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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2021 3:13:43 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Philly Friday. 21 Ma 2021 7pm @ Citizens Bank Park
Perez 1-2/ 3.40
Has rounded into form in his last 4 starts with a 1.61 era.
Nola 3-3/3.64
Since his shutout of the Cardinals in late April, he is 2-2/ 4.58 and has allowed fewer than 3 runs in one of those starts.
Flailing Phillies seeking offense in series vs. Red Sox
Injuries and an offensive slump continue to plague the Philadelphia Phillies.
After dropping two of three to the Miami Marlins, the Phillies will look to regroup when they open a three-game series against the visiting Boston Red Sox on Friday.
The Phillies have scored one run in the last 18 innings. The Phillies struck out 15 times and dropped to .500 at 22-22 with Thursday's 6-0 loss. Defensive miscues also continue to hurt the Phillies.
"We work on it every day," Phillies manager Joe Girardi said of fielding. "That's what you have to do."
The Phillies have clearly missed catcher J.T. Realmuto, who has sat out the last four games with a contusion at the base of his left hand. They're also without shortstop Didi Gregorius, who remains on the injured list with a sore elbow.
Realmuto had a recent magnetic resonance imaging test that showed no structural damage. He could potentially play on Friday.
"It happened like three weeks ago in St. Louis," Realmuto said. "I was able to play through it for a couple of weeks and then for whatever reason, when that COVID thing happened and I had to stay home for a few days, it really stiffened up on me. And when I came back against Toronto, it felt quite a bit worse than it did 10 days prior. So I just needed to shut it down for a few days."
The Phillies will hand the ball to Aaron Nola, who's 3-3 with a 3.64 earned run average. For Nola's career against the Red Sox, he's 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA in three starts with 22 strikeouts and five walks.
"I thought he battled his tail-end off because he didn't have his curveball tonight," Girardi said after Nola allowed nine hits and three runs in 6 2/3 innings in his last start against the Blue Jays. "His stuff, he did not have his A-stuff, but he found a way to keep us in that game, and unfortunately we weren't able to score."
The American League East-leading Red Sox will enter this series having won two of three over the Blue Jays, including a come-from-behind 8-7 victory on Thursday.
"Not too many people thought we would be in first place for X amount of days during the season," manager Alex Cora said. "That's for other people to think about."
Martin Perez will take the mound for his ninth start for the Red Sox. Perez (1-2, 3.40 ERA) was terrific in his last start, going six shutout innings with three hits, five strikeouts and four walks.
For Perez's career against the Phillies, he's 1-0 with a 3.98 ERA in four games, three starts.
"I think today everything came together," Perez said after his last outing. "Me, the guys hit the ball good, and like I said to you guys before, my last game here, good things are coming and now we see it. Just need to stay focused and do what we've been doing. We're playing good baseball and the game before, I didn't have the support, but I'm here just to go out there and compete and give a chance for my team to win.
"I'm not here to win 30 games. I'm here to help the team to make the playoffs. That's my goal," Perez added.
The Red Sox have received a major defensive lift from outfielder Hunter Renfroe, who has already recorded five outfield assists.
"I hope so. I take a lot of pride in my defense," Renfroe said. "Always have. Always look forward to getting better."
--Field Level Media
Red Sox at Phillies Friday, at 7:05 PM EST Partly Cloudy According to Forecast.io, it's expected to be 79° F with a 0% chance of precipitation and 8 MPH wind blowing out in Philadelphia at 7:05 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com Forecast.io
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2021 3:17:44 GMT -5
SP Probables
Saturday....7pm...Eovaldi 4-2/4.50 vs Anderson 2-4/3.64
Sunday....1pm....Erod 5-2/4.70 vs Wheeler 3-2/2.57
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2021 3:18:26 GMT -5
Still pals: Cora ready to see Dombrowski May 20th, 2021 Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
When the Red Sox arrive at Citizens Bank Park for a three-game series with the Phillies on Friday, Boston manager Alex Cora very much looks forward to meeting up with his former boss.
