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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 5, 2021 3:59:09 GMT -5
Rafael Devers, Red Sox put a fast end to long losing skid in New York By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated June 4, 2021, 10:02 p.m.
NEW YORK — The Yankees dominated the Red Sox the last couple of seasons. Entering this weekend, the Red Sox had lost 11 in a row in the Bronx, carrying a 1-15 record overall at Yankee Stadium since the start of the 2019 season. During the shortened 60-game 2020 season, the Red Sox had an 0-6 road record against the Yankees.
Yet the Red Sox have shown this year that they are no longer a team that can live in mediocrity like they did in 2019, believing their talent can shift a season only to be bitten by injury and loss of time. Nor are they the club from 2020, wallowing in the dust of the American League East while searching for a new identity without manager Alex Cora — and attempting to do so in the wake of COVID-19.
So, in front of a crowd that has crept up to 33 percent capacity, the Red Sox emerged from the Yankees’ grip with a 5-2 win. It was the first Sox victory at Yankee Stadium since June 2, 2019.
“It’s a new year,” Red Sox starter Nate Eovaldi said. “We came in, we got a chip on our shoulders. We’re feeling good”
It looked as if Yankees starter Michael King would get out of a first-inning jam. With two on and two outs, King had Rafael Devers down 0-2 in the count. But on the third pitch of the at-bat, Devers steered King’s offering into the right field seats for his 15th homer of the season.
The homer was the prelude to a night that wasn’t an offensive clinic by the Red Sox. If anything, Friday was defined by timely hits and shrewd play.
That the Devers homer came on a fastball is an important development. He had just come off a four-game series in Houston in which the Astros threw him more than 50 straight fastballs. As great as Devers has been this season against breaking pitches, he’s struggled against the fastball, hitting just .190 on that pitch entering Friday. Teams, in turn, have tried to expose that hole in Devers’s swing, one the Red Sox believe had much to do with Devers overswinging, knowing the fastball was coming.
“We worked on a few things [Wednesday], trying to get his hands in a better spot and his lower half underneath him,” hitting coach Tim Hyers said Thursday. “I think the stride length in his lower body got too aggressive. And then I think that’s where the bat is dragging some.”
The Sox didn’t put much stock into Devers’s recent struggles with the fastball. He’s too good of a hitter for that to be a true concern. Devers tried not to give it much thought, either, and just tried to zero in on the process.
“Obviously they’re throwing a lot of fastball and I’m not mad at it,” Devers said with a smile. “I just make my adjustments and obviously I was able to hit that one pretty deep. That’s really what it’s all about is making the adjustments and trying to do what I can with it.”
The Sox struck again in the sixth when Marwin Gonzalez laced a two-out double down the third base line that scored two runs, bringing the lead to 5-0 and giving them a much-needed buffer. The Yankees haven’t come back from a deficit of more than three runs this year, and the Red Sox haven’t lost a game they led by more than two runs.
Eovaldi ran into a bit of a jam in the sixth inning. He surrendered a solo shot to Aaron Judge with two outs. After singles by Gio Urshela and Gleyber Torres, Rougned Odor grounded a ball to first that Gonzalez bobbled on the backhand and then threw away, allowing Urshela to score from second.
Eovaldi allowed eight hits over his six innings, but no walks and just one earned run while striking out seven.
“I’ve been feeling really well,” said Eovaldi, who moved to 7-2 on the year with a 3.78 ERA. “I’ve been working in between starts trying to take the things I’m working on in the bullpens out there into the games and really trying to mix my pitches.”
The book on the Yankees is if you keep them in the ballpark, you can beat them. This season, though, the home run hasn’t been their friend. They were tied for 14th in the majors entering Friday with just 67, and, in turn, they have looked out of sorts without an approach at the dish. The Yankees had just a .227 batting average before Friday, which was the fifth-worst in baseball.
The Red Sox took full advantage of those struggles in this first contest, striking out 15 Yankee hitters, which, in part, led to New York leaving 13 men stranded on the bases.
