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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2021 2:53:27 GMT -5
Indians @ Red Sox Friday, 3rd September 2021 7pm @ Fenway
Quantrill 4-2/2.93
4-2 with an 2.93 ERA in 35 games (17 starts) of 2021. 0-0 with a 1.29 ERA in 1 career start vs BOS.
Eovaldi 10-8/3.71
10-8 with a 3.71 ERA in 26 starts of 2021. 3-2 with a 3.30 ERA in 7 career appearances (4 starts) vs CLE.
Nathan Eovaldi, Red Sox continue wild-card push vs. Indians
Red Sox right-hander Nathan Eovaldi hopes to replicate his success from his last outing when he faces the Indians for a second straight start as Boston hosts Cleveland to open a three-game series Friday night.
Eovaldi (10-8, 3.71 ERA) tossed 5 1/3 innings of two-run, six-hit ball, with no walks and seven strikeouts in Boston's 5-3, 10-inning victory at Cleveland on Saturday. The All-Star will look to be more efficient this time out after reaching 97 pitches in the sixth inning before being pulled.
The Red Sox (77-59) took two of three games against the Indians last weekend. Boston won the series opener 4-3 on Aug. 27 before prevailing the following day in the game Eovaldi started. The Indians avoided a sweep with a 7-5 win on Sunday.
The loss in the finale began a three-game skid for Boston, which dropped the first two of four against American League East-leading Tampa Bay on Monday and Tuesday. However, the Red Sox held on to beat the Rays 3-2 on Wednesday and salvaged a split with a 4-0 win on Thursday.
Boston finished 4-3 on its road trip despite a COVID-19 outbreak that saw eight players and two coaches test positive since Aug. 27. The Red Sox enter Friday's game with a two-game lead over the Oakland A's for the second AL wild-card spot.
"It feels good to scratch out two at the end (of the trip). It's been a crazy week, tough week personnel-wise," Red Sox first baseman Bobby Dalbec told NESN. "We've just got to weather the storm."
Eovaldi has won just once in his past four starts despite pitching to a 1.85 ERA with 30 strikeouts over 24 1/3 innings. In his career against the Indians, he is 3-2 with a 3.30 ERA in seven career appearances (four starts).
Cleveland hitters have a combined .292 batting average versus Eovaldi. Franmil Reyes is the only current Indians batter who has taken Eovaldi deep, clubbing a solo home run in the second inning on Saturday.
Cleveland (67-64) has not lost since dropping the series finale to Boston, outscoring the Royals 16-7 in a three-game sweep at Kansas City to run the winning streak to four games. The Indians capped the series with a 4-2 victory Thursday.
Cal Quantrill (4-2, 2.93 ERA) is also looking for more of the same against the Red Sox after a quality start in his first career outing against them last Saturday. The right-hander allowed two runs, one earned, on six hits with two walks and six strikeouts in seven innings.
Quantrill has had a remarkable run since recording his last loss on June 6 at Baltimore. The 26-year-old has gone 4-0 with a 2.75 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 85 innings over his last 16 games, including 15 starts.
"A big thing is confidence," Indians catcher Austin Hedges said of Quantrill's run of success. "I think the kid goes out there every single day knowing that he can get anybody out at any time. When you have confidence in your stuff, that helps a lot."
Cleveland enters the weekend series trailing the Red Sox by 7 1/2 games in the wild-card race.
--Field Level Media
Red Sox Nation Stats @rsnstats · 5h #RedSox game time Friday is 7:10 ET/4:10 PT. Expected conditions at Boston: Partly Cloudy, 67°F / 19°C. Winds: NW at 5 MPH.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2021 2:56:36 GMT -5
Series Probables Saturday....4pm....Morgan 2-6/5.98 vs Houck 0-3/3.63 Sunday....1pm...Plesac 9-4/4.49 vs Pivetta 9-7/4.67
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2021 2:57:47 GMT -5
Whitlock focused on outs, not AL ROY race September 2nd, 2021 Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
ST. PETERSBURG -- This year’s American League Rookie of the Year Award race should be a competitive one featuring talented position players like 2020 postseason hero Randy Arozarena of the Rays, Ryan Mountcastle of the Orioles and Rangers outfielder Adolis García, who is closing in on 30 homers.