That, of course, would be Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, who held that same title in Boston for four years.
It was Dombrowski who hired Cora to be the manager of the Red Sox in November of 2017.
Less than a year later, they celebrated a World Series title together at Dodger Stadium.
“Looking forward to seeing him,” said Cora. "He gave me a chance to be a big league manager. He trusted me with a team that had a lot of expectations. People don't understand how much pressure we had in '18 going into that season. It was a team that made the playoffs a few years, they didn't advance [out of the Division Series].
“We added J.D. [Martinez] at that point and everybody felt like 'OK, here we go, it's World Series or bust.’ It was a lot of pressure, but it was a great, great learning experience for us to do that and it gave Dave another World Series and put him where he's at in the world of baseball. It was amazing. We worked together well.”
The Red Sox parted ways with Dombrowski during the final month of a disappointing 2019 season.
After taking a job in Nashville as part of a leadership group that was trying to get a Major League team to that city, Dombrowski reversed course when the Phillies offered him the position of running their front office in December of 2020.
Though Cora was suspended from MLB for the ’20 season, Dombrowski checked in with him regularly as a friend.
“He was one of my biggest supporters personally last year. Once a week, he'd make sure to text me or give me a call and I appreciated that,” Cora said. “The conversations went from baseball to how the kids are doing. I appreciate that from Dave. I'm glad he's back in baseball. He caught me off guard. I was surprised he accepted that job because he was very settled in Nashville, he loved what he was doing, but he's where he needs to be, impacting a baseball organization and I'm looking forward to seeing him.”
Pitchers gear up for ‘hitting’ in Philadelphia
Martín Pérez, Nathan Eovaldi and Eduardo Rodriguez are the three starting pitchers for the Red Sox this weekend in Philadelphia. That means they will get a chance to hit, with no DH in the National League park.
As seems to be about an annual thing, this gives people around the Red Sox a chance to make good-natured fun of Rodriguez and his lack of hitting ability. Including the postseason, Rodriguez has 21 career at-bats, 10 strikeouts and no hits.
Will he be able to get a hit on Sunday against Phillies lefty Zack Wheeler?
“I mean, he’s my boy and all, and I would be really happy if he gets one, but I would also be really surprised,” said Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts. “Wheeler’s a pretty good pitcher, a lot of velocity. Eddie’s bat speed is kind of not too fast.”
What percent chance is Bogaerts giving Rodriguez to get a hit?
“One percent chance, just because he has pop,” said Bogaerts. “Listen, man, if he swings at the right time at the right moment on the right pitch, he can hit it far. I’ll give him that. But he needs a lot of things to go in his favor for him to get it. It’s just that he needs to hit it.”
Cora sounded even less confident than Bogaerts.
“Not confident. No. Not at all,” said Cora. “I don't let them wear earrings. That's one of the rules that I have, but for his game, he can actually wear one when he hits. It's a cross, similar to Barry [Bonds]. I'm going to give him a chance to do that to see if he can get a hit, but the chances are very slim.”
Santana likely to join Sox in Philly
Look for the Red Sox to add veteran infielder/outfielder Danny Santana to the roster for Friday’s game in Philadelphia.
Santana, who wasn’t ready for the start of the season due to a severe right foot infection, has been swinging a hot bat for Triple-A Worcester. He hit 28 homers for the Rangers two years ago.
While reports swirled that Santana all but had his bags packed for Philadelphia, Cora wasn’t at liberty to comment.
“You know, he’s still in Worcester, I don't think he's in the lineup tonight, but he's working out down there so that's all I can give you,” said Cora.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2021 3:42:16 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK ‘Take three strikes if we have the lead’: Little expected when Red Sox pitchers grab the bats this weekend By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated May 20, 2021, 8:13 p.m.
DUNEDIN, Fla. — The Red Sox start a three-game interleague series at Philadelphia on Friday, which means they won’t have a designated hitter.
