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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 29, 2021 2:42:58 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Kiké Hernández gives Red Sox another spark in leadoff position By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated June 28, 2021, 8:09 p.m.
For the second straight game, Kiké Hernández became a catalyst.
One day after he led off against the Yankees with a homer on Gerrit Cole’s first pitch of the game, Hernández again went deep in the first Red Sox at-bat of the game on Monday against the Royals. With the Red Sox trailing, 3-0, in the bottom of the first, Hernández obliterated an offering from lefthander Danny Duffy for his eighth homer of the year and the ninth leadoff homer of his career in Monday’s 6-5 Red Sox win over the Royals.
“That’s what we envisioned, right?” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “It’s instant offense . . . Hopefully he can continue doing that. It’s not about him hitting the ball out of the ballpark, but we know he can do damage from that spot.”
The back-to-back days came in Hernández’s first two games batting leadoff since June 15. Yet while the 29-year-old came out taking aggressive swings in his return to the first spot in the order, he downplayed the idea that he’d reimagined his approach when batting first.
“I didn’t get much time to think about being back in leadoff [against Cole] because I found out Saturday night pretty late,” said Hernández. “I felt like first pitch of the at-bat might be the best one to hit. For the most part, he makes a pretty good pitch down and away the first pitch of the game. He happened to make a mistake down and in, and I was able to get the head out and get to the ball.”
The homer against Cole — the second Hernández had ever hit on the first pitch of the first inning, and first since 2016 — continued a generally solid stretch over the last few weeks in which the infielder/outfielder was hitting .242/.319/.468, looking more like the player whom the Sox envisioned when signing him to a two-year deal.
Hernández believes that, after a period of adjusting to a new league, new home park, new primary position (while he played the outfield with the Dodgers, he spent most of his time at second), and unfamiliar pitchers, he’s finding his footing in Boston.
“I’ve spent six years in the National League West. I’d say 85 percent of the pitchers I’ve faced thus far, I’m facing for the first time,” said Hernández. “The more we play teams, the more comfortable I’m getting. I have a little better idea of how the team wants to approach me and what the pitcher has . . . Every week, every month that goes by, I’m starting to get more settled in, more comfortable, and starting to feel regular.” Benintendi improves
Royals manager Mike Matheny said that Andrew Benintendi is making progress from the hairline fracture of the ribs, and that the outfielder has told the team he wants to try some rotational activities and light hitting. After he was named Royals Player of the Month in May, his absence has been felt.
“I hated to lose him,” Matheny said. “He was taking as good at-bats as anybody and just coming through in big situations. He was really getting into his best rhythm where he was driving the ball, especially to the opposite gaps and just having confidence. . . . Hopefully, he can keep that sweet swing going [when he comes back] because he was in a really nice spot.”
Benintendi is hitting .283/.340/.429 with eight homers and seven steals this year.
Cora said infielder Christian Arroyo (right knee) and catcher Kevin Plawecki (left hamstring) are increasing their baseball activities, and both appear likely to come off the injured list on or near July 1 when they’re first eligible to be reinstated. “They’re moving well. They’re feeling better,” Cora said. “It feels like this is going to be something short and they should be with us sooner rather than later.” . . . Xander Bogaerts went 1-for-4 with a double, marking the 23rd straight game in which he’s reached base – the longest active streak in the majors. His career-long streak for games reaching base is 28, set in 2016 . . . Prior to the game, the Royals selected infielder Enmanuel Rivera to their roster. The 25-year-old started at third and went 2-for-4 . . . The Red Sox weren’t the only winners in their weekend sweep of the Yankees. The two games NESN aired, on Friday night and Sunday afternoon, delivered the two highest ratings for a Red Sox broadcast on the network since Opening Day 2020. The Red Sox’ 5-3 win over the Yankees Friday drew a 7.10 household rating, the network’s highest since its 2020 opener last July 24 against the Orioles during the pandemic-abbreviated season. The Red Sox’ 9-2 win to complete the sweep Sunday afternoon delivered a 6.04 household rating. Viewership for Red Sox games on NESN this season is up 84 percent over last season’s 60-game full-season household rating . . . Red Sox tickets for the second half of the season go on sale on Friday at 10 a.m. at redsox.com.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 29, 2021 2:45:21 GMT -5
For Garrett Richards, it was another problematic start that raised more questions than answered them By Dan Shaughnessy Globe Columnist,Updated June 28, 2021, 9:27 p.m. 37
What are the Red Sox going to do about Garrett Richards?