There’s another player you shouldn’t forget about, and that’s Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock.
Pitching in crucial situations all season, the Rule 5 Draft pick fired two more scoreless innings in Boston’s 3-2 win over Tampa Bay on Wednesday, lowering his ERA to 1.52 ERA in 39 appearances. In 65 innings, Whitlock has just 15 walks and 72 strikeouts while holding the opposition to a .228 average and a .606 OPS.
Consider that Whitlock underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019, and he had never pitched above Double-A before this season, it makes his story even more compelling. Not only that, but the Red Sox stole him from the rival Yankees, who didn’t protect him on their 40-man roster last offseason.
“I mean, he’s been one of the best relivers in baseball,” Red Sox ace Chris Sale said. “It’s pretty unbelievable honestly, his story and his path to the big leagues. He’s got to be a lock for Rookie of the Year. The guy’s been absolutely nails for us.”
Entering play on Thursday, of the 187 pitchers in the Majors with at least 60 innings this season, Whitlock’s ERA ranked second in the AL and fourth in MLB.
Since 1970, the only AL rookies who pitched at least 60 innings and finished with a lower ERA in a season than Whitlock’s current mark are Dellin Betances (1.40 for the 2014 Yankees) and Jonathan Papelbon (0.92 for the ’06 Red Sox).
One thing the humble Whitlock isn’t about to do is lobby in an effort to become Boston’s first Rookie of the Year Award winner since Dustin Pedroia in 2007.
“I appreciate [what Sale said], but I don’t want to pay attention to any of that stuff,” Whitlock said. “Like I said, I’m just going out there trying to get outs and if the results are good, then I’m glad, and I’m trying to move forward with that.”
On those rare occasions Whitlock has been touched up, he just about always bounces back in the next outing.
“I mean, he’s like auto-correct,” Sale said. “As soon as he has a bad one, it’s right on to the next one. That’s impressive to see from anybody from anywhere. But for a young guy, coming up doing what he had to do, that makes it all the more impressive.”
“First off, that’s really kind of him to say,” Whitlock said. “It’s a day-by-day thing. I would say that’s pretty much it. You’ve got to take it with a grain of salt, the good and the bad.”
A starter coming through the ranks, Whitlock has adjusted seamlessly to life as a full-time reliever. In 23 of his 39 appearances, he’s gone more than one inning. The last Red Sox pitcher to have more than 23 relief outings of more than three outs was Greg Harris in 1993.
“It’s definitely an adjustment,” Whitlock said of being a reliever. “We’ve had a great job with the training staff, they’ve taken care of me, the pitching coaches have taken care of me, even the strength coaches have done a great job. It’s a credit to them that I’ve been able to stay healthy so far and just try and keep that going forward.”
With four Boston relievers currently on the COVID-19 related injured list, Whitlock’s importance is even greater heading down the stretch.
“He cares about winning. We took care of him early, but now it’s a full go with him, obviously,” manager Alex Cora said. “Going multiple innings, you have to be smart about it. He’s never taken anything for granted.”
If Cora starts to call on Whitlock more in the final month of the regular season than he did in the first five, he surely won’t get any complaints from the 25-year-old native of Snellville, Ga.
“My college coach gave me the best advice I’ve ever had when it comes to pitching,” Whitlock said. “He always told me, ‘When the manager hands you the ball, you get outs until he takes the ball away from you. It doesn’t matter if it’s the first inning or the last inning.’ That’s just how I’ve gone about my mentality this year. I’ve said that before and that’s genuinely how I try and approach it.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2021 2:59:37 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Motter claimed off waivers September 2nd, 2021
ROSTER MOVES
Sept. 2: INF Taylor Motter claimed off waivers from Rockies With the Red Sox light in the middle infield due to COVID-19, they are trying to accumulate as much depth as possible. Enter the 31-year-old Motter, who played in 13 games for the Rockies this season. The right-handed hitter had a big season for Triple-A Albuquerque, hitting .335 with a 1.220 OPS, while belting 24 homers in 67 games.
