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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2021 15:08:42 GMT -5
Jen McCaffrey @jcmccaffrey · 35m Darwinzon Hernandez throwing live BP at Fenway
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2021 15:39:21 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 18m Duran has symptoms that require testing. He won’t be with the team today while they await results. Obviously, he’s been scratched from the lineup.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2021 15:44:18 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 22m Cora is hopeful Kiké Hernandez (early next week), Christian Arroyo (middle of next week) and Xander Bogaerts (late next week) could rejoin the #RedSox prior to the second full week of the month.
Alex Cora said Jarren Duran 'is not feeling well.'
'He's going through more with his testing.'
Duran has been sent home from Fenway Park. He's been scratched. #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2021 15:44:47 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 19m Cora on AL Rookie of the Month Bobby Dalbec -- 'The willingness of the player to make adjustments is very important. And obviously, the coaching staff -- they're great.'
'He's making better swing decisions because he's on time.' #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2021 15:45:15 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 18m Cora on Garrett Whitlock and his usage/availability -- 'I think communication is very important. He's never been through this. Honesty is part of the equation. Just because you want to post doesn't mean you can post.' #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 3, 2021 15:46:56 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 26m Cora said Darwinzon Hernandez could be back with the team 'soon.' He threw a live BP at Fenway Park earlier this afternoon. #RedSox
Cora is hopeful Kiké Hernandez (early next week), Christian Arroyo (middle of next week) and Xander Bogaerts (late next week) could rejoin the #RedSox prior to the second full week of the month.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Sept 3, 2021 22:16:43 GMT -5
Amazing run of Covid cases. It's gotten to the point where I start thinking that everyone is going to be nailed, sooner or later. Fortunately, we won tonight. Once we get into early next week, if Kike returns in good shape, then we can at least rotate guys in and out. If I have to find a silver lining, at least some of the pitchers needed some down time.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2021 2:29:25 GMT -5
Jarren Duran Tests Positive For COVID-19
By Anthony Franco | September 3, 2021 at 9:49pm CDT
Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran has tested positive for COVID-19, manager Alex Cora told reporters (including Steve Hewitt of the Boston Herald). Boston had placed Duran, who had been feeling virus-like symptoms, on the COVID IL before tonight’s game. Catcher Connor Wong was recalled to take his active roster spot.
Duran becomes the eighth Red Sox player to test positive over the past week. Kiké Hernández, Christian Arroyo, Martín Pérez, Matt Barnes, Hirokazu Sawamura, Xander Bogaerts and Yairo Muñoz have all tested positive and are currently unavailable, as is reliever Josh Taylor (who was isolated as a close contact). Despite the series of hits to the roster, the Red Sox have pushed their lead over the Athletics to three games in the race for the American League’s final Wild Card spot.
One of the game’s top prospects, Duran got his first big league call in mid-July. The 24-year-old has had some struggles at the plate to begin his career, hitting just .215/.241/.336 with a pair of homers over his first 112 plate appearances.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2021 2:39:19 GMT -5
Buckle up: Sox show key to stretch run in win 2:23 AM ADT
Ken Powtak
BOSTON -- Another game and another player added to the COVID-19 injured list.
The roster depth is being tested and so were the Red Sox in the seventh inning, but they rebounded with an impressive 8-5 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Friday night at Fenway Park.
The month of September is likely going to be a wild ride to the finish.
“Everybody’s stepping up and doing the right things at the right time,” said starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi, who held the Indians to three runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings, but gave up a game-tying two-run homer in the seventh. “We’re pulling it together. We’re making it work. This is the time we need to do it.”
Hunter Renfroe hit a three-run homer and Kyle Schwarber had a tiebreaking, two-run double during Boston’s five-run seventh inning that carried the Red Sox to their third straight victory.
“We’re playing well,” Renfroe said. “Obviously the guys being out [due to COVID] is terrible. Hope they feel better and come back soon.”
With 25 games to go, the Red Sox (78-59) find themselves clinging to the second spot in the AL Wild Card race with a three-game lead over the A's (74-61). Boston can’t complain about the roster challenges now -- there’s no time for that.
Big innings will make up big moments. Just like that seventh inning.
