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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2021 3:15:00 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 6h Bogaerts is such a good situational hitter. Two outs, bases loaded and he shortens up on a sinker and drops an oppo single to RCF.
Previous at-bat, no outs, he unloads on a sinker and homers to LCF.
Too many players have the same swing for every situation. Bogaerts adjusts.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2021 3:15:52 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 5h Alex Cora asked how much longer the Red Sox will wear the yellow uniforms:
"We'll wear them tomorrow."
Sox have won six straight, four in the City Connect yellows.
Cora on the crowd: "Never seen so many Puerto Ricans come to see me."
(He was joking. But there were a lot of Puerto Rican flags at Fenway, foks coming to see Lindor, Báez, Hernández, Vázquez, Nido, and Diaz).
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2021 3:16:21 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 4h Xander Bogaerts: "I know we're not the Yellow Sox but we need wins."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2021 3:20:50 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 5h Cora says Sox will look at whether Rodriguez was tipping, notes that ‘there’s a reason’ why he changed hand position out of stretch vs Mariners. BUT, he notes outing unraveled after a walk to Lindor out of windup, and says Rodriguez needed to pound the zone given quality of stuff
Cora says quality of Sox at-bats is up - as is quality of defense during winning streak.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2021 3:24:29 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 6h Sox just tattooed Stroman tonight and it could've been worse
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2021 3:25:18 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 5h The Red Sox started this year 10-11 at Fenway, have since gone 38-18.
Bogaerts on the unis: "I'm sorry... the color gets a little boring... but we got to stay with them for a couple of games."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2021 3:26:45 GMT -5
Will Boston Red Sox keep wearing yellow and blue uniforms during winning streak? ‘We have some smart people,’ Xander Bogaerts says Updated: 12:03 a.m. | Published: 11:59 p.m.
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — The Red Sox wore their yellow and blue alternate jerseys again Tuesday. That’s four straight games sporting them.
What’s going on?
The plan was for the Red Sox to wear the Boston Marathon color scheme uniforms for their three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles this past weekend, then return to their traditional uniforms Tuesday. But the Sox won all three games against the Orioles so why stop? It’s working and baseball obviously is a very superstitious sport.
“We’ll wear them tomorrow,” manager Alex Cora said after the Red Sox won 6-3 over the Mets on Tuesday for their sixth consecutive victory.
“Hey, we’re on a good run,” Xander Bogaerts said. “As of now, I don’t anticipate us changing it for tomorrow. I don’t know about the next day. But hopefully tomorrow we have that thing on again. If we win tomorrow, hopefully we see it the next day also. I know it’s not white and red. I know we’re not the Yellow Sox. But we need wins right now. So if it’s yellow, it’s yellow.”
Bogaerts said he can’t recall one specific person deciding the team needed to keep wearing the yellow and blues after Sunday’s win.
“Not that I can recall but I think in here we have some smart people,” Bogaerts said. “I think they made the right choice of putting on the yellow. And hopefully tomorrow we wear the yellow again.”
The alternate uniforms are part of Nike’s MLB “City Connect” series. The Red Sox wore them during Patriots’ Day weekend in April.
“If we keep winning, I think we’re going to keep wearing (them) the rest of the season,” Eduardo Rodriguez said.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2021 3:31:00 GMT -5
Red Sox Nation Stats @rsnstats · 5h #RedSox team ERA is 2.47 over their last 11 games.
#RedSox Manager Alex Cora: "We put good at-bats against [Marcus Stroman]. He's a really good pitcher…he nibbles and then he elevates. I think we did a good job controlling the zone…You have to be very patient, you have to be very disciplined against Stroman."
#RedSox Manager Cora on Ryan Brasier: "We talked about [Whitlock's IL stint] before the game and how big of a loss it is, but whoever comes up, they've got to do a job. And [Braiser] had a chance to come in and he was amazing and gave us a chance to win."