“It was a good all-around game,” Cora said. “We did a good job keeping them off balance. It was a really good one.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 5, 2021 4:03:26 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Reliever Ryan Brasier stable in Fort Myers after being struck in head by line drive By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated June 4, 2021, 7:57 p.m.
NEW YORK — Red Sox reliever Ryan Brasier was struck in the head with a line drive Friday during a simulated game in Fort Myers. Manager Alex Cora said Brasier got hit in the temple area but is stable. Nevertheless, the righthander was hospitalized and will be monitored for the next 24 hours.
“I actually had texted with him not too long ago,” Cora said Friday before Friday’s 5-2 win in the series opener vs. the Yankees. “Obviously [he’s] not happy. We’re going to have more information throughout the day and then tomorrow. I just asked you guys to pray for him and your thoughts for his family.”
Brasier suffered a left calf strain in March. The team planned on sending him on a rehab assignment next week, but those plans have changed.
“It’s been a tough four or five months for him,” Cora said. “We put baseball out of the equation and there’s another human being and we just want him to be healthy.”
Brandon Workman made his season debut Thursday by closing out the Sox’ 5-1 win vs. the Astros in Houston. Workman struck out two in the ninth inning but did allow a Yuli Gurriel solo shot to left.
Workman struggled to find his footing after he was traded to the Phillies last summer, posting a 6.92 ERA in just 13 innings with the club. He followed that up this season with a 6.75 ERA in eight innings with the Cubs before he was released.
“I just was in some bad mechanical habits,” Workman said Thursday. “I wasn’t on the ball the way I needed to and then it kind of snowballed on me a little bit. I feel like I made an adjustment toward the end, but then the 60-game season was over. And I didn’t really have time to right the ship once I got that far off track.”
Despite averaging just 92.1 miles per hour on his four-seam fastball for his career, Workman’s velocity — which dipped in 2020 and this year with the Cubs — is important. It helps dictate the success of his curveball. Additionally, Workman’s cutter is important to his mix, but was eliminated from his arsenal last season. The Red Sox plan on having him utilize that cutter again this year.
“I think it changes the eye level of the hitter,” Cora said. “It’s that vertical attack. But then when you got something away from that, it gives you more options as a pitcher. And he can get swings and misses. He can induce people to weak contact.” Benintendi deal completed
The Andrew Benintendi trade is finally complete. The Red Sox announced they have acquired minor league righthanders Luis De La Rosa and Grant Gambrell from the Royals, in addition to minor league outfielder Freddy Valdez from the New York Mets as the players to be named later in the Feb. 10 trade that sent Benintendi to Kansas City. De La Rosa, 18, pitched 38⅔ innings in the Dominican Summer League in 2019. He fanned 52 batters and posted a 2.33 ERA in that span. Gambrell, a third-round draft choice by the Royals in 2019, has a 4.37 ERA this year in 22⅔ innings of work in High A. Valdez, 19, hit .274/.367/.448 with six homers in 2019 between the Dominican Summer League and rookie ball during 2019 . . . Michael King took the ball for the Yankees in Friday’s series opener. King, a 12th-round pick by the Marlins in 2016, played at Boston College . . . Cora said he has been in touch with Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy, whose team took a 2-1 lead in their playoff series against the New York Islanders with Thursday’s overtime win. “They asked me for suggestions for a few things in the playoffs,” Cora said. “And we go back and forth. We give each other ideas. And the more time you spend in the city and working here, you become fans of the teams that you’re surrounded by. I don’t know much about hockey, but I’m pulling for the Bruins.” . . . Team USA beat Canada, 10-1, in Friday’s Olympic qualifier. Jarren Duran was 3 for 5 with a double, triple, two runs scored, and an RBI. Triston Casas was 1 for 4 with a double, RBI, and a run. Team USA’s next game is Saturday (7 p.m.) vs. Venezuela.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 5, 2021 4:05:17 GMT -5
At last, Nate Eovaldi’s results finally catching up to his potential By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated June 4, 2021, 11:34 p.m.
