|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 23, 2021 3:12:55 GMT -5
Red Sox maintain first place while spoiling Wander Franco’s impressive debut with extra-inning win By Julian Benbow Globe Staff,Updated June 23, 2021, 12:41 a.m.
If anyone understood the maelstrom of hype that followed Wander Franco into his major league debut Tuesday night at Tropicana Field, it was Red Sox manager Alex Cora. He had seen it before.
With the Sox set to be the first test for baseball’s next big thing, the best-case scenario by Cora’s estimation would have been if Franco had a long and wonderful career and a lousy, uneventful first series.
That didn’t happen. The Sox survived anyway, 9-5, in 11 innings.
Franco made his mark immediately, blasting his first home run in his third career plate appearance. But the Sox stared down the Rays, pushing through a four-inning drought without a baserunner, to pick up the win and push their lead in the AL East to 1½ games over the Rays.
“That’s a big-league win against a team that they’re the American League favorites,” Cora said. “Everybody thought coming to the season that that team, they have a chance to get back to the World Series and we did a good job against them.”
With the score locked at 5 in the 11th, the Rays were on their seventh pitcher of the night, Pete Fairbanks, and the Sox were just trying desperately to break through.
Xander Bogaerts led off the inning with Connor Wong at second base and worked a nine-pitch at-bat before shooting a single to left field to put runners on the corners. Then Bogaerts stole second to set up two runners in scoring position for Rafael Devers.
Devers got a 2-and-1 fastball and ripped it to right field for a two-run double that gave the Sox a 7-5 lead.
The Sox padded that lead the next at-bat with an RBI single from Hunter Renfroe, then got more cushion two batters later when Renfroe scored on a sacrifice fly from Kiké Hernández.
“There’s certain teams that you have to be aggressive,” Cora said. “If you sit back and wait for for the home run or three straight base hits, it’s not going to happen. I think we made a conscious effort to put the ball in play today.”
The Sox had to battle back after watching Franco erase an early lead with one swing. Related: Finn: There are some questions about the Red Sox, but no doubts about their resilience
The Sox were sitting comfortably on a 5-2 lead when Franco came to the fifth inning with runners on first and second. He had drawn a walk in his first at-bat and flew out to center in his second. But after seeing Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez twice, he came into the box eager.
Rodriguez left a first-pitch slider over the plate and Franco delivered the magic that the Rays had been waiting for.
He shipped Rodriguez’s pitch into the left-field bleachers. First major league hit, first major league home run. One tie game.
With one swing, Franco once again met the moment and, at the same time, took the air of a Sox team looking to get back on track after dropping two of three to the Kansas City Royals.
The Sox got six innings from Rodriguez, who gave up five runs (three earned) on seven hits with seven strikeouts.
He got through some turbulence in the first inning, when errors on the left side of the infield put him in a difficult spot. Devers booted a ground ball from Yandy Diaz to lead off the inning, Franco walked, and Randy Arozarena had an infield single to load the bases. With two outs, Francisco Mejia shot a ground ball to short, but Bogaerts bounced his throw to second, and the ball rolled into the outfield, allowing Diaz and Franco to score.
The Sox got Rodriguez out of the hole in the fifth inning thanks to a two-run double from J.D. Martinez, a sacrifice fly by Devers, and a two-run homer from Renfroe.
But the Sox went the next four innings without a baserunner. Pulling out a win came down to staying the course.
“If you take a look at the guys that we have in this roster, they have to earn everything that they have,” Cora said. “We’ve got a bunch of grinders, a bunch of guys that on other teams they didn’t play that much. They’re getting their opportunity to play here. We just like to play baseball. It’s a good baseball team.
“We still have to get better in certain things, I keep saying it. But at the end of the day, you tell us where and when, what time, it doesn’t matter. If it takes 2 hours and 45 minutes — or whatever it took today [4:21] — we will push until the end, no matter the result.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 23, 2021 3:15:39 GMT -5
Red Sox notebook New focus on illegal substances shouldn’t be foreign to Red Sox pitchers By Julian Benbow Globe Staff,Updated June 23, 2021, 12:32 a.m.
