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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 20, 2021 14:55:23 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 21m Brasier will pitch in AAA on Sunday.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 20, 2021 16:46:07 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 1h Bunch of Rangers moves:
* Recalled INF Nick Solak from Triple-A West Round Rock.
* Selected the contract of RHP Nick Snyder from Round Rock. * Placed RHP Joe Barlow on the IL with a blister on his right index finger.
* Placed INF Charlie Culberson on the COVID IL.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 20, 2021 16:49:54 GMT -5
funny 20 days ago when they dealt for him the talk was he is gonna play 1b
Boston Red Sox’s Kyle Schwarber still working at first base; ‘At one point we have to do it,’ Alex Cora says Updated: 4:24 p.m. | Published: 4:24 p.m. Boston Red Sox v Tampa Bay Rays
Kyle Schwarber has continued to work out at first base. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)Getty Images By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — Kyle Schwarber will serve as the designated hitter again Friday for the Red Sox against the Rangers here at Fenway Park.
Schwarber has made all five starts at DH since returning from the injured list. Manager Alex Cora said Schwarber still is on track to play in the outfield this weekend.
“Just decided to go with J.D. (Martinez) in left and him DH’ing,” Cora said before Friday’s game. “That’s just the decision we made. But he worked out at first base today. He worked out in left field. But it’s just the alignment that we went with.”
The Red Sox still plan to have Schwarber play first base. He has never started a game there in the major leagues.
“We feel like this weekend, if everything goes well, he can play in the outfield,” Cora said. “And keep working at first base. That’s something that we’ve been talking about it. When we’re going to do this, at one point we have to do it. He’s going to learn playing the position. So at one point we have to make a decision when we’re going to do it and we have to let him play. He moved well today. He had a workout today. He did the same thing at Yankee Stadium. We’ll do the same thing tomorrow and we’ll keep talking about when we’re going to do that.”
Arroyo getting close
Christian Arroyo — who has been on the IL with a left hamstring strain since July 19 — will play in another rehab game for Triple-A Worcester on Friday.
He received two at-bats for Worcester both Tuesday and Thursday. He went 0-for-2 with a walk Thursday.
“He must be feeling really good because he took off yesterday and stole a base,” Cora said. “So that was good to see. I was watching on TV. He got a few at-bats. He’s going to play today again. I don’t think he’s that far off. Obviously he hasn’t played in a while. It’s been a month. So as far as the timing and all that, we’ll talk to him. We’ll see how he feels. But I do believe body-wise, the way he’s moving, he’s in a good spot. The fact that he stole a base yesterday, it was a good sign.”
Ryan Brasier to pitch again Sunday
Weather permitting, Ryan Brasier will make his sixth rehab appearance for Worcester on Sunday.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 21, 2021 2:20:45 GMT -5
'It's everything to me': Sale rights Sox's ship 12:44 AM ADT
Ken Powtak
BOSTON -- Chris Sale was very good again. The Red Sox offense was back, too.
Making just his second big league appearance of the season after recovering from Tommy John surgery, Sale (2-0) pitched five scoreless innings, allowing five hits while striking out five and walking one as the Red Sox banged out six doubles and cruised past the Rangers 6-0 on Friday night in front of 30,012 fans at Fenway Park.
Coming off a sweep at the hands of the rival Yankees in a three-game series in New York during which they scored just five runs, it was just what the Sox needed: a last-place Rangers team and Sale on the mound at Fenway to bring some energy.
“It’s everything to me,” Sale said of snapping a three-game losing streak. “I understand where I'm coming from, the last couple of years. I had surgery and I’m coming back.
“Now I’ve got two starts in the big leagues. I’ve got a job to do. I’ve got to win games. Obviously, we didn’t play well in New York. That series got away from us. To be able to post up and get us on the right track, that’s my job. That’s what I’m supposed to do.”
Sale and four relievers combined on the seven-hit shutout, with Matt Barnes striking out the side in the ninth.
“Obviously, his whole career he’s been a stopper,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “He’s been an ace. He’s had a marvelous career. That’s what we kind of needed tonight. We had a rough series. It was nice to come back with a win.”
The Red Sox took charge early, opening a 2-0 lead for Sale. He did the rest, relying on a fastball that topped out at 95.9 mph when he needed a big out.
