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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 9, 2021 2:34:52 GMT -5
Matt Barnes Replaces Garrett Richards On Red Sox’s ALDS Roster
By Anthony Franco | October 8, 2021 at 5:28pm CDT
The Red Sox announced that right-hander Garrett Richards has suffered a left hamstring strain and been removed from the Division Series roster. Matt Barnes was added in his place.
Teams must request approval from the commissioner’s office to replace injured players on a playoff roster. Injury removal renders that player ineligible both for the remainder of the current series and the next series, should the team advance. Were the Red Sox to erase their 1-0 deficit and take down the Rays, Richards would not be eligible to return until the World Series.
While Richards’ season-long numbers are underwhelming, they’re also a bit misleading. The 33-year-old began the season as a member of the rotation but struggled, leading to his transfer to a bullpen role in mid-August. Since moving into shorter stints, Richards has been far better than he was a starter, as MLBTR’s Steve Adams recently explored. Over 26 1/3 frames of relief to close out the regular season, he pitched to a 3.42 ERA/2.90 FIP.
Richards’ strikeout (24.8%) and walk (10.6%) rates were right around the league average, but he’s racked up grounders on nearly half the balls in play against him. He garnered increased trust of manager Alex Cora along the way, seeing increasingly higher-leverage work as the season progressed. His contract contains a $10MM club option (or a $1.5MM buyout) for the 2022 season.
Barnes’ year has gone in the opposite direction. The 31-year-old was among the game’s best relievers through the season’s first couple months, earning an All-Star nod and a two-year, $18.75MM contract extension in the process. He’s had a stunningly poor second half, posting a 6.48 ERA over 16 2/3 frames since the Break. He’s still fanned a solid 26.6% of opposing hitters in that time, but Barnes’ walk and home run rates have spiked dramatically over the past couple months. Those recent struggles led the Red Sox to leave him off the initial Division Series roster, but he’ll get another opportunity to step up after Richards’ injury.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 9, 2021 2:45:07 GMT -5
Liftoff! Sox bash 5 homers to knot up ALDS Hernández goes 5-for-6, Martinez gets 4 hits in return to lineup 2:29 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
ST. PETERSBURG -- The Red Sox got into their happy place as an offense in a crucial Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Friday night at Tropicana Field and battered the baseball to places that even the well-aligned Rays defenders couldn't track down.
They can't catch them when you hit them over the wall, and that's what the revved-up Boston bats -- inspired by the return of star slugger J.D. Martinez -- did repeatedly with a launch party that led to a key 14-6 victory that sent this best-of-five series back to Boston tied at 1-1.
The Sox belted five homers to set a club record in the postseason, and the biggest was a three-run rocket off Martinez's bat that snapped a 5-5 tie in the top of the fifth. From there, Boston cruised to the finish.
Kiké Hernández, part of last year's World Series-winning Dodgers, had a monster night, going 5-for-6 with a homer and three doubles. His four extra-base hits tied the record in a postseason game. It is the fifth time that feat has been accomplished in postseason history and the first since Albert Pujols in Game 2 of the 2011 NLCS.
In fact, Hernández became the third player all-time with at least five hits, three RBIs and three runs scored in a postseason game, joining Pujols (Game 3 of the 2011 World Series) and Hideki Matsui (Game 3 of the 2004 ALCS).
"You can't have much of a better night than that," winning pitcher Tanner Houck, who was brilliant in five innings of relief, said of Hernández. "Big home run, absolutely lacing balls in the gap for doubles."
Xander Bogaerts, Alex Verdugo and Rafael Devers rounded out the quintet of homers for the Boston bashers.
Backed by their batting barrage, the Red Sox immeasurably improved the vibe for their flight back to Boston.
"Huge," said Verdugo. "Obviously, being down 0-2 in a five-game series would be tough. We know the odds to that wouldn't be good. I think realistically we wanted to come in here and split it. I'm very excited. I think we're all happy, man. Riding high right now."
In Division Series with the current 2-2-1 format, teams that have split the first two games in their opponent's home ballpark, before returning home for Game 3, have gone on to win the series 23 of 36 times (64%). This excludes 2020, when the Division Series were played at neutral sites.
The presence of Martinez in Boston's lineup makes a big difference, and he wasted no time proving why, tallying four hits.
"I think when I'm in there, I kind of just stretch the lineup out a little bit more," Martinez said. "We have a lot of good hitters on this team, and you extend the middle of the order just a little bit longer. It makes a big difference."
Martinez sprained his left ankle in the definition of a freak accident, tripping over the second-base bag Sunday while going out to right field on the final day of the regular season.
Finally, the swelling had gone down enough for Martinez to play, though manager Alex Cora waited until about an hour before game time to officially put his designated hitter in the lineup.
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"Hats off to our athletic training staff, because they did miracles," said Martinez. "You know, it's just everybody -- from the massage therapist guys to the strength coaches to the hitting coaches, everybody. Everybody was involved in doing what they could do to help to try to get me back, and we kind of just came up with a plan of what we were going to do."
With Martinez back in tow, what the Red Sox did was rake all night to the tune of 20 hits.
The surge of offense came just a day after the Sox were shut out despite getting nine hits and a barrage of barreled-up outs in a Game 1 loss.
"Obviously it was huge," Hernández said. "We didn't have a good night [Thursday] night, and with our lineup, it's just kind of a matter of time. And having J.D. back, even if he didn't do what he did tonight, just having his presence there in the lineup. He is not just one of our best hitters, but he has been one of the best hitters in baseball for a few years now."
The Red Sox are truly dangerous when they are riding high as an offense, and they came out swinging from the jump in Game 2.
The Rays did their best to hand Boston an early knockout punch when Jordan Luplow belted a grand slam off ace Chris Sale, who lasted just one inning in his 10th start back from Tommy John surgery.
With Sale done after 30 pitches, the Sox were down, 5-2. It was an eerily similar spot to five days earlier, when a shaky Sale got just seven outs in Game No. 162, but Boston roared back from a four-run deficit to win, 7-5, and clinch a playoff berth.
Cora, who has a postseason record of 13-4, again proved what a dugout leader he is, making sure the offense stayed on the attack on Friday, even after the deflating bottom of the first by Sale.
"So it was definitely a little deflating at first," Verdugo said. "But I just remember going into the dugout and A.C. is coming up and down the dugout just, 'It's all right, we got a whole game, eight more innings. You know, keep going.' I felt like that really set the tone. And the hitters, they just didn't stop."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 9, 2021 2:47:01 GMT -5
Houck 'perfect' and more: 30 up, 30 down Righty mows down 30 straight batters over 4 appearances, helps Sox even ALDS 1:54 AM ADT Bryan Hoch
ST. PETERSBURG -- Tanner Houck seemed to have something special going in his final start of the regular season, having mowed through 15 consecutive Nationals, but the Red Sox right-hander seemed to understand why he handed the baseball off to the bullpen. There would be a more important October assignment ahead, he was promised.
