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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 5, 2021 3:18:08 GMT -5
Boston's strengths, concerns for postseason October 4th, 2021 Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
The Red Sox followed one of their emptiest seasons in recent memory with one of their most compelling.
In February and March, the Sox weren’t on anyone’s short list to be one of the 10 teams that could advance beyond the regular season.
But with manager Alex Cora back in the dugout after a one-year hiatus, the culture change was obvious from the very start. Once again, Cora worked his magic to get the most out of his roster, and it led to a 92-70 record, setting up a date with the Yankees in the American League Wild Card Game on Tuesday at Fenway Park.
Boston got off to a flying start. Remember, this team was on pace to win 100 games at the halfway point of the season.
While Cora’s club didn't sustain that, it weathered the dog days of August, then an early September COVID-19 outbreak, and found a way to October.
Here is a look at what is ahead.
How do the Red Sox advance past the Wild Card Game? By getting a strong start from Nathan Eovaldi and a relentless performance by an offense that underachieved down the stretch but is still capable of dominance. The big bats need to take the pressure off a bullpen that has been called on a lot of late.
Rafael Devers got hot in the final two games of the regular season, including two home runs in Sunday's 7-5, playoff-clinching victory over Washington at Nationals Park. That was a monumental development given how much of an impact hitter he is when he is going well.
Even if Eovaldi and the offense do their jobs, the bullpen will likely be required to get big outs. Cora went to an all-hands-on-deck mentality for the final few games of the regular season, and it seemed to bring out the best out of a bullpen that has been inconsistent.
What does the blueprint for a championship run look like? When the Red Sox have been at their best, the starting rotation has been a stabilizing force. Eovaldi is the one starter who has been consistent all season.
Ace Chris Sale initially pitched very well in his return from Tommy John surgery, but he wasn’t great against the Orioles in his penultimate regular-season start, and he lacked command Sunday in his abbreviated start in Game 162 against the Nationals. It’s hard to imagine the Red Sox going far if Sale isn’t a reliable force in the rotation.
Eduardo Rodriguez has pitched his best baseball of the season down the stretch, and he’ll need to keep doing that. Nick Pivetta, the team’s No. 4 starter, has been hit or miss. Boston needs the good Pivetta in October.
Cora loves using his starting pitchers as rovers in the bullpen during the postseason. This strategy helped the Red Sox win a World Series championship in 2018. Expect Cora to again be aggressive with his starting pitchers as relievers.
What is one reason for concern? Defense. It looked like a fatal flaw for the Red Sox many times this season, but they overcame it enough to get to the postseason. Teams that don’t play clean baseball in October very seldom last very long. Boston made 108 errors this season, more than any MLB team except the Marlins. Given that range isn’t a strength for the Sox, either, they at least need to handle the balls hit to them. The Red Sox ranked last in MLB with minus-39 outs above average.
Devers, Boston’s most dynamic player at the plate, is far too adventurous at third base. He made 22 errors. Toronto’s Bo Bichette, a shortstop, is the only AL player who made more. Though Hunter Renfroe led MLB with 16 outfield assists, he also made 12 errors, many of them caused when he was too aggressive in trying to get a runner or throwing to the wrong base
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 5, 2021 3:19:31 GMT -5
Eovaldi raring to go; Sale's status; Schwarber October 4th, 2021 Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
BOSTON -- For several weeks, Red Sox manager Alex Cora had his pitching rotation lined up for Nathan Eovaldi to be the man on the mound for Tuesday’s American League Wild Card Game.
That isn’t just because Eovaldi was Boston’s best starting pitcher this season or because he has generally handled the Yankees since joining the Red Sox in 2018.
The decision also has much to do with the fact Eovaldi came up as big as any Red Sox pitcher in the 2018 postseason run, which ended in a World Series title.
Eovaldi made six appearances that October, posting a 1.61 ERA over 22 1/3 innings. In his two starts, he mastered the Yankees in Game 3 of the ALDS (seven innings, one run) and the Astros in Game 3 of the ALCS (six innings, two runs).
“I definitely think it helps out a lot, just to be able to say I've experienced it and been through it,” Eovaldi said. “I'm just real excited to be in this situation, and I fought real hard to get to this point.”
The Yankees will counter with their ace Gerrit Cole, who gained respect for Eovaldi while watching him from the Astros' dugout in that 2018 ALCS.
“Nate's got some magic,” said Cole. “He's a high-stakes performer. That's why he's got a contract and why they wanted to keep him around. Incredible postseason run that he made for them and selflessly pitching in huge spots. I mean, I respect anybody that does what I do and takes the ball every time and sells out for it.”
Though Eovaldi is known for his high-octane fastball, he has a deep mix that also includes a curve, slider, splitter and cutter.
“Pretty magnificent to watch him go out there and replicate that velocity and all those different pitches all the time,” said Cole. "I'm a fan of Nate. He's well-respected in our clubhouse, as well, obviously having played for us and left an impact on quite a bit of guys, the way he goes about his business. I don't know him personally, but what I've heard is he's a true professional and I enjoy watching him pitch.”
You don’t have to go far back to find the last Eovaldi-Cole matchup. The two righties met on Sept. 24 at Fenway Park and that didn’t go well for Eovaldi, as he was hammered for seven hits and seven runs in 2 2/3 innings in an 8-3 win for Cole and the Yankees. It was a huge difference from his previous five starts against the Bronx Bombers this season, when he pitched to a 2.01 ERA. Eovaldi looks forward to his chance at redemption.
