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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 26, 2021 3:07:57 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 ·
Garrett Richards -- 5 2/3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 97-59 10 swing/miss.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 26, 2021 3:10:16 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 5h Replying to @billkoch25 Cora -- 'A ground ball to second, a ground ball to short to cash in -- that's all we needed.'
'Runs are at a premium. I think -- I believe, and I've been saying it all along -- it's very important to make contact and put the ball in play.' #RedSox
Cora -- 'We've been preaching it since spring training. We haven't been able to do it so far this season.'
'I know the effort is there. We've been trying.' #RedSox
Cora -- 'We had Charlie on the ropes the first two innings. We only scored one, and that's what good pitchers do.' #RedSox
Cora -- '(Richards) was good today. The walks put him in a bad spot. Overall I think it was a solid start against a good lineup.' #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 26, 2021 3:11:13 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 5h Garrett Richards -- 'I didn't really have much tonight.' #RedSox
Richards -- 'I'm just not catching enough plate.' #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 26, 2021 3:12:50 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 5h #Braves 3, #RedSox 1, final.
Sox fall to 29-20. Braves are 24-24.
WP—Morton (3-2). LP—Richards (4-3). Sv—Smith (8). A—9,357. T—3:06.
* Sox 13-13 at Fenway.
* Sox didn't have a hit after the 3rd inning. Finished with only three.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 26, 2021 3:13:38 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 5h Marcell Ozuna dislocated two fingers on his left hand. He's headed back to Atlanta.
No decision on whether he will land on the injured list.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 26, 2021 3:16:44 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 5h Cora on struggles with runners on third and fewer than two outs: ‘We have to do that. We haven’t been able to do that for a while.’
The Red Sox offense has been excellent this year - but surprisingly awful in the most promising scoring situations. Since 5/7, it’s 2-for-27 (.074/.152/.111) w/runners on 3rd, <2 outs. ‘We haven’t done the job.’
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 26, 2021 3:18:49 GMT -5
Pablo Sandoval booed by fans in Fenway Park return, ‘happy’ to record three hits in Braves’ win over Red Sox
By Steve Hewitt | stephen.hewitt@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald May 26, 2021 at 1:26 a.m.
Pablo Sandoval doesn’t seem to have any resentment towards Boston, but his return to Fenway Park probably felt pretty satisfying.
Nearly four years since the Red Sox cut ties with him after a disastrous tenure in Boston, Sandoval returned as a visitor for the first time with the Braves and recorded three hits in their 3-1 win over the Red Sox on Tuesday night. Sandoval was booed loudly every time he stepped to the plate — and even after each of his hits — but the 34-year-old feels no ill will toward his former club and fanbase.
“Happy, happy. It’s one of the things I was looking forward (to),” Sandoval said when asked if it was satisfying to have a good performance in his return. “They don’t treat me that bad here. Great fan support, great organization. … I’m happy to be back and win games. That’s the most important thing, to try to help my team to win games.”
After the 2014 season, the Red Sox and then-general manager Ben Cherington famously signed Sandoval — who had become a postseason legend and cult hero with the San Francisco Giants — to a five-year, $95 million contract. It ended up being arguably the worst contract in team history. The third baseman batted .237 with 14 homers and 59 RBI over 161 games as he missed nearly all of the 2016 season with an injury before his release in July 2017.
The Red Sox opted to eat the nearly $48 million left on Sandoval’s deal instead of keeping him. He wound up returning to the Giants, and admitted that it was a mistake that he ever left for Boston, where it was never a fit for him.
Four years later, he seems to be in a good place. The Giants designated him for assignment last season, but he signed with the Braves on a minor-league deal and has carved out a nice role for himself. He’s mostly been used as a pinch-hitter — he’s hit four homers this season — but his greatest value seems to be coming in the clubhouse, where he’s a respected leader of a talented roster.
“He’s a glue guy,” said veteran pitcher Charlie Morton. “He’s a guy that reaches across cultures and languages. He keeps the team together and he’s doing a heck of a job. He’s a lot of fun in the clubhouse. Just a good guy. Getting the chance to play with him, getting the chance to play with guys like that, it’s really special.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 26, 2021 3:24:25 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox batting .233 with runner at third, fewer than 2 outs; ‘We haven’t done the job,’ Alex Cora says Updated 11:44 PM; Today 11:41 PM
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox wasted opportunities in both the first and second innings Tuesday as they continue to have issues scoring with a runner at third and fewer than two outs.
Boston lost 3-1 to the Braves here at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox went 0-for-4 with a runner at third and fewer than two outs Tuesday. They are 17-for-73 (.233) with 23 strikeouts when there’s a runner at third base and fewer than two outs this season. They entered Tuesday with just a .559 OPS in those situations.
Boston loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning after Kiké Hernández singled, Alex Verdugo walked and J.D. Martinez reached on an error.
