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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 3:33:09 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 5h Losing a playoff game sucks and that was a frustrating and annoying one, but not devastating, in my opinion. The Rays played like the Rays. Classes above in athleticism and defense.
The flub on the transfer and the steal sucked. A bunch of hard hit balls, but far too many grounders, almost no sweet spot contact and no XBH. No walks, but they hardly chased bad pitches and the Rays pounded the zone.
Couple of major wild cards in Sale and Baz tomorrow night, winner feels like they got the series.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 3:34:38 GMT -5
Chris Sale will start Game 2 of ALDS for Boston Red Sox, willing to pitch in relief if needed: ‘There’s no reason to save an arm to go sit on the couch’ Updated: Oct. 07, 2021, 10:35 p.m. | Published: Oct. 07, 2021, 10:17 p.m.
By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Chris Sale will start Game 2 of the ALDS for the Red Sox at Tropicana Field on Friday night, manager Alex Cora confirmed Thursday. Sale is the only Red Sox pitcher who is not available out of the bullpen for Game 1 on Thursday night.
Sale threw just 62 pitches in his last outing Sunday, a disappointing 2 ⅓ inning appearance in the regular season finale against the Nationals. He will pitch on regular rest in his first postseason appearance since Game 5 of the 2018 World Series, when he pitched the ninth inning in Boston’s clinching win over the Dodgers.
“To use him in Game 2 gives us the flexibility to use him probably later on in the series,” said manager Alex Cora. “Although with him we’re going to be very careful as far as, like, if he is going to be in the bullpen or not for obvious reasons, right? But if it’s up to him, he probably would be out there -- he would be in the bullpen today, but these guys are important for the present and obviously for the future of the organization.”
Sale owns a 5-1 record and 3.16 ERA in nine starts since returning from a two-year absence in mid-August, but he has not been as sharp as he has been in previous years. A major reason for that is his changeup; opposing batters have a .450 average (18-for-40) and a .650 slugging percentage against that pitch.
“I think the biggest flaw in that is the consistency,” Sale said. “You know, if I throw 10 of them, four of them are really good. Two of them are, eh, and the other ones are batting practice. So I just have to find a way to get more consistent with that pitch.”
Like he did in 2018, Cora plans to have his starters ready in the bullpen on days they are not pitching throughout the postseason. In Game 1, Nathan Eovaldi was available in relief, as was Nick Pivetta, who ended up pitching multiple innings after Eduardo Rodriguez was lifted early. Despite Cora’s pledge to be careful with Sale, the lefty said he’s willing to pitch in relief if needed.
“There’s no reason to save an arm to go sit on the couch, you know what I mean? This is all the baseball we have left, and we’re going to get to certain points in these series where tomorrow might not come, so if that’s the case and it’s what’s called upon, you know, it’s my job,” Sale said. “It’s what I signed up to do.
“I know a lot of people like to think about the glitz and the glam of what it’s like being this, but the grit and the grind is what we’re here for,” he continued. “And this is what we actually signed up to do, and this is what we live for, so if it’s the first 15, 18, 21 outs or the last two, three, six, whatever it is, we got a bunch of pitchers in there that have the same mindset. It doesn’t matter when or where. Just hand me the ball, and I’m going to sling it until you take it.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 3:35:47 GMT -5
J.D. Martinez injury: ‘Strong possibility’ Red Sox DH returns to lineup for Game 2 says Alex Cora Updated: 12:41 a.m. | Published: 12:27 a.m.
By Matt Vautour | mvautour@masslive.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — After being shut out 5-0 in Game 1 of their American League Division Series with the Tampa Bay Rays, Alex Cora sounded ready to roll the dice with J.D. Martinez on Friday.
Answering a question in Spanish, the Red Sox manager said there was a “strong possibility” Martinez, who missed the Wild Card Game and Game 1 Thursday with an ankle injury will be return for Game 2.