“I feel like that's one of the best things I've been able to do this year is rebound after a bad start,” Eovaldi said. “I felt last time I faced these guys, it was a little mechanical, and if you fall behind in the counts, they are going to be able to do damage and I wasn't able to execute my offspeed pitches.”
Eovaldi made all 32 of his starts this season, going 11-9 with a 3.75 ERA.
“He's been amazing all season,” Cora said. “The way we structured our rotation towards the end, it was Chris [Sale] for 162, Nate for 163 for the Wild Card Game. Here we are. This year, the numbers that we always look at -- ERA and all that -- have been solid, but the ones under the hood have been good, too. He's been very consistent for us and we're glad that he's going to take the ball tomorrow.”
Sale ‘most likely’ to sit out WC Game
After throwing 62 pitches in a shaky start against the Nats in which he lasted just 2 1/3 innings Sunday, Sale isn’t expected to be on the roster for Tuesday’s Wild Card Game.
“We’re still talking about Chris,” said Cora. “Most likely, no."
However, Cora remains confident Sale can be an important piece should the Red Sox advance to the ALDS against the Rays. What was the issue Sunday?
“The changeup. The changeup is not where it usually is. It happened in Baltimore with [Ryan] Mountcastle,” Cora said. “It happened yesterday with [Josh] Bell and [Jordy] Mercer. I remember we were talking about his first bullpen here and I was just telling him that we were so excited about the changeup, because supposedly when you come out of all this [Tommy John] process, that's the last pitch you get because of how you have to manipulate the pitch.
“He's not there yet. You can see it. The action is OK, but it's actually cutting. So he actually threw today. He felt good. But it's the changeup. The slider is good. The fastball is good. But that's a pitch that the feel is not there yet, so he'll keep working on it and hopefully he has a chance to start again here in October. He'll make some adjustments and give us a chance to win.”
Experienced in this spot
Though the Red Sox have never played in the Wild Card Game since the format came into inception in 2012, one of their most important players is very familiar with it.
While with the Cubs, Kyle Schwarber played in the 2015 Wild Card Game against the Pirates, belting two hits, including a homer, in a 4-0 win. In the ’18 Wild Card Game, the Rockies beat the Cubs, 2-1, in 13 innings with Schwarber going 0-for-1 as a pinch-hitter.
“It's a very exciting game in general,” said Schwarber. “I think it's great for baseball. It's a game that it says it all in its [title], ‘Wild Card,' anything can happen.”
What’s the difference between the Wild Card Game and a regular postseason series?
“I think it's more excitement when you come into the park. That's the biggest thing -- that you're excited when you're rolling into the park knowing that, you know what? It's today and this is all we can do,” said Schwarber. “But you know, as that game can keep rolling on and rolling on, I think the battle is to keep the voices out of the head and take it inning by inning, pitch by pitch. That's the biggest thing. You can't look too far ahead.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 5, 2021 3:21:17 GMT -5
J.D.'s WC status still in wait-and-see modeOctober 4th, 2021 Ian Browne Ian Browne @ianmbrowne BOSTON -- The decision on if Red Sox star slugger J.D. Martinez can play in the American League Wild Card Game might not be decided until right around 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday, when rosters for the primetime game against the Yankees must be submitted to MLB. Martinez suffered a freak injury in Sunday’s Game No. 162 when he sprained his left ankle tripping over the second-base bag while running out to play right field in the bottom of the fifth inning. “He's getting treatment,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “We'll probably have to make a decision tomorrow morning roster-wise, of course, and let's see how he reacts to treatment and everything that they are doing to him in there. We don't know yet.” In a game with such high stakes, a lot could be riding on how well Martinez’s ankle responds Monday night into Tuesday. Yankees manager Aaron Boone is preparing as if Martinez will be in his customary No. 5 spot in the batting order. “Obviously, he's a great hitter,” said Boone. “So yeah, that's an important cog in a really good offense that wouldn't be available. But, you know, they can also mix and match other ways that make it difficult as well. So I would imagine he would be in there.” If Martinez can’t go, the Red Sox are all but certain to insert Kyle Schwarber into the DH spot rather than left field or first base. In that alignment, Bobby Dalbec would play first with Christian Arroyo at second, Alex Verdugo in left and Enrique Hernández in center. Though that alignment would be better defensively for the Sox, they would much rather have Martinez’s bat in there in a win-or-go-home contest. “Yeah, that just plain up sucks, you know, [that] freak injury there,” said Schwarber. “We’re hoping for the best and that he's able to go out there and play. He's been a staple here for now and been a staple in this game, a huge bat in this game. Really hoping that it turns out well for him and that he can strap it up tomorrow. And if he can't, you know, we've been in a spot like this before where we've just got to [play] next man up. But really hoping that it works out for him.”
The 34-year-old Martinez had a solid bounce-back season at the plate, hitting .286 with 28 homers, 99 RBIs and an .867 OPS. He also tied for the Major League lead with 42 doubles.
That all came on the heels of hitting just .213 with seven home runs over 54 games in the abbreviated 2020 campaign.
