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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 11, 2021 2:49:18 GMT -5
Umpires explain quirky ground-rule double
12:45 AM ADT
Bryan Hoch
Bryan Hoch
@bryanhoch
BOSTON -- Kevin Kiermaier rounded third base, learned what had happened out near the right-field bullpens, then threw his hands into the air. So had the umpires, signaling a ground-rule double -- one of the strangest seen yet at Fenway Park, a century-old venue of nooks and crannies where odd bounces can be a nightly occurrence.
Kiermaier’s drive in the top of the 13th inning should have sent home Yandy Díaz with a go-ahead run, but Game 3 of the American League Division Series will be remembered for a quirky ricochet. The ball hit the wall, struck Red Sox outfielder Hunter Renfroe in the right thigh and hopped into the Boston bullpen -- a crucial moment in a contest ultimately won by the Red Sox, 6-4, in 13 innings.
“The rules are what they are, but man, that's a heartbreaker,” Kiermaier said. “I can't believe that happened, or we don't get the chance to score right there. I crushed that ball. I got a lot of snap and crackle with no pop, first and foremost. I mean, Yandy would have scored standing up. It's a heartbreaker, plain and simple.”
“By rule, it’s just a ground-rule double,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “The umpires met and got together and said, ‘You’re more than welcome to challenge it.’ I saw the replay, and obviously, there was nothing intentional about it. That’s just the rule, that’s just the way it goes. It was very unfortunate for us.”
Crew chief Sam Holbrook and umpire supervisor Charlie Reliford were made available to reporters after Game 3, with Holbrook producing his copy of the 2021 MLB Umpire Manual.
“It's item 20 in the manual, which is, balls deflected out of play, which is in reference to official baseball Rule 5.06(b)(4)(H). It says, ‘If a fair ball not in flight is deflected by a fielder and goes out of play, the award is two bases from the time of the pitch.’”
Holbook added: “Once that ball hit the wall, it was no longer in flight. Now the ball bounces off the wall and is deflected out of play off of a fielder. That’s just a ground-rule double. There’s no ‘He would’ve done this, he would’ve done that.’ It’s just flat out in the rule book. It’s a ground-rule double.”
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Díaz was running to second base on Nick Pivetta’s full-count pitch, approaching third base when the ball went over the wall. In essence, the ball retains its status as a batted ball until fielded cleanly by a defensive player. So even after striking Renfroe, the outcome is identical to what would have happened if it naturally bounced over the fence.
“I was going for the catch and happened to look up, and the wall was right there,” Renfroe said. “It hit the top of the wall, ricocheted off the ground, hit me in the right hip. Thankfully it bounced over the fence and they issued a ground-rule double. It would be the same thing if you were going down the line, it hit your glove, hit the ground and bounced over.”
The rules also provide no umpire discretion as to runner placement. As such, Díaz was returned to third base, to be stranded there when Pivetta struck out Mike Zunino. The Rays challenged the runner placement, which was confirmed by replay. Part of the replay review in New York was to make sure Renfroe did not intentionally send the ball over the wall.
“It’s a high-priority game, a high-priority situation, and we want to make sure that we get everything right,” Holbrook said. “If it was intentionally kicked out, then it would have been from the time of the intentional deflection, two bases from that time. So we went and looked at it, and they confirmed that it was just a ball off the wall, hit the fielder and deflected out of play. From an umpire’s standpoint, it’s very simple -- textbook in the rule.”
“I’ve seen it. I was familiar,” said Reliford, who umpired in the Majors from 1989 through 2009 before becoming a supervisor. “But I get it, that it doesn’t happen very often.”
Cash said that it was “fairly obvious” that Díaz would have scored, if not for the deflection.
“I definitely wish it was different,” Cash said. “I think it would be a very easy call if somebody stepped in and said it was stating the obvious, that he was going to score. Saying that, it’s been a rule for a long time, and we’re going to play within the rules that are presented to us this season.”
Tampa Bay was also curious about a potential obstruction call in the eighth inning, when Randy Arozarena collided with Red Sox first baseman Kyle Schwarber on his run-scoring double.
“It was obstruction, but they also didn’t feel that he was going to get to third base,” Cash said. “Had Randy kept running and he gets thrown out by 20 feet, you’re making a judgment call. They certainly marked the obstruction, but I think he probably belonged at second.”
Boston won the game in the bottom of the 13th on Christian Vázquez’s two-run homer.
“I don’t want that [ground-rule double] play to take away from what this game was, on both sides,” Red Sox outfielder Kiké Hernández said. “Both teams played a hell of a game. This is what October is all about.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 11, 2021 2:50:58 GMT -5
Kiké homers for historic 7th straight hit
1:24 AM ADT
Molly Burkhardt
Molly Burkhardt
@mollyburkhardt
0:17
0:36
BOSTON -- It’s difficult to follow a 5-for-6, three-run, three-RBI night in a postseason game.
