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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 16, 2021 11:37:14 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Yankees
Tuesday 16th August 2021
1pm/ 7pm @ Boogie Down
Game 2
Eovadli 10-7/3.92 (or Houck)
Nathan Eovaldi limited the Rays to one run and three hits over seven innings and struck out 10 in Wednesday's win. Eovaldi's velocity was down some tonight, especially on his secondary pitches, but it obviously didn't pose any problems. He reached double figures in strikeouts for the first time since April 19, and he won for the first time since July 1. He's 10-7 with a 3.92 ERA overall.
Gil 1-0/0.00
The 23-year-old hurler delivered another dazzling start in a no-decision against the Mariners on Sunday, striking out eight batters over five scoreless innings. Unfortunately, all it earned him was a trip back to Triple-A, with Gerrit Cole and Jordan Montgomery expected to potentially rejoin the rotation next week.
Game 1
Houck 0-0/2.93 (or Nate)
Houck will be recalled next Tuesday to start one of the games during a doubleheader against the Yankees. He struck out eight while allowing four runs -- three earned -- over five innings on Thursday versus the Rays.
Montgomery 4-5/3.69
Montgomery was placed on the COVID-19 IL last Tuesday, but he's progressing in the right direction now and could return to the Yankees' starting rotation sometime next week if all goes well with his side work.
Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees
Tuesday, August 17, 2021 at 1:05pm EDT
Written by Chris Kubala
It’s the opening game of a series between a pair of bitter AL East rivals on the diamond in the Big Apple. The Boston Red Sox are on the road as they travel to face the New York Yankees in the opening game of a day-night doubleheader, which kicks off a three-game series, Tuesday afternoon. Boston swept Baltimore at home over the weekend, taking the finale by a 6-2 count Sunday afternoon. New York took two of three from the White Sox over the weekend, winning the finale 5-3 on the road Sunday. The Yankees were at home to face the Angels Monday in a makeup contest. This article was published prior to the conclusion of New York’s contest Monday night.
Boston Red Sox Trying to Maintain Recent Momentum
Boston swept Baltimore over the weekend and enter this game winners of four of their previous five games. The Red Sox entered Monday second in the AL East race, three games behind the Yankees for the top spot in the division. In the AL wild card picture, the Red Sox were tied with Oakland for the two wild card spots, 2.5 games ahead of the Yankees to remain on the right side of the cut line. On Sunday, Boston got two hits each from Enrique Hernandez (RBI) and Kyle Schwarber (run) while J.D. Martinez hammered his 23rd homer of the season in the win. Eduardo Rodriguez (9-6) earned the win on the mound as he threw six innings, allowing one run (none earned) on three hits with three walks and six strikeouts.
Nathan Eovaldi is on the mound as he makes his 24th start of the season for the Red Sox in this contest. He comes in 10-7 with a 3.92 ERA, a 1.188 WHIP, 25 walks and 134 strikeouts over 133 innings of work this season. Eovaldi earned the win in his last start, which came Wednesday at home against the Rays. He threw seven innings, allowing one run on three hits with one walk and 10 strikeouts in a 20-8 Red Sox victory. Pitching on the road this season, Eovaldi is 4-4 with a 5.17 ERA, a 1.362 WHIP, 10 walks and 49 strikeouts over 47 innings in nine starts. Eovaldi makes his 14th career appearance, 11th start, against the Yankees in this contest. He comes in 3-2 with a 2.81 ERA, a 0.969 WHIP, eight walks and 59 strikeouts over 64 innings of work against them. Eovaldi is 11-6 with a 3.72 ERA, a 1.228 WHIP, 49 walks and 142 strikeouts over 176.2 innings in 31 career appearances, 29 starts, at Yankee Stadium.
New York Yankees Looking to Close Gap in AL Wild Card Race
New York won their second straight over the White Sox as they took the rubber game of the series Sunday afternoon. The Yankees entered Monday third in the AL East race, 5.5 games behind the Rays for the division lead. In the AL wild card picture, the team was 2.5 games behind the A’s and Red Sox, who own the two wild card spots. On Sunday, Luke Voit (two runs, two RBI) had three hits in the contest while Rougned Odor (run, two RBI) added a pair in the victory. Voit (his fifth) and Odor (his 14th) each homered in the win. Nestor Cortes (1-1) earned the win as he threw six innings, allowing one run on seven hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. Wandy Peralta got the final two outs, allowing one hit, to earn his fourth save.
Luis Gil is expected to be recalled from the minors to make his third start of the season in this contest for the Yankees. He comes in 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA, a 0.818 WHIP, three walks and 14 strikeouts over 11 innings of work on the year. Gil didn’t factor in the decision in his last start, which came August 8 at home against the Mariners. He threw five scoreless innings, allowing two hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in an eventual 2-0 Yankees defeat. Pitching at home this season, Gil is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA, a 0.818 WHIP, three walks and 14 strikeouts over 11 innings in two starts. In his third career major league start, he pitches against the Red Sox for the first time. Gil is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA, a 0.818 WHIP, three walks and 14 strikeouts over 11 innings in two career starts at Yankee Stadium. This season, Gil is 4-1 with a 4.13 ERA, a 1.344 WHIP, 36 walks and 88 strikeouts over 61 innings in 15 starts split between Double-A Somerset of the Northeast League and Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre of the American Association.
August 18th
7pm
Pivetta 9-5/4.20 vs TBA (Heaney 4-5/5.45)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 16, 2021 11:39:44 GMT -5
A rare five-pitch repertoire is making Nate Eovaldi into an elite pitcher
By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated August 16, 2021, 41 minutes ago
As bleak as the Red Sox’ recent slump became, there was always a sliver of light on the horizon. If they could rebound from the recent derailment to forge a path into the postseason, they would feature one of the best pitchers in the American League in October.
