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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 1, 2021 15:34:26 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 2m A few #RedSox tidbits:
* Sox are 39-39 since July 1.
* Sox are 13-4 in interleague games.
* Last 6 games: 19 runs with a .231/.286/.371 slash line. Only 4 doubles.
* Bogaerts last 6: 2x23, 0 RBI, 0 XBH.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 1, 2021 15:46:49 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 7m Also, interesting game for Eduardo Rodriguez:
* Likely his last chance to get a hit with universal DH expected for 2022. He's 0x23.
* Could be his final game with the Sox as he will be a free agent.
* Only 3 Nats have faced him before — Bell, Escobar and Mercer. They are 2x14
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Oct 1, 2021 19:37:08 GMT -5
t.co/jwMplPM6zqHow many times do we have to give up a baserunner before they learn to run everything out?
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 2, 2021 2:41:29 GMT -5
Red Sox team up for big win amid WC race Renfroe, Dalbec hit back-to-back homers, Rodriguez has solid outing vs. Nationals 3:00 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
WASHINGTON -- For a week, the offense had mostly gone into hibernation, and it was threatening to make winter come early for the Red Sox.
But on Friday night, Hunter Renfroe broke the seal when he mashed a three-run homer to center with one out in the sixth inning, fueling Boston to a huge, 4-2 victory over the Nationals.
By winning for just the second time in their last seven games, the Red Sox pulled within a game of the Yankees for the top American League Wild Card spot, and the Mariners' 2-1 loss to the Angels later Friday night lifted Boston into sole possession of the second spot. Toronto, which downed the Orioles, is tied with Seattle, a game behind Boston.
The Red Sox can clinch a postseason berth as early as Saturday with a win over the Nationals (4 p.m. ET) as well as losses by both the Blue Jays (3 p.m.) and Mariners (9 p.m.).
All this pennant-race drama with just two games left in the regular season.
“You win, then you look around and see where we’re at,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “We’ve got one job to do and it’s to win ballgames. Obviously what’s going on, you see it all over the place. You’re locked in on your game, of course, but you know what’s going on around the league.”
For the Red Sox, the most important thing was that they took care of their own business, making it more likely their season will stretch beyond Sunday.
After Eduardo Rodriguez, who had a gritty performance to pick up the win in what was possibly his last regular-season appearance for Boston, struck out the ever-dangerous Juan Soto on an eight-pitch at-bat to end the fifth, the Red Sox finally generated a rally that led to something.
It started in an important way as Xander Bogaerts, who had just two hits in his previous 24 at-bats, raked a single to open the sixth. With one out, J.D. Martinez, who has warmed up the past few days, knocked a single to left.
That set up Renfroe, who mauled a 2-2, center-cut fastball at 106-mph off his bat and a projected distance of 423 feet.
“It felt good,” said Renfroe. “I missed the first two pitches that I really should’ve hit hard. He [Josh Rogers] left a fastball over the middle part of the plate there. I was able to get a good barrel on it, and the right degree of angle.”
Bobby Dalbec made it back-to-back jacks when he hammered a first-pitch slider over the wall in left-center.
Finally, the Red Sox could breathe again.
“I mean, everybody was jumping around,” said Rodriguez. “So that's how big it was. Right now, every run we score, we're gonna be happy. We're gonna jump [around] the dugout. That’s how it was in that situation. Every time we score a run, you guys are gonna see us jumping around all over the place. That was really, really, really cool and special to be out there.”
Give credit to Cora, who went to a unique outfield alignment in the National League park so he could keep his big right-handed bats in the lineup against the left-handed Rogers.
Cora joked with a college football comparison that he was going “Boise State” and prioritizing offense over defense. Kyle Schwarber started in left, with Renfroe playing center and Martinez playing right. That allowed Dalbec to stay in the lineup at first base.
Martinez, not known for his defense, came up with a huge assist, gunning a strike to third to nail Soto to end the bottom of the seventh.
As big as the sixth-inning outburst was by the offense, the performance by Rodriguez was just as significant.
