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Post by scrappyunderdog on Oct 9, 2021 9:19:17 GMT -5
Houck 'perfect' and more: 30 up, 30 down Righty mows down 30 straight batters over 4 appearances, helps Sox even ALDS1:54 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. Have the latest news, ticket information, and more from the Red Sox and MLB delivered right to your inbox. “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.” I know Kimmi will yell at me for this, and I am not 100% sure by any means, but I am going to be a little disappointed when/if Houck and/or Whitlock join the rotation. How many games have these guys locked up for us? And sure, yesterday was an outlier, but is there even a single guy in BB that could've come in and did what Houck did?
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 9, 2021 11:28:21 GMT -5
Matt Wisler Aggravates Finger Injury
By TC Zencka | October 9, 2021 at 9:43am CDT
The Red Sox broke the seal on mid-series roster moves yesterday when they removed Garrett Richards because of a hamstring injury, replacing him with Matt Barnes. Barnes quickly got some work in during yesterday’s blowout, tossing a scoreless, if rocky ninth inning. By that point, Boston was riding an eight-run lead and could allow Barnes to work himself in and out of trouble.
The Rays may be next in line to make a roster move. Righty Matt Wisler surrendered a three-run homer to J.D. Martinez that put the Red Sox up for good, and in the process, the Rays might have lost more than just game two. Wisler aggravated a previous finger injury that twice landed him on the injured list during the regular season, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (via Twitter). It is not yet clear if the Rays will make a move. If they do – like Richards – Wisler would be out until the World Series at the earliest.
The Rays sent Michael Plassmeyer to the Giants for Wisler in June when his value was low. The veteran had seen some poor luck in getting out to a poor start in terms of raw run prevention, posting a 6.05 ERA in 21 games with the Giants despite a 4.10 FIP. He promptly turned it around in Tampa, making 27 appearances with a 2.15 ERA/2.22 FIP over 29 1/3 innings.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 9, 2021 11:35:28 GMT -5
Red Sox ALDS Game Three ceremonies to begin at 3:40 p.m. on Sunday 11:22 AM ADT
BOSTON, MA – The Red Sox will present ceremonies preceding Game Three of the American League Division Series (ALDS) at Fenway Park this Sunday, October 10, beginning at approximately 3:40 p.m. Fans attending the game are asked to be in their seats by 3:30 p.m. to enjoy the ceremony. Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays is scheduled to begin at 4:07 p.m. and will be broadcast live on the MLB Network.
Ceremonies for Game Three of the ALDS will begin with the introduction of the two teams along the base lines. The American flag will be draped over the left field wall and a flag military comprised of men and women from Hanscom Air Force Base will line the warning track, led by Hanscom Air Force Base Installation Commander Colonel Katrina Stephens.
The national anthem will be performed by Springfield native and recording artist Michelle Brooks-Thompson. The anthem will be punctuated by a KC-135 Stratotanker flyover from the Maine National Guard’s 101st Air Refueling Wing (flown by the 132nd Air Refueling Squadron).
Fenway Park gates will open two hours before Sunday’s game (2:07 p.m.). Fans looking to attend Sunday’s game are encouraged to check redsox.com/tickets frequently as tickets from internal holds may be released leading up to game time.
For Game Four of the ALDS, scheduled for Monday, October 11, at Fenway Park, fan should be aware of several street closures and parking restrictions in the City of Boston and surrounding cities and towns due to the Boston Marathon. Fans attending Monday’s game are encouraged to review traffic and parking restrictions for Boston outlined on the city’s website.
Taking public transportation is encouraged for all Postseason games at Fenway Park. The latest service schedules can be found by visiting the MBTA’s website.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 9, 2021 11:36:45 GMT -5
Tanner Houck has the goods
Whatever role he ends up in, he’s going to thrive. By Matt_Collins@MattRyCollins Oct 9, 2021, 12:01pm EDT
On Friday night, after Chris Sale answered his team giving him a two-run lead by giving up five runs of his own including what seemed like a back-breaking grand slam, it was deflating. It was only a three-run game, and this team has proven they shouldn’t be counted out all year, but it really felt like the season was slipping out of our grips. And then the offense came back and made it a blowout. And all of that shouldn’t serve to hide the performance of Tanner Houck, who was the one who allowed the offense to have time in the first place to come back in that game.
While Kiké Hernández had a home run among his five hits to lead the way in a 20-hit, 14-run performance for the lineup, it was Houck that stood out as the star of the game. Coming in for the second inning, he ended up getting the team through the sixth, tossing five very strong outings (including retiring the first 11 batters he faced), allowing just a single run on a homer that barely cleared the fence. It’s still unclear at this point in his career just what Houck’s role is going to be in the long-term, but that’s sort of besides the point for the time being. Right now, especially after watching this outing but really after watching everything he’s done the last two years, it’s clear wherever he ends up, Houck has the goods to be great.
The stuff obviously is where it starts, and it just keeps improving. Even going back to when he was drafted, the stuff was never questioned with his fastball and slider. He’s spent his pro career bouncing between using his four-seam and sinker, but recently he’s found a place where he can use both. On Friday, he threw nine sinkers, seven of which induced swings, and five of which induced whiffs. And his slider was great again, as is typically the case, with one in particular looking like a video game. The right-handed Chris Sale comps seemed ridiculous to me at first just because, well, it’s Chris Sale, but it’s making more sense and appearing less hyperbolic the more time goes on. And, it goes without saying, we’re not talking about the Chris Sale we’ve seen more recently.
