|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 15, 2021 18:35:08 GMT -5
Sox got the bases loaded 0 out pitching change
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 15, 2021 18:39:54 GMT -5
JDM single 5-3 Sox
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 15, 2021 18:43:37 GMT -5
schwarber drives in 2 7-3 sox another pitching change
|
|
|
Post by scrappyunderdog on Sept 15, 2021 18:49:25 GMT -5
I want more with this BP. We can never have enough.
|
|
|
Post by scrappyunderdog on Sept 15, 2021 18:50:34 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 58s Four hits for the Sox today, one since the second inning. Feels like this has happened a lot this year.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 15, 2021 18:53:03 GMT -5
Vazquez poofs the RF line 2 score 9-3
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 15, 2021 18:58:41 GMT -5
Martin Perez on the mound dear jesus
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 15, 2021 19:09:40 GMT -5
Sox win 9-4 day off Thursday
|
|
|
Post by scrappyunderdog on Sept 15, 2021 20:20:51 GMT -5
We won today just like we lost on Monday and Sunday and Friday. Just a lot of ill-timed dunks and dinkers. Just maybe one hard-hit ball, and even that didn't look like a scorcher.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 16, 2021 2:44:34 GMT -5
Red Sox maintain WC spot with extras win Boston puts up six-run 10th to take series in Seattle September 15th, 2021 Daniel Guerrero
Daniel Guerrero @thedanguerrero
Looking to keep up in the race for one of two American League Wild Card spots, the Red Sox made the most of their extra-innings opportunities in the 10th inning of Wednesday’s series finale against the Mariners.
Alex Verdugo singled to advance Jack López -- who was the automatic runner on second base to begin the 10th inning -- to third base. Just moments later, López came in to score the go-ahead run on a passed ball, sparking a six-run inning for the Red Sox as they went on to win, 9-4, over the Mariners at T-Mobile Park.
The win brought the Red Sox’s record to 83-65 and kept them tied with the Blue Jays and the Yankees atop the AL Wild Card standings after Toronto won over Tampa Bay and New York defeated Baltimore.
“It's playoff baseball,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “It feels that way. And it's fun, to be honest with you. When you give your all and then at the end of the game you're exhausted for the right reasons. … You got to give [this club] credit. They went on this road trip knowing that it was going to be a tough one.”
Boston was held to just three walks and a single between the third and ninth innings after it got out to a 3-0 third-inning lead. But after the defensive miscue from Mariners catcher Tom Murphy that allowed López to score in the 10th, the Red Sox received RBI hits from J.D. Martinez, Kyle Schwarber and Christian Vázquez.
“It started with Dugie going the other way,” Cora said. “… Kyle was patient, J.D. put the ball in play. There were a lot of good things.”
Although the Red Sox’s bats were held quiet leading up until the final frame of Wednesday’s series finale, their pitching staff held the Mariners to one run in the final seven innings. They limited Seattle to three hits, an intentional walk and a hit by pitch over that span.
The lone score came across when J.P. Crawford grounded out, allowing Jarred Kelenic to score from third after Kelenic began the bottom of the 10th inning as the automatic runner on second base.
“I have applauded our bullpen the whole year,” said Red Sox starter Tanner Houck, who allowed three runs and struck out seven across 4 1/3 innings. “They have stepped up. They have done an incredible role. They are a significant part of this team and they've stepped up to every occasion that we've called upon them, and every time that I hand off the ball to them, I have all [the] confidence in them.”
The win wrapped up a 3-3 road trip for the Red Sox that included going 2-1 against the Mariners and 1-2 against the White Sox. During the road trip, Boston went 1-3 in one-run ballgames, and its bullpen allowed just two earned runs in its last 26 2/3 innings over that span.
