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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 25, 2021 13:11:21 GMT -5
Jason Mastrodonato @jmastrodonato · 1h With Christian Arroyo returning from the IL today, Red Sox source said ABs would be minimal for Michael Chavis and Franchy Cordero, but optioned Chavis b/c they felt the LH bat/natural outfielder was a better fit for their roster. Also want Chavis to develop in AAA.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 25, 2021 13:24:52 GMT -5
Game 49: Braves at Red Sox lineups and notesBy Katie McInerney Globe Staff,Updated May 25, 2021, 9:43 a.m. The Red Sox will open a two-game series with the Atlanta Braves tonight at 7:10 p.m. They return to Fenway Park after going 4-2 on a road trip against the Blue Jays and Phillies. Garrett Richards will make his 10th start of the season. He’s 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA in four starts in May. In his last outing on May 19 against Toronto, Richards allowed two runs in 6⅔ innings, with five strikeouts. Charlie Morton will be on the mound for the Braves. He’s 6-1 with a 4.01 ERA in 11 career starts against the Red Sox. He faced them twice in 2020 and went 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA. Lineups Braves (23-24): 1. Ronald Acuna Jr. (R) RF 2. Freddie Freeman (L) 1B 3. Marcell Ozuna (R) LF 4. Ozzie Albies (S) 2B 5. Austin Riley (R) 3B 6. Dansby Swanson (R) SS 7. Pablo Sandoval (S) DH 8. Guillermo Heredia (R) CF 9. William Contreras (R) C Pitching: RHP Charlie Morton (2-2, 4.60 ERA) Red Sox (29-19): 1. Enrique Hernandez (R) 2B 2. Alex Verdugo (L) LF 3. J.D. Martinez (R) DH 4. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS 5. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 6. Christian Vazquez (R) C 7. Danny Santana (S) CF 8. Hunter Renfroe (R) RF 9. Bobby Dalbec (R) 1B Pitching: RHP Garrett Richards (4-2, 3.72 ERA) Time: 7:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Braves vs. Richards: Adrianza 1-2, Freeman 0-2, Heredia 1-3, Sandoval 2-6. Red Sox vs. Morton: Bogaerts 10-29, Dalbec 0-2, Devers 6-23, Gonzalez 0-3, Martinez 9-26, Plawecki 1-2, Renfroe 0-3, Santana 0-2, Verdugo 1-2, Vázquez 3-17. Stat of the day: The Braves lead the major leagues with 78 home runs. Notes: The Red Sox rank second in the AL in batting average at .263 and third in home runs with 65 … Rafael Devers has 13 home runs, 39 RBI and a .942 OPS this season. Devers has a five-game hitting streak, and 16 of his last 22 hits have been for extra bases … Devers, Xander Bogaerts (10 homers, 30 RBI) and J.D. Martinez (12 homers, 37 RBI) make Boston the only team in the majors with three players who have at least 10 homers and 30 RBI … Over the past 34 games, Atlanta third baseman Austin Riley has hit .369 with a 1.151 OPS. Over the past seven games he has 10 extra-base hits, including six home runs … The Braves hit a franchise-record 15 home runs in last weekend’s four-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Song of the Day: Eddie Money "Walk on Water"www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FdYRq8-6kM
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 25, 2021 14:29:23 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 9m Cora on Morton: ‘There’s no denying we showed interest in Charlie. He’s been one of the best since 2017...He’s a guy I really respect, really like.’
Cora suggests Garrett Richards is at a similar career point to where Morton was in 2017.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 25, 2021 14:45:25 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 5m Since the start of the 2019 season, the Red Sox are 62-75 at home (.452) and 75-58 on the road (.563).
13-12 at Fenway this season.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 25, 2021 15:01:17 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 1m Connor Wong has been added to the Red Sox taxi squad. He hasn’t played since 5/11 due to a hamstring injury.
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Post by Kimmi on May 25, 2021 16:28:26 GMT -5
Just keep on winning series Red Sox.
The Rays and the Yankees will cool off soon enough.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 25, 2021 18:54:03 GMT -5
Sox load up the bases in the first a HBP brings one home then in the 2nd with a triple and the base runner is stranded there. 2 wasted chances
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 25, 2021 18:59:20 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 6m First and third no outs and Sox don’t score. Had Morton on the ropes the first two innings and scored one run.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 25, 2021 19:00:27 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 1m Marcell Ozuna rips an RBI double to the base of the wall in center. It's 1-1 in the 3rd.