NEW YORK — Nate Eovaldi looks like an ace. He’s tall, strong, and throws 100 miles per hour with shocking ease. Every year he shows up at spring training clearly having spent a lot of time in the gym.
The Red Sox invested $68 million in Eovaldi after the 2018 season because he checked off all the boxes.
“He’s such a pro. He goes about it the right way,” Sox manager Alex Cora said. “It doesn’t matter the result; his process is up there with the best of them. He works his tail off and he studies.”
But as much as managers and coaches value the process, results are what matter and Eovaldi’s performance has never matched up to his potential.
This is the righthander’s 10th season in the major leagues and he’s yet to win more than 12 games in a season or strike out even 150, never mind 200.
All-Star Games: none. Cy Young Award votes: none. Eovaldi was 9-6 with a 4.50 earned run average in 44 games for the Red Sox coming into this season.
Injuries have always gotten in the way. Eovaldi was on the injured list six times between 2013-20 with an assortment of issues, including an elbow injury that led to a second Tommy John surgery.
Now, finally, his process is working.
The Red Sox beat the Yankees, 5-2, on Friday night with Eovaldi going six innings and allowing one earned run. He improved to 7-2 and dropped his ERA to 3.78.
For only the sixth time in his career, the second with the Sox, Eovaldi went at least six innings without a walk while striking out seven.
That’s the pitcher the Sox thought they signed and the one they will need all summer to remain in contention.
“With Nate, every five days it’s 99, 100. You saw it today. I think he threw four pitches in a row at 100 at one point,” Cora said.
“But then he mixes in his breaking ball, his split, his cutter. It’s cool to see.”
The most important pitch Eovaldi threw was in the first inning. After DJ LeMahieu and Giancarlo Stanton started the inning with singles, Eovaldi threw a high fastball that Aaron Judge grounded to second to start a double play.
The Yankees have been struggling offensively for weeks now and a crooked number in the first inning would have charged up their dugout and the crowd.
But Eovaldi snuffed the rally out with that fastball.
“Huge for me,” he said.
The Yankees didn’t score until the sixth inning and by then the Sox had built a 5-0 lead.
Judge hit a solo home in the sixth inning, only the second home run Eovaldi has allowed this season. The other run New York scored was unearned because of a double error by first baseman Marwin Gonzalez on two-out ground ball.
Eovaldi pitched at least five innings in 11 of his 12 starts and allowed two or fewer earned runs eight times. This is his best start to a season since 2015 when he was with the Yankees.
“I think it’s just the consistency of my off-speed pitches,” he said. “I feel really good mechanically. There’s just a couple of things I want to stay on top of. First-pitch strikes, that’s the thing we’ve been pounding on all season.”
Red Sox starters have a 3.99 ERA, one of the best in the American League.
Outside of Eduardo Rodriguez, who starts Saturday night against Jameson Taillon, all of the starters have ERAs under 4.00.
“We always talk about hitting being contagious. I think pitching, too,” Cora said. “These guys, every day it’s been solid since Day 1.”
Dave Bush didn’t have much to work with last year in his first season as pitching coach. His emphasis on getting ahead, working quickly and attacking hitters is making a difference.
Eovaldi could be a dawdler at times in past seasons. Now he’s picking up the tempo. It’s not at Nick Pivetta’s breakneck pace but it’s an improvement. The game actually lasted only 2 hours, 49 minutes. That’s usually six or seven innings when these teams play.