The veteran lefty fired five scoreless innings (plus two batters in the sixth), walking three and striking out six. In the fourth, he wiggled out of a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam.
And Kiké Hernández was a big reason why. With the “big guys” playing the outfield, as Cora put it before the game, Hernández moved to second base. On that final play of the fourth, Andrew Stevenson hit a little tapper that Hernández charged, barehanded and shoveled to first, where Dalbec made a strong scoop and stretch to get the team back to the dugout with the game still scoreless.
“That’s a Gold Glove play right there,” said Rodriguez. “That's everything I can say right there. That’s a Gold Glove play. After I saw the ground ball, I know the guy is really fast, so I'm really just thinking, 'He can make the play,' and he made the play. That’s something you don't see every day.”
The game remained stressful to the final pitch, as Keibert Ruiz came up with two outs in the bottom of the ninth as the potential winning run. But Hansel Robles completed the high-wire act save by inducing a flyout to right to end it, giving the Red Sox some momentum going into Saturday. Get the latest from the Red Sox
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“It’s fun, but it’s not fun. It’s stressful, but it’s not stressful,” said Cora. “Of course you really want it in a different way so you can breathe and get ready for next week like some of the teams that have clinched already. But this is where we at. We’ve got to take advantage of every day. Not too many teams can say they’re still in the hunt. So you just try to enjoy as much as possible, but you’ve got to get locked in for tomorrow.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 2, 2021 2:42:49 GMT -5
Cora uses 'big boys in the OF' for NL play October 1st, 2021 Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
WASHINGTON -- Playing under National League rules at a time the Red Sox are searching for offense, manager Alex Cora got creative with his team’s season on the line.
For Friday night’s opener of a three-game series against the Nationals, Cora went with an outfield probably nobody would have predicted. Kyle Schwarber got the nod in left, with Hunter Renfroe in center and J.D. Martinez stationed in right.
Boston’s typical outfield alignment is Alex Verdugo in left, Kiké Hernández in center and Renfroe in right.
Facing lefty starter Josh Rogers, Verdugo was out of the lineup with Hernández supplanting José Iglesias at second. In this arrangement, Bobby Dalbec’s power righty bat was able to stay in there.
“Yeah, we’re going with the big boys in the outfield,” said Cora. “Bobby’s playing first. With the lefty, trying to get, I’ll put it this way, instant offense. I think it's the best offensive alignment, that we can put, obviously, in the outfield. It’s not the rangiest outfield, but they make plays. And, you know, we're playing the National League, so there's no DH. So you have to make adjustments, and that's what we decided to do.”
Though this figures to be a stressful weekend in which the Red Sox might have to win all three games to assure playing past Sunday, Cora was having fun with his unique outfield trio.
“I would love to say we went with the Miami offense, football-wise, but we decided to go Boise State,” said Cora. “Instant offense. It is what it is, it’s where we’re at. It’s the National League, there’s a lefty on the mound. Having those three in the outfield, it’s not as rangy as you’d want to be. They’ll make good decisions. The hope is for the offense to wake up, that’s the most important thing.”
While losing two out of three this week against the Orioles, the team with the worst ERA in the Majors, the Sox scored just two runs in both of their defeats.
Pitching plans Cora is taking a wait-and-see approach with his pitching for the weekend. As of Friday’s pregame, he did not have a starter listed for Saturday.
Tanner Houck, who has been used in relief of late, is an option. But Cora was also holding out the possibility of the hard-throwing rookie being used out of the ‘pen if needed on Friday.
Assuming the Red Sox are still fighting for playoff position on Sunday, ace Chris Sale will start the regular-season finale.
“Let's play tonight and see what kind of usage there is, who we use, and then we'll make decisions accordingly,” Cora said.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 2, 2021 2:44:06 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Whitlock takes big step October 1st, 2021
10-day IL
RHP Garrett Whitlock (right pectoral strain) Expected return: Saturday or Sunday Whitlock took a big step toward being able to pitch in the regular-series finale when he threw a bullpen session prior to Friday night’s game. Given that the situation the Red Sox are still fighting for a postseason berth, the return of Whitlock either Saturday or Sunday would be significant.