Kiké Hernández was up for the challenge.
Following his five-hit performance in Boston’s Game 2 American League Division Series victory at Tropicana Field on Friday, Hernández settled for three hits, one run and two RBIs in the Red Sox’s pivotal 6-4 Game 3 win on Sunday at Fenway Park.
Hernández heard chants of “Kiké! Kiké!” as he rounded the bases on Sunday, after hitting his second homer of the 2021 postseason: a fifth-inning blast that cleared the Green Monster while boosting the Red Sox to a 4-2 lead over the Rays.
When you’re hot, you’re hot -- and Hernández is absolutely sizzling. Hernández established a Major League record with his eighth hit over a two-game span in a single postseason.
Hernández’s eighth hit -- the homer off a Pete Fairbanks fastball -- came off the bat at 109.8 mph and traveled a projected 424 feet, according to Statcast. The home run was Hernández’s seventh consecutive at-bat with a hit, shattering a Red Sox record of six that had been shared by David Ortiz (2013) and Hanley Ramirez (2017), according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
The postseason record is eight straight at-bats with a hit, shared by Reggie Jackson (1977-78), Billy Hatcher (1990) and Miguel Cairo (2001-02).
Hernández is the first player to collect eight hits across a two-game span in a single postseason. The Yankees’ Derek Jeter had eight hits in a two-game span across the 2005-06 postseasons.
Additionally, Hernández has tied the Red Sox postseason record for extra-base hits in a single series, with five. The mark is shared by Carl Yastrzemski (1967 World Series), John Valentin (1999 ALDS) and Kevin Youkilis (twice -- 2007 ALCS and 2008 ALCS).
“It's fantastic. The guy's locked in,” said Kyle Schwarber. “To be able to go out there -- the postseason, it's a different beast. You can't compare it to any regular-season game. I feel like it brings the best out of everyone.”
Across three games this series, Hernández is 8-for-16 with four runs, three doubles, two homers and five RBIs. A number of Hernández’s eight hits have come at crucial points to help stoke Boston’s offense after the club’s quiet offensive start to the ALDS:
• First (G2): First-inning double advances Schwarber to third (both would later score)
• Second (G2): Fifth-inning game-tying homer
• Third (G2): Sixth-inning two-out double
• Fourth (G2): Eighth-inning one-out double
• Fifth (G2): Ninth-inning two-run single
• Sixth (G3): First-inning single
• Seventh (G3): Third-inning game-tying RBI single
• Eighth (G3): Fifth-inning homer to make it 4-2
In Game 1 of the ALDS, Hernández went 0-for-4 with one strikeout in Boston’s loss. The offensive resurgence since Game 1 more closely resembles Hernández’s postseason career, in which he has 10 homers, 23 RBIs and an .849 OPS across 62 games (162 plate appearances) with the Dodgers and Red Sox.
Just last year, Hernández played a crucial role in Los Angeles’ championship run, hitting a game-tying homer vs. the Braves in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series to help send the Dodgers to the World Series. Just four games into the 2021 postseason, and the Red Sox are already benefiting greatly from Hernández’s postseason pop.
“You see what Kiké is doing at the plate right now,” Schwarber said. “The biggest thing is to let him keep going up there and keep doing what he's doing. Give him high fives whenever he comes in, hits a home run, hits a big double, whatever it is. Don't mention anything. Let him keep enjoying the moment. That's the biggest thing. We're all enjoying the moment right now. He's doing an exceptional job of enjoying the moment.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 11, 2021 2:52:35 GMT -5
E-Rod to start G4 after Pivetta's G3 heroics
1:32 AM ADT
Ian Browne
Ian Browne
@ianmbrowne
BOSTON -- Plan A for Red Sox manager Alex Cora was to hold Nick Pivetta out of Sunday’s Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the Rays so he could hand the ball to the righty for a start in Game 4 on Monday.
But as often happens with Cora during the month of October, he went off-script in his all-out approach to seize the moment.
This certainly happened on Sunday, as Pivetta pitched the 10th through 13th innings and didn’t allow a run, earning the win as the Red Sox earned a memorable 6-4, extra-inning victory that gave them a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.
So what’s the plan now for Game 4, in which the Red Sox have a chance to close out the Rays and move on to the AL Championship Series?
“Not yet,” said Cora, when asked if he had a starter. “But most likely it's going to be Eddie.”
That would be Eduardo Rodriguez, the veteran lefty who has a chance at redemption after he got only five outs while throwing 41 pitches in Boston’s 5-0 loss in Game 1.
It would hardly be surprising to see Rodriguez flip the script on Monday night, because he’s done that all season -- often following his best starts with a subpar one, and vice versa.
Without question, Rodriguez will carry plenty of emotion into the matchup, considering he is eligible for free agency this offseason. The 28-year-old has been with the Red Sox since 2015, and there’s a chance that Game 4 could be his final Fenway Park start wearing a home uniform.
