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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 24, 2021 2:20:28 GMT -5
Twins @ Red Sox Tuesday, 24th August 2021 7pm @ Fenway Park
Jax 3-1/5.11
Griffin Jax surrendered four runs -- two earned -- in six innings Monday against the Indians. The Twins committed four errors in the game, one of which was Jax's own on an errant pickoff. Better defense might have gotten Jax a win tonight, but he remained 3-1 with a 5.11 ERA.
Houck 0-3/3.12
Houck has registered a strong 3.12 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 46/7 K/BB ratio in 34 2/3 innings (seven starts, two relief appearances) this season at the major league level, but the Red Sox continue to shuttle him back and forth.
Red Sox turn to Houck in opener vs. Twins
Tanner Houck aims to break into the win column as he starts the opener of the Boston Red Sox's three-game home series against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night.
Houck (0-3, 3.12 ERA) has pitched well for the Red Sox this season, but has been unable to notch his first win despite Boston going 3-3 in games he has started.
The 25-year-old right-hander allowed two runs on five hits with no walks and two strikeouts, but only lasted four innings in a 5-3, seven-inning loss last Tuesday at the New York Yankees. Houck will be making his 11th career start in just his second season and has never faced the Rangers before.
Boston will try to keep rolling following a three-game series victory against the Texas Rangers. The Red Sox were 8-4 winners in the rubber match Monday after Sunday's scheduled series finale was postponed due to Hurricane Henri.
Travis Shaw hit a walk-off grand slam in the 11th inning and Alex Verdugo and Hunter Renfroe also homered for the Red Sox, who beat the Rangers 6-0 in the series opener Friday before a surprising 10-1 blowout loss on Saturday.
Boston had dropped four of five and was tied with Oakland for the second American League wild-card spot entering Monday's finale.
"We've been battling all year, especially it feels like the last two weeks or so," said Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi, who struck out seven over seven innings of one-run ball on Monday. "I feel like we've done a really good job about not letting that affect us."
Minnesota hopes to benefit from an extra day off after Sunday's series finale at the Yankees was also postponed due to the hurricane. The Twins dropped three straight while being outscored 24-8 by the Yankees prior to the postponement.
Despite entering in last place in the AL Central standings, Minnesota has been playing better of late with four consecutive series victories and wins in nine of its last 13 games prior to the New York series.
The Twins had not named a starter for the series opener in Boston as of Monday afternoon. However, Griffin Jax (3-1, 5.11 ERA) was scheduled to start Sunday against the Yankees and would be the likely candidate to get the nod Tuesday.
"Obviously we have some things up in the air related to the health of our staff and just where we sit," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said about his rotation after losing ace Kenta Maeda to right forearm tightness in Saturday's 7-1 loss.
Jax's next start will be his seventh of the season after making his first four appearances out of the bullpen. The rookie right-hander has won two of his last three starts and is 2-1 with a 4.02 ERA in his six starts.
Minnesota slugger Miguel Sano will be available after the first baseman went on the paternity list Friday.
Christian Arroyo could return to the Red Sox's starting lineup for the first time since July 18 after being activated from the 10-day injured list before Monday's game. Arroyo entered Monday's game as a pinch runner in the seventh inning and went 0-for-1.
Boston outscored Minnesota 17-9 in taking three of four games against the Twins on the road April 13-15.
--Field Level Media
Twins at Red Sox Tuesday, at 7:10 PM EST Clear According to Forecast.io, it's expected to be 81° F with a 0% chance of precipitation and 4 MPH wind blowing out in Boston at 7:10 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com Forecast.io
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 24, 2021 2:22:48 GMT -5
Rest of the Series (all games @ 7pm)
Wednesday....Ober 1-2/4.28 vs Pivetta 9-6/4.43
Thursday....Gant 4-6/3.49 vs Sale 0-0/1.80
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 24, 2021 2:24:40 GMT -5
Schwarber starts in LF; 1B on deck? August 23rd, 2021 Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
BOSTON -- Monday afternoon's makeup game against the Rangers marked the first time Kyle Schwarber played defense for the Red Sox, as manager Alex Cora gave him the start in left field.