Martinez's return to form this season earned him his fourth career All-Star appearance and helped anchor a Red Sox offense that ranked fifth in the Majors in runs per game (5.1) and third in team OPS (.777).
Along with his obvious impact on Boston's lineup, Martinez has also faced Gerrit Cole -- New York's starting pitcher for Tuesday's winner-take-all showdown -- more than any other Red Sox player. Martinez is 6-for-28 (.214) with two homers and six walks, good for a .343 on-base percentage and .843 OPS in 35 career plate appearances against Cole, including the postseason.
“Well, J.D. is a pretty big-time slugger and seems like a pretty resilient individual based on the career path to get to being a big-time slugger in a big-time market,” said Cole. “It's very well documented, his evolution into the player that he's become today, along with the incredible talent that he has to impact the baseball. Some of those intangibles, I think, are just as important; makes him a tough at-bat.”
If Martinez does play, Cole will be very wary of him -- bad left ankle or not.
“I mean, he's got some magic and he's got a lot of talent, and so in situations like that, I think you have just got to try to stay vigilant and execute the pitches to the best of your ability,” Cole said. “I feel like, inevitably in this game, you're going to run into people who put good swings on good pitches sometimes. But in the end, you can't control how good of a swing they take. You can only control how good of a pitch you make. That's the focus when you face really impactful hitters like that.” Did you like this story?
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 5, 2021 3:28:07 GMT -5
Red Sox Nation Stats @rsnstats · 9h #RedSox Kyle Schwarber earlier today on tomorrow's Wild Card game vs #Yankees: "It's gonna' be a dog fight. It's going to be all-hands on deck. You're just finding a way to win it, any way possible."
#RedSox Schwarber: "I love the playoffs. This is something I want to keep doing every year. I want to be known as a player that is wanting to go out there and win, and help the team reach the playoffs and reach the ultimate goal of a World Series."
#RedSox Schwarber on win-or-go-home games: "It's good for the sport, but it's not ideal to be in sometimes…I think the battle is to keep the voices out of the head and just take it inning-by-inning, pitch-by-pitch…because the little things are going to matter in this game."
#RedSox Schwarber on rivalry with #Yankees: "For me, being the new guy, it's about going out there and winning. For guys that have been here a little, they have more experience in that…I'm just here trying to help the team win."
#RedSox Schwarber on Manager Alex Cora: "Talk about a manager who really cares about his players and cares about the way that the game is being played. He's very honest and upfront…which I can appreciate…goes a long with players…He's been unbelievable with me."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 5, 2021 3:28:50 GMT -5
Red Sox Nation Stats @rsnstats · 9h #RedSox Nathan Eovaldi earlier today: "Just real excited to be in this situation. We fought hard to get here to this point and once you get into the playoffs, anything can happen. It's about the team that gets the hottest…and get the little things right."
#RedSox Eovaldi on facing #Yankees after last time's bad outing against them: "I felt like last time I faced these guys I was a little mechanical…The next start…I felt like I turned the page…excited just to able to redeem myself for this start tomorrow."
#RedSox Eovaldi on pitching in the big games: "I want to be in these situations. I want to compete against the best. I want to compete against the teams that are the hottest at that time. Especially with pitching, you can really motivate the team and get them going."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 5, 2021 3:29:15 GMT -5
Red Sox Nation Stats @rsnstats · 9h #RedSox Nathan Eovaldi vs #Yankees Gerrit Cole, 2021:
W/L: Eovaldi: 11-9 / Cole: 16-8
ERA: 3.75 / 3.23
IP: 182.1 / 181.1
K/9: 9.6 / 12.1
WHIP: 1.19 / 1.06
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 5, 2021 3:38:50 GMT -5
Nate Eovaldi vs. Gerrit Cole: Matchup of aces for Wild Card Game is just as it should be By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated October 4, 2021, 8:40 p.m.
This is how it should be for the biggest game of the season. Ace vs. ace. An All-Star against an All-Star. Your best taking on their best.
The Yankees and Red Sox aren’t being evasive about their pitching plans for the American League Wild Card Game on Tuesday night. It’ll be Gerrit Cole against Nate Eovaldi.
“It feels good,” Sox manager Alex Cora said Monday. “Those two guys, they’ve been great. I think for baseball it’ll be great to see those guys going at it.
“As a manager it’s a lot easier going this way than trying to map it out for 27 outs and hope for the best.”
Cole embraces the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry to a point where he snubbed Red Sox players during the two days of All-Star Game festivities in Denver in July.
A microphone caught J.D. Martinez telling Toronto star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. that Cole kept on walking when the Red Sox players said hello to him.
“I don’t recall having a ton of conversations with them. We were on opposite sides of the clubhouse,” Cole said. “Certainly don’t remember some of the exchanges that have been reported.”
Eovaldi, who pitched for the Yankees from 2015-16, doesn’t share that level of frostiness. But he understands what this game means.
“It comes down to one game. It’s not best-of-five or best-of-seven. You need guys you can rely on,” Eovaldi said. “It’s do-or-die out there. You’ve got to win this game to move on.”
There won’t be any secrets. Eovaldi faced the Yankees six times during the regular season, going 2-2 with a 3.71 earned run average.
Eovaldi’s first five starts against the Yankees were strong; he went at least five runs and allowed one or two runs each time. But he lasted only 2 2/3 innings at Fenway on Sept. 24, giving up seven runs on seven hits including a three-run homer by Giancarlo Stanton.