“Now, we have to wait to see how he feels throughout the day. I do believe he’s going to be OK,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “Then we'll decide when to activate him if he's fine. You know, maybe tomorrow or Sunday, whatever it is, so we'll wait and see how he reacts.” (Last updated: Oct. 1)
LHP Josh Taylor (low back strain) Expected back: Postseason at earliest Taylor is not progressing as quickly from his back injury as the Red Sox hoped and there seems no chance he will return for this weekend’s series against the Nationals. In fact, the chances he could return for a tiebreaker game or the American League Wild Card Game also seems remote. Perhaps the best-case scenario would be if Taylor returns for a potential Division Series.
“Yeah, it hasn't progressed the way we thought,” said manager Alex Cora. “So we have to be patient and let's see what happens.” (Last updated: Oct. 1)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 2, 2021 2:52:33 GMT -5
Jon Couture @joncouture · 2h Mariners blow what felt like a million chances, lose 2-1 to the awful Angels, and now the #RedSox are in the Wild Card Game free and clear if they win Saturday and Sunday.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 2, 2021 3:06:18 GMT -5
Red Sox generate power with novel defensive alignment to beat Nationals By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated October 1, 2021, 10:33 p.m.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nothing can come easy to a 2021 Red Sox team attempting its final push toward the postseason — nor should it.
The Sox, after all, proved incapable of separating from the Wild Card pack over the season’s final month, their strides followed by stumbles. And so it seems fitting that the Sox, in their 160th game, delivered a game that served as a microcosm of their recent play.
They struggled but did not despair. They claimed a lead but could not separate. They stood in a tinderbox but did not burn. And ultimately, they claimed a tension-filled 4-2 win against the Nationals, concluding their 90th win of the season on a pitch that easily could have yielded a walkoff loss.
“It’s that rollercoaster. It’s fun but it’s not fun. It’s stressful but it’s not stressful,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “This is where we’re at. We’ve got to take advantage of every day. Not too many teams can say they’re still in the hunt, so you just try to enjoy it as much as possible.”
Desperate for offense after a 1-5 stretch in which the Sox scored three runs or fewer in all of their losses, Cora attempted a novel defensive alignment in an effort to try to generate as much power as possible while playing in Nationals Park, without benefit of the DH. He moved Kiké Hernández from center to second, allowing Kyle Schwarber (left), Hunter Renfroe (center), J.D. Martinez (right), and Bobby Dalbec (first base) to lengthen the middle of the order.
For four innings, the setup yielded no offensive dividends. In the spirit of the three consecutive Orioles lefties who carved the Red Sox lineup this week, Nationals southpaw Josh Rogers likewise sliced through the Sox lineup early, with the team failing to advance a runner past first base through five scoreless innings. Through four innings, the Sox had six pop-ups on the first or second pitches of their at-bats.
To that point, the most significant dividends of the Red Sox lineup came in the field behind Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez. The lefthander — a free-agent-to-be who was potentially making his last start with the Sox — operated without a safety net, the stakes of each pitch in a scoreless game considerable.
Rodriguez stranded runners on second and third in the first inning, then after loading the bases (the second of four walks to Juan Soto and back-to-back singles) with no outs in the fourth, he struck out Jordy Mercer, retired Carter Kieboom on a foul-out, and induced a dribbler to second from Andrew Stevenson.
The Stevenson grounder seemed destined to turn into a run-scoring, infield hit. But Hernández — making his first start at second since Sept. 12 only because Cora employed what he called his “offensive linemen” in the outfield — charged the ball on the infield grass, barehanded it, and made a sprawling flick to first. The throw skidded off the grass, but first baseman Dalbec corralled it to maintain the scoreless tie.
“That’s a Gold Glove play right there,” said Rodriguez. “That’s something you don’t see every day.”
