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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 29, 2021 6:19:28 GMT -5
Mazz: On a night of “empty at-bats,” Red Sox looked like a team with empty chests, too Tony Massarotti Tony Massarotti 50 minutes ago Share Sep 28, 2021; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (41) walks to the locker room after being relieved during the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
Serious question: with all the talk about the easy schedule the Red Sox will face during the final week of the 2021 season, do you think the Sox realized they actually have to, you know, try?
After last night, it’s fair to wonder.
On the 10-year anniversary of a defeat at Baltimore that culminated a historic September 2011 collapse, the Sox dropped a 4-2 decision to the woebegone Baltimore Orioles last night at a desolate Camden Yards. Sox manager Alex Cora said the Sox had “a lot of empty at-bats.” Pitcher Chris Sale (who couldn’t hold a 2-0 lead against the second-worst offense in the league) said the game “f****** sucked.” Meanwhile, the Yankees defeated the Blue Jays in Toronto to open up a two-game lead on the Sox for the top spot in the American League wildcard race with five days remaining in the season.
Earth to the Red Sox: you’re not as good as you think you are, no matter what you want to tweet or believe. Early in the season, for the most part, the Sox grew to be an endearing bunch by playing every pitch of every game of every series. After being swept by Yankees and all but beat over the head by Giancarlo Stanton over the weekend, you’d think they’d have shown up in Baltimore last night looking for blood.
Instead, the Sox had empty bats and played like a collection of tin men – with hollow chests. For that matter, their heads were pretty empty, too. And they didn’t exactly demonstrate courage.
Time to schedule a trip to the see the all-powerful wizard.
The ugliest truth: while managing just three hits against an Orioles staff that ranks dead last in the majors in ERA, the Sox “worked” Baltimore hurlers into a mere 116 pitches. In the final five innings of the game, Baltimore relievers threw just 46 times. In the seventh and eighth innings, the Sox saw 12 pitches total. In the eighth, they saw four.
Yes, you read that correctly. In the eighth inning of what amounted to a life-or-death game, trailing by just a 3-2 score, the Red Sox gave the Orioles three outs on four pitches.
Four.
Oh, and did we mention the two fielding errors?
But remember, folks. Be careful what you say about them. Because the Red Sox are keeping the receipts.
You can hear Tony Massarotti weekdays from 2-6 p.m. EST on the Felger & Massarotti program. Follow him on Twitter @tonymassarotti.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 29, 2021 6:21:28 GMT -5
Chris Sale perfectly sums up Red Sox loss: 'That (expletive) sucked'
By Rob Bradford 9 minutes ago
Sometimes it feels like breaking down the big plays, advanced metrics or some semblance of in-game strategy is simply eye-wash. Blah, blah, blah.
The Red Sox lost to the 106-loss Orioles Tuesday night at Camden Yards, 4-2, thanks to a bad sixth inning and a bunch of bat at-bats. That's it.
For the real recap, however, all anyone needed to soak in were the first few words out of Chris Sale's mouth in his postgame press conference.
"That (expletive) sucks. There’s no question," he said. "We’ve gotta win these games. That’s it. Any game we lose, it (expletive) sucks. Any game we win, we’re one step closer."
But they didn't win and they aren't one step closer.
As uncomfortable as those days of COVID-induced anxiety might have been for the Red Sox, this is next-level. You were reminded that the American League East's defibrillator, the Orioles, don't always do what they are supposed to, which is to lose.
It turns out that a historically-bad pitching staff can still hold a team with the third-best team OPS in all of baseball to just three hits, two of which were solo home runs from Kyle Schwarber and Hunter Renfroe.
There was also the reality that when you have to rely on two one-run homers for your entire offense, even the likes of Sale isn't exactly a guarantee. All it took this time was a two-run homer from Ryan Mountcastle, followed by a single from Austin Hays. That was it for the lefty, ultimately being charged with three runs after Hansel Robles couldn't strand his runner.
And to punctuate the misery, the Red Sox' response in an all-important eighth inning were the three outs made on four pitches against a 28-year-old reliever named Joey Krehbiel, who was making just his sixth appearance in the big leagues.
"We’ve been getting (dragged) through mud the last four games,” said Sale. "We’ve gotta find something, man. These games, they’re not making any more of ’em, and we’re getting toward the end. We know where we’re at. We know what we’re up against. It’s not even really us versus anybody. It’s us versus us. We’ve gotta win games, and the more we can get back to that, the better off we’re going to be."
