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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2021 6:40:14 GMT -5
What a difference a good Eduardo Rodriguez makes Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 By Rob Bradford 44 minutes ago
As Alex Cora pointed out after one of Eduardo Rodriguez's better starts back in April, this is what ace's do.
Welcome back to the conversation, Eddie.
With the Red Sox taking on water thanks to a punchless lineup and starting rotation that managed just one five-inning outing in its last eight tries, Rodriguez became the guy this team was counting on from the get-go.
A five-game losing streak was brought to a screeching halt thanks to a 4-1 win over the Tigers, with Rodriguez holding Detroit scoreless for five innings, punching out 10 batters along the way.
It wasn't perfect, but it was desperately needed.
"As you guys know, we have a really good relationship," Cora said. "I like jabbing him a little bit in different ways, sometimes through you guys, sometimes through the teammates, and sometimes one on one. One thing for sure, he's in great shape. He looks great. He understands how important he is, not only for the rotation, but for the whole team. It's good to see him compete the way he did tonight and hopefully it's the start of something great."
"Fastball. That's what I had working today," explained Rodriguez. "I was able to locate the fastball pretty well on top of the strike zone and I was taking advantage because they were chasing. It was what I had tonight. Even though I got a lot of chase, I don't feel good going just five innings and four walks. That’s not what you want to do as a starter: go five innings and four walks. That’s not what I'd like to do too much. But I feel good about the results, winning the game and going five innings after the last few starts I had."
There were certainly signs Rodriguez might be the right guy at the right time. Starting on June 27, three out of his four starts had allowed for ace-like results. But then came the migraine-induced one-inning outing, which was followed by another uncomfortable round of results.
But Wednesday night, Rodriguez had hopped back on the path so many envisioned when making postseason rotation prognostications.
"I went one inning that day and wasn’t feeling good in my head that day," he said. "Then was available to pitch, and after five days i had to pitch again and I was feeling a little out of rhythm with every pitch. I took these last five days to work on it and get back to what it was five starts before that day. I feel like I got it back and want to continue and put the team in position to win the game. That’s what we need right now, winning games and winning and winning. That’s what we need right now."
This isn't complicated. Rodriguez can be that guy the Red Sox can count on to stop losing streaks. Up until the ups and downs of 2021, he had been for the better parts of 2018 and '19.
In those last three seasons Rodriguez has pitched (not including 2020), he has allowed two or runs 44 times with the Red Sox going 41-3 in those games. (For context, Nathan Eovaldi -- who did pitch in 2020 -- has managed the feat 45 times since the beginning of 2018, with his teams going 31-14.)
When Rodriguez is good, he is usually really good ... and the Red Sox usually win. That was certainly the case when this current team needed it the most.
"It was big for us," he said. "Just after the five losses, I feel like it’s a huge win that we needed. Now it’s time to go out there and try to win every series and win every game we can. I feel like it was a big win for us today and that was a good way to start a winning streak now."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2021 8:27:25 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox notebook: Eduardo Rodriguez rebounds with 10-strikeout outing, Matt Barnes returns; did Chris Sale take the bus to Scranton? Updated 9:23 AM; Today 9:21 AM Red Sox
Boston Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez throws against the Detroit Tigers in the first inning of a baseball game in Detroit, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)AP By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
DETROIT -- For Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez, Wednesday’s outing represented a step in the right direction after two steps backwards.
In a five-start stretch from June 22 to July 16, Rodriguez posted a 2.83 ERA while striking out 34 batters in 28 ⅔ innings. But on July 23, he was removed from his start against the Yankees in the second inning with migraine symptoms and last Thursday, was rocked for six runs in just 3 ⅓ innings against the Blue Jays. In Wednesday’s 4-1 win over the Tigers, he struck out a season-high 10 batters in five shutout innings, allowing only two hits while walking five.
Any momentum that was lost over the last 10 days seemed to have been picked back up Wednesday.
“Before those two, he was really good,” said manager Alex Cora. “We felt like, stuff-wise, he was where he was supposed to be. He was making adjustments. Today he recognized a few things against them and he went after them. He didn’t like the walks, but like I said, let’s focus on the positive.”
Rodriguez dominated the Tigers with his fastball up in the zone Wednesday night, getting 12 whiffs and 13 called strikes on his four-seamer. He needed 99 pitches to get through five innings before handing the ball over to reliever Hirokazu Sawamura.
“My fastball -- I think that’s what I had working today,” Rodriguez said. “I was (able) to locate that fastball pretty good on top of the strike zone and I was taking advantage because they were chasing it.”
After missing the entire 2020 season due to myocarditis (inflammation of the heart), it has taken Rodriguez quite some time to gain his rhythm in 2021. Though he was good in April (3.52 ERA in four starts), he admitted he never felt right during that stretch.
“I feel like even the five starts I won at the beginning of the season, I feel like that was a lucky shot,” Rodriguez said. “I feel like I wasn’t the guy I have always been. After that, it has just been a grinder, man. Every start.”
Cora hopes Wednesday is a sign of good things to come for Rodriguez in the final two months of the year.