“This road trip, I feel like [we've been] putting in some heavy innings out of the 'pen and just trying to do our job and keep the games close, give ourselves a chance,” said Adam Ottavino, who pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings, earning the win Wednesday. “The Seattle broadcast was talking about how they had the bullpen advantage in this series, and I think, at least I did, I took it personally. [I’m] glad that we were able to be the difference the last two nights.”
With 14 games left in the season, the Red Sox return to Boston on Friday to open an eight-game homestand that begins with three games against Baltimore.
Entering Wednesday, the Red Sox had the easiest remaining schedule of any team in the Majors based on opponents' win percentage (.424).
Cora said the .500 road trip and series win in Seattle puts Boston in a good position to secure a spot in the playoffs, something he said not many predicted heading into the final weeks of the season.
“So happy flight, we'll reset tomorrow and like I said before, not too many people thought that the last homestand of the season was gonna mean something,” Cora said. “Now, it means a lot. Hopefully it's gonna be fun Friday, and the rest of the week and we can take care of business.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 16, 2021 2:45:53 GMT -5
Injuries & Roster Moves: Sale Friday? September 15th, 2021
COVID-19 IL
LHP Chris Sale Expected return: Possibly Friday Manager Alex Cora announced Sale as the likely starter for Sept. 17 against the Orioles, but the left-hander still needs to clear COVID-19 protocols to make his return.
Players on the COVID-19 IL are typically required to quarantine for 10 days after testing positive. Sale’s positive test result came in on Sept. 9. As of Sept. 10, Cora said Sale was not experiencing any symptoms. (Last updated: Sept. 15)
RHP Matt Barnes Expected return: Possibly Friday Barnes is scheduled to pitch on Sept. 15 for Triple-A Worcester and is likely to rejoin the Red Sox on Sept. 17 in their series opener against the Orioles. Barnes started a rehab assignment for Worcester on Sept. 12, throwing 12 pitches (seven strikes) over one scoreless inning, hitting one batter. (Last updated: Sept. 15)
INF Christian Arroyo Expected return: TBD Arroyo has “a good chance” to play in a rehab game with Triple-A Worcester on Sept. 15, manager Alex Cora said. Arroyo, who probably had the toughest bout with COVID-19 of all the Red Sox players, was said to be feeling better as of Sept. 11. (Last updated: Sept. 15)
OF Jarren Duran Expected return: TBD Manager Alex Cora said Duran would possibly be suiting up to play in a rehab game for Triple-A Worcester on Sept. 15. (Last updated: Sept. 15)
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 16, 2021 3:08:54 GMT -5
Win over Mariners has Red Sox well within reach of playoff spot entering final homestand of season By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated September 15, 2021, 8:08 p.m.
SEATTLE — The idea that the Red Sox would go into their final homestand of the season fighting for a playoff berth seemed unlikely on Opening Day.
The Sox had what appeared to be fourth-place talent, a placeholder roster as Chaim Bloom worked to collect better players for the future.
The idea that the Red Sox would go into their final homestand of the season fighting for a playoff berth seemed equally unlikely on July 4.
The Sox had a firm grip on first place in the division and the best record in the American League thanks to a formidable lineup backed by a better-than-expected pitching staff.
Now the Red Sox will indeed return to Fenway Park on Friday night to start an eight-game homestand with a playoff berth well within their reach after a 9-4, 10-inning victory against the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.
Depending on your view of baseball and other important matters, that’s either an exciting development or a big disappointment.
Manager Alex Cora knows which version he prefers.
“Not too many people thought that the last homestand of the season, it was going to mean something,” he said. “And now it means a lot. Hopefully it’s going to be fun Friday and the rest of the week, and we can take care of business.”
At 83-65, the Sox are essentially tied for the top wild card with the Blue Jays and Yankees with 14 games to play, nine of them against the white-flag-waving Orioles and Nationals.
At this point, the Sox are playing what amount to playoff games to get to actual playoff games. They are 8-6 in September with eight of the games decided by one run.
