it like this.’ I think what Nick has done is give us balance. His stuff is a lot better than what I thought,” Cora said.
Pivetta was 19-30 with a 5.50 ERA over parts of four seasons with the Phillies. He’s 7-0 with a 2.91 ERA in 10 starts for the Sox.
“I don’t want to say he’s on a mission or trying to prove people wrong. But he wants to show that he belongs,” Cora said.
Cora got a feel for how emotional Pivetta can be when he came off the field during a spring training game pumped up about a strikeout.
“There’s nothing wrong with that,” the manager said. “You work hard to get to this point. He cares about winning. He cares about giving us a chance to win. He’s into it.”
Santana soon?
The Sox appear likely to add utility player Danny Santana to the roster in the next day or two. The 30-year-old switch hitter played in his eighth minor league game on Wednesday, starting at DH for Triple A Worcester and going 2 for 4.
Santana is 12 of 30 with six extra-base hits in the minors and is physically ready to return — he had shoulder surgery last year and was sidelined with an infected right foot in spring training after being signed to a minor league contract.
With three interleague games coming up in Philadelphia, Santana would be particularly useful given his defensive versatility. He has played first, second, third, short, center, and left while in the minors this season.
“He’s done a good job and we can’t hide that,” Cora said. “He’s a guy that we’ve liked.”
Santana’s addition would require both a 26-man roster and 40-man roster move.
As Santana moves closer to the roster, infielder Christian Arroyo took batting practice with Worcester and is getting close to starting a rehab assignment.
Arroyo has not played since May 6 when he was hit on the left hand by a pitch for the second time in 12 days and came away with a deep bruise that left him unable to grip the bat.
“He’s in a good place,” said Cora, who texted with Arroyo on Wednesday. “He feels good right now.”
Lat strain for Bazardo
Righthanded reliever Eduard Bazardo, who has pitched in two games for the Sox, left Tuesday’s game at Worcester with what the team is calling a lat strain.
Bazardo entered the game in the ninth inning and threw five pitches before coming out. The Sox are still working to determine the severity of the injury.
As one of three WooSox relievers on the 40-man roster [along with righthanders Colten Brewer and Brandon Brennan], Bazardo was a primary source of bullpen depth, given the quality of his pitch mix and the team’s ability to shuttle him between Triple A and the majors.
Also on Tuesday, Double A righthander Thaddeus Ward, who was ranked the No. 10 Red Sox prospect by Baseball America entering this season, was placed on the seven-day injured list with a right elbow strain. As with Bazardo, the Sox are still working to determine the extent of his injury.
Two Triple A starters — righthanders Tanner Houck (sore flexor muscle) and Connor Seabold (elbow inflammation) — remain on the injured list. Both are now throwing as they continue to rehab what were considered relatively minor injuries. Hope springs eternal
Eduardo Rodriguez and Martín Pérez were on the field working on their base running before batting practice. Pérez is the scheduled starter in Philadelphia on Friday and Rodriguez on Sunday, which means they will have to hit. Pérez is 1 for 23 with 19 strikeouts in his career and Rodriguez 0 for 20 with 10 strikeouts. Perez jokingly practiced the team ritual of waving at the dugout from second base after a double while Rodriguez determinedly chugged from second to the plate … The Sox promoted lefthander Rio Gomez to Double A Portland. The former 36th round pick had 10 strikeouts without a walk for Single A Greenville over 7 2/3 innings and allowed four earned runs. Rio is the son of ESPN’s Pedro Gomez, who passed away in February … Matt Barnes, George Springer, and Red Sox assistant hitting coach Pete Fatse spent some time together before batting practice. They were teammates at the University of Connecticut in 2009. Springer has played only four games for the Jays since signing a six-year, $150 million deal because of a strained right quad.
Alex Speier of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @peteabe.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2021 3:31:32 GMT -5
Red Sox Journal: Boston might add position player to roster Bill Koch The Providence Journal Danny Santana mans third base for the Worcester Red Sox on Wednesday night.
The Red Sox will be facing some roster questions soon.
Chief among them — whether or not Boston might drop to 13 pitchers for the first time this season. A longer bench for interleague play and two scheduled off days could prompt the Red Sox to add an extra position player from Triple-A Worcester.
Christian Arroyo (left hand contusion) has yet to begin a rehab assignment while Danny Santana (right foot) is excelling at the outset of his. Both could be candidates to arrive in Boston at a date sooner than anticipated. The Red Sox will play three games at Philadelphia from Friday through Sunday and take the field just five times during an upcoming homestand with Atlanta and Miami.
“Those conversations are going right now,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “Philly for interleague play, Monday and Thursday off — we'll talk about it.
“We feel very comfortable having that extra pitcher because of the rotation, but the way they’ve been going, it gets that conversation rolling.”
Arroyo was scheduled to take batting practice for the second straight afternoon on Wednesday. Santana homered yet again Tuesday night at Polar Park and started in left field for the WooSox on Wednesday. The veteran utility man has an opt-out clause in his contract if he is not activated by a certain date — a 40-man roster move would be required to add Santana.
“He’s doing a good job,” Cora said. “We can’t hide that. He’s a guy we liked from the get-go and he’s doing an amazing job.
“He’s healthy. We’ll see where it takes us.” Richards trending up
Garrett Richards made his ninth start for Boston on Wednesday and a clear line could be drawn between the first four and last four.
The right-hander made a mechanical adjustment prior to his April 27 outing at the Mets. Richards simplified his windup and worked on being more streamlined going down the mound toward the plate. His improvement has been obvious for all to see.
Richards posted a 6.48 ERA through his first four starts and just a 2.16 ERA through his last four. He went from 13 walks and 12 strikeouts to five walks and 26 strikeouts. Cora credited Richards and pitching coach Dave Bush with finding a solution to the early troubles.
“I think it’s more about simplifying stuff,” Cora said. “It’s not that complicated as far as game planning and mechanics. I’ve very happy with the chemistry they have.”
Richards was scoreless for the first time against Oakland, an 8-1 victory on Thursday. He scattered five hits and struck out four in six innings, throwing 91 pitches. The Red Sox are 3-1 behind Richards since that 2-1 victory against New York at Citi Field. Renfroe solid in RF
Hunter Renfroe could be on his way to a first career Gold Glove.
Boston’s right fielder leads his position with seven defensive runs saved per FanGraphs. That’s three more than Houston’s Kyle Tucker, who is the current runner-up. Renfroe has alternated between the solid and the spectacular in 289⅓ innings at the position for the Red Sox entering Wednesday.
“Obviously, both of them would be great, but I feel like a Gold Glove is helping your teammates a lot more than a Silver Slugger is,” Renfroe said. “I feel like pitchers really tip their hats to us if we make a great play for them.”
Renfroe’s outfield assist to retire Oakland’s Matt Chapman at third base was an example of the spectacular last week. He backed up in deep center at Fenway Park on a double off the wall and fired a laser to third base. Chapman was stunned to be out by a mile on a play he thought was an easy triple.
“If you have a good arm and you’re accurate with it, you can throw out a lot of guys,” Renfroe said. “I hope they keep running.”
Renfroe debuted with the Padres in 2016. Two veterans who helped guide him were Jon Jay and his current Boston bench coach, Will Venable. Renfroe was in the minor leagues while Venable spent 2008-15 with San Diego, the bulk of his nine-year playing career.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @billkoch25
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2021 3:32:33 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 6h Garrett Richards -- 6 2/3 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 99-64 10 swing/miss. Can only win it. #RedSox
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