With a day off Monday, Red Sox manager Alex Cora had time to flip between the College World Series to support his brother’s alma mater (Vanderbilt) and the first slate of Major League Baseball games being played under the watchful eye of umpires monitoring pitchers for sticky substances.
Overall, the games were business as usual. Sights such as Mets ace Jacob deGrom being met by an umpire and laughing as he gave his glove and hat up for inspection are a part of the new normal.
“First things first, the way the deGrom did it, he’s the best pitcher on the planet and he took no exception, so everybody should follow suit,” Cora said.
The league began its crackdown on outlawed substances Monday, and despite concerns about the pace of play, Cora said he didn’t notice any significant issues with the process.
“I didn’t see a problem,” Cora said. “It was just a normal day. I don’t know how much it changed the pace of the game and all that, but it seemed like every pitcher, they were OK with it.”
The Sox’ first experience with the new policy came Tuesday in their 9-5 extra-inning win against the Rays. Cora said he expected pitchers to abide knowing that eyes will be on them the rest of the season.
“We’ll see how it goes,” Cora said. “I don’t think you’re going to put yourself in a situation to get suspended — now, next week, in a month, in August or September. I don’t think pitchers are going to do that. They’re just going to pitch make adjustments if they have to make adjustments and keep moving forward.” Wander Franco makes debut
The hype around the debut of the Rays’ Wander Franco, baseball’s top prospect, reminded Cora of the whirlwind that met young slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. when he entered the league in 2019.
“Very similar to the hype with Vladdy, right?” Cora said. “The only thing is that Vladdy, he’s Vladdy Jr.”
Cora said the skill set of the 20-year-old infielder speaks for itself.
“Controls the strike zone, very athletic, versatile, he can do a lot of stuff on the field,” Cora said. “We saw him a little bit in spring training. Very physical for his age. He’s very strong. They got a good one. He’s a good player. Obviously, we want to get him out and not have a great week against us.”
With the Sox leading the AL East and the Rays just a half-game behind them, Cora said it was only right that there were added eyes on Franco’s first game.
“As far as the baseball world, it’s a big day, right?” Cora said before Franco went 2 for 4 with a double and a three-run homer. “The No. 1 prospect in baseball, he’s making his debut. He’s hitting second, playing third in a series that people are paying attention. And the future is bright for this kid.” Caught in the moment
Worcester catcher Connor Wong arrived at Polar Park early Monday to pack up for the team’s road trip to Rochester.
“I got on the bus and was in a sleeper reading a book when [Worcester manager Billy McMillion] came looking for me and said, ‘You want to go to the big leagues?’
“Billy can be a jokester and I asked if he was messing with me. I wasn’t too sure. But it was true. It was an amazing feeling.”
Wong, 25, didn’t have any family or friends at Tropicana Field on Tuesday. But his fiancée, Danielle, is planning to be at Fenway Park on Friday along with other family and friends.
Wong, who was given No. 74, said he caught most of the major league pitching staff during spring training and feels comfortable working with them.
“I’ll work on getting to know them better this week,” Wong said.
Although Wong was hitting just .148 with one homer and seven RBIs with the Triple A team, Cora said he impressed in spring training and earned the trust of the pitching staff.
“I do believe the people that saw him last year and the people are working with him this year, they’re very comfortable with him ― I’m very comfortable,” Cora said. “We talk a little bit in spring training, it’s something about him that just there’s calm behind the plate. There’s not a lot of emotion. He just goes about his business. He’s a good athlete.”
Wong was called on in the 11th to run for J.D. Martinez and soon scored what proved to be the winning run.
With catcher Kevin Plawecki still nursing tightness in his left hamstring after chasing down an errant throw in Sunday’s loss to the Royals, Cora said he intends to use Wong in Plawecki’s role. He is expected to start Sunday.
Second baseman Christian Arroyo, who also left Sunday’s loss after suffering a bruise on his right shin, was available.