However, a bigger step could be imminent, as Schwarber appears close to starting at first base.
The significance of that is that the Red Sox have struggled mightily to generate production at that position all season.
Schwarber has been learning the position on the fly since Boston acquired him in a trade with the Nationals at the July 30 Trade Deadline.
The Red Sox had been waiting to put Schwarber in the field so he could fully recover from the right hamstring injury he suffered on July 2 while with Washington.
“It’s good,” Cora said of Schwarber playing left field on Monday. “It will be better when he can play first. I think that’s the ultimate goal. That was the thought process about this whole thing. He’s getting close. He’s going to go through a workout today at first base.
“Saturday was a positive one. He did a lot of stuff out there, outfielders and second basemen and different situations, something that [coaches] Carlos [Febles] and Ramón [Vazquez] put together. He moved well. He’s up to the challenge. I think he’ll be a lot better when he can play first.”
When might Schwarber’s debut at first happen?
“Maybe this week. We’ve been very patient with it,” Cora said. “I do believe it’s more about him than anything else, whenever he feels comfortable. Just me watching him, moving around, as far as ground balls and all that, he’s OK with it. He moves his feet. He has good hands.
“I do believe it’s the other stuff -- how far are we going to play him off the bag when we’re shifting? Where does he go in certain situations with relays? I think that’s the most challenging part of it, but it’s trending in the right direction. I can tell you today, sooner rather than later. I hate putting timelines and all that, but maybe we’ll see him playing one game before we go on the road.”
Cora’s message was direct When Cora told the media after Saturday’s 10-1 loss to the Rangers that the Red Sox's performance was “embarrassing” and “unacceptable,” he wasn’t trying to send a message.
Cora indicated his players heard it directly from him first.
“I try to keep our business here in house,” said Cora. “But I won’t go to the media just to go to the media sending messages. They know how I felt after the game the other day -- not through you guys.”
Cora didn’t dispute that Sunday’s postponement to a Monday makeup game was well-timed.
“I think that after what happened Saturday, the way we played, from my end, I feel a lot better this morning than how it felt yesterday morning,” Cora said on Monday morning. “I bet the players feel the same way.”
Houck on deck Whenever Cora says that the starter for a certain game is “TBD,” it almost always means that starter will be righty Tanner Houck, the team's former No. 6 prospect who recently graduated from MLB Pipeline's list.
That will again be the case on Tuesday, when Houck is recalled from Triple-A Worcester to start the opener of a three-game series against the Twins.
Houck has made seven starts for the Red Sox this season, going 0-3 with a 3.52 ERA.
Nick Pivetta will pitch on Wednesday, and ace Chris Sale will get the finale of the homestand on Thursday.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 24, 2021 2:26:22 GMT -5
Injuries & Roster Moves: Arroyo returns August 23rd, 2021
ROSTER MOVES
Aug. 23: INF Christian Arroyo activated from 10-day injured list The Red Sox had been missing Arroyo’s right-handed bat for the last five weeks and were pleased to activate him on Monday. Once he gets his feet back under him, Arroyo will start against lefties. He will mainly play second base, but might also be used to give shortstop Xander Bogaerts or third baseman Rafael Devers a day off.
“Physically, he's great,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Arroyo. “Like I told you guys the other day, when he stole that base in the rehab assignment, I was like, 'OK, we're good with this.' At-bat-wise, he's getting close, timing-wise, but obviously with the cancellation yesterday, with the off-day today in Triple-A, there was a lot of stuff that was out of our control. So we'll do everything possible to keep getting him up to speed [using the hitting machine] and all that. But he doesn't feel that far off.”
Aug. 23: INF Jonathan Araúz optioned to Triple-A Worcester To make room for Arroyo, Araúz, who has been used sparingly, was sent down. The utility infielder had just five at-bats since Aug. 8.