“When guys are throwing strikes, this is what happens,” Cora said.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 5, 2021 4:07:25 GMT -5
Julian McWilliams @byjulianmack · 8h All five of the Red Sox runs have come with two outs.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 5, 2021 4:07:57 GMT -5
Brendan Kuty @brendankutynj · 7h Boos reigning down on Brett Gardner.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 5, 2021 4:08:32 GMT -5
Christopher Smith @smittyonmlb · 6h Red Sox's Hirokazu Sawamura: K'd Sanchez swinging, 92.4 mph splitter K'd Gardner looking, 97.3 mph four-seamer K'd LeMahieu swinging, 93.3 mph splitter Walked Stanton K'd Aaron Judge looking, 95.8 mph four-seamer K'd Gio Urshela swinging, 92.9 mph splitter Gleyber Torres pop-out
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 5, 2021 4:09:51 GMT -5
Red Sox Notes @soxnotes · 6h This is only the 2nd time Red Sox pitchers have recorded 15+ strikeouts with 1 or 0 walks at Yankee Stadium. They also did that on 9/10/99, when Pedro Martinez had 17 strikeouts and 0 walks in a complete game.
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 6h Pedro Martinez allowed just one hit in that game -- a solo home run by Chili Davis. Considering the opponent and the venue, it's a top-3 performance at minimum by a #RedSox starter in my lifetime.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 5, 2021 4:11:26 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 ·
Cora -- 'I always knew we had a good team.'
'A lot of people questioned our pitching -- this is night and day compared to last year. Let's be honest.' #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 5, 2021 4:12:07 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 ·
Cora on Xander Bogaerts -- 'Our shortstop -- he hates when I say this. But he's the one who runs the show.'
'All the accolades should be out there, because he is that great.' #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 5, 2021 4:14:21 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 7h Alex Cora -- 'It was a good all-around game. We did a good job keeping them off balance.' #RedSox
Cora said Ottavino is fine. Went with Sawamura in that spot because he was confident in him. #RedSox
Cora on Eovaldi -- 'He's such a pro. He goes about it the right way.' #RedSox
Cora on Devers -- 'He saw a lot of fastballs in Houston. He's a smart hitter.'
'He put some good swings toward the end in Houston. He made some adjustments.' #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 5, 2021 4:16:20 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 6h Eovaldi -- 'It's a big game. Any time you're playing a team in our division it's a big game.' #RedSox
Eovaldi -- 'Any guy in their lineup is a threat at any given time. The minute you give in on anybody is when the game kind of humbles you.' #RedSox
Nathan Eovaldi -- 'I felt like after the 1st inning they were kind of sitting soft on me and I was able to attack their hitters.' #RedSox
Eovaldi -- 'I know in '15 I had a really good win-loss ratio. As long as I can give the team a chance to win, that's what I'm trying to do.' #RedSox
Eovaldi on losing 15 of 16 at Yankee Stadium -- 'It's a new year. We come in and we've got a chip on our shoulders. We're feeling good.' #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 5, 2021 4:17:12 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 6h Devers -- 'They're throwing me a lot of fastballs. I'm not mad at it. I'm making my adjustments.' #RedSox
Devers -- 'We haven't had that much success since 2019 against this club here. It's extremely important to get this win here.' #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 5, 2021 4:26:48 GMT -5
Lou Merloni @loumerloni · 7h Matt Barnes is a different animal this year. Yankees just found out as the Sox beat the most overrated team in Baseball. I tried to tell you before the year started.
Good news Yankee fans, at least you’re under the CBT.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 5, 2021 4:29:41 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox notebook: Alex Cora ‘pulling for Bruins,’ needs Bill Belichick’s cell number; Rafael Devers homers on 96 mph fastball Updated 2:22 AM; Today 2:05 AM
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
NEW YORK — Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora texted coach Bruce Cassidy to congratulate him after the Bruins beat the Washington Capitals in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Bruins lead their second round series against the Islanders 2-1 after an overtime victory Thursday.
“The more time you spend in the city and working here, you become fans of the teams you’re surrounded by,” Cora said before Boston’s game against the Yankees on Friday. “I don’t know much about hockey but I’m pulling for the Bruins. There’s nothing better in our city than to have parades. And they’ve put themselves in a great spot. They’re doing an outstanding job.”