“If you just stay on path and focus on the next pitch and the next hitter, which is what our guys have been doing, then it doesn’t become too much. It doesn’t become too overwhelming,” said Adam Ottavino, who picked up four big outs on Wednesday prior to the Sox scoring six runs in the 10th inning.
The game played out much like the season. The Sox started fast then struggled before regaining their footing in time to avoid disaster.
They led, 3-0, after two innings. Then the daily dose of poor defense got in the way.
Rookie righthander Tanner Houck retired the first seven hitters he faced before Jarred Kelenic singled.
When Tom Murphy singled to right, Kelenic headed for third. The throw from Hunter Renfroe bounced into the camera well and Kelenic scored as Murphy moved up to second.
The fundamentally sound play would have been to hit the cutoff man and keep the double play in order.
“Overly aggressive,” Cora said. “It put us in a bad spot.”
It was Renfroe’s 12th error, the most by an outfielder in the majors this season.
J.P. Crawford walked before a wild pitch moved the runners up. Kyle Seager’s two-out double down the left-field line scored two runs.
The Sox had one hit over the next seven innings, the Mariners three. Neither team came close to scoring.
But the 10th inning was eventful.
A passed ball scored ghost runner Jack López with the go-ahead run. J.D. Martinez (RBI single), Kyle Schwarber (two-run single), and Christian Vázquez (two-run double) then put the game away as the Mariners tried three relievers.
The Sox are 8-1 in extra-inning games on the road and 11-5 overall. Taking two of three from Seattle (78-68) also served to deflate the Mariners’ playoff hopes.
Ottavino (7-3) was the winner. Five Sox relievers allowed one unearned run over 5⅔ innings.
The bullpen worked 26⅓ innings on the 3-3 trip and allowed two earned runs.
The Sox are 10-9 since the start of their COVID-19 outbreak on Aug. 27 thanks to effective management of the pitchers they have on a given day.
“It’s playoff baseball. It feels that way and it is tough, to be honest with you,” Cora said. After taking two of three against the Mariners in Seattle for the first time since 2013, Rafael Devers and the Red Sox now return to Boston for an eight-game homestand.
But José Iglesias, who signed with the Sox on Sept. 6 after being released by the Angels, is having fun.
He was 2 for 2 with a walk on Wednesday and has given the Sox quality innings at second base, a position he hadn’t played since 2013 when he was with the team as a rookie after being signed out of Cuba.
“It was a great team win. Each and every [player] did their part,” he said. “We’re taking it one day at a time.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 16, 2021 3:12:24 GMT -5
Red Sox notebook Members of Red Sox wear No. 21 with pride on Roberto Clemente Day By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated September 15, 2021, 8:57 p.m.
SEATTLE — For the Red Sox, Roberto Clemente Day means a little bit more than most teams.
There have been 30 players from Clemente’s native Puerto Rico to appear in a major league game this season and four — Kiké Hernández, Jack Lopez, Yacksel Rios, and Christian Vázquez — were with the Sox.
Manager Alex Cora and quality control coach Ramón Vázquez also are from the island.
On Wednesday, as Major League Baseball celebrated Clemente’s legacy, Cora wore No. 21 in his honor as did the team’s other Puerto Ricans (outside of Rios, who is in Triple A).
So did Nate Eovaldi and first base coach Tom Goodwin. Eovaldi is the team’s nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award for community service.
Throughout baseball, all players wore a No. 21 patch.
Clemente was a 12-time All-Star and two-time World Series winner with the Pirates before dying in a New Year’s Eve plane crash in 1972 while trying to bring aid to victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua.
He remains an icon in Puerto Rico nearly 49 years later.
“It’s great. It’s a day that is very special for everybody, not only for us Puerto Ricans,” Cora said before a 9-4 victory in 10 innings against the Mariners. “Clemente means more than just to our community, our race.
“The way he conducted himself on the field, off the field. The way he went about it was very impressive.”