“He’s banged up, just sore,” Cora said. “He got treatment [Monday] and he’s going to get treatment [Tuesday]. Hopefully, he’ll be available tomorrow but we’ve just got to be smart about it, especially with that surface [at Tropicana Field]. It’s hard enough when you’re healthy. I can’t imagine when you’re a little bit banged up.” Better and better
Chris Sale threw another bullpen session in Portland with the Sea Dogs. He’s scheduled to throw again Saturday against hitters. “We’re going to push it back because of the schedule that we have, getting in late,” Cora said. “But so far, so good. He’s in a good position. He feels great.” . . . Hunter Renfroe, who played for the Rays last season, was presented with his American League champions ring by manager Kevin Cash before the game.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 23, 2021 3:17:54 GMT -5
Wander Franco lived up to the hype, but the Red Sox — and debutant Connor Wong — had the last laugh By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated June 22, 2021, 11:54 p.m.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Wander Franco rolled up to Tropicana Field on Tuesday afternoon in a Rolls Royce Cullinan that sells for $330,000.
When the 20-year-old popped out of the Tampa Bay dugout at 6:51 p.m. to start warming up, the crowd noticed right away and cheered. Franco responded by pumping his knees a little faster as he ran across the outfield behind second base. The cheers got louder.
The top prospect in baseball drew a walk and came around to score his first time up and was out on a fly ball to center field the second time.
Franco arrived at the plate in the fifth inning still needing a signature moment in his major league debut. It came when he belted a game-tying three-run homer off Eduardo Rodriguez.
Rodriguez threw a curveball below the strike zone, but Franco went down and got it. The ball sizzled into the bleachers in left field for the first of what are sure to be many home runs.
“I felt super good in that at-bat,” Franco said through a translator. “I knew I was going to hit a home run because that was the pitch I was looking for.”
Franco popped out of the dugout for a curtain call and waved to the fans.
“The fans had come out to support me,” he said. “I wanted to thank them.”
When Franco came back to the plate in the seventh inning, the crowd had a “Let’s go Franco” chant ready. He responded with a double off Josh Taylor.
It looked easy for him, and maybe it is. Franco hit .332 with a .933 OPS in the minors, racing through the Rays system after being signed for $3.82 million out of the Dominican Republic in 2017.
“What a good player he is, the way he controls the at-bat,” Sox manager Alex Cora said.
When the Red Sox threatened to take the lead in the eighth inning, Franco saved the Rays with a play at third base. He scooped up a grounder from Hunter Renfroe and chased down Rafael Devers as he approached third.
Devers ran out of the baseline and was called out. Franco’s throw to first got Renfroe by half a step for a double play. It was a terrific play, especially for a rookie who played mostly shortstop coming up.
“Everything that’s said about him is true,” said a National League scout. “He’s a physical presence on the field. Your eyes are drawn to him.”
It took one game for Franco to become the most notable and popular member of the Rays. The game drew only 12,994 fans but they were loud and engaged.
“I’ve never seen anything like that in this building,” Cora said.
So were the many Red Sox fans on hand after the visiting team ruined Franco’s debut by winning 9-5 in 11 innings.
Even with Franco going 2 for 4, the Rays extended their losing streak to seven games. Four of those losses have come in extra innings.
The Sox now have a 1 1/2-game lead in the division, their largest since May 16. They have won all four games against the Rays this season. Related: Finn: There are some questions about the Red Sox, but no doubts about their resilience
The go-ahead run was scored by another player making his major league debut, backup catcher Connor Wong. The 25-year-old pinch-ran for J.D. Martinez at second base to start the final inning and scored on a Devers double.
The Rays gave Franco No. 5, the kind of number a player gets when he’s going to stick around. The Sox gave Wong No. 74, which is what you get when you’ll be going back to the minors for more seasoning.
But Wong, who was one of the prospects obtained from the Dodgers in the Mookie Betts trade, can forever say he helped win the game on his debut. That’s something Franco won’t have on his resume.
The game ended with Franco on deck as Wong came out to the field to shake hands with his new teammates.