Cora also texted Celtics’ Brad Stevens to congratulate him on his promotion to president of basketball operations.
“I need Bill’s number,” Cora said about Patriots coach Bill Belichick who wore a Bruins cap to his Friday morning media availability. “I’ve got to make sure I get that one so I can text him and he can give me more tips on how to go through the season and win championships.”
A fast Red Sox-Yankees game?
Cora mentioned both Thursday and Friday that he expected slow games this weekend.
But the Red Sox took just 2 hours, 49 minutes to beat the Yankees here Friday. Boston won 5-2.
“We were swinging,” Cora said. “When guys are throwing strikes, this is what happens. You put ‘em 0-1, 0-2, it’s tough to hit. And for us to be able to play this game and win it and be a short one, that’s a first for me.”
Devers connects on 96 mph fastball
Rafael Devers entered Friday batting .190 with a .405 slugging percentage against fastballs this season.
His difficulties with fastball promoted the Houston Astros to throw him 50-plus straight heaters this week.
But he had no problem bashing an 0-2, 96.1 mph fastball from Yankees starter Michael King out of Yankee Stadium. Devers’ three-run homer in the first inning traveled 429 feet to right field and left his bat at 112.4 mph.
“He saw a lot of fastballs in Houston,” Cora said. “He’s a smart hitter. He knows these guys have special fastballs, too. That one was up in the zone. He got on top of it and he crushed that one. He put some good swings toward the end in Houston. He made some adjustments. And that’s who he is. He looks lost for a little bit, then he’s one swing away from doing damage.”
Devers said through translator Bryan Almonte: “Obviously they’re throwing me a lot of fastballs. I’m not mad at it. I just make my adjustments and obviously I was able to hit that one pretty deep. That’s really what it’s all about is making the adjustments.”
Eovaldi improves to 7-2
Nathan Eovaldi improved to 7-2 with a 3.78 ERA in 12 starts.
He pitched 6 innings, allowing two runs (one earned run), eight hits and no walks while striking out seven.
Eovaldi threw 39 four-seam fastballs, averaging 97.7 mph and topping out at 100.7 mph, per Baseball Savant. He mixed in 17 cutters, 14 sliders, 12 curveballs and five splitters.
“Really trying to mix my pitches well,” Eovaldi said. “I felt like after the first inning, they were kind of sitting soft on me and I was able to attack them with the fastballs in the second, third and fourth innings. I feel like I was throwing the ball well into the fifth and sixth. It was just I wasn’t put the guys away as well I should have. I left a couple offspeed pitches down the middle and they were able to get on base. But I was able to get the double play balls when I needed to and get out of those situations.”
Eovaldi got Aaron Judge to ground into a double play in the first inning after the first two hitters reached. He got Giancarlo Stanton to grounded into a double play in the sixth after DJ LeMahieu singled to start the inning.
“Attack the hitters. It’s easier to attack the hitters when it’s 0-1 as opposed to 1-0,” Eovaldi said. “I think the curveball for me has been really effective. Not only the first pitch but doubling up on it and using it later in counts.”
He’s pleased with the consistency of his cutter.
“The cutter, the curveball and the fastball have been the biggest ones for me,” Eovaldi said.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 5, 2021 4:31:08 GMT -5
Red Sox Notes @soxnotes · 9h Rafael Devers was already leading the majors in XBH, but his 3-run HR in the first inning also moved him into a tie for the MLB lead in RBI (46).
Red Sox starters:
Pérez – 11 GS, 4-2, 3.09 ERA, 58.1 IP, 52 K Richards – 11 GS, 4-4, 3.75 ERA, 60.0 IP, 52 K Pivetta – 11 GS, 6-1, 3.77 ERA, 59.2 IP, 68 K Eovaldi – 12 GS, 7-2, 3.78 ERA, 66.2 IP, 65 K Rodriguez – 10 GS, 5-4, 5.64 ERA, 52.2 IP, 58 K
Total: 26-13, 3.97 ERA
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