Does he get another start? Is he banished to the bullpen? Would he be willing to pitch at Polar Park for a while? Or are the Sox fine watching him learn how to pitch in games that count?
In the last two weeks it has been established that Richards can’t pitch effectively without applying foreign substance to the baseball. As a result, we are watching a 33-year-old professional athlete making $10 million per year try to re-learn his craft during the major league season.
All the good feeling from the Sox weekend dismantling of the Yankees dissolved early Monday when Richards gave up three homers before getting five outs in the series opener with the Kansas City Royals at Fenway.
KC came into the night with five straight losses, ranking 12th in the American League in runs scored and 14th in homers. This did not matter against Richards. Whit Merrifield led off the night with a single up the middle, Jorge Soler singled sharply to right on an 0-2 pitch, then Carlos Santana crushed an 0-2 curveball (which did nothing) far over the right field bullpens. It was 3-0 before you could say, “Oye como va.”
Two of the first three Royal batters in the second also homered. By the time tired Sox center fielder Kiké Hernández ran down a flyball (which would have landed in the bullpen) to end the second, the Sox trailed, 5-1.
Richards settled down the next three innings, largely abandoning his fastaball and the scalding hot Red Sox clawed back to tie. It was still tied, 5-5, when Richards left with two outs in the sixth, having given up 11 hits. The Sox were hoping for their 26th come-from-behind win. In his last five starts, Richards has allowed 52 baserunners in 21⅔ innings with an 8.30 ERA.
Did we see Richards figure things out Monday, when the Red Sox ultimate won, 6-5, or was it just a case of good fortune to be facing the salami-bat Royals?
Richards has repeatedly told us that the enforcement of an age-old baseball rule, no foreign substances, has made him incapable of pitching in the big leagues. He can’t use the sticky stuff anymore and he never learned to pitch without it.
“It pretty much changed everything for me,” Richards said a couple of starts ago. “I feel like I need to be a different pitcher than I have been the last nine and a half years . . . I’m just grateful I got this far into my career before we’re at this point. Maybe I’ll have to develop another pitch.”
Richards’ last win was May 19. In his first four starts after it was learned MLB was going to crack down on Spider Tack and other substances, Richards gave up 29 hits, nine walks and hit three batters in 16 innings. That’s an ERA of 8.43, with 41 baserunners in 16 innings.
The Sox were optimistic before Monday’s outing.
“He’s been working on it,” said manager Alex Cora. “He feels like he’s in a good place. Honestly, going into this one I do believe from his standpoint he feels comfortable with where he is at. I think the mechanical adjustments are going to help him, too. It’s going to help him where he’s not rushing his delivery. Let’s see where it takes him But we do feel comfortable with him going into this one.
I had to ask . . . is the problem in Richards’ head?
“To be honest with you, he’s been talking about it less in between starts,” Cora said. “He did mention some things to you guys after the Braves start and after the last one, but in this one it’s been more like him saying, ‘I feel good about my breaking ball. I feel good about my mechanics.’ He should be OK.”
He was not OK early. Richards’ spin rate was way down again and he threw frisbee curveballs, one which was clocked at 63 miles per hour. Between the second and third innings, Richard dropped his right arm into a bucket of ice water and kept it there for 30 seconds. It seemed to help. He did not allow a run in the third, fourth or fifth, and was at 85 pitches after five.