“I feel like one of the best things I’ve been able to do is rebound after a bad start,” Eovaldi said. “The last time I faced these guys I was a little too mechanical and falling behind in some counts.”
Eovaldi has corrected those issues since, throwing six shutout innings against the Orioles in his last start of the regular season. Related: The path to the Wild Card Game: The 10 games and series that defined the Red Sox’ season
“I’m excited to redeem myself,” he said.
Since joining the Red Sox in 2018, Eovaldi is 3-3 with a 3.36 ERA in 11 starts against the Yankees with a 1.09 WHIP.
“Nate’s got some magic, man. He’s a high-stakes performer, obviously,” Cole said. “That’s why he got that contract and why they wanted to keep him around, that incredible postseason run that he made for them and selflessly pitching in huge spots.
“I respect anybody that does what I do and takes the ball every time and sells out for it. It’s pretty magnificent to watch him go out there and replicate that kind of velocity and all those different pitches all the time. I’m a fan of Nate.”
Cole is 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA in four starts against the Red Sox this season. He beat Eovaldi in that Sept. 24 game, allowing three runs over six innings. Cole is 3-2 with a 4.03 ERA in five career starts against the Sox since the Yankees signed him to a nine-year, $324 million deal.
Cole has the edge in postseason experience having appeared in 13 postseason games with the Pirates, Astros, and Yankees since 2013. He’s 8-4 with a 2.68 ERA.
Eovaldi has six games of playoff experience, all in 2018 with the Sox. He was 2-1 with a 1.61 ERA and the Sox were 5-1 in the games he appeared in.
The loss came in Game 3 of the World Series when Eovaldi came out of the bullpen in the 12th inning and allowed one earned run over six innings and 97 pitches.
That Max Muncy hit his final pitch for a game-winning homer didn’t detract from how incredibly Eovaldi pitched.
The Red Sox rewarded Eovaldi with a four-year, $68 million contract extension. Tuesday will be his first playoff game since that epic night at Dodger Stadium.
“I’ll draw from that experience,” he said.
The Reds Sox and Yankees met in a one-game playoff to decide the East Division title at Fenway on Oct. 2, 1978.
Dennis Eckersley won 20 games for the Sox that season but wasn’t available to face the Yankees having pitched nine innings two days before.
The Sox turned to Mike Torrez, their third-best starter.
Ron Guidry, who won the Cy Young Award that season, started for the Yankees. He pitched into the seventh inning and allowed two runs.
Torrez also got into the seventh but gave up four runs including the infamous three-run homer by Bucky Dent.
Now, 43 years later, it’ll be Cole vs. Eovaldi.
“Everything you could hope for,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 5, 2021 3:41:25 GMT -5
red sox notebook Red Sox DH J.D. Martinez’s status to be determined for Yankee’s faceoff By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated October 4, 2021, 10:11 p.m.
J.D. Martinez’s status for Tuesday night’s AL Wild Card Game is still to be determined. Martinez tripped over second base heading out to play right field in the fifth inning of Sunday’s season finale in Washington and sprained his left ankle.
Manager Alex Cora said Monday that Martinez is still getting treatment and the team will make a decision Tuesday morning when rosters must be announced.
Yankee ace Gerrit Cole, who has a 6.19 ERA in three games at Fenway Park this season, will take the hill against the Red Sox. Martinez is just a career .240 hitter in 32 plate appearances against Cole. He’s hitting just .200 (2 for 10) with six strikeouts against Cole this season.
Nevertheless, Martinez is an integral piece to the Red Sox lineup. He finished the year hitting .286/.349/.518 with an .867 OPS and 28 homers.
“J.D., pretty big-time slugger, and seems like a pretty resilient individual based on the career path to get to being a big-time slugger in a big-time market,” said Cole. “What makes him a tough at-bat? I mean, he’s got some magic and he’s got a lot of talent, and so in situations like that, I think you have just got to try to stay vigilant and execute the pitches to the best of your ability.”
Arroyo at second?
Christian Arroyo likely will get the nod at second base because Jose Iglesias is ineligible for the postseason. Iglesias was not a part of the Red Sox roster prior to the Sept. 1 deadline but was a huge part of the Sox’ wild-card ticket, hitting .356 with a homer while also playing a solid second base.
Arroyo couldn’t stay on the field in the second half of the season. He registered just 18 plate appearances since the All-Star break, registering just five starts in that span. He hit a respectable .262/.324/.445.
Plawecki in, Vázquez out?
Christian Vázquez will likely sit with Nate Eovaldi on the hill. Eovaldi is more effective with Kevin Plawecki this year, posting a 3.28 ERA in 17 games (96 innings). With Vázquez, Eovaldi’s ERA ballooned to 4.77 in 13 games (66 innings).
“Those two have done an amazing job together,” Cora said of Plawecki and Eovaldi. “Nothing against Christian, but they have been good. I think that’s just the answer. You know, offensively, I think both have done a good job lately. You know, Kevin can catch up with the fastball, too. We know that. But this is more about, throughout the season, those two did a good job. But Christian will be ready.”
Eovaldi yielded seven runs in his last start against the Yankees but seven total in five prior meetings.