Cora’s late father, José, met Clemente during his duties in Puerto Rico’s winter league.
“We heard so many stories,” Cora said. “We heard stories about Dec. 31, how he went down.”
Cora has since shared those stories with his children.
“We don’t do enough to teach our kids who this man was,” he said. “Little by little, we’re getting better at that.” Yes, he knows
Jonny Miller of WBZ Radio opened Cora’s pregame media session by asking about the team’s poor defense in recent weeks.
“It hasn’t been great. That’s all I can say,” was the terse reply.
There’s not much more to say. The Sox are second in the majors in errors (105) and unearned runs (77). They committed two more errors on Wednesday.
Two errors led to three unearned runs on Tuesday. That gave the Sox 18 over eight games.
“[The defense] has been very inconsistent the whole season,” Cora said. Schwarber’s redemption
Kyle Schwarber bobbled a ground ball at first base with two outs in the seventh inning on Monday night. It led to three runs and a 5-4 loss.
He gained some redemption on Tuesday. Schwarber’s three-run double in the eighth inning helped deliver an 8-4 victory.
In a 2-2 game, Xander Bogaerts led off the inning with a triple to right field. Seattle turned to closer Drew Steckenrider, who walked Rafael Devers.
Pinch hitter Travis Shaw walked with one out to load the bases. Schwarber, hitless in his previous 16 at-bats, worked the count full before lining a fastball to the gap in right.
The ball rolled to the wall as three runs scored.
Schwarber said he wasn’t reflecting on the previous game and his error. That was in the past.
“You have to be able to turn the page … today was a whole brand-new day,” he said. “It was definitely a spot, to me as a baseball player, I definitely want to be in every time.”
Facing Yohan Ramirez, Alex Verdugo homered to right field and the Sox were on their way to a victory.
Eovaldi went five innings and allowed one earned run on five hits with one walk and nine strikeouts.
The righthander has a 1.90 earned run average in his last seven starts. The Sox are 6-1 in those games, but Eovaldi has only one win. Pitching plans
The Sox are off on Thursday and start a three-game series against the Orioles on Friday at Fenway Park. Chris Sale is the tentative starter for Friday as he waits to be cleared to return from a stint on the COVID-19 injured list. “I think it will be Friday, for sure,” Cora said. Nick Pivetta and Eovaldi would follow … Matt Barnes started for Double A Portland in Hartford to continue his rehab assignment. He allowed two unearned runs on two hits with two strikeouts. Barnes threw 18 pitches, 13 for strikes. “There’s a good chance Matty will join us [on Friday],” Cora said … Christian Arroyo and Jarren Duran were scheduled to start rehab assignments with Triple A Worcester but the game at Syracuse was canceled by rain. The teams are scheduled to play four more games starting Thursday … The three games in Seattle averaged 3 hours and 43 minutes … In a scoring change from the game in Chicago on Sunday, Cesar Hernandez of the White Sox was awarded a hit in the sixth inning instead of an error being charged to Kiké Hernández. The run Pivetta allowed is now earned.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 16, 2021 3:16:10 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 7h #RedSox bullpen on the road trip: 26.1 IP, 2 ER.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 16, 2021 3:19:03 GMT -5
Mastrodonato: Finally, Red Sox beat a good team and gain momentum in Wild Card chase Gives them momentum in Wild Card hunt
) By Jason Mastrodonato | jason.mastrodonato@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald PUBLISHED: September 15, 2021 at 8:14 p.m. | UPDATED: September 15, 2021 at 8:47 p.m.
Staying alive is one thing.
Staying alive with some momentum, playing with purpose and showing their fanbase, their coaching staff and themselves that they’re capable of getting hot at the right time is an entirely bigger thing.
The Red Sox didn’t just keep their playoff hopes alive on Wednesday, when they outlasted the Seattle Mariners in 10 innings for an 9-4 win that might’ve knocked the M’s out of playoff contention.