And no, that’s not Chris Sale — or at least not yet, as the lefthander’s return from Tommy John surgery remains in its early stages. But while waiting to get a fuller picture of what the 2021 version of Sale looks like, the Red Sox have in Nate Eovaldi a pitcher who has looked for much of the year like the staff stalwart of the 2018 postseason.
“It’s not an accident that he was an All-Star,” said pitching coach Dave Bush.
Eovaldi (10-7, 3.92 ERA) will take the mound for the Red Sox in Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Yankees as the American League leader in Wins Above Replacement, as calculated by Fangraphs. His contributions have been particularly significant against the Red Sox’ most direct competition.
In four starts against the Yankees, he is 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA, 28 strikeouts, and just one walk in 26⅓ innings. In 10 starts against AL East opponents, Eovaldi is 4-3 with a 2.89 ERA — the lowest divisional ERA by any pitcher who has thrown at least 40 innings against the AL East.
That performance against the teams he sees with the most frequency isn’t an accident. Eovaldi has one of the most unusual pitch mixes in the big leagues, allowing him to adapt his plan of attack like few others.
Eovaldi’s repertoire has always been headlined by the ease with which he works in the mid to upper 90s. This year, he’s averaging 97.0 m.p.h. on his four-seam fastball — seventh in the majors among pitchers who have thrown at least 80 innings.
Yet Eovaldi’s fastball has never been a swing-and-miss pitch. It lacks deception and explosive movement.
Still, 97 is 97. When the righthander commands it to his spots — something he’s done with tremendous frequency this year — it’s hard for hitters to make anything but weak contact against it.
“[Hitters] kind of fight it off,” said catcher Kevin Plawecki. “Unless you’re sitting on it, it’s hard to hit.”
Mindful of that notion, Eovaldi makes it hard for opponents to sit on his heater. While the ability to throw hard got Eovaldi to the big leagues as a 21-year-old in 2011, he learned quickly that throwing hard wasn’t enough to thrive as a starter.
And so he developed a mix and refined how he used it. Most starters have three pitches. Elite starters sometimes have four. Eovaldi has five — and he uses all of them.
He is the only starter in the big leagues this year who has thrown five distinct pitch types at least 10 percent of the time, complementing his fastball (43.4 percent usage) with a curve (17.5 percent), cutter (13.5 percent), slider (13.3 percent), and splitter (12.3 percent). This year marks the first time that Eovaldi has flowed so freely among five offerings.
“I haven’t learned any new pitches since [coming to the Red Sox in 2018], but I’ve kind of redefined them and sharpened them up a little bit,” said Eovaldi. “I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t shy away from pitches. I don’t have one pitch where I have to use it in one count.”
He has a baseline pitch that he can command to spots — and most importantly, the top of the zone (fastball). He works to both edges of the plate with his cutter. He spins his slider off the plate for chases by righties, works below the zone with a high-velocity offering (splitter), and disrupts timing by throwing a curveball both in and out of the zone.
“It’s unique,” said Bush. “There’s obviously high velo. There’s always been high velo. He’s realized the velo alone doesn’t make him good.
“He’s always had elite stuff. [Mixing pitches is] what’s turned that elite stuff into an elite pitcher. The steps he’s taken in the last couple years, he’s just figured out exactly what he can do.”
For catchers, Eovaldi offers a rich array of possibilities. Plawecki, who caught Jacob deGrom, Zack Wheeler, and Noah Syndergaard with the Mets and Shane Bieber with Cleveland, suggests that Eovaldi’s stuff ranks with anyone else he’s caught.
“When he’s painting, it’s like a video game,” said Plawecki. “Just put the fingers down.”
Baseball is in a three-true-outcomes era where success is defined by limiting walks and homers while racking up strikeouts. This year, Eovaldi has excelled in two of those areas and done a solid job in a third.
Eovaldi’s 24.1 percent strikeout rate is slightly above average rather than elite, though as his 10-strikeout effort against the Rays demonstrated last Wednesday, he does have an array of potential swing-and-miss options at his disposal.
While his strikeout totals fluctuate, Eovaldi consistently does a good job of controlling damaging outcomes. His 4.5 percent walk rate is the seventh-lowest among pitchers who have thrown at least 80 innings. He’s averaging 5.4 strikeouts per walk, seventh-best in MLB.
And he has limited opponents to 0.6 homers per nine innings, fifth-lowest in MLB. He’s given up hard contact on just 24.3 percent of balls in play — second-lowest among AL starters.
Beyond the most diverse pitch mix of his career, Eovaldi has featured something else in 2021 that he rarely has possessed: Health. In a year where pitcher workloads represented cause for anxiety, Eovaldi has logged 133 innings — his biggest workload since 2015.
“The fact that he can post every five days and keep his stuff, it’s a testament of who he is, the adjustments he has made,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “He’s been amazing.”
He has been the pitcher the Sox hoped he would be when they signed the righthander to a four-year, $68 million deal coming off his spectacular performance in the 2018 postseason. While there is some satisfaction to be taken in performing to the expectations of a landmark contract, Eovaldi examines his career-best season (to date) through a different lens.
“Regardless of the money, I hold myself accountable to go out there and perform my best just because they gave me a jersey,” he said. “I’m representing the Red Sox, whether it’s money or not. I’m going to go out there and do my best any time. I want the team to feel it can depend on me in any game, any leverage, any situation to come in there and do my job.