"Us versus us" isn't false. It's just that it seems like the Red Sox' legs are getting a little heavier while some of those chasing them are more prepared for this final kick.
Take the Mariners, for instance, who are now just 1/2-game in back of the Red Sox for the Wild Card spot. Since dropping its season finale to the Red Sox two weeks ago, Seattle has won 12 of its last 14, including three in a row. They play two more against the A's and then three at home vs. the Angels.
Then there are the Blue Jays, who have left Red Sox fans cheering for the Yankees after New York beat in the first of its three-game set. The Jays are a game in back of the Sox.
Alex Cora and Co. are still seemingly in the best spot of the bunch, getting a chance to make amends against the Orioles for two more games before closing out the regular season against the 65-93 Nationals.
All year long, the Red Sox' message was that they were better than everyone was giving them credit for. For much of the season, that was spot-on. But not Tuesday night.
Now they have five games to truly find out who was right.
"We talked about it before. We know what we have to do," Cora said. "Today, it wasn't a good start for us. Our goal is to win both series, one here, one in Washington, and they know it. Everybody knows where we're at. It's not like we're hiding from it. Of course, they know what's at stake."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 29, 2021 8:29:45 GMT -5
AL Wild Card standings: Boston Red Sox only a half game ahead of Mariners after loss to 106-loss Orioles Updated: 8:01 a.m. | Published: 8:00 a.m.
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BALTIMORE — The Red Sox lost 4-2 to the 106-loss Orioles on Tuesday. Their postseason chances dropped from 86.1% to 74.2%, according to ESPN.
Boston — which recorded only three hits vs. Orioles pitching and blew a 2-0 sixth-inning lead — is just a half game ahead of the Mariners who beat the Athletics 4-2 last night.
The Red Sox dropped to two games behind the Yankees for the top Wild Card spot.
If the season ended today: The Red Sox would make the postseason as the second Wild Card team. They would play the Yankees in a one-game elimination at Yankee Stadium. TUESDAY’S SCORES:
Orioles 4, Red Sox 2
Yankees 7, Blue Jays 2
Mariners 4, Athletics 2 STANDINGS (AND POSTSEASON PROBABILITIES, VIA ESPN):
1. Yankees 90-67 (.573) 2 games ahead of Boston (92.5% chance of making postseason)
2. Red Sox 88-69 (.561) (74.2% chance of making postseason)
3. Mariners 88-70 (.557) ½ game behind Boston (15.1% of making postseason)
4. Blue Jays 87-70 (.554) 1 game behind Boston (18.2% chance of making postseason)
5. Athletics 85-73 (.538) 3 ½ games behind Boston (<0.1% chance of making postseason) REMAINING SCHEDULE
Yankees: 2 at Toronto (Wed.-Thu), 3 vs. Tampa Bay (Fri-Sun)
Red Sox: 2 at Baltimore (Wed-Thu), 3 at Washington (Fri-Sun)
Blue Jays: 2 vs. Yankees (Wed-Thu), 3 vs. Baltimore (Fri-Sun)
Mariners: 1 vs. Oakland (Wed), 3 vs. Angels (Fri-Sun)
Athletics: 1 at Seattle (Wed), 3 at Houston (Fri-Sun)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 29, 2021 8:30:46 GMT -5
Lou Merloni @loumerloni · 1h If Devers, Bogey and JD don’t start hitting, this team won’t be playing next week. Panic set in with this team last night. You can see it.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 29, 2021 8:31:49 GMT -5
Dan Shaughnessy @dan_Shaughnessy · 2m C'mon, Lou. Don't be negative. Don't be a hater.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 29, 2021 10:10:30 GMT -5
The Red Sox offense needs to step it up
They have been the catalyst for this four-game skid. By Matt_Collins@MattRyCollins Sep 29, 2021, 10:30am EDT
The Red Sox are a team that is built around their offense. We knew that coming into the season, we knew it in the first half when they were leading the charge to lead the division, and we’ve known it in the second half when their waxing and waning performances were a big reason why the divisional hopes went up in smoke before our eyes. The pitching has certainly won them some games, and it’s been much better than most — certainly I — expected. But this is a team that ranks fourth in runs while sitting outside the top 10 in ERA. The fact is, as Bryan recently wrote, this team is going to go as far as the offense will take them.