Hard contact against Garrett Richards this inning. #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 25, 2021 19:03:21 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 1m Not sure I've ever seen a play like that before. Kiké Hernandez picked his head up, knew Marcell Ozuna was the runner and fired hard for the 4-5 putout.
Ozzie Albies with an RBI. It's 2-1 in the 3rd. #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 25, 2021 19:08:49 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 2m Ehire Adrianza has replaced Marcell Ozuna (undisclosed) in LF. Looked to be hurt on this slide into third base. #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 26, 2021 2:36:31 GMT -5
With Morton 'on the ropes,' Sox can't cash in 12:31 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
This homestand was off to a promising start for the Red Sox.
Bases loaded, nobody out in the first. A Danny Santana triple to lead off the second.
And with those two golden opportunities against battle-tested veteran Charlie Morton, Boston managed a total of one run en route to a frustrating 3-1 loss to the Braves on Tuesday night at Fenway Park.
Baseball 101 tells you that when you don't capitalize against a pitcher of Morton's caliber in the early innings, it will come back to haunt you. Never was that more true than in this game.
"Good pitchers will do that," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "He struggled early on with command, but he made some pitches and got out of situations. And after that, he did what he usually does -- and that's why he's one of the best pitchers in the big leagues."
Morton was flat-out nasty after his shaky opening, going seven innings and retiring the last 13 batters he faced following a two-out single by Xander Bogaerts in the bottom of the third. The right-hander gave up three hits and no earned runs while punching out nine. In fact, the Red Sox didn't have a hit in the final six innings.
"We had Charlie on the ropes the first two innings," said Cora. "We only score one and that's what good pitchers do. We had our chances early on, we didn't cash in. Bases loaded, no outs, we only score one, then we had men on third, no outs, we don't score and that's it."
Though the Red Sox have one of the top offenses in baseball this season, one weakness has continually surfaced. That is their inability to drive in that runner from third with less than two outs.
Boston's .548 OPS with a man on third and less than two outs ranks 29th out of MLB's 30 teams.
"I don't know. I wish I could find [the reason]," said Cora. "To be honest with you, a ground ball to second or a ground ball to short, cash in and that's all we need and we talk about it. There's only 25, 30 at-bats [per season a player] comes up in with men at third and less than two outs and we haven't done the job."
This is particularly frustrating for Cora, because it is something that he preached as far back as the earliest days of Spring Training.
"In an era or a year that it's hard to hit and runs are at a premium, it's very important to make contact with a man on third [and less than two outs]. You just put the ball in play and you're going to cash in," said Cora.
"I saw it with Jed Lowrie against Eduardo Rodriguez [on May 12]. It was a big run," said Cora. "I saw it [last week]. The Jays against us in Dunedin, [Fla.], they put the ball in play and they score. You saw it with them today, Ozzie Albies put the ball in play, [Freddie] Freeman scores. Making contact is very important."
Red Sox righty Garrett Richards battled to keep his team in the game, though he didn't have his best stuff. The lanky righty gave up six hits and three runs over 5 2/3 innings, walking four and striking out four. Of his 97 pitches, just 59 were for strikes.
The Red Sox slipped to 13-13 at home this season compared to 16-7 on the road.
Why is that?
"I don't know," said Richards. "I have no idea. We've got a pretty damn good record, though, so I wouldn't worry about the last couple of games."
Play of the night There was one standout play for the Red Sox in this one, and it came in the top of the third inning.
With runners on second and third and one out for the Braves, Albies hit one into short right field, where second baseman Kiké Hernández was playing in the shift. It is a play in which the second baseman invariably throws to first for the sure out. But in an aggressive play you hardly ever see, Hernández came up firing and threw to third, where Rafael Devers slapped down the tag on Marcell Ozuna.
Unfortunately, Ozuna was injured on the unusual play, dislocating the ring and middle fingers on his left hand when they got tangled in Devers' spikes.
"A great heads-up play," said Cora. "He's into every play and he anticipates, and you don't make that play without thinking about it. You just don't react to that. You plan that before. He saw it before it happened, and it was one of the best plays I've seen. It looked routine, it looked easy, but to throw the ball from the shift to third base to get the runner, that was the first time I've seen that.
"As a second baseman, I used to take chances with men on second and a routine ground ball to second with no outs, but to do it from the shift, [that's the] first time I've seen that. Amazing play."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 26, 2021 3:00:50 GMT -5
Atlanta survives early flurry, keeps Red Sox in check for series-opening win By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated May 25, 2021, 10:18 p.m.
Already, the Red Sox have proven capable of defying the measured expectations that greeted them at the start of the season. After a residence of more than six weeks in first place, their talent will no longer be overlooked.
