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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 24, 2021 13:27:33 GMT -5
Red Sox fielding woes catching up with them as AL East race tightens The Red Sox come into Thursday's game with an MLB-leading 54 errors.
By Khari Thompson June 24, 2021 | 12:39 PM
It’s hard to be mad about where the Red Sox are in the standings so far.
The team currently sits atop the AL East, leading the Tampa Bay Rays by half a game, and is tied for the third-best record in baseball after a start few experts predicted coming into 2021.
What’s more: The Sox still boast a top-10 offense despite some dropoff from their early-season performance. They also have some of the league’s best offensive players in Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez, and a resurgent Rafael Devers. Bogaerts and Devers in particular boast the highest WARs at their respective positions largely due to their offensive dominance.
While the Red Sox could use a spark offensively, especially at the top of the lineup, hitting and scoring runs isn’t the problem.
The team’s defense is slowly starting to look like one.
Though Boston’s overall defensive WAR for the season doesn’t look like anything to worry about — the Sox are firmly in the middle of the pack — they’ve had some games to forget in the field of late.
The Red Sox come into Thursday’s action leading Major League Baseball with 54 errors and have the second-lowest fielding percentage (.980).
They’ve committed at least one error in seven of their last 10 games — including another Wednesday night from Kiké Hernández that allowed a run to score — with three of those games including multiple miscues.
And even as the team has multiple players among the best at their position on offense, they conversely have some dubious distinctions on defense across the diamond.
The Red Sox have four players leading the league in errors at their main positions: Devers at third base (12 errors), Bobby Dalbec at first base (6), Christian Vázquez at catcher (6), and Hunter Renfroe in right field (4).
Devers’s 12 errors tie him for the fourth-highest total in the league; San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis leads with 16. Meanwhile, Renfroe’s four errors tie him for second among all outfielders behind St. Louis’s Tyler O’Neill (5).
Vázquez has played more games and recorded more putouts than any MLB catcher, suggesting he’s had more chances than most. But no other catcher near the top of the games-played/putouts-recorded list has nearly as many errors. Advertisement:
The team’s pitching staff, which has struggled of late and is adjusting to life without sticky substances for gripping the ball, is suffering as a result.
For the month of June, Boston has allowed more unearned runs (15) than any team except for the San Francisco Giants (18). The next team after the Red Sox is the Washington Nationals (11).
The fielding issues aren’t the sole reason Red Sox pitchers have struggled lately. Their fielder-independent pitching (4.98) and earned-run average (4.91) for June paint a grim picture.
But the pitching staff’s seeming regression toward the level most people anticipated coming into this year certainly doesn’t need help from errors behind it.
The Red Sox still have a team worthy of playoff contention and an offense that never relents. But to truly be a player in October, they need to play better in the field.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 24, 2021 13:44:02 GMT -5
Game 75: Red Sox at Rays lineups and notesBy Kris Rhim Globe Correspondent,Updated June 24, 2021, 11:00 a.m. Red Sox starter Garrett Richards lasted just 1⅔ innings in Wednesday night’s 8-2 loss to the Rays. Richards threw 54 pitches, allowing five runs (four earned), as Tampa Bay ended a seven-game losing streak. The Red Sox will put Nick Pivetta on the mound in the final game of the series Thursday night; the Rays and Sox split the first two games. Pivetta lasted five innings in his last start, against the Royals last Friday. The Sox lost that game, 6-3, and Pivetta allowed six hits and three runs. He’ll be opposite Michael Wacha, who is 1-2 with a 5.19 ERA for the Rays. Lineups RED SOX (44-30): 1. Michael Chavis (R) 2B 2. Alex Verdugo (L) LF 3. J.D. Martinez (R) DH 4. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS 5. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 6. Hunter Renfroe (R) RF 7. Enrique Hernandez (R) CF 8. Christian Vazquez (R) C 9. Bobby Dalbec (R) 1B Pitching: RHP Nick Pivetta (6-3, 4.36 ERA) RAYS (44-31): 1. Brandon Lowe (L) 2B 2. Wander Franco (S) SS 3. Randy Arozarena (R) RF 4. Austin Meadows (L) LF 5. Yandy Diaz (R) 1B 6. Ji-Man Choi (L) DH 7. Joey Wendle (L) 3B 8. Francisco Mejia (S) C 9. Kevin Kiermaier (L) CF Pitching: RHP Michael Wacha (1-2, 5.19 ERA) Time: 7:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Red Sox vs. Wacha: Christian Arroyo 0-2, Xander Bogaerts 2-5, Rafael Devers 0-5, Marwin Gonzalez 1-2, Kiké Hernández 4-12, J.D. Martinez 1-6, Hunter Renfroe 1-5, Danny Santana 1-2, Alex Verdugo 2-5, Christian Vázquez 2-5 Rays vs. Pivetta: Randy Arozarena 1-1, Kevin Kiermaier 0-1, Brandon Lowe 0-1, Manuel Margot 1-9, Austin Meadows 0-3, Francisco Mejía 0-1, Joey Wendle 0-2, Mike Zunino 0-1 Stat of the day: Devers has 23 game-tying or go-ahead hits this season, the most in the majors. Notes: The Red Sox are 4-1 against the Rays this season … The Rays are 14-3 in their past 17 games against division opponents ... Wacha is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in two career starts against the Red Sox ... In 20⅔ innings this month, Pivetta has surrendered 13 runs — all earned — and 22 hits; his ERA for June is 5.66 … In his one career appearance against the Rays, Pivetta earned a win, allowing two hits and no runs with four strikeouts in five innings ... After Thursday’s game, the Red Sox return home for a weekend series against the Yankees. Song of the Day: The Traveling Wilburys - Handle With Carewww.youtube.com/watch?v=1o4s1KVJaVA
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 24, 2021 14:19:21 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 9m #RedSox officially place Christian Arroyo (right knee contusion) on the 10-day IL. Michael Chavis recalled from Triple-A Worcester.
Boston had hoped to avoid this. Arroyo worked out on the field in Tampa prior to Wednesday's game. Suffered his injury Sunday in Kansas City.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 24, 2021 14:29:29 GMT -5
means squat seeing he will see nothing but high gas.
Christopher Smith @smittyonmlb · 2m Chavis was slashing .313/.370/.609/.979 with six homers and one double in 16 games during June for the WooSox.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 24, 2021 15:51:37 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 30m #RedSox just sent out a marketing email saying the weather would be good this weekend and tickets were available. Seems even the Yankees aren’t enough to get some people back to the park. Appears to be that way with a lot of teams.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2021 1:43:49 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 4h Sox walked off on a wild pitch. Wow.
1-0 Rays, final.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2021 1:49:21 GMT -5
Red Sox lose no-hit bid, AL East lead late 12:57 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
The Red Sox lost a no-hitter in the eighth inning, then lost the game and first place in the American League East in bizarre fashion in the bottom of the ninth on Thursday night at Tropicana Field.
When Francisco Mejía swung and missed at a curveball by Matt Barnes, the ball bounced away from Red Sox catcher Christian Vázquez and Manuel Margot came racing home to score with two outs in the bottom of the ninth for a walk-off 1-0 win for Tampa Bay.
“Yeah, I was trying to keep it in front of me, but it bounced hard off my chest, and it was a tough one,” said Vázquez.
The final play was ruled a wild pitch, and it certainly provided a wild ending to a thrilling game between two teams who could battle all summer and into the fall for the division title.
So it didn’t seem unreasonable when the first question to Red Sox manager Alex Cora in his post-game Zoom conference was if this was the toughest loss of the season for his 44-31 team.
“It all depends how you see it,” said Cora. “I thought it was a great baseball game. We ended up losing 1-0. We did a lot of good things, we did a lot of bad things. At the end, they get a good lead at third, the ball gets away from Christian, they win the game."