The night belonged to No. 5. The win belonged to No. 74.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 23, 2021 3:20:55 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 5h Adam Ottavino is proving to be the classic 'how I feel' versus 'results' reliever.
You might not feel safe with him, but he tends to put up regular zeroes as of late. #RedSox
What in the holy hell has infested The Trop.
This is shameful baseball in the 10th. #RedSox
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 23, 2021 3:22:11 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 5h This is as loud and engaged as I've seen a crowd at the Trop in a long time.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 23, 2021 3:22:56 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 5h Sox run themselves out of the inning.
1st and 3rd, no outs and they can't score.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 23, 2021 3:23:34 GMT -5
Stats By STATS @statsbystats · 4h Connor Wong of the @redsox pinch-ran in the 11th tonight and scored the go-ahead run in his MLB debut.
He's the first AL player to pinch-run in extra innings and score in his debut since Cal Ripken Jr. did it on August 10, 1981.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 23, 2021 3:24:02 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 4h Wander Franco on his home run: “I felt super good in that at-bat. I knew I was going to hit a home run because that was the pitch I was looking for.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 23, 2021 3:26:37 GMT -5
Tom Caron @tomcaron · 4h The #RedSox are 7-0 against the #Rays and #Yankees. They were 4-16 against them last season.
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 4h Great point by Tom. And they were 12-26 against those two teams in 2019, effectively demolishing their hopes of a wild card.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 23, 2021 3:32:19 GMT -5
Lou Merloni @loumerloni · 5h This would be stealing a win. They should have won this game awhile ago.
Long ass weird, entertaining game. This would be a huge win for the Sox.
I would agree. Lesser teams lose these games. They almost did but they get a break and take advantage of it.
And the Yanks lost on a Cole night? Hate seeing that. Sox up 1 and a 1/2.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 23, 2021 3:33:21 GMT -5
Red Sox Notes @soxnotes · 5h The Red Sox are 3-0 in extra-inning games on the road.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 23, 2021 3:38:57 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox use aggressive offensive approach to beat Rays in wacky game: ‘We’ve got a bunch of grinders,’ Alex Cora says Updated 4:23 AM; Today 4:12 AM
By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
Acknowledging that his team is in the middle of an 162-game marathon, Red Sox manager Alex Cora has been careful not to “chase wins” so far this season. On Tuesday at Tropicana Field, he reversed course.
Cora managed aggressively in the final innings of Boston’s dramatic 9-5, 11-inning win over the Rays, trying to force the action in all aspects of the game. He made a series of pitching changes, told his hitters to have an active approach against Tampa Bay’s pitchers and put on more baserunning plays than usual. The strategy worked out.
“For how weird it was, it was the way we wanted to play against these guys,” Cora said. “We’re not going to sit back against them and let them do what they do.”
In a game full of odd plays on the basepaths and other wonky developments between the division rivals, it seemed as though the Red Sox decided to go all-in when the game was tied late. In the eighth inning, Rafael Devers was doubled off trying to advance to third base on a Hunter Renfroe grounder. In the 10th, Bobby Dalbec was thrown out trying to score on a passed ball and Alex Verdugo was gunned down attempting to nab second base with runners on the corners. In the 11th, when the Sox plated four runs to clinch the win, Cora was pleased with their offensive approach against reliever Pete Fairbanks.
“There’s certain teams that you have to be aggressive,” Cora said. “If you sit back and wait for the home run or three straight base hits, it’s not going to happen. Those guys, they do that to you. I think we made a conscious effort today. There was a lot of hits to the opposite field, kind of like what we did in the series at home.”
Runs came in bunches for the Red Sox on Tuesday, as the club scored five times off lefty Ryan Yarbrough in the third inning -- then had only one hitter baserunner in a six-inning span -- before breaking things open in the 11th. After Xander Bogaerts hit a leadoff single to advance automatic runner Connor Wong and then stole second, Devers hit a two-run double to give Boston the lead with no outs. Renfroe plated Devers with an RBI single and Kiké Hernández hit a sacrifice fly to add insurance runs.