”I feel like that’s one of the best things I’ve been able to do this year is rebound after a bad start,” Eovaldi said. “I felt last time I faced these guys, it was a little mechanical, and if you fall behind in the counts, they are going to be able to do damage, and I wasn’t able to execute my off-speed pitches.” Duran may be activated
Jarren Duran likely will be activated and a part of the wild-card roster, Cora said.
The Yankees expect shortstop Gio Urshela to be a go after he crashed into the third base dugout at Yankee Stadium Sunday.
“If there was a game today, he would be playing,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
Sale not on roster
Chris Sale won’t be on the postseason roster for the Wild Card Game. If the Sox advance, Sale could start either Game 1 or 2 against the Rays.
Eduardo Rodriguez might be on the roster Tuesday. Nick Pivetta will be in the bullpen. Around the block
Cora has been a part of this rivalry as a player and as a manager in 2018-19.
“You know, 2018 was different than 2019. In 2019, they beat us,” Cora said. “They hit the ball out of the ballpark. It wasn’t fun in 2019. In 2018, it was fun for us. I know last year was a lot different for both organizations, but this year, it’s two good baseball teams that on any given night, they can beat the opposition.”
Inclement weather is in the forecast Tuesday, but Cora said he hopes it is not an issue. The schedule will get tight if the game is postponed. The AL wild card winner opens the Division Series at Tampa Bay on Thursday. The Division Series schedule (first three games):
Game 1 Thursday: @rays 8:07 p.m. on FS1
Game 2 Friday: @ Rays 7:02 p.m. FS1
Game 3: Sunday @boston or New York 4:07 p.m. on MLB Network.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 5, 2021 3:43:55 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 11h A few Yankees updates:
* Aaron Boone expects Gio Urshela to play tomorrow.
* Kyle Higashioka will catch Gerrit Cole. Gary Sanchez will come come off the bench.
* Cole on Eovaldi: “Nate’s got some magic, man. He’s a high-stakes performer, obviously."
Aaron Boone on playing at Fenway: "There’s a buzz here. It matters here. It’s fun to compete in games here. It’s tough to compete in games here. I think there will be some tension [and] electricity. Everything you could hope for."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 5, 2021 3:50:15 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 10h Cora on Eovaldi: ‘He’s been amazing the whole season. The way we structured our rotation towards the end, it was Chris for 162 and Nate for 163 or the Wild Card. And here we are.’
Cora: ‘Offensively we need to be better than we were the last six days, nine days.’
Cora says of the Sox-Yankees in the ‘05-06 seasons: ‘The personalities were bigger than life… We used to fight, too. That gives it a little bit more to the fanbase.’ Says this matchup is of ‘two good baseball teams that on any night can beat the opposition.’
Cora says he reached out to Boone yesterday. ‘I’m very proud of him. … I think he did an amazing job.’
cora calls yesterday ‘the most uncomfortable game I had to manage’ because of thinking through preserving chance to come back but wanting to keep roster fresh for potential Game 163.
Cora on who the 2021 Red Sox are: ‘First things first, they’re very talented. On any night we can beat anyone we play…At the same time, we’re not perfect. We know it. … The last few days in Washington were very similar to early in the season.’
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 5, 2021 3:52:07 GMT -5
Red Sox, Yankees ready to create more history in winner-take-all Wild Card game Boone: ‘I think there will be some tension, electricty’
By Steve Hewitt | stephen.hewitt@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald PUBLISHED: October 4, 2021 at 8:30 p.m. | UPDATED: October 4, 2021 at 8:39 p.m.
Everyone has a Red Sox-Yankees story.
Gerrit Cole, Nathan Eovaldi and Kyle Schwarber — some of the key figures of the next chapter of the storied rivalry Tuesday night — may have just been in middle school when Aaron Boone took Tim Wakefield deep to win the 2003 ALCS, or when the Red Sox made history a year later. But they certainly remember.
None of the players were alive in 1978, the last time the Red Sox and Yankees played a winner-take-all game at Fenway Park. But being part of the rivalry now, they know.
“Bucky Dent, right?” Cole said Monday at Fenway Park. “As a kid growing up watching Pedro (Martinez) and Roger (Clemens) duke it out, I didn’t quite catch Roger at the beginning when he was here, or (Andy) Pettitte against Pedro, Pettitte against any big-time Red Sox guys, what a fantastic game to watch.
“You’re dreaming about putting yourself in that position and coming through for your team and here we are.”
Cole doesn’t have to dream anymore. It’s reality.
For the first time since Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS, the Red Sox and Yankees will engage in a do-or-die playoff game. It’ll be the type of theater they grew up watching, even if the rivalry isn’t quite what it used to be.
Schwarber has only been with the Red Sox for two months, and he grew up in the midwest. But this rivalry was at the roots of his baseball foundation, all the way back to when Jason Varitek and Alex Rodriguez started that famous brawl in July 2004.
“I always felt like when you flipped on ESPN on Sunday night, it was Yankees/Red Sox,” Schwarber said. “Being able to grow up watching games like this and see the hard-fought battles that they had. You know, I think the most memorable one for guys kind of my age is the Varitek/A-Rod shoving match. That’s the memorable one for us.”
What happened in 1978 is in the distant past. Even Cora was just 3 years old when Dent hit a homer to the screen above the Green Monster to help catapult the Yankees over the Red Sox. As a player, he didn’t join the rivalry until 2005, but he knows what made it so dramatic and memorable.
