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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 9:04:10 GMT -5
Scattered Thoughts from a Game One loss
The Rays might be good. By Matt_Collins@MattRyCollins Oct 8, 2021, 9:01am EDT
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The Red Sox did not get the start they had hoped for in this ALDS against the Rays, always kind of being in the game but never quite feeling like that was the case. They ultimately dropped this one 5-0. Here are some scattered thoughts on the night.
I think I have to start with Rafael Devers and his potential injury. In case you missed it, Jeff Passan dropped a little bomb out of nowhere that Devers is apparently playing hurt, though the Red Sox did not confirm that after the game. Lou Merloni also mentioned during Thusday’s game that Devers did not look right. I really don’t have too much to add as I don’t have much information, but I can say the obvious. It is a major, major blow if Devers isn’t playing at something even resembling peak health. Obviously something to monitor this afternoon when Alex Cora and company meet with the media. It was a frustrating game for the offense, who did make a lot of hard contact even if it felt like they couldn’t come through. There were some bad at bats with runners on base to be sure, but then you look at someone like Bobby Dalbec who had two big at bats with runners on and hit the ball over 100 mph both times, one on a line. But they both found gloves. It was that kind of night. Boston had 10 batted balls of at least 100 mph but didn’t score a run. I’m not really sure how you fix that except just hope it goes better. That said, it is a little disingenuous to put it all on the baseball gods because the Rays helped themselves plenty. They play such clean baseball, and while a lot of their defensive praise goes out to individual players (and deservingly so in most cases) their positioning is absolutely bananas. It should be impossible for them to be in place for all of these batted balls, or for an outfielder to be positioned in such a way to hold a would-be double to a single. Their positioning is flawless, and it comes down to great scouting and great coaching. The other thing that stood out for the Rays was the young talent they have in their core. Their three biggest contributors in this game were Randy Arozarena, Wander Franco, and Shane McClanahan, who are all rookies. Arozarena had the big game with the homer and steal of home that we’ll get to in a second, but Franco is clearly the man here. He’s only 20 years old but already I’m terrified every time he’s in the box. Let’s just all cross our fingers that he doesn’t agree to a pre-arb extension.
So yeah, the steal of home. First off, steals of home are always rad, in my opinion, so even in serving as something of a dagger for the Red Sox in this game I still couldn’t help to be excited. That said, Arozarena was clearly telegraphing it and everyone should have seen it coming. Taylor, a lefty, had his back facing the runner and Devers was way off the bag in the shift. Cora said after the game that Taylor was playing games with Arozarena, but from where I was sitting — on a couch in Maine, for what that’s worth — it was the other way around. And just to keep it on Arozarena for a second, his power got the attention last postseason, but the impact this guy can make with his legs is massive as well. We’ve gotten this far without talking about it, but Eduardo Rodriguez just didn’t have it. He was certainly negatively impacted by factors out of his control, whether it be a bobble in center field from Kiké Hernández or a slow roller ending up as an RBI single, but this is mostly on him. This was just a vintage Rodriguez start in the sense that he just didn’t trust his stuff, nibbled, and didn’t have the command to pull it off. While he was hurt by some bad luck, he also benefited a bit too because of the five outs he did record, a few were smoked and very well could have been damaging. That may be the last time we see Rodriguez in a Red Sox uniform, and it was not a good final impression if that was the case. On the other hand, I thought Nick Pivetta stepped up in this one. His actual performance was more “meh” than anything, but his damage largely came on solo home runs, which is how you want to give up runs if you’re trying to eat innings. He did just that, going 4 2⁄3 in this game — three full innings more than Rodriguez — and got the team into the seventh with two outs before he was lifted. If the game works out in a way tomorrow where the Red Sox need to lean heavily on their big guns in the bullpen, don’t forget about Pivetta being a big reason why they’re extra fresh.
