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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 26, 2021 15:03:21 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 46m Alex Cora running a couple minutes late for his pregame Zoom meeting, but he should be up shortly. #RedSox
Cora on Sale -- 'It's not going to be his last start on Saturday.' #RedSox
Cora named Valdez the MVP of the Yankees series. He saved the bullpen when Rodriguez left early in his start.
'We still have a lot of colors on my sheet. Most of them are not green.' #RedSox
Cora said Sawamura is playing catch on the field this afternoon. He's likely to start a rehab assignment at Triple-A Worcester this week and 'should be with us sooner rather than later.' #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 26, 2021 15:05:09 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 41m Replying to @billkoch25 Cora on the Blue Jays -- 'They're very dangerous. They're really good. Very dynamic as far as swinging the bat.' #RedSox
Cora said it's a day off for Bogaerts. Devers and Vazquez each have scheduled days off later this week. #RedSox
Cora said the medical staff will be involved in the decision on when to activate Sale. He's at Fenway this afternoon and 'feels great.' #RedSox
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Post by Kimmi on Jul 26, 2021 16:35:15 GMT -5
These line ups are "out" there and I am starting to agree with the NESN boys in the booth Xander has been playing injured..... Xander is not right. He seems to be making an awful lot of weak contact lately.
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Post by Kimmi on Jul 26, 2021 16:41:46 GMT -5
Just a little FYI stuff.... coming on 8 months sober which is great and This coming week-end, due to the restrictions being eased, I will be heading home Friday to see my Mom and extended family, in the next province. During this pandemic, we lost my Dad who had been ill for a long time ( over a decade he fought). About a 4 months ago I was able to go to see my brother in New Brunswick with Abby, ( quick ride) and he was happy to hug his grand daughter again, and also to hug me and see me sober and that means to world to me. I will be bringing my laptop and will set up the next game thread, but I will be busy with family, and I am gonna take in a meeting up there as well. Thanks to to you guys as well. Love posting this stuff still, and consider you guys to be very good friends, and I appreciate you coming in here and jawing baseball. Jon, so sorry to hear about your dad. Losing a loved one is always difficult.
I'm happy for you regarding the rest of this post. Have a great time visiting your mom and extended family, and continued best wishes on your sobriety. I'm proud of you.
Thanks to you for posting everything and keeping us informed on all things baseball.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 26, 2021 16:46:03 GMT -5
Just a little FYI stuff.... coming on 8 months sober which is great and This coming week-end, due to the restrictions being eased, I will be heading home Friday to see my Mom and extended family, in the next province. During this pandemic, we lost my Dad who had been ill for a long time ( over a decade he fought). About a 4 months ago I was able to go to see my brother in New Brunswick with Abby, ( quick ride) and he was happy to hug his grand daughter again, and also to hug me and see me sober and that means to world to me. I will be bringing my laptop and will set up the next game thread, but I will be busy with family, and I am gonna take in a meeting up there as well. Thanks to to you guys as well. Love posting this stuff still, and consider you guys to be very good friends, and I appreciate you coming in here and jawing baseball. Jon, so sorry to hear about your dad. Losing a loved one is always difficult.
I'm happy for you regarding the rest of this post. Have a great time visiting your mom and extended family, and continued best wishes on your sobriety. I'm proud of you.
Thanks to you for posting everything and keeping us informed on all things baseball.
Thank u Kimmi
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Jul 26, 2021 22:26:41 GMT -5
Just a little FYI stuff.... coming on 8 months sober which is great and This coming week-end, due to the restrictions being eased, I will be heading home Friday to see my Mom and extended family, in the next province. During this pandemic, we lost my Dad who had been ill for a long time ( over a decade he fought). About a 4 months ago I was able to go to see my brother in New Brunswick with Abby, ( quick ride) and he was happy to hug his grand daughter again, and also to hug me and see me sober and that means to world to me. I will be bringing my laptop and will set up the next game thread, but I will be busy with family, and I am gonna take in a meeting up there as well. Thanks to to you guys as well. Love posting this stuff still, and consider you guys to be very good friends, and I appreciate you coming in here and jawing baseball. Great news all around. My condolences on your dad. Still, it's great seeing people after having been locked inside so long.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 27, 2021 2:47:37 GMT -5
'Good things happened': Verdugo rips homer Dropped in order, outfielder shakes off frustration with eighth-inning magic vs. Jays 1:40 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
BOSTON -- Dropped from second to sixth in the batting order a week ago and without a home run for nearly six weeks, Alex Verdugo got rid of his recent frustration with one monster cut.