Schwarber seems to be getting hot at just the right time, and the Red Sox are certainly going to need it with their list of players on the COVID-19 injured list growing again.
“This is what we expected, right?” manager Alex Cora said of Schwarber. “He was hurt, but we knew he was going to impact the lineup whenever he was ready.”
Cora said afterward that Jarren Duran tested positive for the coronavirus. He was put on the COVID-related injury list before the game, bringing the total on the list to nine -- five position players and four relievers in just over a week -- and it may have been easy for the Red Sox to start feeling like things weren’t going to go their way.
Instead, Schwarber hit his double into the right-center gap before Renfroe belted his shot to the Green Monster seats, capping a nine-pitch at-bat against reliever Trevor Stephan.
“I kept fouling off a fastball and I was a hair late on it,” Renfroe said. “I was hoping for a mistake, and he finally made one.”
Jonathan Araúz added a couple of big hits, including a double after Travis Shaw’s pinch-hit walk in the seventh.
Adam Ottavino struck out the only two batters he faced in the seventh, earning the victory, while Garrett Whitlock worked the final 1 1/3 innings for his second save of the season.
The bullpen pair was cruising along behind a solid start by Eovaldi and a couple of homers from two unlikely players, but Cleveland tied it on Austin Hedges’ two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning.
That’s when Boston’s bats -- namely, Schwarber and Renfroe -- took over.
Coming off a satisfying four-game series split, in which the club won the final two against AL East-leading Tampa Bay to go 4-3 on its road trip, Schwarber got things started right for the Red Sox, belting Cal Quantrill’s (yes, son of former Boston pitcher Paul from 1992-94) second pitch of the game deep into the center-field bleachers.
It was Schwarber's 29th of the season, and fourth since he was picked up from the Washington Nationals at the Trade Deadline. It was also his eighth leadoff homer of the season. On Aug. 28 in Cleveland, he also homered in the first inning against Quantrill.
Kevin Plawecki and Araúz each added unlikely solo shots for the Red Sox, their second homers of the season.
There’s going to be some nail-biting moments this month.
But, on this night, they came up with timely hits.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2021 2:42:00 GMT -5
Dalbec vindicating Deadline decisions for 1B September 3rd, 2021
Ken Powtak
BOSTON -- It was just over a month ago that Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom took heat for not bringing on a first baseman at the Trade Deadline.
Bobby Dalbec's hot August certainly quieted that talk, for now.
The 26-year-old slugger was named the American League August Rookie of the Month after putting up impressive numbers. He was first in OPS (1.205) and OBP (.431), and second in slugging percentage (.774) and average (.339).
Dalbec entered Friday’s series opener against the Indians batting .455 during a seven-game hitting streak that included four homers.
“First of all, the willingness of the player to make adjustments is very important,” manager Alex Cora said. “It’s not easy, like everybody thought. He struggles early and then he’ll figure it out. Here, it’s a little tougher to figure out.”
Dalbec was hitting just .185 on June 8. Over his last 18 games he’s collected 21 RBIs, including a career-high seven RBIs and two homers during a 12-2 rout of Minnesota on Aug. 26.
Cora feels like Dalbec's learning a lot from some of the other hitters in Boston.
“One thing he’s doing is making better swing decisions, because he’s on time and that’s great,” Cora explained. “Its’s not a coincidence; we have some guys that are preaching that and talking about that. When you’re on time you kind of dictate when you want to swing. He’s been doing that for a long period of time and we’re proud of that. He’s putting quality at-bats after quality at-bats and his strikeout rate is going down, the walks are going up. He’s hitting the ball to the pull side. He’s in a great position right now.”
Lineup shuffle -- Duran out Rookie outfielder Jarren Duran was scratched from the starting lineup and placed on the COVID-19-related IL before the Red Sox opened a three-game series against the Indians on Friday night.
“He’s not feeling well,” Cora said. “He’s going through with his [COVID-19] testing. We’ll know more hopefully later today. He doesn’t feel great, so we’ll go through the process.”
Losing Duran caused Cora to shuffle his lineup a couple of hours before the opener and forced Boston’s already COVID-impacted roster to take a another hit for at least one game.