Boston is a bad fit for Richards. He is here on a one-year contract with a club option. He had some serviceable starts before it was announced the rules were going to be enforced, but now he is working on new things in big league games. How long can the Red Sox afford to let him do this?
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 29, 2021 2:52:23 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 6h Michael Chavis looks like a proper second baseman turning double plays. Much improved from 2019. Clearly put in significant work. #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 29, 2021 2:55:48 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 8h Richards is the second Red Sox pitcher this year to allow 3 homers in the first two innings of a game. Martín Pérez did so on June 13 against the Blue Jays.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 29, 2021 2:56:51 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 6h Sawamura warming, but the fact that Richards has made it through 5 2/3 innings (after a GIDP) is a striking development. The Red Sox will be thrilled.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 29, 2021 2:58:14 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 5h Cora on Richards: ‘It didn’t look good the first few innings…You’ve got to compete with what you have. … He kept competing. He actually gave us a chance to win…He didn’t quit.’
Cora on Renfroe: ‘The last two months, he’s playing All-Star caliber baseball…People need to start recognizing him as one of our best players.’
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 29, 2021 2:59:10 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 5h Garrett Richards: ‘I developed a little more of a feel as the game went on…Going out there and comepting…Grinding, man. That’s all I’ve been doing.’ Richards said he learned a changeup this week. ‘Trying to figure out how to pitch again, man.’
Richards on icing: ‘I just need to stop sweating. If I can stop sweating, I’ll be a whole lot better off.’
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 29, 2021 2:59:57 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 5h Renfroe says he’s ‘seeing the ball as well as I have in a long time.’
Renfroe: ‘I think it’s all in Garrett’s head more than anything else…If he believes in himself, that’s half the battle.’
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 29, 2021 3:03:05 GMT -5
Hunter Renfroe blasts two homers as Red Sox come back to beat Royals June 28, 2021 at 11:24 pm
By Steve Hewitt | stephen.hewitt@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald June 28, 2021 at 7:09 p.m.
Alex Cora knows the Red Sox would be nowhere near where they are without the heart of their batting order, and he’s happy to see them being recognized.
Alex Verdugo, J.D. Martinez, Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers have been the foundation for the success of the Red Sox, who entered Monday back in first place in the American League East. The four deservedly advanced to the second phase of All-Star voting this week, and Cora specifically credited Martinez, who has bounced back from his terrible 60-game season in 2020, for being the backbone to their fast start.
“Everyone had question marks, doubts, about who he was going to be,” Cora said. “He hit that walk-off against Tampa, the ball over the right fielder. He hit home runs in April. I do believe that set the tempo for us. They came out of the gate swinging the bats.
“Usually Raffy is a slow starter. He’s having a great first half. The pitching, too. But I believe those four right away, the way we scored runs in Baltimore after we swept the Rays, then we went to Minnesota and kept doing things, confidence and all that. But they set the tempo.”
The second phase of All-Star voting began Monday at noon to determine starters, which will be announced Thursday. Bogaerts and Devers were the top vote-getters at shortstop and third base, respectively, during the first phase as the two lead most offensive categories in the American League at their positions.
“It’s really good. Those guys, they’ve done an amazing job throughout the season,” Cora said. “… For Alex to be recognized too, it means a lot. Hopefully the four of them and then obviously on the pitching side we can get a few there, too. It’s a great recognition, especially with the two guys, Raffy and Xander, to be recognized as one of the best at your position. They’re not underrated or unpopular. That’s a good feeling.”
Renfroe earning spot
When Hunter Renfroe was signed last offseason, there was no guarantee that he would be an everyday player, but he’s mostly been a lock in Cora’s lineup card this season. The right fielder made his 68th start of the season (in 79 games) on Monday as both his bat and glove continue to be a major asset for the Red Sox.