And he left no doubt about how good it felt.
As the baseball smacked his barrel and headed high and far and over Boston's bullpen in right-center field and into the first row of the bleachers, Verdugo stood, watched and savored the latest glorious moment for the Red Sox, who pulled out a 5-4 win over the Blue Jays on Monday night at Fenway Park.
What, you thought the Red Sox were going to run out of late-inning magic just because the Yankees left town?
The comeback kings of MLB in 2021 were more than happy to break out their act again, riding that two-run rocket by Verdugo with one out in the bottom of the eighth that turned a one-run deficit into a one-run lead.
"I said to the guys, 'If that wasn't going out, that would have been one of the most embarrassing moments ever,'" said Verdugo. "Right off the bat, I felt like I got that one good enough. I felt like I barreled it and had the right launch angle, everything. If that didn't go, I would have been devastated. I would have crawled into a little corner and stayed there." Verdugo on his batting stance
Instead, Verdugo rounded the bases with boundless joy, knowing that his elusive 10th homer of the season couldn't have come at a better time. He hit the shot at an exit velocity of 101.1 mph with a launch angle of 27 degrees and a projected distance of 414 feet.
It was Verdugo who started the fun at Fenway on Sunday when he broke up Domingo Germán's no-hitter in the eighth with a double off the wall to begin an inning when the Red Sox had five straight hits to open the frame, in which they scored five runs.
They didn't need such a dramatic rally this time. Down, 4-3, Hunter Renfroe worked a six-pitch walk against Trevor Richards.
Up stepped Verdugo, who ripped a 3-1 changeup by Richards to snap a drought of 118 at-bats without a homer that dated back to June 15 in Atlanta.
Given the force of Verdugo's swing, it was certainly reasonable for a reporter to ask the left-handed hitter if he was trying to go deep.
"I wasn't trying to hit a home run. I think I've been trying to hit my 10th home run for the last month and a half now," said Verdugo. "Really, I was just trying to go in there and not try to do too much. It's ironic that happened, but I was just trying to see a pitch and get one out over the zone and put a good swing on it. And he left a changeup out over [the plate], and was able to get barrel on it, stay through it and good things happened."
So many good things have happened for the Red Sox of late. This was their 33rd comeback win this season, which leads the Majors.
"That's what the tone is around here is -- we're never out of the game," said righty Nick Pivetta, who was on the hook for the loss until Verdugo did his thing.
Despite his recent rut, Verdugo has had plenty to do with the success of the 2021 Red Sox, who are 62-39 and lead the American League East by 1 1/2 games.
Verdugo has spent the past couple of weeks searching for a way out, and one of the keys was to get outside for batting practice. A creature of habit, Verdugo most often hits indoors before games.
"I just wanted to change my sights a little bit," said Verdugo. "Just kind of go back to seeing the ball and just barreling it up, just hitting hard balls and just kind of having fun again. When I'm going right and I'm normal and I know where my swing is at, the cage is perfect."
It was veteran teammate J.D. Martinez who suggested the change in routine to Verdugo.
"For me, it just felt like a couple small adjustments needed to be worked on and I just thought hitting on the field would be good for my eyes, see the field obviously and see the batter's box that I'm going to be in that night," Verdugo said. "Just like I said, find the barrel. I know Juan Soto talked about it, too. He said the Home Run Derby helped him and he was on fire right after the All-Star break, too, so it's just one of those things. Just finding barrels and letting your swing eat again, you start realizing where you need to be."
Perhaps Verdugo is in the process of hitting his way back to the No. 2 spot in the batting order, particularly with No. 3 prospect Jarren Duran hitless in his last 11 at-bats in that spot, and down to .154 since getting called up from Triple-A Worcester.
"I had been pressing about that 10th homer," said Verdugo. "Some of the guys never thought I was going to hit it. I started believing them, too. I was like, 'I don't think I'm going to hit this 10th home run.' I feel like now that I got the 10th out the way, I can just really relax and stick with what I've been doing the last few days."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 27, 2021 3:12:13 GMT -5
Alex Verdugo’s eighth-inning two-run homer gives Red Sox comeback win over Blue Jays By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated July 26, 2021, 10:33 p.m.
