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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 25, 2021 3:38:47 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 4h Matt Barnes -- 'I think frustrated is probably a bit of an understatement. It's been a tough couple of weeks for me.'
'Baseball is a funny game. Between yesterday I thought I made some really good pitches.' #RedSox
Barnes -- 'This was a team win, and it's awesome to see. It really is.' #RedSox
Barnes -- 'We'll continue to work through it. It's definitely difficult.'
Described the first 4 1/2 months of this season as 'by far the best I've had in my career.' #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 25, 2021 3:40:02 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 4h Replying to @billkoch25 Barnes -- 'It's a frustrating game.'
'We're going to keep grinding. Biggest takeaway from tonight is Robles.'
'At the end of the day it's about winning ballgames right now, plain and simple. I picked a bad time to start sucking.' #RedSox
Barnes -- 'I'm going to keep working.'
'I anticipate fully getting into the postseason with this squad and making sure I do my part.' #RedSox
Barnes -- 'In a situation like that I can be pissed at myself later. I can be selfish and slam stuff.'
'The most important thing is to pick up your teammates.'
'My sole job there is to cheer (Robles) on.' #RedSox
Barnes, asked if he feels he would benefit from briefly stepping out of the closer role -- 'I'm going to leave that decision up to A.C.'
'I'm going to continue to work.'
'This is going to get fixed.' #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 25, 2021 3:40:54 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 4h Hunter Renfroe -- 'It was stressful. It was fun.' #RedSox
Renfroe -- 'This is what I expect myself to do.' #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 25, 2021 3:42:07 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 4h Kudos to Matt Barnes for taking on questions after what are surely the most frustrating series of games of his career.
Chapman is struggling. Kimbrel has had a hard time of late. Jansen gave up 8 runs over 3 games in July. Hendriks got crushed by the Yankees earlier this month. Closers go through stuff, even great ones.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 25, 2021 3:49:45 GMT -5
Red Sox closer Matt Barnes: Frustration an ‘understatement’ as struggles pile on
By Steve Hewitt | stephen.hewitt@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald August 25, 2021 at 2:32 a.m.
Matt Barnes’ August didn’t seem like it could get any worse after his blown save on Monday. But it took just a day for it to hit another low point.
The Red Sox have pulled out a pair of needlessly dramatic wins on back-to-back days — an extra-innings win over the Rangers on Monday, followed by an 11-9 survival over the Twins on Tuesday. Both have come in spite of Barnes, who looks lost and in a desperate search for answers as he struggles through a second-half collapse on the mound. After a career first half that made him a first-time All-Star, Barnes’ performances have plummeted so badly that his status as the team’s closer could be in jeopardy. His ERA in August now sits at 15.88 in 5 2/3 innings.
It’s a major problem that needs urgent addressing as the Red Sox fight for a playoff spot over their last 35 games of the regular season.
“I think frustrated is probably a bit of an understatement,” Barnes said Tuesday, after he faced three batters and didn’t record an out. “It’s been a tough couple of weeks for me. … It’s a frustrating game. I don’t know if you’re going to find someone that’s more frustrated than me right now.”
Barnes’ Tuesday night went south quickly when his second pitch to Josh Donaldson — a 95 mph fastball above the zone that was exactly where Barnes wanted it — was smashed to left for a homer that made it a two-run game. Then, Barnes lost the strike zone. He walked Luis Arraez on four pitches, forcing a mound visit from manager Alex Cora, before walking Mitch Garver. Cora saw enough as he pulled him for Hansel Robles, who rescued Barnes and the Red Sox by retiring all three batters he faced.
“At the end of the day, it’s about winning ballgames right now,” Barnes said. “Plain and simple. I picked a bad time to start sucking, but it’s about winning ballgames. Even with my struggles the last couple of nights, guys have come through in the clutch to pick me up and we won both ballgames, which I think is really important. …
“I’m going to keep grinding, man. We have 30-some-odd games left, a little over a month before the postseason. I’m going to keep working. It ain’t gonna stop now. I anticipate fully getting to the postseason with this squad. I’m going to make sure that I do my part, and that’s the end of it, right? It’s not going to stop now. I’ll work with Bushy (pitching coach Dave Bush), I’ll work with AC, (Jason Varitek) … see if anything is going on. See if we can draw up something, find something. We’re going to keep working. We’re going to keep working. That’s kind of the bottom line.”