In order to reach Monday up two games to one with a chance to clinch at home, the Red Sox got a huge outing from Pivetta, who threw 67 pitches on two days’ rest after tossing 73 pitches in relief in Game 1.
“It’s fine,” said Pivetta. “It’s just another day for me. great.”
Aside from Pivetta, Cora didn’t tax anyone in the bullpen in Game 3, leaving Boston in good shape for Monday’s potential close-out game.
Cora used six relievers, but that didn’t include Chris Sale, who could face a pocket of lefties in Game 4 after his disappointing start in Game 2 on Friday lasted just one inning and 30 pitches.
It remains to be seen if Cora will use his best bullpen weapon in 25-year-old rookie Tanner Houck, who fired five electric innings and threw 61 pitches in Game 2.
Though conventional wisdom could have Cora holding Houck back for a potential winner-take-all Game 5, there is nothing conventional about the way Boston’s manager handles postseason games.
That was evident before the team even got to the ballpark on Sunday.
“We were all in, and they knew it,” said Cora. “We texted all the starters yesterday and we said ‘Spikes on,’ and they understand what that is. We might do it differently than other teams, but when you get to that stage, you take it day by day.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 11, 2021 2:55:59 GMT -5
Jon Couture
@joncouture
·
6h
An all-timer. Full stop.
If momentum was a real thing in baseball, the #RedSox will come out in their yellow tomorrow and win, 27-0. Alas, next day's starting pitcher and all that.
Couple thoughts:
1. The Fisk piece was a little much, but Vasgersian nailed this call.
2. Not unlike the Stanton shot, this thing looked headed for Lansdowne off the bat and ended up eking into the first row.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 11, 2021 2:56:31 GMT -5
Alex Speier
@alexspeier
·
5h
Had Renfroe intentionally kicked the ball out, then the runners would have been awarded two bases from the time of the deflection.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 11, 2021 2:57:26 GMT -5
Jon Couture
@joncouture
·
5h
Great call by MLB to let them answer questions. (Would have been a better call not to bury what turned out your best playoff game to date on MLB Network, but baby steps.)
Pete Abraham
@peteabe
· 5h
Umpire Sam Holbrook explaining the rule. Once the ball is not in flight it’s a ground rule double and two bases. No discretion. The replay showed there was no intent by the fielder. Good for MLB making the umpires available be to take questions.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 11, 2021 3:08:07 GMT -5
Nick Pivetta took the ball, and ran with opportunity to play a huge role on postseason stage
By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated October 10, 2021, 11:28 p.m.
5
Nick Pivetta took the ball in the 10th inning Sunday night. Had Red Sox manager Alex Cora tried to take it back there may well have been a wrestling match on the mound.
Pitching with both precision and fury, Pivetta’s four shutout innings set the stage for batterymate Christian Vázquez’s walkoff homer and a 6-4 victory against Tampa Bay in Game 3 of the AL Division Series.
“It’s a moment in time for me and for our team,” Pivetta said.
Cora texted his starting pitchers earlier in the day that they should be ready to work in relief. Pivetta threw 73 pitches in a Game 1 loss Thursday, which would normally be followed by four days off.
“They understand what that is,” Cora said. “We might do it differently than other teams, but when you get to that stage, you take it day by day.”
Pivetta worked around a leadoff single in the 10th inning and walked off the mound pumping his fist. He was screaming into the air after three consecutive strikeouts left a runner stranded in the 11th.
A perfect 12th inning had Pivetta skipping off the field.
“We’ve seen it before,” Cora said. “There’s been a few games that he just gets — he goes somewhere else mentally and physically. He was locked in. He did an amazing job for us.”
Asked to explain it, Pivetta laughed.
“I don’t know. To be honest with you, it just kind of happens for me. I think it’s just my competitive nature,” he said.
“[It’s] how much I care about these guys here and how much I want to do good for the team and put them on my back and just we’re all trying our hardest, and we’re all doing the best we can.”
Pivetta was overlooked as a prospect coming out of Canada and went to junior college in New Mexico to find a path to pro ball. The Nationals drafted him in 2013 and he’s been traded twice since.
That has given him an, “I’ll show you” edge the Red Sox welcome.
“It was electric today. I think he deserved this win,” Vázquez said. “It was awesome to work with him tonight, and all the pitches — the curveball, slider, fastball up — all the pitches were working and very sharp tonight.”
Vázquez said Pivetta sometimes needs a minute after the inning to settle down so they can discuss the next three hitters coming up
“Pitchers like that, you need to calm down and take a break and wait for when they calm down and talk to them,” he said.
Pivetta was 9-8 with a 4.53 ERA during the regular season in 31 games, 30 of them starts. He went to the bullpen for the postseason, a weapon Cora can use for multiple innings. It was the role Nate Eovaldi had in 2018.