But the stuff is only part of why I’m so confident in Houck wherever he ends up, and why his future with this team only seems to be getting brighter and brighter. You need the stuff for a baseline, but when you add Houck’s poise, the ceiling gets harder. This is something I and many others have talked about since his debut, but it hasn’t gone away. He doesn’t seem at all affected by the bright lights.
When he first made his debut in the majors, he looked like he was just playing in a beer league with some buds, with no pressure at all. He started pitching in front of major-league crowds this year, and again was unfazed. And now with the pressure at its highest, he’s been nearly literally perfect. In a must-win game against Washington, he tossed five perfect innings. Then he retired all three batters he faced in the Wildcard Game, before doing what he did today. If there’s a scenario that will throw him off his game, we have yet to find it.
We said above that it’s not worth talking about his future role right now, and in the immediate term it is besides the point. But it is worth mentioning I’m more confident than ever he can indeed start. That’s not to say it’s close to a sure thing, to be clear, but his splitter has taken some real steps forward, especially in the last six weeks or so. He’s also working his two-seam in again, now in harmony with the four-seam, putting in view a legitimate four-pitch mix. Houck still needs to prove he can handle lineups two and three times through on a consistent basis, but it’s easier to see how he can do that now.
But for the time being, I’m left with the original thought I had up top: He’s going to be good wherever he lands. You hear it in sports a lot that sometimes you just know a guy is going to succeed, and it’s always oversimplistic. That’s true here, too, to be fair. It’s not just looking at him and knowing. It’s seeing the results and watching his stuff and seeing how hitters react to that slider. There are tangible things here to hang our collective hats on. But there’s also the intangible, specifically for Houck in his unending poise. When you combine the two things, well, the universe tends to sort the rest out.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 10, 2021 2:20:01 GMT -5
'I love it': Eovaldi set for crucial Game 3 start 1:29 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
BOSTON -- For what could be the biggest “swing game” in this American League Division Series, there’s no one the Red Sox would rather have on the mound that Nathan Eovaldi, their October-tested veteran right-hander.
It will be Eovaldi’s stage for Sunday afternoon’s Game 3 tilt against the Rays, with the winner just one victory away from advancing to the American League Championship Series.
"I love it," said Eovaldi. "It's my favorite time of the year."
Considering how the series started for the Red Sox, getting stifled, 5-0, in Game 1 and watching Chris Sale give up a grand slam to put his team in a 5-2 deficit in the first inning of Game 2, a split in Tampa with Eovaldi set for Game 3 leaves Boston in a good spot.
Earlier this week, it was Eovaldi who turned in a dominant effort (5 1/3 innings, one run, no walks, eight strikeouts) to help the Red Sox outlast the Yankees in the American League Wild Card Game.
Five days later, he'll pitch in a spot very familiar to him from past October experiences.
In the 2018 postseason, Eovaldi took the ball at Yankee Stadium in Game 3 of the ALDS and fired seven innings of one-run ball to break a 1-1 tie in that series. Boston clinched the next day.
Eight days later, pitching in Game 3 of the ALCS at Houston, Eovaldi worked his magic again, holding the potent Astros to two runs over six innings. Boston won that series in five games.
"Game 3 is huge," Eovaldi said. "If we win tomorrow, then we need one more and we're going to be at home. So being able to split the series over there in [St. Petersburg] and then having the opportunity to take it here again in Boston, it's huge for us."
Though Eovaldi obviously has a deep array in his arsenal with five pitches that he goes to regularly, what helps him in October is how much he relishes that spotlight.
In seven career postseason appearances, Eovaldi has a 1.63 ERA. Three of those games have been starts, and he’s won all of them, giving up four runs over 19 2/3 innings.
"I love pitching in these moments and against teams like the Rays. It's going to be a challenge. It's going to be fun," Eovaldi said.
What is it about October that helps Eovaldi take his game to another level?
"Everything," Eovaldi said. "I feel like you're definitely a little more locked in, you're more focused. The energy and the atmosphere, too. Being in the stadium, the fans are locked in from the first pitch on. To be able to battle in those games, it's a lot of fun. The energy throughout the dugout, everybody's locked in and contributing."
Rays manager Kevin Cash had Eovaldi in his rotation for 10 starts in 2018 as he was coming off Tommy John surgery. Eovaldi was moved to Boston that year at the Trade Deadline, but Cash saw enough of Eovaldi to know what kind of pitcher and competitor his team will be up against on Sunday.
"What a great person, great teammate -- all of that we experienced," said Cash. "I'm sure the Red Sox have experienced the last three or four years now, as well. Look, he's a power pitcher. I think he's evolved here over the last couple seasons being able to use the cutter, the curveball, the split a little bit more."
Cash has perhaps seen a little too much of Eovaldi for his liking of late. In 2021, Eovaldi made four starts against Tampa Bay, allowing one earned run or fewer in three of them. The Rays did get to him on July 31, tagging him for five earned runs over 5 1/3 innings.
By this point, that experience has helped Eovaldi develop a plan in terms of what he needs to do to be successful against the Rays.
"I don't want to tip my hand too much. I've got a pretty good plan of attack. I feel like the first two games [of this series] they've come out swinging, definitely," Eovaldi said. "They kind of set the tone right away. Again, once they get on the basepaths, they're aggressive. They're going to try to take advantage of everything, any little mishaps. Obviously, we have to control the running game really well against these guys. Get the latest from the Red Sox
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"But just keep attacking them. Try not to let them have any predictable counts where they're going to be in control and keep them out of the game as much as possible."
