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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 18, 2021 2:36:10 GMT -5
Red Sox Activate Chris Sale, Matt Barnes From Injured List
By Anthony Franco | September 17, 2021 at 5:13pm CDT
The Red Sox announced they’ve reinstated ace Chris Sale and closer Matt Barnes from the COVID-19 injured list. Ryan Brasier was optioned to Triple-A Worcester, while Michael Feliz was designated for assignment to clear roster space.
Sale and Barnes become the two latest players to return after testing positive for the coronavirus. The Sox are still without Christian Arroyo, Yairo Muñoz, Jarren Duran, Jonathan Araúz, Danny Santana and Phillips Valdéz for virus-related reasons. Sale and Barnes were perhaps the two most impactful players yet to return from the outbreak before this evening, though.
After missing all of 2020 and a good portion of 2021 recovering from Tommy John surgery, Sale returned to make five starts before testing positive on September 9. He turned in a few vintage performances before contracting the virus, working 25 innings of 2.52 ERA ball with a quality 27.5% strikeout percentage and a tiny 5.5% walk rate. Getting a few more great starts down the stretch would be critical for a Boston team that enters play tonight tied with the Blue Jays and holding a half-game advantage over the archrival Yankees for the American League’s two Wild Card spots.
Barnes missed a bit more time than Sale did, as he tested positive on August 30. That couple weeks on the shelf required him to make a pair of minor league rehab appearances this week before returning to the active roster. One of the league’s best relievers in the first half, Barnes had a disastrous August and will be looking to return to his early-season form down the stretch.
The Red Sox signed Feliz to a minor league deal near the end of August and selected him to the major league club a couple weeks later. He made just four appearances for Boston, tossing 5 1/3 frames of two-run ball before losing his spot. The Red Sox will place the 28-year-old on waivers over the next few days.
Feliz has split the 2021 season between three teams, pitching for the Pirates and Reds in addition to his work with the Sox. He’s posted a 7.32 ERA in 19 2/3 innings between that trio of clubs despite solid strikeout and walk rates (25.3% and 6.9%, respectively). Opposing hitters have popped four home runs off the fly-ball pitcher in that limited body of work.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 18, 2021 2:45:11 GMT -5
Sale displays his improv talents After figuring out how to stay ready during COVID absence, ace uses finesse to subdue O's 1:44 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
BOSTON -- This was a Chris Sale that hasn’t been seen very often. One of the elite power pitchers of the last decade, Sale became more of a craftsman on Friday night at Fenway Park.
But you couldn’t argue with the bottom-line results in the ace lefty’s return after missing one start due to a positive COVID-19 test.
While leading the Red Sox to a 7-1 victory over the Orioles, Sale got 10 of his 15 outs via the ground ball. Of Sale’s 90 starts for Boston, this was the fourth in which he got nine outs or more on grounders.
Of the 79 pitches Sale threw against Baltimore, he got a mere four whiffs on a night he had just one strikeout. It was Sale’s second start with the Red Sox of five innings or more with fewer than two strikeouts, after a win in Oakland on April 2, 2019.
Sale fired 40 sliders, 23 fastballs and 16 changeups. Most important was that he allowed just one run in five innings -- a solo homer by Austin Hays that put the Red Sox in a brief 1-0 hole.
“I just think that this was just kind of how the game played out. I know you guys were watching, obviously, and my fastball wasn’t really jumping out of my hand tonight,” said Sale. “So I really had to just rely on my secondary pitches, my slider, my changeup. I was leaning on my defense to make some plays, and they did that. I think it was just kind of how the game played out.”
Power? Finesse? A mixture of both? It really doesn’t matter right now to Sale or his teammates. This is the “find a way” time of the year.
With 13 games left in their season, the 84-65 Red Sox are in possession of the first American League Wild Card spot by a half-game over the Yankees, who beat Cleveland. The Blue Jays lost to the Twins and are a game behind Boston. All three AL East teams are tied in the loss column.
To get to where they want to go, the Red Sox will look to ride Sale down the stretch. Due to the fact that they still have three off-days -- more than any of their competitors -- Boston could start Sale three more times. Even in this season in which he is coming back from Tommy John surgery, Sale says he is ready to carry a big load for crunch time.