Motter has played 154 games in the Majors, hitting .189 with 15 doubles and 10 homers. He has started 39 games at shortstop, 17 in left field, 15 at second base, 13 at first base, 10 at third and seven in right field. Motter must complete COVID-related protocols before the Red Sox add him to their roster.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2021 3:27:38 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Red Sox report no new positive COVID-19 tests By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated September 2, 2021, 8:34 p.m.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — No COVID-19 news is good news for the Red Sox. For the first time since Saturday, the Red Sox didn’t have a positive case ahead of Thursday’s series finale against the Rays.
“Yeah, it was a good day today,” manager Alex Cora said before a 4-0 victory over the Rays. ”Nothing to report. Guys are feeling OK. Feeling better. Especially Enrique [Hernández]. He feels like he’s close to 100 percent so we’ll see what happens in the upcoming days.”
The Red Sox have dealt with nine positive COVID-19 cases, including Hernández, and two close contacts that put their total at 11. Cora said Wednesday there was a strong possibility Hernández could join the Sox either Saturday or Sunday when the team is back at Fenway. Christian Arroyo is beginning to feel better, too, but it doesn’t appear he will be ready this weekend.
Infield switch?
Bobby Dalbec took some grounders at shortstop alongside Jonathan Araúz Wednesday. With the Red Sox middle infield decimated by COVID-19, Cora didn’t rule out playing Dalbec or Rafael Devers at shortstop. Get 108 StitchesGet everything baseball from the Globe's Red Sox reporters every Monday-Friday during baseball season, and weekly in the off season.
“We have to be open-minded,” Cora said. “With Raffy nd Bobby it’s just one of those that if we hit for one of the kids [Araúz or Jack Lopez]. Raffy plays there during the shift. When Bobby plays third base he plays during the shift. So I told them to get grounders at shortstop.”
Dalbec can be rigid at first base, but when he plays atthird or shortstop, he has more of an athletic approach to the ball and is able to display his plus arm.
“He was actually good at short,” Cora said. “The way he moves is very similar to the way he moves at third base. And I like what I saw. So it’s something that we just think about when thinking ahead of the game and how we will manage it.”
Dalbec (2 for 4 with two RBIs) played first base and Devers (1 for 4) was at third Thursday night.
Dalbec won American League rookie of the month honors Thursday after hitting .339/.431/.774 with seven homers. Praise for Whitlock
Reliever Garrett Whitlock has put together a tremendous season. Following his two pivotal innings in Wednesday’s win, Whitlock now has a 1.52 ERA in 65 innings pitched to go along with a 1.077 WHIP and 72 strikeouts.
“ The guy’s been absolutely nails for us,” Chris Sale said Wednesday. “Being able to go out there and throw one inning, two innings, two-plus, and do what he’s done, it alleviated a lot of pressure off of a lot of other guys.
Said Cora of Whitlock: “He’s great. He cares about winning. We took care of him early, but now it is a full go with him. Obviously, going multiple innings, you have to be smart about it. He’s never taken anything for granted.” … Nate Eovaldi takes the ball Friday for the Red Sox in their series opener against the Indians at Fenway. He’ll be up against Cal Quantrill … Kutter Crawford was scratched from his start in Worcester Thursday.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2021 3:47:01 GMT -5
Red Sox Notes @soxnotes · 6h The Red Sox are 3-0-1 in their last 4 series.
Nathan Eovaldi kicks off a 6-game homestand tomorrow. He has a 1.85 ERA in his last 4 starts.
The Sox are 22-9 in their last 31 home games.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2021 7:52:37 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox vs. Cleveland Indians preview: TV schedule, pitching probables, key stories, how to watch (Sept. 3-5) Updated: 8:36 a.m. | Published: 8:36 a.m.
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — The Red Sox will host the Cleveland Indians for three games at Fenway Park beginning Friday at 7:10 p.m.
The two teams played at Progressive Field last weekend. Boston won two of three.
Boston enters with a two-game lead over the Oakland Athletics for the second Wild Card spot. It is 1 ½ games behind the Yankees for the top Wild Card. Boston Red Sox (77-59) vs. Cleveland Indians (67-64) · Fenway Park · Boston, Mass.