“That’s what it comes down to — not how much you’re getting paid or anything like that. For me, I want to be able to go out there, use all five of my pitches any time I need to, any time, and go out there and give the team a good chance to win and go deep in the ballgames.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 16, 2021 11:41:27 GMT -5
The Yankees have looked pretty bad at times this year, but watch out for them
By Dan Shaughnessy Globe Columnist,Updated August 16, 2021, 1 hour ago
Red Sox fans have enjoyed the pain and pratfalls of the Yankees this season.
The upstart Bostons pantsed the Yankees twice in June, sweeping a three-game set in the Bronx and another at Fenway June 25-27. When the Red Sox took the field in Oakland on the night of July 3, they led the Yankees by a whopping 10 games.
The Sox improved to 7-0 against New York with a shutout win at Yankee Stadium July 16. The Yanks finally snapped the string the next day, but as recently as July 25, the then-first place Red Sox had a nine-game lead over New York. The Sox own a 10-3 season advantage and have outscored their rivals, 61-43.
When the Yankees went out and got Anthony Rizzo and Joey Gallo at the trade deadline while the Sox did little, Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy laughed and said, “They had to be active because I think they are 3-10 against us.”
The American League East looks very different now as the Red Sox prepare for three games in two days at Yankee Stadium beginning Tuesday at 1:05 p.m.
The Red Sox just endured a two-week belly flop of 11 losses in 14 games, falling out of first place behind Tampa Bay, while watching the Yankees and Blue Jays gain considerable ground. Even after a feel-good weekend sweep of the tanking Orioles at Fenway, Boston’s lead over New York is down to 2½ games, one in the loss column.
Despite injuries, slumps, underperformance, and hideous blown saves, the Yankees somehow managed to go 23-11 — best record in baseball (tied with the Giants) — from July 6-Aug. 16. Beating the White Sox Sunday, the Bronx Bombers got to 13 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2019 season and somehow finished 5-1 against the AL Central leaders.
The Red Sox are not worried. After beating the Orioles (a team that is trying to lose games) for a third straight time Sunday, manager Alex Cora announced, “We have our ace [Chris Sale] back. We’re feeling really good the way we’re going as a [rotation] and it’s getting better and better and will get better.”
Sale will not pitch against the Yankees, just as he did not pitch against the Rays last week. The Sox are doing everything they can to protect his $145 million arm and did not want him in high-leverage games after his two-year hiatus for Tommy John surgery. They want maximum rest and minimum stress for Sale. Cora greatly admires what Sale did to get back to the majors and wants only positivity for his ace lefty.
Sale’s final rehab start for the WooSox was Aug. 7 against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. With the normal four days off, he would have been on schedule to return to the big leagues last Thursday against the Rays at Fenway (Tanner Houck started in an 8-1 loss). That, in turn, would have put Sale on the Yankee Stadium mound this week.
Instead, the Sox decided to give Sale an extra couple of days rest and a soft reentry against the Orioles in a 16-2 win. Sale’s second start is scheduled for Friday night at Fenway against the 42-76 Texas Rangers.
Nate Eovaldi and Houck will start for Boston in Tuesday’s doubleheader (the Sox haven’t told us which guy for which game yet), with Nick Pivetta getting the ball Wednesday. Jordan Montgomery and Luis Gil are down to start the doubleheader games for New York.
Every time we say, “Watch out for the Yanks,” they suffer another loss to COVID protocol or some amazing bullpen implosion.
But we’ll say it again anyway.
Watch out for the Yankees. Rizzo, Gary Sanchez, Aroldis Chapman, and Domingo German are getting close. And they’re getting some good work from no-names Nestor Cortes Jr., Lucas Luetge, and Wandy Peralta.
“We’re finding out a lot about other people,” manager Aaron Boone said Sunday.
Swell.
Personally, I can’t wait. I can’t wait for these three games in two days, and the delicious, very real possibility of a one-game playoff at Fenway between the Red Sox and Yankees in the first game of October.
Just like in 1978.
Hope Chris Sale gets the ball for that one.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 16, 2021 16:54:49 GMT -5
The Red Sox look like they’re back, but these next three games will be a better barometer
By Chad Finn Globe Staff,Updated August 16, 2021, 19 minutes ago
The worst is over. The five-week skid is behind them. The Red Sox are repaired and raring for the run toward October.
Well, I think so, anyway.
Probably.
Maybe.
Most likely, I guess?
All right, I’m convincing no one with that approach, so let’s put it another way: The Red Sox have won three in a row and four of five in advance of their compelling three-game series at Yankee Stadium beginning Tuesday.
It looks like they’re back. Previous hemming and hawing aside, I do believe they are. We just need to see them do it against a better team than the one they just walloped.
Recent reinforcements, including the recall of slider machine Tanner Houck and injury returns from Kyle Schwarber and, most crucially, Chris Sale, mean that the pieces on the roster fit together better than they have at any point in this mostly pleasant season.
There’s been a sense, because this team had so many obvious holes, that three-plus months of success (the Red Sox were a season-high 23 games over .500 on July 28) would prove the outlier, and that this recent slide — the Red Sox went 12-19 from July 6 to Aug. 12 — would turn out to be who they really are.
It did feel at times like that rut was going to be inescapable, especially when certain hapless pitchers had the starting assignment that day. But after those three-plus months of success to begin the season — and some recent signs, developments, and transactions that indicate the good times have returned — I’m vowing to give this group the benefit of the doubt for the rest of the season.