Could Barnes be out of the closer’s role for even a brief period as he figures things out? Garrett Whitlock was outstanding in picking up Barnes on Monday, and Robles had 10 saves with the Twins before his trade to the Red Sox. Both them and Adam Ottavino, who has closing experience, could be candidates if they change directions.
Cora said before Tuesday’s game that he’ll keep going to Barnes in late innings, but the manager admitted the Red Sox are concerned about him after another poor performance. Barnes is open to any role that’s asked of him, but he’s confident he’ll get himself right.
“I’m going to leave that decision up to AC and Bushy (pitching coach Dave Bush),” Barnes said. “I’m going to be ready whenever that phone rings. We’re going to continue to work. We’re going to get this right. Make no mistake — this is going to get fixed and I’m going to go back to being exactly what I was three weeks ago. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind about that. Whatever AC and Bushy want to do that they feel is the right decision for the team to help us win ballgames, I will be completely on board with. That is the No. 1 goal right now. I’ll say it over and over.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 25, 2021 3:52:16 GMT -5
Lou Merloni @loumerloni · 6h This pen is a mess right now. Something needs to be done. Move Whitlock to Closer. Move Houck into the Whitlock role. Call up Seabold and put him in rotation. It’s not going to solve all their problems but Houck isn’t going deep in games anyway. Why not?
How about those last 2 wins? Gained 2 games on the A’s. That’s all that matters but holy smokes, what do you do with this pen. I really think Houck needs to go out there. We’ll see
Hansel? Give him another shot? At least tomorrow seeing that Whitlock may still be down
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 25, 2021 3:53:32 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 5h I'd rather see Houck join Whitlock in the middle innings, slide Richards back to starter for now, and put someone like Taylor at closer for now. Sliding Whitlock to closer just makes getting to the end of the game a nightmare, would rather him and Houck pitch like 5 times a week.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 25, 2021 3:56:56 GMT -5
Red Sox Nation Stats @rsnstats · 5h Time of the game: 4 hours, 9 minutes in front of a crowd of 27,986 fans who saw the #RedSox beat #Twins 11-9 to open this 3-game series.
#RedSox Manager Alex Cora: "It is what it is, we won. People can criticize our team, the holes that we have or we don't have. It's a big league win. We'll take it. We'll work tomorrow, we try to get better, but no one is going to take the joy out of a big league win for us."
#RedSox Manager Cora: "It's 27 outs. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's hard…Sometimes wins like this keep building character…It wasn't perfect, but one thing I tell them, big league wins are big league wins…1-0 or 11-9."
#RedSox Manager Cora: "Offensively, we did a lot of good things. Obviously, pitching wise, we'll work on it tomorrow. It's still a big league win. We got 72 of those, and not too many teams can say that."
#RedSox Manager Cora on Hunter Renfroe's resurgence: "It's part of 162. People adjust to him and then he adjusts to them. Right now, it seems like his stride is a lot shorter. He's been able to stay back…he can stay back with breaking balls and he can demolish those."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 25, 2021 3:57:37 GMT -5
Red Sox Nation Stats @rsnstats · 4h #RedSox Barnes: "Make no mistake. This is going to get fixed and I'm going to go back to being what I was 3 weeks ago." Says he'll support whatever the manager decides on pitching roles out of the bullpen, "I will be completely on board."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 25, 2021 3:58:33 GMT -5
Red Sox Nation Stats @rsnstats · 4h Tomorrow it's #RedSox Nick Pivetta to start vs #Twins. 9-6 with a 4.43 ERA in 24 starts of 2021. 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA in 1 career start vs MIN.
For #Twins it's Bailey Ober tomorrow vs #RedSox. 1-2 with a 4.38 ERA in 14 starts of 2021. It will be his 1st career appearance vs BOS.
#RedSox game time Wednesday is 7:10 ET/4:10 PT. Expected conditions at Boston: Sunny, 83°F / 28°C. Winds from ESE 6 MPH. #Twins #MLB
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 25, 2021 4:09:00 GMT -5
Twins @ Red Sox Wednesday, 25th August 2021 7pm @ Fenway Park
Ober 1-2/4.38
Bailey Ober surrendered three runs (two earned) on five hits over six innings in Tuesday's loss to the Indians. Ober struck out three without walking a batter in the contest. Two of the three runs on his line came home on a two-run long ball off the bat of Daniel Johnson with one out in the fifth inning. The 26-year-old right-hander will bring a 4.38 ERA and 1.26 WHIP (14 starts) into a road showdown with the Yankees next time out.