I thought the decision to bring out Garrett Richards in the second was weird. I certainly didn’t have a problem with the quick hook for Rodriguez, and I understood wanting to give Pivetta a clean inning to work with in the third, but I figured if Richards was in it would be to eat some innings. This wasn’t something I thought was a major problem or anything, to be clear. And it worked out well as Richards for the one out he needed to end the inning. It was just a little strange and not the way I would’ve expected things to have gone. The Trop struck again. Nelson Cruz hit a catwalk homer, and while it was probably a homer no matter what — some people seemed to think Hernández might have had a shot, but I don’t see it — but it just is the worst. It’s not aesthetically pleasing, and it’s not what a home run should be. Get out of here with the sky obstacles. That said, the Trop did help the Red Sox at what could have been a huge moment when Kevin Kiermaier lost the ball in the roof to load the bases, but still get rid of the dome please. He definitely didn’t stand out in any significant way in this game, but Christian Arroyo took some good swings for a guy who has barely played in a month. That’s encouraging. A lot of people had thoughts on the new FOX score bug, so I figured I’d share mine. I think it’s fine. I know you all feel better knowing that.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 9:05:50 GMT -5
Lou Merloni @loumerloni · 34m People have complained about Sale’s usage without realizing he’s not the same guy right now. Hopefully next year. Case in point, he’s throwing his changeup 20.7% of the time this year. Highest mark since 2015 and guys are hitting .450 w/ a SLG % of .650. He needs His change up.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 9:06:31 GMT -5
Mike McLaughlin @mikem2275 · 9m Replying to @fyourfeeings @loumerloni and @weei The ballpark blows, but did you see the team play last night? Homers? Stealing home? Boring? Sheesh. Some "fans" think that you need star names to be exciting, but they are a damned good team.
Lou Merloni @loumerloni · 3m And they will be for the next 4-5 years. Their window with this group has just started. Scary
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 9:10:07 GMT -5
Chris Sale needs to remind us what an ace looks like
By Rob Bradford 13 minutes ago
We have had to adjust our expectations when it comes to what an ace looks like in the postseason.
Throughout the entire 2020 playoffs only two pitchers threw into the eighth inning. It's how things are done. The last time a Red Sox pitcher threw nine innings in October (Josh Beckett), freshmen in high school hadn't been born yet.
For additional context, Tampa Bay's Wander Franco was 6 years old.
But that doesn't mean Chris Sale can't send a pretty powerful message Friday night.
Forget about the lefty's last appearance, or those postseason bumps in the road he has endured in some of his four playoff starts. Disregard the fact that he Sale is still trying to find his changeup, or that he has never pitched more than 5 1/3 innings in October. Or that the last time he faced off with Tampa Bay the Rays managed 10 hits in just 3 2/3 innings.
This is the right guy and the right time to save the Red Sox' season.
"I think experience helps out a lot in this situation with the playoffs and the postseason," Sale said prior to Game 1. "You know, it's what we did in '18. You know, 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, 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. 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. 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.
Start with what Sale has proven he can do against Tampa Bay, having gone six straight starts vs. the Rays without allowing more than two earned runs. In his seven outings at Tropicana Field while wearing a Red Sox uniform, the southpaw has gone at least six innings in all but one, compiling an ERA of 2.53.
Some might suggest it's unfair to throw this be-all, end-all proclamation at a guy who hadn't pitched in big league game in two years prior to August. Perhaps he isn't the pitcher he once was, or will be.
No matter. This is what it is. Sale has enough to deliver exactly what the Red Sox need in Game 2 of the American League Division Series.
"Chris is an extraordinary pitcher," said Red Sox hurler Nick Pivetta after Thursday night's loss. "He has been his whole entire career. I think it's going to give us a lot of confidence going into that game tomorrow, and, you know, it's just being positive and going out and just having fun at the end of the day and really, like you said, splitting the series is a priority for us. And I think that's what we need to focus on going forward and it's just not making the moment too big, but just having fun and going about it because this is what everybody dreams of."
The key phrase there: "I think it's going to give us a lot of confidence going into that game."
Normally, the sting of watching the Rays do Rays-like things all over Tropicana Field Thursday night would plant unshakeable doubt into the heads of the Red Sox. But the pitcher Alex Cora's team is carting out for Game 2 is carrying the "Chris Sale is on the mound" card.
And whether or not that is realistically the kind of thing we had become accustomed to throughout Sale's five-year stay in Boston, that's how the Red Sox choose to view it.
It might look a little different. And perhaps even a Shane McClanahan-esque outing from Sale isn't good enough because there are no runs to go along with it. But right now, Sale is the Red Sox' life preserver, keeping this club afloat until they can get back to Fenway Park.
The Red Sox have never needed an ace more than Friday night. Fortunately for them, there is a 6-foot-6, 185-pound pitcher who everyone wearing the red, gray and blue believes is the man for the job.
"We're good. We're good," Cora said after the Game 1 loss. "I love the at-bats today. Like I said, you know, we put some pressure on them. They made some plays. We hit some balls hard, but we got Chris, and he is ready to go. So the bullpen is rested, so we should be OK."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 9:12:12 GMT -5
Gotta chuckle at the Red Sox press and folks tweeting about the state of the The Trop
not real earth shattering news that the place is a dump.