In what has become Eovaldi’s time of year, he will try to come up big once again for the Red Sox in Game 3, which could put the 100-win Rays on the brink of elimination.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 10, 2021 2:21:38 GMT -5
Yellow jerseys for Marathon Monday and G4? 1:29 AM ADT Molly Burkhardt
Molly Burkhardt @mollyburkhardt
BOSTON -- Every year on the third Monday of April, people around Boston come together to celebrate Patriots’ Day. The holiday is commemorated with the running of the Boston Marathon and a rare weekday morning baseball game at Fenway Park.
Though it takes place during the first few weeks of the regular season, “Marathon Monday” has always had the feel and energy of a playoff atmosphere. And this year, it will have the weight of that atmosphere behind it.
With the Boston Marathon rescheduled from April to Monday due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the Red Sox forcing a Game 4 of the American League Division Series against the Rays, the holiday will be commemorated with the marathon and a postseason baseball game.
"It's a special day for everybody here, I know that," manager Alex Cora said. "It's such a special day. I know it's different, of course, but things happen for a reason, right? If it's special early in the year, I think Monday with us playing in a playoff game and obviously what's going on during the day, I can't even imagine the feelings of the people here."
Though the marathon was pushed to October, the Red Sox still honored Patriots’ Day this season by wearing specially designed jerseys over the holiday weekend. In a series vs. the White Sox, Boston donned blue and yellow “City Connect” jerseys, designed by Nike as part of a collaboration to capture the personality of a team’s hometown. The Red Sox were one of seven clubs (joining the D-backs, Cubs, White Sox, Dodgers, Marlins and Giants) to wear the custom jerseys this season, with Nike planning to have one for each team by 2023.
The jerseys represent a particularly strong sense of community for the Red Sox, who along with the city adopted the “Boston Strong” motto after the 2013 marathon bombing that killed three people and injured hundreds of others. The sentiment behind the motto is something that’s quickly picked up by players upon joining the team, regardless of where they were in ‘13.
“I think when you come here, even someone like myself coming from New York, you just feel it in the city and the way people talk about what happened that day and how everyone just comes together,” said Red Sox communications manager Bryan Loor-Almonte, who also helped design the jerseys. “And that’s something that we wanted to do with this uniform, to unite communities. This is something that for us did the job. And I think that’s what it really comes to, the guys understand the meaning behind it and that’s why I think they embrace it as much as they do.”
The design marked a drastic shift in the classic colors of red, white and navy blue usually found in Boston’s clubhouse. The jerseys also put a twist on the club’s unmistakable font, with the “Boston” stencil on the front matching the font of the Marathon’s finish line on Boylston Street.
“Oh the guys loved it, I mean it was different,” Almonte said of the reaction within the clubhouse to the jerseys. “Because sometimes with baseball we get stuck in the whole tradition and, ‘We can’t change this and we can’t change that.' But we can still honor tradition and deviate a little from it, without completely doing something crazy.”
Though some fans disapproved of the jerseys at their initial unveiling, there was a shift in support after the Red Sox went 7-1 in the yellow and blue with two crucial wins over the Mariners and series wins against the Orioles and Mets. After winning seven straight, Boston lost to the Yankees, 8-3, on Sept. 24, ending its win streak and -- at least temporarily -- ending the jersey streak.
“I think in baseball, whenever you’re riding hot with any jersey, regardless of the color, I think every team just always wears them,” Almonte said. “I know the plan was to wear it during the Orioles series and the fact that we were stringing off those wins, and then they were like, ‘Let’s just keep wearing them throughout.' I think that it was a really special moment. Especially seeing how the community reacted to them and how everyone really embraced it. I think that really tells a story, and that’s what we wanted.” Get the latest from the Red Sox
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Was one loss enough to taint the jersey superstition? Or will the Red Sox once again don the yellow and blue when they take the field on Monday night following the marathon?
“I don't know. We'll see,” Cora said. “It really doesn't matter. Whatever we wear that day, it's going to be a special day anyway, and we know what it means for everybody here. So we'll go out there and play the right way, and hopefully we'll make it more special.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 10, 2021 2:23:43 GMT -5
Notes: Pivetta likely for G4; Brasier; Richards 1:29 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
BOSTON -- While Red Sox manager Alex Cora doesn’t like to go much beyond the next game when he plots pitching plans during the postseason, he did hint which direction he will go in for Game 4 of the AL Division Series on Monday.
“We'll do our thing [Sunday in Game 3] and then go from there. Most likely it's going to be Nick [Pivetta],” said Cora, when asked about a Game 4 starter. “We'll see. We have to make sure we win tomorrow, and if we have to use certain guys tomorrow, we'll do it. We've got capable guys to pitch Game 4 too.”
If Pivetta is needed in relief to win Game 3, Eduardo Rodriguez and Chris Sale are both on the table as potential Game 4 starters. It would be a chance at redemption for both lefties.
Rodriguez got just five outs in Boston’s 5-0 loss in Game 1, throwing 41 pitches.
Sale was pulled after just three outs and 30 pitches after serving up a grand slam in the first inning of Game 2. The Red Sox, backed by a barrage of offense, came back to win that game.
It’s conceivable Rodriguez could be used in relief over the next couple of days. However, Cora ruled out that possibility for Sale, given that he’s made just 10 starts since returning from Tommy John surgery on Aug. 14.
The Red Sox are searching for ways to help Sale regain his groove. In his first seven starts, the left-hander had a 2.57 ERA while logging 35 innings. The last three starts haven’t been pretty, with Sale logging just 8 2/3 innings and giving up 12 hits and 10 runs.
How do the Sox get their most accomplished pitcher back on track?
“Keep working. We've got to work. There's a lot of people looking at video from now and a few years ago and all of that,” said Cora. “He's the first one to admit it -- he needs to be better, and he's working at it. We'll get him right, and he'll be ready for whenever we need him.”