INJURY UPDATES 10-day IL
1B/OF Danny Santana (left groin strain) Expected return: Within the next week Santana started a Minor League rehab assignment on Saturday, hitting a double and walking twice. He will play again on Tuesday for Triple-A Worcester in Buffalo.
“He played over the weekend, had a good game," Cora said. "Felt it a little bit body wise, not injury-wise. He got on base three times, he moved around, so that's good. That's part of it.". (Last updated: Aug. 23)
LHP Darwinzon Hernandez (right oblique strain) Expected return: September Cora indicated on Saturday that Hernandez was going to throw a bullpen on Sunday. However, that never ended up happening, perhaps because of the weather. But it was a red flag when Cora said Monday that Hernandez isn’t ready to throw off the mound. The lefty has made slow progress all along from an injury that put him on the injured list on July 30. (Last updated: Aug. 23)
60-day IL
RHP Ryan Brasier (concussion) Expected return: Possibly upcoming road trip Brasier will pitch for Worcester again on either Tuesday or Wednesday in Buffalo. He pitched on back-to-back days last week. There’s a chance Brasier will be able to join the Red Sox for the upcoming road trip that starts Friday in Cleveland. (Last updated: Aug. 23)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 24, 2021 2:49:54 GMT -5
Energy sought, supplied after players-only meeting prior to Monday’s Red Sox win By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated August 23, 2021, 9:47 p.m.
It is debatable whether Saturday’s 10-1 blowout loss by the Red Sox to the Rangers, one in which Boston committed five errors and had numerous additional misplays, represented the low point of the team’s season. But it’s clear that the loss represented a looking-glass moment, one that forced team-wide introspection in advance of Monday’s 8-4 walkoff victory.
Manager Alex Cora decried his team’s “embarrassing” effort on Saturday night, yet that message wasn’t only delivered in his postgame remarks to the media.
“I try to keep our business here, in house. But I won’t go to the media just to go to the media sending messages,” Cora said on Monday morning. “[The players] know how I felt after the game the other day — not through you guys.”
The message, evidently, sank in. According to reliever Garrett Whitlock, prior to Monday’s 1 p.m. start, veterans Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez called a players-only meeting. Bogaerts, Martinez, and lefthander Chris Sale spoke to their teammates.
“It was just great to have those guys lead us and push us forward,” Whitlock said in a postgame interview on WEEI. “Those are the guys that we look up to, especially as a rookie.”
Their message?
“This is our group. This is who we are,” Whitlock relayed. “We know we have got each other’s backs. We’re going to take it one day at a time and win each day.”
What does that mean in practical terms? During the Red Sox’ recent struggles, games rapidly mushroomed from bad to worse. The team often looked pulseless during a 7-15 stretch. Deficits made defeats feel preordained.
To outfielder Alex Verdugo, the meeting identified a necessary trait that had gone absent.
“Energy — that’s the biggest thing,” said Verdugo. “We had a little player meeting. We’re going to keep that in-house for the most part, but the biggest thing to come from it was just we want to play energized. That’s it. It doesn’t matter if something good is happening, bad is happening. It feels good to hear that. When you’re in the box and hear your guys cheering you on from the dugout, it makes a hitter lock in a little bit more.
“Some people think that’s what Little Leaguers do. Well, that’s what brings energy. That’s what gets you going. When I’m hitting and I hear guys cheering me on from my dugout, I take a foul ball and they’re like, ‘That a boy — you’re right on it!’ It fires you up. It definitely makes you want to get that next pitch that much more.”
That approach, Verdugo suggested, could be felt in a pivotal moment Monday. With the Red Sox trailing, 4-3, with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning, Rafael Devers batted with Bogaerts on first. He fell behind by chasing a first-pitch slider out of the zone, then took a slider over the middle of the plate for a second strike.
Devers, dismayed about letting a crushable pitch go undisturbed, kicked at the dirt three times. Yet his teammates did not let him concede to his frustration.
“[Sox players were] just yelling from the dugout, yelling at him, ‘Win this pitch. Win this pitch. Whatever happened was in the past. Learn from it, flush it, go forward, and just win that next pitch,’ ” said Verdugo. “That’s exactly what he did.”