“I think I was a little bit more consistent today,” Sale said. “I had a couple of pitches I was fighting with myself. It seemed like the more the game went on, it was more in sync. I had a little more life at the end.”
Xander Bogaerts hit a solo homer and Alex Verdugo ripped a two-run double in a three-run fifth.
That was it for Sale.
“To be honest with you, I’m never satisfied,” he said. “I wanted to go six innings tonight. If I went six, I wanted to go seven. Appreciation, yeah, I appreciate where I’m at.”
When the 32-year-old Sale walked out to the bullpen about 30 minutes before his first pitch of the game, it certainly wasn’t as electric as it was last Saturday afternoon against the Orioles, when fans were clamoring to get a glimpse, many taking photos and videos and cheering nearly every warmup pitch with support before his initial start since the surgery on his 31st birthday, March 30, 2020.
But when Sale arrived to start his pregame routine Friday, things certainly perked up in the bleachers.
Like his first start when the Sox belted five homers in a 16-2 rout over the Orioles, Boston’s bats picked up, too. Last week, Sale gave up just two runs -- both on solo homers -- over five innings, striking out eight with no walks in an 89-pitch outing.
Once he was done in the ‘pen on Friday, it was a slow walk to the dugout on a humid night for his second start since Aug. 13, 2019.
And 71 pitches later, Sale had his second straight victory -- something that could go a long way in building confidence for him and the Red Sox if they make a late-season push behind their ace.
“I’m glad that it’s sink or swim,” he said. “If I don’t pitch well, it’s not going to help. I have to pitch well for us to succeed.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 21, 2021 2:23:23 GMT -5
Injuries & Roster Moves: Arroyo, Brasier 1:58 AM ADT
INJURY UPDATES Day to day
C Christian Vázquez (left knee) Expected return: TBD Vázquez had to leave Boston's Aug. 20 series opener against the Rangers after the eighth inning after taking a foul ball off the top of his left knee. He hobbled around, walking up the first-base line and onto the grass halfway between first and the plate before bending down in pain. Manager Alex Cora and a trainer came out to check on him, but Vázquez finished the inning. He was replaced by Kevin Plawecki in the ninth.
“For him to come out, it got him good,” Cora said. “He tried to finish the game but he wasn’t able to.” (Last updated: Aug. 20) 10-day IL
INF Christian Arroyo (left hamstring strain) Expected return: Possibly this weekend Arroyo started a Minor League rehab assignment for Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday and went 0-for-2 as the DH. He got the day off on Wednesday, but he played second base and stole a base on Thursday and started at second again on Friday. Manager Alex Cora said he doesn't think Arroyo's return to the Red Sox is "way off."
“I think body-wise, the way he’s moving, he’s in a good spot," Cora said. (Last updated: Aug. 20)
RHP Ryan Brasier (concussion) Expected return: Late August Brasier pitched on back-to-back days for Triple-A Worcester on Aug. 18 (allowed a two-run homer) and Aug. 19 (threw a 1-2-3 inning). He was at Fenway Park for some work on Aug. 20 before another scheduled appearance for Worcester on Aug. 22. (Last updated: Aug. 20)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 21, 2021 2:32:56 GMT -5
Red Sox Notes @soxnotes · 8h Kiké Hernández's last 23 games leading off the 1st inning at Fenway Park:
.600 AVG 2.102 OPS 12-for-20, 2 BB, 1 HBP 8 XBH (4 HR, 1 3B, 3 2B) 0 strikeouts
Last 6: double, walk, single, single, single, double
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 21, 2021 2:33:38 GMT -5
Red Sox Notes @soxnotes · 6h Chris Sale’s last 3 starts at Fenway Park:
1.00 ERA, 18.0 IP, 2 R, 1 BB, 26 K
Kyle Schwarber has a .611 OBP in 5 games with the Red Sox.
6-for-13 3 doubles 5 walks
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 21, 2021 2:48:41 GMT -5
Red Sox stake Chris Sale to early lead against Rangers, snap three-game skid with shutout By Julian Benbow Globe Staff,Updated August 20, 2021, 10:28 p.m.
When Chris Sale returned last week after a two-year recovery from Tommy John surgery, he had the support of an entire Red Sox clubhouse that had been waiting as long as he had to see him take the mound again.