Brasier’s payoff for a long year This year started off as the toughest season of Ryan Brasier’s life for personal and professional reasons. He lost his father David in February.
When the righty reported to Spring Training, he was recovering from a broken right pinky finger sustained in an offseason workout. And once he recovered from that, Brasier sprained his left calf late in Spring Training. When he was just about ready to rejoin the Red Sox in June, Brasier was pelted by a line drive to the face in a simulated game and got a concussion.
But Brasier finally made it back to the mound for Boston on Sept. 3, and he has become one of Cora’s most important relievers down the stretch.
After getting optioned to Triple-A Worcester on Sept. 17, Brasier returned six days later and hasn’t allowed a run in 10 appearances (including two in the playoffs) since he was called back up. Brasier on Red Sox's bullpen
“With Brasier, I do believe him getting sent down kind of lit a fire under him,” said Cora. “He came back to prove to us that we made the wrong decision, and I'm glad that it's going this way.”
For Brasier, there was some emotion involved in striking out the side in Game 2. Tropicana Field was the last place his father watched him pitch in person.
“My mom was there yesterday, and my whole family was there. Definitely thinking about him yesterday -- not so much while I was pitching, but before and after for sure,” said Brasier.
What happened to Richards? Righty Garrett Richards looked healthy when he threw three pitches to retire the only batter he faced in Game 1.
But shortly before Game 2 was scheduled to start, the lanky righty was taken off the Division Series roster with a left hamstring strain. Per MLB rules, he’s not eligible to pitch again until the World Series, should the Red Sox advance that far.
“Richards, he pulled his left hammy running, doing his work, conditioning,” said Cora. “That happened during batting practice or before that [on Friday], whenever they were throwing, so we had to make a decision. He wasn't going to be ready for tomorrow or the next day. It was going to take a while. It's hard because you lose him for the next round if we get there.”
Matt Barnes, Boston’s longest-tenured reliever, replaced Richards on the roster. But his late-season struggles continued when he needed 33 pitches to throw a scoreless ninth inning in Boston’s 14-6 win in Game 2.
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“With Barnes, I think mechanically, he's a little bit off,” said Cora. “He's pulling his fastball. The breaking ball still plays. He got the lefties out, which is something that we took into consideration when we decided to add him, because he's one of those guys that he's a neutral split and he can get the righties out. So that's why we added him.”
In preparation for a potential next round, righty Hirokazu Sawamura and lefty Darwinzon Hernandez both threw live batting practice at Fenway Park on Saturday. Teams can reset their rosters for each round of the postseason.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 10, 2021 2:35:26 GMT -5
Alex Cora refused to let the Red Sox get down, and it was evident in the first inning of Game 2 By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated October 9, 2021, 8:22 p.m.
The Red Sox were feeling good about themselves when they scored two runs in the top of the first inning in Game 2 of their Division Series against Tampa Bay on Friday night.
Then — and there’s no polite way to put this — the Rays punched Chris Sale in the mouth.
Five of their first six batters reached base in the bottom of the inning, the rally capped when an itinerant platoon player named Jordan Luplow turned a neck-high fastball into a grand slam. Related: Red Sox continue to deal with conundrum regarding a frustrated Chris Sale
Tropicana Field, a warehouse masquerading as a ballpark, was so loud the noise felt like waves hitting the beach as it bounced off the cement walls. Sale walked slowly off the mound, appearing shocked.
It was then, right exactly then, that best explains why Sox fans should be thankful Chaim Bloom decided to bring Alex Cora back as manager.
Cora got Tanner Houck up in the bullpen and took Sale out after one inning. Managers are always cognizant about not bruising the egos of accomplished veterans, but Postseason Cora is cold-blooded.
In 2018, Cora nailed certain Hall of Famer Craig Kimbrel to the bench and had Sale close out the World Series. This time it was Sale who had to take a step back for Houck whether he liked it or not.
At the same time, Cora walked the length of the dugout loudly reminding his players that there were eight innings still to play. Don’t panic, just keep playing and trust each other.
The response was a 14-6 victory that put the Sox two victories away from the ALCS with the next two games at Fenway Park.
“His leadership, I think, says it all,” Game 3 starter Nate Eovaldi said on Saturday. “Any time we start to — whether we’re losing focus or we’re kind of falling off —he rights the ship, gets us back online, gets us back on track.”
Going back to 2018, the Sox are 4-0 following a playoff loss under Cora with three of those victories on the road. The common denominator is his ability to keep the players moving in the same direction as doubt tries to find a way in.
“Huge,” said Ryan Brasier, a ring-holder from ‘18 who struck out the side in the seventh inning on Friday. “Not just AC, but the whole staff.
“We’ve got guys playing positions they may not be playing on other teams or in other years. AC has that something about him that he always finds a way to put guys in the right spots to succeed.”
Bloom was empowered by ownership to pick his own manager a year ago after Ron Roenicke was fired. Bloom had concerns about Cora, who was let go before the 2020 season after his prominent role in Houston’s sign-stealing scandal was revealed.
Whether it was Sam Fuld, Don Kelly, Carlos Mendoza or James Rowson, Bloom could have picked a partner in rebuilding the Sox and made a clean break from the past.
That Bloom had the confidence in himself to bring back Cora put the Sox on this path.
Cora, while bruised from his suspension, had the credibility in the clubhouse to guide the Sox through the August COVID-19 outbreak that nearly derailed the season.
For Eovaldi, that period felt like a family coming together at a time of crisis.
“That’s what our motto has been from the very beginning. We’re a family inside the clubhouse,” he said. “We all have to be together. We’re not going to get through this if we’re not all on the same page.