It’s one that suits him. Pivetta responded well to the intensity of the moment Sunday.
“I just gave it my all,” he said. “I just competed with the strike zone, competed with those guys, and my energy just shows what this means to me and means to our team. It’s really exciting. It’s fun to be here.”
Pivetta allowed a single by Yandy Díaz in the 13th. With two outs, Kevin Kiermaier doubled off the base of the wall in right field. The ball bounced back and deflected off Hunter Renfroe into the bullpen.
By rule, it was a double and Díaz was held at third. Pivetta made the break pay off for the Sox by striking out Mike Zunino for the final out.
“There’s a lot of pressure in those situations. You’ve got to have fun with it. You’ve got to be excited, feed off the crowd, feed off of everybody, the dugout,” Pivetta said. “Everybody was in it. It kept me in the baseball game. It kept me at high energy, which I like to be at.”
The epic appearance gave Pivetta 140 pitches over three days, something he said he’s never done before at any level.
“But it’s fine. It’s just another day for me,” he said.
It wasn’t. It put the Sox a game away from the ALCS. And he’ll get at least a day off.
“Yeah, he won’t be available tomorrow,” Cora said.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 11, 2021 3:16:26 GMT -5
After a shaky start, Nate Eovaldi pitched in with exactly what Red Sox needed in crucial Game 3
By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated October 10, 2021, 10:12 p.m.
Nate Eovaldi has entered the conversation when it comes to who are the best postseason pitchers in Red Sox history.
The righthander came up big in October again Sunday, allowing two runs over five innings against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 3 of the AL Division Series. The Red Sox went on to win it in 13 innings, 6-4, and take a 2-1 lead in the ALDS.
Eovaldi was in line for the win before the Rays tied the game in the eighth inning with two runs off Hansel Robles and it went into extras.
Much earlier in the day, Eovaldi allowed a two-run homer to the third hitter of the game, Austin Meadows, then retired 14 of the remaining 17 batters he faced, allowing only one other hit.
He struck out eight and walked one, throwing 58 of 85 pitches for strikes.
Outside of that first inning, the only time Eovaldi ran into trouble was the fifth when Joey Wendle doubled to left field with one out. Eovaldi retired Brandon Lowe on a line drive to center field and Wander Franco on a ground ball to first base.
Eovaldi has a 1.93 earned run average over eight postseason games and 32⅔ innings with the Red Sox. That puts him in exclusive company.
Of the 18 Sox pitchers with at least 30 postseason innings, only Babe Ruth (0.87), Ernie Shore (1.82), and Cy Young (1.85) have a lower ERA and they all pitched for the Sox in the early 1900s.
Eovaldi hasn’t been as impactful over the long term as Pedro Martinez (6-2 with 3.40 ERA over 13 games and 79⅓ innings) or Jon Lester (6-4, 2.11 over 13 games and 76⅔ innings).
But he’s building his resume.
Eovaldi is 3-0 with a 2.31 ERA in four postseason starts. Opponents have hit only .204 in those games with Eovaldi averaging 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings.
Eovaldi beat the Yankees in the Wild Card Game on Tuesday, allowing one run over 5⅓ innings. That moved the Sox into the next round and a shot at the ALCS.
That Eovaldi was been capped at five innings or a few batters more for much of the season is a product of how games are managed now. Opposing hitters have a .648 OPS against Eovaldi this first time up. It goes up a bit to .670 the second time then takes a leap to .780 the third time.
Managers and pitching coaches would prefer a starting pitcher give them everything they have for five innings, then try to conserve strength for the sixth or seventh inning.
With 26-man rosters, most teams are carrying 13 pitchers and have enough relievers available to cover the late innings and create favorable matchups.
In modern terms, Eovaldi is a workhorse. He led the Sox with 32 starts and 182⅓ innings during the regular season. That was fourth in the American League.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 11, 2021 3:20:43 GMT -5
Christian Vázquez hits two-run homer in 13th as Red Sox walk off with 2-1 ALDS lead over Rays
By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated October 10, 2021, 9:46 p.m.
Over 13 innings in Game 3 of this American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, Fenway Park served as the cauldron for the dazzling stew of October baseball.
For the Red Sox, the game offered a strange mixture of excitement, exhilaration, amusement, dismay, fear, trembling, hope, confusion, and joy that coalesced over the course of a script-defying contest.
Finally, remarkably, after five hours and 14 minutes, the Red Sox erupted in a frenzied celebration with an undiminished crowd of 37,224 following a 6-4 walkoff victory over the Rays, a triumph decided when Christian Vázquez blasted a two-run homer into the Monster Seats in the bottom of the 13th inning.
“This is what October is all about,” said Kiké Hernández. “These are the games you expect to play and to win when you think about October.”