And for these last four games, a crucial point in the season, the offense has not taken them anywhere. The way things have shaken out in said games, it’s been easy for the offensive woes to slide under the radar a bit. The pitching has struggled at important times, whether it be Nathan Eovaldi on Friday, the bullpen on Saturday and Sunday, or Chris Sale in a big sixth inning on Tuesday. There has been bad defense, such as Bobby Dalbec letting an easy foul ball drop in or Rafael Devers not handling a ball in that sixth inning on Tuesday. Some managing decisions have been questionable, like turning to Darwinzon Hernandez on Saturday or leaving Chris Sale in on Tuesday for the third time through. (For whatever it’s worth, I was totally fine with the latter decision, though there was some first- and second-guessing from others.) And there has been some bad umpiring, mostly in the form of Joe West on Sunday.
Those are the sorts of turning points in a game that get the most ink, and we’ve certainly put some of our focus here at OTM on those moments when talking about the games. Results swung on those moments. But the truth is they were only in those positions because the offense couldn’t get it done. When Eovaldi was getting hit around, the offense couldn’t keep pace. (To be fair, against Gerrit Cole we can give at least something of a pass.) On Saturday and Sunday, the team held late leads, but that was due to the starting pitching as the offense only provided minimal wiggle room. That was also the case on Tuesday, where the Red Sox couldn’t get multiple baserunners in the same inning against a historically bad pitching staff that entered Tuesday’s action with a 5.84 ERA, and against a starter making his first big-league appearance since the middle of June.
Obviously we’re talking about a four-game stretch, so none of the numbers we’re going to talk about below are going to provide any statistical significance. Rather, it’s just a disappointment and something that cannot happen for an offense-oriented team fighting for their playoff lives. Over these last four games, the Red Sox as a team have hit just .214/.271/.344. They do have five homers, but only two doubles. I’m certainly not a “home runs are rally killers” guy, but if you’re going to string together productive innings you need some doubles in there to keep the line moving and bring in those who reached on singles and walks.
And really, some of these issues are coming down to some of the most important hitters, whether it be the true core or some of the players on whom they’ve been leaning of late. For the former group, it’s Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez, who have combined to go 3-29 during this losing streak. Bogaerts in particular has been a mess, going 1-16 with six strikeouts and no walks. And to make it all the more frustrating, the last three of these losses have come with left-handed starters on the mound for the other side. These are matchups where Bogaerts and Martinez shouldn’t just be contributing. They should be leading the way to victory.
And while I certainly don’t place as much blame on these other two guys’ shoulders, Bobby Dalbec and José Iglesias have struggled in these games as well. Dalbec has again struggled to make contact, striking out in seven of his 12 plate appearances. He has just one hit over these four games, though to be fair it is a home run. Iglesias has been a sparkplug since coming to the Red Sox, but he’s quietly been slowing down, and he has three hits — all singles — and no walks in these four games. Clearly a significantly bigger chunk of the blame can go to Bogaerts and Martinez, but Dalbec and Iglesias have been big parts of any September success, and losing them is clearly hurting.
As I said above, we’re talking about four games. I’m certainly not going to say these games mean we can expect more of the same, particularly from Bogaerts and Martinez. All I can say is that what we’ve seen has been unacceptable, from those two and really from the lineup as a whole. Baseball is full of ebbs and flows, and if players were working strong at bats and just ending up with outs, that’d be one thing. But when you have the most important at bats lasting one or two pitches with weak contact coming as a result, that’s just not going to cut it. This lineup, and its core in particular, needs to show some signs of life, and needs to step it up. There’s no more time to lose.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 29, 2021 10:14:31 GMT -5
This was the most pathetic inning in recent Red Sox history By Alex Reimer 27 minutes ago
It was the top of the eighth inning at Camden Yards and the Red Sox were fighting for their playoff lives against the moribund Orioles.
Four pitches later, the inning was over. The Red Sox offered as much resistance as the Afghan army when Kabul fell.
There are a myriad of reasons to be disgusted with the Red Sox right now: atrocious defense; dumpster fire relief pitching; slumping sluggers. But laying down for somebody named Joey Krehbiel is a baseball sin.
What a sorry way to potentially go out.
One-pitch groundout; two-pitch groundout; one-pitch pop-up.