“Everybody bought in early, and I think that helped us get to this point.”
The Sox were losing players almost daily as positive tests mounted. But Cora wrung enough victories out of a roster loaded with rookies and waiver claims to keep the team positioned to still make the playoffs.
Cora also knew how to work the bullpen to compensate for a rotation that had only three reliable choices — Eovaldi, Nick Pivetta and Eduardo Rodriguez — for the bulk of the season.
The Sox were able to out-hit most of their problems thanks to Bloom adding Hunter Renfroe, Kiké Hernández, and Kyle Schwarber over the last 10 months.
Bloom also improved a worn-out bullpen by trading for Hansel Robles, who remarkably is riding a streak of 16 appearances without giving up a run.
As Cora acknowledged last week, there are times it looks ugly. The Sox can be a wreck defensively — although that has improved in recent weeks — and make some foolish mistakes running the bases.
The 2018 Sox were elegant. This bunch is flawed and occasionally frustrating.
But they’re also one of eight teams still standing because of a manager who didn’t let them get knocked down.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 10, 2021 2:37:14 GMT -5
Red Sox continue to deal with conundrum regarding a frustrated Chris Sale By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated October 9, 2021, 7:52 p.m.
Against the backdrop of Red Sox optimism that formed after a Game 2 win in the American League Division Series, a cloud hovered: What has happened to Chris Sale?
Sale inherited a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning against the Rays and promptly laid a historic egg. The lefthander allowed five runs before being pulled in favor of Tanner Houck for the second. He thus became the 22nd pitcher ever to last just one postseason inning and allow at least five runs.
Amazingly, the Sox withstood that faltering start in a 14-6 win — thus improving the record of teams in such outings to 2-20. But the Sox face unanswered questions about what’s wrong with Sale and what role he might fulfill moving forward this postseason.
Sale came to the optional off-day workout at Fenway Park on Saturday in hopes of forging answers. He worked in the bullpen — a rare undertaking for a pitcher the day after his start — to see if he could start to iron out flaws in his delivery.
“Chris is frustrated. He feels like he’s letting us down and letting himself down and not pitching the way he wants to. He’s determined to get figure it out,” said pitching coach Dave Bush. “He wants to be better. He holds himself to a very high standard. This is hard for him to handle.”
After nearly 17 months of rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, Sale returned to the Red Sox rotation in mid-August. Related: Red Sox notebook: Teetering rotation will need more greatness from Nate Eovaldi in Game 3
Pitchers returning from the procedure and lengthy process to make it back endure nearly unavoidable peaks and valleys. Their arm strength is great in some starts and terrible in others. Their command goes from pinpoint to scattershot. Arsenals change across outings in a way that can be alarming, but that falls well within the standard course of recovery.
Sale, who declined to speak while returning to the clubhouse from his bullpen session on Saturday, withstood inconsistency in both his mechanics and stuff through August and most of September, performing well enough to help propel the Sox towards the playoffs. He didn’t allow more than two earned runs in any of his first seven starts back, and the Sox went 6-1 when he pitched at least five innings.
He was building on that performance in the last week of the regular season in Baltimore, having logged five scoreless frames against the Orioles. At that point, in 40 innings, he had a 2.25 ERA with 46 strikeouts and nine walks.
Back on the mound in the sixth, he left a changeup over the plate that was smashed for a three-run homer in a deflating 4-2 loss. He returned to start Game 162 for the Sox and looked lost — his changeup serving as a hit-me pitch, his fastball command coming and going. With the season on the line, manager Alex Cora felt compelled to pull him after 2⅓ innings.
Then came Game 2 of the ALDS, which was even worse. Sale didn’t try to throw his changeup, and the Rays were swinging from their heels against a mid-90s fastball, Jordan Luplow crushing one that was several inches above the strike zone for a grand slam. After allowing 10 earned runs in those first 40 innings, he’s yielded 10 in his last 3⅔ at the most critical time of the year.
“Part of it is certainly just the ups and downs that come with Tommy John recovery,” said Bush. “We’re asking a lot from him, not only to come back, but we’re asking him to pitch in the playoffs now. They’re some higher stress environments. Some days, he responds and feels really good. He did for the most part. He’s had a couple times now when he hasn’t.
“I think a big part of it is just the unfortunate physical ups and downs that happen during Tommy John recovery, where sometimes you just don’t feel very good. And on this stage, it’s a lot more noticeable than it would be at other times.”
So how do the Sox proceed with a pitcher who as recently as two weeks ago represented a source of consistency but who now has seen a performance plummet?
“Keep working. We’ve got to work,” said Cora, who said the Sox would explore not only Sale’s mechanics, but also whether he was tipping pitches (a concern raised by Luplow’s homer on a pitch well above the zone). “We’re going to look at everything. Hopefully we can figure it out before he takes the mound again, and he’ll be the guy we always envisioned.”
Can the Sox afford that leap of faith?
Cora said the team hasn’t yet decided on a Game 4 starter. While Nick Pivetta is a strong candidate, assuming he’s not needed out of the bullpen in Sunday’s Game 3, so are Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez.
Cora said Sale wouldn’t be considered as a bullpen option “for health reasons.” Would the team be comfortable with him starting Game 4 or Game 5 against the Rays without seeing him on the mound?
The Sox do have alternatives, of course, with Tanner Houck representing an obvious one after five dominant innings of relief behind Sale on Friday. He’d be on four days of rest in a potential Game 5, should the series get that far.
“He’s been outstanding,” said Bush. “He’s peaking at a time right now when we really need him. He’s pitching really well for us.”