The blast by Vázquez off Luis Patiño — the sixth walkoff homer in Red Sox history, and the first since a Manny Ramirez blast in Game 2 of the 2007 ALDS vs. the Angels — gave the Sox a 2-to-1 lead in this best-of-five series. It also concluded a contest in which the Sox fell behind, took the lead, blew the lead, then navigated a five-inning balance beam — aided by a kick save — to reach the bottom of the 13th.
Tampa Bay put the Sox on their heels in the top of the first, as Austin Meadows drilled a 97 mile-per-hour fastball from Sox starter Nate Eovaldi to the back wall of the visitor’s bullpen to give the Rays a 2-0 lead. But Eovaldi remained undeterred, finishing the inning with three strikeouts and trusting his offense to come back.
Kyle Schwarber, installed as the Sox leadoff hitter at the start of the postseason, set the tone for the Sox to do just that. He blasted a hanging 0-1 curveball from Rays starter Drew Rasmussen over the Wall in left to make it a 2-1 contest.
The shot was Schwarber’s second postseason homer this year and the eighth of his career. Schwarber’s homer was the fourth in postseason history by a Red Sox to lead off the first inning.
Two innings later, the Sox took the lead when they opened the inning with two runs on four consecutive singles. The first three came against Rasmussen, with Hernández sending the Rays starter to the showers with a run-scoring single to center, and the last by Rafael Devers off of lefthanded reliever Josh Fleming to plate Schwarber and give the Sox a 3-2 advantage.
By that point, Eovaldi had taken control of the game. Following the homer, he held the next 14 Rays hitters to an 0-for-13 line with seven strikeouts and a walk. When Tampa Bay finally did get another hit off of him with one out in the fifth, the Red Sox ace — whose five-pitch mix was headlined by an anvil of a splitter — dispatched the next two Rays on a lineout and an inning-ending groundout to first on a splitter by Franco.
Eovaldi concluded his fourth career postseason start with yet another display of October excellence. He held the Rays to two runs on three hits while striking out eight and walking one. In 32 career playoff innings, he now has a 1.93 ERA with 32 strikeouts and four walks.
“Unbelievable job,” said Schwarber.
After his final half-inning, the Sox stretched their lead to 4-2 when Hernández turned on a 98-m.p.h. fastball from reliever Pete Fairbanks and launching a 110-m.p.h. rocket that endangered the Citgo sign. The smash marked the third hit of the game and seventh hit in as many at-bats by Hernández, setting a new Red Sox postseason record and tying the major league record he now co-owns with Billy Hatcher (1990) and Derek Jeter (2005-06).
“The guy’s locked in,” said Schwarber.
Though the two-run lead offered the Sox breathing room, the relentless Rays — the best offense in baseball from the seventh inning on this year — did not. While Josh Taylor, Ryan Brasier, and Austin Davis combined to deliver scoreless work in the sixth and seventh, Hansel Robles — one of the team’s most reliable relievers since the start of September, had a (literally) stomach-churning eighth.
Rays prodigy Wander Franco hit a solo homer to trim the Sox lead to 4-3, and Meadows pounded a double off the wall in left-center. With two outs and pinch-runner Manuel Margot on third, Randy Arozarena drilled a game-tying double to center that tied the score, 4-4.
Robles — who would have been out of the game anyway — received a visit from trainer Brad Pearson and was escorted off the field, where he threw up in the clubhouse.
But rookie Garrett Whitlock alleviated distress with three strikeouts over 1 scoreless innings, sending the game to extras. While the Sox mustered little in bonus baseball, Nick Pivetta — three days removed from a 73-pitch relief effort over 4 innings in Game 1 at Tropicana Field — kept the game in check.
The righthander, who pitches with considerable emotion under any circumstances, took that trait to new heights. He danced off the mound pointing to Vázquez after the catcher threw out Manuel Margot on an attempted steal to end the 10th, then shook as he unleashed a primal scream when he ended the 11th with a strikeout.
He remained at full throttle in a scoreless 12th before the Rays nearly got to him in the 13th. With Yandy Díaz on first and two outs, Kevin Kiermaier ripped a double to right-center. The ball rattled off the fence and caromed off outfielder Hunter Renfroe, kicking into the Sox bullpen.
“When that happened, I was speechless,” said Hernández. “I’ve never seen that before in my life. I wasn’t sure what was going to get called.”
Had the ball remained in play, Díaz would have scored. But the umpires awarded Kiermaier a double and stopped Díaz at third.
“It’s in the rule book. It’s a ground-rule double. There’s no discretion,” said home plate umpire and crew chief Sam Holbrook, who cited Rule 5.06(b)(4)(H), stipulating that a ball deflected unintentionally by a fielder out of play results in the batter and runners being awarded two bases from the time of the pitch.
Pivetta stranded both runners by striking out Mike Zunino, again erupting following his fourth scoreless inning of work.