In the grand scheme, this late-season collapse isn’t comparable to 2011, when the Red Sox went 7-20 down the stretch after playing like the best team in baseball for four months. Most people projected them to win 79 or 80 games this season. Either way, the Red Sox overachieved.
But that offers no solace when the futile foursome of Bruce Zimmermann, Marcos Diplan, Joey Krehbiel and Cole Sulser hold an offense with the third-highest OPS in baseball to three hits over nine innings. Baltimore pitchers retired the final 12 Red Sox hitters in a row. The final nine went down on just 24 pitches.
Over the weekend, we saw Giancarlo Stanton deliver two mammoth eighth-inning home runs that swung the series for the Yankees. He homered Tuesday, too, blasting a game-padding bomb against the Blue Jays.
The Red Sox, meanwhile, have scored just 11 runs in their last four games.
With five games left against the Orioles and Nationals, the Red Sox are still in position to make the playoffs. They hold a half-game lead over Seattle and 1-game lead over Toronto for the second wild card spot.
But they may have blown their best opportunity to gain ground. They lost to the 51-win Orioles when Chris Sale was on the mound.
And they went down in just four pitches.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 29, 2021 10:38:06 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 1h 11 runs in 4 games
Against tonight's Oriole starter Zac Lowther the Red Sox scored 10 runs in 5.2 innings and hit .414/.485/.621 off of him in two previous games this year.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 29, 2021 11:49:42 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 1h (1/2) A few #RedSox tidbits:
* JD Martinez: 299/.371/.566 before the All-Star break. .261/.310/.452 since.
* Record vs. Orioles: Sox 12-5, Jays 11-5, Yankees 11-8, Mariners 4-3, A's 3-3.
* Eovaldi last two: 7.2 IP, 14 H, 10 ER.
* Zac Lowther (O's starter tonight) vs. the Sox this season: 5.2 IP, 12 H, 10 ER.
* Sox offense last 4 games: .214/.271/.344 with 11 runs.
* Jose Iglesias with the Sox: 0.4 bWAR in 18 games. Marwin Gonzalez and Danny Santana: -0.7 (all season).
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 29, 2021 13:54:08 GMT -5
Red Sox look to break four-game losing streak at Orioles | Lineups and pregame notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated September 29, 2021, 11:06 a.m. The Red Sox dropped further behind the Yankees for the top wild-card after losing to the Orioles, 4-2, Tuesday night. They now trail the Yankees by two games, and are clinging to the final spot, ½ game ahead of the Mariners. Here are the standings. Alex Speier breaks down the situation for the Red Sox, including what could happen if there is a three-way tie for the second wild-card spot. Lineups RED SOX (88-69): 1. Enrique Hernandez (R) CF 2. Hunter Renfroe (R) RF 3. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 4. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS 5. J.D. Martinez (R) DH 6. Bobby Dalbec (R) 1B 7. Kevin Plawecki (R) C 8. Alex Verdugo (L) LF 9. Jose Iglesias (R) 2B Pitching: RHP Nate Eovaldi (10-9, 3.88 ERA) ORIOLES (51-106): 1. Cedric Mullins (L) CF 2. Ryan Mountcastle (R) 1B 3. Austin Hays (R) RF 4. Trey Mancini (R) DH 5. Pedro Severino (R) C 6. Ryan McKenna (R) LF 7. Pat Valaika (R) 2B 8. Kelvin Gutierrez (R) 3B 9. Richie Martin (R) SS Pitching: LHP Zac Lowther (1-2, 7.66 ERA) Time: 7:05 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Red Sox vs. Lowther: Xander Bogaerts 2-4, Bobby Dalbec 1-2, Rafael Devers 1-3, Kiké Hernández 1-2, José Iglesias 0-1, J.D. Martinez 1-4, Hunter Renfroe 1-3, Kyle Schwarber 0-2, Alex Verdugo 2-2, Christian Vázquez 1-2. Orioles vs. Eovaldi: Kelvin Gutierrez 0-3, Austin Hays 5-13, Trey Mancini 2-11, Richie Martin 1-2, Ryan Mountcastle 4-7, Cedric Mullins 5-17, Pedro Severino 4-12, Pat Valaika 3-7. Stat of the day: Hunter Renfroe is 12-for-36 (.333) over his past 10 games, with two homers and seven RBIs. Notes: The Red Sox have scored three runs or fewer in each of their past four games. ... In 14 career starts against Baltimore, Eovaldi is 6-2 with a 4.06 ERA. ... Lowther is 0-1 with a 15.88 ERA in two starts this season against the Red Sox, allowing 10 runs on 12 hits and four walks in 5 ⅔ innings. He earned his first major-league win on Sept. 23, with five scoreless innings against the Texas Rangers. Song of the Day: Beastie Boys - Sabotagewww.youtube.com/watch?v=z5rRZdiu1UE
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 29, 2021 14:38:25 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 47m Eovaldi - Plawecki 90 IP, 3.50 ERA, 2.49 FIP, .651 OPS
Eovaldi - Vazquez 66 IP, 4.77 ERA, 3.47 FIP, .766 OPS
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 30, 2021 2:32:22 GMT -5
'This is awesome': Red Sox tighten WC race Eovaldi dominates for 6 innings, Martinez drives in 3 as Boston snaps a four-game skid 12:54 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
BALTIMORE -- Early in Wednesday night’s game against the Orioles, the Red Sox looked like a team still trying to discover its identity as an offensive unit.