ESPN’s Marly Rivera translated the answer and tweeted:
“In Spanish, Alex Cora says there’s “a strong possibility” that JD Martinez will start tomorrow, but made no guarantees.”
Martinez, who wasn’t on the Wild Card roster was added to the ALDS roster Thursday and according to Cora was available to pinch-hit in Game 1, but the game wasn’t close enough to warrant pushing him.
Martinez suffered a left ankle sprain when he stepped on the second base bag on his way to play right field during Sunday’s regular-season finale.
Martinez, who hit .286 with 28 home runs and 99 RBIs during the regular season, declined interview requests before the game.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 3:36:49 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox’s Alex Cora explains removing Eduardo Rodriguez after 5 outs; ‘We had to contain the game’ Updated: 12:39 a.m. | Published: 12:30 a.m.
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Manager Alex Cora pulled starter Eduardo Rodriguez after just five outs in the Red Sox’s 5-0 loss to the Rays in Game 1 of the ALDS on Thursday.
Cora brought in Garrett Richards to pitch to Randy Arozarena with Boston down 2-0 and a runner at second base.
“The way we were set up we felt like right there we had to contain the game,” Cora explained. “So G-Rich came in and got the out, and Nick (Pivetta) gave us quality innings. It’s not that we mapped it out that way. But we felt that with that lineup and the way they are, that was a moment that we had to stop it right there to get Randy out and then move forward. And we did.”
Rodriguez allowed two runs in the first. He walked Arozarena to lead off the inning, then gave up an RBI double to Wander Franco.
Yandy Díaz’s 52.4 mph RBI infield single to third baseman Rafael Devers made it 2-0.
Rodriguez walked Manuel Margot to lead off the second inning. He then retired Mike Zunino on a flyout to center field and struck out Kevin Kiermaier swinging before Cora replaced him with Richards.
“My command wasn’t great at all on every pitch,” Rodriguez said. “So I’m not surprised (by Cora’s decision). This is the playoffs. And you’ve got to go out there and do your job. If you don’t do it, you’re coming out of the game.”
Rodriguez threw 21 four-seam fastballs, averaging 92.6 mph and topping out at 94.3 mph, per Baseball Savant. He recorded two swings-and-misses with the heater. He also mixed in 10 changeups (two swings-and-misses), five cutters, four sinkers (one swing-and-miss) and one slider.
“I think the changeup tonight for Eddie wasn’t there,” Cora said. “Actually, the fastball didn’t look great early on. And G-Rich comes in and he gets the guy out and we move to the next guy, and we talk about it. The goal was for Eddie go deeper into the game and maybe use Nick and finish it off. But we felt that if we contained the offense for a while there, we were good enough offensively to put traffic and score some runs. It just happened that we didn’t score.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 3:38:04 GMT -5
Is Rafael Devers injured? Boston Red Sox 3B looks to have arm issue, but Alex Cora says ‘Not everybody is 100% right now’ Updated: 12:38 a.m. | Published: 12:38 a.m.
By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- If Rafael Devers is dealing with an arm or wrist injury, the Red Sox aren’t acknowledging it.
Devers was 1-for-4 with two strikeouts in Boston’s 5-0 Game 1 loss to the Rays on Thursday and appeared to be experiencing discomfort with his right wrist or arm. ESPN’s Jeff Passan tweeted during the game that Devers is “clearly compromised,” noting that he is “trying to play through an arm injury” suffered in the American League Wild Card Game. Others, including WEEI’s Lou Merloni, tweeted that they believed Devers was playing hurt.
After the game, Devers declined comment through a team spokesman and a team source said any report of a Devers injury was “not true.” When asked if Devers is injured, manager Alex Cora cited the normal wear and tear of an 162-game season.
“After 162 (games), things happen and you get treatment, and you grind, you know?” Cora said. “Not everybody is 100% right now, and he is posting.”
Devers had three homers in Boston’s final two regular season games against the Nationals over the weekend before going 0-for-2 with two walks and a run in the Wild Card Game on Tuesday. After Game 1 on Thursday, he was spotted wearing a bandage over his arm, though it’s unclear if the Red Sox have done any testing on it.
