|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 28, 2021 18:29:20 GMT -5
heading to extras
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 28, 2021 18:37:05 GMT -5
JDM with a 3 run shot
5-2 Sox 10th
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 29, 2021 2:37:40 GMT -5
J.D.'s mantra for snapping slide? 'Just relax' Slugger breaks out of 0-for-20 skid, hits game-winning HR in extras August 28th, 2021 Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
J.D. Martinez didn’t just sit out on Friday night. He was also sitting on an 0-for-20 slump as he watched his team for nine innings.
In actuality, the key to Martinez’s day off was that he actually took it off.
On most days, whether he is playing or not, Martinez takes hundreds of swings and studies hours of video before the game even starts. This time, Martinez didn’t take one swing.
On Saturday, Martinez got up off the mat in a big way, most notably when he clocked a go-ahead three-run homer to right that lifted the Red Sox to a 5-3 victory over the Indians in 10 innings at Progressive Field.
It was part of a three-hit game for Martinez, who teamed up with Kyle Schwarber (3-for-5, homer) to carry the Red Sox on a day when the rest of the offense didn’t do much of consequence.
Schwarber helped set Martinez up when he ripped a single to open the 10th, pushing automatic runner Jarren Duran to third.
For his game-turning hit, Martinez got ahead in the count 2-1 and mauled a meaty cutter by Indians reliever Nick Wittgren for his 24th homer of the season, a 106.2-mph drive to right that traveled a Statcast-projected 395 feet.
“I went up there, chased the first pitch, and then I told myself to just relax and do what I always do and look for the ball up, and just try to put the ball up in the air and try to get the run in, really,” said Martinez. “I was just fortunate enough to flush it and get it out.”
The hit provided a big lift for the Red Sox, who have now won five of their last six to come out of their recent funk. By taking the first two games in Cleveland, Boston has now won three series in a row. Before that, the Sox had lost five of six series.
If Saturday can serve as a springboard for Martinez, things will suddenly become much easier for the Sox, particularly with the addition of Schwarber, who has been red-hot since he came off the injured list.
“The offense, we’ve been kind of off, on, off, on,” said Martinez. “We were able to put some runs up today. If I get hot, it would be nice for us going into this last month of the season. It would definitely help us.”
With a 75-56 mark, the Sox trail the Yankees by two games for the top Wild Card spot, but lead the A’s by 3 1/2 games for the second spot.
The stretch run figures to be exciting, and there likely aren’t many more days off in Martinez’s future. But this one clearly did the trick.
“Definitely. I don’t get too many off-days, and I’m good with that,” said Martinez. “I love being out there, I love grinding it out. So just being able to step away and just kind of relax, I took my mind off everything, and it gives my body a rest because, you know, I'm all day just swinging, swinging, swinging.
“The four at-bats you see, those are just four swings I take during the game, but the ones outside of the game catch up to me. So just being able to take something off and going out there watching the guys play and rooting them on, it definitely helps me.”
Making Martinez’s day off on Friday even better was when unlikely hero Jonathan Araúz roped a three-run homer in the top of the eighth that led the Sox to a comeback win. Only after the game did Martinez allow himself to do just a little bit of mental preparation.
“I studied at night when I got [to the hotel], and I was studying what I wanted to work on and stuff like that, but no, I was just trying to get away from everything,” Martinez said. “Just be a cheerleader.”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora also deserves credit for resisting the temptation to use Martinez as a pinch-hitter, even as Friday’s game seemed to be slipping away.
It would have been easy for Cora to give in, considering the Red Sox lost Kiké Hernández and Christian Arroyo on short notice to the COVID-19 injured list prior to Friday’s game.
“We had a lot of stuff going on, but I was like, ‘No, he’s not playing,’” Cora said. “It’s not worth it because if he plays yesterday, then probably today it doesn’t happen, and we’ve got to be very careful with these players. I know a lot of people get on me because of the rest and all that stuff. For us to be where we want to be, and [what] we’re trying to accomplish, we have to make sure these guys are close to 100 percent, which is almost impossible.”