Still, their recent slip from atop the AL East has likewise offered a reminder. As the Sox hope to transform from early-season surprise to season-long contender, they do not have the luxury of fumbling opportunities in an ultra-competitive division.
Tuesday night, a 3-1 loss to Atlanta at Fenway underscored the point. The Sox had an immediate chance to seize control of the game from opposing starter Charlie Morton. Instead, they blew it in a way that seemed at once impossible, yet somehow familiar.
Despite six of the first eight Sox hitters reaching base, that game-opening pressure turned into just one run through two innings — and none thereafter.
“When you have a man on third, I think we have to bear down, we have to put the ball in play,” said manager Alex Cora. “For us to keep the line moving and win close games, we have to do that. We haven’t been doing that for a while.”
In the bottom of the first, the Sox loaded the bases (single, walk, error) with no outs. But that golden promise — a situation that, on average, produces more than two runs — soon proved a ruse. Though Morton forced in a run by hitting Rafael Devers on the foot with a pitch, that event was bookended by a Xander Bogaerts strikeout and Christian Vázquez lining into an inning-ending double play.
Danny Santana, in his first Fenway plate appearance as a Red Sox, lined a Morton changeup to right for a leadoff triple in the second. A walk put runners on the corners, but Bobby Dalbec struck out and Kiké Hernández grounded into another inning-ending double play.
That futility — 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and two double plays — in situations where a mere ball in play can score a run has proven unexpectedly common for one of the game’s highest scoring offenses. The Red Sox entered Tuesday at or near the bottom of the league in average (.246, 25th), on-base (.284, 27th), and slugging (.275, 30th) with a runner on third and fewer than two outs, while posting the 10th highest strikeout rate (23.9 percent) in such moments.
Since May 7, they’re 2-for-27 with a .074/.152/.111 line, 10 strikeouts, and four double-plays in 33 such plate appearances.
“We haven’t done the job,” Cora lamented. “In an era or a year that is hard to hit, and runs are at a premium . . . it’s very important to make contact with a man on third.
“We’ve been preaching this since spring training and we haven’t been able to do it so far this season,” he added. “We have to put the ball in play. That’s very important for us.”
The inability to do so on Tuesday allowed Morton (3-2, 3.98) to settle into a comfortable rhythm. He retired 17 of 18 batters from the second through seventh innings, and finished having allowed just one unearned run on three hits and two walks while striking out nine. Related: Abraham: Former Sox target Charlie Morton could be a roadmap for a Garrett Richards resurgence
Meanwhile, Atlanta’s offense went to work against Garrett Richards on an off-night. The Sox righthander yielded three runs over 5⅔ innings. Despite featuring his best fastball velocity of the season (up to 97 mph), he spent most of the night fighting his lack of control (four walks) and the absence of feel for his slider and curveball.
“I didn’t really have much tonight,” said Richards. “Just kind of made it work, tried to go as long as I can. Tonight was just an off night. Just didn’t really feel good, just didn’t have great . . . stuff.”
Richards opened the third with a leadoff walk to nine-hole hitter William Contreras, which was followed by a one-out single through the shift by Freddie Freeman and a ringing RBI double to center by Marcell Ozuna that tied the game.
Ozzie Albies then pulled a grounder into the shift, deep enough to permit Freeman to cross the plate with a 2-1 advantage. But Hernández, seeing from second that Ozuna got a bad jump, alertly made the long throw to third to cut down the slugger.
“One of the best plays I’ve seen,” said Cora. “To do it from the shift, first time I’ve seen that. Amazing play.”
The play came with consequence beyond the run and the out for Atlanta, as Ozuna dislocated his left ring and middle fingers when his hand got caught in Devers’ spikes. Ozuna left the game and will head to Atlanta to see a specialist.
Atlanta added another run in the sixth, a rally set in motion by a one-out single from former Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who responded to the zealous boos of 9,357 Fenway patrons by going 3-for-4. Sandoval advanced to second when Richards issued another two-out walk to nine-hole hitter Contreras, his last batter.
Reliever Hirokazu Sawamura proved unable to fulfill the daunting task for which he was summoned. Superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. stayed on a down-and-in splitter and ripped it down the left field line for a run-scoring double that put Atlanta ahead, 3-1.
That was plenty for Morton and his bullpen, as Atlanta did not permit a runner to advance past first the last seven innings. Lefty Will Smith closed out the game with two strikeouts in a perfect ninth.
