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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 13, 2021 13:15:44 GMT -5
Lance McCullers injury: Astros ace status uncertain for ALCS vs. Red Sox ‘We’ll see how I feel moving forward’ Updated: 12:06 p.m. | Published: 11:55 a.m.
By Matt Vautour | mvautour@masslive.com
When Lance McCullers left the Astros’ series-clinching Game 4 win over the White Sox after four innings Tuesday, the television broadcasters wondered if Dusty Baker, with a four-run lead, might be trying to preserve McCullers for an earlier start in the ALCS.
The Astros manager was asked in his postgame press conference whether McCullers might be available for Game 2 against the Red Sox. Instead, there’s a question of whether he’ll be available at all.
“We don’t know. I didn’t pull him. You know, we had to pull him because he felt some discomfort in his forearm. And at that point in time, you know, we certainly got to take care of him,” Baker said. “We can’t take any chances of injury, and I only pulled him because he was hurt.
“That was disheartening news to me when the trainer came over and said that we got to take him out of the game,” Baker continued. “Lance is a warrior, and for him to come out of a game of that magnitude, you know, it had to be -- it had to be something, and we tried to stop it before it got serious, and he is being evaluated now.”
Red Sox vs. Astros ALCS tickets: Prices, where to buy seats for MLB playoffs 2021
The ALCS begins Friday at 8 p.m. at Minute Maid Park.
McCullers started Game 1 and the Monday rainout allowed him to start Game 4 for the Astros on normal rest. He was 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP and 185 strikeouts in 162.1 innings during the regular season. He didn’t face the Red Sox this year.
“I just started getting tight at the beginning of the (fourth) inning,” McCullers said. “I got out of it. I was fine, but in a 5-1 ballgame especially, 5-1, especially with how they came back on us a few nights ago, I felt like we had the off-day yesterday. So our guys were pretty rested up. And I just told them, listen, I’m not 100%. I pitched the whole fourth inning like that. I could probably do it, but I don’t think it would be the best idea, and so they went to the pen and did a masterful job.”
McCullers was non-committal about the ALCS.
“We’ll see how I feel moving forward,” he said.
McCullers, who had Tommy John surgery in 2018, said no tests had been scheduled yet. He intimated that that Game 3 (Monday at Fenway Park) was the soonest he could pitch even if his arm feels better.
“I don’t think it has anything to do with my ligament, so, yeah, we’ll have to just wait and see how I feel tomorrow and if we’re going to get any imaging done, things like that,” he said. “I mean, I wouldn’t pitch for at least five days. And there’s probably an off day mixed in there, so six days, so we’ll have to wait and see.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 13, 2021 14:04:48 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 5m #RedSox getting in a workout today before heading to Houston tomorrow.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 13, 2021 14:55:09 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 19m Alex Cora taking questions. Would not say who’s starting Game 1.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 13, 2021 14:57:44 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 25m Cora on Astros: ‘It’s a great team, complete team.’
Cora says Sox haven’t decided on starters for first two games
Cora on decreased strikeout rate in first five playoff games: ‘Teams transform’ in October ‘with a team approach.’
Cora on Sale’s role in the series: ‘He’ll pitch. … He’ll play an important part in this series.’
Cora: ‘The last three games here, for whatever reason, it’s getting louder and louder. … Everybody is having a blast. … It’s loud. It’s fun. It’s the way it should be.’
Cora says Sale was going to come into G4 of the ALDS if the Sox had the lead. Cora was told Sale ‘found it in the bullpen, with Improved balance and direction to the plate. ‘He feels god where he’s at. He’s going to pitch meaningful innings.’
Cora: ‘I woke up today and was like, we’re four game from the World Series. … We’ve got something special going on here. … I feel like we have a chance to win the World Series.’
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 13, 2021 15:00:30 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 26m Cora on the offense -- 'Over 162 games, it's a lot different. The mentality of the players, there's a lot of stuff that goes on over a particular series.'