The outcome wasn’t as important to the Sox as having their ace back. But much like Sale’s first outing of the season, when the Sox propped up Sale with 16 runs against the Orioles, the Sox offense set up Sale to succeed in a 6-0 win over the Texas Rangers Friday night at Fenway.
Kiké Hernández went 2 for 5 with two RBIs. Xander Bogaerts went 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Kyle Schwarber went 2 for 2 with two walks and a run scored.
The Sox already owned baseball’s best record when scoring at least five runs. They improved it to 53-6, and the effort wasn’t lost on Sale.
“For me, I’ve had two games where the run support has been unbelievable,” said Sale, who also pointed to J.D. Martinez’s inning-ending grab that got him out of a first-and-third jam in the fourth and Hernandez turning a double play in the fifth as plays that changed the complexion of the game. “Little things like that, that helped me out a lot and might not get the attention they deserve, but I don’t succeed without those plays happening.”
The Sox got back on track after dropping three straight against the Yankees with a win in the opener of their three-game set against the second-worst team in the American League. The game also marked the start of a stretch of nine games against sub-.500 teams before the Sox square off against the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays again.
Sale embraced stepping back into the role of the stopper in the rotation.
“It’s everything to me,” Sale said. “That’s what I’m here to do. I’m here to win games. Obviously, I understand where I’m coming from the last couple of years — I’ve had surgery, I’m coming back, I just got out of a rehab assignment, I’ve got two starts in the big leagues — but I’ve never really thought about it like that.
“I have a job here to do. And my job is to win games, and especially given the circumstances — obviously, we didn’t play well in New York, that series got away from us — to be able to come here and post up and get us on the right track, that’s my job.”
Sale was able to work with an early lead after Bogaerts lined an RBI single to left field off Rangers starter Dane Dunning in the first inning. Hernández padded the lead an inning later with an RBI single off a Dunning changeup to make it 2-0.
After leaving his first start feeling like he had an out-of-body experience, Sale’s second start of the season was more businesslike. He cruised through five scoreless innings, flashing some of the velocity made him one of the league’s most dominant pitchers prior to the surgery and giving the Sox offense room to breath easy.
He gave up just five hits and one walk with five strikeouts, feasting on a woeful Rangers lineup that had been held to two runs or less 16 times since the All-Star break. The Rangers’ .566 OPS since the break was the worst by a team in any half-season since the introduction of the designated hitter in 1973.
“Obviously, we know throughout his whole career, he’s kind of been a stopper,” Bogaerts said. “Obviously he’s been an ace on every staff that he’s been a part of since the beginning of his career, definitely been the best pitcher on all the teams that he’s been on so far. He’s had a marvelous career and that’s what we kind of needed tonight. He set the tone. He did it. Pitched some big, strong innings.”
The Sox made sure his work didn’t go to waste.
Bogaerts broke things open with two outs in the fifth, jumping on an 0-1 changeup from Dunning and launching it into the Monster seats for his 20th homer of the season.
Dunning walked the next batter, Schwarber, before giving a double Martinez, pushing the Sox’s the Sox lead to 4-0.
Rangers pitching coach Doug Mathis came out to check on Dunning. But immediately after the mound visit, Dunning gave up a double to Alex Verdugo on a first-pitch changeup that scored Martinez and gave the Sox a 5-0 lead.
The Sox came into the night in third place in the division, 6.5 games behind the Rays after a rocky stretch coming out of the All-Star break. But manager Alex Cora acknowledged how much Sale stabilizes not only the pitching staff but the entire clubhouse.
“I hope this is something that we can use to build on,” Cora said. “We’re a good offensive team and we will score runs. We know that. We have a good baseball team and, little by little, we’re going to come out of this and we’re going to get on a roll. And then we’re going to look back and say, ‘Wow, you know what? The 14-18 after the All-Star game is something in the past and we’ve got a chance to make some to do something special here in Boston.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 21, 2021 2:54:44 GMT -5
red sox notebook Tropical Storm Henri threatens Sunday’s Red Sox-Rangers series finale By Julian Benbow Globe Staff,Updated August 20, 2021, 6:40 p.m.
As Massachusetts’ governor, Charlie Baker, urged residents to stay home this weekend as the state braces for Tropical Storm Henri, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said team ownership has been in conversation with Major League Baseball about contingencies for Sunday’s scheduled game against the Texas Rangers.
The storm is expected to make landfall on Sunday, either as a strong tropical storm or a Category 1 hurricane, bringing rain and wind to the area.