Though the Rays (45-31) took the rubber match of the three-game set to pull back in front in the division by a half-game, Cora was impressed with the way his team stacked up.
“I've got to be honest with you -- a lot of people, they didn't believe in this team before the season,” said Cora. “I think the way we played against these guys tonight shows how good we are. We have a lot of work to do. We know that. But we belong in the conversation. We're really good. It's going to be a fun summer in Boston.”
Thursday was clearly a fun night to watch Nick Pivetta pitch. The 28-year-old righty was lifted with a no-hitter in progress through 6 2/3 innings. He was at 100 pitches in a scoreless game.
Cora brought on lefty Josh Taylor, who extended his streak of scoreless outings to 22.
Tough decision?
“It wasn't tough,” said Cora. “It's a 0-0 game, we have one of the best lefties in the game, probably the best lefty throwing the ball in the game. It was a no-brainer.”
That didn’t make it any easier for the ultra-competitive Pivetta.
“I did not want to come out, but it’s not about me, it’s about the game,” Pivetta said. “It’s about winning baseball games. That’s what’s most important.”
Would Cora have handled it differently if the Red Sox had a lead?
“We didn't have the lead there, so I had to make the decision,” Cora said. “I don't know how I would've reacted if we had the lead.”
The Red Sox came agonizingly close to getting that lead in the top of the seventh, when Vázquez laced a single up the middle and Hunter Renfroe tried to score from second. But Kevin Kiermaier unleashed a 94.7-mph throw to the plate, and Renfroe was out at the plate on a close play. Cora challenged the call, but to no avail.
Kiermaier haunted the Red Sox again with one out in the eighth when he smashed a double to left against lefty Darwinzon Hernandez, costing Boston a chance at the 19th no-hitter in club history.
It would have been the second combined no-no for the club, and the first since June 23, 1917, when Babe Ruth walked the first batter of the game, then got ejected for punching the umpire and Ernie Shore went the rest of the way without giving up a hit.
Though the end result wasn’t what the Red Sox were looking for, that did nothing to diminish the performance by Pivetta, who was marvelous.
Pivetta walked two and struck out eight. In particular, his curveball was nasty, and he generated six of his 14 whiffs with that pitch.
Not only was Pivetta in complete control, but he was fired up. That was never more true than when Renfroe raced back to the wall and made a snow cone catch to rob Ji-Man Choi of extra bases for the second out in the sixth inning.
That was when it started to feel like something special could happen for Pivetta.
The way Pivetta reacted to the play, you would have thought it was October and not June.
“I have the utmost confidence in him making that play. I thought the ball might’ve gone out, but I’ve never pitched here before, so I wasn't really sure,” said Pivetta. “I was just really excited. It’s exciting baseball. It’s divisional [play]. No matter what, it's just fun, and the fans were into it and it’s exciting.”
And as Cora said even after a tough loss, the excitement might just be getting started for the Red Sox, who will entertain the Yankees for a three-game series that starts on Friday night.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2021 2:21:23 GMT -5
Jon Couture @joncouture · 5h Good eyes on the NESN cameras. #RedSox somehow spared another lack of fundamentals haunting them tonight.
Jon Couture @joncouture · 5h The #RedSox got within five outs of a no-hitter in this game, and I've spent the last hour dead convinced there's no way they can win it. It's kind of incredible.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2021 2:26:52 GMT -5
Tampa musters two hits, and it’s enough to beat Red Sox By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated June 24, 2021, 10:20 p.m.
The Red Sox didn’t allow a hit until there was one out in the eighth inning Thursday evening. The Red Sox didn’t allow a base runner until the fourth inning of what had the feeling of a Nick Pivetta no-hitter.
The Rays had only two hits: A Kevin Kiermaier double off reliever Darwinzon Hernandez in the eighth, and a Manuel Margot single off Matt Barnes in the ninth.
Yet the club dropped the game, 1-0, and thus their series at Tropicana Field. Margot scored the winning run after stealing second base, advancing to third when Christian Vázquez’s throw bounced into center field, then racing home when Barnes bounced an 0-1 curveball in the dirt to Francisco Mejia.