That moment arrived early in Friday’s Game 2 of the American League Division Series, with Houck summoned after starter Chris Sale surrendered five runs in the first inning. The 25-year-old Houck restored order with five strong frames of relief, picking up his first postseason win in Boston’s 14-6 victory over the Rays at Tropicana Field.
“I definitely had a little butterflies at first, but once I got out there and threw my warmup pitches, I felt like I was pretty comfortable,” Houck said. “I live for those moments where you’re in a different stadium, people yelling at you, all that stuff. I love that environment, and I love going out there and competing with my brothers.”
Houck’s performance had a gem tucked inside: His fourth-inning strikeout of Manuel Margot marked his 27th consecutive out recorded, a hidden perfect game scattered across four appearances. Houck retired three more batters before his “perfecto” was broken up by a Wander Franco single with two outs in the fifth inning, ending at 30 consecutive batters.
“I had no idea, to be honest,” Houck said. “I was more just focused on getting outs and just putting the team in the best place to win.”
Houck began that string on Sept. 28 at Baltimore, retiring Pat Valaika on a pop fly for the last out of the eighth inning. He retired all 15 Nationals faced in the penultimate game of the regular season on Oct. 2 at Washington, striking out eight. Houck then appeared in relief during the AL Wild Card Game against the Yankees, working a clean seventh inning.
“Great decision taking him out of the perfect game, right, so we could use him later?” manager Alex Cora said, with a chuckle. “He has been amazing. The fastball, the slider, the split -- he doesn’t panic. We’ve been using him a lot, and we have to be careful with that, but today was the perfect day for him to go out there and help us win a ballgame.”
Ji-Man Choi hit a sixth-inning homer off Houck, who tossed 61 pitches (44 for strikes), striking out five.
“Tanner Houck was really tough,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “It looked like he had all of his stuff working. He looked like he had a great breaking ball. He just kept us off balance. He came in and did a tremendous job for them.”
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Houck is the fifth Red Sox pitcher in the Expansion Era (since 1961) to retire at least 27 batters in a row within a single season (regular season and postseason).
The last was Koji Uehara, who retired 37 straight batters from Aug. 17-Sept. 13, 2013. Mike Timlin (28, Sept. 22-Oct. 15, 2003), Hideo Nomo (31, May 25-31, 2001) and Pedro Martinez (30, Sept. 10-15, 1999) also achieved the feat.
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“What [Houck] did was unbelievable,” said Kiké Hernandez, whose four extra-base hits set a Red Sox postseason record. “He kept us in the game and gave us a chance to come back.”
Houck’s performances -- combined with abbreviated outings from Eduardo Rodríguez and Sale in the first two games of this ALDS -- present an argument for him to rejoin the rotation later in this series, or should Boston advance.
“He’s getting better and better,” Cora said.
Houck made three starts in September, then shifted to the bullpen as Boston transitioned into a four-man rotation for the stretch drive. Houck’s highest pitch total in September was 71, on Sept. 15 at Seattle. He tossed a season-high 90 pitches in back-to-back starts on Aug. 24 vs. Minnesota and Aug. 29 at Cleveland.
“I’ve always trusted A.C. with his game plan and his vision,” Houck said. “He is, it always seems, 10 steps ahead of everyone. You’ve got to trust him. … I was more than willing to come out of the perfect game and just be ready for a bigger moment. I’m truly blessed to have him trust me enough to put me in those moments.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 9, 2021 2:48:50 GMT -5
Martinez returns to lineup with 3-run dinger 2:27 AM ADT Ian Browne
ST. PETERSBURG -- Things got busy for the Red Sox in the hour leading into Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the Rays on Friday.
First, Red Sox manager Alex Cora was able to put All-Star designated hitter J.D. Martinez in the starting lineup. Cora held the lineup for several hours waiting to see if Martinez (sprained left ankle) would be healthy enough to give it a go.
And right after that news came out, Boston made a roster move, adding veteran reliever Matt Barnes while subtracting righty Garrett Richards due to a left hamstring strain.
Richards made three pitches and retired the only batter he faced in the second inning of Boston's 5-0 defeat in Game 1.
Per MLB rules, Richards will be ineligible to pitch for the remainder of this series or the ALCS if the Red Sox advance.
As for Martinez, he batted sixth in his first action in five days. And he quickly shook off the rust, lacing a single to right in his first at-bat and then a three-run rocket over the wall in center in the fifth that snapped a 5-5 tie. The slugger finished the night with four hits in Boston's 14-6 rout.
The Sox won the AL Wild Card Game against the Yankees, 6-2, without Martinez's big right-handed bat. However, Boston got shut out in Game 1 of the ALDS with Martinez on the roster but not in action.
Martinez looked comfortable taking batting practice and Cora posted his lineup right after.
After a down 2020 season, Martinez bounced back to slash .286/.349/.518 with 28 homers and 99 RBIs.
In 21 career postseason games, Martinez is a .286 hitter with six homers and 20 RBIs.
Barnes, the longest-tenured Boston reliever and an All-Star closer in the first half of the season, was a tough omission for the Sox when they submitted their original ALDS roster on Thursday.
In 60 games this season, Barnes converted 24 of 30 save chances while posting a 3.79 ERA. He is battle tested in October, having gotten huge outs for the Red Sox throughout the 2018 postseason.
Devers swinging through it Given that it is the playoffs, when every swing is magnified, there was a lot of attention given on social media and on the broadcast of Game 1 of the ALDS of Rafael Devers taking some uncomfortable-looking cuts at the plate. Devers was grimacing at times and his right hand seemed to be falling off the bat on his follow-through.
The star third baseman of the Red Sox has worn a compression sleeve on his right arm for every game, starting with Sept. 26 against the Yankees.
Though the Red Sox haven't divulged an injury and Devers hasn't mentioned it in any interviews, The Boston Globe reported that Devers has been dealing with discomfort in his right forearm that is exacerbated when he swings and misses. It doesn't help that Devers probably swings as hard as anyone in baseball. Devers declined a chance to discuss his health after Game 1.
"Over 162 games you're not going to be 100 percent," said Cora. "He's posting, and that's the most important thing. I don't think everybody is 100 percent right now. They go through their day, they get treatment if they need to and they get ready to play the game. And that's where we're at with everybody."