“I just gave it my all,” said Pivetta. “My energy just shows what this means to me and means to our team. It’s a moment in time for me and for our team.”
That moment became one to savor when Renfroe walked with one out in the 13th. Vázquez, who came off the bench in the sixth, took note of Patiño starting the first two at-bats of the inning with fastballs.
Vázquez was ready when the Rays reliever came with a 96-m.p.h. first-pitch offering. He swung and threw his arms up in triumph while watching the orb sail over the Wall, moving his team within a game from advancing to the next round.
“It’s a big moment for us, a big win,” said Vázquez. “I think we play for these emotions. It’s October, and anything can happen in October. It’s fun.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 11, 2021 3:24:10 GMT -5
Red Sox notebook
Red Sox reverse course on Chris Sale and make him available in bullpen for Game 3
By Alex Speier and Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated October 10, 2021, 5:45 p.m.
One day after Red Sox manager Alex Cora ruled out the possibility of having struggling starter Chris Sale pitching out of the bullpen in the American League Division Series against the Rays, he and the Red Sox reversed course. Cora said that Sale was available to contribute out of the bullpen for Game 3.
It wasn’t necessary as the Red Sox managed to piece it together without Sale in an epic 6-4 victory in 13 innings, which wasn’t decided until Christian Vázquez hit a walkoff two-run homer.
“We changed our mind,” said Cora. “He feels he can go medically. Everybody is fine with it, and honestly I think, mentally for him, I think it will be great to put the spikes on and be ready for [Game 3 out of the bullpen].”
Asked if Sale would remain in consideration for a start in subsequent postseason contests, Cora remained coy.
“He’ll be in the bullpen today,” said Cora. “Very Belichick, very Sunday football answers today.”
One possible cause of Sale’s problems in Game 2 of the ALDS, when he allowed five runs in one inning: The lefthander’s release point was 2 inches farther to his arm side toward first base than it had been in his previous outing in Tampa Bay at the beginning of September.
Perhaps as a result of that release point, Sale could not get his four-seam fastball in on Tampa Bay’s righthanded hitters. All of his four-seamers were middle-away. Meanwhile, his extension towards the plate was also diminished by roughly 4 inches compared with that prior start in Tampa Bay, meaning Rays hitters had more time to react to it.
Sale, of course, has prior playoff experience coming out of the bullpen. Most notably, in 2018, he delivered a scoreless inning on two separate occasions —the second being the ninth inning of Game 5 of the World Series, when he struck out the side to clinch Boston’s title.
Decision due
Originally, the Sox viewed Nick Pivetta as their likeliest candidate to start Game 4 of the ALDS. But with the righthander having logged 67 pitches over his four shutout innings in Game 3, he’s no longer an option.
“We were all in, and [the starters] knew it. We texted all the starters [to have] spikes on, and they understand what that is,” said Cora. “We might do it differently than other teams, but when you get to that stage, you take it day by day.”
With Pivetta unavailable on Monday, Cora said that Eduardo Rodriguez — who lasted just 1 innings in a Game 1 loss — would likely (but not definitely) be the Game 4 starter for the Red Sox. He would be pitching on three days’ rest.
The Rays will have a bullpen game on Monday. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash identified righthanders Collin McHugh and Michael Wacha as likely to factor into the mix.
“We’ll find a way to piece it together,” he said.
Hoodie Connection
Patriots coach Bill Belichick texted Cora before the AL Wild Card Game wishing him luck then offering his congratulations afterward.
“That’s huge. That’s the highlight of the year to be honest with you,” Cora said. “That’s cool for somebody of his status to take his time and wish us luck and then another text . . . That was the coolest thing ever.”
In 2018 and 2019, Belichick’s messages to Cora and the Sox were often channeled through then-Sox advisor Tony La Russa, who is close to the Patriots coach. Cora and Belichick met after the 2018 World Series when the Sox were recognized at Gillette Stadium. But they hadn’t been in touch since.
“I finally got a text from him,” Cora said. “I’m in the club. I’m in the club. I was so excited. I texted him [Sunday]. I was like, ‘Hey, beat the Texans.’”
Cash was asked if he has heard from noted Tampa Bay resident Tom Brady.
“No,” he said. “But if I do, I’m going to ask if I can go on his boat.”
Taking it in stride
Kyle Schwarber is new to first base with unrounded edges to his defensive game. That became apparent when he fielded a groundball and made an error on a routine underhanded flip to Nate Eovaldi in the top of the third inning that sailed over the pitcher’s head.
In the fourth, Schwarber had a chance to redeem himself and successfully converted a 3-1 play. When Eovaldi crossed first to retire Ji-Man Choi, Schwarber threw his arms in the air, pumped his fist, and doffed his hat to the erupting crowd.
“You’ve got to be able to make fun of yourself every once in a while and loosen the situation up,” said Schwarber. “I think I got a laugh out of pretty much almost everyone. It’s a game.”