Certainly does not mask the fact that the Rays are one hell of a ball team.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 11:27:34 GMT -5
Red Sox’ Rafael Devers experiencing forearm discomfort ahead of ALDS Game 2 vs. Rays By Michael Silverman and Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated October 8, 2021, 1 hour ago
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Rafael Devers is dealing with discomfort in his right forearm, according to a major-league source. The condition flares up when the Red Sox third baseman swings and misses but is not a problem when he makes contact.
Devers has been dropping his bat after non-contact swings since the final stretch of the regular season. Devers started wearing a compression sleeve that stretches above and below his elbow on Sept. 26, one day after he struck out against Yankees lefty Nestor Cortes on an awkward swing.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora played defense when it came to answering an open-ended question about whether something was going on with Devers’s arm after Thursday’s loss to the Rays in Game 1 of the ALDS.
“A few days ago everybody said he was setting up the pitcher whenever he drops the bat – today because he didn’t get a hit, he is hurt?” said Cora. “You know, I mean, after 162 [games], things happen and you get treatment and you grind, you know? Not everybody is 100 percent right now, and he is posting. Like I said a few days ago, you know, he was dropping the bat the same way, and nobody said anything.”
Devers did not stop to speak with reporters as he walked to the team bus after the Game 1 loss, but he was wearing the same or similar compression sleeve he wore during the game on his right arm.
One reason Cora and any member of the Red Sox would be loathe to provide details about what’s nagging at Devers is that would fuel, to some extent, the Rays’ plan for how they would attack him the rest of the series.
Less mysterious but more concerning for the Red Sox’ chances against the Rays is that besides having Devers at less than 100 percent – and J.D. Martinez, too – the entire Red Sox offense showed again Thursday night that it has a very real ongoing issue at being unable to hit young rookie starters very well lately.
Mustering no runs and just five hits, all singles, against 24-year-old Division Series Game 1 starter Shane McClanahan in the 5-0 loss, the Red Sox now must turn their attention to an even younger rookie, 22-year-old Shane Baz, Friday night in Game 2.
They have never faced Baz, but the trendline toward the end of the season is not headed in the right direction. Over the last six games of their season, the Red Sox faced this collection of rookie starters: Joan Adon, Josiah Gray, Josh Rogers, Alexander Wells, Zac Lowther and Bruce Zimmerman.
The names may not prompt immediate recognition but they did provoke a freezing sensation on the Red Sox offense. The half-dozen starters held Red Sox hitters to just 10 runs over 37 ⅓ innings, and had a 2.41 ERA.
With the Red Sox doing most of their “damage” in the sixth inning, a look at their production in the first five innings of their last seven games – not including the AL Wild Card game against familiar veteran Yankees starter Gerritt Cole, but including McClanahan – shows the starters holding the Red Sox to a 1.32 ERA.
In the ALDS opener Thursday, besides not scoring, the Red Sox had nine hits, and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
”We had traffic out there and we just didn’t cash in,” Cora said. “There were 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.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 13:22:47 GMT -5
ALDS Game 2: Red Sox at Rays lineups and pregame notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated October 8, 2021, 10:32 a.m. The Red Sox will send Chris Sale to the mound Friday as they look to even their series with the Rays. Four Tampa Bay pitchers held the Sox scratched out nine hits, all singles, in Game 1, but went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position en route to a 5-0 loss. After Game 1 starter Eduardo Rodriguez was unable to make it out of the second inning, the Sox need Sale to be on his game. He has has a 2.09 earned run average in 12 career games at Tropicana Field. Related: Chris Sale, who gets the ball for ALDS Game 2, hasn’t defeated the Rays this season. Can he deliver? Lineups RED SOX (92-70): 1. Kyle Schwarber (L) 1B 2. Enrique Hernandez (R) CF 3. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 4. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS 5. Alex Verdugo (L) LF 6. J.D. Martinez (R) DH 7. Hunter Renfroe (R) RF 8. Christian Vazquez (R) C 9. Christian Arroyo (R) 2B Pitching: LHP Chris Sale (5-1, 3.16 ERA) RAYS (100-62): 1. Randy Arozarena (R) LF 2. Wander Franco (S) SS 3. Brandon Lowe (L) 2B 4. Nelson Cruz (R) DH 5. Yandy Diaz (R) 3B 6. Jordan Luplow (R) 1B 7. Manuel Margot (R) RF 8. Mike Zunino (R) C 9. Kevin Kiermaier (L) CF Pitching: RHP Shane Baz (2-0, 2.03 ERA) Time: 7:02 p.m. TV, radio: FS1, WEEI 93.7 FM Red Sox vs. Baz: Has not faced any Boston batters Rays vs. Sale: Randy Arozarena 1-5, Mike Brosseau 0-3, Nelson Cruz 12-35, Yandy Díaz 6-12, Wander Franco 4-6, Kevin Kiermaier 6-20, Jordan Luplow 2-5, Manuel Margot 3-5, Austin Meadows 0-5, Francisco Mejía 0-2, Taylor Walls 1-4, Joey Wendle 0-2, Mike Zunino 0-14 Stat of the day: Xander Bogaerts has made 24 postseason starts at shortstop, second-most in Red Sox history behind Nomar Garciaparra (25). Notes: Sale made a pair of starts this year against Tampa Bay, going 0-0 with a 2.79 ERA and nine strikeouts in 9 ⅔ innings. At 22 years, 113 days, Baz will become the second-youngest Rays postseason starter, only behind Matt Moore. … The Red Sox and Rays are meeting in the postseason for the third time (2008 ALCS and 2013 ALDS). After losing Game 1, the Sox are 6-6 vs. Tampa Bay in the postseason, with 7 of the 12 games decided by 1 or 2 runs. … Red Sox manager Alex Cora and Rays manager Kevin Cash were teammates with the Red Sox in 2007 and 2008, helping lead the Sox to the postseason in each year, including a World Series title in 2007. Song of the Day: Mike and the Mechanics "All I Need is a Miracle"www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAMLa5ZC-B4
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 14:55:25 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 28m Cora said Sox are still evaluating whether JD Martinez can start tonight. ‘If he feels like he can compete at this level, we’ll go to him.’
Cora confirms Eovaldi for Game 3. He says Pivetta is still available for Game 4.
Cora on Devers: ‘Over 162 games, you’re not going to be 100 percent.’
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 14:57:40 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 30m Alex Cora pregame #RedSox notes (1/x): - Waiting on J.D. Martinez (left ankle) to announce a lineup - 'He feels better. The fact that he said he wants me to wait, there's a chance he can play.' - 'We'll trust the player. Obviously he's not going to lie to us.' - Schwarber will play 1B if Martinez is in the lineup at DH. Dalbec will play 1B and Schwarber will DH if Martinez is out of the lineup. - Eovaldi will start Game 3 - Pivetta is still a candidate to start Game 4 - Has been in touch with Dave Roberts, Craig Counsell and Kevin Cash among other playoff managers. All former teammates. - Cora, Roberts, Counsell and Cash all played against Albert Pujols. He's still active with the Dodgers. - On the Game 1 shutout: 'We hit some balls hard. We had bases loaded with Raffy at the plate. We didn't score -- that's obvious, right? But I do believe there were some hard-hit balls and some good at-bats.'
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 15:02:56 GMT -5
Cora and the link to the Red Sox Medical Team
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 8, 2021 15:30:27 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 3m Sox still waiting on JD Martinez.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Oct 8, 2021 20:08:53 GMT -5
Gotta chuckle at the Red Sox press and folks tweeting about the state of the The Trop
not real earth shattering news that the place is a dump.
Certainly does not mask the fact that the Rays are one hell of a ball team. They just whupped our butt. That's all. I don't even feel bad that we lost the game. They were simply better.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Oct 8, 2021 21:16:21 GMT -5
ex Speier @alexspeier Houck is the third Red Sox pitcher to throw 5+ relief innings in a playoff game in the last 100 years. The other instances were memorable:
Houck in 2021, ALDS Game 2 - 5IP Eovaldi in 2018, WS Game 3 - 6IP Pedro in 1999, ALDS Game 5 - 5IP ========================================== That was an epic Pedro appearance. All the playing and screaming in the Cleveland bench. And the moment they saw Pedro coming in, everything went silent.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Oct 8, 2021 22:30:42 GMT -5
Awesome game. Now we have the home field advantage.
Rasmussen v Eovaldi Patino v Pivetta
Then we go McClanahan v ERod at TB. I don't want to see that last game. I'd really like this wrapped up in Fenway.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 9, 2021 2:29:15 GMT -5
Red Sox flex muscles, power past Rays 14-6 to even ALDS 1-1
By FRED GOODALL AP Sports Writer
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) Boston slugger J.D. Martinez wasn't sure how well he'd run, but he thought his sprained left ankle would be OK in the batter's box Friday.
Lucky for him, the Red Sox took their time rounding the bases all night while turning an early deficit against the Tampa Bay Rays into a blowout win.
Martinez hit a tiebreaking, three-run homer in his return to the lineup and the Red Sox backed Tanner Houck's clutch relief effort with a franchise postseason record five home runs, rallying past the Rays 14-6 to even their AL Division Series at one game each.