“It was more about the characters, the players, bigger-than-life personas, like Manny (Ramirez) and David (Ortiz),” Cora said. “Even David now, he’s retiring, he’s Big Papi. Obviously (Derek) Jeter and (Jorge) Posada and the names at that point, it was like, wow, these guys are unbelievable players.
“We have great players. We have some good players. … They used to fight, too, back in the day, Jason and Alex, so I think that gave it a little bit more for the fan base.”
There aren’t as many characters nowadays, but the stakes are just as high. Tuesday night has the recipe for an epic matchup. It will pit a pair of aces, Eovaldi vs. Cole, in a high-stakes, electric environment of Fenway. But the two teams won’t need any extra drama.
A report Sunday — before the final games of the season began — that if the day resulted in a four-way tie for the two AL Wild Card spots, that the Yankees would have chosen to play the Red Sox in Boston instead of the Blue Jays in Toronto in a tiebreaker game. It made sense, given complicated protocols for teams crossing the border to Canada, but also because of the Yankees’ recent success against the Red Sox. They’ve won the last six games, including a sweep at Fenway last weekend.
But Cora isn’t putting that on a bulletin board inside their clubhouse.
“We don’t need that,” Cora said. “What we want to do is play in Tampa in a few days. If we need something like that, we’re not as good as we think we are. That’s part of the process.”
For Boone, forever a Red Sox villain after his 2003 heroics, he’s not totally sure if the Yankees’ recent success will play a factor on Tuesday. He’s been involved in this rivalry long enough to know nothing is guaranteed.
“Whenever I’ve been asked about momentum in baseball, I never knew what to answer until 2003, coming over here and being a part of that team, playing against a great Red Sox team,” the Yankees manager said. “I used to hear that all the time, we’d win a game and take the momentum and then they’d beat the crap out of us the next day and I’m like, ‘OK, I don’t know what any of it means.’”
The history will only matter so much between the lines Tuesday night, but it will make what unfolds at Fenway that much more compelling. Someone, some way, will write the next great chapter and next great story in this storied rivalry.
“I think there will be some tension, electricity, everything you could hope for for a winner-take-all game in the playoffs and two outstanding franchises and teams,” Boone said.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 5, 2021 3:53:38 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox’s J.D. Martinez (ankle) questionable for Wild Card Game; Christian Arroyo (2B), Kevin Plawecki (C) expected to start vs. Yankees Updated: Oct. 04, 2021, 6:50 p.m. | Published: Oct. 04, 2021, 6:50 p.m.
By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
BOSTON -- Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez is questionable for Tuesday’s Wild Card Game against the Yankees after spraining his left ankle Sunday, manager Alex Cora said. The team won’t know until Tuesday morning if Martinez will be available for the 8:08 p.m. first pitch.
“He’s getting treatment,” Cora said. “We’ll probably have to make a decision tomorrow morning roster-wise, of course, and let’s see how he reacts to treatment and everything that they are doing to him in there. We don’t know yet.”
Martinez suffered a left ankle sprain after tripping on second base on his way out to right field in the fifth inning of Sunday’s regular season finale against the Nationals. He was pulled from the game an inning later.
The prospect of potentially losing Martinez, who hit .286 with four homers and an .847 OPS in 25 September games, to a freak injury is unfortunate for the Sox as they begin postseason play
“That just plain-up sucks, you know, freak injury there,” said Kyle Schwarber. “And hoping the best that he’s able to go out there and play. He’s been a staple here for how long now and been a staple in this game, a huge bat in this game.
“Really hoping that it turns out well for him and that he can strap it up tomorrow, and if he can’t, you know, we’ve been in a spot like this before where we’ve just got to, next man up,” Schwarber said. “But really hoping that it works out for him.”
Arroyo, Plawecki likely in lineup vs. Yankees
Cora revealed two pieces of his projected lineup for Tuesday night. As expected, Christian Arroyo will likely start at second base against the Yankees. In a bit of a surprise, Kevin Plawecki, and not Christian Vázquez, is expected to catch starter Nathan Eovaldi.
Arroyo has started just one game since Aug. 26, will get the nod because José Iglesias -- Boston’s starting second baseman for the last few weeks of the season -- is not eligible to play in the postseason. MLB rules dictate that for players to be postseason-eligible, they must join an organization before Aug. 31. The Red Sox didn’t sign Iglesias until Sept. 6.
Plawecki caught 17 of Eovaldi’s 33 starts during the regular season, with the righty working to a 3.28 ERA in 96 innings with Plawecki behind the plate. In 13 starts working with Vázquez, Eovaldi was much worse (4.77 ERA in 66 innings).
“Those two have done an amazing job together,” Cora said. “Nothing against Christian, but they have been good. I think that’s just the answer. You know, offensively, I think both have done a good job lately. You know, Kevin can catch up with the fastball, too. We know that.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 5, 2021 3:54:36 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox Wild Card Game roster: Jarren Duran, Nick Pivetta likely to make team; Chris Sale might be left off after pitching Sunday Updated: Oct. 04, 2021, 7:17 p.m. | Published: Oct. 04, 2021, 7:17 p.m.
By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
BOSTON -- When the Red Sox submit their 26-man roster for Tuesday’s Wild Card Game against the Yankees, the group will look a bit different than the one that closed out the regular season against the Nationals on Sunday.