Since the start of May, Renfroe’s OPS has surged from .485 to .774, and his batting average has gone up from .167 to .268 entering Monday, all while he leads the majors with 11 outfield assists.
“This is a guy that, yeah, he had power, we envisioned that, but he’s becoming a good hitter, hanging in there against righties, going the other way, taking pitches when he has to,” Cora said. “This is more about him than us. He’s earned his playing time. He’s earned his spot in the lineup. He’s actually giving us balance. A guy right behind Raffy that can get drive in runs, can get on base, has power. He’s been amazing for us.”
Arroyo, Plawecki rearing back
Christian Arroyo (right shin bruise) and Kevin Plawecki (left hamstring strain) each remain on the injured list but are both progressing maybe even faster than expected. They were both hitting Monday during batting practice and moving around well, and Plawecki caught Chris Sale’s live bullpen session over the weekend.
“They’re feeling better,” Cora said. “It feels like this is going to be something short and they should be with us sooner rather than later.”
Verdugo was out of Monday’s lineup for a routine off day. Devers took his spot at second in the batting order, while Marwin Gonzalez started in left field. …
The Red Sox announced on Monday that tickets for the second half of the season — home games from July 22 to Sept. 26 — will go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. …
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 29, 2021 3:05:16 GMT -5
Mastrodonato: Red Sox’ Hunter Renfroe wisely suggests Garrett Richards is struggling because ‘he doesn’t believe in himself’ Renfroe said the obvious part out loud ) By Jason Mastrodonato | jason.mastrodonato@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald PUBLISHED: June 28, 2021 at 11:40 p.m. | UPDATED: June 29, 2021 at 12:20 a.m.
It sounds like the Red Sox have gotten through to Garrett Richards and saved him from himself.
“I think it’s all in Garrett’s head, more than anything,” said Red Sox outfielder Hunter Renfroe after the team’s 6-5 win over the Royals on Monday. “I think he doesn’t believe in himself. I think that’s his biggest thing.”
Renfroe said the obvious part out loud: Richards hasn’t had any confidence.
Pitching naked, as the players now call it when a pitcher doesn’t use any illegal substances, Richards looked like he might never again record another out in the big leagues for a brief period during Monday’s game.
He had only recorded four outs when the Royals had taken him deep three times, hit three singles and had jumped to a 5-1 lead in the second inning.
Read the body language and you might’ve thought this was it for him.
Having seen him struggle mightily over his last three starts, and talk openly about how concerned he was that his decade-long MLB career was coming to a close thanks to MLB’s new rules prohibiting substances, it looked like he was cooked.
Carlos Santana, Michael Taylor and Whit Merrifield had hit homers off him already while Richards stood on the mound for his second at-bat against Jorge Soler and took the sign.
Then he threw a curveball. It registered at 72 mph.
He threw another at 70 mph and eventually recorded an out.
He kept throwing the curve, eventually landing one that registered at 68 mph, 12 mph slower than his average curveball this year, and mixing it in with a changeup, a pitch he learned how to throw over the weekend.
Before he knew it, Richards had completed 5 2/3 innings, saved the Red Sox bullpen, given his offense a chance to climb back into the game and watched them capture their 26th come-from-behind win of the season.
After the game, the 33-year-old looked as shocked as anybody that he had found a way to compete.
“I’m figuring it out,” he said. “I’m starting to throw a changeup now, learned that this week in three days, and now I’m throwing a curveball at about 60 mph which is different for me. Just trying to figure out how to pitch again. Stay in the zone, be competitive and give us a chance to win. That’s the only thing I care about.”
It’s a good thing, too, because it was starting to look like Richards might need a trip to the injured list or a mental leave of absence.
After MLB announced it would eliminate the use of any grip-enhancing substances, Richards took the ball in Atlanta on June 16, got shelled for six runs in four innings and then sounded like his career was over in his postgame press conference. He said things like how grateful he was to have pitched in the majors as long as he had before MLB changed the rules, and how many players would lose their livelihoods due to the stark changes in the middle of a season.