Rodriguez encountered another caution sign in the fifth, when a two-out single brought Soto to the plate with two outs. Through seven taut pitches that included three mighty swings resulting in foul balls, Rodriguez and Soto unblinkingly stared each other down.
On the eighth offering, Rodriguez dotted the top of the strike zone with a 92 miles-per-hour fastball. Soto swung through it, ending the inning and seemingly energizing the Sox.
After Xander Bogaerts led off the sixth with a single and became the first Sox baserunner to advance to second when Martinez delivered his own one-out single, Renfroe obliterated a 91 mph meatball for a 423-foot homer to deep left-center. Renfroe’s 31st homer gave the Sox a 3-0 lead.
One pitch later, the lead increased to 4-0, as Dalbec launched a skyscraper to left that seemingly traced the Capitol Rotunda, his 25th homer of the year — sixth most from a Red Sox rookie.
Armed with a 4-0 advantage, Rodriguez returned for the sixth, but quickly courted trouble. He issued a leadoff walk and gave up a single to Kiebert Ruiz, prompting Cora to summon reliever Ryan Brasier.
Brasier is emerging as a key late-innings contributor. Friday marked the third time he’d pitched in as many games. He showed no evidence of fatigue, getting one out on the ground and two more by strikeout to extend his scoreless appearances streak to seven.
Brasier’s fine work closed the book on Rodriguez, who allowed five hits and three walks in five-plus scoreless innings that included six strikeouts. The longtime Sox starter finished his year on an upswing, posting a 2.21 ERA in his last four starts.
“We’ve needed him down the stretch,” said Renfroe. “He pitched phenomenally.”
Still, the Sox bullpen nearly faltered. Matt Barnes gave up a solo homer to Alcides Escobar in the seventh on a 93 mph fastball, and Adam Ottavino gave up a solo homer to Jordy Mercer in the eighth — the fifth homer Ottavino has yielded in his last 10 games — to make it 4-2.
Hansel Robles then secured a heart palpitating save — his third with the Red Sox — in the ninth, walking Soto and Josh Bell with two outs before getting Ruiz to sky to right on a middle-middle fastball.
The win ensured that the Sox — who entered the day tied with the Mariners for the second Wild Card berth — will remain in contention for a postseason spot at least through Sunday, the last scheduled day of the regular season. They remained one game ahead of the Blue Jays (who beat the Orioles), and moved within one game of the Yankees (who lost to the Rays) for the top Wild Card seed.
“These games matter a lot. Don’t let anybody say they don’t matter,” said Renfroe. “We do know the urgency of needing to win. We can see the finish line. We just have to keep going strong, finish strong, and get back into October baseball.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 2, 2021 3:11:18 GMT -5
Red Sox Notebook With no DH available in Washington, Red Sox outfield shifts to team’s power hitters By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated October 2, 2021, 12:49 a.m.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — And now, for something completely different.
With their lineup squeezed by the absence of a designated hitter in a National League park, the Red Sox unveiled a new outfield alignment on Friday night. Against Nationals lefty Josh Rogers, the team inserted Bobby Dalbec at first base with Kyle Schwarber in left, Hunter Renfroe in center, and J.D. Martinez in right. Kiké Hernández started at second base for the first time since Sept. 12.
In moving Hernández out of the outfield, the Red Sox made a calculated decision to try to jumpstart a struggling offense that had scored three or fewer runs in five of the previous six games. The first-of-its-kind outfield alignment of Schwarber, Renfroe, and Martinez represented the team’s deepest group of power-hitting options against southpaws, even if doing so came at the expense of their better alignments.
“We’re going with the big boys in the outfield. … The hope is for the offense to wake up. That’s the most important thing,” said manager Alex Cora before the 4-2 win. “[We’re] trying to get, I’ll put it this way, instant offense. I think it’s the best offensive alignment that we can put, obviously, in the outfield. It’s not the rangiest outfield but they make plays.”