Despite whatever discomfort he has been dealing with over the past 10 days or so, Devers carried the Red Sox to their spot in the playoffs by belting three home runs in the final two games of the regular season. He was in the No. 3 slot of Cora's lineup for Game 2.
Game 4 would be Marathon Monday Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there hasn't been a Boston Marathon since 2019. The Patriots' Day game in April, with an 11 a.m. ET start time, has traditionally been one of the most festive days on the Boston sports calendar with the Red Sox and the marathon happening at the same time.
If the Red Sox can stretch this series to Game 4, it would be played on Monday night (first pitch of 7:07 p.m.), which would be hours after the races concludes.
You can be sure the Red Sox will wear their City Connect yellow jerseys for that one. Boston first donned those uniforms back in April -- the weekend the marathon was originally supposed to take place. The players wanted to wear them again and did for five straight wins at Fenway Park, Sept. 17-22.
"It's getting ahead of ourselves, but actually, I was talking to Kiké [Hernández] about it early in the season about how special the day is and what it means to everybody in the area," said Cora.
As a reserve for the Red Sox, Cora was in manager Terry Francona's starting lineup for three straight Marathon Mondays from 2006-08.
"As a player, it was great," said Cora. "It was a great day. Just walking to Fenway and to be part of it, the fact that Tito always put me into play, because it was an 11 a.m. game and he wanted to rest the horses of the team. It was cool, because I would get four at-bats regardless. But it's a special day for everybody, and, yeah, I mean, that's the goal, right, to play two at home, and it should be a very special day for us."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 9, 2021 2:50:31 GMT -5
Sale one and done: 'We'll get him right' 2:11 AM ADT Bryan Hoch
Bryan Hoch @bryanhoch
ST. PETERSBURG -- Chris Sale hoped his Game 2 start in the American League Division Series would offer redemption after his underwhelming performance in the Red Sox’s regular-season finale at Washington. Instead, it presented one of the earliest exits of his career.
With early run support tucked into Sale’s pocket, the left-hander gave it all back and then some, surrendering a Jordan Luplow grand slam in a five-run first inning. Sale watched from the clubhouse as the Red Sox rallied for a convincing 14-6 victory over the Rays on Friday night, evening the best-of-five series at one win apiece.
“Hey, man, we count on this guy,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “He is going to be a big part of what we’re trying to accomplish. We’ll get him right.”
Yandy Díaz also had a run-scoring hit off Sale, who tossed 30 pitches (20 for strikes). Tanner Houck’s excellent five-inning relief outing restored order as Boston slugged back. Kiké Hernandez’s fifth-inning homer tied the game and took Sale off the hook for a losing decision.
“It was definitely a little deflating at first,” Boston outfielder Alex Verdugo said. “But I just remember going into the dugout and A.C. is coming up and down the dugout, just [saying], ‘It’s all right, we’ve got a whole game, eight more innings.’ You know, keep going. I felt like that really set the tone.”
Sale has struggled with his changeup since returning from the injured list on Aug. 14, continuing to try to find his form after Tommy John surgery. As such, Sale has leaned heavily upon his four-seam fastball and slider, but the Rays were ready for both.
“You’re facing one of the game’s best left-handers of our decade here in Sale,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
Tampa Bay saw 16 sliders, 13 fastballs and one changeup from Sale, who generated only three swings and misses -- all on the slider. Sale permitted four hits, walked one and struck out two. Luplow’s grand slam came on a fastball.
“It’s a good-hitting team,” Cora said. “They took advantage of certain pitches, and they put some swings on it. Yandy goes the other way and then the grand slam on the fastball that was above the strike zone. Sometimes, teams game-plan on people and they do a good job with it. That 0-2 pitch was above the zone, and [Luplow] got to it.”
Sale hadn’t allowed a grand slam since Sept. 18, 2015, when he was pitching for the White Sox and surrendered one to Carlos Santana in a 12-1 loss at Cleveland. Luplow’s slam marked the first time Sale has allowed a postseason homer with any runners on base.
The one-inning outing is tied for the shortest start of Sale’s career, matching an outing against the Blue Jays on Sept. 11, 2018, when he was being eased back from the injured list.
With Eduardo Rodriguez’s abbreviated effort in Game 1, Boston is the first team in postseason history to have its starters go fewer than two innings in each of the first two games of a postseason series.
“It’s not perfect,” Cora said. “I mean, the plan was for Chris and Eddie to go deep in the game and then mix and match, but what Nick [Pivetta] did [in Game 1] and Tanner did today, we expect that from them. We know we can actually pitch with them; we can get people out, too. So it feels great. Now we know that at least we’ll play two games in Boston.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 9, 2021 2:53:19 GMT -5
Rays-Red Sox G3 FAQ (Sunday, 4 ET, MLBN) 45 minutes ago Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne Adam Berry
Adam Berry @adamdberry
From the catwalks and the cowbells to the Green Monster and Pesky’s Pole, this compelling American League Division Series between the Red Sox and the Rays is headed back to Boston with anyone’s guess as to which way the momentum will turn.
The Rays clearly had it when they won 5-0 in Game 1. And they clearly had it again early in Game 2 when they withstood a two-run first inning by the Red Sox and bashed Chris Sale with a five-spot that included a grand slam by Jordan Luplow.
But the Red Sox evened the series with a batting barrage that included 20 hits in a 14-6 win. And now we will see what the next chapter brings at what is sure to be an electric Fenway Park on Sunday for Game 3.
When is the game and how can I watch it? The game will air on MLB Network at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday. It is also available to stream on MLB.TV with authentication.
What might the starting lineups look like? Rays: According to Stats LLC, the first two games of this series were the first time the Rays used the exact same starting lineup since Games 2 and 3 of last year’s World Series. (The same nine players lined up at the same defensive positions in those games as well.) Expect to see a handful of changes now that the Red Sox are starting a right-hander, Nathan Eovaldi, rather than the two lefties they sent to the mound in Games 1 and 2. So out go the right-handed-hitting Luplow, Manuel Margot and Yandy Díaz. In come the lefty-hitting Ji-Man Choi, Austin Meadows and Joey Wendle. Maybe they’ll stick with Randy Arozarena atop the order, but Brandon Lowe thrived in the leadoff spot against right-handers in the second half of the season.
Brandon Lowe, 2 Randy Arozarena, RF Wander Franco, SS Nelson Cruz, DH Austin Meadows, LF Ji-Man Choi, 1B Mike Zunino, C Joey Wendle, 3B Kevin Kiermaier, CF
Red Sox: When you consider how well the Sox swung the bats in Game 2, it’s doubtful manager Alex Cora will do much tinkering with his lineup. The one change figures to be behind the plate, as Kevin Plawecki almost always serves as the batterymate for Eovaldi. There’s a chance J.D. Martinez moves back to his customary five-hole after belting four hits and a three-run homer in Game 2 in his return from a left ankle sprain.