“That’s what we do,” Sale said. “That’s what we’re supposed to do. We’ve been getting a lot of extra days with days off and extra arms and things like that, but this is what I’m used to [in more normal times]. Hey, these are big games coming up. They’re all big games. Down the stretch, we’ve got to make a good final push to break the seal and get to the postseason. It’s all hands on deck and whatever they need, they need and I’ll give it to them.”
Without question, this was one of Sale’s strangest ramp-ups to a start, given that he was confined to his house for more than a week.
This led to some major improvisation.
“I was lucky enough, I had people bringing stuff to my house, whether it be weights, jump ropes, heck, I even got a portable mound from Babson [College], so it worked out well,” said Sale.
Though Sale missed one start due to his positive test, he was asymptomatic the entire time and was able to keep his arm in shape with a fairly typical buildup.
“Yeah, I stayed on my exact schedule. I threw a six-inning simulated game in my backyard, actually,” said Sale. “I got a pretty good-sized backyard, so I was able to stretch out to 90 feet and play some long toss as well. Threw a bullpen as well, in my backyard. It was all really kind of the same except for -- not that I lift big, heavy weights or anything -- but I didn’t have the squat rack there or some other things, but I made do.”
In five starts since he came back from Tommy John, Sale is 4-0 with a 2.40 ERA. The progression is ongoing in terms of arm strength and velocity, but the early returns have been encouraging.
“He pitched well,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “The slider is a lot better than his first few outings. The velocity wasn’t there, but we talked a little bit -- it’s hard to get it going, those 10 days, trying to do it by yourself, doing everything in the yard, he even had that fake mound. Just throwing into a net, it’s not the same.
“So he had to pitch today. It was good to see his slider play the way it did today, a lot of weak contact. We played great defensively behind him, and he gave us enough.”
Considering the circumstances, it was more than enough.
“I feel like Chris Sale finds a new way to amaze me every time he takes the mound. I mean, the guy’s been nails for as long as he's been in the big leagues,” said Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes, who also made his return from the COVID-related injured list with a scoreless inning. “I mean, Sale was great tonight. Sale is always great.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 18, 2021 2:58:15 GMT -5
Red Sox open eight-game homestand with rout of Orioles By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated September 17, 2021, 10:46 p.m.
The Red Sox, a team ravaged by COVID-19, slowly are beginning to get their players back.
After having their season at stake some weeks ago, the Sox figured out a way to navigate what seemed to be a sinking ship. They landed not on the hope of winning the American League East — that will ultimately be earned by the Rays — but a wild-card spot. They inched closer to that Friday evening at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox beat the Orioles, 7-1, to begin their pivotal eight-game homestand. The Orioles registered their 100th loss of the season and the Sox have beaten them 10 times in 14 meetings.
“That’s what we need to do,” manager Alex Cora said. “You have to put teams away. It’s been a grind for a while. The wins have been close and the ones we lose, too.”
The Red Sox reinstated Chris Sale from the COVID-related injured list prior to his Friday start. Following a 1-2-3 first, Austin Hays stung an inside fastball for a homer, putting the Red Sox behind, 1-0. That would be the only lead the Orioles would hold.
In the second, Christian Vázquez steered a double down the left-field line off Orioles starter Keegan Akin. An Alex Verdugo single put runners at first and third, setting the stage for Jose Iglesias, whose ground-rule double scored Vázquez. Verdugo later scored on a sacrifice fly.
After a scoreless third, the Red Sox brought across at least one run in the following three frames, beginning with Bobby Dalbec’s solo homer that just made it over the Green Monster. Dalbec’s 23rd homer is the seventh-most by a Sox rookie, surpassing Carlton Fisk and Jim Rice.
J.D. Martinez’s RBI double in the fifth stretched the Sox lead to 4-1. A bases-clearing double by Hunter Renfroe in the sixth all but put the Orioles out of their misery.
It was an atypical start by Sale, not based on results but pitch mix. Sale was effective, navigating through five innings. The second-inning homer proved to be Sale’s only blemish. Yet Sale used his four-seam fastball just 27 times. His slider, meanwhile, was his go-to pitch, weaponizing it 40 times. After the second inning, Sale dumped his four-seamer, a pitch that averaged a tick down at 91.6 miles per hour.
“I’ve been sitting mainly 93, 94, 95 in games and I’ve had games where I’m sitting mainly 91-92,” Sale said. “Those days the hitter is going to tell you everything that you really need to know about a given day.”
Which is why Sale leaned on his slider.