Without any grip, Richards never threw a curveball that night in Atlanta.
But something else happened that night that was a precursor of how the Red Sox would get Richards back on track: the manager disagreed with him.
Asked why Richards didn’t throw any curveballs that game, Alex Cora said he thought it was the wrong attack plan. The Braves hit fastballs well and the manager would need to speak to the players and coaches to figure out why Richards suddenly eliminated one of his most effective breaking balls.
Monday, when he was standing on the mound with one out in the second inning, he had allowed 15 runs in his previous seven innings.
To get through the final 4 1/3 innings of the night without allowing a run might not seem monumental to most, but it looked liked a miracle when juxtaposed against recent results.
“You have to compete with what you have,” Cora said afterward. “He didn’t look great in the beginning but he didn’t quit. He kept going and he put zeroes at the end to give us a chance. Offensively we’re capable of coming back. We know that.
“But he threw a breaking ball at 68 mph. He started throwing changeups and sinkers. Just trying to find a way. That’s the way it works. Sometimes you’re going to have your A-stuff, sometimes you’re going to feel great and sometimes you’re going to be just a regular pitcher with no stuff and you have to find a way to do it and he did.”
And while most pitchers seem aggravated that the rules changed in the middle of the season without any time to prepare, managers are pushing their guys to adapt.
“I’ve never had to make this kind of change in my whole career,” Richards said. “I’m just trying to make the best of it.”
At one point Monday, the cameras caught him dipping his elbow into the ice bath and patting his arm with rosin, the only legal substances pitchers are now allowed to use.
“I need to stop sweating,” he said. “If I can stop sweating, everything will be fine, but I’m a guy that sweats a whole lot. Just trying to work around the new rules and things we have right now. Trying to figure out different ways for me to be successful. That’s what was asked of us to do and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Dipping his arm in ice stopped the sweating, he said. Without sweating, he could get a grip.
But Renfroe, a teammate of his since the two played together with the Padres in 2019, thought the battle was more of a mental one.
“I think it’s that more than anything,” Renfroe said. “He’s a great pitcher. I think if he believes in himself, I think that’s half the battle. I think he’s still throwing 96 mph. He invented a changeup that’s a really, really good pitch for him and worked really well tonight. I think his curveball and slider are still there. I think he’s got to go up there and believe in himself and keep throwing the ball.”
Perhaps confidence can do more than any substance.
“That’s the No. 1 aspect,” Renfroe said. “If you don’t have confidence in yourself, you might as well not even be playing the game.”
Richards had none for the last two weeks. He might’ve found some on Monday.
It sounds like his team got through to him.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 29, 2021 3:07:23 GMT -5
Lou Merloni @loumerloni · 5h Sox win. Yankees lose. Another beautiful day
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 29, 2021 3:12:45 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox’s Garrett Richards reinvents pitch mix in real time with changeup he learned between starts, slow curveball: ‘I’m trying to make the best of it’ Updated 1:00 AM; Today 1:00 AM
By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
BOSTON -- Faced with the prospect of retooling his entire pitch arsenal in his 11th major-league season, Red Sox starter Garrett Richards used the Fenway Park mound as a laboratory Monday night.
Richards, who has repeatedly expressed his displeasure with Major League Baseball in response to the league cracking down on the use of foreign substances by pitchers, looked little like the pitcher he had been in his first 15 starts of the season in his outing against the Royals. The righty threw 26 changeups -- a pitch he said he learned in the days since his last start Wednesday against the Rays -- and introduced a slow, looping curveball that averaged 69.7 mph -- 9.9 mph fewer than he had averaged with the pitch all season. The shape of that pitch even surprised Richards, who said throwing it that slowly was not part of his pre-start plan.