Kyle Schwarber, 1B Enrique Hernández, CF Rafael Devers, 3B Xander Bogaerts, SS Alex Verdugo, LF J.D. Martinez, DH Hunter Renfroe, RF Kevin Plawecki, C Christian Arroyo, 2B
Who are the starting pitchers? Rays: That’s not clear yet. Manager Kevin Cash said after Game 2 that the Rays would “talk through it” during the off-day Saturday before making a decision. One option is a bullpen game, which likely would feature at least two innings from Luis Patiño. Whether it’s Game 3 or Game 4, the Rays will send starter Drew Rasmussen (4-0, 2.44 ERA) to the mound at Fenway Park. Fittingly enough, it was in Boston where Rasmussen made his transition into Tampa Bay’s rotation on Aug. 12. Since then, Rasmussen has been a model of consistency, putting together a 1.46 ERA in eight starts. Capped by the Rays at five innings because of workload concerns, Rasmussen has thrown four innings in three of his starts and five in the other five, efficiently maxing out his workload each time out. He ran through the gauntlet of tough matchups in September -- Red Sox twice, Blue Jays twice, Astros once -- proving he’s ready for his first postseason start.
Red Sox: With Eovaldi, the Red Sox send the man who has been their best starting pitcher all season to the hill for this one. The righty was last seen throwing 5 1/3 brilliant innings (one run, no walks, eighth strikeouts) to beat the Yankees, 6-2, in the AL Wild Card Game. Eovaldi is earning a reputation as a big-game pitcher. In the postseason, he is 3-1 with a 1.63 ERA in seven appearances, including three starts. Eovaldi is 14-6 with a 3.76 ERA lifetime at Fenway, including the postseason. In four starts against the Rays this season, Eovaldi went 2-1 with a 2.39 ERA and a .160 opponents’ batting average. Given that it is uncertain who will start for the Sox in Game 4, Cora might look for six innings or so from Eovaldi to keep his bullpen as fresh as possible for Monday.
How will the bullpens line up after the starter? Rays: Well, that depends on who’s starting. If it’s Rasmussen, the Rays can hope for him to cover five innings. Then they will mix and match with their top high-leverage arms. Andrew Kittredge and Pete Fairbanks should be plenty rested after not appearing in Games 1 or 2. If it’s a bullpen game, Cash likely will be mixing and matching from the start, Get the latest from the Red Sox
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Red Sox: Garrett Whitlock has yet to pitch in this series, and he was Boston’s best reliever this season, so you can bet Cora will lean on him in Game 3. Ryan Brasier and Hansel Robles have been hot lately and that continued with a scoreless inning for each in Game 2. Look for those two righties to again pitch with the game on the line on Sunday. Don’t be surprised if Eduardo Rodriguez, who was pulled after five outs and 41 pitches in Game 1, comes out of the bullpen for either of the games in Boston.
Are there any relievers who are unavailable? Rays: It’s difficult to imagine right-hander Michael Wacha, a starter working out of the bullpen, bouncing back to pitch Game 3 after throwing 59 pitches as he gave up six runs on nine hits in 2 2/3 innings on Friday night. Maybe Collin McHugh will get another day to rest, too, as he needed 37 pitches to record five outs in Game 2. Otherwise, it’s probably fair to expect that the Rays will be ready to go.
Red Sox: Rookie Tanner Houck was marvelous in Game 2, firing five innings that included 61 pitches. This likely takes him out of the mix for Sunday. Nick Pivetta threw 73 pitches in Game 1 on Thursday, so it’s iffy that Cora would use him for Game 3.
Any injuries of note? Rays: None involving any players on their postseason roster.
Red Sox: Righty Garrett Richards was taken off the roster before Game 2 with a left hamstring injury. Now that Martinez is back in the mix, the Red Sox don’t have any other significant injuries. Devers is clearly dealing with some discomfort in his right forearm, but it didn’t impact him when he launched a 425-foot homer in Game 2.
Who is hot and who is not? Rays: Start with Arozarena, who’s 2-for-6 with three walks and a steal of home in this series. Then go to Franco, who is 4-for-9 with a pair of doubles in his first postseason experience. Choi’s first taste of this series was positive, as he went 2-for-3 with a homer in Game 2. On the flip side, Lowe (0-for-8) isn’t off to a great start. Nor are Zunino (1-for-6), Kiermaier (0-for-7) and Margot (0-for-5).
Red Sox: Suddenly, many Boston hitters are hot. Hernández (5-for-6) and Martinez both had monster performances in Game 2. Bogaerts has been tremendous since the postseason started, going 6-for-11 with two homers. Verdugo is also on fire, with six hits in his 13 at-bats in the playoffs. Renfroe is having a hard time finding his stroke. He is 3-for-12 without an extra base-hit in Boston’s three playoff games.
Anything else fans might want to know? • The Red Sox have won three of the five postseason games these two teams have played at Fenway Park, taking Game 5 of the 2008 AL Championship Series and Games 1 and 2 of the 2013 ALDS. Boston won five of nine matchups at Fenway Park against Tampa Bay this season, although the Rays won the last two series in Boston after being swept there in early April.
• It will be a festive weekend in Boston, with the Marathon taking place for the first time since 2019 on Monday. Game 4 is at 7:07 p.m. ET, so spectators will be able to watch both events if they so choose.
• Boston went 49-32 at home this season while Tampa Bay was 48-33 on the road.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 9, 2021 3:07:12 GMT -5
Season on the line, Kiké Hérnandez and the Red Sox offense explode to clobber Tampa Bay By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated October 8, 2021, 11:01 p.m.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Red Sox were in deep trouble on Friday night, as Chris Sale walked slowly off the mound in the first inning after giving up five runs to the Tampa Bay Rays.
The 2004 Red Sox proved nothing is impossible in the postseason, but losing the first two games of the best-of-five Division Series would have been a cavernous hole for this team.
Instead, the Sox will return to Fenway Park riding high after an 14-6 Game 2 victory that was stunning in myriad ways. Related: Dan Shaughnessy: Chris Sale didn’t have it in Game 2, but the Red Sox showed they still have a lot of life left
Tanner Houck replaced Sale and retired 11 batters in a row. His five innings of one-run relief were reminiscent of Pedro Martinez’s six shutout innings against Cleveland in Game 5 of the 1999 Division Series.
As Houck cooled the Rays, the Sox lineup went to work. Their five home runs were a franchise postseason record.
“Offensively it was like, hey, don’t panic,” said Alex Cora, now 4-0 after a loss in the four playoff series he has managed with the Sox.