The fact the Red Sox were able to string together three straight hits after a long offensive outage was pleasing to Cora.
“(The Rays) shift and they put themselves in positions that they expect the ball to be hit,” he said. “You have to put pressure on them. Sometimes, it looks weird or it looks like it’s bad, but we don’t mind that. We don’t. We have to do it because they’re that good from the mound.”
After trailing 2-0 early, the Sox came back for their major-league leading 25th come-from-behind win this season. Boston is now 4-0 against the Rays this season and holds a 1 ½ game lead over the reigning American League champions in the AL East.
“If you take a look at the guys we have on this roster, they have to earn everything that they have,” Cora said. “We’ve got a bunch of grinders, a bunch of guys that, on other teams, they didn’t play that much. They’re getting their opportunity to play here.
“We just like to play baseball,” he said. “It’s a good baseball team that, we still have to get better on certain things. I keep saying it. But, at the end of the day, you’ll tell us where, when and at what time, it doesn’t matter if it takes two hours and 45 minutes or whatever it took today. We’ll push ‘til the end no matter of the result. It’s a testament to who they are.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 23, 2021 3:54:43 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Rays 23rd June 2021 7pm @ Trop
Richards 4-4/4.36
Richards gave up six runs -- four earned -- and seven hits in four-plus innings Wednesday against the Braves. On the plus side, Richards doubled for his first hit in 20 major league at-bats. The pitching, though, again left something to be desired. He's allowed 10 runs -- eight earned -- in 9 1/3 innings over his last two starts, taking his ERA back up to 4.36.
Hill 5-2/3.64
Hill yielded four runs over five innings on Thursday in a no-decision against the Mariners. Hill surrendered six hits, including two-run homers to Luis Torrens and Ty France, respectively, across five frames. He struck out five batters and only handed out one free pass. He generated only five swinging strikes and finished with a pedestrian 30 percent CSW (called strikes plus whiffs). The 41-year-old left-hander has compiled a solid 3.64 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 73/24 K/BB ratio across 71 2/3 innings (14 starts) this season.
Boston Red Sox vs.Tampa Bay Rays Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at 7:10pm EDT Written by Nick Raffoul
The Boston Red Sox will play the second game of their American League East series clash against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Wednesday night.
Seven straight losses have dropped the Rays to second place in the AL East standings. Despite the slide, Tampa Bay sits just 1.5-games behind the Red Sox for the top spot in the division race with a 43-30 overall record. Boston squeezed out a 9-5 extra-innings win in the series opener on Tuesday to improve to 44-29 through its first 73 contests.
Can the Red Sox widen the gap in the AL East standings with another with on the road in Tampa Bay on Wednesday?
Boston counting on Richards to increase AL East-lead The Red Sox are scheduled to hand the ball to veteran right-hander Garrett Richards on Wednesday night. The Red Sox right-hander hasn’t won a start since May 19 and he’s labored through his last two starts, allowing 10 runs (eight earned) in just 9 ⅓ innings of work. Last time out, Richards gave up six runs (four earned) in four frames versus the Atlanta Braves but was lucky enough to escape with a no-decision in an eventual 10-8 Red Sox win. The 33-year-old comes in with a 4-4 overall record to go along with a 4.36 ERA in 14 starts and he’s performed much better on the road (3-1, 3.38 ERA) compared to at home (1-3, 6.46 ERA) this season.
On a one-year deal, Richards’ biggest challenge coming into the season was staying healthy and he’s done exactly that thus far. While it might not seem like a heavy workload, his 14 starts and 74 ⅓ innings are his most since the 2018 season. The Red Sox right-hander last made 20+ starts in a season back in 2015, which is something he’s currently on track to do in Boston.
Despite the clean bill of health, Richards has struggled with his command this season, walking 4.24 batters per nine innings of work. If that mark stands, it would be his highest mark in a full season since 2012. Some of Richards’ struggles have been a result of bad luck though, as he’s given up a .350 BABIP so far this year.