It’s clear MLB’s crackdown is having a major impact on Richards, who has displayed wild swings in his pitch mix throughout his last few starts. Two outings ago in Atlanta, he completely abandoned the curveball, which had been successful all season. On a humid Monday night at Fenway Park, he changed things up again.
“Just trying to figure out how to pitch again, man,” Richards said. “Stay in the zone, be competitive and give us a chance to win. That’s the only thing I care about.
“I’ve never had to make this kind of change in my whole career,” he added. “I’m just trying to make the best of it and, like I said, give us a chance to win.”
All season, Richards has used a fastball-heavy approach (58.4%) while mixing in his slider (25.9%) and curveball (15.3%) while sparingly using a two-seamer (0.5%). But the ban on sticky substances has caused him to not be able to grip the curveball and lose feel on the slider, causing him to spend the last few days to learn a completely new pitch -- the changeup/splitter hybrid that sat between 86.9 mph and 91.2 mph against Kansas City.
The fact Richards is making such significant changes halfway through a season is stunning -- and speaks to the prevalence of sticky substances before the league cracked down.
“He threw a breaking ball at 68, he started throwing changeups and sinkers and just tried to find a way,” said manager Alex Cora. “That’s the way it works. Sometimes, you’re going to have your ‘A’ stuff, sometimes you’re going to feel great, and sometimes, you’re going to be just a regular pitcher with no stuff and you’ve got to find a way to do it.”
Richards’ night did not start out as he wanted, as he allowed three home runs in his first two innings as the Sox went down, 5-1. As Boston’s offense climbed back to tie the game and eventually take the lead, Richards settled down, holding the Royals scoreless after the second and pitching into the sixth inning before being lifted for reliever Hirokazu Sawamura.
The result was Richards’ best outing since June 11, despite the fact he gave up 11 hits and received a no decision.
“It didn’t look great at the beginning but he didn’t quit,” Cora said. “He kept going and he put zeroes at the end and gave us a chance.”
Richards’ outing -- which included a moment early on in which he dipped his entire arm into an ice cooler in an effort to combat his sweating -- was one he won’t soon forget. In real time, the pitcher was trying to completely reinvent himself.
“I think it’s all in Garrett’s head more than anything,” said outfielder Hunter Renfroe. “I think he doesn’t believe in himself. I think that’s kind of his biggest thing. If he just goes out there and pitches the way he is able to pitch, I think he does fine. I think that’s it more than anything. He’s a great pitcher and if he believes in himself, I think that’s half the battle. He’s still throwing 96 mph, he invented a changeup that’s a really, really good pitch for him and worked really well tonight. His curveball and slider are still there. He’s got to go out there, believe in himself and keep throwing the ball.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jun 29, 2021 3:28:52 GMT -5
Royals @ Red Sox Tuesday, 29th June 2021 7pm @ Fenway
Keller 6-8/6.39
Brad Keller yielded four earned runs over five innings in a loss to the Yankees on Thursday. This was an ugly-looking matchup on paper for Keller, and sure enough he struggled to fool anybody while surrendering nine hits and four walks. He struck out only three. The 25-year-old right-hander now has a 6.39 ERA through 76 innings (16 starts) this season.
Pivetta 6-3/4.00
Nick Pivetta pitched no-hit ball for 6 2/3 innings in a no-decision Thursday against the Rays.A Michael Chavis error extended the seventh, and the Red Sox opted to pull Pivetta in favor of lefty Josh Taylor with Austin Meadows up. Pivetta was at 100 pitches at that point, so he wasn't going nine anyway. It was a terrific outing for the right-hander, who struck out eight and lowered his ERA to 4.00.
Rolling Red Sox, reeling Royals ready for rematch According to STATS
Boston's Nick Pivetta and Kansas City's Brad Keller will look to limit the long ball when their teams meet in the second game of a four-game series on Tuesday night.
The host Red Sox, who fell behind early but won 6-5 on Monday, hit four home runs while the Royals launched three.