“That’s always been one of my put-away pitches, strikeout pitch,” Sale said. “I feel like this year, I’ve been able to locate it a little bit better at times.”
The lefthander registered just one strikeout but induced nine groundouts. Garrett Whitlock took over in the sixth, then Hirokazu Sawamura came on in the seventh. Both collected scoreless innings. Matt Barnes put up a zero in the eighth in his first game back from the COVID-IL.
In the tight wild-card race that has the imprints of the AL East all over it, the Red Sox own the top wild-card spot with a half-game lead over the Yankees and a one-game margin over the Blue Jays. The Yankees won, 8-0, against the Indians Friday and the Jays dropped a 7-3 contest to the Twins.
If the season ended Friday, the Red Sox would host the Yankees in the Wild Card Game. Yet the standings change daily, speaking to just how even and close this chase to October really is.
“This is why you do it,” Barnes said. “You do it to get to the postseason for a chance to win a World Series.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 18, 2021 3:04:58 GMT -5
Red Sox notebook Tanner Houck likely to shift to bullpen for Red Sox’ playoff push By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated September 17, 2021, 8:12 p.m.
There’s light at the end of the tunnel. Or at least the Red Sox hope there is.
With the team in its final stretch of a playoff push, manager Alex Cora announced Friday that it’s likely Tanner Houck will shift to the bullpen, serving in multiple roles.
“This guy can give us nine outs like he did in New York early in the season,” Cora noted before the Sox’ three-game set against the Orioles. “And he can come in and face a pocket of righties and do his thing on multiple days. So it’s good to have them.”
The Sox will go to a four-man rotation to end the year. With offdays following the conclusion of each of the Sox’ next three series — including this one with Baltimore — it gives the rotation a bit more of a breather before six straight games to end the season.
Houck, meanwhile, understands a postseason ticket is at stake and wants to help the team reach its ultimate goal however he can.
“We know where the end is. It’s all hands on deck,” Houck said. “Let’s all step up, do our role and continue good things. We went out there and did what we had to do in Seattle. Keep that rolling here. We got eight games at home. We’ll have home field advantage with the amazing Fenway fan base. So, like I said, step up in any role that I’m called upon. All the other guys are doing that. So it’s no different for me, and I have that mentality going out there.”
Houck’s future with the Red Sox is certainly bright. He’s established himself as an everyday big leaguer after spending much of the year on the elevator between Triple A Worcester and the big leagues. In 14 games with the Red Sox, including 12 starts, Houck posted a 3.75 ERA, striking out 70 batters in 57⅔ innings of work.
Nevertheless, there is still work to be done in his development, particularly when it comes to honing his split-finger. Despite the small sample size, Houck has struggled to go a third time through the order this year. His ERA the first time through is 1.67. The second time through it increases to a 4.13 ERA. The third time through it jumps to 27.00. Having a third pitch can help him better navigate through a lineup. That and some other tactics.
“For me, that’s going to be probably my next big learning curve is continuing to go out there and being able to read swings better,” Houck said. “Being able to get in the video room and understand what hitters are doing with their swing and just talking our way through and just learning the game on the mental side. A lot of it is obviously physical, but a lot of it is a mental game.”
The Red Sox have next year to figure that out. Right now, it’s about winning games in a season-ending sprint.
…
Ryan Brasier spent much of the year on the injured list. First battling a calf strain and then a concussion after being struck in the head with a comebacker during a simulated game. And after just five appearances (4⅓ innings), Brasier was optioned to Triple A Worcester. Brasier had a 4.15 ERA in that span . . . Chris Sale made his first start Friday following his return from the COVID-related injured list. The Red Sox also reinstated Matt Barnes from the COVID-IL. Righthander Michael Feliz was designated for assignment . . . The Red Sox will wear their yellow and blue City Connect jerseys for this series with the O’s . . . Prior to the game, the Sox presented Nate Eovaldi with a plaque as their nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award. The award is given annually to a player who best represents the game “through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field” . . . The Sox’ upcoming starters: Nick Pivetta, Eovaldi, Eduardo Rodriguez.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 18, 2021 3:08:43 GMT -5
Christopher 'Smitty' Smith @smittyonmlb · 7h Chris Sale is done for the day.
5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HR.