J.D. Martinez returned from a two-game absence with a sprained left ankle to go 4 for 5 with a home run and three RBIs. Were it during the season, Martinez was told, he would have been on the injured list.
“But it’s the playoffs, you know? You only get one chance at this,” he said. Related: His left ankle still ailing, J.D. Martinez was not about to sit out Game 2
Kiké Hernández was 5 for 6 with three doubles, a home run, three runs scored, and three RBIs. The four extra-base hits were a team record for a postseason game.
Xander Bogaerts had three hits for the first time in a playoff game. He drove in two runs and homered. Alex Verdugo was 3 for 5 with a homer and two RBIs. Rafael Devers added a two-run homer, and Christian Vázquez was 3 for 5 with two RBIs.
The Sox had 20 hits in all, a team record for a playoff game on the road.
Game 3 is scheduled for 4:07 p.m. on Sunday. Nate Eovaldi starts, likely against Drew Rasmussen.
Houck, the winning pitcher, has retired 30 of 32 batters in his last two relief appearances, 26 in a row at one point. The rookie’s cool under pressure allowed his teammates to believe.
“We started one run at a time and started scoring and scoring and scoring until we were able to tie it, and then [Houck] kept them right there,” Hernández said.
The first three innings of the game featured nine runs on 11 hits, three of them home runs. It was a disaster for both starting pitchers, in particular Sale.
Five of the first six batters reached on Tampa Bay rookie righthander Shane Baz in the first inning as the Sox took a 2-0 lead.
Kyle Schwarber walked, went to third on a double down the left field line by Hernández, and scored on a single by Bogaerts.
Sale took the mound, and the lead vanished quickly. Rays Game 1 hero Randy Arozarena led off with a single into left field. Wander Franco then grounded a single into right. With one out, Sale pitched around Nelson Cruz for a walk.
The Rays made him pay. Yandy Diaz singled to right field to drive in Arozarena, and Jordan Luplow drilled an 0-2 fastball into the left-field bleachers for a grand slam.
That Sale threw an 0-2 fastball to Luplow, as opposed to a slider or changeup, was stunning and spoke to the lack of confidence in his secondary pitches.
Sale ended the inning without further damage, but didn’t come back out for the second as Houck took over. The one-inning start matched the shortest of his career. (The other, on Sept. 11, 2018, was planned for one inning as Sale was returning from a shoulder injury.)
Sale has allowed 10 runs on 12 hits over 8⅔ innings his last three games. His comeback from Tommy John surgery, smooth for seven starts, has hit a wall.
“It was definitely a little deflating at first,” Verdugo said. “But I just remember [Cora] is coming up and down the dugout [saying], ‘It’s all right, we got a whole game, eight more innings. Keep going.’ I felt like that really set the tone.”
Bogaerts homered in the third to knock Baz out of the game. Collin McHugh came on, and his fifth pitch was driven out to right field by Verdugo.
Hernández homered to left leading off the fifth to tie the game. Devers drew a walk, and Matt Wisler replaced McHugh.
Bogaerts singled to set up Martinez. He fell behind 0-2, took two sliders off the plate, then drove a hanger over the wall in center for an 8-5 lead. It was Martinez’s seventh postseason home run, the fourth with the Sox.
Ji-Man Choi homered for Tampa Bay in the sixth, but the Sox built the lead back up to three runs in the seventh on a two-out single by Vázquez. It grew to 11-6 in the eighth when Hernández doubled for the third time and Devers homered to center off Michael Wacha.
The Sox added three more in the ninth.
“We’re all happy, man. Riding high right now. Just we did our job,” Verdugo said. “We came out here, overcame a deficit again. Our bats came up. Our pitchers came up big, and now we’re going back to Fenway in our element.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 9, 2021 3:09:26 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Matt Barnes back in the mix, replaces injured Garrett Richards on Red Sox roster By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated October 8, 2021, 8:45 p.m.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Matt Barnes returned to the Red Sox roster on Friday as an injury replacement for Garrett Richards.
Richards strained his left hamstring while running in the outfield at Tropicana Field on Friday before Game 2 of the Division Series against Tampa Bay. Related: Even if Chris Sale’s Game 2 start was a troubling turn for the Red Sox, there’s still some life left in this Local Nine
MLB approved the substitution. Richards would not be eligible for the ALCS if the Red Sox were to advance, but would be eligible for the World Series.
Barnes pitched a scoreless ninth inning in a 14-6 victory, leaving three stranded.
Richards relieved Eduardo Rodriguez with two outs in the second inning Thursday and threw three pitches. He retired Randy Arozarena on a ground ball to shortstop.
Richards, 6-7 with a 5.22 earned run average in 22 starts, was demoted to the bullpen in mid-August. He was valuable as a reliever, averaging 9.57 strikeouts per nine innings with a 1.36 WHIP in 18 appearances.
Barnes, a first-time All-Star this season, was one of the best relievers in the game for the first four months before a sharp decline that saw him allow 12 earned runs on 17 hits (four of them home runs) and nine walks his final 10⅔ innings of the regular season.
The Red Sox also returned J.D. Martinez to the lineup after a two-game absence with a sprained left ankle. He took batting practice on the field, decided to play, and was 4 for 5 with a homer and three RBIs.
Martinez was dropped to sixth in the lineup, the lowest he has been since May of 2017 — also coming off an injury — as a member of the Detroit Tigers. It’s Nate Eovaldi for Game 3
As expected, the Red Sox will start Nate Eovaldi in Game 3 at Fenway Park on Sunday afternoon. The Rays are planning on righthander Drew Rasmussen.
Eovaldi allowed one run over 5⅓ innings to beat the Yankees in the Wild Card Game on Tuesday. He faced the Rays four times during the season, and allowed seven earned runs over 26⅓ innings.
Rasmussen has faced the Red Sox five times this season, his most against any opponent, and allowed four earned runs on 13 hits over 15⅔ innings. Three of those appearances were starts.
Eovaldi started 10 games for the Rays in 2018 before he was traded to the Sox for lefthander Jalen Beeks, who has not pitched since 2020 because of Tommy John surgery. Alex Verdugo pitching in?
Alex Verdugo was one of the top high school pitchers from Arizona in the 2014 draft, but was ultimately selected as an outfielder by the Dodgers. The lefthander hasn’t given up on the idea of taking the mound again.
“One-hundred percent, yeah,” he said. “I don’t know if I’ll pitch next year, but definitely by 2023. I want to try to just be a two-way [player]. You know, not a [Shohei] Ohtani where he is starting and all that. I just want to be a reliever.
“Come in, help the boys out, something like that. But obviously, I know I got a ways to go.”