“It’s good to see him go out there and compete the way he did tonight, and hopefully, it’s the beginning of something great,” Cora said.
Sale rides the bus
Lefty Chris Sale -- a 10-year major-league veteran who is guaranteed to have made at least $200 million by 2025 -- rode the team bus with the WooSox to Moosic, Pennsylvania on Monday ahead of his rehab outing Saturday, Cora confirmed shortly before Wednesday’s game. Sale had previously expressed his desire to ride the bus, but Cora had his doubts about that coming to fruition.
Cora joked that Sale might have instead chosen to take “Tom Werner Airlines” -- a team-provided private jet -- to eastern Pennsylvania.
“I’m going to ask him about that whole bus thing because the bus was on Tuesday,” Cora said. “For how eager he was on hopping on the bus... that was just a quote, probably. Probably he got a limo or something. Or T.W.A. -- Tom Werner Airlines, maybe. He’s going to kill me for that one.”
Barnes returns
Closer Matt Barnes returned from the COVID-19 injured list to pitch a 1-2-3 ninth inning and record his 24th save, striking out two Tigers in the process. Barnes spent one day inactive after exhibiting symptoms consistent with the virus but rejoined the Sox after testing negative.
For Barnes, the scare was similar to one he experienced at the end of spring training, when he tested positive for COVID-19. That was deemed to be a “non-infectious positive” and Barnes was cleared within 48 hours.
“The first time was definitely harder than this one,” Barnes said. “That was like three days before camp (broke) and I was around a ton of people. Nobody was vaccinated. That one was definitely worse. This one, it essentially was like a head cold. It started on Monday, lasted through yesterday. I just felt it was the responsible thing to do to be proactive and cautious about it and that’s the approach we took. Obviously, very relieved not to have it and to be able to join the team.”
E-Rod happy to see friend Miggy
Pitching in Detroit gave Rodriguez a chance to see his good friend and fellow Venezuela native Miguel Cabrera, though Rodriguez knew there was a chance he’d be on the wrong side of history in Detroit. Cabrera entered the series against the Red Sox with 497 career homers and took Garrett Richards deep on Tuesday to get to 498.
Before the series, Rodriguez called Cabrera with a simple message.
“I joked with him before we got here,” Rodriguez said. “On the day off, I called him and he told me, ‘Bro, I need three more, and you’re going to pitch.’ I said, ‘Bro, you’ve got to earn it. You’re my brother but after those white lines, we’re not brothers anymore.’ That’s how it is.”
Rodriguez, who trains with Cabrera during the off-season and thinks of him as an older brother-type figure, hopes he won’t witness history Thursday.
“I wish I could stay here and see it but I don’t want him to hit it off my teammates,” Rodriguez said. “That’s something I don’t want to see. But I just want him to get to that 500 and keep working to make it to the Hall of Fame.”
Sox paying attention to Muñoz’s streak
WooSox infielder Yairo Muñoz extended his hitting streak to 26 games on Wednesday night, marking the longest such streak ever for a Red Sox Triple-A player. From afar, Cora has been impressed.
“He’s doing a good job,” Cora said. “One thing about Yairo: he brings energy on a daily basis. He has that bat-to-ball skill, regardless of where the ball is. It can be way up there or way down there and he’ll find barrel. We’re very pleased with the way he’s doing, not only because of the results but doing the things he’s supposed to do. Playing hard and doing the things that winning players do. This is a guy that has experience at the big-league level.”
Muñoz appeared in 12 games for the Red Sox last year, going 15-for-45 (.333) with one homer, four RBIs and an .844 OPS. He had a solid spring training but began the year buried on the depth chart behind Christian Arroyo, the recently traded Michael Chavis, Jonathan Araúz and others.
Muñoz is not on the 40-man roster, making a September call-up less likely. Rosters will only expand to 28 players -- not 40 -- in September this year.
“I saw him from afar last year and what he did last year here as far as running the bases and being versatile,” Cora said. “Finding ways to get on base. It was interesting. Obviously, we pay attention to everything that’s going on and we’re very pleased with how he’s going about it. I’m not saying he’s on the radar or he’s not, but we are aware of what’s going on with him. Every report we get is a positive one.”
Injury updates
Cora also provided a few injury updates before the game:
* Lefty Darwinzon Hernandez (right oblique strain) underwent an MRI that confirmed the original diagnosis but showed a worse strain than the team originally thought. His timetable for a return is to be determined.
“It’s like what we thought,” Cora said. “Just a strained oblique. We don’t know, as far as rehab and all that stuff, how long it’s going to take. But it’s actually worse than what we thought early on. Now, he needs to get some rest, get some treatment and we’ll go from there.”
* Newcomer Kyle Schwarber (right hamstring strain) took a step forward Wednesday, running the bases on the field at Comerica Park before the game. He still has a couple of boxes to check before he can be sent on a minor-league rehab assignment.
“He ran the bases well. He took ground balls,” Cora said. “We’ll see how he feels afterwards and we’ll keep building up. That was part of the running progression, which is important for him. As soon as we can pass that hurdle, then we’ll decide what we’re going to do with him.”