Devers drilled an 0-2 slider 414 feet into the triangle for a game-tying, run-scoring double. That blast extended the game into the 11th inning, long enough for the Red Sox to secure the win on a Travis Shaw grand slam.
It’s impossible to say whether the meeting influenced what took place on Monday, when the Red Sox shook off what could have been a potentially crushing loss. And if it did have an effect, no one with the Sox can say how long it will last.
But on Monday, Sox players seemed convinced that the conversation hit the right note for a team trying to move forward from a debacle.
“We’re out there playing, giving it our all, for 162 games a year,” said Verdugo. “We just felt like it was the right time [for a meeting]. It felt like it was what the boys needed. Obviously coming out today and having the big win is huge.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 24, 2021 2:51:57 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Kyle Schwarber closes on ‘goal’ of playing first with initial Red Sox foray in outfield By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated August 23, 2021, 8:14 p.m.
The Red Sox featured a new look in both their lineup and defensive alignment on Monday afternoon. For the first time since joining the Red Sox, Kyle Schwarber batted second and played left field.
Schwarber, who spent six weeks on the injured list from early July (when he was still with the Nationals) due to a hamstring strain, served solely as a designated hitter in his first six games with the Sox. But based on how he’d responded physically to his return to the lineup, manager Alex Cora felt comfortable writing him into the lineup for Monday’s 8-4 victory.
The team hopes to have him play first base — a position where he has spent exactly one play in his big-league career — during the upcoming series against the Twins.
“It’s good [to have Schwarber in left field]. It will be better when he can play first. I think that’s the ultimate goal,” said Cora. “That was the thought process about this whole thing. He’s getting close.”
Offensively, Schwarber has impressed. He went 1-for-3 with a single and walk hitting second for the first time, and is hitting .368/.538/.526 with more walks (7) than strikeouts (6) with the Sox. He’s shown impressive plate discipline on a team that otherwise draws few walks and tends to chase pitches out of the strike zone.
Based on those traits, and the recent struggles of Rafael Devers, the Sox put Schwarber in the two-hole against Rangers lefty Kolby Allard while dropping Devers to fifth.
“Trying to let Raffy breathe a little bit will be good for him,” said Cora. “He’s scuffling right now, we know that. But we know he’s going to hit.”
Devers, who entered the game in an 0-for-17 rut, went 2-for-5 with a game-tying double to the triangle with two outs in the 10th.
Christian Arroyo returns
Christian Arroyo, who landed on the injured list with a hamstring strain in mid-July, was activated from the injured list. The Red Sox optioned Jonathan Araúz to Triple-A Worcester to open a roster spot for Arroyo.
Arroyo was a valuable contributor through the first half, hitting .271/.327/.465 overall and .328/.357/.537 against lefties, plus playing strong defense at second base. But the 26-year-old has been on the injured list for more games (60 over three stints for hand, knee, and hamstring injuries) than he’s played (51) .
With the Sox 2-9 in their last 11 games against southpaw starters entering Monday, the Sox are hopeful that Arroyo can help the team improve.
“He’s a big part of what we were doing early on against lefties and he wasn’t there,” said Cora. “Lineup-wise, I think it’s going to benefit us [to have Arroyo back].”
Arroyo was part of a late-inning defensive reconfiguration that the Sox may employ moving forward. The team brought in Arroyo at second, Travis Shaw at first in place of Bobby Dalbec, and shifted Kiké Hernández from second to center, with Alex Verdugo moving from center to left. Christian Vázquez replaced Kevin Plawecki behind the plate.