On Tuesday, Devers looked uncomfortable after a massive swing on a Gerrit Cole fastball in the first inning, then dropped his bat on a big swing against Luis Severino in the sixth. Cora eluded to a theory that Devers was “setting up” opposing pitchers by dropping his bat but didn’t go into further detail.
“A few days ago everybody said he was setting up the pitcher whenever he drops the bat,” Cora said. “Today because he (got one hit), he is hurt.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 3:39:31 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox notebook: Nick Pivetta saves bullpen with 4 ⅔ innings in Game 1, offense stalls; catwalk unkind on Nelson Cruz homer Updated: 3:40 a.m. | Published: 3:40 a.m.
By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- If the Red Sox happen to come back and beat the Rays in the ALDS, Nick Pivetta may go down as this year’s version of what Nathan Eovaldi was in 2018.
Three years after Eovaldi tossed 97 pitches in a 6+ inning relief performance in Game 3 of the World Series (which the Red Sox lost), Pivetta did something somewhat similar Thursday at Tropicana Field. After starter Eduardo Rodriguez was pulled after recording five outs and Garrett Richards got the Sox out of a jam in the third, Pivetta entered and ended up pitching the bulk of the game.
In total, Pivetta went 4 ⅔ innings, allowing three runs on four hits (including two home runs) in a 5-0 loss. But his performance was better than the line suggested, as one of the runs he allowed came on a Nelson Cruz homer off one of the catwalks above the playing field and another came when Randy Arozarena stole home after Josh Taylor relieved Pivetta in the seventh.
Pivetta’s 73-pitch performance helped manager Alex Cora preserve his bullpen for the rest of the series. Only three of Boston’s regular relievers (Richards, Taylor and Adam Ottavino) appeared. They threw just 14 pitches combined.
“He gave us a chance to win the game,” Cora said. “It’s not only that he was just coming to get the bulk of the innings. We were very aggressive just because of the situation.”
Pivetta made 30 starts for the Red Sox this season before coming out of the bullpen for the first time Sunday, when he pitched a scoreless ninth inning in Boston’s season-ending win over Washington. Before Game 1, he was a candidate to start Game 4 on Monday; now, it seems like the Sox will have to make alternate plans.
“I did the best I could,” Pivetta said. “You know, things didn’t go my way certain times, but I tried to keep us in the baseball game and just tried to go as deep as I possibly could.”
Offense can’t capitalize on chances
The Red Sox out-hit the Rays, 9-6, on Thursday, but were unable to cash in at any point. All nine hits were singles; Boston was 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left a total of 20 runners on base. Game 1 marked the first time the Red Sox had zero extra-base hits or walks in a postseason game since the 1903 World Series.
Simply put, the offense couldn’t get it going after Boston fell behind, 2-0, in the first inning.
“We had traffic out there, and we just didn’t cash in,” Cora said. “Bobby (Dalbec) hit a few missiles with men on. Obviously, in the eighth we load the bases; we didn’t score. There was some good at-bats in the middle of the game, grind at-bats. Others were kind of like empty, but I think overall we did a good job hitting line drives and staying in the middle of the field.
Three Sox hitters -- Kyle Schwarber, Xander Bogaerts and Christian Arroyo -- had two hits. But Boston was unable to get the big swing it needed.
“Obviously, situations like this you have to score runners,” Arroyo said. “You know, as an offense I thought we did a good job of getting our knocks, but you got to have that blow.”
Catwalk unkind to Red Sox
Playing at Tropicana Field always has its quirks, and Thursday’s game was no exception. In the third inning, Cruz lifted a fly ball to deep left field, and Alex Verdugo looked like he was camped under it at the warning track. But Cruz’s shot hit the “C-ring” catwalk above the field and was immediately ruled a home run (per the ground rules).
Arroyo, a Tampa area native who used to play for the Rays, said the catwalks were simply an occupational hazard at the Trop.