Duran was penciled in center field with Alex Verdugo in left, but Cora moved Kyle Schwarber from first base to left, Verdugo to center and inserted Dalbec at first.
The Red Sox were already down with four position players on the COVID-19-related injured list: shortstop Xander Bogaerts, second baseman Christian Arroyo, infielder/outfielder Kiké Hernández and recently recalled infielder/outfielder Yairo Muñoz.
All of them (along with four relievers) went on the COVID list either with a positive test or close contact in the first six days of Boston’s recently completed seven-game road trip against Cleveland and AL East-leading Tampa Bay.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2021 2:43:41 GMT -5
Injuries/Moves: Duran lands on COVID IL September 3rd, 2021
Day to day
COVID-19 IL
OF Jarren Duran Expected return: TBA Duran was scratched from the original lineup and sent home from Fenway Park before the Red Sox opened a three-game series against Cleveland on Friday night.
“He’s not feeling well,” manager Alex Cora said.
Losing Duran caused Cora to shuffle his lineup a couple of hours before the series opener and forced Boston’s already COVID-impacted roster to take a another hit. (Last updated: Sept. 3)
SS Xander Bogaerts Expected return: Middle of next week According to Red Sox manager Alex Cora, Bogaerts wasn’t experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms as of Tuesday afternoon. Cora said Friday that he hopes Bogaerts along with Christian Arroyo will be able to return to the team by the middle of next week. (Last updated: Sept. 3)
INF/OF Kiké Hernández Expected return: Within a week Manager Alex Cora said Hernández, who is vaccinated, was feeling better but probably won't rejoin the Red Sox for this weekend’s home series against Cleveland.
“Feeling better,” Cora said. “I don’t think he’ll be back this weekend, but he’s getting closer.” (Last updated: Sept. 3)
INF Christian Arroyo Expected return: Middle of next week Arroyo was isolated as a close contact on Aug. 27 and tested positive for COVID-19 two days later. The good news is that he’s starting to feel better. Though Arroyo doesn’t have the same numbers as Kiké Hernández, his loss is significant because of his strong defense in the infield and his ability to hit lefties. Manager Alex Cora said Friday that he hopes Arroyo and Xander Bogaerts can return by the middle of next week. (Last updated: Sept. 3)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2021 3:02:03 GMT -5
Jon Couture @joncouture · 7h The ol' leave the bases loaded/allow a leadoff homer exacta. #RedSox
Garrett Whitlock is making this #RedSox game interesting, but he can't possibly make it as interesting as the Oakland bullpen made their loss tonight in Toronto.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2021 3:04:56 GMT -5
Despite another off-field hit, Red Sox continue to take care of business with third straight win By Julian Benbow Globe Staff,Updated September 3, 2021, 10:21 p.m.
As Red Sox manager Alex Cora found out another one of his players was showing symptoms of COVID-19, it became clear how much was out of his hands as the Sox continue to push for a playoff spot.
Three hours before the Sox were set to start their homestand against Cleveland, he was shuffling the lineup he had set not long before.
Jarren Duran was placed on the COVID-related injury list — and it was later announced the center fielder tested positive — so the outfield had to be adjusted. With Kiké Hernández and Xander Bogaerts also on a COVID-IR that now is eight players deep, the infield was already patched together, too.
Keeping their heads above water was getting as difficult for the Sox as it’s been to keep a consistent lineup on the field.
Still, they managed to persevere. They’ve won three in a row, and eight of their last 12 after using a five-run seventh inning to pull out an 8-5 win Friday over Cleveland. They stayed eight games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East and pushed their lead over the Oakland A’s for the second spot in the wild card race to three games. They remained 1½ games behind the Yankees — walkoff winners in 11 innings over the Orioles — for the top AL wild card.
“Obviously, the guys being out is terrible, we hope they feel better soon and get back and help the team,” Hunter Renfroe said. “But right now we’re playing hard, the guys that we brought up [from the minors] are doing great. They’re stepping right in and contributing right off the bat and do an amazing job for us defensively and offensively. So hats off to those guys, and just got to keep going, keep grinding, and keep showing up every day to play.”
With the Sox locked in a 3-3 tie in the seventh after letting an early lead slip away, Kyle Schwarber came through with a tiebreaking two-run double off Cleveland reliever Trevor Stephan.