What would be truly impossible would be for the Red Sox to realize their loftiest goals this season if Martinez isn’t a big part of what they are doing.
“Yeah, I mean, [Martinez] is a huge stud at the plate,” said Nathan Eovaldi, who had another solid start. “He’s been scuffling a little bit, but you get him back swinging like we all know he can, like he was at the beginning of the season, we’re going to be even more deadly out there.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 29, 2021 2:39:13 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Santana on cusp of return August 28th, 2021
10-day IL
1B/OF Danny Santana (left groin strain) Expected return: Within the next few days With Kiké Hernández and Christian Arroyo both on the COVID-19 IL, the need for Santana has increased. The switch-hitter went 2-for-3 with a homer for Double-A Portland on Aug. 27. Manager Alex Cora said he will play nine innings on Aug. 29. Don’t be surprised if Santana rejoins the Red Sox during their upcoming four-game series at Tropicana Field, which starts on Aug. 30. (Last updated: Aug. 28)
LHP Darwinzon Hernandez (right oblique strain) Expected return: September Hernandez threw another bullpen session on Aug. 28 in Cleveland and will progress to live batting practice when the Red Sox get to Tropicana Field on Aug. 30. He could go on a Minor League rehab assignment within the next week or so and be back in Boston’s bullpen shortly thereafter. (Last updated: Aug. 28) 60-day IL
RHP Ryan Brasier (concussion) Expected return: September The righty reliever has had mixed results during his Minor League rehab assignment, which has included seven appearances so far. Manager Alex Cora said Brasier is likely to pitch again in the Minors on either Aug. 28 or Aug. 29, “and then, we’ll go from there.” An effective Brasier would be a big lift for a Boston bullpen that has struggled over the last few weeks. (Last updated: Aug. 28)
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 29, 2021 3:00:14 GMT -5
J.D. Martinez home run in 10th inning pushes Red Sox past Indians for third consecutive win By Julian Benbow Globe Staff,Updated August 28, 2021, 9:43 p.m.
The more the Red Sox keep reminding themselves that a playoff spot is still out there for them, the more complicated the road gets.
Between COVID-19 sending his leadoff hitter into quarantine, bereavement striking a cog in the outfield, and other assorted injuries hammering the roster as the Sox headed out on the road, manager Alex Cora was up at 1:30 Saturday morning twirling lineup ideas around in his head.
The Sox at the tail end of a stretch of nine games against sub.-500 teams, Cora believed he had enough.
“I think we’re well-covered,” Cora said before Saturday’s game. “We can put a lineup out there and we can make moves to win the game.”
The Sox had to go 10 innings to outlast Cleveland, 5-3.
J.D. Martinez delivered the swing of the night, launching a 2-1 cutter from Cleveland reliever Nick Wittgren over the fence in right-center with runners on first and third for a go-ahead three-run homer in the 10th.
The Sox picked up their eighth extra-inning win of the season. They’re 6-1 in extras on the road.
“It’s fun when you win them, it’s not fun when you lose them,” Cora said. “But I think, for the fans and for the audience, it’s a lot of action. I’ve been saying all along is people want action out of the game, and you provide it after the 10th inning. It was a good one for us.”
But Cora had to weave receivers together just to get his team to extras.
“Obviously, a stressful one,” Cora said. “But it took almost everybody today to pull that one off.”
Sox starter Nate Eovaldi lasted 5⅓ innings, holding Cleveland to two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts. Cora emptied the bullpen, using seven receivers to keep the score locked and give his team a chance.
Josh Taylor got two outs to close out the sixth. Hirokazu Sawamura worked through some turbulence to keep Cleveland scoreless in the seventh. Austin Davis got two outs in the eighth, then Garrett Richards got Oscar Mercado to fly out to right to close out the frame. Garrett Whitlock replaced Richards and worked around a single to hang a zero up in the ninth.