They deserve that much over the regular season’s remaining 42 games. Even after their downturn for those long few weeks, they’re still 18 games over .500 at 69-51. They’re three games back of the Rays for first place in the American League East entering Monday, having made up two games over the weekend, and currently sit in one of the two wild-card spots. It’s a good place to be as the playoff races accelerate through August toward September.
If there’s any hesitance to declare the Red Sox BACK, all caps, it’s that the three-game sweep over the weekend came against those inept Orioles, who aren’t exactly the ideal barometer for measuring success. (I’m not sure the Orioles would be a barometer for the Sea Dogs right now.) But the Red Sox outscored them 30-5 in the sweep, and did what good teams do — they took care of business, ruthlessly and without suspense, against inferior competition. There really wasn’t anything more to be demanded of them that they didn’t fulfill.
The competition gets better now with the Yankees, plagued with injuries but somehow 13-5 since July 27, lurking just 2½ games back of the Red Sox. For the Yankees, it’s about as important as a mid-August series can be. They are 3-10 against the Red Sox this season, and face them just three more times after this week, a series in Boston from Sept. 25-27. The Yankees need to win this series, and the Red Sox can’t let them have it.
I do believe the Red Sox will meet this challenge — there’s that benefit of the doubt in action — for a couple of reasons. The reinforcements, as previously mentioned, have resolved the roster’s most fundamental flaws. Martín Pérez and Garrett Richards have made a combined 44 starts this season, which is a degree of difficulty no manager or coach should have to contend with, or should be expected to contend with.
Now here comes Chris Sale, looking close enough to his vintage ace self, to help save the Red Sox in a different way than he did in the 2018 World Series. There will be hiccups here or there, but if he pitches the rest of the season similarly to how he threw his season debut, the Red Sox will be playing in October, at least for one game, and probably more if he starts the wild card. Transporting Pérez and Richards to the bullpen is the definition of addition by subtraction . . . and then Sale enters the equation as pretty close to the ultimate addition. The math has changed for the better.
Schwarber, who returned from a hamstring injury to make his Red Sox debut over the weekend, fit immediately, mashing a pair of doubles and reaching base in four of his eight plate appearances. But the best development for the lineup is that multiple hitters seem to have been jostled from a slumber simultaneously.
Xander Bogaerts went 5 for 12 and hit his first home run of the month in the sweep of the Orioles. J.D. Martinez hit three-run homers in back-to-back games. And most surprisingly Bobby Dalbec, who had been struggling so badly that he probably should have begun apartment hunting in Worcester, went 5 for 8 with three home runs in the first two games of the series before posting an 0 for 4 Sunday.
I’m skeptical that waiver-claim Travis Shaw and his .616 OPS since the start of 2019 will aid the cause, and at this point one has to wonder whether Yairo Muñoz, who has hit in an organization-record 35 straight games, would receive a recall from Worcester even if he matches Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak. He warranted one weeks ago when Marwin Gonzalez was still getting chances, and he’d likely be more helpful than Shaw going forward.
But that’s a minor grievance about a roster puzzle in which the pieces finally fit. Chris Sale is back. The Red Sox’ best bats have swung back into action. They recently endured their roughest stretch of this pleasant surprise of a season, but now their roster is at last the best version of itself. Roughing up the Orioles supplied plenty of evidence that they are back. Doing the same to the Yankees will prove it beyond a doubt.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 17, 2021 2:45:04 GMT -5
Yankees take aim at Red Sox in key AL East twin bill
An inability to consistently beat the Boston Red Sox put the New York Yankees into a deficit from which they are starting to emerge.
The Yankees are 3-10 in the first 13 meetings with Boston and get two chances to inch closer to their rivals Tuesday in a day-night doubleheader at Yankee Stadium.
New York opened its eight-game homestand with a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday to move within two games of Boston for the second wild-card spot in the American League.
Joey Gallo hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Gerrit Cole pitched 5 2/3 innings in his return from the COVID-19 injured list. Those performances helped the Yankees enter Tuesday with 10 wins in their past 13 games and 15 in the last 20 since the previous meeting with Boston on July 25.
"This team's been grinding," New York's Aaron Judge said. "This team, they're fighters. We're going to continue to fight. We've got some big series coming up."
Since erasing a four-run deficit in the eighth inning against the Yankees on July 25, the Red Sox are 8-12 in their past 20 games to drop into second place in the division. They lost seven of nine to start this month but have scored 51 runs to win four of their past five.
The Red Sox completed a three-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday when J.D. Martinez hit a three-run homer in a 6-2 victory while Kyle Schwarber got his first two hits with Boston.
Martinez enters this series with 11 RBIs in his past six games while Rafael Devers has seven homers and 17 RBIs in his past 24 games since Boston's last trip to New York.
Eduardo Rodriguez allowed an unearned run in six innings Sunday and Boston enters Tuesday with a 2.39 ERA from its starters in the past nine games.
"We believe every five days, we're going to have a good guy on the mound, and also in the bullpen, we're going to be set up to use different guys," Boston manager Alex Cora said. We're feeling better about our pitching staff."
Tanner Houck (0-3, 2.93 ERA) starts the opener and makes his seventh start. Houck last pitched Thursday when he allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits in five innings of an 8-1 loss to Tampa Bay.
Houck is 1-0 and has allowed only two unearned runs in 13 2/3 innings in his three career games (two starts) against New York.
Nathan Eovaldi (10-7, 3.92) starts the nightcap and seeks his third win this year over the Yankees. He is 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA in four starts against them this season and 3-2 with a 2.81 ERA in 13 career games (10 starts) against the Yankees.
Eovaldi last pitched on Wednesday when he allowed one run on three hits in seven innings of a 20-8 win over Tampa Bay.