The three pitchers lined up to start — Martín Pérez, Nate Eovaldi, and Eduardo Rodriguez — dutifully took batting practice and went half speed through base-running drills the last few days.
“Absolutely awful,” manager Alex Cora said Thursday, followed by a little smile.
Cora’s hope is for a pitcher to get a bunt down if needed, but otherwise to avoid injury. Every manager’s fear is a muscle strain of some kind that leads to a stint on the injured list.
“Take three strikes if we have the lead and keep moving forward,” Cora said.
Baseball had a universal DH last season as a safety measure, with players having little time to prepare for a shortened season, but Major League Baseball and the Players Association couldn’t come to an agreement on making it permanent. It’s a subject that will be addressed again in the negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement.
At a time when the game needs more offense, pitchers were hitting .106 with a .281 OPS through Wednesday, with strikeouts in 47 percent of their plate appearances.
Cora, who came up as a player in the National League, is among the managers who would prefer the universal DH.
“I didn’t mind it last year, to be honest with you, as a baseball fan,” he said. “Going into these games, it’s difficult. Right now this is where we’re at . . . it will be good for baseball in general to have one more hitter.”
Perez is 1 for 23 in his career with 19 strikeouts, and Rodriguez 0 for 20 with 10 strikeouts. Eovaldi is Ted Williams by comparison, going 12 of 151 (.079) with two RBIs.
David Price is the last Red Sox pitcher to collect a hit, an RBI single off Arizona’s Luke Weaver on April 6, 2019.
Rodriguez has hit a few home runs in batting practice and fancies himself as quite a hitter, referencing long-ago softball exploits in Venezuela. Cora laughed when asked if he thought Rodriguez would collect that elusive first hit.
“Not at all. Nada. No confidence,” he said.
Cora does not allow players to wear earrings on the field, but granted an exception for Rodriguez to wear a dangling cross like Barry Bonds did during his career.
“I’m going to give him a chance to do that, to see if he can get a hit,” Cora said. “But the chances are very slim.”
Xander Bogaerts doesn’t like Rodriguez’s chances against Phillies starter Zach Wheeler, who has allowed only 7.0 hits per nine innings.
“It’s looking a little dark,” Bogaerts said. “He’s my boy and all; I would be really happy if he gets one. But I would also be really surprised.
“Wheeler’s a pretty good pitcher with a lot of velocity and Eddie’s bat speed is kind of not too fast. I would say he has a 1 percent chance, just because he has pop.
“Listen, man. If he swings at the right time, at the right moment, at the right pitch, he can hit it far. But he needs a lot of things to go in his favor.”
Bogaerts said he would “100 percent” be a better pitcher than Rodriguez is a hitter.
Triple A righthanders Tanner Houck and Connor Seabold have started post-injury throwing programs.
Houck hasn’t pitched since May 4 because of a flexor muscle strain. Seabold has yet to pitch this season because of elbow inflammation. Related: Dave Dombrowski back in the game with Philadelphia, carrying no hard feelings
“They’re feeling good,” Cora said.
Houck has started two games for the Sox this season. Seabold has not appeared in a game since 2019, but the Sox believe he could be a depth option.
The Sox are getting more testing done on Triple A righthander Eduard Bazardo, who strained a lat muscle on Tuesday. He has pitched twice in the majors this season. On the way?
Danny Santana was not in the Worcester lineup on Thursday and is likely to be promoted on Friday. The veteran utility man was signed to a minor league contract in March and played eight games in the minors after recovering from injuries. There are some moving parts to complete the transaction, as the Sox would need to open a spot on the 40-man roster as well . . . ESPN picked up the Sunday, June 6, game against the Yankees in the Bronx, which will move it from 1:05 p.m. to 7:08 p.m. . . . The Blue Jays host a four-game series with the Rays starting Friday before relocating to their Triple A stadium in Buffalo starting on June 1.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2021 3:46:35 GMT -5
Gonna be interesting to see how the Red Sox move Santana into the fold. He has been playing all over the place, seems the back end guys on the roster have that going for them....and Santana has to be placed on the 40 man... so could we see a guy like Brice designated for assignment to add him on and Cordero head to AAA? Is Arroyo coming as well? Chavis as much as he drives me crazy,does play more than one position.....