Fortunately, Boston had Nathan Eovaldi on the mound, and he was determined to stop his team’s four-game skid in its tracks. Eovaldi did just that, pitching the Sox to a huge 6-0 victory at Camden Yards that improved their postseason outlook with four games left in the season.
Eovaldi’s dominant performance bought the bats some time to break out. Which they did, riding a big night from J.D. Martinez (3-for-4, homer, three RBIs) and insurance hits by Alex Verdugo (two-run single) and Hunter Renfroe (30th homer).
By at last notching win No. 89, manager Alex Cora’s squad moved to within one game of the Yankees for the top American League Wild Card spot while increasing its lead for the second spot to one game over the Mariners (pending the outcome of their game against the A's on Wednesday) and staying one ahead of the Blue Jays.
Boston’s magic number for clinching a playoff spot is down to four.
“It’s fun. This is awesome,” said Martinez. “I’m sure you guys are having fun with it, too. We’re having fun with it. Obviously there’s a little bit more pressure on us. I like to have fun with these things. This is what you play for -- to be in these situations. If they would have told us at the beginning of Spring Training we’d be in this situation, I think everyone would be excited, and we’d be looking forward to the challenge.”
While Martinez’s heroics were welcome, it was Eovaldi (six shutout innings, four hits, one walk, seven strikeouts) who set the tone.
The fireballing righty, who is having his finest all-around season, rebounded from his rare mishap last time out against the Yankees. He was sharp and efficient, throwing 90 pitches, 62 of them for strikes.
“I made the mechanical adjustments I felt like I needed to make, and I felt like I was able to command the zone tonight. I had a good feel for my curveball and splitter,” said Eovaldi. “I mixed my cutter in there a little bit more than I have recently. The only pitch I felt like wasn’t great tonight was the slider. So if I’ve got four out of five pitches working, that’s a good recipe for me.”
And Eovaldi dealing like he did? That was precisely what the Red Sox needed to emerge from their recent funk.
“Big. He’s arguably our ace, you know? You pick between him and Chris [Sale],” said Martinez. “He’s been a bulldog for us all year. Obviously he had a tough one for us last outing. But this one, for him to come back and bounce back with these guys, it’s a plus. We’re going to need him.”
The next time the Red Sox call on Eovaldi, the season could well be on the line, whether it is a tiebreaking game No. 163 on Monday or the AL Wild Card Game on Tuesday.
Anyone who watched Eovaldi in the 2018 postseason knows he wouldn’t shy away from that kind of moment.
“Extremely exciting,” Eovaldi said of the possibility of pitching in a win-or-go-home game. “I love trying to be the stopper. If the team needs me in a big moment, I want to be that guy to provide for them and be able to help the team out as much as I can. Regardless of who it is, obviously I’ll be doing my homework and be ready for it if I get that opportunity.” Get the latest from the Red Sox
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The Red Sox are more likely to seize that opportunity if the offense can get back to what it does best -- mashing the baseball.
After a slow start on Wednesday, the bats finally put into high gear.
Martinez gave Eovaldi a 1-0 lead when he matched his uniform number by mashing his 28th homer of the season with one out in the second. Clocked to dead center at a Statcast-projected distance of 444 feet, it was the longest homer Martinez has hit in his four seasons with the Red Sox.