Obviously, that’s always like a topic of discussion whenever you’re coming to play here, but that’s the ground rules,” he said. “That’s what they’ve set. You know? It’s part of it. It’s the same thing when you get three strikes and you take a third strike, you’re out. So it’s part of the game, and it’s part of the ground rules here. There’s really nothing you can do about it.”
Even Cruz, who has been with the Rays since late July, was confused.
“I had no clue what was going on,” Cruz said. “I was watching the outfielders. I was like, what happened? Just thank God it was a homer.”
Sale on tap for Game 2
The Red Sox will try to even the series Friday night in Game 2, which is scheduled for 7:02 p.m. ET. Lefty Chris Sale will make his first postseason start since 2018; righty Shane Baz is pitching for the Rays, making his fourth career start in the majors.
Cora knows the importance of getting a split on the road and avoiding an 0-2 deficit in the best-of-five series.
“We’re good. I love the at-bats today,” Cora said. “We put some pressure on them. They made some plays. We hit some balls hard, but we got (Sale), and he is ready to go. So the bullpen is rested, so we should be okay.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 3:40:22 GMT -5
Red Sox Nation Stats @rsnstats · 1h In 26 career playoff games, #Rays Randy Arozarena now has a .819 slugging percentage, the highest in playoff history by a player with at least 90 postseason at-bats. He’s followed in that category by Hall of Famers Babe Ruth (.744) and Lou Gehrig (.731).
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 3:42:44 GMT -5
Red Sox Nation Stats @rsnstats · 4h #RedSox Manager Alex Cora on taking on Eduardo Rodríguez: "The way we were set up, we felt we had to contain the game…It's not the we map it out that way, but it felt that, with that line-up and the way they are, that was a moment we had to stop it right there."
#RedSox Manager Cora on offense: "We had traffic out there, we just didn't cash in. [Dalbec] hit a few missiles with men on, obviously, in the 8th we load the bases, we didn't score…I think overall we did a good job hitting line drives, staying in the middle of the field."
#RedSox Manager Cora says he knows of nothing physically wrong with Rafael Devers. "Today, because he didn't get a hit, he's hurt? It's the grind of 162, right? There's things that happen and you get treatment and you grind. Not everybody is 100% right now."
#RedSox Manager Cora on Nick Pivetta: "He gave us a chance to win the game, it's not only that he was coming to get the bulk of the innings. We were very aggressive, just because of the situation."
#RedSox Manager Cora on tomorrow's game: "We're good. I love the at-bats today…we put some pressure on them, they made some plays, we hit some balls hard. We got Chris [Sale] and he's ready to go. The bullpen is rested. We should be okay."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 3:46:09 GMT -5
ALDS Game #2 Red Sox @ Rays Friday, 8th October 2021 7pm @ The Trop
Chris Sale
5-1 with a 2.90 ERA in 8 starts of 2021. 10-6 with a 2.93 ERA in 22 career appearances (20 starts) vs TBR. 1-2 with a 5.76 ERA in 7 career postseason games (4 starts).
Shane Baz
2-0 with a 2.03 ERA in 3 career appearances (all starts). Will be his 1st career appearance vs BOS.
Red Sox lean on Chris Sale to level ALDS against Rays
The last time Chris Sale threw a postseason pitch, he struck out Manny Machado at Dodger Stadium to secure the 2018 World Series championship for the Boston Red Sox.
This time, Sale will be pitching in an attempt to keep the Red Sox from falling behind two games to none against the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series on Friday night in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The Red Sox dropped a 5-0 decision in the series opener Thursday when starter Eduardo Rodriguez lasted only 1 2/3 innings.
Sale, who missed the 2020 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, returned to finish 5-1 with 3.16 ERA in nine starts this year. He will be making his fifth career postseason start and eighth postseason appearance.
Sale last pitched Sunday in Washington, when he allowed two runs and four hits in 2 1/3 innings before the Red Sox came back to beat the Nationals and secure home-field advantage for the Tuesday wild-card game.