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2021 3:50:14 GMT -5
Red Sox Journal: A reunion for the brass of 2018 Bill Koch The Providence Journal Back in spring training of 2019, Red Sox manager Alex Cora and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski meet prior to a game. The two will renew acquaintances this weekend when the Sox head to Philadelphia, where Dombrowski is in the Phillies front office.
Alex Cora and Dave Dombrowski will reunite this weekend in Philadelphia.
The manager and president of baseball operations who led the Red Sox to their most recent World Series title in 2018 have traveled a winding road since that glorious October night in Los Angeles.
Cora has been suspended for a season by Major League Baseball and forced to leave his dream job in Boston. Dombrowski was fired 11 months later and worked on bringing an expansion club to Nashville before landing with the Phillies. The three-game series starting Friday night will bring them back together on the same field.
“Looking forward to seeing him,” Cora said. “He gave me a chance to be a big-league manager. He trusted me with a team that had a lot of expectations.”
The Red Sox won back-to-back American League East championships prior to firing John Farrell. Boston flamed out of the A.L. Division Series in consecutive seasons, going a combined 1-6. Dombrowski hired Cora, signed J.D. Martinez to a five-year contract in free agency and reloaded for what turned out to be a historic season.
“We worked together well,” Cora said. “It didn’t end up the way we wanted to or the way we planned, but things happen. Things happen for a reason.”
Cora spent the 2020 season at home in Puerto Rico, serving something of a personal exile. Dombrowski was dismissed in September 2019 after failing to secure a contract extension from the Red Sox. Dombrowski was entering the final year of his deal and Boston ownership — John Henry and Tom Werner, specifically — were discouraged with the return they received on some of the organization’s high-profile signings.
“He was one of my biggest supporters personally last year,” Cora said. “Once a week, he made sure to text me or give me a call. I appreciated that.
“The conversations go from baseball to how the kids were doing, and I appreciated that from Dave. I’m glad that he’s back in baseball.”
When asked what Dombrowski’s legacy with the club should be, Cora wasted no time providing an answer.
“He won,” Cora said. “And he did it his way, too.
“You look at that team — 108 wins, 119 to win it all. People talk about if it’s the greatest team in the history of the Red Sox.
“That’s up for people to debate. For one year, nobody was better than us.” Hurlers practice hitting
Red Sox pitchers took batting practice on Wednesday ahead of their latest trips to the plate this weekend.
Martin Perez, Nathan Eovaldi and Eduardo Rodriguez will dig in against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Rodriguez is the typical object of friendly ridicule from his manager and position players prior to such occasions. He’ll enter Sunday’s afternoon matchup 0-for-20 with nine strikeouts over the course of his career to date.
“Who is he facing? [Zack] Wheeler? Looking a little dark there, you know?” Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts said. “He’s my boy and all — I would be really happy if he gets one. I would also be really surprised.”
The limited schedule in 2020 carried with it use of the universal designated hitter. It’s an issue likely to come up during Collective Bargaining Agreement discussions after its expiration in December. Owners are likely to push against adopting the concept for a simple reason — it would require them to spend on an additional competent hitter for their respective rosters.
“Obviously, that’s going to be a big topic in the offseason,” Cora said. “I do believe it would be good for baseball in general to have one more hitter.” Santana close to call-up
Danny Santana (right foot) could be at the end of his rehab assignment.
ESPN reported Santana would join Boston prior to the start of its weekend series. The veteran utility man was out of the lineup at Triple-A Worcester on Thursday night.