40 sliders, 23 four-seam fastballs, 16 changeups
92.4 mph average velo with fastball, topped out at 94.6 mph, per Baseball Savant
9 groundball outs, 1 flyout.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 18, 2021 3:09:08 GMT -5
Mike Monaco @mikemonaco_ · 5h AL Wild Card
Team GB Red Sox Yankees 1/2 Blue Jays 1
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 18, 2021 3:13:02 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 5h Cora on Sale: ‘The fastball wasn’t there. … He had to pitch today. … He did an amazing job.’ Cora calls Barnes’s performance an encouraging first step.
Barnes: ‘To be back with the guys, get back with the guys, was super-awesome.’ Says he’d like to have thrown better but ‘zeros are zeros.’
Barnes says it’s ‘very possible’ that the downtime may prove helpful moving forward. Still says he has to get used to pitching in this setting but he was ‘super happy with the way (he) ended the outing.’
Sale: ‘I felt like I was making another rehab start with a new team. … But I got all the work in that I needed to get in.’
Sale: ‘My fastball wasn’t jumping out of my hand tonight so I had to rely on my secondary pitches.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 18, 2021 3:19:33 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 7h Dalbec's up to a 110 wRC+. That places him in the Bell, Mountcastle, Mancini, Rizzo, Aguilar, Sano, Lowe, Diaz first base group on the season.
There were a lot of Carlos Santana trade support in July, he's hit .180/.255/.253 since the deadline.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 18, 2021 3:22:29 GMT -5
Bobby Dalbec homers as Boston Red Sox take over top Wild Card spot with win vs. Orioles Updated: Sep. 18, 2021, 12:10 a.m. | Published: Sep. 17, 2021, 10:39 p.m.
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — Red Sox ace Chris Sale wasn’t overpowering as he recorded just four swings-and-misses. But he still got the job done in his return from the COVID IL on Friday.
Sale pitched 5 innings, allowing one run, two hits and no walks while striking out one to help the Red Sox win 7-1 over the Baltimore Orioles here at Fenway Park.
The Blue Jays lost and the Yankees won. So the Red Sox took over the first Wild Card spot. They have a half game lead on New York and a one game lead over Toronto.
Sale allowed a 401-foot solo homer to Austin Hays on a 91.4 mph four-seam fastball in the second inning.
The lefty’s fastball velocity was down. He averaged 92.4 mph and topped out at 94.6 mph, per Baseball Savant. He relied heavily on his slider.
He threw 40 sliders, 23 fastballs and 16 changeups. Sale used 13 fastballs in the first two innings, then just two in the next two innings before returning to it in the fifth when he threw eight fastballs.
Sale recorded nine groundball outs and one flyout.
Dalbec homers again
Bobby Dalbec put the Red Sox ahead 3-1 in the fourth inning with a 368-foot home run that just cleared the Green Monster.
Dalbec’s homer was his 12th blast in 28 games since Aug. 13. He has 20 extra-base hits during the stretch.
He has 23 homers in 122 games this season and 31 homers in 145 big league games.
Renfroe delivers bases-clearing double
Hunter Renfroe’s three-run double in the sixth put Boston ahead 7-1.
Renfroe battled back to even the count after falling behind 0-2. He connected on a 91.5 mph fastball from Dusten Knight to clear the bases.
Barnes pitches scoreless inning in return
The Red Sox activated Matt Barnes from the COVID IL on Friday and he pitched for the first time since Aug. 29.
He tossed a scoreless eighth inning and struck out two. He pitched around a walk and hit.
Red Sox take the lead
José Iglesias tied the game 1-1 in the second inning. He belted an 0-2 slider for a ground-rule double that scored Christian Vázquez.
Kiké Hernández put Boston ahead 2-1 with a sacrifice fly to center field.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 18, 2021 3:28:30 GMT -5
Orioles @ Red Sox Saturday, 18th September 2021 1pm @ Fenway
Lowther 0-2/9.22
0-2 with a 9.92 ERA in 7 games (3 starts) of 2021. 0-1 with a 27.00 ERA in 1 career start vs BOS.
Pivetta 9-7/4.55
9-7 with a 4.55 ERA in 27 starts of 2021. 6-0 with a 2.95 ERA in 6 career starts vs BAL.
Red Sox look to remain on roll against Orioles According to STATS
Bolstered by a pair of key returns, the Boston Red Sox look to build upon their narrow American League wild-card lead when they host the Baltimore Orioles in the second contest of a three-game series Saturday afternoon.