But the Red Sox scored just one run when Rafael Devers was hit by a pitch.
Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging for the first out. Christian Vázquez lined into a 6-4 double play to end the inning.
Danny Santana led off the bottom of the second inning with a triple. Hunter Renfroe followed with a walk. But Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging and Hernández grounded into a double play.
Cora doesn’t know how to explain it.
“To be honest with you, a ground ball to second, a ground ball to short, cash in. That’s all we need,” Cora said. And we talk about it. There’s only 25, 30 at-bats that you come up with men at third base and less than two outs. And we haven’t done that. We haven’t done the job. In a year that it’s hard to hit — that runs are at a premium — I’ve been saying all along, it’s very important to make contact with men at third. You just put the ball in play and you’re going to cash in.
“I saw it with (Oakland’s) Jed Lowrie against Eduardo Rodriguez. It was a big run. I saw it with the Jays against us in Dunedin. They put the ball in play and they score. You saw it with them (the Braves) today. Ozzie Albies put the ball in play, (Freddie) Freeman scores.”
Albies’ RBI fielders choice to second base with one out in the third put the Braves ahead 2-1.
“So making contact is very important,” Cora said. “I know pitching, it’s incredible what these guys are doing. But when you’ve got a man at third, we’ve have to bear down, we have to put the ball in play. It’s very important for us.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 26, 2021 3:25:56 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 7h Richards' 19% called + swinging strike rate tonight was the lowest by a Red Sox starter this year. 10 hard hits allowed was t-3rd most in a start. Miracle the Sox still have a chance in this game after the offense bungled it early.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 26, 2021 3:26:52 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 6h Heading to the bottom of the 9th Atlanta has 14 of the 17 hardest hit balls tonight.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 26, 2021 3:38:31 GMT -5
Braves @ Red Sox Wednesday, 26th May 2021 7pm @ Fenway
Smyly 2-2/ 5.11
Has allowed at least 2 home runs in four of his last six outings. Concerns are rising over the decrease of velocity in his fastball.
Pivetta 5-0/3.59
Has a history vs the Braves going 5-2/4.74 in 12 career starts. Has been solid at home this season holing opponents to a .189 average.
Atlanta Braves vs.Boston Red Sox Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at 7:10pm EDT Written by Jordy
The Boston Red Sox close the book on their interleague meeting with the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park on Wednesday night. They remain tangled up in an AL East battle for power with the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees. So a run-in with a tough Braves team is an opportunity for them to make up some ground. Granted, the Braves face the same challenge with the New York Mets leading the NL East division. Drew Smyly gets the call to start for Atlanta in the finale opposite of Boston’s right-handed pitcher Nick Pivetta.
Can Smyly keep the Braves in the fight? Drew Smyly will have his hands full when staring down a Red Sox batting lineup that has been a nightmare to deal with for opposing pitchers this season. Things can go from good to meltdown in a hurry when facing the second-best run-scoring team in baseball.
Smyly has averaged six innings of work in his last three outings, and he hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs against those opponents. But none of those teams had the ability to wreck a scoreboard like these Red Sox. Things get even trickier with Nick Pivetta throwing on the other end. Smyly and the Braves can’t be their typically loose selves in this game.
They have to stand their ground.
The veteran lefty is 2-2 on the season with a 5.11 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. He got burned for a couple home runs in his recent outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates, but he kept things relatively steady by allowing three earned runs and fanning seven batters. Of course, the Braves still went on to lose the game after failing to close in extra innings.
Everyone knows what Atlanta has to offer offensively, but they can’t allow themselves to dig too deep of a hole on defense to climb out of late. No one will be smiling, Smyly included, if the Red Sox start sending pitches into orbit.
Ortiz pays the ultimate compliment to 2021 Red Sox When Big Papi speaks, people in Boston tend to listen.
Red Sox legend David Ortiz recently spoke with NESN’s Adam Pellerin, via Logan Mullen, and agreed with comparing the 2021 Red Sox to the 2013 team he was a part of that ended up winning the World Series. That was the same year he was honored as the WS MVP.
“I believe it, I believe it,” Ortiz said, when asked what he thought about the comparison. “Baseball is always going to need some veterans around. I don’t even know how come that part has been excluded from the game. The veterans are the ones who basically … see things in slow motion so they can preach to the younger ones how to approach things. And at the end of the day it’s a win-win situation. So the Red Sox making those types of moves, they’re going to see the results of it, I guarantee [it].”
One thing is certain: This is not the same Red Sox team from a year ago.
We’ll see if they can stay strong at the plate in Wednesday’s finale against a Braves team with a pitching rotation that ranks 18th in ERA and 20th in average home runs allowed. They’ve been a bit generous on defense this season, which they’ve been able to get away with at times due to their ability to pile up runs on offense.