Sox manager Alex Cora and his staff are tasked with constructing a roster for just one game with no bearing on a potential ALDS roster if the Red Sox win and advance to face the Rays in a best-of-five series.
Chris Sale will likely be left off the roster after throwing 62 pitches Sunday against the Nationals. Jarren Duran, who has not appeared in the majors since Sept. 1, is expected to make the team as a pinch-running/speed option. Nick Pivetta, who tossed the ninth inning Sunday, feels good enough to be available again Tuesday and is likely to make the team. Eduardo Rodriguez has about a 50/50 chance after throwing eight pitches in the eighth inning Sunday.
José Iglesias is not eligible to play in the postseason because he joined the Red Sox after Aug. 31, so he will be left off the roster. If J.D. Martinez’s ankle injury is still bothering him, he could be unavailable, too.
“This is different,” Cora said. “This is one game and there’s going to be guys that we are not going to have on the roster that obviously they deserve to be there. But we don’t need a one-game, quote/unquote, series. It’s very difficult. Obviously you go through the game mentally. I’ve been thinking about this game and moves and all that stuff for the last 24 hours, and we don’t know the roster.”
The fact Cora expects to carry both Pivetta and Rodriguez -- who made bullpen cameos on short rest after starting in the days prior -- comes as a bit of a surprise. It speaks to the all-hands-on-deck approach the Sox are employing in a win-or-go-home day.
“I think having them on the roster makes sense,” Cora said. “Just be ready for that one and then if you have to use the bullpen for one day in Tampa, it means that something good happened tomorrow.”
Sale is a different case. The lefty is just nine starts (and 42 ⅔ innings) in to his return from Tommy John surgery after making his season debut Aug. 14. He threw Monday at Fenway Park, where the Red Sox had a rain-shortened workout.
“He felt good,” Cora said. “He stopped by the office, and like, no, we’re not doing that.”
If the Red Sox advance to the ALDS, Sale -- on short rest -- could be a candidate to start Game 1 on Thursday night at Tropicana Field.
“We’ll talk about it,” Cora said. “Hopefully we can have that conversation, when is it, on Wednesday.”
By Tuesday morning, when the rosters are due to the league office, both the Red Sox and Yankees will have made some tough decisions.
“It’s very hard to do,” Cora said. “But at the end, I think the 26 guys that they are going to pick and the 26 guys we are going to pick, they are going to be the right ones and it should be fun tomorrow.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 5, 2021 3:55:46 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox notebook: Nathan Eovaldi ‘excited to redeem’ himself vs. Yankees; Chris Sale’s changeup has .450 BAA Updated: Oct. 04, 2021, 10:20 p.m. | Published: Oct. 04, 2021, 10:06 p.m.
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
Red Sox righty Nathan Eovaldi lost to the New York Yankees on Sept. 24 at Fenway Park, allowing seven runs in 2 ⅔ innings.
The righty (11-9, 3.75 ERA) will start against the Yankees again Tuesday at Fenway Park in the AL Wild Card Game. First pitch is at 8:08 p.m.
Eovaldi has a 3.23 ERA (61 ⅓ innings, 22 earned runs) in 11 starts with the Red Sox against the Yankees since 2018. He entered his start Sept. 24 with a 1.07 ERA (25 ⅓ innings, three earned runs) in four starts vs. New York at Fenway.
“I felt last time I faced these guys, it was a little mechanical,” Eovaldi said Monday. “And if you fall behind in the counts, they are going to be able to do damage. And I wasn’t able to execute my off-speed pitches.
“And the next start against Baltimore, I felt like I was locating all my pitches and pounding the zone and getting some quick outs,” Eovaldi added. “I felt like I turned the page at that point even in the bullpen before that. So I am excited just to be able to redeem myself.”
Red Sox vs. Cole
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole (16-8, 3.23 ERA) will start opposite Eovaldi. The AL Cy Young candidate is 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA (22 innings, 12 earned runs), 31 strikeouts and nine walks in four starts vs. the Red Sox in 2021.
He beat Boston at Fenway Park on Sept. 24 while starting opposite Eovaldi. He allowed three runs in 6 innings.
“All his stuff’s electric,” Eovaldi said. “He commands the zone. He’s got four-plus pitches. It seems like every year he’s up at the top of the leaderboard with strikeouts. And he limits the walks and attacks the hitters. That’s some of the things that we’re going to have to be ready for tomorrow.”
Sale’s changeup ‘is not there yet’
Chris Sale likely won’t be on the Red Sox’s AL Wild Card Game roster after he made a start Sunday.
Sale struggled vs. the Nationals. He recorded just seven outs Sunday. He threw 32 four-seam fastballs, averaging 94 mph and topping out at 97.1 mph, per Baseball Savant. He recorded six swings-and-misses with it. He mixed in 25 sliders (four swings-and-misses) and five changeups (no swings-and-misses).
Jordy Mercer connected on an 87.1 mph changeup from Sale for a two-run double.
The opposition is 18-for-40 (.450 batting average) with two homers and two doubles against Sale’s changeup.
The lefty uses it primarily against right-handed hitters. He has thrown 152 changeups (143 to righties and nine to left-handed batters).