“It’s constant communication,” Cora said. “We were very short, but a lot of guys stepped up . . . It’s one of those that you mix and match and you try to maximize what we have and the guys did an amazing job.”
The patchwork gave Martinez the chance to play the hero. He went 3 for 5 with three RBIs and two runs scored, pushing the Sox to their third straight win. His homer was one of two of the Sox hits in eight at-bats with runners in scoring position.
But the Sox still had to put out a fire in the bottom of the inning.
With José Ramírez starting the inning on second as Cleveland’s free runner, Sox reliever Martín Pérez walked Franmil Reyes and hit Bradley Zimmer, putting himself in a bases-loaded, no-out hotspot.
Pérez hung on to strike out Bobby Bradley on three pitches for the first out of the inning. But Cora called on Adam Ottavino to handle the rest of the mess. Related: DeMarlo Hale finally gets the chance to manage after 19 seasons on a major league coaching staff
Ottavino fed Austin Hedges a healthy portion of sinkers, looking for a ground ball, but ultimately got him to chase a fastball above the strike zone on a 1-2 count for the second out of the inning.
He couldn’t keep Cleveland completely quiet though. The next at-bat, Mercado jumped on a first-pitch slider and shot it to right field to score Ramirez and cut the lead to 5-3. But Andrés Giménez grounded out to second to end it.
Kyle Schwarber went 3 for 5 with a solo homer, Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with a walk, and Christian Vázquez 2 for 3 with a walk.
Schwarber’s 27th homer of the season ignited the Sox offense in the first.
After letting a first-pitch sinker from Cleveland starter Cal Quantrill sail by him above the strike zone, Schwarber swatted the second sinker he saw into deep center field to give the Sox a 1-0 lead.
Martinez followed with a single to center field, then Xander Bogaerts cracked a sharp line-drive down into the left-field corner. Cleveland left fielder Daniel Johnson had trouble coming up with it cleanly and Martinez jumped on the chance to race home to push the Sox’ lead to 2-0. Bogaerts tried stretching another base out of his double, but Johnson was able to get the ball back to the infield in time to catch Bogaerts at third.
The lead didn’t last long.
Reyes cut the lead in half with a solo homer to start the second. Zimmer followed up with a double to right, allowing Bradley to come to the plate with a runner in scoring position. Bradley shot a line drive to center that scored Zimmer and even it at 2.
The Sox didn’t get many more opportunities against Quantrill, who retired eight straight from the second inning to fourth. Quantrill gave Cleveland seven strong innings, giving up just two runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
The Sox, who came in seven games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East, have won six of their last eight games. They wrap up their series in Cleveland on Sunday, then head down to Florida on Monday to start a four-game series with the Rays.
“It was a great effort by the guys,” Cora said. “We won the series, and now we’ve got a chance to sweep them tomorrow. But at the end of the day, and our goal is to win series — as many series as possible the rest of the way. And like I said before, if we do that we’re going to be in good shape.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 29, 2021 3:02:29 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Christian Arroyo, Kiké Hernández remain on MLB’s COVID-related injured list By Julian Benbow Globe Staff,Updated August 28, 2021, 5:28 p.m.
Christian Arroyo will continue to be tested for COVID-19 after being deemed a close contact to Kiké Hernández, who tested positive for the virus Friday.
Alex Cora was uncertain how much time the two players might miss while on Major League Baseball’s COVID-related injured list. Players who test positive generally miss 10 days, but Hernández, who told reporters in April he was vaccinated, could return sooner.
“Hopefully it stays the way it is,” Cora said before Saturday’s game in Cleveland. “It’s only a close contact. Not sure how he works, when he can now leave the hotel, go to Boston, or stay. I try to stay away from all that stuff. We’ve got a game to play and we have to be ready for this one.”