Can the Sox bet on Sale to do the same? It is a question they hope they have an opportunity to answer.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 10, 2021 2:39:20 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Teetering Red Sox rotation will need more greatness from Nate Eovaldi By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated October 9, 2021, 7:22 p.m.
The Game 3 matchup against the Rays on Sunday is perhaps a must-win for the Red Sox, considering all the unknown that follows.
Manager Alex Cora said Saturday afternoon that Nick Pivetta would likely start Game 4, but that could change. Eduardo Rodriguez would also be available to start. Maybe Chris Sale, too.
“We’ll see how it goes [Sunday], and then we decide what we do in Game 4,” Cora said.
This is the nature of the postseason, the nature Cora has embraced as manager. Much of it requires thinking on the fly. Yet it’s also a result of the starters lasting just 2⅔ innings in the first two games of the American League Division Series.
What is certain is the series has shifted back to Fenway, and the Red Sox are guaranteed two games after a split in St. Petersburg.
They will have Nate Eovaldi on the mound Sunday, a key piece to their success this season. Eovaldi carried that into the postseason, silencing the Yankees in the Wild Card Game for 5⅓ innings. He yielded just a run while striking out eight, putting his postseason ERA at 1.63 in 27⅔ innings of work.
With all the moving parts, the Sox will need Eovaldi to steady the course again.
“I love it. It’s my favorite time of the year,” Eovaldi said. “For us to be in this situation, we’ve had to fight and battle the whole time to be able to get here . . . We’ve had a lot of guys step up to be able to help us out, and I want to be able to continue that and help the team any way I can.
“I love pitching in these moments and against teams like the Rays. It’s going to be a challenge. It’s going to be fun.”
Eovaldi pitched well against the Rays this season, with a 2.39 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 26⅓ innings. His former manager, Kevin Cash, isn’t surprised.
“I’m happy for Nate,” the Rays manager said. “Look, he’s a power pitcher. I think he’s evolved here over the last couple seasons, being able to use the cutter, the curveball, the split a little bit more. He’s learned about himself. The adjustments he makes from start to start.” No relief for Chris Sale
Cora said Sale would not be an option out of the bullpen despite his underwhelming performance in Game 2. The Rays battered Sale for five runs Friday, including a Jordan Luplow grand slam.
Sale lasted just an inning and struggled — as he did all season — to get out righthanders. Five of the seven he faced reached base.
“Keep working. We’ve got to work. There’s a lot of people looking at videos, from now and a few years ago and all of that,” Cora said. “He’s the first one to admit it, he needs to be better, and he’s working at it. We’ll get him right, and he’ll be ready for whenever we need him.” Lineup sticking with its 6-pack
Cora said that J.D. Martinez, who had a bad ankle coming into Game 2, felt good after going 4 for 5 with a homer and three RBIs from the No. 6 hole.
“He hit sixth out of necessity, because I didn’t want to hit him in the middle of the lineup and then take him out because he got hurt or he wasn’t able to continue,” Cora said. “I loved it. I thought about it this morning, and I’m like, that’s pretty good right there. That’s good balance, a bunch of athletes in front of him, guys that they’re getting on base at a high rate, including Alex [Verdugo], who’s been amazing against righties throughout the season.”
When a righthander is on the mound, Cora said he will keep the top six of the lineup as it was Friday: Kyle Schwarber, Kiké Hernández, Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts, Verdugo, and Martinez. Programming note
Reminder: Game 3 begins at 4:07 p.m. Sunday and will air exclusively on MLB Network. Fortunately, it shouldn’t be difficult to find: MLB Network is offering a free preview through Oct. 15 on several distributors. Those include Comcast (Xfinity), Altice (Optimum), Cox Communications, DirecTV, Dish Network, Dish Sling, RCN, and Verizon Fios. Check the listings on your subscribed service. YouTube TV, fuboTV, DirecTV stream, and Dish Sling TV all carry MLB Network, which has aired exclusive Division Series games for 10 years. The last one involving the Red Sox was Game 1 against the Astros in 2017 . . . In five appearances, three starts, Drew Rasmussen has a 2.30 ERA against the Red Sox this season. “There are no surprises. There are no secrets on either end. So it comes down to execution,” Tampa’s Game 3 starter said. “I’d be shocked if their game plan against me or my game plan against them changes a whole lot from what we’ve done over the past couple of outings. So it’s going to be a dogfight [Sunday]. We already know that. It’s a quality team, and at the end of the day, it just comes down to executing.” Rasmussen averages 97.1 miles per hour on his four-seam fastball. He throws his heater in conjunction with a changeup, slider, and curveball. Opponents hit .221 against his four-seamer, and .159 against his slider . . . Gates at Fenway will open at 2:07 p.m., with the pregame ceremony at 3:40 p.m. Both teams will be introduced, and the national anthem performed by postseason regular Michelle Brooks-Thompson of Springfield. There will be a flyover by a KC-135 Stratotanker from the Maine National Guard’s 101st Air Refueling Wing flown by the 132nd Air Refueling Squadron . . . The Red Sox might wear their City Connect yellow and blue jerseys Monday in honor of the Boston Marathon. “Whatever we wear that day, it’s going to be a special day anyways, and we know what it means for everybody here,” Cora said.
Chad Finn and Peter Abraham of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 10, 2021 2:48:14 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 10h Cora says Sox are undecided on Game 4 starter. ‘Most likely Nick (PIvetta), but we’ll see.’ He notes that Rodriguez and Sale could also be available.
Cora: ‘As a group, I think we’re clicking at the right time bullpen-wise.’
Cora said he liked having JD Martinez hitting sixth, behind Verdugo. ‘We’ll keep it like that. Against righties, that will be our alignment.’