Jordan Montgomery (4-5, 3.69) will follow Cole off the COVID-19 injured list and start Tuesday afternoon.
Montgomery is pitching for the first time since allowing one run on four hits in five innings of a no-decision against the Miami Marlins on Aug. 1.
"It definitely could have been worse," said Montgomery, who noted he felt like he had a cold. "I'm thankful for that and I'm excited to be back with the team."
Montgomery is 1-0 with an 0.57 ERA in his past three outings since dropping four straight June 26-July 16. Two of the starts in his skid were against Boston, though he pitched well in both (three runs allowed in 11 2/3 innings), and he is 1-2 with a 3.72 ERA in nine career starts against the Red Sox.
Rookie Luis Gil (1-0, 0.00), who filled in twice while Cole was out, will make his third career start in the second game.
He pitched against Baltimore and Seattle and allowed six hits and struck out 14 in 11 scoreless innings.
--Field Level Media
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 17, 2021 2:47:49 GMT -5
Injuries/Moves: Shaw up, Marwin released
12:10 AM ADT
ROSTER MOVES
• All Red Sox transactions
Aug. 16: INF Travis Shaw added to Major League roster
The Red Sox claimed Shaw off waivers on Sunday and he will be active for Tuesday’s day-night doubleheader at Yankee Stadium. Shaw will wear No. 23 in his second tour of duty with the Red Sox. He was No. 47 in his first go-round.
Aug. 16: INF/OF Marwin Gonzalez released
The Red Sox designated Gonzalez for assignment on Aug. 13 to make room for Kyle Schwarber, and he will not remain with the organization. Gonzalez is free to sign with any team. The 32-year-old played in 77 games for the Sox, hitting .202 with two home runs and a .567 OPS.
Aug. 15: OF Franchy Cordero optioned to Triple-A Worcester
The addition of Shaw leaves little use for Cordero on Boston’s roster. Cordero, a left-handed hitter, hasn’t done much in either of his stints on the Major League roster this season, slashing .189/.237/.260 with one homer and nine RBIs.
Aug. 15: C Connor Wong optioned to Triple-A Worcester
Wong was recalled for Sunday’s game to take the spot of lefty reliever Josh Taylor, who was placed on the COVID-19-related IL. As of Sunday, Taylor had not tested positive for the virus and there’s a chance he will be activated by Tuesday’s doubleheader.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 17, 2021 3:08:26 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK
As Red Sox head to New York, a different Yankees team awaits
By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated August 16, 2021, 8:21 p.m.
The Red Sox have taken care of business against the Yankees this season, dominating them to the tune of a 10-3 record so far. But with the acquisitions of Anthony Rizzo and Joey Gallo, this is a different Yankee bunch.
The Red Sox begin a three-game set with New York at Yankee Stadium with Tuesday’s doubleheader. Rizzo, who has been on the COVID-IL, reportedly received cardiac screening Monday. If all goes well, he will go through a workout Tuesday, yet he won’t be activated immediately, meaning there’s a strong possibility the Red Sox might miss him this series.
Gleyber Torres is out with a thumb sprain, and Gio Urshela is out with a hamstring injury. Though the Yankees are 19-9 since the All-Star break, this could be a chance for the Red Sox to gain a bit more ground. The Sox’ lead over New York shrunk to just 2½ games in the American League East standings heading into Monday night.
Yet, perhaps the Sox’ recent sweep of the Orioles is what can get them back on track. Additionally, the Red Sox have some new faces, too, including Kyle Schwarber. He collected his first two hits in a Red Sox uniform (both doubles) in Sunday’s 6-2 win over the Orioles.
Schwarber will get his first experience of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, and he is looking forward to it.
“I’m definitely very excited to be a part of the rivalry,” Schwarber said. “Just to watch it on TV and see how the ballpark is in both places and the challenge of both teams going out there and grinding it out. That’s something that you look forward to as a ballplayer and I’m excited to be on the Red Sox side of it and go out there and face the challenge.”
Nate Eovaldi and Tanner Houck will be Tuesday’s starters, but the Red Sox haven’t announced who will pitch which game.
Devers starting to walk the walk
It was an at-bat that might have gotten swept to the side during the Sox’ sweep of the lowly Orioles.
In his first at-bat Sunday, Rafael Devers negotiated a walk. The changeup by O’s starter Keegan Akin was well off the plate. But Devers is naturally a very good bad-ball hitter and is enticed to swing at some of those pitches. The walk was not only important because it helped lead to a three-run first capped by J.D. Martinez’s homer, but it also marked Devers’s 48th walk of the season, tying a career-high set in 2019. It took Devers 702 plate appearances in 2019 to get 48 walks. This season, he’s compiled 48 walks in 482 plate appearances.
“I think he’s recognizing that teams in certain situations, he’s not going to get pitches to hit,” manager Alex Cora said. “He’s been more disciplined up in the zone lately with the fastball. He recognizes that there’s certain situations he’s going to get pitches to hit. It’s the other way around. He zones in on one certain spot. If it’s not there, he’ll take his walk.”
Devers’s chase rate is down to 37.3 percent this year. It was 40.5 percent in 2019 and 42.3 percent last year.
“He’s still grinding. He’s only 24,” Cora said. “He keeps improving. He’s putting everything together now.”
Cordero sent down to Worcester
Franchy Cordero was optioned to Triple A Worcester, and Travis Shaw was officially added to the Sox roster. Cordero hit just .219 with no extra-base hits in 34 plate appearances since being recalled . . . Marwin Gonzalez, who was designated for assignment Friday when Schwarber came off the injured list, was released.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 17, 2021 3:12:22 GMT -5
Pete Abraham
@peteabe
·
7h
#RedSox moves: Optioned outfielder Franchy Cordero and catcher Connor Wong to Triple-A Worcester. Added infielder Travis Shaw (No. 23) to MLB roster.