Pivetta 9-6/4.43
Nick Pivetta lasted just 1 2/3 innings and gave up four runs Wednesday in his start against the Yankees. It was Pivetta's first ever start against the Yankees, and it proved to be a short one, as he walked three and struck out just one. It was the first time he'd walked three batters in a start since June 18. He took the loss tonight, leaving him 9-6 with a 4.43 ERA for the season.
Red Sox fret over closer ahead of rematch with Twins According to STATS
Three wins in four games have the Boston Red Sox back on track, but the club still has a significant problem on its hands as it gets set to face the Minnesota Twins in the second contest of a three-game series Wednesday night.
The Red Sox won the opener 11-9, a result marred by the fact they led 9-3 after five innings. While multiple arms in the bullpen faltered, none stood out more than Matt Barnes, who entered the ninth inning with a three-run lead after an Enrique Hernandez two-run home run in the eighth.
Barnes proceeded to serve up a leadoff homer to Josh Donaldson before walking the next two men he faced. He was pulled in favor of Hansel Robles, who recorded two strikeouts on his way to ending the game without further damage.
"We're concerned," Boston skipper Alex Cora said of his All-Star closer's struggles.
Barnes has surrendered 10 runs over 5 1/3 innings in nine appearances this month, including another meltdown Monday in the Red Sox's walk-off win over the Texas Rangers.
"We have to make adjustments, whatever it is," Cora said.
The Red Sox send right-hander Nick Pivetta (9-6, 4.43 ERA) to the mound Wednesday looking to rebound from a rough showing against the New York Yankees last time out. The Twins counter with rookie righty Bailey Ober (1-2, 4.38).
Minnesota has lost four straight to drop to the cellar of the American League Central standings.
While Barnes' struggles take center stage for Boston, the club's biggest bright spot has been the continued success of Hunter Renfroe. The slugger went deep twice and finished with five RBIs on Tuesday to improve his totals for the month to 10 and 21, respectively.
Renfroe's 10 homers lead the majors in August and represent a new single-month career high.
"People don't talk often about him -- he's been amazing for us," Cora said of Renfroe. "He's earned every right to go play."
New addition Travis Shaw has homered in back-to-back games for Boston, while Alex Verdugo has recorded three hits in two consecutive contests.
Minnesota's bats also showed life Tuesday after the club was held to eight runs total over three straight road losses to the Yankees. Jorge Polanco led the way in the opener at Boston with a home run and three RBIs, while Miguel Sano also drove in three in his return from the paternity list.
"You'll always take that type of mentality and that type of play when you're behind," said manager Rocco Baldelli. "Nobody folded up today. The guys continued to go. You want to see that every time you're down."
Ober held the Cleveland Indians to three runs (two earned) over six innings in a loss his last time out. He hasn't won since July 5, a span of seven starts. The 26-year-old will face the Red Sox for the first time in his career.
Pivetta was tagged for four runs over 1 2/3 innings against the Yankees. He had allowed one run total over his previous two starts.
Pivetta opposed the Twins while a member of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2019. He gave up four runs (three earned) over five innings in a win.
--Field Level Media
Twins at Red Sox Wednesday, at 7:10 PM EST Clear According to Forecast.io, it's expected to be 81° F with a 0% chance of precipitation and 5 MPH wind blowing right to left in Boston at 7:10 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com Forecast.io
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 25, 2021 7:42:57 GMT -5
The Red Sox are really going to need this trade deadline acquisition to work out
By Rob Bradford an hour ago
Hansel Robles' existence through his first couple of weeks in a Red Sox uniform were a microcosm of the frustration.
Serving as one of the two relief-pitching trade acquisitions, Robles' first impression was not great. There was awkward implosion in Detroit and then ill-advised brouhaha involving the pitcher vs. an entire Blue Jays team.
Meanwhile, the other teams that made July 30 moves were using their additions like jet fuel, flying away from the Red Sox in the American League standings.
By the time the third week of August rolled around, it appeared as though Robles was hovering around a Yacksel Rios-esque low-leverage existence.
Now, the conversation has changed. It turns out the righty actually might be a an enormous part of this equation. That was certainly the case Tuesday night.