“I can’t comment about it,” Cora said. “He’s still in Worcester. I don’t think he’s in the lineup tonight but he’s working out down there.”
The switch-hitting Santana is 13-for-30 with three doubles and three home runs across eight games at Class-A Greenville and with the WooSox. He’s played left field twice, first base, second base and third base at Polar Park. Santana underwent Tommy John surgery in the offseason and had an infection in his foot cleared during spring training.
The Red Sox would be forced to make a 40-man roster move prior to adding Santana. Boston also would need to make a 26-man roster move. Cora discussed the option of going to a four-man bench and cutting down to 13 pitchers earlier this week. Surge in sore arms
The Red Sox have injury concerns regarding several of their pitching prospects.
Tanner Houck (flexor soreness) and Connor Seabold (right elbow inflammation) have resumed their respective throwing programs. Houck was shut down after one start with Triple-A Worcester while Seabold was sent to Boston’s spring training home prior to the start of the WooSox season.
“They started their throwing progression,” Cora said. “They feel good.”
Eduard Bazardo (right lat strain) has been shut down after leaving his outing at Worcester on Tuesday. Bazardo threw just five pitches in the top of the ninth inning before signaling to the home dugout.
“He’s getting treatment,” Cora said. “Obviously, he’s going to get more testing. Right now, we shut him down.”
Thaddeus Ward is also reportedly dealing with a right forearm strain at Double-A Portland. Sox-Yanks goes national
Boston and the Yankees will take a primetime spot for their June 6 matchup in the Bronx.
The Red Sox and New York have been flexed to ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. That meeting will cap the first series of the season between the old rivals.
Boston and the Yankees were originally scheduled to play at 1:05 p.m. The Red Sox will enjoy the following Monday off after a seven-game road swing through Houston and New York. Boston will take the field on 10 straight days beginning with next weekend’s home series against the Marlins.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @billkoch25
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2021 4:11:30 GMT -5
Red Sox Notebook: Alex Cora credits Dave Dombrowski for doing it ‘his way’ to build the 2018 roster Will reunite with former Sox’ boss this weekend in Philly
By Jason Mastrodonato | jason.mastrodonato@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald PUBLISHED: May 20, 2021 at 7:10 p.m. | UPDATED: May 20, 2021 at 7:46 p.m.
“Dealer Dave” Dombrowski will be reunited with Alex Cora on Friday, when the Red Sox travel to Philadelphia for a three-game set with the Phillies.
Dombrowski left his comfortable perch in Nashville, where he was part of a group of baseball enthusiasts trying to recruit an expansion team, to join the Phillies’ front office in December. He’s getting paid handsomely to do it, with USA Today reporting that he’ll receive $20 million over four years.
Dombrowski made some bold offseason moves, but the Phillies aren’t exactly in great shape.
They’ve been hovering around .500, largely because they lack starting pitching depth and have struggled to find decent replacements after a handful of position player injuries. With one of the worst farm systems in the game and less than $10 million of space under the luxury cap threshold, Dombrowski has some work to do.
Cora said he’s looking forward to seeing him.
“He gave me a chance to be a big-league manager,” Cora said. “He trusted me with a team that had a lot of expectations. People don’t understand how much pressure we had in 2018 going into that season. It was a team that made the playoffs a few years in a row, they didn’t advance, we added J.D. Martinez at that point and everybody felt like, ‘OK, here we go. It’s World Series or bust.’ ”
Dombrowski’s signing of Martinez to a five-year, $110 million deal will go down as one of the best moves he made with the Red Sox.
“It was a lot of pressure, but it was great,” Cora said. “A great learning experience for us to do that and give Dave another World Series and put him where he’s at in the world of baseball. It was amazing. We worked together well. It didn’t end up the way we wanted to or the way we planned, but things happened. Things happen for a reason.”
Dombrowski was let go during August of the ’19 season because of a difference in opinion on the future of the franchise with principal owner John Henry. Dombrowski clearly felt the Red Sox should keep the foot on the throttle and stick with a win-now attitude, while Henry wanted to take a more efficient but less exciting rebuilding approach.