For Martinez, who hasn’t performed up to his standards since the All-Star break (.269/.317/.474, 10 homers in 253 plate appearances), a hot finish to the season could mean big things for the Red Sox. Xander Bogaerts is another player who could stand to get hot over these final few games.
When the Red Sox click up and down the lineup, they get very dangerous.
“We’ve been grinding for the last four games now,” said Martinez. “Just being able to get the monkey off our back I think was a big one for us.”
While Martinez carried the day early, adding a two-run double in the sixth, his teammates eventually started chipping in. Verdugo roped a two-run single in the eighth, and Renfroe unloaded for No. 30 in the ninth.
The hope for the Red Sox is that Wednesday carries into Thursday -- and so on.
“Overall, too, it was a pretty good game,” said Cora. “Now we have to go back to the hotel, relax and be ready for tomorrow. Whatever happened today, whatever happened the last five days, it really doesn't matter. We've got to be ready for tomorrow. Our goal was to come here and win the series. and we've got a chance to do that tomorrow.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 30, 2021 2:33:46 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Whitlock 'feels great' September 29th, 2021
INJURY UPDATES
Day to day
None.
COVID-19 IL
OF/INF Danny Santana Expected return: By end of regular season, if needed The switch-hitting veteran started a Minor League rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester on Sept. 29. Santana could be useful to the Red Sox on the postseason roster because of his speed and defensive versatility. (Last updated: Sept. 29)
RHP Phillips Valdez Expected return: By end of regular season, if needed Valdez joined Danny Santana in reporting to Triple-A Worcester for a rehab assignment on Sept. 29. Boston's bullpen depth has been tested of late with injuries, so it’s possible Valdez will re-enter the mix at some point. At the very least, he is a depth option if there is another injury or two in the bullpen. Valdez has pitched in 28 games for the Red Sox this season, notching a 5.85 ERA. (Last updated: Sept. 29)
INF/OF Yairo Muñoz Expected return: TBD Muñoz joined the Red Sox at the start of their COVID outbreak, only to test positive himself on Sept. 1. The reason Muñoz isn’t playing yet is because he has a sore right wrist. When he is cleared to play, it will most likely be for Triple-A. (Last updated: Sept. 22) 10-day IL
RHP Garrett Whitlock (right pectoral strain) Expected return: Oct. 2-3 at earliest For the second straight day, Whitlock played catch at Camden Yards. The plan is to have him throw a bullpen session in Washington on Oct. 1, which will be a key step in the righty being cleared to return to action. It seems that Oct. 2 is a best-case scenario for Whitlock to be available in Boston’s bullpen. He has been the team’s best reliever this season.
“He played catch today. He feels great,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. (Last updated: Sept. 29)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 30, 2021 3:01:21 GMT -5
Red Sox have a fun moment during a laugher against the Orioles By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated September 29, 2021, 10:07 p.m.
BALTIMORE — The Red Sox, a team very much in need of a good laugh, got that and much more on Wednesday night.
When Alex Verdugo helped secure a 6-0 victory against the Baltimore Orioles with a two-run single in the eighth inning, third base coach Carlos Febles slipped on the grass and fell on his rear end while excitedly waving J.D. Martinez to the plate.
The Sox players and coaches, who had been grinding through a poorly timed four-game losing streak, had a good laugh in the dugout as Febles hopped up and bowed at the waist to the fans at Camden Yards.
“I told him I was going so fast that the wind knocked him over,” said Martinez, no speed demon. “We’re going to have fun with that one.”
Who knows, maybe that little bit of amusement will help push the Sox into the postseason. Sometimes a team needs something to release the pressure.
“Stuff like that, it always helps,” said manager Alex Cora, who was still laughing after the game.
It also didn’t hurt that Martinez was 3 for 4 with a home run, double, and three RBIs. Or that Nate Eovaldi fired six dominant innings, allowing four hits and striking out seven.
Even the bullpen was solid as three relievers retired nine of the 11 batters they faced and struck out four.
At 89-69, the Sox maintained their hold on the second wild-card berth in the American League, now with four games to go. With the Blue Jays beating the Yankees, 6-5, the Sox are a game behind New York and a game ahead of Toronto.
The Sox are 13-5 against the Orioles with Nick Pivetta on the mound to wrap up the season series on Thursday.