Schwarber, who went 3 for 5 with a lead-off solo homer in Game 3, said postseason baseball in Boston has reminded him of his time with the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
“Very comparable. I played in some big games for the Cubs. But that Wild Card Game against the Yankees was incredible,” said Schwarber, a member of Chicago’s 2016 championship team. “It felt like the fans were paying attention and on every pitch.
“That was bucket list item, playing at Fenway Park in postseason games.”
Brotherly love
The Pirates fired third base Joey Cora on Saturday, ending his five-year run on the staff. The team wanted to give second-year manager Derek Shelton a chance to pick more of his own coaches.
Joey Cora, 56, is Alex Cora’s older brother by 11 years.
“We’ll see how it goes. Hopefully we’ll see him here soon. He might come here and hang out with us,” Alex Cora said.
When Alex Cora was first hired by the Sox in 2017, he said he wouldn’t want to have his brother on the staff. When they talk, it’s usually more about family than baseball.
“It’s a tough conversation,” he said. “He’s my brother and I feel like when we talk baseball it’s his way or the highway. He has all the answers about how you should do it and I avoid that.
“I love when he comes here and he’s just a brother.”
Cora said he made some calls on behalf of his brother and is confident he’ll land with another team. But that’s not likely to be the Red Sox.
“Not good for me, not good for him, not good for my mother,” Cora said. “That would be a tough one. But he’ll be OK. He’s a great baseball man.”
Joey Cora played in the majors from 1987-98 and has coached since 2003 with the White Sox, Marlins and Pirates.
Yellow alert
The Sox haven’t decided if they will wear their yellow and light blue “City Connect” jerseys on Monday. The color scheme is a tribute to the Boston Marathon finish line . . . The Sox are planning on a Marathon-themed pre-game ceremony before Game 4 with some notable figures from 2013 on hand. “It’s exciting for Boston. It’s fitting how it’s being done now,” Cash said. “It should be just fun all the way around.” . . . For the second straight game, the Red Sox featured a lineup with Schwarber leading off, followed by Kiké Hernández, Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts, Alex Verdugo, and J.D. Martinez. Cora came upon the lineup in Game 2 of the ALDS, when he wanted to maintain left/right balance in case Martinez (left ankle) came out of the game in favor of Bobby Dalbec. The Sox exploded for 14 runs on 20 hits in the contest, and Cora committed to keeping the new lineup structure against righthanders. “By accident, we found probably our best lineup of the season balance-wise. I say ‘by accident’ because J.D. got hurt, so we had to make adjustments,” said Cora. “Then because J.D. wasn’t sure if he could go the whole game, we decided to hit him sixth in case we had to pinch-hit for him or take him out of the game. So by accident, I do believe against righties this is the best alignment that we can have offensive-wise.” . . . Hernández broke Hanley Ramirez’s franchise record for consecutive postseason hits (6) set in the 2017 ALDS vs. the Astros. Hernández tied Ramirez with his sixth straight hit of the series on a tying RBI single in the third inning that chased Rays starter Drew Rasmussen from the game, then passed him with a lead-off solo homer off Rays reliever Pete Fairbanks in the fifth inning that gave the Sox a 4-2 lead . . . Neither the Sox nor Rays had announced Game 4 starters prior to the start of Game 3. Both teams were waiting to get through the contest to determine who would be available.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 11, 2021 3:27:06 GMT -5
It’s starting to feel like the Red Sox have that old postseason magic after an epic win over the Rays
By Dan Shaughnessy Globe Columnist,Updated October 10, 2021, 9:53 p.m.
We know a thing or two about long postseason baseball games here in Boston.
There was Game 6 of the 1975 World Series when Carlton Fisk famously turned on a Pat Darcy pitch and drove it deep to Fenway’s left-field wall in the bottom of the 12th. The ball clanged off the foul pole and into Good Will Hunting. After midnight.
Just three years ago, there was a 7-hour-20-minute special in the 2018 World Series when the Sox and Dodgers played 18 innings before Max Muncy won it with a walkoff homer. It was after 3 in the morning in Boston when that one ended.
This one lasted 5:14.
Vazquez was not the only hero. Sox righty Nick Pivetta — who pitched 4⅔ innings Thursday — and was scheduled to start Game 4 Monday — came on in relief and threw four innings of shutout ball. Pivetta struck out seven. He’s thrown 140 pitches since Thursday.
“We were all in and they know it,’’ said Sox manager Alex Cora. “We text all the starters yesterday and we put spikes on, and they understand what that is. [Pivetta] understands that and he did an amazing job in Tampa. Today he was amazing. Very similar to Nate [Eovaldi] in Game 3 of the World Series a few years ago.’’
Referencing the support of the 37,224 who stuck around for the walkoff — a crowd that was every bit as good as the one that greeted the wild-card win over the Yankees, Cora added, “These people, wow, that was better than Tuesday, to be honest with you. That was fun.’’