Two strikeouts later, after Stephan intentionally walked Alex Verdugo, Hunter Renfroe drove the nails in with a three-run homer. Renfroe’s 27th homer of the season was the fourth of the night for the Sox. They’ve hit four homers in a game 13 times this season — the most in baseball — and have won each time.
They Sox grabbed the lead almost instantly, when Schwarber jumped on a 0-1 curveball from Cleveland starter Cal Quantrill and ripped it to straightaway center for a leadoff homer. It was Schwarber’s 29th of the season, his fourth since joining the Sox before the trade deadline and the eighth career homer to lead off a game.
Kevin Plawecki tacked on to the lead in the second with a solo homer into the Monster seats.
Starter Nate Eovaldi gave the Sox 6⅓ innings and largely kept Cleveland quiet. He gave up a solo homer to José Ramírez in the fourth inning, but the Sox got the run back in the bottom half when Jonathan Araúz lifted a 2-1 sinker from Quantrill to right-center for another solo homer that made it 3-1.
But Eovaldi ran into trouble in the seventh. Bobby Bradley tagged him for a one-out single and Austin Hedges followed up by jumping on a 0-1 fastball and shooting it into the Monster seats for a game-tying two-run homer.
Eovaldi gave up runs on three hits and two walks and struck out nine before handing the ball over to Adam Ottavino. After throwing 48⅓ innings over nine starts last season and 67⅔ innings in 23 appearances the year before, Eovaldi has thrown 156⅔ innings this season, the second highest total of his career.
“It means a lot to me,” Eovaldi said. “I’ve been able to stay healthy. Working with our strength coaches, our training staff’s been unbelievable for me. They’ve been able to keep me out there on the field. Just try to keep doing the little things right.”
Ottavino got the Sox out of the inning with two strikeouts before the offense broke it open in the bottom half.
Ryan Brasier came on in the eighth and gave up a two-out single to Bradley Zimmer, then walked Daniel Johnson before giving up an RBI single to Bradley that trimmed the lead to 8-4.
Cora called on Garrett Whitlock to get out of the inning, and Whitlock won an eight-pitch battle with Hedges, who flied out to right to end the inning. Whitlock gave up a run on three hits in the ninth before finishing the game with a pair of strikeouts and the tying run at the plate.
From Jack Lopez getting his first big-league hit to Rafael Devers sliding over to play second base late in the game, the Sox are doing whatever they have to do in order to win games.
“Everybody’s been able to step up at the right time,” Eovaldi said. “We’re showing everybody that we’re able to adapt on the fly and everybody can play in different spots. We’re piecing it together and we’re making it work, and this is the time we need to do it.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2021 3:07:01 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Jarren Duran latest Red Sox player to land on COVID-related injured list after positive test By Julian Benbow Globe Staff,Updated September 3, 2021, 7:45 p.m.
The Red Sox had reason to believe they were in the clear after a flurry of COVID-19 cases in the clubhouse throughout the week, but rookie outfielder Jarren Duran had to be pulled from the lineup Friday night after experiencing symptoms that required testing.
Duran, who was originally set to play center field and hit seventh, had to remain away from the team as he waited for test results. Manager Alex Cora announced after the 8-5 win over the Indians that Duran tested positive.
Catcher Connor Wong was recalled from Triple A Worcester to take Duran’s place on the roster.
The Sox have had seven other players and two staff members test positive since last Friday, along with one player and one staff member being identified as close contacts.
Duran’s symptoms came a day after the Sox returned no positive tests Thursday as they wrapped up their road trip with a 4-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Kiké Hernández originally went on the COVID-19 related injury list Aug. 27. Christian Arroyo was identified as a close contact and was also placed on the COVID list along with strength and conditioning coach Kiyoshi Momose, who tested positive Sunday.
Reliever Martín Pérez and closer Matt Barnes were both placed on the COVID list Monday. Reliever Josh Taylor was named as a close contact to Barnes and was placed on the COVID list the next day along with reliever Hirokazu Sawamura.
Shortstop Xander Bogaerts was pulled from Tuesday night’s game in Tampa and placed on the COVID list that day along with Yairo Muñoz.