With the Olympics underway, the Red Sox have made their own commitment to turning baseball into athletic performance art. Perhaps inspired by Simone Biles, the team has embraced the sense of possibility created by an elevated degree of difficulty — and shown an ability to stick the landing when doing so.
One day after the team wiped out a four-run, eighth-inning deficit against the Yankees, the Red Sox again spotted their opponent an advantage heading into the final innings Monday night. This time, the Sox trailed the Blue Jays, 4-3, entering the bottom of the eighth. While the gap wasn’t as sizable, the circumstances were hardly promising.
Yet as they have done so often this year, the Red Sox once again treated their deficit as a welcome challenge rather than insurmountable obstacle. Alex Verdugo’s eighth-inning, two-run homer against Toronto reliever Trevor Richards flipped the deficit into a lead and ultimately a 5-4 Red Sox win. The contest was the major league-leading 33rd comeback win of the season for a Sox.
“It’s hard to get 27 outs against us,” said manager Alex Cora. “We know that.”
So, evidently, does Fenway Park. Through seven innings, the venue had been flat, notable chiefly for the oddity of an invading smoky haze (the product of West Coast wildfires). Even starter Nick Pivetta, typically a furnace of intensity, seemed so listless that Cora sought midgame assurance that nothing was wrong.
But with the Sox down a run in the eighth, the crowd of 27,142 both sensed and incited possibility when Hunter Renfroe (2 for 3, double, walk) coaxed a one-out walk against Richards.
“It felt like in that eighth inning, they were a little bit louder, kind of expecting something big,” said Cora. “This is what Fenway Park is, right? We have to make sure it’s a tough place to come here.”
As the volume amplified, Verdugo stepped to the plate. The outfielder had gone 133 plate appearances without going deep since hitting his ninth homer on June 15.
“I had been pressing about that 10th homer,” said Verdugo. “Some of the guys never thought I was going to hit it. I started believing them.”
But finally, on a 3-1 pitch from Richards — a pitcher who’d given lefties fits this year (.150 average) — Verdugo unloaded on a changeup. He stood in the batter’s box to admire the flight of the never-to-return satellite that crashed into the bleachers just above the Sox bullpen and gave his team a 5-4 lead.
“I said to the guys, if that wasn’t going out, that would have been one of the most embarrassing moments ever,” said Verdugo. “If that didn’t go, I would have been devastated. I would have crawled into a little corner and stayed there.”
That proved unnecessary. Verdugo rounded the bases to put his team ahead, and soon was in a victory line after a tidy ninth inning from Matt Barnes (22nd save) — concluded when the Sox closer retired close friend and former UConn teammate George Springer on a pop-up — closed the win.
That dramatic end represented a departure from a preceding slog. The Sox struck first against Toronto starter Thomas Hatch — summoned from Triple A for his first big league appearance of 2021 — though missed a chance to blow open the game early.
Four straight Sox reached against Hatch to open the second inning. That translated to two runs — one on a Verdugo single, another on a Michael Chavis groundout — but the 2-0 advantage still felt like a missed opportunity.
The Blue Jays engaged in an interesting act of symmetry in the top of the third, as their first four batters reached against Pivetta, with three singles and a walk producing a pair of runs on RBI singles by Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Marcus Semien. But like Hatch, Pivetta — despite substandard command and stuff — navigated his way out of further harm.
“Today I had my ‘C’ stuff,” admitted Pivetta. “I just really had to lock it in.” Nick Pivetta was lifted in the fifth inning Monday night. Nick Pivetta was lifted in the fifth inning Monday night.Jim Davis/Globe Staff
His third-inning escape was rewarded in the bottom of the inning, when Rafael Devers pulverized a Hatch fastball, ripping a solo homer to right for his 27th homer. The roundtripper allowed the Red Sox to retake the lead, 3-2, and Devers to reclaim the MLB lead in runs batted in, which he and Guerrero had shared for the preceding few minutes.
But on a night where Pivetta never seemed in rhythm on the mound, the lead did not hold. With a runner on second and one out in the top of the fifth, Cora approached the mound with his starter at 84 pitches and Phillips Valdez ready.