“I always believe that pitching can get the team going,” Eovaldi said. “It’s going to be that big spark. We were able to have a shutout game tonight … Hopefully we can keep the momentum going.”
The Sox hit 13 balls with an exit velocity of at least 90 miles per hour over the first five innings but scored only one run against Orioles starter Zac Lowther.
That came in the second inning when Martinez belted a changeup 444 feet to center field for his 28th home run. Related: J.D. Martinez is producing for the Red Sox, but he’s far from satisfied
All that other good contact proved fruitless.
Rafael Devers grounded into a double play in the first inning. With two on and no outs in the third inning, Hunter Renfroe’s line drive to third baseman Kelvin Gutierrez resulted in José Iglesias being doubled off second.
The Sox opened the fifth inning with two hits only to have Kiké Hernández ground into a double play.
After Devers singled leading off the sixth inning, Baltimore went to righthander Eric Hanhold.
Xander Bogaerts followed with another well-hit grounder to third. But this time Gutierrez didn’t make the play as the ball deflected off his glove into left field for a two-base error.
Martinez followed with a two-run double to left field and the Sox had a 3-0 lead.
As the Red Sox labored to score, Eovaldi held down the Orioles. Baltimore advanced runners into scoring position in the first, third, and sixth innings, but Eovaldi came up with pitches when he had to.
“This is a guy that we trust,” Cora said. “From the get-go it felt like his stuff was going to play tonight.”
Eovaldi’s best work came in the sixth.
Lefthanded-hitting Cedric Mullins grounded a double into left field against the shift. Eovaldi then walked Ryan Mountcastle, who saw seven pitches.
Austin Hays popped to shallow center. Eovaldi then struck out Trey Mancini swinging at a fastball before Pedro Severino ended the inning with a fly ball to center.
Eovaldi had more left but was lifted after six innings and 90 pitches, which could make him available for at least relief work if needed during Game 162 on Sunday. Related: Red Sox could really use Garrett Whitlock, but he’s not ready to return yet
If not, Eovaldi finished the regular season 11-9 with a 3.75 earned run average and 195 strikeouts over 182⅓ innings.
“I’m definitely satisfied. The biggest thing for me is to stay healthy,” Eovaldi said. “I’ve been able to accomplish that this year. Hopefully we have another month left of the season.”
The Sox added two runs in the eighth. Bogaerts and Martinez singled off Konner Wade before pinch hitter Travis Shaw walked to load the bases with two outs,
Verdugo’s opposite-field single drove in two as Febles took his tumble.
“Fortunately we were able to beat up on the ‘pen once we got [Lowther] out of there,” Martinez said.
Ryan Brasier, Hansel Robles, and Matt Barnes finished the game. Barnes looked sharp, throwing six of nine pitches for strikes in a quick ninth inning.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 30, 2021 3:09:04 GMT -5
Red Sox notebook Nick Pivetta has been a pleasant surprise for the Red Sox By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated September 29, 2021, 8:19 p.m.
BALTIMORE — Nick Pivetta pitched only 15⅔ innings last season, appearing in three games for the Phillies and two for the Red Sox.
His only action otherwise came in occasional intrasquad scrimmages with minor leaguers. The Sox had no way of knowing for sure how much the righthander could give them this season or in what role.
It proved to be more than they could have expected. Pivetta’s scheduled start against the Orioles on Thursday would be his 30th of the season. Related: Red Sox have a fun moment during a laugher against the Orioles
Only Nate Eovaldi (32) and Eduardo Rodriguez (30) have as many or more. Pivetta is third on the team with 149⅓ innings. He’s 9-7 with a 4.52 earned run average.
“You know what? He’s been really good for us,” manager Alex Cora said before Wednesday night’s 6-0 victory. “There’s more there, we believe. He keeps learning; he keeps growing.”
Pivetta has averaged 94.8 miles per hour with his fastball this season. He throws it 52 percent of time with his curveball and slider filling out his arsenal along with occasional changeups.
“His fastball plays. It’s a good fastball,” Cora said. “Not only the velocity but the carry and the way he uses it. When he’s on with it, he’s really tough to hit … The future is bright for him.”
Pivetta has faced the Orioles four times and allowed 10 runs over 21⅔ innings. He is 3-0.