The Sox have had 10 players go on the COVID-19 related injured list this season. Bench coach Will Venable tested positive and was away from the team for 12 days, and first base coach Tom Goodwin had to quarantine in Toronto after being in close contact with Goodwin.
Sox outfielder Hunter Renfroe is also away from the team, placed on the bereavement list.
“I haven’t gone into details,” Cora said. “Just respecting everything that is going on. I just stay with the personal side of it, but I haven’t asked. Probably will contact the agent and obviously see how things are going, and we’ll go from there.”
With so many maladies across the roster, the Sox considered speeding up Danny Santana’s return from a left groin strain, but Cora said the plan will be to stick with the patchwork roster until they go to Tampa on Monday.
Santana started his rehab assignment last week with one game with Triple A Worcester, and played his last three games with Double A Portland. He went 2 for 3 with a homer Friday and is set to play again Sunday.
“So we’ll keep it like that,” Cora said. “I think what we’re going to do is just stay with this roster until we get to Tampa unless something changes today. But I feel we’re in a good spot.”
Darwinzon Hernandez is with the team in Cleveland. He threw a bullpen session Saturday and will throw live batting practice Monday in Tampa. A real downer for Indians’ Karinchak
Righthanded reliever James Karinchak, who took the loss for Cleveland on Friday, was optioned to Triple A Columbus.
Karinchak inherited a 3-1 lead in the eighth inning. He walked Christian Vázquez before Jarren Duran singled and Jonathan Araúz homered on a two-strike pitch.
Karinchak had a 2.37 ERA and held opponents to a .474 OPS through June 18. He has since had a 6.38 ERA with opponents having an .855 OPS. His downturn coincided with Major League Baseball outlawing the use of grip-enhancing “sticky stuff” by pitchers.
Indians pitching coach Carl Willis wouldn’t address that other than to say MLB wouldn’t have acted if the substances weren’t effective. He acknowledged that Karinchak doesn’t have the same spin rate on his fastball.
“Spin efficiency creates ride to the fastball — which he was elite with that ride,” Willis said. “So I think what we’re seeing when we’re trying to look at his delivery, when we’re looking at in slow motion, he’s just not squaring up the ball at release. That last little click, he’s not behind the baseball.”
Schwarber stays in second spot
Cora said he considered bumping Kyle Schwarber up to the leadoff spot Saturday, but made a late-night decision to keep him in the two-hole.
“He was actually leading off until 1:30 a.m. yesterday that I decided to switch a lineup,” Cora said. “I just felt like keeping him hidden second, give Jarren a chance to lead off today ... Just hitting him in front of Kyle, it made sense. We can put pressure on [the Indians].”
Cora said Schwarber is still an option to lead off while Hernández is out. Schwarber homered on a 1-0 pitch in the first inning.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 29, 2021 3:09:56 GMT -5
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne · 7h Interesting that J.D. didn't take a single swing yesterday pre-game or in-game. This is a guy who spends hours in the cage on a daily basis. His day off yesterday couldn't have been better timed, considering what happened today.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 29, 2021 3:11:56 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 8h
Sox are 75-56. They have won 3 straight, 5 of 6 and 6 of 8.
7 relievers (!) combined to allow one unearned run over 4.2 IP.
Indians were 2x13 with RISP and left 13 men on base.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 29, 2021 3:12:51 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 7h "Today was a frustrating day for the hitters in certain at-bats," says Cora, using a velvet glove to criticize the strike zone of Ron Kulpa.
Interesting spot for the Sox tomorrow. Houck has completed 5 innings only twice all season and the bullpen will be depleted with the Tampa series starting Monday.
Wonder if they call somebody up to eat innings if needed?
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 29, 2021 3:16:36 GMT -5
J.D. Martinez relaxed as Boston Red Sox’s ‘cheerleader’ on Friday and it prepared him to belt game-winning homer Saturday Updated: Aug. 28, 2021, 10:23 p.m. | Published: Aug. 28, 2021, 10:07 p.m.