The left-hander made a pair of starts this year against Tampa Bay, going 0-0 with a 2.79 ERA and nine strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings.
"It's been two years trying to get to this point, you know, all the hard work, all the tears and sweat, you know, throughout the process," Boston manager Alex Cora said. "So, we have to take care of him. But it was his turn, and we feel comfortable with him."
The Red Sox managed nine hits Thursday but went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Boston had the bases loaded with one out in the eighth before Rafael Devers struck out and Hunter Renfroe fouled out to end the inning.
"We're good," Cora said. "I loved the at-bats today. We put some pressure on them, they made some plays, we hit some balls hard. But we have Chris, and he's ready to go. The bullpen's rested, so we should be OK."
Tampa Bay opened the series by scoring twice in the first inning before Randy Arozarena homered in the third inning and stole home in the seventh. Nelson Cruz also homered and rookie Wander Franco drove in Arozarena with one of his two doubles.
"I just focus a little bit more," Arozarena said through an interpreter in his postgame interview with FS1. "I'm always ready, regardless, if I'm starting the game or if I'm not. I come out here ready to work and I sacrifice everything to be ready to go. Luckily, it's happening in October when it means it's closer to the World Series."
Arozarena is hoping to reprise his sparkling 2020 postseason when he hit 10 homers -- the all-time record for a single postseason -- and drove in 14 RBIs while hitting .377 (29-for-77).
After getting five solid innings Thursday from rookie Shane McClanahan, the Rays will start another newcomer, Shane Baz, who is even less experienced.
At 22 years, 113 days, Baz will become the second-youngest Rays postseason starter, only behind Matt Moore.
Baz went 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA in three starts after being promoted from Triple-A Durham on Sept. 20. He was Tampa Bay's Minor League Pitcher of the Year after going 5-4 with a 2.06 ERA in 17 starts with Double-A Montgomery and Durham.
"He showed us enough in his three outings that we felt good about it," Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. "The funny thing about Shane is his three outings up here were definitely as good, probably better than anything that he had shown in Durham this year. ...
"This year he has just skyrocketed with the strike-throwing and the stuff. Very confident that he is fully equipped to go out there and pitch well against a very good Red Sox lineup."
--Field Level Media
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 7:53:25 GMT -5
Peter Gammons @pgammo · 2h Alex Speier recounted a favoite stat from last night:alltime MLB Post Season slugging leaders w/min. 90ABs:Arozarena .819, Ruth .744, Gehrig .731, Nelson Cruz .667--and remember the 200 September night when Carlos Pena hit a 14th inning game-winning HR off Mike Timlin @ Fenway.
That opened this Rays history, then beating Boston in ALCS. Kevin Cash and Kyle Snyder played for that 2008 Red Sox team. So did Alex Cora and David Ross. Tracing the parallel histories of these franchises from that night though this series would be a fascinating trace.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 7:55:20 GMT -5
Red Sox get painful reminder why the Rays are so good By Rob Bradford 10 hours ago
For those who forgot, or perhaps were swept away with the excitement from Tuesday night's Wild Card win, the Rays offered a very powerful reminder.
Virtually everything that allowed for the Rays' 100 wins in 2021 was put on display in Tampa Bay's 5-0 win over the Red Sox in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.
Pitching? Rookie starter Shane McClanahan dazzled in his five innings, not allowing a run. After the lefty came one lock-down reliever after another, with JT Chargois, David Robertson, J.P. Feyereisen offering a reminder that the arms are going to just keep coming.
Offense? Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez was greeted with the reality of Tampa Bay's young talent out of the gate, allowing a leadoff walk to Randy Arozarena, a run-scoring double from Wander Franco and Yandy Diaz's single, all in the first inning.
And while reliever Nick Pivetta did an admirable job picking up the slack for Rodriguez, who lasted just 1 2/3 innings, there were a few more doses of the Rays way coming the Red Sox' way.