“We went all out with the best infield possible and best outfield alignment,” said Cora. “That’s how important defense is and we’ll keep doing that.” Minor movers
Amidst one of the hottest stretches by a Red Sox prospect in recent memory, Nick Yorke is getting promoted. Yorke, their first-round pick in 2020, will move to High-A Greenville after hitting .323/.413/.500 with 10 homers and 11 steals in Low-A Salem, according to multiple major league sources. The 19-year-old started the year (and his professional career) slowly, batting .195/.264/.220 in 21 games in May, but has hit .373/.467/.608 since the start of June. Those marks have bumped up to ridiculous levels in August, with the second baseman hitting .419/.513/.839 with seven homers, 11 walks, and just five strikeouts in 16 games. Baseball America placed him as the No. 8 Red Sox prospect in its midyear rankings . . . Reliever Ryan Brasier and utilityman Danny Santana are scheduled to continue their rehab assignments by accompanying the WooSox on their trip to Buffalo on Tuesday . . . Lefthander Chris Murphy was named Double-A Northeast League Pitcher of the Week after throwing seven scoreless innings with seven strikeouts in a start last week. Murphy, 23, is 7-3 with a 3.80 ERA in 17 starts this year, including 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA in three starts since a promotion to Double-A Portland . . . The 19th WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday. Since 2002, the event has raised more than $58 million for cancer treatment and research . . . Former Red Sox utilityman Brock Holt was one of four Rangers placed on the COVID-19-related injured list prior to Monday’s game, along with infielder Charlie Culberson, and pitchers Drew Anderson and Mike Foltynewicz.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 24, 2021 2:53:42 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 2h Oakland with a third straight crushing loss in the late innings, this time to the Mariners.
#RedSox, who avoided their own disaster earlier Monday against Texas, take a 1-game lead in the AL Wild Card chase. Yankees maintain their 2 1/2-game lead to host the WC game.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 24, 2021 2:59:56 GMT -5
Lou Merloni @loumerloni · 10h Can one of the ugliest games actually spring board a team with how it ended? I know they need to play better defense
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Post by Kimmi on Aug 24, 2021 8:46:24 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 2h Oakland with a third straight crushing loss in the late innings, this time to the Mariners.
#RedSox, who avoided their own disaster earlier Monday against Texas, take a 1-game lead in the AL Wild Card chase. Yankees maintain their 2 1/2-game lead to host the WC game. Oakland has been free falling worse than the Sox lately.
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Post by Kimmi on Aug 24, 2021 8:47:35 GMT -5
Lou Merloni @loumerloni · 10h Can one of the ugliest games actually spring board a team with how it ended? I know they need to play better defense You always think that games like this are going to ignite a team. Hope it does.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 24, 2021 9:10:58 GMT -5
Red Sox Notes @soxnotes · 46m Red Sox starters have a 3.11 ERA in their last 15 games, their lowest mark over any 15-game span this season.
During that time, Nathan Eovaldi and Chris Sale have combined for a 1.55 ERA with 36 strikeouts and 3 walks.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 24, 2021 9:50:44 GMT -5
Jen McCaffrey @jcmccaffrey · 11m Matt Barnes had a 2.30 ERA and 42 percent K-rate on July 31.
In eight August appearances -- while he's posted four scoreless outings -- he's allowed nine runs in the other four, adding up to a 15.19 ERA and a .385 opponents’ average in the month.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 24, 2021 11:15:25 GMT -5
Red Sox vs. Twins Series Preview
A look at this week’s three-game set against the Twins. By Matt_Collins@MattRyCollins Aug 24, 2021, 12:01pm EDT
The opponent in one sentence
The Twins came into this season expecting to be among the best teams in the American League, but instead find themselves on the opposite end of the spectrum. Record
54-70 Head-to-head record
Red Sox 3, Twins 1 Trend
Down. The Twins actually were playing solid baseball after the trade deadline despite trading off a could of their best players, but they’ve hit a snag more recently. They lost all three games against the Yankees this past weekend and have lost four of their last five overall. Pitching Matchups
8/24: Tanner Houck vs. Griffin Jax, 7:10 PM ET
Tanner Houck continues to be yanked back and forth between Worcester and Boston (on paper, not physically for the most part) between starts, but with the lack of doubleheaders and days off on the horizon he should be up for good this time around. The righty starts the series opener for this three-game set, and the only complaint that could be had about him right now is how deep he goes into games. And even that is more about management’s preference than anything he’s doing. Since more or less joining the rotation he has made five starts, pitching to a 2.95 ERA with 31 strikeouts and only five walks over 21 1⁄3 innings.