Baker warned that the storm could cause an estimated 300,000 power outages throughout the state.
The Sox are scheduled to play their series finale against the Rangers at 1 p.m.
“We’re talking about a few things,” Cora said before his club’s 6-0 win over the Rangers on Friday night. “Obviously, ownership, MLB, they’re on to everything right now. We’ll probably know a little bit more later on tonight, but it doesn’t look too promising and obviously, we have to be careful what we do just going into Sunday.”
Cora has dealt with his share of in-season storms and also has navigated the wreckage and recovery in the aftermath. In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey devastated parts of Texas and Louisiana. Cora was the Houston Astros bench coach at the time. The Astros had to move a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. The city of Houston was still in the early stages of recovery when the Sox met the Astros in the American League Division Series.
A month later, Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, Cora’s home country, claiming nearly 3,000 lives. The island is still recovering from the damage.
Despite the damage he’s seen storms inflict, Cora tried to stay light-hearted as the Sox prepared for Henri.
“We all have experiences with tropical storms,” he said. “I can tell you I have experiences with hurricanes. So I help everybody out here and tell them what to do on Sunday.”
Plans for Schwarber
Kyle Schwarber was in the lineup as the designated hitter Friday night against Texas, but Cora plans to have him play in the field as soon as this weekend.
“We feel like this weekend, if everything goes well, he can play in the outfield,” Cora said.
Schwarber went 2 for 2 with two walks and a run scored Friday night.
Schwarber will continue to work out at first base — a position he’s only played once in his career — but Cora said at some point he will have to be thrown into the role.
“That’s something we’ve been talking about it, you know, when we’re going to do this,” Cora said. “At one point, we have to do it, right. He’s going to learn playing the position. So at one point, we have to make a decision when we’re going to do it and we have to let him play.” Arroyo off and running
Cora was watching the Worcester Red Sox on television Thursday night when he saw Christian Arroyo swipe second base in the fifth inning of the WooSox’ 5-3 win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in Game 1 of a doubleheader.
Arroyo, who led off the inning with a walk, ultimately scored on a double by Joey Meneses. And even though Arroyo was 0 for 2 with the walk and two strikeouts, the stolen base spoke volumes for Cora.
“He must be feeling really good,” Cora said. “He took off yesterday and stole a base, so that was good to see.”
Arroyo has played two games during his rehab assignment with Triple A Worcester. He was in the lineup again Friday, going 0 for 3 in a 14-2 loss. On the disabled list since July 19 with a left hamstring strain, Arroyo could return soon, Cora said.
“I don’t think he’s that far off,” Cora said. “Obviously, he hasn’t played in a while. It’s been a month, so as far as the timing and all that, we’ll talk to him, we’ll see how he feels. But I do believe body-wise and how he’s moving, he’s in a good spot. The fact that he stole a base yesterday, it was a good sign.” Personnel decisions
Rangers infielder Charlie Culberson was placed on the COVID injured list before the game, one of a series of roster moves made by Texas. The club recalled infielder Nick Solak from Triple A Round Rock and selected the contract of righthander Nick Snyder from Round Rock to replace righthander Joe Barlow, who was placed on the 10-day injured list with a blister on his right index finger. Lefthander John King (shoulder inflammation) was transferred from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 21, 2021 2:55:57 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 7h Bogaerts now has four career 20-homer seasons, alone for 2nd most by a shortstop in Red Sox history behind Nomar (6)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 21, 2021 2:59:05 GMT -5
The stopper the Red Sox wish they didn’t need
By Scott McLaughlin 6 hours ago
The good news is that Chris Sale can still be a stopper -- that pitcher who steps onto the mound after his team has lost three straight and puts up zeros to get them back in the win column.
The bad news is that the Red Sox are in the middle of a late-season playoff race and required said stopper.
This is not the time you want to be looking for ways to bounce back from a sweep. Especially not when it comes at the hands of your archrival, a Yankees team Boston is now looking up at in the standings. And especially not when it’s the Red Sox’ third losing streak of three games or more in the last three weeks.
That was the Red Sox’ reality Friday night, however. Yes, playing the Rangers -- the team with the third-worst record in baseball -- helped, just like playing the league-worst Orioles helped last weekend.