“The changeup is not where it usually is,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “It happened in Baltimore with (Ryan) Mountcastle. It happened (Sunday) with (Josh) Bell and Mercer. I remember we were talking about his first bullpen here and I was just telling him that we were so excited about the changeup because supposedly when you come out of all this process, whatever, that’s the last pitch you get because of how you have to manipulate the pitch.
“He’s not there yet. You can see it,” Cora added. “The action is OK. It’s actually cutting. So he actually threw today. He felt good. ... The slider is good. The fastball is good. But that’s a pitch that the feel is not there yet. So he’ll keep working on it and hopefully, he has a chance to start again here in October. He’ll make some adjustments and give us a chance to win.”
Martinez receiving treatment
J.D. Martinez exited Sunday’s game because of a left ankle sprain.
“He’s getting treatment,” Cora said Monday. “We’ll probably have to make a decision tomorrow morning roster-wise, of course. And let’s see how he reacts to treatment and everything that they are doing to him in there. We don’t know yet.”
Schwarber: ‘I was spoiled’
This marks the sixth time Kyle Schwarber will play in the postseason. He has a .288/.405/.576/.981 line with six home runs and a double in 79 plate appearances in the postseason.
“I was spoiled when I was in Chicago, making five out of six, playing two Wild Card Games, being able to win a World Series,” he said. “I love the playoffs. This is something that I want to keep doing every year. I want to be known as a player that is -- when you go out there and win and help the team reach the playoffs and reach the ultimate goal of a World Series. But obviously it’s a step at a time.
“To be here in this position, you have to make the playoffs any way possible. Look at the 2019 Washington Nationals, they make the Wild Card and go all the way to win the World Series. Obviously division is the No. 1 goal, but just to make the playoffs in general, it’s always a good thing.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 5, 2021 4:01:11 GMT -5
Yankees @ Red Sox Wild Card Game Tuesday, 5th October 2021 8pm @ Fenway Park
Cole 16-8/3.23
Eovaldi 11-9/3.75
Yankees-Red Sox rivalry gets another wild chapter
Baseball's biggest rivalry enters uncharted territory Tuesday night as the Boston Red Sox play host to the New York Yankees for the first time in a one-and-done American League wild-card game.
Boston (92-70) finished atop the AL wild-card standings after Rafael Devers' tie-breaking two-run home run in the ninth inning Sunday sealed a 7-5 comeback win at Washington in the final game of the regular season.
The Yankees (92-70) clinched the second wild-card spot Sunday in their finale against Tampa Bay with a 1-0 win on Aaron Judge's walk-off infield single.
Despite finishing with the same record, Boston will host the one-game playoff as a result of winning the regular-season series 10-9. The Yankees have won nine of the past 12 games between the teams after the Red Sox won the first seven meetings.
"We've seen that happen in the course of this rivalry over the years where you get hot for a little stretch against them or not, but I think it will be two really competitive teams," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "You live to be in these kind of competitive environments with a ton on the line."
The winner advances to face the AL East-champion Rays in an AL Division Series matchup beginning Thursday at St. Petersburg, Fla.
The classic 1978 tie-breaker game that the teams played at Fenway Park is one of baseball's most memorable one-game playoffs. Bucky Dent's three-run homer lifted the Yankees to the victory, but that game was played for the AL East title before the dawn of the wild-card era. The Yankees went on to win the 1978 World Series.
This is the first postseason meeting between the Red Sox and Yankees since 2018, when Boston won the AL Division Series 3-1 en route to its fourth World Series title since 2004.
"This is different. It's one game," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "We are who we are. We're not perfect, we know that. But we didn't run into (92) wins just being lucky. We have a good baseball team."
Prior to 2018, the teams met in back-to-back AL Championship Series in 2003 and 2004.
In 2003, New York won in epic fashion on Boone's walk-off home run in Game 7 to reach the World Series.
A year later, Boston made history by becoming the only team to erase a 3-0 playoff series deficit when they defeated the Yankees on the way to their first World Series championship in 86 years.
A pair of All-Star pitchers will face off Tuesday as New York right-hander Gerrit Cole (16-8, 3.23 ERA) opposes Boston right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (11-9, 3.75 ERA). Cole and Eovaldi last dueled a week ago in a Yankees' 8-3 win on their way to a three-game sweep at Boston.
Cole posted a quality start with six innings of three-run, five-hit ball with three walks and six strikeouts. Eovaldi turned in one of his worst starts of the year, tying a season-high-tying with seven runs allowed on seven hits with no strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings.
Cole went 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA in four starts against the Red Sox this season. Eovaldi is 2-2 with a 3.71 ERA in six starts against his former team this year.
In the postseason, Cole boasts an impressive 8-4 record with a 2.68 ERA in 13 career starts. Meanwhile, Eovaldi has gone 2-1 with a 1.61 ERA in six career postseason appearances (two starts).
Boston has never played in the one-game wild card format, while this is the fourth appearance for New York. The Yankees are 2-1 in wild-card games, falling to Houston 3-0 in 2015, but beating Minnesota 8-4 in 2017 and Oakland 7-2 in 2018.
--Field Level Media
Yankees at Red Sox Tuesday, at 8:08 PM EST Cloudy According to Forecast.io, it's expected to be 59° F with a 1% chance of rain and 6 MPH wind blowing in in Boston at 8:08 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com Forecast.io
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