Nelson Cruz's homer off the "C ring" for a 3-0 lead. Another round-tripper offf Pivetta in the fifth inning against by Arozarena. And finally ... Did we mention Randy Arozarena.
While there is plenty up and down the Rays lineup to worry about, it's hard to look at last season's postseason star like everyone else.
And just in case you didn't get a chance to catch Arozarena's historic playoff run in 2020 (10 homers, 29 hits), he is now giving you 2021, which on this night was punctuated by a steal of home against Red Sox reliever Josh Taylor.
The Red Sox' uneasiness didn't stop there.
The awkward swings by Rafael Devers, who seemed to be clearly favoring an injured right arm on every swing.
A Tampa Bay defense that makes uncovering rallies appreciably more difficult to muster than it would be against other teams.
And, finally, the simple loss of that momentum that the Red Sox were hoping to carry from that frenetic night at Fenway a few days earlier.
Figuring out how the Rays are doing this can be befuddling ... until you see a game like they turned in against the Red Sox.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 7:57:29 GMT -5
Mastrodonato: Red Sox surely missed J.D. Martinez in ALDS Game 1 loss to Rays ) By Jason Mastrodonato | jason.mastrodonato@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald October 8, 2021 at 5:35 a.m.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It’s a good bet the Red Sox missed J.D. Martinez on Thursday night.
Manager Alex Cora said the Red Sox had some “empty at-bats” as they went down quietly in a 5-0 defeat to the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.
The Rays are too good to show up and play a halfway decent game and expect to win.
The Red Sox did just that, making a crucial defensive mistake that led to the Rays’ first lead, leaving eight men on base and going 1-for-7 with men in scoring position. Their starting pitcher, Eduardo Rodriguez, recorded just five outs. They also allowed the Rays to steal home.
It wasn’t the worst game the Red Sox have played, but it was far from their best, and in a series that’ll force the Sox to be almost perfect if they’re going to come back and compete, they have to be desperate for Martinez to return.
Dealing with a swollen ankle, Martinez was added to the playoff roster Thursday and Cora said he’d be available, but the Sox weren’t within reach and he was never used off the bench.
In the first seven innings, the Sox had just two plate appearances with multiple men on base.
The second inning was a big one, as the Red Sox started the frame with a Hunter Renfroe single and an error leading to Alex Verdugo reaching first base safely. With two on and nobody out, and the Sox behind 2-0, it was perhaps the biggest chance of the game to turn the momentum back in Boston’s favor.
Rays lefty Shane McClanahan was throwing 98-mph fastballs with late life. Bobby Dalbec saw two right down the middle and got on top of the final one, grounding into a double play to end the threat in the second inning.
The next time the Sox had two guys on was in the fourth and again Dalbec stepped up. He hit a line drive but it was right into the third baseman’s glove to end the inning.
Dalbec didn’t have a bad game, hitting a few hard shots that couldn’t find holes, but he also swung at a questionable first pitch in the ninth inning when the Sox were desperate for baserunners and finished the night 0-for-4 with four men left on base.
That he hit the ball hard is a good sign. But if Martinez was healthy, Dalbec might not have been in the lineup to begin with.
Cora wasn’t thrilled with Dalbec’s at-bats in the final weeks of the season and even benched him against a lefty for just the fifth time all year.
It wasn’t Dalbec’s fault the Red Sox lost. Nobody played particularly well.
Rafael Devers had a tough game, striking out twice, including in a key spot in the eighth, and there’s some question as to whether or not he’s playing hurt.
But there’s no question the Sox missed Martinez’s presence in the lineup.
“We had traffic out there, and we just didn’t cash in,” Cora said. “Bobby hit a few missiles with men on. Obviously, in the eighth we loaded the bases; we didn’t score. There were some good at-bats in the middle of the game, grind at-bats. Others were kind of empty. But I think overall we did a good job hitting line drives and staying in the middle of the field.”
The Sox approach wasn’t a bad one, it just wasn’t enough.