The experiment in Nationals Park did not come without peril. According to Red Sox analyst Greg Rybarczyk, the outfield in Washington features roughly 92,100 square feet — comparable to Tropicana Field, slightly larger than Yankee Stadium, and significantly larger than Camden Yards (90,100) or Fenway — which features the least outfield ground in the majors at 87,000 square feet.
But the realignment worked for the Sox, who took a 4-2 victory over the Nationals, with Renfroe and Dalbec connecting for home runs.
The Schwarber-Renfroe-Martinez tandem represented the 32nd starting outfield alignment employed this year by the Red Sox. The most frequent combination, of course, has been Alex Verdugo in left, Hernández in center, and Renfroe in right — a pairing that has been employed 51 times. Two other pairings have been used 15 times: Martinez in left, Verdugo in center, and Renfroe in right; and Franchy Cordero in left, Verdugo in center, and Renfroe in right.
Taylor unlikely to return
Josh Taylor, who landed on the injured list with a lower back strain last Sunday (retroactive to Sept. 23), is unlikely to be able to return to the Red Sox bullpen during the final weekend of the series. He traveled to Washington from Boston to rejoin the Sox, but he has yet to resume throwing.
“As of now, I don’t see it,” Cora said of a potential return for Taylor (1-0, 3.40, 60 strikeouts in 47⅔ innings) this weekend.
Garrett Whitlock (8-4, 1.99 ERA in 72⅓ innings) threw off the bullpen mound on Friday for the first time since his pectoral strain on Sept. 19.
“Felt good. I’m pleased with it,” said the righthander. Cora said that Whitlock is likely to be activated either Saturday or Sunday. Related: ‘They got up off the mat:’ Chaim Bloom not satisfied, but proud of his Red Sox
The Sox remained undecided on a Saturday starter as of the conclusion of Friday’s game. But righthander Tanner Houck, who has spent the last two weeks in the bullpen, said that he’d welcome the ball in that or any other role.
“It’s all hands on deck right now, no matter if it’s starting, relieving, pinch hitting,” said Houck (1-5, 3.80, 79 strikeouts in 64 innings). “I’m ready for anything. I’m not scared to step up and fill any role that I’m called upon to do. There’s no panic for me.”
Chris Sale (5-1, 2.90) is scheduled to start on Sunday, leaving Nate Eovaldi available if the Sox play beyond Sunday’s scheduled season finale — whether for a Game 163 or a Wild Card Game if either scenario comes to fruition.
Eduardo Rodriguez, after his five-plus shutout innings Friday, said he would be ready to throw an inning of relief on Sunday and that he could take the ball for a longer outing as soon as Monday. Pivetta takes stock
While the final start of Nick Pivetta’s season did not go as hoped — he allowed three runs in 4⅔ innings against the Orioles in a loss on Thursday night — the 28-year-old expressed satisfaction in his overall body of work in the Sox rotation this year. He made 30 starts, contributed 154 innings, and went 9-8 with a 4.56 ERA (a mark that was inflated by the Red Sox’ defensive struggles this year) and 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
Considering that Pivetta had bounced between the rotation and bullpen in 2019 and 2020 before his trade to the Red Sox, and that he’d thrown just 15⅔ innings in the big leagues last year, he views the 2021 season as one that re-established his bona fides as a starter moving forward while also highlighting areas for future improvement, particularly with his control after walking 3.8 batters per nine innings.
“I’m happy with the progression that I made,” said Pivetta. “I think there’s a lot that I’m more capable of and I hold myself to a very high standard. … But [staying healthy for a full season] is a very good feat. It shows that I’m still a viable starting pitcher in the big leagues, and I have a lot more potential ahead of me to build off of my year I just had. I’m very grateful for every moment.” In select company
Matt Barnes, in a scoreless inning of work on Thursday, made his 384th career appearance with the Red Sox, passing Roger Clemens and moving into a tie with Derek Lowe for fifth-most appearances by a pitcher in Red Sox franchise history. Barnes passed Lowe on Friday, though he gave up a solo homer in the seventh … Kyle Schwarber, who played 72 games for the Nationals this year before landing on the injured list and then getting traded, received a tribute video prior to the game. Schwarber hit .253/.340/.570 with 25 homers with Washington before being dealt to the Red Sox for righthander Aldo Ramirez on July 29.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 2, 2021 3:12:49 GMT -5
John Tomase @jtomase · 10h If I'm doing the math right, it's entirely possible the Red Sox could play in Boston on Monday, in Seattle/Toronto on Tuesday, in New York on Wednesday, and in Tampa on Thursday. Or they could lose 2 of 3 in Washington and we'll see you in February.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 2, 2021 3:15:37 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 7h Brasier quickly ends the threat.