The Red Sox got the biggest of breaks in the top of the 13th when a long fly ball by Kevin Kiermaier banged off the right-field bullpen wall, then banged off Sox outfielder Hunter Renfroe, and popped into the bullpen for a ground-rule double. Yandy Díaz, who was on first base when the ball was struck, would have scored easily, but was forced to stop at third.
It’s certainly not the spirit of the rule. What would stop any outfielder from directing any bouncing ball out of play to keep a runner from scoring? The Rays were ripped off big time. If a call like that went against Boston, Sox fans would riot. Think of it as the Red Sox version of the Tuck Rule, which launched a football dynasty 20 years ago.
“That’s just the rule, that’s the way it goes,’’ said Tampa manager Kevin Cash. “It was very unfortunate for us. I think it was fairly obvious that Yandy was going to come around to score, but it didn’t go our way.’’
Related: Here's how the umpire explained the rule that prevented the Rays from scoring in the 13th
It’s moments like that that make you wonder if this might be the Red Sox’ year. There is still much work to be done, but there was no doubt about Sox Magic in the ancient yard Sunday.
“I think we play for these emotions,’’ said homer-hero Vázquez. “It’s October, and anything can happen in October. It’s fun for me.’’
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Emotions? Try this: In the top of the third inning, iron-mitt Kyle Schwarber gloved a routine grounder by Brandon Lowe, then Wilt Chamberlain’d the throw to first, heaving an underhand toss far over the head of the 6-foot-2-inch Eovaldi. E3. But Eovaldi got out of the inning.
In the fourth, Tampa’s Ji-Man Choi hit another routine grounder to first. This time, Schwarber fielded the ball cleanly and made a perfect feed to Eovaldi, who was covering first.
Routine. No big deal. Except for Schwarber’s reaction. Totally secure in his own skin, and aware of his defensive non-skills, the Schwarb celebrated his simple play, raising both arms over his head (Dick Radatz fashion), punctuated the moment with a Ray Bourque fist-pump, then tipped his cap as the crowd roared.
Gold, Jerry.
The Schwarbs also had a homer and two singles in this classic.
He’s the Cave Man. The Dirt Dog. He’s the pure hitter, slow-pitch softballer who crushes homers and embraces the postseason moment in the spirit of Dalton Jones, Bernie Carbo, Trot Nixon and Jonny Gomes. He’s the son of an Ohio cop, and a brother to three sisters.
Give me nine Schwarbs and I’ll win every big game. He’s a blue-collar, tone-setting Cam Neely, on this suddenly-likeable Red Sox team. He typifies this Boston baseball team.
“That was awesome,’’ said Cora. “That’s who we are. That’s what we do . . . he did what he did, and I think it was great. Sometimes we take this game too seriously, and you can actually not enjoy it. Although we take it seriously, we also have fun with it.’’
“You’ve got to be able to make fun of yourself every once in a while to loosen the situation up,’’ said Schwarber. “I think I got a laugh out of almost everyone.’’
There you go. Fun. Good fortune. Walkoffs. Mound heroics. Great managing. It’s a formula for October success.
Who will start for the Red Sox Monday? Cora would not commit, but said, “Most likely it’s going to be Eddie.’’
The way things are going for these Red Sox, Eduardo Rodriguez will probably throw a perfect game.
Wearing a yellow City Connect Marathon jersey of course.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 11, 2021 3:31:21 GMT -5
Bill Koch
@billkoch25
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6h
Rays manager Kevin Cash -- 'That’s just the rule. That’s the way it goes. It was very unfortunate for us. I think it was fairly obvious that (Kiermaier) or Yandy was going to come around to score, but it didn’t go our way.' #RedSox
Rule 5.05(a)(8).
Much like The Tuck Rule two decades ago. Boston fans will remember this one forever.
It saved the #RedSox in the top of the 13th Sunday. Christian Vazquez did the rest. And now this #ALDS could end on an unprecedented Marathon Monday.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 11, 2021 3:32:23 GMT -5
Bill Koch
@billkoch25
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5h
Couple postgame notes from Alex Cora:
- Eduardo Rodriguez the likely Game 4 starter
- Hansel Robles was sick when he left the game, not injured
- Obvious comparisons to Game 3 in 2018 at Dodger Stadium: 'We were all in, and they know it.' #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 11, 2021 3:33:56 GMT -5
Pete Abraham
@peteabe
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6h
Kiké Hernández: Don’t let that play take away from what a great game this was.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 11, 2021 3:34:18 GMT -5
Pete Abraham
@peteabe
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5h
As somebody who has been "no commented" by a few umpires over the years, it was refreshing to see Sam Holbrook answer every question and read from the rulebook. MLB's Mike Teevan helped set that up and Sr. VP Raúl Ibañez was involved, too. Accountability matters. MLB did well.
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