Such a visit almost always portends a move to the bullpen. But this time, Cora, after checking on his starter’s well-being, left Pivetta in the game. Pivetta retired Marcus Semien on a flyout, but left an 89-mile-per-hour changeup on the plate to Bo Bichette with two outs. The shortstop’s ferocious swing met the ball squarely, sending a two-run rocket into the Monster Seats — Bichette’s 18th homer of the season — for a 4-3 Toronto lead.
“I definitely want that pitch back,” said Pivetta.
The sentiment has become familiar for the righty against Toronto. He allowed four runs in 4 2/3 innings and has yielded 19 runs (18 earned) in 21 1/3 innings over his four starts against the Jays this season, good for a 7.59 ERA. He has a 3.75 ERA in 16 starts against the rest of the league.
The Sox, meanwhile, were stifled by Hatch and the Toronto bullpen from the fourth inning through the seventh. But Valdez (2 1/3 shutout frames) and Adam Ottavino (scoreless eighth) quieted the Jays after the fifth, positioning the Sox for their second eighth-inning come-from-behind win in as many days. The victory pushed the Sox to a season-high 23 games over .500, and left them 1 ½ games clear of the idle Rays for the division lead.
“We’re never out of the game,” said Pivetta. “We’re all picking each other up at every given time during the season, and I think that’s what’s helped us really be a strong core, and is putting us in a really good position to do some special things this year.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 27, 2021 3:15:18 GMT -5
red sox notebook Chris Sale will make at least two more rehab starts before rejoining Red Sox By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated July 26, 2021, 4:47 p.m.
Red Sox lefthander Chris Sale will make his next rehab start — the fourth in his comeback from 2020 Tommy John surgery — Saturday in Worcester. It won’t be his last appearance in the minors this year.
“He won’t be with us after that one,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora Monday before the Red Sox’ 5-4 comeback win over the Blue Jays at Fenway Park.
That reflects the Red Sox’ determination to build up Sale gradually and not any issue with his performance or recovery.
Sale threw 64 pitches over 3⅔ innings Sunday with Double A Portland, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out nine. He showed mid-90s velocity to anchor his three-pitch mix, and when he showed up at Fenway Park Monday, he had bounced back well physically from the outing.
“He feels great,” said Cora. “He’s been able to repeat his delivery. He loves the fact that his fastball command is there, the velocity is there. So everything is trending the right way.
“He’ll pitch Saturday and we’ll go from there. But everything today went well. That’s good news.”
The Sox have wanted to make sure that Sale returns at full health and not while he’s still building his workload. As such, they appear determined to have him make at least two more rehab appearances, which would make his earliest return date somewhere in the second week of August, perhaps during a series at Fenway against the Rays from Aug. 10-12. Hernández a leading man
Kiké Hernández was named American League Player of the Week for July 19-25, a stretch in which he went 10 for 25 with three homers, eight extra-base hits, and a .400/.448/1.000 line while helping the Sox to a 5-1 record.
Yet the uptick in Hernández’s performance predates the last week. In 23 games since his return to the leadoff spot on June 27, he’s hitting .295/.406/.682 with eight homers, 17 extra-base hits, and a 1.087 OPS.
“This is kind of what I envisioned myself doing when [Cora] challenged me in the offseason to be the leadoff guy,” said Hernández. “Obviously I didn’t get off to the greatest of starts, but that’s the thing about baseball. With the long season, you get time to make up for it. Now I’m trying to make this stretch last as long as possible.”
Hernández went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts Monday night.
Hernández has come to love his role as a source of instant offense for the Sox in the first inning. He’s delivered nine extra-base hits when leading off the first inning over the 23 games since his return to that lineup spot. Related: Finn: Nine thoughts on the resilient Red Sox, starting with their best victory of the season
“I like it — especially seeing how energetic this crowd is,” said Hernández. “I’m one of those energy guys on the team. Whenever I can get a stadium going, it’s a pretty good feeling. I’ve been able to do that the last few weeks.” Speed thrills
While Jarren Duran is still looking to find his offensive rhythm (.154/.214/.308 with 10 strikeouts in 28 plate appearances), it’s taken no time to see his game-changing speed. Whether the run he scored from first on a double Friday night or the burst that allowed him to fly into second after Yankees second baseman Rougned Odor mishandled his grounder Saturday, Duran has displayed an unusual gear on the bases — one to which his coaches have to adjust.