More importantly, the Red Sox proved they’re capable of winning a series against a good team, something they hadn’t done since July.
Not since they took three of four against the Yankees just before the trade deadline have the Red Sox won a series against a team that’s currently above .500. Until Wednesday’s series victory, the Sox were 0-6-2 in series against winning ball clubs. They were 8-19 in those games.
With the risk of accidentally dubbing the Sox a legitimate contender for the AL pennant just because of two good games against a borderline playoff team, it must be said that the local nine are finally trending in the right direction.
On a very difficult road trip against the White Sox and Mariners, the Sox were in every single game. They went 3-3 overall but all three losses were by one run.
Their starting rotation was consistent, with a 3.62 ERA over 27 1/3 innings on the trip, despite losing Chris Sale to COVID-19 just before the plane took off for Chicago.
Their COVID-ravaged bullpen was surprisingly incredible. With Matt Barnes still out, Sox relievers posted an 0.68 ERA over 26 1/3 innings during the trip.
Is it sustainable to have a bullpen pitch nearly as many innings as the starting rotation? Of course not. But at this point in the season, sustainability isn’t the goal anyways.
All the Red Sox pitching staff needs to do is pitch well enough so that a few of the team’s best arms are available for the Wild Card game on Oct. 5, two days after the season ends against the lowly Nationals.
Nathan Eovaldi continued his dominant season with a brilliant start on Tuesday. The stat line won’t show it, but getting out of a bases loaded jam in the fourth inning after Hunter Renfroe’s exasperating error on a dropped fly ball nearly did the Red Sox in for good.
Sale is on his way back, likely to start Friday’s series opener against the Orioles.
Adam Ottavino, Josh Taylor and Garrett Whitlock continue to look like strong options out of the bullpen.
And surely, manager Alex Cora will find a way to maximize Eduardo Rodriguez and Tanner Houck in a single-game playoff or a five-game series.
The Red Sox offense has certainly seen better days. It’d be hard to argue any of their hitters other than Bobby Dalbec and maybe Alex Verdugo are actually peaking right now. More accurately, a few are slumping. But for the first time in a long time, they’re all healthy.
Dalbec has the highest OPS of any big leaguer since Aug. 11, and he’s batting seventh in this lineup.
The only clear weakness, and a weakness that continues to be an issue even right down to the final day of the road trip, is the Sox’ disastrous defense.
Renfroe made his 12th error on Wednesday. He has seven more errors than any other right fielder this year. This time he rushed his throw on a single to right field and it bounced past Rafael Devers at third base. It was arguably Devers’ fault for not getting in front of the ball and letting it pass through him, but Devers is another story.
He made his MLB-leading 21st error of the season at third base later in the game, when he fumbled a groundball and then tried to overpower his throw to first base to make up for it. Instead, he sailed it over the head of Dalbec at first and the Sox were lucky not to pay for it.
Every pop fly, every groundball and any live baseball somewhere in play creates an adventure for this team.
One possible solution is what the Red Sox did on Tuesday, using Kyle Schwarber off the bench and choosing an optimal defensive alignment with Alex Verdugo in left, Kiké Hernandez in center and Renfroe in right. They swapped Schwarber and Verdugo on Wednesday.
Still, Devers has been simply bad at third base, Dalbec inconsistent at first base and the Sox’ catching tandem one of the worst in baseball at preventing stolen bases.
This isn’t a team that inspires defensively, and they’ve often paid because of it.
But with Schwarber a glorified pinch hitter, Travis Shaw now looking like another strong option off the bench and Jose Iglesias a premium defender to move around the diamond, the Red Sox can piece it together against anybody.
They still have to keep pace with the red-hot Blue Jays and/or handle the Yankees in a three-game set coming up next week in order to maintain Wild Card position.
But the rest of the schedule is a cakewalk.
At least they finally have some momentum.
|
|