Released Marwin Gonzalez, who was earlier DFA’d. (They’ll add Houck as the 27th man for the DH tomorrow).
Per the Yankees postgame notes from tonight, Game 1 tomorrow is Houck vs. Montgomery and Game 2 is Eovaldi vs. Gil.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 17, 2021 3:24:05 GMT -5
Red Sox
at
Yankees
Tuesday, at 1:05 PM EST
Partly Cloudy
According to Forecast.io, it's expected to be 79° F with a 0% chance of precipitation and 9 MPH wind blowing right to left in New York City at 1:05 PM EST.
Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com Forecast.io
Red Sox
at
Yankees
Tuesday, at 7:05 PM EST
Cloudy
According to Forecast.io, it's expected to be 77° F with a 8% chance of rain and 11 MPH wind blowing right to left in New York City at 7:05 PM EST.
Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com Forecast.io
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 17, 2021 6:15:53 GMT -5
Peter Gammons
@pgammo
·
2h
While every Red Sox-Yankees series must open w/a Bill Lee-Graig Nettles UFC, this week it's young P of interest. Tom Verducci pointed out Gil's 2 start,4-seamer carry is in Cole's elite class, Pivetta in elite among qualifiers, Houck's slider has 80% spin/39.2% whiff rate.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 17, 2021 6:19:52 GMT -5
Red Sox Notebook: Sox hold edge against American League contenders with favorable remaining schedule
By Steve Hewitt | stephen.hewitt@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald
August 17, 2021 at 5:00 a.m.
Despite falling out of first place in the division, the Red Sox are still in a good spot. With 42 games to go, their schedule compares favorably to the American League teams that they’re contending for playoff spots with over the final seven weeks of the season.
A closer look at the Red Sox and their closest competition’s schedule reveals that they hold an edge. Going into Monday night’s games (the Sox were off), the average winning percentage of the Red Sox’ remaining opponents, factoring in the number of games left against each team, was .487. Among AL contenders, only the Blue Jays (.481) and Astros (.479) have easier schedules.
Entering the week, the Red Sox trailed the Rays by three games for first in the AL East and were tied with the A’s for the two wild card spots. The Yankees were 2 1/2 games behind them. The Red Sox have an easier schedule than all three of those teams. Tampa (.496) has the toughest remaining schedule in the East, the Sox hold a slight edge over New York (.492) and Oakland (.532) has one of the hardest remaining schedules in baseball, which includes nine against the Mariners, seven with the White Sox and six against the Astros.
The Red Sox face the Rays seven times and the Yankees six times — including three this week in New York — which will go a long way into determining their playoff fate. The Sox are 5-7 against Tampa this season, but 1-7 in their last eight meetings, and they’re 10-3 against New York. Six road games against the White Sox (3), who lead the AL Central, and the Mariners (3), who sit 5 1/2 games back of a wild card spot, will also loom large.
They’ll need to take care of the opponents they should beat, with 21 games against teams — Orioles (6), Cleveland (6), Rangers (3), Twins (3) and Nationals (3) — that entered Monday with a sub-.500 record, and another two against the plummeting Mets. That includes six games to end the season against the O’s and Nats, but if history from 10 years ago is an indication, those teams will be motivated to play spoiler for a promising Red Sox season.
Perez embracing new role
When Alex Cora told Martin Perez that he was being moved from the rotation to the bullpen a few weeks ago, he didn’t take any issue with it. Perez had been in this situation before, in 2018 with the Rangers, and more importantly, he prides himself on being a good teammate.
“We are good friends,” Perez said of Cora. “(I told him) I’m OK with that if you think that I’m going to help the team from the bullpen. I’m ready for that. I just want to win and make it to the playoffs. That happens. Sometimes you can’t control things and you have to control what you can control. That’s their decision and I have to do what they told me. Now I’m in the bullpen and I’m going to do my job.
“I like to be a good teammate and good person. You’re not going to be on this level for a long time if you’re not a good teammate. For me, this is a family. I’m not a selfish guy.”
Perez said the transition hasn’t been difficult. As a nine-year veteran, he knows how to get his body ready every day in case he needs to pitch, and he feels like his stuff plays well in the bullpen.
Perez hasn’t been told whether or not he may start again. But with a real chance to make the playoffs for just the second time in his career, he’s willing to do whatever is asked of him.
“I just want to win,” Perez said. “This is a year we have a chance and I think we have the potential to make it to the playoffs and we have to do it right now. Next year is going to be a different year. You don’t know what’s going to happen and I just focus on the present, not on the future.”
Odds & ends
The Red Sox made a few roster moves Monday, activating infielder Travis Shaw — who they claimed off waivers on Sunday — and optioning both Franchy Cordero and Connor Wong back to Worcester. The extra spot could be filled by Josh Taylor if he’s reinstated from the COVID-19 related injured list. They also released Marwin Gonzalez, who they designated for assignment last week.
Cora wasn’t sure what order they would pitch, but Nathan Eovaldi and Tanner Houck are scheduled to start in Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Yankees. Nick Pivetta will pitch Wednesday in the Red Sox’ last regular season game in the Bronx this season.