“He’s different than the other guys. He’ll get to me quicker than the other guys,” said Sox third base coach Carlos Febles. “He’s special. He’s got great speed. The guys like that make the coaches’ lives easier or tougher. You feel like they can score anytime.”
Febles said Duran is such a powerful runner that he forces coaches to make early decisions about whether to send or hold him, since it’s almost impossible for the 24-year-old to decelerate if he’s moving at top speed coming around third base.
“It’s fascinating. He puts you on your toes,” said Febles. “I love the fact that we finally have somebody who can do that. That puts pressure on the defense. That makes them have to play faster. He’ll force a lot of errors.” Sawamura ready for rehab?
Hirokazu Sawamura, who was placed on the injured list last week with right triceps inflammation, threw on the field at Fenway. He could start a rehab assignment with Triple A Worcester as soon as Tuesday. He’s eligible to come off the injured list Friday. “He should be with us sooner rather than later,” said Cora … Xander Bogaerts, amidst a 3-for-23 slump (.130/.154/.130), received what Cora described as a routine day off. The slump started after the New York series in which Bogaerts experienced slight discomfort in his wrist. Cora said Rafael Devers and Christian Vázquez are also slated to get rest during the Blue Jays series … As part of Disability Awareness Night, pregame ceremonies recognized local Paralympics and Special Olympics athletics, including three local athletes — Cailin Currie (Salem), Noelle Lambert (Manchester, N.H.), and Femita Ayanbeku (Randolph) — who will compete in the International Paralympic Games in Tokyo beginning Aug. 24.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 27, 2021 3:26:32 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 5h Alex Cora on Alex Verdugo -- 'He's feeling good. It started in Buffalo that first game hitting sixth -- he walked three times.' #RedSox
Cora -- 'It's hard to get 27 outs against us. We know that. Going to Adam in that spot was more about where we're at bullpen-wise.'
Cora mentioned pregame he had a lot more red and orange than green on the availability card he receives from the medical staff. #RedSox
Verdugo was encouraged to hit on the field by J.D. Martinez 'so he could see the flight of the ball. He's started doing that more often.' #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 27, 2021 3:27:58 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 5h Alex Verdugo -- 'I wasn't trying to hit a home run.'
'I think I've been trying to hit my 10th home run for the last month and a half now.' #RedSox
Verdugo on switching to on-field BP -- 'I wanted to change my sights a little bit. Just go back to seeing the ball and barreling it up.' #RedSox
Verdugo with more on BP -- 'I know Juan Soto talked about it too -- he said the Home Run Derby helped him. He was on fire right after the All-Star break.'
'You start realizing where you need to be.' #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 27, 2021 3:29:13 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 5h Replying to @billkoch25 Verdugo -- 'I'm just starting to feel like myself again. In the box I'm not thinking anymore.'
'It's really just do our best to get on time and let your swing eat.' #RedSox
Verdugo on the lineup change -- 'Not necessarily do I like it. Obviously I was struggling. It was warranted. It needed to happen.'
'For me personally it makes me relax a little bit more.'
'My goal is to be back in the second hole.' #RedSox
Verdugo -- 'If that wasn't going out that would have been one of the most embarrassing moments ever.'
'If that didn't go I would have been devastated. I would have crawled into a little corner and just stayed there.' #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 27, 2021 3:30:00 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 5h Verdugo -- 'Our pitchers are doing an amazing job keeping us in the games.'
'For us as an offense, that's really all we ask for. We know this game is hard.' #RedSox
Verdugo on switching to on-field BP -- 'I wanted to change my sights a little bit. Just go back to seeing the ball and barreling it up.' #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 27, 2021 3:33:10 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 7h Phillips Valdez: 14 pitches, 11 strikes, 4 outs.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 27, 2021 3:34:39 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 5h Cora said when he went to talk to Pivetta in the 5th, he asked if he was OK - he was surprised by the lack of energy from Pivetta up to that point. But Cora felt that aside from the change to Bichette, Pivetta mostly pitched well and avoided hard contact.
Pivetta on the comeback: ‘That’s the tone around here - we’re never out of the game. We’re competing at all times. … It’s putting us in a position to do some special things
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