Richards hasn’t faced the Rays since the 2015 season but he’s had some success against Tampa Bay in his career. In four starts versus the Rays, the Red Sox veteran is 3-1 with a 4.22 ERA. Per Baseball Savant, current Rays are batting a healthy .529 in 19 plate appearances off of him ahead of Wednesday’s start.
Hill seeks bounce back outing vs. division-leading Red Sox The Rays called up the MLB’s top prospect in Wander Franco on Tuesday against the Red Sox and the 20-year-old did not disappoint. Franco’s first career MLB was a memorable one, as the shortstop flashed his power with a three-run home run off of Red Sox lefty Eduardo Rodriguez to tie the game in the fifth inning. He finished the game 2-for-4 with a walk and three RBIs on the night.
Tampa Bay is expected to counter with curveball-throwing lefty Rich Hill, who has run into trouble over his last two starts. Hill gave up four earned runs for the second consecutive outing in his last start against the Seattle Mariners but escaped with a no-decision in five innings of work. Prior to his last two appearances, the Rays’ lefty had been puzzling opposing hitters, posting a 0.99 ERA in an eight-start span dating back to April 26. The 41-year-old has been reliable in his first season in Tampa Bay, going 5-2 with a 3.64 ERA in 14 starts.
At age 41, Hill doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon. The southpaw has fanned a healthy 9.17 batters per nine innings of work while holding opposing hitters to a slim .199 batting average this season. While he normally reliables on his fastball and curveball, the Rays’ veteran has been relying more on his secondary off-speed pitches this season.
This will be Hill’s first start of the season against the Red Sox. He’s made seven career appearances and one start against Boston, going 0-0 with a lifetime 12.86 ERA in those matchups. According to Baseball Savant, Hill has limited the current Red Sox roster to a slim .226 batting average in 58 plate appearances coming into Wednesday’s series finale at the Trop.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 23, 2021 6:44:18 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox notebook: Connor Wong scores winning run in MLB debut, Eduardo Rodriguez shows improvement; Wander Franco wows Alex Cora, Rafael Devers Today 6:00 AM
By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
In the same game Rays top prospect Wander Franco broke into the majors with a clutch home run and a double, another rookie accomplished something historic. Red Sox catcher Connor Wong -- who was called up earlier in the day -- did something that had not been done in the American League in 40 years.
Wong pinch ran as the automatic runner in the 11th inning of Boston’s 9-5 win and scored the winning run, becoming the first AL player to pinch-run in extra innings and score since Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. did so on Aug. 10, 1981. Wong did not record a plate appearance in his MLB debut but still was able to make an impact.
“Wong did a good job with his secondary lead at second, his primary lead,” said Sox manager Alex Cora. “It’s not an easy spot: ‘Hey, go ahead, you’re the winning run so don’t get thrown out. Don’t get picked off. Don’t get doubled off.’ He did a good job and we’re very happy he’s with us.”
Wong will serve as the backup to Christian Vázquez while Kevin Plawecki is on the injured list with a left hamstring strain. Wong is expected to start Sunday against the Yankees.
Franco wows Sox
Despite Boston’s win, the night very much belonged to Franco, who hit a game-tying, three run homer off Eduardo Rodriguez in the fifth inning and reached base three times. The 20-year-old showed why he is considered the consensus No. 1 prospect in baseball.
“What a good player he is, by the way,” said Cora. “The way he controls the at-bat, for how young he is. This building behind him, I’ve never seen anything like that in this building. For him to slow down the game, they’ve got a special one.”
Sox third baseman Rafael Devers, who hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the 11th, has known Franco for a few years and was excited to be on hand for his debut.
“It was great to see him,” Devers said. “He’s a special player and he’s someone I’ve actually known for a long time. He came to the same academy as I did. He’s definitely someone who is going to be fun to watch.”
Cora knows Franco could be a problem for the Red Sox for years to come.
“Obviously, we want to get him out and not have a great week against us,” Cora said. “But as far as the baseball world, it’s a big day. The No. 1 prospect in baseball, he’s making his debut. He’s hitting second, playing third in a series that people are paying attention. The future is bright for this kid.”