SERIES SCHEDULE (and TV information):
Friday, Sept. 3, 7:10 p.m. ET — NESN
Saturday, Sept. 4, 4:10 p.m. ET — NESN
Sunday, Sept. 5, 1:10 p.m. ET — NESN, TBS
HOW TO WATCH:
Friday, Sept.. 3, 7:10 p.m. ET — NESN (Channel finder: Comcast Xfinity, Verizon Fios, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish, AT&T U verse, fuboTV and Sling) · Live stream: Watch NESN Live, fuboTV, MLB.tv (out of market)
Saturday, Sept. 4, 4:10 p.m. ET — NESN (Channel finder: Comcast Xfinity, Verizon Fios, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish, AT&T U verse, fuboTV and Sling) · Live stream: Watch NESN Live, fuboTV, MLB.tv (out of market)
Sunday, Sept. 5, 1:10 p.m. ET — NESN, TBS (Channel finder: Comcast Xfinity, Verizon Fios, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish, AT&T U verse, fuboTV and Sling) · Live stream: Watch NESN Live, fuboTV, MLB.tv (out of market)
KNOW YOUR OPPONENT:
The Indians are 19th in the major leagues in OPS (.716) and 17th in runs (585).
They are 22nd in starter ERA (4.82) and sixth in reliever ERA (3.63).
Closer Emmanuel Clase has 20 saves, a 1.54 ERA (58 ⅓ innings, 10 earned runs), .204 BAA and 1.03 WHIP. He didn’t allow a run in 12 ⅔ innings during August when opponents batted .095 against him.
All-Star slugger José Ramirez has a .256/.346/.541/.887 line, 31 home runs, 27 doubles, four triples, 88 runs and 84 RBIs in 122 games.
PITCHING PROBABLES:
Friday, 7:10 p.m. ET — RHP Nathan Eovaldi (10-8, 3.71 ERA) vs. RHP Cal Quantrill (4-2, 2.93 ERA)
Saturday, 4:10 p.m. ET — RHP Tanner Houck (0-3, 3.63 ERA) vs. RHP Eli Morgan (2-6, 5.98 ERA)
Sunday, 1:10 p.m. ET — RHP Nick Pivetta (9-7, 4.67 ERA) vs. RHP Zach Plesac (9-4, 4.49 ERA)
THREE SOX TO WATCH:
1. Nathan Eovaldi
The righty is 6-3 with a 3.00 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 15 starts at home compared to 4-5 with a 4.87 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in 11 starts on the road.
2. Nick Pivetta
Unlike Eovaldi, Pivetta has pitched better on the road. He’s 4-2 with a 5.60 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in 13 starts at Fenway Park compared to 5-5 with a 3.82 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 13 starts on the road.
3. Kyle Schwarber
The slugger has commanded the strike zone, walking in 20.3% of his 74 plate appearances.
SERIES NOTES:
Garrett Richards has allowed just one earned run in 13 ⅓ innings in seven relief outings. Indians starter Cal Quantrill is the son of former Red Sox reliever Paul Quantrill who had a 3.47 ERA in 93 outings (14 starts) for the Red Sox from 1992-94. The Red Sox faced Cal Quantrill last Saturday. He allowed just one earned run in 7 innings. The Red Sox will face three right-handed starters. They are 50-34 in games that a right-hander starts against them. They are 27-25 when a lefty starts against them. Eli Morgan, who start for the Indians on Saturday, pitched 3 innings against the Red Sox on Sunday in Cleveland. He allowed two runs, two hits and one walk while striking out three. Rafael Devers and Bobby Dalbec took him deep. Boston is 17-10 against AL Central teams. Pivetta leads Red Sox starters in opponent batting average (.233). He ranks second in WHIP (1.34), strikeouts per nine innings (10.07) and strikeouts (151). Cleveland shortstop Amed Rosario slashed .372/.397/.584/.981 with four homers, eight doubles and two triples in 26 games. J.D. Martinez is 3-for-5 with a homer and double against Indians righty Zach Plesac who starts Sunday. Rafael Devers is 2-for-5 with a triple.