They’ll have to find a way to get it done against standout rookie right-hander Shane Baz in Game 2 on Friday or risk returning to Fenway Park down 2-0 in the series.
“Obviously, situations like this you have to score runners,” said second baseman Christian Arroyo. “As an offense I thought we did a good job of getting our knocks, but you got to have that blow, you know?
“We just didn’t have that gut-punching blow with runners in scoring position to get stuff rolling. It’s baseball.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 7:58:35 GMT -5
Mastrodonato: Chris Sale hasn’t been a key contributor for the 2021 Red Sox, but he still can be Sale to start Game 2 of Division Series vs. Rays
By Jason Mastrodonato | jason.mastrodonato@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald October 8, 2021 at 6:00 a.m.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Chris Sale has meant a lot to the Red Sox over the years, but this can also be true: Sale is pretty far down on the list of most important guys on the Sox’ playoff roster.
And it’s not just because he missed more than half the season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Sale will take the ball against the Rays for Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Friday night, when he’ll be looking to prove his value to a team that didn’t use him in the Wild Card Game on Tuesday night and hasn’t seemed particularly encouraged by his performances this year.
Manager Alex Cora explained that Sale wasn’t in the bullpen Tuesday in part to protect his arm after coming back from Tommy John surgery.
Cora said Sale would be in the bullpen Thursday night, but it didn’t seem like he’d use him.
“With him we’re going to be very careful as far as if he is going to be in the bullpen or not, for obvious reasons, right?” Cora said. “But if it’s up to him, he probably would be out there. He will be in the bullpen today, but these guys are important for the present and obviously for the future of the organization. It’s been two years trying to get to this point, all the hard work, all the tears and sweat throughout the process. So we have to take care of him.”
Sale doesn’t want to be taken care of.
“It’s what we did in ’18,” Sale said of throwing out of the bullpen between postseason starts. “We were a little bit more prepared then because we could kind of rest some guys getting into the playoffs, but I mean there’s no reason to save an arm to go sit on the couch. This is all the baseball we have left, and we’re going to get to certain points in these series where tomorrow might not come, so if that’s the case and it’s what’s called upon, it’s my job. It’s what I signed up to do.”
Sale has actually pitched great in his two postseason relief appearances that occurred between starts, throwing a perfect eighth inning to secure a win against the Yankees in the ‘18 Division Series, and striking out the side in the ninth to close out the final game of the World Series against the Dodgers.
“I know a lot of people like to think about the glitz and the glam of what it’s like doing this, but the grit and the grind is what we’re here for,” he said. “And this is what we actually signed up to do, and this is what we live for, so if it’s the first 15, 18, 21 outs or the last two, three, six, whatever it is, we got a bunch of pitchers in there that have the same mindset. It doesn’t matter when or where. Just hand me the ball, and I’m going to sling it until you take it.”
It’s been a grind for Sale to get back to being the pitcher he once was.
His regular season numbers weren’t bad: 5-1, 3.16 ERA, 52 strikeouts, 12 walks in 42-2/3 innings. But seven of those starts were against losing teams, and the two other starts were against the Rays, who knocked him around for 16 hits and seven runs (three earned) in 9-2/3 innings.
He said his changeup has been a bad pitch for him and he’s been working on it all week ahead of this start.
He was also the first to acknowledge he hasn’t done a lot to contribute this year, especially after his ugly start against the Nationals in Game 162.
“I did absolutely nothing to help our team win,” he said. “I actually put us in a horrendous spot in that game, and our guys could have taken that one of two ways and gotten down after I went out there not doing what I was supposed to do and the plan not unfolding.
“Being down late in the game, coming back, rallying back, that was huge. I was obviously very appreciative of that because that would have been a not fun — been a not fun last game of the year.”
Sale knows he’s not the most important player on this team anymore. He’s not even in the top-five.
But a good start on Tuesday would still mean a lot for the Red Sox’ chances.