His last 7 appearances: 6.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K.
Opponents 1x18.
Robles has walked two with two outs to bring the potential winning run to the plate, Keibert Ruiz.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 2, 2021 3:18:58 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 6h Adam Ottavino: 0 HRs through 58 games. 5 HRs in his last 10 games.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 2, 2021 3:20:06 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 5h Eduardo Rodriguez on the inning-ending play by Kiké Hernández: ‘That’s a Gold Glove play right there. … That’s something that you don’t see every day.’
Rodriguez says he thinks he can be available again as soon as Monday.
Renfroe: ‘These games matter a lot. … We do know the urgency that we do need to win.’
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 2, 2021 3:20:31 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 2h Red Sox again control their playoff picture after the Mariners lose, 2-1. Former Red Sox prospect Jhonathan Diaz starts tomorrow for the Angels against the Mariners, with a chance to earn hero status in his former organization.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 2, 2021 3:23:04 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox notebook: Garrett Whitlock throws bullpen; Josh Taylor meets team in Washington but he isn’t throwing yet Updated: Oct. 01, 2021, 7:16 p.m. | Published: Oct. 01, 2021, 6:56 p.m.
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
WASHINGTON — Red Sox reliever Garrett Whitlock threw a bullpen session here at Nationals Park on Friday.
The righty is on the 10-day injured list with a right pectoral strain. He was eligible to be activated Thursday.
“Obviously we have to wait to see how he feels throughout the day,” manager Alex Cora said before Friday’s game against the Nationals. “But I do believe he’s going to be OK. Then we’ll decide when to activate him if he’s fine. Maybe tomorrow, Sunday, whatever it is. So we’ll wait and see how he reacts.”
Whitlock is 8-4 with a 1.99 ERA (72 ⅓ innings, 16 earned runs), two saves, 14 holds and a .235 batting average against in 45 outings.
Taylor still hasn’t thrown
Left-handed reliever Josh Taylor (low back strain) is scheduled to meet the team in Washington on Friday. He was in Boston receiving treatment. He still has not thrown or participated in any baseball activities.
“It hasn’t progressed the way we thought,” Taylor said. “Right now, without throwing, we don’t know. We have to be patient and let’s see what happens. As of now, I don’t see it (happening) tomorrow.”
Dalbec takes groundballs at 2B
Bobby Dalbec was taking ground balls at second base in Baltimore.
“We’re just trying to stay as ready as possible,” Cora said. “In a National League game, there’s a lot of things that can happen. Yeah, we’ve got Iggy (José Iglesias) and (Christian) Arroyo, but you never know. He’s a good athlete. He has been taking grounders for a while at second. It has been a month at second. That’s something I asked him to do ... just to be ready.”
No starter yet for Saturday
The Red Sox have not announced a starter for Saturday. Chris Sale is scheduled to pitch Sunday.
Cora said he will wait to see how Friday goes.
“We’ll talk about it,” Cora said. “Obviously, Nick (Pivetta) pitched yesterday. We’re lined up for Chris on Sunday if needed. We’ll see where we’re at tomorrow.
Rodriguez’s fastball command ‘very important’
Eduardo Rodriguez will pitch here against the Nationals on Friday.
“Fastball command is very important for him,” Cora said. “He has done a good job lately with it. His cutter has been good, but going back, just like Pivetta, his fastball is the most important pitch for him. He has had a good fastball in the second part of the season and we expect him to do the same thing tonight.”
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