The Red Sox won the opener 7-1 behind the return of ace left-hander Chris Sale from the COVID-19 injured list. Reliever Matt Barnes also pitched in his first game back from a bout with the virus, as Boston (84-65) seized sole possession of the top wild-card spot courtesy of a Toronto Blue Jays loss.
Still, the Red Sox are ahead of the New York Yankees by only a half-game, while the Blue Jays are just one back. Boston and New York will face off in a pivotal three-game series next weekend.
Until then, the Red Sox will look to take advantage of an Orioles club that reached 100 losses (47-100) for the third time in the last four seasons with Friday's defeat.
Right-hander Nick Pivetta (9-7, 4.55 ERA) gets the nod for Boston in the first of back-to-back matinees. Lefty Zac Lowther (0-2, 9.92) is slated to pitch for Baltimore.
While Sale overcame a drop in velocity to pitch an efficient five innings and earn the win in his return, Barnes' first outing since Aug. 29 was a little spottier. He walked the first man he faced in the eighth and gave up a one-out single before a pop up and strikeout got him out of the jam.
Barnes, who needed 28 pitches in that inning, represents an X-factor for the Red Sox. Getting the right-hander back to his pre-All-Star break form (2.61 ERA) would be a much-needed improvement from his 7.11 ERA in 17 games since.
"To go out there and compete, that's good," said manager Alex Cora of Barnes' performance Friday. "It's a good first step."
A player with little room for improvement of late is Bobby Dalbec, who blasted his 12th home run in his last 28 games in the win. The rookie is slashing .285/.364/.646 in 50 games since the All-Star break.
For the Orioles, Austin Hays was the lone bright spot Friday with a solo home run in the second inning. He's gone deep seven times in 15 games this month.
"He's had a great month," manager Brandon Hyde remarked. "Really happy with the progress he's making, and he's getting a chance to play every day."
Pivetta took a no-decision in his last start, allowing one run over 5 1/3 innings against the Chicago White Sox. His last victory came Aug. 13 over Baltimore, when he gave up one run and struck out eight over six innings.
Pivetta is 6-0 with a 2.95 ERA in six career starts against the Orioles.
The rookie Lowther will face the Red Sox for the second time after he was tagged for seven runs in just 2 1/3 innings on May 8. He surrendered seven runs in two innings last time out versus the Blue Jays.
--Field Level Media
Red Sox Nation Stats @rsnstats · 5h #RedSox game time Saturday is 1:10 ET/10:10 PT. Expected conditions at Fenway Park in Boston: Partly Cloudy, 75°F / 24°C. Winds: NE 7 MPH. #MLB #Orioles #MLB
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 18, 2021 3:30:54 GMT -5
AL Wild Card standings: Boston Red Sox take over top spot as Blue Jays lose and Yankees win Updated: 2:31 a.m. | Published: 2:29 a.m.
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — The Red Sox beat the Orioles 7-1 on Friday to take over the top spot in the American League Wild Card race.
The Yankees won 8-0 over the Indians while Toronto lost 7-3 to the Twins.
If the season ended today: The Red Sox would make the postseason and host the Yankees in the Wild Card game.
Where the Red Sox stand: Boston is a half game ahead of New York and one game ahead of Toronto in the Wild Card standings. The Red Sox are 2 ½ games ahead of the Athletics and 3 ½ games ahead of the Mariners. SCORES
Red Sox 7, Orioles 1
Yankees 8, Indians 0
Twins 7, Blue Jays 3
Athletics 5, Angels 4
Mariners 6, Royals 2 AL WILD CARD STANDINGS
1. Boston Red Sox 84-65 (.564) ½ game ahead
2. New York Yankees 83-65 (.561)
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3. Toronto Blue Jays 82-65 (.558) ½ game behind
4. Oakland Athletics 80-67 (.544) 2 ½ games behind
5. Seattle Mariners 79-68 (.537) 3 ½ games behind AL EAST STANDINGS
1. Tampa Bay Rays 92-56 (.622)
2. Boston Red Sox 84-65 (.564) 8 ½ games behind
3. New York Yankees 83-65 (.561) 9 games behind
4. Toronto Blue Jays 82-65 (.558) 9 ½ games behind
5. Baltimore Orioles 47-100 (.320) eliminated
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 18, 2021 6:21:02 GMT -5
Peter Gammons @pgammo · 1h Boston Red Sox to use Tanner Houck out of bullpen during final postseason push; ‘Everything will be on the table’ masslive.com/redsox/2021/09/bos Rival:"from here on the multi-inning relievers with the two dominant pitches are keys," in the AL citing the sliders of Houck and Manoa
That Bobby Dalbec has a 1.010 OPS in the last 50 games and on the season is 4th among MLB rookies in HR, 3d in RBI, 2d in slugging and 6th in OPS is testament to going down to the crossroads and getting out 'round the bend
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 18, 2021 6:25:17 GMT -5
Chris Sale has officially kicked off the Red Sox' hope-for-the-best pennant push Current Time 0:05 / Duration 1:45
By Rob Bradford 27 minutes ago
The excitement of a race to the playoffs could be found at Fenway Park Friday night. And when the Red Sox high-fived their way off the field following a follow-the-blueprint, 7-1 win over the Orioles, their followers were allowed for a much-needed, late-September sigh of relief.