When Cora was fired after MLB pinned most of the ’17 Astros’ cheating scandal on him, Dombrowski was “one of my biggest supporters,” Cora said.
“Once a week, he’d make sure to text me or give me a call and I appreciated that,” he said. “The conversations go from baseball to how the kids are doing. I appreciate that from Dave. I’m glad he’s back in baseball. He caught me off guard. I was surprised he accepted that job because he was very settled in Nashville, he loved what he was doing. But he’s where he needs to be, impacting a baseball organization and I’m looking forward to seeing him.”
Asked about Dombrowski’s legacy in Boston, Cora was direct.
“He won,” Cora said. “He won. He did it his way, too. You look at that team, 108 wins, 119 to win it all, people talk about, ‘Is it the greatest team in the history of the Red Sox?’ That’s up for people to debate, but for one year, nobody was better than us.” Santana looks ready to contribute
Utility man Danny Santana will join the Red Sox in Philadelphia this weekend, according to a report by ESPN Deportes.
Cora said he couldn’t comment on the report, but Santana has gotten plenty of work during his time in the minors (.433 average, three doubles, three homers in eight games) and the Sox could use another position player on the roster, particularly in a National League park. Last call for pitcher hitters
This year could be the last chance for pitchers to hit before the universal designated hitter is likely implemented for the 2022 season.
“It will be good for baseball in general to have one more hitter,” Cora said.
He said he doesn’t like having his pitchers hit, especially given the chance of injury, and will instruct his pitchers to take strike three if his team is ahead.
Cora also joked that starter Eduardo Rodriguez was unlikely to break his 0-for-20 career slump this weekend, but Cora will be breaking his rule of not allowing players to wear earrings so that Rodriguez can wear a dangling cross earring while he’s at the plate.
“It’s similar to Barry’s,” Cora said, referencing Barry Bonds’ famous earring. “I’m going to give him a chance to do that to see if he can get a hit, but the chances are very slim.” Woo Sox announce promotions
Baseball fans in Central Massachusetts will have a chance to buy June tickets to see the Triple-A Woo Sox starting Monday at 10 a.m.
The club is doing promotions at Polar Park for every home game during the season. Among them are “College Night” on Thursdays, when college students will get $15 tickets that include $9 of food and drink credit, Friday night fireworks, Saturday postgame catches on the field and the running of the bases every Sunday.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2021 4:19:16 GMT -5
he means today.....
Red Sox Notes @soxnotes · 6h Tomorrow will be the 41st consecutive day the Red Sox wake up in sole possession of first place in the AL East.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2021 4:24:54 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 5h Kiké's wRC+ is up to 110 on the year (He's been 10% better than a league average hitter) and is around 150 since the middle of April.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 21, 2021 8:10:30 GMT -5
Really tough series, having to face both Nola and Wheeler. Amazingly, the only matchup where our SP has the better ERA is Perez v Nola. Anyone see that coming?
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2021 9:25:37 GMT -5
Red Sox Notes @soxnotes · 1h J.D. Martinez is 1 of only 69 players with 250+ HR and an .875+ OPS.