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio — J.D. Martinez wasn’t in the Red Sox lineup Friday and he used the time to relax. He took zero swings in the cage before and during the game.
“I took the whole day,” Martinez said. “I’ve been grinding pretty hard the last couple of weeks. So I just wanted to take a full day to rest my body.”
Martinez reviewed some video of his swing when he returned to the hotel after Friday’s game, but that was all the work he did.
“I was studying what I wanted to work on and stuff like that but no, I was just trying to get away from everything. Just be a cheerleader,” he said.
Martinez — who typically takes hundreds of swings in the cage before and during games — returned to the lineup Saturday and went 3-for-5 with a three-run homer in the 10th inning. He helped the Red Sox win 5-3 over the Cleveland Indians here at Progressive Field.
“I don’t get too many off days really, it feels like for me,” Martinez said. “And I’m good with that. I love being out there. I love grinding it out. So just being able to step away and just kind of relaxing — take my mind off everything — it gives my body a rest, because I’m all day just swinging, swinging, swinging, swinging. The four at-bats you see, those are the four swings I take during the game. But the ones outside of the game catch up to me. So just being able to take something off and just going out there and watching the guys play and rooting them on, it definitely helps me.”
Martinez snapped an 0-for-20 slump with a single in the first inning Saturday. He also ended a nine-game RBI drought. He had not knocked in a run since Aug. 15.
Martinez said “it doesn’t happen very often” when he takes zero swings during a day he’s not in the lineup.
“My body felt gassed from one, just being in the outfield all the time and not being used to it and two, from just grinding at the plate,” Martinez said.
Manager Alex Cora has been forced to use Martinez in the outfield more than usual during August because of injuries and the team’s lack of production offensively. Kyle Schwarber was reinstated from the IL before he was ready to play in the field. That limited Schwarber to DH and forced Martinez to the outfield.
Martinez has started 10 games in the outfield this month. He had started just 17 games in the outfield during the first four months (April through July).
Martinez entered Saturday batting only .234 with a .281 on-base percentage, .416 slugging percentage and .697 OPS in 35 games during the second half.
“He’s been grinding,” Cora said. “It hasn’t been easy. Obviously we push him hard to do certain things that he hasn’t done in a while, playing defense the whole week. It’s not easy. It’s not easy for him. He has a routine. Obviously when he came here in ‘18, the previous year he played a lot of outfield. So he was good. But the last few years he’s been strictly DH. And although he loves playing the outfield, sometimes it takes a toll on him.
“But at the same time, it’s a guy I trust, that we trust, that we know he’s going to post,” Cora added. “He’s going to grind regardless of where he’s at at the plate or physically. And that’s why we love him. There’s certain days that you have to decide that (he’s) not going to play. That’s it. That was the case yesterday. We had a lot of stuff going on but I was like, ‘No, he’s not playing. It’s not worth it.’ Because if he plays yesterday, then probably today doesn’t happen. We have to be very careful with these players. I know a lot of people get on me because of the rest and all that stuff. But I think for us to be where we want to be and what we’re trying to accomplish, we have to make sure these guys are close to 100%, which is almost impossible.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 29, 2021 3:18:53 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox notebook: Garrett Whitlock, Adam Ottavino likely won’t be available next two games; ‘Somebody else has to step up,’ Alex Cora says Updated: 11:17 p.m. | Published: 11:05 p.m.
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Seven Red Sox relievers combined for 4 ⅔ innings without allowing an earned run Saturday.
It wasn’t exactly pretty (five walks, one HBP, three hits) but the bullpen did the job. Boston won 5-3 over the Cleveland Indians in 10 innings here at Progressive Field.