#RedSox Manager Cora on Hansel Robles: "What he's doing is great stuff. Pounding the strike zone. He's throwing 97, 98. The change up is good. The slider is good. There's a lot of confidence. Him and [Austin Davis] have done an amazing job for us."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2021 3:35:51 GMT -5
Mets @ Red Sox Wednesday, 22nd September 2021 7pm @ Fenway
Walker 7-10/4.29
7-10 with a 4.27 ERA in 28 games (27 starts) of 2021. 0-0 with a 1.69 ERA in 3 career starts vs BOS.
Sale 4-0/ 2.40
4-0 with a 2.40 ERA in 6 starts of 2021. 0-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 3 career starts vs NYM.
Red Sox look at take down Mets before Yankees series According to STATS
Before a highly anticipated weekend showdown with their bitter rivals, the Boston Red Sox look to finish taking care of business against the visiting New York Mets in the finale of a two-game series Wednesday night.
The Red Sox won the opener 6-3 on Tuesday behind a four-RBI performance from Xander Bogaerts to run their winning streak to six. Boston (87-65) maintained its grip on the top American League wild card over the Toronto Blue Jays (1 1/2 games back) and New York Yankees (two games), who were each also victorious Tuesday.
Starting Friday, the Yankees will visit the Red Sox for a three-game series that could make or break either club's season. The Yankees also have three games remaining against the Blue Jays.
But first comes Wednesday's contest. Ace left-hander Chris Sale (4-0, 2.40 ERA) will toe the rubber for Boston opposite righty Taijuan Walker (7-10, 4.27).
The Red Sox were dealt a blow prior to Tuesday's contest when key reliever Garrett Whitlock (8-4, 1.99 ERA) was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Monday, due to a right pectoral strain. Though the ailment does not appear serious, Whitlock's absence will force others in the bullpen to step up.
Ryan Brasier, recalled from Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding move, answered the call by earning the victory against the Mets on Tuesday. He came on in the fifth inning with runners on second and third and one out and escaped the jam unscathed.
"We talked about (Whitlock) before the game and how big of a loss it is, but whoever comes up has got to do the job," Boston manager Alex Cora said. "Brasier got the chance to come in, and he was amazing."
Enrique Hernandez and Bogaerts homered in the bottom of the frame to give Boston the lead for good. Bogaerts has two homers and eight RBIs in his past three games.
The Red Sox improved to 38-18 in their past 56 games at Fenway Park after a 10-11 start at home.
The Mets (73-78) have dropped six of their past seven to slip closer to postseason elimination. Pete Alonso hit an eighth-inning home run Tuesday -- his major-league-leading 24th on the road and 34th overall.
A highlight for the Mets down the stretch would be seeing right-handers Jacob deGrom (right elbow inflammation) and Noah Syndergaard (Tommy John surgery) take the mound, as both are progressing toward their respective returns.
"It's important to see the guys healthy and what they can be," manager Luis Rojas said.
Sale is unbeaten in six starts since his return from Tommy John surgery. Shaking off a bout with COVID-19, the southpaw held the Baltimore Orioles to one run and two hits over five innings Friday in his latest performance.
Sale is 0-0 with a 2.45 ERA in two lifetime starts against the Mets.
Walker took the loss Friday despite holding the Philadelphia Phillies to two runs in five innings his last time out. He hasn't been victorious in 12 starts since a July 3 win.
Walker is 0-0 with a 1.69 ERA in two starts vs. the Red Sox.
--Field Level Media
Red Sox Nation Stats @rsnstats · 5h #RedSox game time Wednesday is 7:10 ET/4:10 PT. Expected conditions at Boston: Partly Cloudy 73°F / 23°C. Winds: SSE 12 MPH.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2021 3:40:33 GMT -5
Wild Card Standings
Red Sox 87-65 +1.5 Blue Jays 85-66 - Nyy 85-67 0.5 A's 82-69 3 Sea 82-69 3
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2021 6:51:01 GMT -5
Dan Roche @rochiewbz · 1h #RedSox have won 6 straight, their longest streak since 6/25-7/2
⚾️Are 12-6 in September...