After Thursday’s off day, the Red Sox will welcome Brock Holt and the Rangers to town. Chris Sale will make his second start of the season on Friday, followed by Eduardo Rodriguez. …
The Red Sox jumped 11 spots to No. 9 on Baseball America’s rankings of baseball’s best farm systems. As Chaim Bloom continues his quest to rebuild the farm, they have three players in BA’s Top 100 prospects, with Triston Casas at No. 19, Jarren Duran at No. 21 and first-round pick Marcelo Mayer at No. 31.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 17, 2021 6:25:29 GMT -5
Christopher Gasper
@cgasper
·
1h
We’ll see how much of the Red Sox righting the ship was them and how much was running into the awful Orioles at the ideal time.
Stats By STATS
@statsbystats
· 8h
With tonight's 9-2 loss to the Rays, the Orioles have now lost 12 straight games - all by multiple runs.
Their -77 run differential in that span ties the worst in a 12-game span in the modern era, matching the 1977 Braves, 1936 Athletics, and 1901 Reds.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 17, 2021 8:49:34 GMT -5
Yankees Return Stephen Ridings, Rob Brantly To Minors
By Anthony Franco | August 17, 2021 at 8:20am CDT
The Yankees announced last night they’ve returned reliever Stephen Ridings and catcher Rob Brantly to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Both players were selected to the big league roster as replacements for players who had tested positive for COVID-19, so they could removed from the active and 40-man rosters without being exposed to waivers.
While New York has yet to formally announce corresponding roster moves, it’s apparent they’re made with the intention of activating left-hander Jordan Montgomery and catcher Gary Sánchez from the COVID-19 injured list before today’s doubleheader against the Red Sox. New York had already indicated Montgomery would get the ball for one half of the twin bill. It was less clear whether Sánchez would be ready to return today, but Brantly’s removal leaves Kyle Higashioka as the only catcher on the big league roster — suggesting Sánchez will indeed make it back onto the field this afternoon.
Ridings was selected two weeks ago and has made his first five MLB appearances this year. He allowed two runs over five frames, punching out seven while issuing a pair of walks. Ridings averaged a huge 97.2 MPH on his sinker and generated swinging strikes on a fantastic 18.9% of his offerings during his brief big league time. Between that impressive showing and his ludicrous minor league numbers this season — a 1.24 ERA with a 38.2% strikeout rate split between Double-A and Triple-A — the 26-year-old figures to get another MLB look before long.
Brantly has come up as a COVID replacement on two separate occasions, tallying 21 plate appearances in a backup role. He’s had a very good season with the RailRiders, hitting .286/.397/.496 over 141 plate appearances.
The Yankees are moving closer to returning to full strength after the recent spread of the coronavirus throughout their clubhouse. Assuming Montgomery and Sánchez are activated today, that’ll leave just Anthony Rizzo and Clay Holmes on the COVID IL. It’s an opportune time for New York to get two key players back, as the Yankees kick off a three-game set against their archrivals in Boston, whom they trail by two games in the American League Wild Card race (with the A’s 1.5 games up on New York for the final AL postseason spot).
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 17, 2021 9:09:42 GMT -5
Yankees Activate Jordan Montgomery, Gary Sanchez
By Anthony Franco | August 17, 2021 at 8:58am CDT
8:58 am: Indeed, the Yankees announced this morning they’ve activated Montgomery and Sánchez from the injured list. Luis Gil has also been recalled as the 27th man for today’s doubleheader.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 17, 2021 9:34:04 GMT -5
Red Sox at Yankees Series Preview
A big three-game-in-two-days set with big playoff implications.
By Matt_Collins@MattRyCollins Aug 17, 2021, 10:30am EDT
Pinstripe Alley
The opponent in one sentence
The Yankees have spent most of this season disappointing their fans after coming into the year as the American League favorites, but they’ve turned things around recently and are still right in the thick of the postseason chase.
Record
66-52
Head-to-head record
Red Sox 10, Yankees 3
Trend
Up. The Yankees have really been playing much better baseball for the better part of a month now, and while they did hit a little bit of a snag last week in which they were exchanging wins and losses, they are trending back up now. They’ve won each of their last three games, and they’ve won 11 of 15 games in August.
Pitching Matchups
8/17: Tanner Houck vs. Jordan Montgomery, 1:05 PM ET (MLB Network for out-of-market)
Houck was optioned following his last start, but that was just a paper move as the team knew he’d be recalled for this doubleheader where they’d be able to call up an extra player. (For those concerned about service time manipulation, which is valid, it doesn’t come into play here as players accrue service time if they are sent down for fewer than 10 days.) That should be his final optioning, as he is expected to remain in the rotation moving forward. And it’s well-deserved. There are issues with length, as Houck does start to struggle after four or five innings, but with this being a seven-inning affair it’s less of a concern. This will be Houck’s third time facing the Yankees this season, with one of the previous outings coming out of the bullpen and the other as a starter. Combined, he allowed one unearned run over 7 2⁄3 innings, striking out 11, walking three and allowing three hits. Ideally the Red Sox would like to be able to count on him for five innings moving forward, but given how important this series is I’d think they’ll give him a short leash once they get to the fourth, even if he’s cruising.
Montgomery was one of many players who has been affected by a recent COVID outbreak on the Yankees, coming back to make his first start since August 1. The southpaw has been solid for New York this season, pitching to a 3.69 ERA with peripherals that are marginally better. Like Houck, he hasn’t gone super deep into games this season (though he has been going deeper than Houck), making him a good fit for this seven-inning game. Montgomery will miss bats and for the most part has solid command, allowing him to keep his team in virtually every game he starts. He was particularly hot in his last three starts before hitting the COVID list, pitching to a 0.57 ERA with just about a strikeout per inning. Boston has seen him three times this season, scoring three runs over six innings in two of them before more recently being shut out over 5 2⁄3 innings. Montgomery will provide mostly an even split between his curveball, sinker and changeup while also mixing in a fair amount of four-seamers and cutters.