Jax is a former third round pick by the Twins who is up in the majors for the first time in his career. After starting his career in a long relief role, he’s been in the rotation since early July and has made six starts, pitching to a solid 4.02 ERA as a starter. The key for Jax is going to be command, as he’s never really been the type to rack up a lot of strikeouts. In the minors, however, he excelled at limiting walks and keeping the ball on the ground. That said hasn’t really worked out this year, both in the majors and at Triple-A. If he’s not hitting his spots early, the Red Sox should be able to get some momentum in this game. Jax will offer a fastball that sits around 92 mph, along with a slider, changeup, and the occasional curveball.
8/25: Nick Pivetta vs. Bailey Ober, 7:10 PM ET
Pivetta is a classic number five starter, which works out well because that is where he ranks in this rotation in terms of expectations. We’ve seen some great starts from him this month, and then we’ve seen starts like his last time out when he couldn’t make it out of the second inning. For the most part this season, bad starts from the righty have been a product of giving up too much hard contact, but it was an inability to find the zone that really did him in against the Yankees last time out. Against a Twins team at the bottom of their division, this should be a chance for Pivetta to trust his stuff and throw strikes.
Ober will make it a second rookie in as many days going up against the Red Sox, though he’s been in the rotation on a full-time basis about month longer than Jax. Ober is another righty, though the commanalities end there. While Jax relies on command, Ober misses a ton of bats, striking out double-digit batters per nine innings on a consistent basis in the minors. In the bigs this year, he has 65 strikeouts in 63 2⁄3 innings, helping him to a 4.38 ERA. His control is really solid, especially when paired with his stuff, as well, but he’s had some homer issues. Ober has been really strong over his last five starts, pitching to a 2.81 ERA with 24 strikeouts over 25 2⁄3 innings. The righty will feature a fastball that sits around 92 mph to go with a slider, changeup and curveball.
8/26: Chris Sale vs. John Gant, 7:10 PM ET
It’s another Sale Day on Thursday, continuing his easing into the return. Granted, a big part of his easy competition — each of his first three starts will have come against non-contenders — goes back to the Red Sox simply hitting a soft spot on their schedule at the same time he returned. Still, it’s been nice to see him back and he’ll be back again for this one. We’ll be keeping an eye on his velocity here, though his stuff has been effective in his first two starts anyway. Sale has 13 strikeouts over 10 innings to start off his 2021 season.
The Red Sox don’t have a rookie on the mound to face for the series finale, but Gant did just join the Twins rotation. The righty was sent to Minnesota from the Cardinals at the deadline, and had been pitching solidly by results for St. Louis in a swingman role despite less appealing peripherals. Since getting to Minnesota, the peripherals look better but his ERA is 6.00, because baseball makes no sense. He’s mostly pitched as a reliever in his career, and even as a starter he won’t be expected to go all that deep into the game. Gant features a pair of low-90s fastballs along with a changeup, cutter, slider, and the occasional curveball. Old Friends
None.
Notable Position Players
Josh Donaldson is still the biggest name on this roster, but his production doesn’t match the name value at this point. He’s still a good hitter, but he’s no longer elite as he’s struggling to turn batted balls into hits and his power is simply very good rather than elite.
Jorge Polanco is the best player currently playing for the Twins. Playing up the middle, he makes a lot of contact, walks at roughly an average rate, and hits for good power atop this Twins lineup.
Max Kepler got some trade interest this summer but ultimately was kept in Minnesota. He’s been a league-average hitter this year, largely due to a low BABIP that is canceling out his power, patience, and league-average strikeout rate.
Luis Arraez is a throwback kind of player, not providing much power but making a ton of contact and drawing walks to keep that OBP up approaching .400.
Mitch Garver has quietly broken out for the second time in three years, again tapping into big power and thriving as a three-true-outcome catcher.