The other active players on that list are Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout, Nelson Cruz, Joey Votto, Giancarlo Stanton, Paul Goldschmidt, and Freddie Freeman.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2021 11:06:32 GMT -5
Red Sox at Phillies Series Preview
A look at this weekend’s three-game set down in Philly. By Matt_Collins@MattRyCollins May 21, 2021, 12:01pm EDT
SB Nation Blog
The Good Phight The opponent in one sentence
The Phillies are still hanging around with a .500 record this season, working on the backs of a couple stars on offense as well as a good performance from the top of their rotation. Record
22-22 Head-to-head record
0-0 Trend
Down. The Phillies were playing really good baseball at the start of the month, but things have gone downhill over the last week or two. Philly has lost each of their last two series, including a three-game set this week against the Marlins, and overall they’ve lost five of their last seven. Pitching Matchups
5/21: Martín Pérez vs. Aaron Nola, 7:05 PM ET
There’s been a lot of talk, including from yours truly, about Nick Pivetta being the biggest surprise in on this Red Sox roster. I stand by that, but Pérez isn’t too far behind and he’s flying a bit under the radar. For most of the season so far he’s been about what we expected, a back-end starter who will keep the team in games. But as of late, he’s doing more than that. The southpaw has allowed just four earned runs (six total) over his last four outings, totaling 22 1⁄3 innings with 22 strikeouts and seven walks. It’s those strikeouts that stand out the most, as Pérez has never really been great at missing bats but he’s doing so at a high clip this year. We’ll see if he can keep it up or if this was just a flash in the pan.
The Red Sox have a tough matchup to start this series, going up against the Phillies ace on Friday. Nola doesn’t always get the credit he deserves as one of the best pitchers in the game, but he’s very much in that conversation. This season he’s arguably been even better than ever, striking out over 10 batters per nine innings while keeping his walk rate just under 1.5 per nine as well. He does just about everything well, and he’s coming off a solid outing against the Blue Jays last time out. The righty will feature a fastball that sits in the low-90s along with a curveball, a changeup and a sinker.
5/22: Nathan Eovaldi vs. Chase Anderson, 7:15 PM ET (FOX)
Eovaldi has been a little inconsistent for the Red Sox this year, particularly over his last few outings. He still hasn’t allowed a home run this season, a run that is entering absurd territory, but he’s also giving up some hits and not missing as many bats as you’d like to see. He’s never been a huge strikeout guy, but he has to miss some bats to avoid balls falling in for hits. Right now he’s on something of an every other start kind of streak, alternating between good and mediocre outings. His last start was in the latter category, allowing four runs over five innings to the Angels, so he’s due for a good one here.
On paper this should be the easiest matchup of the weekend for the Red Sox offense, as they are going up against a righty in Anderson who is struggling this year. He has a 6.96 ERA over eight starts, and he’s really suffering in every area. His strikeout rate is down, he’s walking over four per nine innings, and he’s allowed seven home runs already this season. He’s also coming off the worst start of his season, having just allowed a whopping seven runs to the Blue Jays over only 1 1⁄3 innings. Anderson will feature a low-90s fastball to go with a cutter, a changeup, and a curveball.
5/23: Eduardo Rodriguez vs. Zack Wheeler, 1:05 PM ET (MLB Network for out-of-network)
Things have been sputtering for Rodriguez as of late despite good peripherals, as he’s giving up a ton of hits, and as a result a ton of runs. His ERA stands at an even 6.00 in the month of May. We went in-depth on him after his last start, so you can read about some keys here.
Nola is the ace of the staff for this Phillies roster, but Wheeler is a hell of a number two right behind him, and this year more of a 1B. The righty has been electric in 2020, pitching to a 2.52 ERA with peripherals to match. He’s setting down more than a batter per inning while keeping his walk rate below two per nine and keeping the ball in the yard at a high clip to this point in the season. Things have been particularly great over his last three starts, where he’s pitched to a 0.82 ERA over 22 innings with 25 strikeouts and only one walks. Wheeler comes with straight heat, as he throws three pitches (a four-seam, a slider, and a sinker) at least 10 percent of the time this year and they all top 90 mph on average. Old Friends
None.
Bryce Harper is the clear face of this team, and because of some of the hype around him coming into his career it’s been easy to miss at times that he is absolutely an elite hitter. He’s having a big start to this season, drawing a ton of walks and hitting for big power en route to a 157 wRC+.
J.T. Realmuto was brought back this past winter in the biggest deal for the Phillies over the offseason, and he’s rewarding them while continuing to be the best catcher in the game. He plays very good defense behind the dish, and he’s putting up a 144 wRC+ this year. Ho hum.