8/17: Nathan Eovaldi vs. Luis Gil, 7:05 PM ET (MLB Network for out-of-network)
Eovaldi hasn’t always been dominant this year, but peripherally he’s been one of the best pitchers in baseball — he ranks first among American League pitchers in fWAR, which is heavily based on FIP — and he’s been remarkably consistent. Before a stretch earlier this month, he had not allowed more than two runs in consecutive starts over roughly a three-month stretch. The good news there is Eovaldi did bounce back last time out after a couple of rough starts, allowing just one run against the Rays over seven innings with 10 strikeouts. This will already be his fifth start against New York this season, and he’s only allowed as many as two earned runs in one of them and overall he’s pitched to a 1.71 ERA with 28 strikeouts and one walk over 26 2⁄3 innings.
Gil came into this season as one of the top prospects in the Yankees farm system, and he’s looked good in his first couple of appearances in the bigs. It’s only been two starts, and it’s come against the Orioles and Mariners, but he’s yet to allow a run over 11 innings, striking out 14 and walking three. The righty has always shown off strong stuff in the minors, but his walk rates on the farm suggest the Red Sox should try to be patient and not allow the rookie to expand the zone. He leans heavily on his fastball, which sits in the mid-to-high 90s, and his slider, while also mixing in some changeups.
8/18: Nick Pivetta vs. Andrew Heaney, 7:05 PM ET (ESPN)
Pivetta is always the wildcard in this rotation, which was frustrating when he was the de facto number three in the group but is more palatable when he is the number five. That said, this is clearly a big series so the Red Sox are looking for more of the same of what we’ve seen more recently. While the righty has been inconsistent for much of this season, he’s pitched to a 2.16 ERA this month with 19 strikeouts and four walks over 16 2⁄3 innings. He is still struggling with the long ball, however, making a matchup against the Yankees in the Bronx a potentially scary proposition. Somehow, this is his first matchup against New York this season.
Heaney wasn’t the highest profile of additions for New York at the deadline, but he has been added to their rotation. It’s been a struggle for the lefty since joining the Yankees, however. He’s given up eight home runs in three starts, and he’s allowed at least four runs in each of them. While they weren’t as extreme, Heaney was experiencing some long ball issues before the trade while still with the Angels as well. There will be some strikeouts against him, but command has been a problem all year. The Red Sox did see him in early July, scoring three runs over 5 1⁄3 innings. Heaney will feature a fastball, curveball, and changeup.
Old Friends
Anthony Rizzo was, of course, a former top prospect in the Red Sox organization who was traded way back when in the Adrian Gonzalez trade. He was a potential target at the deadline but was acquired by New York instead, where he got red hot before hitting the COVID list.
Seattle Mariners v New York Yankees
Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
Notable Position Players
Aaron Judge is clearly the best player on this Yankees team, even if everyone was healthy. His defense in right field is always underrated, but it’s the offense that really lifts his value. Judge has the well-known power, and he’s also cut his strikeout rate some while continuing to draw walks at a high level.
Joey Gallo is one of the big additions made by New York at the deadline, and he is one of the faces of the three-true-outcome era in baseball. That means he will strike out a whole lot — over 40 percent of the time since joining the Yankees — but also hit for massive power and drawing a ton of walks.
DJ LeMahieu got off to a very tough start this year, and while he’s still not hitting for the power New York likely wants to see after signing him to a six-year deal this winter, he is getting on base at a much better clip this month.
Giancarlo Stanton hits the ball as hard as anyone in baseball, and is always a threat to go deep. After a tough July, he’s making more contact this month, though the power is still modest than expected since the break.
Gary Sánchez is expected to rejoin the Yankees today after spending time on the COVID list. He’s not going to get a ton of hits, but when he makes contact it is often hard, leading to a bit of a resurgence at the plate this season.
Luke Voit was initially squeezed out of the lineup with the Rizzo acquisition, but with the latter out with COVID the former is back in there. He’s striking out more than expected and has just been average in sporadic playing time this year.
Brett Gardner is not the player he once was, and while he’s never been a great power hitter he’s not making the kind of contact he needs to in order to keep his overall line above water.
Rougned Odor has had some big swings for the Yankees, but his plate discipline still comes back to bite him and keep his line below average.
Tyler Wade gets on base at a decent enough clip, but his total lack of power keeps his line well below average.
Bullpen Snapshot
The Yankees are without Aroldis Chapman for the time being, leaving their bullpen a little shallower than you’d normally see from them. Chad Green and Jonathan Loaisiga are each good options in the late innings, but they’ve struggled to find arms they can trust behind them. More recently, Wandy Peralta has emerged as a lefty on a hot run.
Injuries
The Yankees have all sorts of injury issues right now. The aforementioned COVID issues are winding down, though Anthony Rizzo is still out. His return is nearing, though it may not be for this series. New York is still without starters Gio Urshela and Gleyber Torres, as well as Miguel Andújar. Clint Frazier also suffered a setback and is likely out for the year. On the rotation side, Corey Kluber and Domingo Germán are both out while Luis Severino suffered a setback in his rehab. And then in the bullpen, as mentioned above Aroldis Chapman is out with an elbow issue.
Weather Forecast
It will be an interesting day weather-wise on Tuesday, where two games are scheduled to be played. There are showers in the forecast all day in the Bronx, though it doesn’t appear there is any major system coming through. At this point, basically any possibility is realistic.
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