⚾️18-11 in last 29 games and 6-2-1 in series over that span
⚾️Are 38-18 in their last 56 games at Fenway Park after beginning the season 10-11 at home...
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2021 8:01:21 GMT -5
I have counted over a dozen articles from writers and bloggers on why the Red Sox are still wearing those awful yellow jerseys and hell, has it come to this?
While they are winning games, there is no way they will take them off.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2021 10:08:57 GMT -5
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2021 13:12:52 GMT -5
The decision to start Chris Sale on Wednesday is the correct one
The easy choice is sometimes the right one. By Matt_Collins@MattRyCollins Sep 22, 2021, 12:01pm EDT
The Red Sox are in a very good position for the wildcard race, and while it’s certainly not at all wrapped up they are in the driver’s seat and more or less control their own destiny. They certainly deserve a good chunk of the credit, as they are playing good baseball at an important time, but the schedule makers also did them a favor. As we’ve already talked about here as well, it’s not just the quality of competition — four of their last five series are against teams with a losing record — but it’s also about the number of days off they have mixed in there.
As we discussed in that linked post, that is a huge boon specifically for this Red Sox team. There’s a few reasons for that and we discuss them in that post, but perhaps the biggest is the ability to shorten the rotation and maximize the number of starts from the best starters. However, after winning six in a row and with a huge weekend series against the Yankees coming up, there isn’t total agreement with how they should line things up in their rotation the rest of the way.
Tonight, Wednesday, is a prime example of the potential conflict of ideas on how to utitlize the days off and maximize the rotation. Chris Sale is set to start this game against the Mets, something Alex Cora made official on Tuesday. The decision has been made, so we’re not really here to talk about what could or could not happen, but rather just talk through what the decision process was like. It feels like a thought process worth digging into a little more deeply, because there is an argument on both sides.
Essentially, the argument boils down to giving Sale the maximum amount of starts versus doing everything possible to put yourself in the best position to win the maximum number of games in that Yankees series. It is certainly not unreasonable to hold the latter position. New York trails Boston by two games as of Wednesday, and this weekend is going to be a big pivot point in this race. But with that said, there are a few different reasons that Sale making the start on Wednesday against the Mets is the right call from Alex Cora, at least in this writer’s opinion.
The main point is certainly the one made above, the crux of the linked post at the top of this article. The Red Sox should be doing everything they can to maximize the number of starts from their best pitchers, which in this case are obviously Sale and Nathan Eovaldi. It would be great if that also lined up both guys to pitch against the Yankees, but that’s not how this particular cookie crumbled. If Sale were pushed back to Friday, he’d make one fewer start the rest of the way. The Yankees series is obviously important, but most important is for the Red Sox to win the most games the rest of the way, full stop. Getting Sale to start as many of those games as possible is obviously the best way to do that.
I do, however, think there are a couple of other compelling points in favor of this Cora decision as well, and they stem from his last start. Sale got the job done last time out against the Orioles, but he did it in a very un-Sale way. His strikeout stuff was not there and his fastball velocity was down, so he got by more on pitching to contact. It’s great that it worked, but he may not have that same level of success when facing a non-Orioles lineup. And so it makes sense to get him as much work as possible to build that arm back up and get him ready for the postseason.
And along those same lines, are we totally convinced that Sale is the best pitcher to face the Yankees right now? I mean, he probably is because he’s still Chris Sale, but as alluded to above the stuff he had in his last start might not work as well against a lineup like the Yankees. The additions of Anthony Rizzo and Joey Gallo certainly diversified the lineup a bit more, but they are still a team with a scary amount of right-handed power. He’s still probably the best option, but based on his last start at this given moment the gap might not be as large as one might think.