Cora says Garrett Richards pulled his hamstring while doing running as part of his conditioning.
Cora on Sale: ‘Keep working.’ He says Sox won’t consider him as a reliever ‘for health reasons.’
Cora says ‘there’s a lot of work…from mechanics to tipping - we’ll look at everything’ with Sale.
Cora said Houck will be in the bullpen tomorrow. Wouldn’t say if he’d be a consideration as a starter later in the series.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 10, 2021 2:50:56 GMT -5
J.D. Martinez, Rafael Devers fighting through injuries to carry Red Sox offense
By Jason Mastrodonato | jason.mastrodonato@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald PUBLISHED: October 9, 2021 at 5:21 p.m. | UPDATED: October 9, 2021 at 5:37 p.m.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — J.D. Martinez was walking gingerly on his sprained ankle before Friday’s game.
Rafael Devers couldn’t stop himself on his follow-through in the early innings as his right arm, which appears to be injured, but has been vaguely discussed as “not 100%” by manager Alex Cora. Whenever he swings and misses, his body flings around in a full circle. He often drops the bat, shakes out his arm, then collects himself and takes his time getting back into the box.
The two of them looked quite hampered, hurting and hardly themselves.
Without them, the entire lineup would look different. With them, the Sox offense looked relentless once again.
Martinez and Devers combined to go 5-for-9 with two home runs, five RBIs and a pair of walks to power the Red Sox offense in a 14-6 victory over the Rays in Game 2 of the American League Division Series at Tropicana Field on Friday night.
Martinez and Cora were quick to credit the medical staff for getting Martinez ready to play on an ankle he could barely walk on a day earlier.
“Thursday I didn’t feel it,” Martinez said. “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.’ So he is, like, ‘all right, all right. Pinch-hit later on in the game for a Judy hit.’ I said, ‘there you go.’
“Friday in BP it felt a lot better. I was able to swing and actually get into my front foot. So I told him, ‘let’s do it.’”
It might not be the “bloody sock,” but watching Martinez hammer a hanging slider over the center-field fence while leaning back on his one good ankle was certainly inspiring to the guys around him on Friday night.
“We didn’t have a good night Thursday night, and with our lineup, it’s just kind of a matter of time,” Kiké Hernandez said. “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. Not enough can be said about what J.D. did.”
It wasn’t until an hour before gametime that Martinez walked off the field and told a few reporters he thought he was going to play. But to hedge the Red Sox’ bets, he told Cora to hit somebody else behind Devers in order to give him some protection in case Martinez had to leave the game early.
“I don’t want to be in a spot where if I come out of the game we leave Devers out to dry,” he said. “So he was aware of that, and I told him that, and that’s why he kind of chose to put me behind (Alex) Verdugo today just in case.”
Verdugo protected Devers with a three-hit game, and Martinez protected Verdugo with a four-hit game behind him.
“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.”
Devers appeared to be frustrated with himself after a first-inning strikeout in which he swung wildly and missed at one pitch, doing a complete 360-degree turn in the process as his bat came around and hit himself in the back.
Two pitches later, he gingerly swung at a pitch outside the zone using just his arms. It was an ugly strikeout, and not one we’re used to seeing from the Sox’ most productive hitter this year.
His next time up, he swung wildly again and missed at a fastball above the zone. It looked painful.
Two pitches later, he hammered one to the center-field warning track that was caught by Kevin Kiermaier up against the wall in spectacular fashion.
He walked his next two times up, then got a low changeup in the eighth inning and blasted it over the wall for a two-run shot.
It was a remarkable display of hitting from a pair of playoff-experienced players on the big stage, injuries or not.
“The hitters, they just didn’t stop,” Verdugo said. “They were relentless.”
The Sox were blanked and Thursday, got nothing from their starting pitchers and are still returning to Fenway Park on Sunday with a 1-1 tie and home-field advantage in the final three games.
“Obviously, being down 0-2 in a five-game series would be tough,” Verdugo said. “We know the odds wouldn’t be good. I think realistically we wanted to come in here and split it. We wanted to win one. Obviously, we want to win both of them, but you give them the benefit of the doubt. This is their home park, all that.
“I’m very excited. I think we’re all happy, man. Riding high right now. Just we did our job. We came out here, overcame a deficit again. You know, our bats came up. Our pitchers came up big, and now we’re going back to Fenway in our element with our crowd and just our home ballpark.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 10, 2021 2:52:07 GMT -5
Red Sox Notebook: Chris Sale staying in the rotation, but Nick Pivetta likely for Game 4
By Jason Mastrodonato | jason.mastrodonato@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald PUBLISHED: October 9, 2021 at 6:58 p.m. | UPDATED: October 9, 2021 at 8:25 p.m.
Chris Sale has hardly pitched at all these last two weeks.
At the most meaningful point in the season, Sale has put up three consecutive stinkers against the Orioles, Nationals and Rays, throwing just 8 2/3 innings total while allowing 10 runs.
Because his pitch count has been so low, with just 62 pitches last Sunday and 30 pitches on Friday, there was some thought that the Red Sox could fire him up as a high-octane reliever for one of these games at Fenway Park.
But manager Alex Cora put the kibosh on that Saturday, when he said because of Sale’s injury history, the Sox wouldn’t use him out of relief this postseason. He’s a candidate to start a potential Game 5 in Tampa Bay on Wednesday, if the series lasts that far.
Nick Pivetta is likely to take the ball in Game 4 on Monday, though he’ll also be available out of relief on Sunday. He’d probably only have an inning in him after throwing 73 pitches out of relief in Game 1 on Thursday night, so it likely makes more sense to hold him for a Game 4 start on three days of rest.