E-Rod shows signs of life
Rodriguez did something he had not done in nearly two months Tuesday night: deliver a quality start. The lefty allowed five runs (three earned) on seven hits while striking out seven Rays in six innings.
Considering Rodriguez had an 8.55 ERA in his last seven outings dating back to May 12, the outing was a step in the right direction.
“Overall, I felt really good,” Rodriguez said. “Especially I’ve been through the last six, seven or eight starts. All my pitches were working pretty good. The only mistake I made the whole game was that curveball that he hit out of the ballpark. Overall, with everything I felt good.”
Rodriguez gave up most of the damage on a curveball he hung to Franco in the fifth.
“It’s the big leagues,” he said. “You miss a spot and make a mistake, (the hitter) could be 20 years old or it could be Nelson Cruz, 40-something years old. If you miss a spot, you’re going to pay for it.”
Rodriguez will be back on the mound Sunday afternoon when the Sox host the Yankees at Fenway Park.
Substance checks go smoothly
The Red Sox’ first experience with umpires checking pitchers for foreign substances went off without a hitch, according to Cora. On a night when pitchers across the league -- like Washington’s Max Scherzer and Oakland’s Sergio Romo -- seemed to be bothered by the checks, the Red Sox had no issues
“Smooth,” Cora said. “Everybody, they understand what’s going on. The guys that came in later in the game actually waited or went straight to the umpire. I think it went well.”
Cora thinks the rule changes involving foreign substances will have an immediate impact.
“I don’t think you’re going to put yourself in a position to get suspended now, next week, in a month, in August or September,” he said. “I don’t think pitchers are going to do that.”
Richards up next
Righty Garrett Richards (4-4, 4.36 ERA) will take the ball for the Red Sox on Wednesday night opposite former Sox lefty -- and Mass. native -- Rich Hill (5-2, 3.64 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 23, 2021 9:17:15 GMT -5
The Red Sox passed their biggest test yet Current Time 0:04 / Duration 1:14
By Rob Bradford 3 hours ago
We get it, it's only June 23.
It's understood, Eduardo Rodriguez's six-inning, five-run outing isn't exactly going to shift the narrative surrounding the lefty.
Bobby Dalbec struck out four times. The Rays are playing poorly. Rafael Devers made another error.
The Red Sox' 11-inning, 9-5 win over Tampa Bay could certainly be simply classified as one that Alex Cora's team simply escaped with. But it was more than that.
Tuesday night offered the most powerful example to date of how this very imperfect Red Sox team has locked in on a most palatable path. They are good enough, and when it truly counts, even better than that.
"There was a lot of stuff. A lot of stuff," said Cora, whose team is now 1 1/2 games up on a Rays club that has lost seven in a row. "At the end, it’s a big league win against a team that they’re the American League favorites. Everybody thought coming into the season that team they have a chance to get back to the World Series and we did a good job against them."
The true measure of this win could be gauged in the final few frames. With the score tied, the Red Sox began each inning with a runner on base with nobody out. Adam Ottavino put a pair on base before retiring a hitter in the eighth. And Matt Barnes issued a leadoff walk before the reaping the benefits of the most bizarre play in a night chock full of bizarre plays ...
And in the 10th, it was Hirokazu Sawamura who managed to escape the always-uncomfortable extra-inning, man-on-second dynamic without giving up a run. That would pave the way for the Red Sox' four-run 11th, which in turned paved the way for a pretty important Red Sox win.
Maybe it was the Wander Franco-induced excitement at Tropicana Field. Perhaps it was baseball fans actually in attendance for a game that seemed to truly matter. But whatever the case, this one felt different.
The Hunter Renfroe homer. The big 11th-inning, two-run double from Devers. Connor Wong scoring his first major league run without a major league plate appearance. Even light-hitting Danny Santana somehow finding a way to plop a key bloop single into left field in the 11th to help start the rally.
This one felt like the 2021 Red Sox best resume-builder to date.
|
|