UP NEXT:
Mon. 9/6 - Wed. 9/8 -- vs. Rays (3)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2021 7:55:21 GMT -5
Christopher 'Smitty' Smith @smittyonmlb · 3m Reverse split for ya
Eovaldi vs. lefties: .633 OPS
Eovaldi vs. righties: .752 OPS
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2021 8:03:30 GMT -5
Hope like heck that the Sox can build on that game last night was a pretty big win, seeing they had a AAAA team on the field and the Rays are such a pain in the ass to play (in a good way)
Guess we have to start scoreboard watching seeing we are in September
I think the division is out of reach but for those who think it is .Rays hosting Twins....Wacha vs Dobnak
The Wild Card....well the Yankees host the Orioles....Means vs Cortes
Oakland and the Jays should be fun....Manoah on the bump for the Blue Jays...TBD for A's
and heck....Mariners @ Arizona...Anderson vs Bumgarner.....
Cubs are playing this afternoon.....host the Pirates
2 other fun series this week-end.....Dodgers and Giants and Astros vs Padres
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2021 9:26:28 GMT -5
Preview: Nate Eovaldi scheduled to start as Boston hosts Cleveland The Red Sox will face the Cleveland Indians Friday night for the first game of the series this weekend. Nathan Eovaldi is expected to start for Boston.
By The Associated Press, Associated Press September 3, 2021 | 3:05 AM
Cleveland Indians (67-64, second in the AL Central) vs. Boston Red Sox (77-59, third in the AL East)
Boston; Friday, 7:10 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Indians: Cal Quantrill (4-2, 2.93 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 95 strikeouts) Red Sox: Nathan Eovaldi (10-8, 3.65 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 154 strikeouts)
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK LINE: Red Sox -195, Indians +165; over/under is 9 runs
BOTTOM LINE: Boston and Cleveland will square off on Friday.
The Red Sox are 41-26 on their home turf. Boston has a collective on-base percentage of .323, led by Kyle Schwarber with a mark of .367.
The Indians are 32-34 on the road. Cleveland is slugging .411 as a unit. Jose Ramirez leads the team with a slugging percentage of .546.
The Indians won the last meeting 7-5. Bryan Shaw notched his sixth victory and Ramirez went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and two RBIs for Cleveland. Austin Davis registered his second loss for Boston.
TOP PERFORMERS: Rafael Devers leads the Red Sox with 32 home runs and is slugging .549.
Ramirez leads the Indians with 31 home runs and is batting .258.
LAST 10 GAMES: Red Sox: 6-4, .266 batting average, 4.35 ERA, outscored opponents by seven runs
Indians: 7-3, .260 batting average, 3.00 ERA, outscored opponents by 16 runs
INJURIES: Red Sox: Martin Perez: (covid-19), Darwinzon Hernandez: (oblique), Eduard Bazardo: (lat), Matt Barnes: (covid-19), Yairo Munoz: (covid-19), Kike Hernandez: (health protocols), Xander Bogaerts: (covid-19), Christian Arroyo: (health protocols). Advertisement:
Indians: Nick Sandlin: (shoulder), Aaron Civale: (finger), Shane Bieber: (shoulder), Josh Naylor: (ankle), Ernie Clement: (health protocols), Wilson Ramos: (knee), Roberto Perez: (shoulder).
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2021 11:28:45 GMT -5
Here’s where the Red Sox stand in the MLB playoff picture with a month left Every game is magnified now.
By Trevor Hass September 3, 2021 | 11:19 AM
With exactly one month left in the regular season, the Red Sox are firmly in the playoff picture but are far from guaranteed a spot in the postseason.
A COVID-19 outbreak has led to 11 members of the team, including eight players, missing time due to positive tests or as close contacts. Even so, Boston managed to salvage a split with the Tampa Bay Rays despite a shorthanded roster.
Every game is magnified now as the Sox try to preserve their position as the second wild card team or potentially leapfrog the Yankees. Catching the Rays, who are 6 1/2 games up on the Yankees and eight up on the 77-59 Red Sox, is highly unlikely, but ESPN currently gives the Red Sox an 81 percent chance of making the playoffs.