The Sox dropped to 13-13 at Fenway, while missing out on a chance to reclaim first place when Tampa Bay’s 11-game winning streak was snapped with a loss to the Royals. One of several missed opportunities on the night for the Red Sox.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 26, 2021 3:03:01 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Kiké Hernández has found his form from the top By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated May 25, 2021, 8:44 p.m.
The Red Sox have featured one of baseball’s most prolific offenses, yet early in the season, that came in spite of the team’s theoretical catalysts.
Manager Alex Cora’s decision to install Kiké Hernández as the leadoff hitter to start the year paid few initial dividends. In April, Red Sox leadoff hitters posted a combined .239 average (20th in MLB), .287 on-base (26th), and .407 slugging mark (13th).
Leadoff rarely set up the veritable fortress in the second through fifth spots — Alex Verdugo, J.D. Martinez, Xander Bogaerts, and Rafael Devers. Hernández, who hit .230/.270/.400 in April, was chiefly accountable for that.
Still, Cora didn’t consider veering from that lineup structure. Even when Hernández landed on the injured list, Cora used Michael Chavis and Marwin Gonzalez rather than tinker with his Nos. 2-5. Why not bump up Verdugo to leadoff and keep Martinez, Bogaerts, and Devers together behind him?
“I’m not going to hit J.D. second. No chance. Well for now, no chance — you never know,” said Cora before Tuesday’s 3-1 loss to Atlanta. “I like where we’re at structure-wise. . . . As far as leadoff hitter, we have to be better, of course, but we’ve been doing a good job of scoring runs the way we are so . . . if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”
That ongoing commitment has been made easier by the recent performance of Hernández. In the four games before his hamstring injury, Hernández found his groove, going 4-for-12 with a homer, double, and three walks. In his seven games since coming off the injured list, he’s been even better, hitting .357/.379/.500 following a 1-for-4 on Tuesday.
Cora credited improved selectivity. In April, Hernández swung at 28.6 percent of the pitches he saw outside of the strike zone. In May, that number has plummeted to 17.6 percent.
“I do believe he’s controlling the zone a little bit more. Everything starts with walks,” said Cora. “I think towards the end [before going on the IL], he started controlling the zone. Maybe the 10 days on the IL helped, too. It just, recharge your body, reset your body, and he feels good where he’s at. He’s been able to stay up the middle. He’s in a great place.”
For now, it seems that place will remain the top of the order. Christian Arroyo activated
The Red Sox activated Christian Arroyo from the injured list, satisfied after a brief rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester that he’s recovered from being hit by a pitch in the left hand on May 5. Related: Abraham: Former Sox target Charlie Morton could be a roadmap for a Garrett Richards resurgence
“The hand’s feeling really good,” said Arroyo. “There’s still a bruise there, which is to be expected. . . . You touch it or hit it or something, it’s going to aggravate you, but it’s nothing that’s [debilitating].”
Arroyo said that after getting hit on the left hand twice in a week and a half, he’ll now wear a custom-fitted EvoShield hand guard to protect himself from further harm. His role may be reduced, however, with the team’s recent roster addition of Danny Santana.
Arroyo started 18 of the first 31 games, including many against righthanded starters, and hit .275/.333/.377. But the switch-hitting Santana now is able to play center, and permit Hernández to move back to second base.
Arroyo wasn’t in the lineup against Atlanta starter Charlie Morton, but expressed nothing but enthusiasm for the state of the Red Sox roster.
“[Santana] is a really good player that’s going to help us win, and that’s the goal,” said Arroyo. “It takes more than 25, 26 guys to get to the light at the end of the tunnel, which is where we’re trying to go. For me, the way I look at it is [Santana’s] here to help us win. Anytime anyone can help us win, that’s all I’m concerned about.” The Worcester winds
Arroyo said the way the ball carried at Polar Park in Worcester was eye-opening. On Saturday, he stood in the on-deck circle as WooSox leadoff hitter Jarren Duran hit a pair of rockets into jet streams in right-center that traveled a projected 475 and 480 feet. “[Xander Bogaerts] was asking me about [Worcester] and I said, ‘Dude, the ball flies. It’s kind of crazy,’ ” recounted Arroyo. “It was pretty incredible to see some of the balls that were hit. Obviously, guys are strong. Duran hit a ball like 475 feet on a breaking ball . . . that might be one of the furthest hit balls I’ve ever seen hit in person” . . . Righthander Austin Brice cleared outright waivers and was assigned to Worcester. Brice had a 6.94 ERA in 11⅔ innings for the Red Sox . . . Catcher Connor Wong joined the Red Sox taxi squad from Triple-A Worcester. Though Wong hasn’t played since May 11 due to a hamstring injury, the Red Sox evidently feel comfortable that he’ll be able to help as a bullpen catcher during the brief series against Atlanta . . . Single-game tickets for June 8-July 11 will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. The Red Sox also announced $9 tickets will once again be available for college students . . . A woman sitting in the State Street Pavilion was struck in the forehead by a foul ball in the top of the sixth inning. According to a Red Sox spokesperson, she received immediate attention from Red Sox and emergency medical services personnel before being transported to Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center for further treatment.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 26, 2021 3:05:16 GMT -5
Former Sox target Charlie Morton could be a roadmap for a Garrett Richards resurgence By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated May 25, 2021, 11:40 p.m.