“It was a good one for us, a stressful one,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “It took almost everybody today to pull that one off. It was a great effort by the guys. We won the series and now we’ve got a chance to sweep them tomorrow. But at the end of the day, our goal is to win as many series as possible the rest of the way. If we do that, we’re going to be in good shape.”
Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless ninth after hurling 1 ⅔ scoreless innings in a win over the Twins on Thursday.
“We pushed it today,” Cora said about Whitlock pitching the ninth. “But we’ve been talking a lot about this. There’s certain games that we’re going to take a chance. Right there, we feel like we can win it. It’s just a matter of use him there and now he’ll be down for two (days). And we’re OK with that. We’re fine with that. Somebody else has to step up in the next two days.”
Adam Ottavino recorded the final two outs for his second save in as many days.
Cora said Ottavino “probably is going to be down the next two days, too.”
Garrett Richards, meanwhile, pitched in his third straight game. He entered in the eighth with two outs and a runner at third. He retired Oscar Mercado on a fly out to right field.
“G-Rich, who’s not used to doing this three days in a row, he gets a big out in the eighth,” Cora said.
Sawamura escapes jam
Hirokazu Sawamura somehow pitched a scoreless bottom of the seventh inning despite throwing just nine of his 23 pitches for strikes.
It was risky but Cora had Sawamura intentionally walk slugger José Ramirez to load the bases despite the righty’s control issues.
Sawamura fell behind slugger Franmil Reyes 3-1 in the count but he got Reyes to swing and miss at a 96.7 mph four-seam fastball and 92.2 mph splitter.
“Obviously he wasn’t perfect but at the end, he made some pitches,” Cora said. “But we want him to be more aggressive in the strike zone. He has a good fastball. You saw it at the end with the bases loaded and two outs.”
Santana to play for Portland again Sunday
Danny Santana — who has been on the 10-day injured list with a left groin strain since July 22 — is scheduled to play nine innings in a rehab game for Double-A Portland on Sunday.
He went 2-for-3 with a homer for Portland on Friday. He played seven innings in center field. It was his fourth rehab game.
Pivetta offered to pinch run
The Red Sox didn’t exactly have anyone who could pinch run on their bench Friday. The bench consisted of J.D. Martinez, Kevin Plawecki and Travis Shaw.
“(Nick) Pivetta offered but I was like, no, we’ll try to stay away from that one,” Cora said.
Hernandez to throw live BP in St. Pete
Darwinzon Hernandez, who is on this road trip, is scheduled to throw a live BP on Monday at Tropicana Field before the Red Sox and Rays play the first game of a four-game series.
Hernandez has been sidelined since July 30 because of a right oblique strain.
Shaw at second?
Travis Shaw has appeared in 41 games (36 starts) at second base during his career. Might Alex Cora use him there?
Cora didn’t rule it out.
“He can play the position,” Cora said. “He knows how to turn the double play. We play Bobby (Dalbec) at short certain times. When we play the shift, we have Raffy (Rafael Devers) at short, too. If we are in an emergency, emergency we can shuffle those guys all over the place.”
Cora didn’t consider Richards for ninth Friday
Did Alex Cora consider bringing back Garrett Richards for the ninth inning Friday after his dominant eighth (nine pitches, eight strikes)?
Richards struck out leadoff hitter Myles Straw looking on a slider in the eighth inning Friday. He struck out Amed Rosario swinging on a slider. He then used a changeup to retire José Ramirez who popped out to first baseman Kyle Schwarber in foul territory.
“No, no, no. He did an amazing job,” Cora said before Saturday’s game. “The next matchups we felt that they were good for Adam (Ottavino). (Franmil) Reyes is a guy that likes the ball out over the plate. It’s actually better to slow him down, down or speed him up. And Adam was a good matchup for him.