“I’m figuring this stuff out as we go,” he said. “I say it a lot. I’m not really fighting against anybody as much as I’m fighting against myself trying to sharpen my tools and make better pitches and be — like I said, just consistency.
“I had a lot of time off, you know, and with that comes a little bit of hiccups and things like that, but with who I have in my corner, obviously, the drive that I have myself and just the — it’s just relentless. It’s every day. Every single day I come here to get better.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 8:01:02 GMT -5
Red Sox need Chris Sale to deliver more than what’s fair to ask of him as ALDS hits a critical point | Matt Vautour Updated: 8:26 a.m. | Published: 6:20 a.m.
By Matt Vautour | mvautour@masslive.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — When the Red Sox traded two of the top prospects in baseball to acquire Chris Sale from the White Sox in 2017, this was the sort of game they envisioned him pitching.
Down 1-0 to Tampa Bay in the American League Division Series, the Red Sox will hand the ball to Sale in Game 2 on Friday night. In a best-of-five series, especially against a team as good as the Rays, Boston can’t afford to fall behind by two games.
But Sale, the team’s once and perhaps future dominant No. 1 starter, hasn’t returned to being an ace, at least not consistently. After coming back from Tommy John surgery that cost him two years of his career, it’s not realistic for him to be back at full strength until next season.
That doesn’t matter. The Red Sox need the 32-year-old lefty to be good on Friday.
“It’s my job. It’s what I signed up to do,” Sale said. “I know a lot of people like to think about the glitz and the glam of what it’s like being this, but the grit and the grind is what we’re here for.”
After returning on Aug. 14, Sale provided both a tangible and an intangible lift to the Red Sox. He brought leadership, mentorship and fire that give the pitching staff a much-needed boost when he returned. He’s been a valuable teammate even on days he doesn’t pitch.
When he did pitch he was good. He had a 5-1 record with a 3.16 ERA and struck out 52 guys in 42.2 innings. Those numbers are a little deceiving though. Sale only pitched on normal rest (four days) three times compared to four times on five days rest and two times on six days. Opponents hit .219 against him on long rest and .377 when he’s taken a normal turn.
Six of Sale’s starts came against the Orioles, Twins, Rangers and Nationals, who all finished last in their respective divisions and averaged 99.5 losses. All of it was a careful, well-orchestrated ramp-up.
On Friday, he’ll pitch on normal rest against a dominant opponent. The Rays, who had the best record in the American League, scored 857 runs, second-most in all of baseball. They chased Eduardo Rodriguez in the second inning in Thursday’s 5-0 Red Sox loss.
Sale is coming off his worst start of the season when he gave up two runs on four hits and three walks and didn’t get out of the third inning Sunday.
Sale was good against the Rays on Sept. 1. He allowed two runs in six innings and left trailing 2-1 before his teammates came from behind to win late. But he struggled five days later allowing five runs on 10 hits in 3.2 innings five days later. The Red Sox need him to be Sept. 1 Sale or close to it or they’re going to be looking at a quick exit.
“It’s been two years trying to get to this point, you know, all the hard work, all the tears and sweat throughout the process,” Alex Cora said. “So we have to take care of him. But it was his turn, and we feel comfortable with him.”
During his pregame media session, Sale talked about how the Red Sox shook off adversity during the year, words he’ll need to apply to himself Friday.
“When you’re staring down the Y in the road, and you can go this way or this way,” he said. “No one is going to feel bad for us. We’re the Red Sox. No one ever feels bad for us. We have to take this opportunity in our own hands because no one is going to help us. No one is going to say, ‘oh, it’s okay’ because it’s not. We still have to win games.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 8:05:12 GMT -5
Jeff Passan @jeffpassan It was going to be difficult for the Red Sox to beat the Rays in this series to begin with. Doing so with Rafael Devers clearly compromised -- he is an absolute gamer and is trying to play through an arm injury suffered in the wild card game -- is going to be that much harder. 12:07 AM · Oct 8, 2021·TweetDeck
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