That came about an hour after manager Alex Cora’s decision to go to Josh Taylor with two outs in the seventh despite Pivetta not allowing a hit. A decision Cora doesn’t regret.
“It was a 0-0 game,” Cora said. “We have one of the best lefties in the game. Probably the best lefty throwing the ball in the game. And you know, it was a no-brainer.”
Pivetta agreed.
“It’s not about me,” Pivetta said. “It’s about the game. It’s about winning baseball games and that’s what’s most important. The matchups worked out really well.”
Suffice to say, he deserved much better than a no-decision. Related: ‘Everybody has their Pedroia stories.’ Here are some of the best tales from the Red Sox star’s rise to the majors
Much like the Sox rotation as a whole, Pivetta struggled entering Thursday night, with a 5.97 ERA in his previous six starts. He struck out 44 batters in that span, but he also yielded seven homers. Opponents hit .279 off him, with a .900 OPS.
Yet when Pivetta unleashed a 99-m.p.h. fastball, then a 81-m.p.h curveball to strike out the Rays’ Randy Arozarena (and the side) in the first inning, this night was clearly different.
“I think it just starts with going out there commanding the strike zone early, getting my pitches over and setting the tone,” Pivetta said.
The only four baserunners he allowed came on two walks, a hit-by-pitch, and a Michael Chavis error at first base.
Pivetta averaged 95.9 m.p.h on his four-seamer, his highest average velocity in any outing of at least 50 pitches in his career. The greatest threat against him came in the fifth. Following a Yandy Díaz walk, Ji-Man Choi laced what looked like a double over the head of Hunter Renfroe, but the Sox right fielder made a leaping grab.
With Choi coming up again in the seventh, and Austin Meadows on first after Chavis’s error, Cora went to his bullpen. Taylor, after an intentional walk, kept the game scoreless and Tampa hitless. Kiermaier broke up the combined no-no in the eighth, but Adam Ottavino defused a two-on rally, getting Arozarena to foul out.
Boston’s offense, however, didn’t do much more. Rays starter Michael Wacha nearly kept pace with Pivetta, not allowing his first hit until a two-out Vázquez bloop single in the fifth, with relievers Drew Rasmussen, Ryan Thompson, Matt Wisler, and J.P. Feyereisen (4-3) tossing four scoreless innings after he departed.
Boston’s best chance came in the seventh. Renfroe roped a leadoff double off Thompson, and Vázquez followed with a one-out single dumped into center field. Renfroe, a plus runner, got a late jump and hesitated when he rounded third, allowing Kiermaier to cut him down at the plate.
Vázquez was then picked off at second on a snap-throw by catcher Mejia to end the threat.
“I was a little too aggressive,” Vázquez said. “During my secondary lead, I was anticipating contact with Marwin [Gonzalez] hitting.” Related: Red Sox place Christian Arroyo on injured list with knee contusion
The Sox (44-31) fell a half-game back of the Rays for first place in the division, and turn their heads to the Yankees for a three-game set at Fenway beginning Friday evening. Even though the Sox dropped a heartbreaker, Cora saw some positives.
“A lot of people didn’t believe in this team before the season,” Cora said. “I think the way we played against these guys tonight shows how good we are. And we have a lot of work to do. We know that. But we belong in the conversation. We are really good.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2021 2:30:29 GMT -5
Removing starter Nick Pivetta in the seventh inning of a no-hitter was the right decision By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated June 25, 2021, 12:21 a.m.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — You don’t have to like Alex Cora’s decision to take Nick Pivetta out of the game with two outs in the seventh inning of a no-hitter on Thursday night.
You should hate it, in fact. We were all robbed of seeing what would have happened.
But you should also understand it had to be done.
Pivetta had thrown 100 pitches and was the deepest he had been in a game in more than two years. The Tampa Bay Rays also had a runner on second in a scoreless game.