The Oakland A’s are two games behind them, and the Seattle Mariners (four games), Toronto Blue Jays (five), and Cleveland Indians (7.5) are all in the mix.
Despite their 14-19 record since July 29, the Red Sox are still in an ideal spot overall. They’ve won seven of their last 11 and appear to be regaining their form even as they cope with the ripple effects of the COVID outbreak.
“They understand that teams go through stuff like that,” manager Alex Cora told reporters. “It’s not the first team that has a COVID issue, but there have been teams that went through this and then they took off, right? Hopefully this is our ‘taking off’ and we can play solid baseball all the way through September and get to October to play in October.”
The Red Sox are scheduled to host the Indians and the Rays at Fenway Park over the next six days. They have a day off, then get the Chicago White Sox and Seattle Mariners on the road, the Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets, and Yankees at home, and the Orioles and Washington Nationals on the road to close the regular season Oct. 3.
The next nine games, against three American League contenders, could ultimately be pivotal. While going 6-3 or 7-2 would boost their chances considerably, even taking five games would be key.
The series against the Yankees, from Sept. 24-26, could be one of the more significant in recent memory – particularly if the A’s gain ground.
FiveThirtyEight predicts the Red Sox will go 14-12 from here and finish 91-71. The site gives them a 70 percent chance of making the playoffs and 2 percent chance of winning the World Series. Baseball-Reference.com is right around those same marks, at 71.2 percent to make the playoffs and 2.9 percent to win it all.
FanGraphs is more in line with ESPN, putting their odds at 81.4 percent to make the playoffs. They predict 92 wins and bump their chances of winning the World Series to 6 percent.
The Red Sox made the playoffs six of seven years from 2003-2009, missed out three years in a row, won the World Series in 2013, were left out two years straight, made it three in a row and have missed it the last two seasons.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2021 12:59:07 GMT -5
Red Sox vs. Cleveland Series Preview By HPJoker Sep 3, 2021, 1:30pm EDT
SB Nation Blog
Covering The Corner The Opponent in one sentence
An organization lost in the desert, they’ve traded away the key parts of a core and it’s left them in the position of being good in a bad division but not good enough to make the playoffs. Record
67-64 Head-to-Head Record
2-1 Trend
Up! Four wins in a row and 7-3 in their last ten is only costing them draft slotting since they’re so far out of the wild card, but I’m sure the players are happy! Pitching Matchups
9/3: Cal Quantrill vs. Nathan Eovaldi, 7:10 PM ET
Quantrill is an old school sinker/slider guy. He shifted from the bullpen to the rotation full-time in mid-June and has crushed it with a 2.82 ERA in 83 innings. His last start against the Sox saw him run into some trouble in the first inning, including a mammoth tank shot to Kyle Schwarber, but survived seven innings without giving up any more runs. The sinker, slider, and four-seam make up 81.8% of Quantril’s pitch mix. Quantrill keeps his sinker where it needs to be, to his armside, and the slider glove side and in the dirt.
Eovaldi has gone 55 batters without walking one. While he’s giving up homers at a more human-like rate, he still leads baseball in HR/9. Eovaldi was yanked shortly after getting into the middle of the lineup for the 3rd time, but with the current state of the bullpen a 7 inning outing like he had in Texas would be welcome, especially considering who’s following him the next day.
9/4: Eli Morgan vs. Tanner Houck, 4:10 PM ET
Eli Morgan is a soft-tossing right hander with a slider and changeup to go with his 90.5 MPH cheddar. The rookie shows the ability to throw the ball in the zone, but he hasn’t figured out how to keep the ball in the yard. He’s remarkably boring but I dig guys that sit 90.
I love Tanner Houck. He’s been really good this year! But it’s clear he can’t turn over a lineup a third time. A creative team can get the most out of a guy like this and maybe the Sox get creative with him next year. I think it’d be cool if he turned over a lineup twice before handing the ball to Garrett Whitlock so he could do the same. Houck had a no-hitter going through 5.1 innings his last time out but as soon as he faced the lineup for the third time he was teed off on. Someone should be warming up behind him when Straw steps up for the third time and he should be yanked unless there’s a significant lead.