Cora was hesitant to think about when any of them might make a return, but said Hernández was “feeling better” and could hopefully return by the start of next week. Arroyo could be back by the middle of the week and Bogaerts could return by the end of the week, Cora said.
“That’s where we at right now,” Cora said. “But things might change.”
With the bullpen running thin, righthanders Kutter Crawford and Connor Seabold could be depth options from Triple A Worcester.
“We’ve got to be prepared,” Cora said.
Despite the outbreak, the Sox still managed to go 4-3 on their recent seven-game trip. then arrived in Boston late Thursday night to start a six-game homestand with three games against the Indians.
Cora decided to push the Sox pregame schedule back to give players time to settle in.
“It’s one of those weekends, we recognize we have to make sure we keep them off their feet,” Cora said. “But at the same time, it’s been a very challenging week for them, as far as everything else. So we pushed everything back. And now, the less time we spend together the better, which is ironic enough, right?
To account for Duran’s late scratch, Cora moved Alex Verdugo to center field, with Kyle Schwarber in left and Bobby Dalbec in right. Managing Whitlock and Richards
The Sox bullpen has had to carry a heavy workload, but Cora didn’t want Cleveland manager DeMarlo Hale to expect the series opener to be a light day.
Both Garrett Whitlock and Garrett Richards were available in relief Friday night. Whitlock came on with two outs in the eighth to get out of a jam, then gave up a run on three hits with two strikeouts in the ninth.
“I called DeMarlo this morning and said the two righties are up. They’ll be ready,” Cora said.
While Richards is a veteran who has churned out innings as a starter and a reliever, Whitlock is going through the grind for the first time as a rookie. Cora asked him to throw two innings Wednesday night against the Rays. It was the fourth time since July that Whitlock has had to get at least six outs in an appearance.
Cora said it’s important for him and Richards to be transparent about the righthander’s usage down the stretch.
“I think communication is very important because he’s never been through this,” Cora said. “So honesty is part of the equation, not because you want to post means that you can post.
“He’s been very honest about it the last few weeks, and we take it day by day with him and how he feels and also thinking ahead. Like, ‘OK, he went two today. If we use him for one, we might lose him for three [games].’ So we start doing the math and whatever it makes sense for the group, we’ll go with it.”
Ryan Brasier made his first appearance in nearly a year, and when he came off the mound, Cora had a message for him.
“I told him before he came off the mound that I’m glad that he’s back,” Cora said. “Obviously, I bet it was a very emotional day, emotional night.”
Brasier went in the injured list in April with a left calf strain, then as he was working his way back suffered a concussion after being struck by a line drive in Fort Myers.
He took the mound in the eighth with an 8-3 lead and got ground balls out of José Ramírez and Franmil Reyes, but couldn’t finish off the inning. He gave up a walk and two hits, including an RBI single to Bobby Bradley before handing the ball over to Whitlock. But after a long road back, he considered the night a win.
“Super excited,” Brasier said. “Obviously, felt good to finally be back on a big league mound after, shoot, almost a full year from last. But yeah, super excited, felt good. Obviously, the results weren’t what I wanted for my first one back, but a couple bad luck hits and then we’ve got one of the best relievers in baseball out there ready to take the ball and Whitlock came in and did what he’s been doing all year.”
Seeing Brasier’s fastball top out at 95 miles per hour, Cora said his presence will help in the bullpen.
“You saw the stuff,” Cora said. “Now he can breathe and we’ll use him in the right situations.” Lefthander Hernandez progressing
Darwinzon Hernandez threw live batting practice Friday and will throw another live BP session Sunday as the lefthander continues to recover from a right oblique strain that’s had him on the injured list since July 31.
“He feels good,” Cora said. “He’ll throw another one on Sunday, and then we’ll see what we’re going do with him. He feels close to 100 percent. He threw the ball well. Obviously, it’s a lot different in the live BP with the adrenaline and all that. But we’ll do it again on Sunday and I do believe he’ll be with us soon, to be honest with you.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 4, 2021 3:16:34 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 8h Nice summer for Jack Lopez. Silver medal, big league debut and now a double at Fenway for his first hit.
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