Chris Sale was back not giving up runs.
Bobby Dalbec cleared the fence once again.
Every starter but Kiké Hernandez came away with at least one hit, with Alex Verdugo staying hot with three.
Relievers Garrett Whitlock, Hirokazu Sawamura, Matt Barnes and Martin Perez all looked close to the best versions of themselves.
And, most importantly, the Red Sox won and the Blue Jays lost, putting them one game up on Toronto and 1/2-game up on the the Yankees for a Wild Card spot.
"This is why you do it," Barnes said. "You do it to get to the postseason for a chance to win a World Series. I was fortunate enough to experience one in ’18. There's nothing like winning in Boston. There really isn't. The excitement around Boston, the excitement in the stadium, the excitement in the clubhouse with the fans and everybody, it's a really awesome feeling out there. I mean, there was a buzz in the stadium when I got back out there. It's just awesome. It really is."
But the scars from the last month or so are still not quite healed over.
Sale, for instance, offered the kind of image most had hoped considering his COVID-induced layoff. Five innings. One run. Despite just one strikeout, that will do.
"I feel like Chris Sale finds a new way to amaze me every time he takes the mound," Barnes noted. "I mean, the guy’s been nails for as long as he's been in the big leagues. And it's super incredible. Even what Nick did the other day in Chicago, coming right off and to have the command and stuff that he did, both of those guys really impressive, really awesome, especially where we're at right now. To come back and be able to do those two things and get really quality outings, it's awesome to see. I mean, Sale was great tonight. Sale is always great."
Still, the confirmation after the game that Sale isn't vaccinated -- which would necessitate an instant seven-day quarantine if close contact is determined -- does nothing to push down the anxiety that lingers these days.
Even with the wave of players coming back, the idea that the virus could derail the Good Times Express once again is still a very real thing.
Then there is at actual performance.
Can Sale's velocity creep back in time for the big Yankees series?
Will Barnes be able to close out games?
Are the middle-of-the-order bats going to be able to supply the kind of punch that has been hit-or-miss throughout September?
Will Hernandez find his way out of this post-COVID slump (4-for-36 since his return), stabilizing the top of the batting order?
Can Dalbec keep this up for when it counts the most?
As the Red Sox showed against the Orioles, they suddenly seem to have the pieces to reel in the positive vibes of the first four months. That's a start. And so was beating the Orioles.
"That’s what we need to do," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora after his team's third straight win. "You have to put teams away. It’s been a grind for a while. The wins have been close and the ones we lose too so it was good to go to these guys and get them some work and now let's get ready for tomorrow and come out with the same intensity."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 18, 2021 7:42:27 GMT -5
Lou Merloni @loumerloni · 5m 13 left. How many wins gets them in? 9 more? Sox schedule is on their side. Keep in mind these 3 teams play the same schedule, it’s just their turn to play Balt and Wash. Now they need to take care of business.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Sept 18, 2021 8:56:15 GMT -5
Peter Gammons @pgammo · 1h Boston Red Sox to use Tanner Houck out of bullpen during final postseason push; ‘Everything will be on the table’ masslive.com/redsox/2021/09/bos Rival:"from here on the multi-inning relievers with the two dominant pitches are keys," in the AL citing the sliders of Houck and Manoa
That Bobby Dalbec has a 1.010 OPS in the last 50 games and on the season is 4th among MLB rookies in HR, 3d in RBI, 2d in slugging and 6th in OPS is testament to going down to the crossroads and getting out 'round the bend I like this move. Go to a 4-man rotation down the stretch. And between Pivetta and Houck, I think Houck would make a better 2-inning RP.
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