That free agent righthander Charlie Morton would be a great fit for the Red Sox seemed obvious after the Tampa Bay Rays declined his $15 million option a few days after the World Series.
Morton had a strong relationship with Sox manager Alex Cora dating back to their time with the 2017 Astros and was friendly with chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, who had been with the Rays.
Morton was the reliable No. 2 starter the Sox needed.
But the Atlanta Braves made Morton a priority and signed him to a one-year, $15 million deal on Nov. 24.
Morton wanted to play for a contending team fairly close to his home in Sarasota, Fla., significant factors in the decision.
“There’s no denying that we actually showed interest in Charlie,” Cora said. “He’s been one of the best since 2017. The way he pitched in Houston and obviously what he did with the Rays, everybody knows.
“The way he competes, the person, and the way he cares about his teammates and the organization that he plays for is up there. It’s a guy I really respect, I really like.”
Bloom and Cora recruited Morton, but the Braves had more advantages.
“I understand why he made the decision, but we moved on,” Cora said.
The Sox instead signed Garrett Richards, who was five years younger, $5 million cheaper, but far less accomplished. Related: Atlanta survives early flurry, keeps Red Sox in check for series-opening win
Richards also agreed to a $10 million option for 2022 that the Sox envisioned as being a possible bargain if he fulfilled what was seen as considerable potential.
The off-season calculations were put to a test at Fenway Park on Tuesday night when the Sox played the Braves and Richards faced Morton.
Morton was the pitcher the Sox has come to admire, allowing one unearned run on three hits over seven innings. The 37-year-old walked two, struck out nine, and retired the final 13 batters he faced in order in a game the Braves won, 3-1.
“He blows me away,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “The stuff has been so good.”
Morton, who averaged 95.1 mph with his fastball, left two runners stranded in the first inning. Danny Santana then opened the bottom of the second inning with a triple down the line in right before Hunter Renfroe walked.
Morton struck out Bobby Dalbec on three pitches, the third a curveball well off the plate. Then Kiké Hernández grounded a fastball to second for a double play.
“That could have gone bad real quick,” Morton said.
From there he mixed five pitches in a way that befuddled the Sox, never falling into any predictable pattern.
Richards went 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits and four walks. He struck out only four and threw an unnerving number of pitches that catcher Christian Vázquez had trouble getting his mitt on.
Morton understands what that’s like. He was a career underachiever before the Astros helped him gain better command of his curveball and more consistent velocity with his fastball.
Morton is 50-20 with a 3.41 earned run average and 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings since 2017. Related: Kiké Hernández has found his form from the top
Cora believes Richards can follow that map.
“I think where Garrett is in his career right now is very similar to where Charlie was in 2017,” Cora said. “Hopefully it turns into something special like that.”
Cora and Morton formed a friendship early in 2017. They had shared sensibilities about baseball and digging into topics like defensive shifts.
“We clicked right away,” Cora said. “He did some amazing things that year … he’s such a good guy.”
The championship the Astros won that season was later stained by the revelations of how they stole signs from opposing catchers.
But it couldn’t detract from how Morton pitched the final four innings of Game 7 of the World Series in Los Angeles, holding the Dodgers to one run.
Morton attended games at Fenway growing up and loves the tradition that comes with playing in Boston. He said his secret desire Tuesday was to be warming up for the eighth inning while “Sweet Caroline” was playing.
He only missed it by an inning.
“This is a special place for me and a special place for baseball,” Morton said.
That’s what made his decision so tough. Related: Finn: It’s safe to raise our Red Sox expectations — they’re in the AL East hunt to stay
“Knowing Alex, having a chance to speak with some of the guys over there, getting a chance to play in this park, put on that uniform, all those things were very enticing,” Morton said.
Before the game, Cora said there have been certain times this season he watched Morton pitch and wished he had decided to join the Sox.
By the end of the night, that was definitely the case.
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