* Relievers Matt Andriese (right hamstring tendinitis) and Ryan Brasier (concussion) are both working out at Polar Park in Worcester this week. Andriese was set to throw a live batting practice session Wednesday and Brasier was set to throw a bullpen.
Infielders Christian Arroyo (left hamstring strain) and Danny Santana (left groin strain) both are running on the treadmill but have not progressed to baseball activities, Cora said.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2021 9:21:02 GMT -5
Game 110: Red Sox at Tigers lineups and pregame notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated August 5, 2021, 7 minutes ago We’ve got day baseball — in Detroit, thankfully. Would be tough to play at Fenway today, what with the soggy field and giant stage in the outfield for this week’s concerts. But we digress. It’s a good day to get back to talking about the Red Sox after they snapped their five-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Tigers Wednesday night. They’ll have a chance to take the series in today’s finale. Lineups Red Sox (64-45)1. Enrique Hernandez (R) CF 2. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 3. J.D. Martinez (R) DH 4. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS 5. Hunter Renfroe (R) RF 6. Kevin Plawecki (R) C 7. Alex Verdugo (L) LF 8. Bobby Dalbec (R) 1B 9. Marwin Gonzalez (S) 2B Pitching: LHP Martín Pérez (7-7, 4.56 ERA) TIGERS (52-58): 1. Robbie Grossman (S) LF 2. Jonathan Schoop (R) 1B 3. Miguel Cabrera (R) DH 4. Eric Haase (R) C 5. Jeimer Candelario (S) 3B 6. Victor Reyes (S) RF 7. Zack Short (R) SS 8. Willi Castro (S) 2B 9. Derek Hill (R) CF Pitching: LHP Tarik Skubal (6-10, 4.53 ERA) Time: 1:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Red Sox vs. Skubal: Cordero 0-1, Gonzalez 0-4 Tigers vs. Pérez: Cabrera 4-10, Candelario 2-5, Harold Castro 1-3, Willi Castro 1-7, Greiner 1-2, Grossman 4-18, Reyes 4-8, Schoop 4-15 Stat of the day: Perez has surrendered seven homers over his last four starts. Notes: The Tigers are responsible for two of the four times this season a team has fanned 18 times in a nine-inning game … Perez is coming off one of his worst performances of the season when he allowed six runs, including three home runs, in four innings at Tampa Bay on Friday. He last faced the Tigers on May 5 at Fenway Park, giving up two earned runs in 5 ⅔ innings. He is 2-4 with a 6.33 ERA in nine career appearances against Detroit … Skubal has dropped his last two starts, surrendering three home runs each time. Song of the Day: Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevinewww.youtube.com/watch?v=kAPj9oP4q_w
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2021 9:44:17 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 7m Cora says Ryan Brasier threw a live batting practice session with Worcester, and pitching coach Paul Abbott was pleased that there was ‘no hesitation’ or flinching in reaction to swings. Cora thinks Brasier will throw one more live BP and then a rehab assignment might be possible
Cora on Duran: Work ethic and routine are ‘amazing,’ and his preparation is excellent. Cora is happy with his defense, suggests that swing/miss is to be expected during transition to big leagues. ‘We like what we see.’
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2021 11:00:25 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 3m Texted a little with Jerry Remy. He's feisty.
"I'm up for a fight," he said.
As somebody from NESN said, "He's one tough SOB."
Sure is.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2021 12:54:38 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 9m Seven batters in and Martín Pérez and the Sox trail 2-0.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2021 12:56:35 GMT -5
shitty shitty start from Perez and out comes Cora to get him early with 4 games in 3 days coming up vs the hot hitting Blue Jays and their best 4 SP
Valdez coming in.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2021 12:58:58 GMT -5
Hell, neither should Richards
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 5m Shouldn't get another start after that
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2021 13:00:37 GMT -5
Perez Line 1.1 IP/ 5/3/3/0bb/2k/37-25
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2021 13:02:46 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 7m
The #RedSox needed a starting pitcher at the deadline far more than a first baseman. Their rotation is imploding.
It will take far more than Chris Sale to fix this.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2021 13:03:54 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 3m Tough times for the Sox rotation.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2021 13:06:00 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 13m Martín Pérez has made nine starts of four innings or fewer, most in the American League and tied for most in MLB.
Pérez lasted 1 1/3 innings -- tied for his shortest start of the season and as a Red Sox, and tied for the third-shortest of his career.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2021 13:07:57 GMT -5
Christopher Smith @smittyonmlb · 14m This getting crazy. He needs to be removed from the rotation
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2021 13:09:30 GMT -5
Needed it at the deadline
Jason Mastrodonato @jmastrodonato · 9m Red Sox overdue for a starting rotation shakeup.
Martin Perez in his last 11 starts: 7.13 ERA Nick Pivetta in his last 13 starts: 5.43 ERA Garrett Richards in his last 9 starts: 7.36 ERA
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 5, 2021 13:13:00 GMT -5
Sox have men on 2nd and 3rd one out and left stranded by JDM and Xander
still down 3-0 3rd
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