Verdugo topped out at 97 miles per hour at Sahuaro High School in Tucson and threw a curveball for strikes.
Verdugo has mentioned before that he wants to pitch, but the Red Sox have politely tabled the discussion. That is not expected to change. In the house
The Red Sox arranged tickets for a group of about 30 prospects attending Instructional League workouts down the road in Fort Myers . . . When Arozarena stole home on Thursday, it wasn’t a first for Sox lefty Josh Taylor. “It happened to me at the [Junior College] World Series,” he said. “I didn’t think [Arozarena] would go. They had a good hitter up [in Brandon Lowe]. I thought he was trying to distract me. That was a great play. He’s an amazing athlete.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 9, 2021 3:11:40 GMT -5
Chris Sale didn’t have it in Game 2, but the Red Sox showed they still have a lot of life left By Dan Shaughnessy Globe Columnist,Updated October 8, 2021, 11:48 p.m.
It was the worst game of the year. A season-low. Everything we suspected about this team was coming true. They were just not that good, after all.
Then it was the best game of the year. And suddenly there is buoyancy. And life.
Red Sox. Just when you think you are out, they pull you back in.
Boston’s erstwhile ace Chris Sale was rocked for a grand slam and lasted only one inning Friday at the Tropicana Dome. On the heels of Thursday’s Game 1 skunking, the Sox trailed, 5-2, in Game 2 and looked like candidates for a three-game sweep and a Marathon Monday on the golf course.
But this is one of the more resilient Local Nines of our time, and the Sons of Alex Cora peppered the Trop’s outer limits with five homers, cracking 20 hits and riding the right arm of rookie Tanner Houck to a 14-6, series squaring, ALDS victory over the heavily-favored, 100-win Rays. Get 108 StitchesGet everything baseball from the Globe's Red Sox reporters every Monday-Friday during baseball season, and weekly in the off season.
J.D. Martinez hit the go-ahead three-run homer in the fifth, Kiké Hernández (five hits, four for extra bases), Xander Bogaerts (three hits) and Alex Verdugo (three hits) launched solo homers and Rafael Devers’s two-run blast in the eighth sealed the deal. Little-used Bernie Carbo added a pinch homer in the ninth (only kidding).
“It wasn’t win or go home for us,’’ Hernández told MLB Network. “But that was kind of the mentality. We needed to come out agressively with a sense of urgency.’’
Game 3 is Sunday afternoon at Fenway with Sox stopper Nate Eovaldi on the mound. Suddenly, in the immortal words of Kevin Garnett, anything is possible.
No matter how this surprising season ends, Game 2 under the Big Top Trop, will go down as one of the most memorable nights of Boston Baseball 2021.
Before the game, it was all about Sale and Martinez.
Sale, who came back from Tommy John surgery in mid-August, went 5-1 with a 3.16 ERA during the regular season, but it was all against bad teams. Sale couldn’t finish the third inning of his final start against the last-place Nationals last Sunday, and followed up with the worst start of his postseason career. The immortal Jordan Luplow, and great nephew of former Indian Al Luplow, hit a first-inning grand slam and Sale was lifted after one with the Sox trailing, 5-2.
Ballgame, right?
Not quite. Solo shots by Bogaerts, Verdugo and Hernández tied it. Martinez put the Sox on top for good with a three-run shot off Matt Wisler in the fifth.
Martinez is hobbled by a sore left ankle, sustained when he tripped over second base while running to his outfield position in the middle of the regular-season finale in Washington. He was not on the roster when the Sox beat the Yankees, 6-2, in Tuesday’s scintillating wild-card win at Fenway. J.D. was available for duty, but not used Thursday in St. Petersburg, Fla., when the Sox were shut out by the Rays.
The big DH didn’t raise his hand to play until about 90 minutes before Friday’s first pitch. Alex Cora put him in the sixth spot in the batting order.
Martinez singled in Boston’s two-run first, but saved his big blow for the fifth.
“It didn’t feel good running, but it felt good hitting,’’ Martinez told MLB Network.
After Tampa closed Boston’s lead to 8-6, Christian Vázquez (three hits) delivered an RBI single to push the lead back to three in the seventh. Devers put things to bed with his two-run shot in the eighth.
Houck was the other hero of the night. The 25-year-old righty from Missouri shut down the Rays from the second through the sixth. Winner of only one game in 2021, Houck picked up the victory in the biggest game of his life. After working five perfect innings in the regular season finale, he pitched five innings of one-run ball (29 consecutive batters retired!) against the first-place Rays. It was mildly reminiscent of Eovaldi’s six innings of great relief in the 2018 World Series.
When Rays manager Kevin Cash was asked what happened to Tampa’s offense after the first inning, Cash replied, “What happened was Tanner Houck.’’
Houck would be an obvious candidate to start again if the Sox are able to push this series to a fifth and deciding game.
Ryan Brasier took over with the Sox leading, 9-6, in the seventh . . . and struck out the side.
Of course.
Sox Heroes were legion. Hernandez, Verdugo (great catch to boot), Bogaerts, Martinez, Devers, Houck.
Moving forward, the Sox have problems with their starting rotation. Lefty Eduardo Rodriguez lasted only 1 innings in his Game 1 start. Sale went one. Combined, they gave up seven earned runs in 2 innings. Eovaldi, clearly the Boston ace, will get the ball for Game 3 Sunday at Fenway. Rodriguez, Martín Pérez and Nick Pivetta (4 innings Thursday) presumably would be available for Game 4 on Marathon Monday.
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Game 5? Sale? Houck? Eovaldi on a Lonborg-esque two days rest?
Buckle up and stay tuned.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 9, 2021 3:13:53 GMT -5
With Chris Sale chased early, Tanner Houck came in from bullpen to provide much-needed relief By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated October 9, 2021, 12:20 a.m.
Disaster loomed.
When Chris Sale walked off the mound at the end of the first inning, a Red Sox defeat seemed all but guaranteed. There had been 21 prior instances of a pitcher lasting just one inning or less while allowing five runs or more in a playoff game. Teams were 1-20 under such circumstances.
With the Rays taking batting practice against Sale’s fastball, the notion of the Red Sox returning to Fenway in anything but a 2-0 hole in the best-of-five American League Division Series against Tampa Bay seemed unimaginable. And then Houck Happened.
Rookie righthander Tanner Houck delivered an epic relief performance that added to a remarkable week of season-saving situations. After five perfect innings against the Nationals in a start on Saturday and a perfect frame of relief against the Yankees in Tuesday’s Wild Card Game, Houck retired the first 11 batters he faced — in the process, stretching his perfect-innings run to 9 2/3 innings — to kick off an eventual five innings of capital-R relief that stabilized the game in an eventual 14-6 Red Sox victory. Get 108 StitchesGet everything baseball from the Globe's Red Sox reporters every Monday-Friday during baseball season, and weekly in the off season.