(And as a quick aside, for whatever it’s worth, I don’t really buy into the theory that the Red Sox should avoid starting Sale against the Yankees in case they meet in the Wildcard Game in order to keep some mystery alive. The Yankees are plenty familiar with Sale either way.)
But somewhat contradictory to that last point, I also do think that we shouldn’t underestimate the Mets lineup. They have underachieved a bit at times this year without a doubt, but it’s also not the kind of lineup you just take for granted. Pete Alonso is one of the best sluggers in baseball. Francisco Lindor got off to a brutal start but his season has turned around and he’s still one of the better players in the game. Javy Báez goes hot and cold, but he can do as much damage as anybody. This lineup has plenty of talent, so it’s not exactly wasting a Sale start to get him out of there.
Ultimately, I think if you were to poll fans and people who care about this sort of thing, the majority would come down on the side outlined here and the side that Cora ultimately came down on. But there are people who have expressed a desire for Sale to be held back to face the Yankees. I don’t think it’s a ridiculous proposal in the least, but at the end of the day it just makes the most sense to give Sale the maximum amount of runway for the rest of the year, both to get him at the level he needs to be and just try and win the most baseball games as possible down the stretch regardless of opponent.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 22, 2021 13:20:18 GMT -5
Game 153: Mets at Red Sox lineups and pregame notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated September 22, 2021, 10:12 a.m. The Red Sox will look to extend their winning streak to seven games when they wrap up their two-game series with the Mets Wednesday night. The Sox took the opener, 6-3, Tuesday to keep their 1½-game lead over the Blue Jays for the top wild-card spot. Here are the standings. The Mets have dropped six of their past seven to slip closer to postseason elimination. Lineups METS (73-78): 1. Brandon Nimmo (L) CF 2. Pete Alonso (R) 1B 3. Francisco Lindor (S) SS 4. Javier Baez (R) 2B 5. J.D. Davis (R) DH 6. Jonathan Villar (S) 3B 7. Jeff McNeil (L) LF 8. Kevin Pillar (R) RF 9. James McCann (R) C Pitching: RHP Taijuan Walker (7-10, 4.27 ERA) RED SOX (87-65): 1. Enrique Hernandez (R) CF 2. Kyle Schwarber (L) 1B 3. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS 4. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 5. J.D. Martinez (R) DH 6. Alex Verdugo (L) LF 7. Hunter Renfroe (R) RF 8. Christian Vazquez (R) C 9. Jose Iglesias (R) 2B Pitching: LHP Chris Sale (4-0, 2.40 ERA) Time: 7:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Mets vs. Sale: Javier Báez 1-3, Michael Conforto 0-1, J.D. Davis 0-2, Francisco Lindor 12-28, James McCann 7-35, Jeff McNeil 0-1, Brandon Nimmo 0-1, Kevin Pillar 7-28, Jonathan Villar 2-18. Red Sox vs. Walker: Xander Bogaerts 1-4, Bobby Dalbec 0-2, Rafael Devers 0-3, José Iglesias 3-7, J.D. Martinez 6-11, Kevin Plawecki 1-1, Hunter Renfroe 0-5, Kyle Schwarber 3-8, Travis Shaw 0-2, Alex Verdugo 1-3, Christian Vázquez 0-4. Stat of the day: The Red Sox lead MLB with 41 outfield assists, their most in a season since 1987 (47). Notes: Bogaerts has two homers and eight RBIs in his past three games. … Sale is unbeaten in six starts since his return from Tommy John surgery. He is 0-0 with a 2.45 ERA in two lifetime starts against the Mets. … The Mets are 8-11 in September and 25-38 since the All-Star break. … Conforto has 19 RBI in his last 22 games. … Alonso leads the majors with 24 HR on the road. … Walker hasn’t posted a win in his last 12 starts, last doing so on July 3. He is 0-0 with a 1.69 ERA in two starts vs. the Red Sox. Song of the Day: Den Henley "Boys of Summer"www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtxlvQqvDQs
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