Game 3 of the best-of-five showdown is Sunday in Boston.
Kike Hernandez had five of Boston's 20 hits, including a homer and three doubles, becoming Boston's first player with four extra-base hits in a postseason game.
Xander Bogaerts, Alex Verdugo and Rafael Devers also connected for the Red Sox, who stunned Tampa Bay after ace Chris Sale allowed a first-inning slam to Jordan Luplow and was pulled following just three outs.
"Obviously, we had to make adjustments, and Tanner came in and did an outstanding job," Boston manager Alex Cora said. "But offensively, it was like: `Hey, don't panic.' We put up two (runs) in the first, and we still got eight innings. They did an amazing job the whole night."
Hernandez's leadoff homer in the fifth off Collin McHugh tied it before Martinez went deep against Matt Wisler (0-1) four batters later.
"He is definitely a huge piece of that lineup, and I think he showed why today," Rays catcher Mike Zunino said of Martinez. "He came in, I know coming off an injury, and battling with that isn't easy. But he had great at-bats all day. You tip your cap."
Houck (1-0) kept Boston in the game after Sale was rocked for five runs in the first inning. The rookie right-hander came out of the bullpen to start the second inning and allowed one run and two hits over five frames, retiring his first 11 batters before yielding a two-out single to Wander Franco in the fifth.
Ji-Man Choi entered as a defensive replacement for Luplow and had the only other hit off Houck, a two-out solo homer in the sixth. Houck struck out five.
Martinez had four hits after missing Tuesday night's wild-card victory over the New York Yankees and Game 1 of the ALDS. He was injured stumbling over second base while heading to the outfield during last weekend's regular-season finale at Washington.
"It felt all right hitting," Martinez said. "Didn't feel good running, but felt all right hitting."
Bogaerts, Verdugo and Hernandez had solo shots to steady the staggering Red Sox, who lost the opener 5-0 Thursday night. Martinez then delivered the lead.
Devers' two-run homer off Michael Wacha hiked Boston's advantage to 11-6 in the eighth. Christian Vazquez had an RBI infield single in the ninth, which Hernandez followed with a two-run single. Bogaerts, Verdugo and Vazquez had three hits each.
The Rays hadn't allowed 14 runs in a game since Boston beat them 20-6 on Aug. 11.
"We knew coming in they have a very talented offense, and they just put together a lot of quality at-bats ... and just kind of put it on us," Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
"You chalk it up as a bad game," Zunino added. "It just wasn't our night."
Martinez and Cora both said Boston's medical staff deserved credit for helping the designated hitter get back on the field.
"Those guys guys, they work so hard, countless hours," Cora said.
Verdugo also stole an out in left field, leaning over the short wall in foul territory in the sixth inning to catch Nelson Cruz's popup.
A night after Randy Arozarena became the first player in major league history to homer and steal home in a postseason game, the Rays got off to another fast start that whipped a yellow towel-waving crowd of 37,616 - up from 27,419 for Game 1 - into a frenzy.
Rays rookie left Shane Baz became the second pitcher in big league history to start a playoff game with three or fewer career regular-season appearances. Matt Moore was the other, doing it with the Rays in Game 1 of the 2011 ALDS at Texas.
In using Baz and Game 1 winner Shane McClanahan to begin the series, AL East-winning Tampa Bay joined Oakland as the only teams to start rookie pitchers in the first two games of a playoff series. The Athletics began the 2012 ALDS at Detroit with Jarrod Parker and Tommy Milone.
Boston, meanwhile, has only gotten 2 1/3 innings combined out of its starting pitchers through two games. Sale, who returned from Tommy John surgery in August to make nine starts down the stretch, was pulled after giving up five runs and four hits in the first inning. That followed an abbreviated outing by Eduardo Rodriguez on Thursday.
Luplow's grand slam was the sixth homer Sale has allowed 26 career postseason innings.
HE'S IN, HE'S OUT
Boston replaced injured right-hander Garrett Richards on the ALDS roster with reliever Matt Barnes. Richards has a left hamstring strain and will be ineligible for the AL Championship Series roster if the Red Sox advance.
UP NEXT
Nathan Eovaldi will start Game 3 for Boston. He allowed one run and four hits over 5 1/3 innings of Boston's wild-card win over the Yankees. The right-hander is 2-1 with a 1.63 ERA in seven career postseason appearances, including three starts.
Cash hasn't announced a starter for Sunday. He could go with right-hander Drew Rasmussen or opt for a bullpen day.
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