9/5: Zach Plesac vs. Nick Pivetta, 1:10 PM ET (TBS for out-of-market)
After a dominant showing during the pandemic season, Plesac has come crashing back down to Earth. His strikeout rate fell by over 10% and his ERA has nearly doubled. He still shows an uncanny ability to throw pitches in the zone, which you have to do if you aren’t going to strike anybody out, but it hasn’t been enough for Plesac to duplicate the results he had last year.
I wish I could reference Pivetta being one of the most high-variance pitchers in baseball, but he’s given up four runs in his last three starts. Finally a bit of consistency from Nick. I thought about writing an “I was wrong about Nick Pivetta” take after his no-hit bid back in June. I’m glad I didn’t, but not because I’m suddenly right. I still don’t know. I mean, I still don’t think he’s some secret ace or anything but 160 innings of league-average pitching was something I didn’t know Pivetta had in him and if he can finish the season with that line, it’s a big win for this organization. Cleveland’s offense isn’t great by any stretch of the imagination, so this may be a good chance for him to get back on track. Old Friends
None Notable Position Players
Myles Straw was dealt from the Astros at the deadline for Louisiana Tech alum Phil Maton. Since then he’s been an everyday leadoff man and center fielder. The power is miniscule, but he’s a sparkplug at the top of the lineup.
Amed Rosario doesn’t look like he’ll ever hit the ceiling he showed in the minors but is an acceptable hitter for the positions he’ll play: shortstop and center field. The issue is whether he can play either of those positions adequately enough.
José Ramírez is having another great year with the stick and remains one of the most underrated players in baseball. Since 2017, he’s 18th among qualified hitters in wRC+ with a 138 mark and he’s around that same range this year with a 134 wRC+. I imagine he’ll be traded soon.
Franmil Reyes would probably have 40 home runs if he had not sustained an abdominal strain in late-May. He’s locked in at DH and strikes out 30% of the time but the massive power makes him a quality player.
Bradley Zimmer’s power/speed combination has never clicked at the Major League level in large part because he never answered the questions about his hit tool. Zimmer has struck out in nearly a third of his Major League PA’s. His surface level line is good this year, .249/.356/.367, but a .389 BABIP with little power and a 35% strikeout rate isn’t sustainable.
Harold Ramirez is a former top 100 prospect who was claimed off waivers after the Marlins cut him in late February. He’s been exactly as prescribed: a replacement level player. Daniel Johnson and Oscar Mercado could also see time in left field.
Bobby Bradley is only 25 years old somehow and is not that dissimilar from our own Bobby Dalbec except that Bradley walks significantly more. Both are massive power bats stuck at first base with huge hit tool questions and swing and miss to go with it. Bradley has prodigious power but if you’re striking out 35% of the time and hitting only .210 with bad defense that power is only going to take you so far.
Austin Hedges can’t hit his way out of a wet paper bag but he’s arguably the best defensive catcher in baseball. He’ll have a job in the Majors for as long as he can catch, much like Jeff Mathis.
Andrés Giménez has struggled to adapt to Major League pitching. He isn’t a stomp and lift guy anymore, which was a strange change to his swing while he was with the Mets because he didn’t have enormous raw power that was ripe to be tapped into like a Justin Turner, Josh Donaldson, or José Bautista. He’s a good defensive shortstop but he’s locked in at second while his long-time teammate Amed Rosario fumbles at the 6. Bullpen Snapshot
Emmanuel Clase is pure filth and one of the best relievers in baseball. He throws a 100 MPH cutter and is at the top of the league in virtually every advanced Statcast metric.
Nick Wittgren has gotten thwacked around the yard this year. It’s a pedestrian four-seamer that he’s started throwing less in favor of a cutter that he started throwing in June.
Bryan Shaw is back! After 3 years is misery away from Cleveland, Shaw is back and posting vintage Bryan Shaw numbers plus a few walks. He throws a ton of cutters and dabbles with a slider. Injuries
Roberto Pérez has been on the IL for a month with shoulder inflammation but started a rehab assignment on Tuesday. I could not find a timetable for when his rehab assignment would be up but he could be back for this series.