Baltimore will pitch Alexander Wells, a rookie from Australia. He has a 7.61 ERA in 10 games. He started against the Sox on Sept. 19 at Fenway Park and allowed five runs over five innings. Whitlock progressing
The feeling was unlike anything Garrett Whitlock had experienced. The righthander compared what he felt in the seventh inning on Sept. 19, in a game against the Orioles, to a runner feeling a slight twinge in a hamstring.
Only in this case, he was a pitcher who felt discomfort in his right pectoral muscle.
Mindful of the stage of the season and his sense of responsibility to his team, Whitlock tried to pitch through it. But his velocity plummeted, convincing third baseman Rafael Devers to alert the training staff. Whitlock was removed from the game for an injury that has him on the injured list.
“Coming out, I felt like I’d let the team down a little bit,” Whitlock said Wednesday. “[Eovaldi] told me, ‘Hey, if you’re in there, when you’re not pitching up to your standards because you’re not feeling good, you’re not helping the team anyways.’ ”
The 25-year-old’s absence has been glaring at times. Whitlock is 8-4 with a pair of saves and a 1.99 ERA in 72⅓ innings. In recent days, when the Sox blew leads on back-to-back days in the eighth inning against the Yankees, it was easy to imagine how Whitlock’s availability could have changed things.
“Any time you can’t help the team win, you feel bad,” said Whitlock. “I’m just trying to take my work each day seriously and get back as quick as I can so that I can help the team.”
Though Whitlock is eligible to be activated from the injured list on Thursday, he won’t be. The righthander threw on flat ground at Camden Yards for the second time in as many days on Wednesday. Cora said that Whitlock will throw a bullpen session on Friday, at which point the team will decide what comes next.
Whitlock said that he feels “encouraged” by his recovery, though he’s trying to focus on each step rather than guessing when he’ll be ready to return to games.
“The way I liked to prepare, beforehand, I was imagining, all right, this is the Wild Card Game. When I go out to pitch, this is a Wild Card Game. I’ve got to make sure I throw up a zero,” said Whitlock. “That way, I can get prepared if I’m in that situation.” Goodwin replaced
Quality control coach Ramón Vázquez coached first base in place of Tom Goodwin on Tuesday and will handle the job for the remainder of the season.
Goodwin is not vaccinated against COVID-19 and MLB is requiring non-playing personnel to be vaccinated as a condition of being allowed on the field and other restricted spaces during the postseason.
“We’ve got to prepare for the postseason if we get there,” Cora said.
Cora said no other staff members are affected.
“It’s always been a choice. If a person makes that choice, then we all live with that,” Goodwin told the Globe earlier this month. “It’s not a cult that we’re involved with. This is what we feel is best for our bodies and our families. We’re going to take the consequences that come with that.” Pitching plans
Rodriguez is scheduled to start Friday night against the Nationals. Chris Sale would be available on Sunday if Game 162 is important. Related: Blue Jays beat Yankees to tighten AL wild-card race
Saturday’s starter is to be determined. Cora indicated that Tanner Houck was a possibility. He hasn’t started since Sept. 15 but should be able to go four innings.
The Nationals have rookies Josh Rogers and Josiah Gray scheduled for Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Rogers is 2-1 with a 2.73 ERA in five starts. The former Yankees draft pick was one of three prospects traded to the Orioles for Zack Britton in 2018.
The Orioles released Rogers on June 1. The Nationals signed him three days later.
Gray, 23, is 2-2 with a 5.72 ERA in 11 starts for Washington. He was one of the three prospects traded for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner on July 30.
Patrick Corbin was scheduled to start Sunday. But the Nationals decided to shut him down because of a blister. He is 9-16 with a 5.82 ERA but had a 3.82 ERA in five starts this month.
Washington has not named a replacement for Corbin. Taylor not close
Josh Taylor, the team’s primary lefthanded reliever, is not on the trip. He stayed in Boston getting treatment on his sore back. Taylor has been on the injured list since Sept. 23 and is unlikely to return in the regular season … Utility player Danny Santana and righthanded reliever Phillips Valdez started rehab assignments with Triple A Worcester, which ends its season on Sunday. Both are on the COVID-19 injured list. It’s unlikely either will return to the major league roster, but the Sox want them ready should a need arise … The Sox are 13-5 against the Orioles with a game remaining, 7-2 at Camden Yards … Matt Barnes made his 383rd career appearance when he pitched the ninth inning. That tied him with Roger Clemens for sixth in team history, one behind Derek Lowe.
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