“But Garrett brings a different pitch to our equation,” Cora added. “It’s a slider. You saw the one to Rosario. The one to Straw, although it was a borderline pitch of course. But it’s a different pitch. And we’ve been facing pitching staffs that have been relying on sliders from the seventh inning on. And they’ve been really good. And the fact that he can do that, I think it gives us a weapon.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 29, 2021 3:21:34 GMT -5
Red Sox Notes @soxnotes · 6h Red Sox bullpen in the last 3 games:
0.00 ERA .114 AVG 10.1 IP, 0 ER, 4-for-35
Red Sox starters in the last 3 games:
2-0 3.57 ERA 17.2 IP, 7 ER
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 29, 2021 3:22:11 GMT -5
Red Sox Notes @soxnotes · 5h In 6 games since moving to the bullpen, Garrett Richards has recorded a 0.87 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and .184 opponent batting average (10.1 IP).
He has thrown as few as 0.1 IP (retired his lone batter faced today) and as many as 4.0 IP (0 hits and 0 runs allowed on 8/18 at NYY).
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 29, 2021 3:35:58 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Indians 29th August 2021 1pm @ Progressive Field
Houck 0-3/3.43
Houck surrendered three runs on eight hits over 4 2/3 innings in Tuesday's win over the Twins. Houck was called up from Triple-A Worcester to make the start on Tuesday. He pitched decently in the spot outing, if nothing unspectacular. The 25-year-old right-hander struck out six against one walk in the contest while yielding a run in the first inning and two more in the fourth. In 39 1/3 major league innings this season, Houck holds a 3.43 ERA and 1.25 WHIP.
Morgan 2-6/5.98
Eli Morgan was touched up for four runs on eight hits and two walks over just 4 1/3 frames in Tuesday's loss to the Rangers. Morgan has been pretty good this month and tossed six shutout frames his last time out. Tonight wasn't his night, though, with the Rangers jumping on him for three quick runs in the first inning on a Nate Lowe homer. The eight hits he allowed were tied for his season high.
Tanner Houck, Red Sox aim for sweep of Indians According to STATS
Tanner Houck appears close to solidifying his role with the Boston Red Sox, who look for a sweep of their three-game series against the host Cleveland Indians on Sunday.
The 25-year-old right-hander has bounced between the majors and minors this season, but he was given a regular spot in the rotation last week.
Houck could serve a key role for Boston, which is looking to extend its winning streak to four games after posting a 10-inning, 5-3 win on Saturday.
Houck (0-3, 3.43 ERA) has recorded six strikeouts in five of his last six starts and walked only six batters over that stretch.
"He's been awesome," manager Alex Cora said. "Looking forward to him staying with us and pitch every five days and be part of this, finally, on a more consistent basis. He earned it. He deserves it, and I think, you know, obviously, he's been helping us to get better and he will keep doing that."
Houck is looking to improve on last Tuesday's outing, when he surrendered three runs on eight hits over 4 2/3 innings against Minnesota.
The Red Sox received a spark Saturday from outfielder J.D. Martinez, who entered the contest mired in a 0-for-20 skid.
Martinez had three hits in the win, including a three-run homer in the 10th inning against Nick Wittgren.
The four-time All-Star hit third on Saturday behind Kyle Schwarber, who went 3-for-5 with a homer and is batting .385 (15-for-39) with two homers since joining the Red Sox.
The Red Sox have played the past two games without infielders Enrique Hernandez and Christian Arroyo, who were placed on the COVID-19 injured list before Friday's series opener.
The Indians will turn to right-hander Eli Morgan (2-6, 5.98 ERA), who is looking to close out the month on a high note. He allowed four runs on eight hits over 4 1/3 frames in last Tuesday's 7-3 loss to Texas.
The 5-foot-10, 190-pound rookie has settled into the Indians' rotation this month, going 1-3 with a 4.28 ERA in five starts across 27 1/3 innings.
Morgan, who is making his first appearance against Boston, owns a 7.67 ERA in seven home starts this season compared to a 4.00 mark in five outings away from Progressive Field.