Hunter Renfroe hit a go-ahead solo shot in the sixth inning after blasting a two-run homer in the fourth. Enrique Hernandez and Bobby Dalbec added solo home runs for the Red Sox.
Meanwhile, Carlos Santana had a three-run homer in the first inning and Michael A. Taylor and Whit Merrifield added solo shots in the second for the Royals.
"They came out of the gate swinging really well. As far as us, we swung the bat really well as well," Renfroe said. "(We) got some timely hits when we need to, and the big bats answered (them) real quick."
Boston won its fourth game in a row. The Royals have dropped six in a row and are 1-6 since beating the Red Sox 7-3 in the rubber match of a three-game series in Kansas City on June 20.
"(The ball) was carrying, but our guys were getting into 'em, too -- a lot of cheapies," Kansas City manager Mike Matheny said. "We come out of the gate and our offense is able to do some things, and we're looking for a shutdown right there (that we didn't get)."
Pivetta (6-3, 4.00 ERA) was able to keep the ball in the park -- and the opponent off the scoreboard -- in his last start, which came Thursday at Tampa Bay. The right-hander pitched 6 2/3 no-hit innings with two walks and eight strikeouts before being lifted in the seventh after throwing 100 pitches.
Prior to that, Pivetta had coughed up six homers over his previous three starts -- including one in a 5-3 defeat at Kansas City on June 18 in his lone career start against the Royals. He lasted five innings and allowed three runs on six hits with three walks and six strikeouts en route to his third loss in four games.
Keller (6-8, 6.39 ERA) is in desperate need of a turnaround. He is on a four-start losing skid and has surrendered at least four runs in each of those outings.
The right-hander gave up four runs on nine hits, including two home runs, while walking four and punching out three in five innings in a road loss to the New York Yankees on Thursday.
In his prior start, Keller was shelled for five runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts in five innings in a 7-1 loss to Boston on June 19. Keller is 0-1 with a 6.94 ERA in four career appearances, including two starts, against the Red Sox.
Boston's J.D. Martinez is 2-for-8 with a home run and three RBIs lifetime against Keller, while teammate Xander Bogaerts is 2-for-6 with four runs driven in against him.
The Royals will be hoping for another offensive boost from rookie third baseman Emmanuel Rivera, who went 2-for-4 on Monday in his major league debut. Rivera, who will turn 25 on Tuesday, collected his first hit on a first-inning, two-out single.
--Field Level Media
Royals at Red Sox Tuesday, at 7:10 PM EST Partly Cloudy According to Forecast.io, it's expected to be 86° F with a 6% chance of rain and 8 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 Jun 29, 2021 6:07:12 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 8h Richards on icing: ‘I just need to stop sweating. If I can stop sweating, I’ll be a whole lot better off.’
OverTheMonster @overthemonster · 8h Ah, no worries. Heat shouldn't be a problem in July and August.
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Post by Kimmi on Jun 29, 2021 7:09:55 GMT -5
Richards rights himself with new pitch & ice2:05 AM ADT Ian Browne Ian Browne @ianmbrowne BOSTON -- All eyes were on Red Sox righty Garrett Richards heading into Monday’s start against the Royals. He had struggled mightily in his previous three starts, while admitting he was having trouble adapting to the new enforcement on foreign substances on the baseball. It looked like this was going to be another long night. The righty gave up three homers in the first two innings, including a three-run rocket by Carlos Santana in the first. But give Richards credit for righting himself and buying his loaded offense time to swing their way back into the game. Progress, I guess. It sure didn't look good after the first two innings, but to Richards' credit, he battled through.
I think Renfroe is spot on in saying that this is all in Richards' head. The defeatist attitude will get Richards nowhere. Perhaps the mid-game turnaround will provide some confidence.
I found it interesting that Richards was icing his arm to keep from sweating. I thought that sweat, mixed with rosin, was a good thing.
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