“What happened, I think, was Tanner Houck,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said of the game’s transformation. “He was really tough. … He came in and did a tremendous job for them.”
Houck finally gave up a hit with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning — a bouncer up the middle by Wander Franco. It ended a stretch of 30 consecutive batters he’d retired (dating to a relief outing against the Orioles last week), the longest by a Red Sox since Koji Uehara (37 batters) in 2013.
One inning later, he yielded a solo homer to Ji-Man Choi. But by that point, it simply trimmed what was a relatively comfortable — and soon-to-balloon — Red Sox lead. Houck finished the sixth without further incident to conclude a five-inning, two-hit, one-run outing in which he struck out five and didn’t walk anyone.
“It truly is just a surreal night of being able to put things fully together and continuing to pitch well and helping the team in every facet I can,” said Houck. “I’ve felt really locked in the last few outings with everything.”
Houck joined Nate Eovaldi in Game 3 of the 2018 World Series (6 innings, 2 runs, 1 earned, in the memorable 17-inning Red Sox loss to the Dodgers) and Pedro Martinez in Game 5 of the 1999 ALDS (five perfect innings in a memorable clincher) as the only Red Sox relievers in the last 100 years to log outings of at least five innings.
The righthander — whose delivery and slider have led to suggestions that he is a near mirror image of Sale — displayed an electric four-pitch that achieved a complete reversal from Sale’s faceplant. With the Sox desperate for a toehold, Houck provided just that.
His 1-2-3 second inning restored order. After the Red Sox plated a pair of runs in the top of the third, Houck struck out the side in the bottom of the inning. Another 1-2-3 fourth bought time for the Sox to erupt for four runs in the top of the fifth, after which the offense ran up the score to cruise to a startlingly comfortable win.
The 2017 first-rounder leaned heavily on his sweeping slider, which he complemented chiefly with an elevated mid-90s four-seam fastball. Yet his other two pitches — an anvil of a low-90s two-seamer that he threw nine times, resulting in five swings-and-misses, and splitter — allowed him to complete two full turns of excellence against the explosive Tampa Bay lineup.
Over 61 pitches, Houck continued to show the mix of a quality big league starter. He has the versatility of weapons to attack lefties and righties. He’s earned the Sox’ trust in all manner of situations.
“What he has done this week has been amazing,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “And, you know, he has grown. He is getting better and better and better.”
Sale, meanwhile, is sputtering. The lefthander’s changeup has been dreadfully ineffective since his return from Tommy John surgery, and with Rays hitters sitting on his fastball, the low- to mid-90s offering played as a hit-me offering for righties, including Jordan Luplow, who blasted a grand slam on a heater above the zone.
Sale has allowed 10 runs in his last 3 2/3 innings.
“We count on this guy,” insisted Cora. “He is going to be a big part of what we’re trying to accomplish, and we’ll get him right. We’ll get him right.”
That’s the team’s hope, at least. But it’s far from a guarantee for a pitcher working back from Tommy John surgery. And at this point, it’s hard to imagine the team trusting Sale — or, for that matter, anyone else — over Houck with a Game 5 start on four days’ rest, should the series get that far.
That mere notion is startling. Houck has created options for the Sox that have long been beyond the team’s reach. The Sox endured a decade-long drought in developing homegrown starters. Now, it appears they have one in Houck — a righthander who is ready for the postseason stage.
“I live for those moments where you’re in a different stadium, people yelling at you, all that stuff. I love that environment, and I love going out there and competing with my brothers,” said Houck. “I remember growing up as a kid and just dreaming about pitching in games like these and just pitching in moments like that. So having that moment become real, I was like, all right, let me take a step back, let me soak this in, but then let’s get to work.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 9, 2021 3:15:47 GMT -5
His left ankle still ailing, J.D. Martinez was not about to sit out Game 2 By Michael Silverman Globe Staff,Updated October 9, 2021, 12:38 a.m.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — J.D. Martinez flipped the script about his ailing ankle from a soap opera into a rock opera Friday night, slugging the go-ahead three-run home run, one of his four hits in the Red Sox’ one-sided 14-6 slugfest against the Rays in Game 2 of the Division Series.
After missing the AL Wild Card Game and first game of this series after spraining his left ankle stepping on second base in the final game of the regular season on Sunday, Martinez’ availability had been a subject of rampant conjecture since the Red Sox clinched a playoff berth. Related: With the season in the balance, Kiké Hérnandez and the Red Sox offense explode to clobber Tampa Bay
A spot on the postseason roster for this series was not assured until shortly before the Wednesday morning deadline for roster submissions.
He was a no-go for Game 1, and his availability for Friday night’s Game 2 was up in the air until 1:15 before first pitch, when the Red Sox finally inked his name into the No. 6 spot.
Martinez knew everyone was not so patiently waiting on him to say if he was a go or not, especially his manager, Alex Cora.
”I hate to say I am because if I’m not, then what’s going to happen if I go in there, first at-bat, and it bites when I swing?” said Martinez. “It’s my front foot, so when I land, I kind of roll into it. What’s going to happen?”
The decision came down to batting practice before Game 2, because he felt pretty good but not really good after batting practice before Game 1.
”Yesterday I didn’t feel it,” said Martinez. “I told [Cora], I said, ‘I got like a putter and an iron today with my golf swing, the driver and the 3-wood is not in the bag today.’ Related: With Chris Sale chased early, Tanner Houck came in from bullpen to provide much-needed relief
“Today in BP, it felt a lot better. I was able to, like, swing and actually get into my front foot. So I told him ‘Let’s do it.’ I feel a lot more confident with it. I didn’t feel that yesterday.”
Cora, of course, was thrilled Martinez found a suitable club in his golf bag late Friday afternoon.
”Credit to the medical staff, they’ve been relentless since Sunday,” Cora said. “Of course, J.D., he worked hard to get to this point, and during BP, he was in between. He wasn’t sure, and he took one round, and he took off, and he was, like, ‘Hey, Jefe [boss], let’s go.’ I’m like, “OK, perfect, let’s go.”
After his first at-bat — an opposite-field single — the outlook on his hitting fitness was beginning to brighten.
Martinez flew out to right field in his next at-bat, but his big blow came in the Red Sox’ turnaround fifth inning. Having narrowed the lead to 5-4 in the fourth inning, Kiké Hernández (five hits) led off the fifth inning with the game-tying home run.