With nowhere else to turn after yet another downturn from closer Matt Barnes (this one coming in the form of a homer and two-walk ninth inning), Alex Cora called on Robles to exude the upside that led to the Red Sox' deal with Minnesota .
Nobody believed for a moment such a scenario was ideal considering Robles' propensity for wildness, and uneven production. But this was a guy who had saved 10 games for the Twins team the Red Sox were about to hang an 11-9 defeat on, flashing an electric 99 mph fastball along the way.
Two strikeouts and a ground out stranded two runners and ended the Fenway Park anxiety.
"I was just pumped up," Robles said. "I had adrenaline flowing and I was excited to get the job done. I was waiting for a moment like this and I’m glad it happened.”
Fortunately for Cora and Co., they got the good Robles. It sure looks like that's the guy they are desperately going to need going forward.
Adam Ottavino has routinely been bobbing and weaving his way in and out of trouble almost every outing. Hirokazu Sawamura seems somewhat banged up, giving up two runs while getting just two outs against Minnesota. Ryan Brasier is on the horizon, but savior status is a lot to expect considering his absence from big-league action this season.
And then there is Barnes.
With his continued struggles, it would seem likely that Garrett Whitlock might be easing into the closers role. But the Red Sox, who were already at least a late-inning arm short when their All-Star was rolling, still need a passable Barnes.
"I'd be lying to you if I told you that it was easy to stay the course right now when I feel like every quality pitch that I throw is getting hit," Barnes said. "The percentages have to play themselves. I'll sit down with Bushy and AC and everyone tomorrow. We'll continue to work through it. It's definitely frustrating, it's definitely difficult to stay the course when it doesn't go your way. Anything is easy to buy into when it's all going great and things are awesome. But I've always been better when I'm in the zone, just plain and simple. The first four and a half months of this season were by far the best I've ever had in my career because of that. So while it might be frustrating and while I do think some good pitches are getting hit, I don't know that changing my game plan completely because of four or five games out of 50 is necessarily the right answer. But that's a discussion to be had tomorrow."
Until they figure that out, Robles is going to be needed more than the Red Sox probably ever anticipated.
The righty's existence can be uncomfortable. There are unnecessary windup alterations, ill-advised pickoff moves, and poorly timed bouts of wildness. But he's what they have got right now.
This is the guy the Red Sox had better hope they were right on.
“Obviously Matt is our closer," Robles said after his latest save. "I knew that was his moment. I always get myself ready just in case because you never know. Obviously, he has his role and if they needed me, I would be there.”
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Post by Kimmi on Aug 25, 2021 9:42:48 GMT -5
It is not a play off team the silence by the front office at the deadline showed usI don't think it reflects the FO's opinion of the team. The prices being paid this year were the most expensive I have ever seen. The WS gave up their starting 2B for the next 5 years for Kimbrel (0-1, 5.79). TO gave up maybe their two best prospects for Berrios (1-1, 3.80), the NYMs gave up the #19 from 2019 for Baez (.672 OPS). There is no way I'd be given up that type of minor league talent, even if we had that type of minor league talent. It has nothing to do with the FO's opinion of whether the team is good enough this year or not. Bloom was hired to build this team to have long term success. Swaying from that plan and overpaying for players this year would have been a mistake.
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Post by Kimmi on Aug 25, 2021 9:45:48 GMT -5
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne · 4m The hope this year is by putting Arroyo at second and Schwarber at first, you get your Verdugo-Hernandez-Renfroe alignment back in the outfield. It's not like Schwarber's defense at first can be that much worse than what they've had there. And you upgrade in three other spots. ======================= I agree with Browne on this one. Schwarber-Arroyo-Kike in there every night gives us our best lineup. I agree as well. Schwarber should help the team offensively regardless of whether he can play 1B well, but things would really work out a lot better is he can play that position regularly. Otherwise, you kind of have a logjam trying to figure out how to play Schwarber.
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Post by Kimmi on Aug 25, 2021 9:48:34 GMT -5
slop baseball again Sox score often and of course can't hold onto a lead against the Twins even though they are up 11-9 in the 9th as Matt Barnes is melting down again and he just gets the hook.....fans boo the hell out of him.....good. Once again, not the prettiest of games, but a win is a win. I'll take it!
We need to get Barnes fixed. He is inside his head right now. He probably isn't as good as he was at the beginning of the year, but he's nowhere near as bad as he's been recently. Much closer to the former than the latter.
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