Andrew McCutchen is having a slight bounce back this year after a disappointing 2020, and his patience in particular has been impressive this season as he’s drawing walks over 16 percent of the time.
Rhys Hoskins is always a scary batter to face as he possess big-time raw power, though you can also get him to swing and miss some as well.
Jean Segura is a throwback type of player, as there hasn’t been a ton of power this year but he’s putting everything into play.
Alec Bohm has been struggling mightily in trying to build off a strong rookie year in 2020. The power hasn’t been there this season, and his plate discipline has suffered as well.
Odúbel Herrera started the season with controversy as many Phillies fans didn’t even want him on the roster, and for good reason after his domestic violence arrest in 2019. He is playing, though, and he’s been getting on base as of late.
Nick Maton hasn’t played a ton this year but he’s ridden a high BABIP to good production when he has gotten in. Bullpen Snapshot
Héctor Neris has been holding down the late innings for a Phillies bullpen that is desperate for a good season after last year’s disaster. Neris has done well as the closer, though he’s been a bit susceptible to the long ball.
José Alvarado is a familiar face from Tampa, and he’s the same guy as ever, showing big stuff but also lapses with control.
Sam Coonrod has been the surprise in this bullpen so far, missing a bunch of bats while showing elite control. T-Shirt Collection
Take a look at the entire shirt collection from our friends over at BreakingT, including the latest one pictured above.
Read More Injuries
Didi Gregorius suffered an elbow injury earlier this week, and while it doesn’t appear serious he won’t be there for this series.
Seranthony Dominguez is rehabbing from Tommy John, and he’s not likely to return until the second half.
Roman Quinn hurt his finger when trying to lay down a bunt early in the month, and it’s still not clear when he’ll return.
Scott Kingery suffered a concussion earlier this week, and his status is still a bit unclear.
Matt Joyce went down with a calf injury at the start of May and his timeline is not clear.
JoJo Romero went on the IL early this month and just recently learned he’ll need Tommy John.
Adam Haseley left the team for undisclosed reasons early in the season, and it’s still not clear if or when he’ll return to the team.
Simon Muzziotti is also on the restricted list, where he’s been since the end of camp. Weather Forecast
We’re getting into real baseball weather of late, and this series should be no different as the temperatures look good and the skies look clear all weekend in Philly.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2021 13:15:09 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 25m Marwin Gonzalez is at +4 DRS playing multiple positions. Christian Vazquez is +3 and Rafael Devers is now +1.
His footwork and his throwing has improved a lot in the last 3-4 weeks.
Devers was minus-4 last year in the short season, so +1 is big for him.
Renfroe is +6 but Verdugo is -3 after being +19 from 2019-20.
Defensive metrics can be a handful, but I think DRS gives you a pretty good feel and, in general, helps confirms what you see watching every day.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2021 13:16:57 GMT -5
Red Sox Notes @soxnotes · 43m Players with at least 20 HR, 10 steals, and a .300 AVG since the start of 2020:
Xander Bogaerts (20 HR, 12 SB, .320 AVG) Trea Turner (22 HR, 20 SB, .332 AVG)
Xander is 12-for-12 in stolen base attempts in the last two seasons, and 39-for-44 (88.6%) since the start of 2017.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2021 13:18:12 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 1h Red Sox face ace Aaron Nola tonight. 54 IP, 61 K, 9 BB, 1.09 WHIP. He's devastating against RHH, .209 BA, .565 OPS allowed. His one weakness this year has been that LHH have crushed his fastball, 11-27, 3 2B, 2 HR, .407 BA, .741 SLG. Maybe Santana will start with a bang.
With Santana's arrival tonight and Arroyo coming off the IL soon, it's going to be interesting how they set up the roster and bench.
Marwin has been a bit unlucky (.277 wOBA, .324 xwOBA), but he should probably start hitting.
186/318/271, 589 OPS April 226/262/323, 584 OPS May
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