With two on and one out, Martinez’s turn came up against Rays reliever Matt Wisler, and he did not waste it. His home run sailed over the center field fence and brought half the Red Sox roster out of the dugout to hop, skip and jump on the artificial turf while Martinez slowly, with a smile on his face, rounded the bases.
Martinez was a little amazed with himself for being able to harness his mechanics and power after his four-day layoff.
”I think the adrenaline takes over, you know?” said Martinez. “Honestly, I was kind of surprised that my timing was where it was because I was four, five days off and going out there and facing guys throwing 98.
“But that’s where I think the situation and the adrenaline and the game and the fans kind of just take over and, you know, you just get caught up in the moment really.”
Martinez said the medical staff told him that if this were the regular season, he would have landed on the 10-day disabled list.
”But it’s the playoffs, you know? You only get one chance at this.”
Actually, Martinez got five chances Friday night. He hit on four of them.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 9, 2021 3:16:40 GMT -5
Julian McWilliams @byjulianmack · 5h Getting 1 2/3 innings from Rodriguez, then just 1 inning from Sale and, somehow, leaving The Trop with a split I'd say is HUGE.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 9, 2021 3:21:12 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 5h Man, the Rays let Wacha take a beating.
8 innings of 1-run relief for the Red Sox.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 9, 2021 3:22:52 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 5h J.D. Martinez and Kiké Hernández are the 15th teammates ever to have four-hit games in the same postseason contest. (Of those 15, there are three instances of three players with four hits in the same game.)
Third-most hits ever for the Sox in a playoff game. It is astonishing that the Red Sox had TWO 20+ hit games in the SAME ALDS in 1999 (Cleveland).
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 9, 2021 3:25:09 GMT -5
Mastrodonato: Red Sox have a Chris Sale problem and a Tanner Houck solution
By Jason Mastrodonato | jason.mastrodonato@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald October 9, 2021 at 12:31 a.m.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Red Sox have a Chris Sale problem.
And they have a Tanner Houck solution.
There was nothing competitive about what Sale brought to the table in Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Friday night, when the Red Sox had to dig themselves out of a hole to eventually steamroll the Rays in a 14-6 victory.
But after what they saw from Sale, who put them in a 5-2 defect after an awful first inning, the Red Sox will have to examine whether or not they can continue using him as a starter this postseason.
“I think command,” Cora said of Sale’s struggles. “That’s it.”
Cora defended Sale unflinchingly and insisted Sale would continue to be important this postseason.
“Hey man, we count on this guy,” Cora said. “He is going to be a big part of what we’re trying to accomplish and we’ll get him right. We’ll get him right.”
Sale was struggling to do anything with his fastball, which averaged 94 mph on the night. He had no command of the pitch, which didn’t generate a single swing-and-miss on the 13 of them he threw. One of them was an 0-2 fastball to Jordan Luplow a few inches above the zone and outside, but Luplow looked like he knew it was coming and walloped it over the left-field fence for a grand slam.
On the Fox broadcast, Hall of Famer John Smoltz questioned the pitch selection, given Luplow hits fastballs much better than breaking balls and Sale was in an advantage count. But Cora said he thought it was a good pitch.
“That was above the strike zone,” Cora said. “Sometimes teams, they gameplay on people and they do a good job with it. That 0-2 pitch was above the zone and he got it.”
Sale’s slider was OK, as he struck out Brandon Lowe and Mike Zunino on a couple of them, but without a good fastball, and with a changeup that hasn’t been effective all year, Sale is starting to look like a one-pitch pitcher.
He lasted just one inning before Cora decided to pull the plug and turn it over to his bullpen. The reality is that Sale hasn’t looked himself at all this year.
A lot of pitchers struggle to regain command after Tommy John surgery, though many also return throwing harder than they did before, largely because their shoulders get so strong during the process of rebuilding strength.
“The surgery doesn’t make you better,” Tommy John told me a few years back. “The person makes themselves better.”
Sale’s average velocity of 93 mph this year is the same it was in 2019, when he pitched through a shoulder injury, and 2 mph less than he was throwing in 2018.
Asked if Sale has hit a wall, physically, Cora said, “I don’t think so. I don’t believe so.”
The velocity is less of an issue than the command and effectiveness of his pitches, which the Red Sox have to expect will come back with more time and work. The question is how much patience to have with Sale this postseason, and what the best way to use him will be going forward.
Enter Houck, who has looked as good as any pitcher in the big leagues in recent weeks.
His last start was against the Nationals last Saturday, when he threw five perfect innings with eight strikeouts on just 53 pitches. He added a perfect inning with two strikeouts against the Yankees in Tuesday’s Wild Card Game. And he started Friday’s game with three perfect innings, giving him 27 consecutive outs with 15 strikeouts that would’ve totaled a perfect game.
Look up the advanced metrics and Houck is in the top-20% of the league in most of them, including whiff rate, strikeout rate and average exit velocity.
All the while he’s continued to develop a third pitch in a split-finger fastball that’s acting like a changeup. He’s essentially the right-handed version of Sale, but a better one.
“Tonight was a great example of the repertoire that I’ve been working on really since I got drafted,” he said. “I immediately when I first got drafted, I had the four-seam fastball. I added the split a little more recently. I’ve gone through a few grip changes as well with the slider.
“It’s truly a surreal night of being able to actually put things fully together.”
And the most common thing Houck’s teammates and coaches have to say about him is that he doesn’t panic.
“I had a little butterflies at first, but once I got out there and threw my warmup pitches, I was pretty comfortable,” he said. “I live for those moments where you’re in a different stadium, people yelling at you, all that stuff. I love that environment.”
In the last week, when Houck has pitched with the season on the line three different times, he’s allowed just one run in 11 innings while holding opponents to two hits.
“The game is constantly evolving and I’m constantly evolving,” Houck said. “Everyone is. It’s a matter of showing up and sometimes you just got to shut your mouth and open the ears and just listen to the guys that have been there and done that. That’s one thing I think is the best part of this team is we have endless amount of guys with multiple years of service time that I can lean on and ask questions.”
Nathan Eovaldi will pitch Game 3 on Sunday and Nick Pivetta is likely to start Game 4 on Monday while Houck rests after his long outing on Friday. But if there’s a Game 5 in Tampa next Wednesday, the Red Sox will have to consider going straight to Houck rather than giving Sale another shot.
Given Sale only threw 30 pitches Friday and 62 pitches last Sunday, he should be well-rested to pitch out of relief in either of the games at Fenway Park, if the Sox wanted to see him air it out in a one-inning stint instead.
With time, Sale should return to form, as most pitchers do when coming back from Tommy John surgery in the modern era.
But it’s the postseason. The Red Sox don’t have time. They need results. And Houck is getting them.
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