The first, Ji-Man Choi, had crushed a line drive to right field in the fifth inning that Hunter Renfroe made a terrific leaping catch on.
Cora went to the mound and called for Taylor after a brief conversation with Pivetta.
“It wasn’t tough; it wasn’t tough,” Cora said. “It’s a 0-0 game. We have one of the best lefties in the game — probably the best lefty throwing the ball in the game. It was a no-brainer.”
The Sox intentionally walked righthanded-hitting pinch hitter Manuel Margot. Taylor faced Joey Wendle, the matchup Cora wanted all along, and retired him on a fly ball to left field.
That the Rays won the game, 1-0, on a wild pitch in the ninth inning leaves Cora open for second guessing. But there was no chance Pivetta was going to just keep throwing into the night.
Pivetta had faced one batter in the seventh inning all season and had not completed seven innings in a game since 2019. He also was on a pace to throw 130 pitches, which would have been the most in the majors this season.
The risk of injury was too great. The Sox don’t have the starter depth to take such chances. Related: ‘Everybody has their Pedroia stories.’ Here are some of the best tales from the Red Sox star’s rise to the majors
Their only trustworthy starter in Triple A, Tanner Houck, just came off the injured list. Chris Sale is roughly a month away from returning and Garrett Richards is clinging to his rotation spot as it is.
The Sox also don’t have a day off scheduled until July 8. Extending Pivetta wasn’t a chance Cora could take.
Pivetta wanted to stay in but understood why he came out.
“It’s not about me,” he said. “It’s about the game; it’s about winning baseball games and that’s what’s most important. The matchups worked out really well with [Taylor]. He’s been doing a great job all series with those lefties and that’s really important.”
Pivetta is tightly wound. But when Cora came to get him, he walked back to the dugout without showing any emotion.
“I don’t mind the decision at all,” Pivetta said.
Pivetta was the first Red Sox pitcher to be pulled from a no-hitter after six innings since Babe Ruth in 1916. So at least he’s in good company.
A far bigger issue for the Sox than any debate about Pivetta is that their level of play has taken a sharp downturn.
They committed two more errors on Thursday. That’s 11 in the last eight games, which have led to 10 unearned runs.
The Rays won the game and the series because of poor defense. Margot reached on a two-out single, stole second and went to third on a throwing error by catcher Christian Vazquez.
Matt Barnes threw a two-strike curveball in the dirt that Francisco Meija swung at and missed. But the ball got past Vazquez and Margot scored from third.
It made for a painful loss, the worst of the season.
The Sox lead the majors with 56 errors. They’re an outstanding offensive team and the pitching has been much better than anybody expected. But they’re not good enough to overcome that many defensive mistakes.
Pivetta deserved much better than pitching one of the best games of his career in a loss.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2021 2:34:27 GMT -5
Julian McWilliams @byjulianmack · 6h Remember when I said Christian Vázquez was an underrated/shrewd base runner? After further review, I take that back.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2021 2:37:36 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 3h Maybe that's too close to overturn and Mark Ripperger is right on it. But Renfroe sure came close.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2021 2:40:32 GMT -5
on a high FB same old Chavis
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 8h #RedSox strike out in their first plate appearance of the game for the 22nd time, 3rd most in the majors.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2021 2:41:52 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 6h Pivetta is done after 100 pitches and 6.2 IP.
Cold-blooded but in a 0-0 game, you have to play to win.
They weren't going to let Pivetta throw 125-135 pitches or whatever. So whether he was taken out now or in the next inning doesn't matter.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 25, 2021 2:42:45 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 5h Pivetta threw 100 pitches and faced 23 hitters. A pace for 130 if he faced only 7 more hitters.
Nobody in the majors has thrown more than 126 this season.
Hate the move all you want. I bet Cora hates it, too. But they weren't just leaving him out there.
That's not a painful loss. That's getting set on fire, mauled by tiger and hit by a truck.
Their level of play on the road trip was bad. 10 unearned runs in 8 games.
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