The Indians optioned right-hander James Karinchak to Triple-A Columbus before Saturday's contest and activated first baseman Bobby Bradley from the injured list.
Karinchak has served as a high-leverage relief option this season, but he has gone 0-2 with two blown saves and an 11.00 ERA in his last 12 appearances.
"We made the decision on what is best for James Karinchak and how can we get him back to himself," said pitching coach Carl Willis. "This is a moment to catch his breath. To be able to work on some things without having to hold back because he needed to be available that night or the following day in the game."
Bradley, who was on the injured list with a strained left knee, started Saturday at first base and went 2-for-5 with an RBI while batting sixth.
--Field Level Media
Red Sox at Indians Sunday, at 1:10 PM EST Partly Cloudy According to Forecast.io, it's expected to be 86° F with a 4% chance of rain and 7 MPH wind blowing left to right in Cleveland at 1:10 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com Forecast.io
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Aug 29, 2021 8:19:55 GMT -5
What a difference a good J.D. Martinez makes Current Time 0:00 / Duration 1:25
By Rob Bradford 2 hours ago
The question heading into Saturday was whether or not we had seen a stretch like the one J.D. Martinez was struggling through.
The easy answer? Sure, 2020.
But as Martinez has gone out of his way to point out - both through his actions and words - that two-month stretch was simply an uncomfortable aberration. There were reasons and those reasons had been put in the rearview mirror.
That's what made this month-long stretch so uneasy. Podcast Episode Boston Baseball OMF - Chief Baseball Officer for the Boston Red Sox Chaim Bloom joins OMF for Red Sox talk Listen Now
From July 28-Aug. 27 Martinez had morphed back into the player we all thought would be forever buried in the bad memories of that 2020 season. In 25 games, he hit just .210 with a .605 OPS. And, as a reminder to how important a good J.D. is to this team, understand that the Red Sox went just 9-16 during these struggles.
It's not complicated. For the Red Sox get where they want to go they need the best version of their middle-of-the-order designated hitter. Saturday offered that example, perfectly.
After a day off in which Martinez didn't pick up a bat, he busted out with three hits, including a game-changing, three-run homer in the 10th inning. It was the decisive swing, and overall performance, in the Sox' much-needed 5-3 win over the Indians in Cleveland.
It was the 41st time in a Red Sox uniform that Martinez has come away with three or more hits, with the club going 31-10 in those games.
Evidence of Martinez's importance isn't difficult to decipher. This season when he has notched two or more hits the record 26-7. When he has knocked in at least one run? The Red Sox are 30-13.
And to top things off, in games the DH/outfielder has homered the Sox' mark this year is 19-2. For Martinez's Red Sox career, the team is 76-23.
You get the picture.
Having that anchor has always been a pretty important thing. We saw it for all those years with David Ortiz. And when the Red Sox tried to suggest that the evolution of all the other batters would make up for Ortiz' absence, the failure led to locking up Martinez.
The Red Sox needed this hitter to get right, and so, after a bit of a breather, that's what he did.
"How do I word this, the industry kind of just, you know, always says, 'Oh, he’s a DH, he doesn’t work, you don't play the field, he’s a DH. He just goes up there and takes four at bats.' I wish it was that easy," Martinez explained. "I wish I could just sit on there and grab my bat and go up there and take four at-bats, I mean, David Ortiz did it and it was, you know, I don't know how he did it, it's amazing, you know. All the credit to him, but that’s not the way I work, you know, I’m constantly staying hot and it's a mental grind. You don't get to go out there and disconnect and think about defense, you’re literally thinking about your at bat until the next time you come up. It's a spot in the lineup and it's my job.
"They put a lot of pressure on me to go out there and perform. And nobody is harder on me than myself -- not even you guys and that’s saying a lot, by the way. So being able to go out there and just like, you know, unwinding and just taking like a mental day. I think it just, It really helps me both. I mean, it’s obviously physical too because I was gassed, like I said."
|
|