But nothing can be taken for granted with this Red Sox team right now, and Friday night’s win was not a given. Halfway through, it was a two-run game. Then the offense finally came alive and turned it into a fairly comfortable 6-0 win.
Sale needed to be good early. He needed to build off his encouraging first start of the season last weekend. He was and he did.
The Red Sox ace shut the Rangers down through five strong innings, scattering five hits and one walk while striking out five. He is now 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in his two starts since returning from Tommy John surgery.
Sale threw 10 of his 11 first-inning pitches for strikes and dialed his fastball up to 94 for a pair of swinging strikeouts. He later touched 95 while painting the inside corner to get Adolis Garcia looking.
A walk and a single in the second put him in a minor bind, but he got out of that. He stranded two more runners in the fourth with the Red Sox holding onto a 2-0 lead. In the fifth, he responded to a leadoff single by getting old friend Brock Holt to ground into a double play.
The Red Sox offense finally provided some breathing room in the bottom of the fifth, with a Xander Bogaerts home run and Alex Verdugo two-run double extending Boston’s lead to 5-0. That allowed Alex Cora to exercise a little load management and pull Sale after 71 pitches.
"There’s more in the tank. We know that," Cora said after the game. "I think the more repetitions he gets, the more he gets used to this environment -- nothing against playing minor-league games, but it’s not the same thing. The competition and the preparation, it takes a toll. I think he’s going to keep getting better. … We’re very pleased with where he’s at. We know that at one point, we’re just going to let him go and he will contribute.”
The final score shows a comfortable win over a bad team, which is exactly what it should have been and ultimately was. It could have been a different story with a poor start, though. How would the Red Sox have responded if they followed up that Yankees sweep by falling behind early?
Fortunately for them, Sale had no interest in finding out the answer. He may still be building back up and finding his game a bit (it was just his second major league start in two years, after all), but he’s also already reclaiming his place as Boston’s ace and stopper.
The Red Sox won’t be able to afford to put Sale or any other starter in the position to be a “stopper” much more this season. They need to string together some wins here, especially with their next three series all against non-playoff teams. If Sale has to be a stopper again the next turn through the rotation, something has really gone horribly wrong.
For now, the Red Sox are very much still in the playoff race, sitting in a virtual tie with Oakland for the second wild card spot after Friday’s win.
They desperately needed some hope and optimism to return, though, and that’s what Sale gave them at Fenway Park Friday night.
"That’s what I’m here to do," Sale said. "I’m here to win games. Obviously I understand where I’m coming from. Last couple years, I had surgery on my arm. I’m coming back. I just got out of a rehab assignment and now I’ve got two starts in the big leagues. But I’ve never really thought about it like that. I have a job here to do and my job is to win games. Especially given the circumstances, obviously we didn’t play well in New York. That series got away from us. To be able to come here and post up and get us on the right track, that’s my job. That’s what I’m supposed to do."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 21, 2021 3:00:31 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 8h In his last two rehab starts with the WooSox, Sale got very few swings/misses on his 4-seam fastball. In his return to the big leagues, he's gotten swings/misses on 23.6 percent of his 4-seamers -- the highest whiff rate for any starter in MLB who has thrown >50 four-seamers.
Those swing/miss numbers, of course, come against two big league teams amidst desperate struggles (Orioles -- who sat Mullins against Sale, Rangers).
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 21, 2021 3:01:03 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 7h The Red Sox have doubled leading off each of the first three innings. That's the first time any big league team has done so since April 4, 2018 (Diamondbacks against the Dodgers).
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 21, 2021 3:02:13 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 7h Sale had 6 swings/misses on 48 pitches through 3 innings. He has 1 on 19 pitches in the 4th-5th innings. Still building stamina. Early innings have consistently been easy for him in both big leagues and the minors, but then he labors second time through.
Of course, while noting that pattern, it's also worth noting: He's been able to avoid any real damage/trouble in each of those outings. And he's thrown 5 shutout innings tonight with 5 Ks and 1BB.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 21, 2021 3:03:00 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 7h Schwarber has batted 17 times as a Red Sox and reached base in 10 of them. After not bothering with a rehab assignment following six weeks on the injured list.
The Red Sox are 52-6 (.897) when scoring 5+ runs, tied with the Brewers for the best record in MLB with 5+.
The Rangers are 5-48 (.094) when allowing 5+ runs, tied with the Cubs for worst record in MLB when allowing 5+.
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