Brent Rooker had been starting regularly before being sat for basically all of last weekend. It’s not really clear what they’re doing here, but the offense hasn’t been much to write home about anyway.
Miguel Sanó is going to strike out a ton, but he is another three-true-outcome hitter whose overall output has come in above-average.
Andrelton Simmons is still a great fielder, though not where he was in his prime, but his offense has totally cratered and he’s been among the worst regular hitters in the league this year.
Jake Cave hasn’t played quite as much as Simmons, but he’s been about as bad at the plate when he has played.
Bullpen Snapshot
The Twins bullpen has been one of the worst in all of baseball this year, as they lack a truly elite arm at the back of the group. Alex Colomé was a potential Red Sox target last winter, but he’s been bad this year with poor command and lackluster stuff. The lackluster stuff has been a theme in this bullpen, with their top arms not really posting strikeout rates you expect from late-inning relievers in today’s game. Of late, lefty Caleb Thielbar has been their best option in relief. Injuries
The Twins have had some big injuries this year, most notably to Byron Buxton. The best player on Earth for the early part of the season, but he’s only been able to play 27 games this year. More recently, they lost key starting pitchers in Michael Pineda and Kenta Maeda along with former first round pick and outfielder Alex Kirilloff. They’re also without one of their key relievers in Taylor Rogers along with another starter in Lewis Thorpe. Weather Forecast
There shouldn’t be any worries whatsoever for this series weather-wise, with all three days looking warm, sunny, and clear.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 24, 2021 13:09:55 GMT -5
Lou Merloni @loumerloni · 20m Watching Schwarber here at Fenway taking ground balls. He has good hands. Footwork is always something you need to work on. But he looks good
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 24, 2021 13:19:58 GMT -5
Game 127: Twins at Red Sox lineups and pregame notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated August 24, 2021, 10:46 a.m. After taking the rubber match of the series with the Rangers thanks to Travis Shaw’s 11th-inning grand slam, the Red Sox will host the Minnesota Twins for a three-game series. The Sox will then depart at then end of the week on a seven-game road trip beginning Friday at Cleveland. The Red Sox are hoping to carry the momentum from Monday’s win, as well as from as players-only meeting before the game, to turn their season around and get back in the playoff race. Lineups TWINS (54-70): 1. Max Kepler (L) RF 2. Brent Rooker (R) LF 3. Jorge Polanco (S) SS 4. Josh Donaldson (R) DH 5. Luis Arraez (L) 3B 6. Mitch Garver (R) C 7. Nick Gordon (L) 2B 8. Miguel Sano (R) 1B 9. Jake Cave (L) CF Pitching: RHP Griffin Jax (3-1, 5.11 ERA) RED SOX (71-55): 1. Enrique Hernandez (R) 2B 2. Kyle Schwarber (L) LF 3. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS 4. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 5. J.D. Martinez (R) DH 6. Alex Verdugo (L) CF 7. Hunter Renfroe (R) RF 8. Travis Shaw (L) 1B 9. Christian Vazquez (R) C Pitching: RHP Tanner Houck (0-3, 3.12 ERA) Time: 7:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Twins vs. Houck: Has not faced any Minnesota batters Red Sox vs. Jax: Has not faced any Boston batters Stat of the day: With his double yesterday, Rafael Devers became the 41st player since 1900 with to reach 250 extra base hits before turning 25 years old (the only other Red Sox are Ted Williams and Bobby Doerr). Notes: Kyle Schwarber has a career-long on-base streak of 20 games. … In their last 15 games, Red Sox starting pitchers have allowed 26 earned runs in 75⅓ innings pitched (3.11 ERA). … 11 of Alex Verdugo’s 18 home runs since joining the Red Sox have given the team the lead or tied the score. … Jax is making his seventh start of the season after making his first four appearances out of the bullpen. As a starter, the rookie is 2-1 with a 4.02 ERA. Song of the Day: The Rolling Stones "You Got me Rocking"www.youtube.com/watch?v=84PETdu743A
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