But the Red Sox are clearly doing it better at the moment. They lead the league with a .774 OPS and .316 BABIP. Good things seem to happen whenever it’s their turn to bat.
Good things also tend to happen when Nick Pivetta is the starting pitcher. The 28-year-old righty has yet to lose a game this season, and he’s throwing a 3.59 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. If he can pump the brakes on the Braves’ offense, it will allow for smooth passage to victory for the Red Sox in this one.
Braves at Red Sox Wednesday, at 7:10 PM EST Clear According to Forecast.io, it's expected to be 75° F with a 2% chance of rain and 15 MPH wind blowing out in Boston at 7:10 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com Forecast.io
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 26, 2021 6:31:04 GMT -5
Wasteful Red Sox enter teeth of their schedule to date Bill Koch The Providence Journal Pablo Sandoval knocked out three hits and scored a run against his old team on Tuesday.
BOSTON --- The next 21 games mark a significant step up in class for the Red Sox, and what promises to be a challenging stretch didn’t start so well on Tuesday.
Boston faces nothing but postseason teams from 2020 until visiting Kansas City on June 18. Atlanta figures to be a contender in the National League East and punished the Red Sox for their wastefulness on a perfect night at Fenway Park.
This 3-1 defeat suffered by Boston to begin its five-game homestand came thanks to some empty at-bats in critical situation. Garrett Richards tried to take the blame onto his shoulders, but few looked toward the right-hander and two relievers after they scattered a combined eight hits.
“We haven’t done the job,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “In an era or a year where it’s hard to hit and runs are at a premium, I think – and I’ve been saying it all along – it's very important to make contact with men at third.
“You put the ball in play, you’re going to cash in.”
Charlie Morton allowed six of the first eight men he faced to reach base. The right-hander was punished to the tune of just one unearned run and ultimately rolled through seven strong innings. Morton set down the final 13 men he faced and didn’t allow another hit after a two-out Xander Bogaerts single in the bottom of the third.
“Sometimes it goes that way,” Richards said. “You start out slow and you kind of build momentum as the game goes. You find your groove, you start putting pitches together and you take off.”
Boston loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the first but allowed Morton to wriggle off the hook. Rafael Devers was hit by a bouncing curveball to force in the lone run. Bogaerts struck out swinging and J.D. Martinez was doubled off second base when Christian Vazquez sent a soft liner to short.
“He struggled early on with command, but he made some pitches,” Cora said. “He got out of those situations, and then after that he did what he usually does. That’s why he’s one of the best pitchers in the big leagues.”
There was more disappointment to come in the bottom of the second after Danny Santana whacked a leadoff triple to the corner in right. Hunter Renfroe drew a walk that ultimately came back to bite the Red Sox – it set up a double play. That’s exactly what happened after a Bobby Dalbec strikeout, as Kiké Hernandez sent a one-hopper to second that wound up going 4-6-3.
“We had Charlie on the ropes the first two innings,” Cora said. “You only score one – that's what good pitchers do. We had our chances early on. We didn’t cash in.”
Morton required 39 pitches to record his first six outs and just 64 to notch his next 15. Boston was powerless against him from there and managed one baserunner against a pair of relievers. Alex Verdugo drew a two-out walk from Edgar Santana in the bottom of the eighth but was stranded when Martinez bounced to third.
“Making contact is very important,” Cora said. “I know pitching – it's incredible what these guys are doing. But when you’ve got that runner at third you have to bear down. You have to put the ball in play.”
The Red Sox have enjoyed reasonable luck against some elite arms thus far, and there will be much more to follow over the next three weeks. Trevor Rogers, Lance McCullers Jr., Gerrit Cole, Hyun Jin Ryu – they all held an ERA of less than 3.00 entering Tuesday. Boston could see McCullers and Cole twice in addition to Morton once again during the June 15-16 rematch of this series at Truist Park.
Sound daunting? It certainly should, especially if nine more innings like these are in store.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @billkoch25
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 26, 2021 9:38:04 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 24m Red Sox batters need to tighten back up a bit, it has got a little sloppy here lately.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 26, 2021 9:39:51 GMT -5
Jen McCaffrey @jcmccaffrey 52m The Red Sox are just 3-17 when scoring fewer than four runs. They’re hitting .246 with a runner on third and less than two outs. With tougher opponents on the horizon that might become more of a problem soon
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 26, 2021 10:12:29 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier ·
The Red Sox offense has been excellent this year - but surprisingly awful in the most promising scoring situations. Since 5/7, it’s 2-for-27 (.074/.152/.111) w/runners on 3rd, <2 outs. ‘We haven’t done the job.’
Small sample, etc. - both for individual players and the team. But the Red Sox are having some really bad at-bats while looking to drive in runners from 3rd with groundballs rather than doing what they do really well.
Either way: a lot of squanders for the team so far, including some in a few one- and two-run losses.
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