Wilson Ramos blew out his ACL the other day fielding a bunt. He’s out for the remainder of the season.
Ernie Clement was placed on the 10-day IL with a classic case of “undisclosed injury.” Get the shot!
Josh Naylor broke his fibula in an outfield collision back in June and is recovering from surgery.
Shane Bieber has missed most of the year with a shoulder strain. He threw a bullpen last Friday as he attempts to come back before the end of the year.
Aaron Civale sprained his finger back in late June and is in the middle of a rehab assignment with Double-A Akron
Nick Sandlin was placed on the 10-day IL with a right shoulder strain last month. There is no timetable for his return. Weather Forecast
Friday and Saturday are scheduled for clear skies in the 60’s and 70’s while there is a chance of showers on Sunday.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2021 13:12:47 GMT -5
Game 137: Indians at Red Sox lineups and pregame notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated September 3, 2021, 2 hours ago It sure feels like the tide may be turning for the Red Sox. Their 4-0 win over the first-place Rays followed the news that there were no new positive tests for COVID on Thursday. For all of their recent struggles, the Sox still managed to split the series with the Rays, and finished their road trip 4-3. The Sox hope to keep the momentum going when they return to Fenway Park for a six-game homestand, beginning Friday night against the Cleveland Indians, who have won four in a row and trail the Red Sox by 7½ games in the race for the wild card. Lineups INDIANS (67-64): 1. Myles Straw (R) CF 2. Amed Rosario (R) SS 3. Jose Ramirez (S) 3B 4. Franmil Reyes (R) DH 5. Bradley Zimmer (L) RF 6. Oscar Mercado (R) LF 7. Bobby Bradley (L) 1B 8. Austin Hedges (R) C 9. Andres Gimenez (L) 2B Pitching: RHP Cal Quantrill (4-2, 2.93 ERA) RED SOX (77-59): 1. Kyle Schwarber (L) LF 2. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 3. J.D. Martinez (R) DH 4. Alex Verdugo (L) CF 5. Hunter Renfroe (R) RF 6. Kevin Plawecki (R) C 7. Bobby Dalbec (R) 1B 8. Jack Lopez (R) 2B 9. Jonathan Arauz (S) SS Pitching: RHP Nate Eovaldi (10-8, 3.71 ERA) Time: 7:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Indians vs. Eovaldi: Bobby Bradley 2-2, Andrés Giménez 2-4, Austin Hedges 0-3, Daniel Johnson 0-2, Oscar Mercado 0-1, José Ramírez 1-11, Franmil Reyes 2-4, Amed Rosario 0-4, Myles Straw 2-6, Bradley Zimmer 1-2. Get 108 StitchesGet everything baseball from the Globe's Red Sox reporters every Monday-Friday during baseball season, and weekly in the off season. Red Sox vs. Quantrill: Jonathan Araúz 0-3, Rafael Devers 0-2, Jarren Duran 0-4, J.D. Martinez 2-3, Kyle Schwarber 2-8, Travis Shaw 0-2, Alex Verdugo 3-5, Christian Vázquez 1-2. Stat of the day: In his last four starts, Eovaldi has a 1.85 ERA with 30 strikeouts over 24 ⅓ innings, but has won just once. Notes: Dalbec won American League rookie of the month honors Thursday after hitting .339/.431/.774 with seven homers … Eovaldi is 3-2 with a 3.30 ERA in seven career appearances (four starts) against Cleveland … Quantrill had a quality start in his first career outing against the Red Sox last Saturday, allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits with two walks and six strikeouts in seven innings. Since his last loss on June 6 at Baltimore, the 26-year-old has gone 4-0 with a 2.75 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 85 innings over his last 16 games, including 15 starts. Song of the Day: The Cure: Friday I'm in Lovewww.youtube.com/watch?v=ucX9hVCQT_U
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2021 14:14:13 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 28m One day after the WooSox scratched Kutter Crawford from his start, they've scratched Connor Seabold from his scheduled outing on Friday. Sox are obviously keeping top rotation depth/bullpen length options available in case of further COVID-19 infections.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2021 14:55:32 GMT -5
Dalbec on a roll and the Analytics team has him on the bench
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