Cora said that Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez are also candidates to start Game 4.
Tanner Houck, who threw 61 pitches Friday, will be in the bullpen for both games at home. Eovaldi making history
Nathan Eovaldi will take the ball in Game 3 on Saturday for the 4:07 p.m. start on MLB Network. His 1.63 ERA in 27 2/3 innings in the postseason is the 16th-best mark of any pitcher with at least 25 playoff innings in the last 75 years.
“I love it,” he said. “It’s my favorite time of the year. Game 3’s huge. If we win tomorrow, then we need one more and we’re going to be at home. So having split the series over there in Tampa 1-1 and then having the opportunity to take it here again in Boston, it’s huge for us.”
Rays manager Kevin Cash got to know Eovaldi when he pitched for Tampa Bay before the Rays traded him to Boston in 2018.
“Happy for Nate,” Cash said. “What a great person, great teammate, all of that we experienced. I’m sure the Red Sox have experienced the last three or four years now as well.
“Look, he’s a power pitcher. I think he’s evolved here over the last couple seasons being able to use the cutter, the curveball, the split a little bit more. He’s learned about himself, but the adjustments that he makes from start to start, it was talked about from the adjustments he made from the Yankee game during the regular season to the Wild-Card game. I would anticipate that he’s going to have his own adjustments that he is going to want to use against us.”
Eovaldi has faced the Rays four times this year and held them to a .160 average and .537 OPS while posting a 2.39 ERA. The Red Sox are 3-1 when Eovaldi starts against them. X factor
Asked about Xander Bogaerts on Saturday, Cash joked, “I’m tired of seeing him.”
Bogaerts is 5-for-9 with a homer and two RBI in the series so far and torched the Rays with a .429 average and 1.109 OPS in 58 plate appearances against them this year.
“He’s very talented, just a special player, superstar,” Cash said. “You look at the Red Sox teams from the past, and there are many names. I think Xander kind of blended with — he was a young guy, and now he’s taken over.
“You know where he’s hitting in the lineup. He never seems to get out of the moment. He stays in it so well. Just a really, really good player.”
Eovaldi called Bogaerts “our top leader in the clubhouse. He communicates with everybody.” Unexpected relief
One of the surprises over the last month for the Red Sox has been Ryan Brasier, who didn’t make his season debut until Sept. 3 but has quickly become Cora’s first choice out of relief.
He threw a perfect inning Friday, striking out all three batters he faced.
“Honestly, man, it’s super gratifying,” Brasier said. “Working hard to get through the calf thing and then taking the line drive and adding another couple months to the rehab and trying to get back to normal, and then kind of struggling a little bit when I first got back to finding it, now back to where we planned on being before I got hurt in Spring Training. That’s pitching in big games in the playoffs.”
Hansel Robles, acquired from the Twins at the trade deadline, has also skyrocketed into the high-leverage spots out of the bullpen. He hasn’t allowed a run since Aug. 28, throwing 15 2/3 scoreless innings with 20 strikeouts in that span.
“Both have been amazing,” Cora said. “They made some adjustments throughout the season. I think Hansel had thrown more strikes, and he settled down. His stuff has always been great. It’s just a matter of throwing more strikes and then use certain pitches in certain situations.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 10, 2021 2:58:27 GMT -5
Red Sox Nation Stats @rsnstats · 7h Earlier today #RedSox Manager Alex Cora said the plan for Monday's Game 4 is still undecided. "We'll do our thing tomorrow, then we'll go from there. Most likely," Cora said, "it's going to be Nick [Pivetta]."
#RedSox Manager Cora on relievers Ryan Brasier and Hansel Robles: "Both have been amazing. They made some adjustments throughout the season…[Robles] stuff has always been great." On Brasier: "I do believe him getting sent down for one day lit a fire for him."
#RedSox Manager Cora on J.D. Martinez batting 6th last night: "I thought about it this morning…it's good balance, a bunch of athletes in front on him, guys that are getting on base at a high rate…We’ll keep it like that against righties, that’s going to be our alignment."
#RedSox Manager Cora on last night's outing for Matt Barnes: "I think mechanically, he's a little bit off. He's pulling his fastball. The breaking ball still plays…It was OK. He got 3 outs. I know he didn't feel great about it, but at the end it's to get 27 and move forward."
#RedSox Manager Cora on Chris Sale: "There's a lot of people looking at video from now and a few years ago…He's the first one to admit it, he needs to be better and he's working at it. We'll get him right and he'll be ready for whenever we need him."
#RedSox Manager Cora on playing on Marathon Monday: "It's a special day for everybody here…Things happen for a reason. If it's special early in the year, I think Monday, with us playing in a playoff game…it's going to be a fun weekend."
#RedSox Manager Cora on Xander Bogaerts: "He was chasing a lot of pitches in Baltimore and in Washington and right away the at-bats changed and he started controlling the strike zone. And when you do that, you do damage…He's in a good place right now."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 10, 2021 2:59:27 GMT -5
Red Sox Nation Stats @rsnstats · 7h #RedSox Ryan Brasier earlier today: "When you're going through your rehab you don't really think about it. You think your just going to come out of it and be the same as you were before you got hurt…Finally, some stuff clicked and I could feel it physically."
#RedSox Brasier on #Rays: "They hit weak ground balls and they bust their buts to first base every single time. They play super hard. Their whole team, you feel like they never let up on a pitch…They're aggressive but at the same time they're going to make you be in the zone."
#RedSox Brasier on Manager Alex Cora: "Something about him that he always a way to put guys in the right spot to succeed."
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