'When October comes it's not about getting 30 or 40 (home runs). It's about winning games.' #RedSox
Cora on the #ALDS -- 'What Nick did in Game 1 was huge for us. Obviously Eddie didn't have it, but the way we managed the game as a group was more about what we had in the bullpen.'
'To get deep into the game with only three pitchers set up the whole series.' #RedSox
Cora -- 'There are a few guys we didn't use in this series -- including Alex Verdugo -- who we can use.'
(He's kidding, obviously. But Verdugo was 97 off the mound in high school. I'm sure he would be hyped for an inning or two.) #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 13, 2021 15:02:06 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 23m Cora on Astros pitching -- 'They create angles. They have different shapes of breaking balls, different fastballs. We've just got to be ready for this one.' #RedSox
Cora on Carlos Correa -- 'He's becoming what we thought when he got drafted out of high school. We saw it when he was playing back home before that draft. A very athletic, impactful player who loves to play the game.' #RedSox
Cora on Correa -- 'I'm very proud of him. I love that kid. He's very important to our family. I know I'm important to his family.' #RedSox
Cora on the atmosphere in Puerto Rico during the playoffs with himself, Hernandez, Vazquez, Correa involved -- 'I have a few friends who have sports bars. They'd rather have us separated so they could watch one game and then the other.' #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 13, 2021 15:02:25 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 16m Cora said he thinks the crowds are different than in 2018 because those #RedSox were a juggernaut all season. This team, coming off 2020 and through its flaws, has looked human at times and is still in the #ALCS. They've been embraced.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 13, 2021 15:03:49 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 16m Cora on if he thinks the #RedSox are potential champs -- 'I woke up today and I was like, 'We're four games away from the World Series.' We win four games and we're right there.
'The team we're going to face, they're really good. They are. But they know we're really good too.'
On Dusty Baker -- 'He's a great manager.'
'For him to still be around and have the energy to do it, it's impressive.' #RedSox
Cora on facing Astros pitching -- 'I think in the playoff you have more time to prepare for the opposition. It's a more team-oriented attack than an individual attack.' #RedSox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 13, 2021 15:04:35 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 30m Cora said every pitcher not starting Games 1 and 2 will be available out of the bullpen. #RedSox
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Post by Kimmi on Oct 13, 2021 17:19:52 GMT -5
5 things to watch as the Red Sox prepare to take on the Astros in the ALCSThe Red Sox were 2-5 against the Astros this season.
You can throw that 2-5 out the window. It makes not one bit of difference in to postseason. I like our chances, especially with Cora at the helm.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 14, 2021 2:04:14 GMT -5
Astros-Sox position-by-position breakdown October 13th, 2021 Anthony Castrovince
Anthony Castrovince @castrovince
Get it all out of the way.
All the stuff about the sign-stealing scandal involving the 2017 Houston Astros and Alex Cora’s involvement. All the hubbub about Houston reaching the American League Championship Series for a fifth consecutive year, even as so much of the baseball world has rooted against them. All the amazement about the Red Sox advancing this far in a season in which so little was expected of them and after COVID-19 concerns nearly derailed their path to the postseason.
Get that stuff out of your system now because, when this best-of-seven American League Championship Series starts Friday night, the baseball itself will drown out all that other drama and take center stage. These are two powerhouse ballclubs, with stars out the wazoo and experienced skippers in the dugout. This is the third postseason meeting between these two teams in the past five years (the Astros won the 2017 AL Division Series; Boston prevailed in the '18 ALCS), and it looks as though it could be the best one yet.
Don’t believe us? Well, just look at how these two clubs stack up, position by position. No, this is not how ballgames -- or series -- are decided. But it’s a fun way to demonstrate how evenly matched these two clubs might be. Some of these choices are simply torturous ... and that’s the way we like it in October.
Catcher
In Christian Vázquez and Martín Maldonado, both clubs have trusted, prepared catchers who are reliable behind the plate and work well with their respective staffs.
But even in a down offensive year, Vázquez (.659 OPS) outperformed Maldonado (.573). And with his walk-off homer over the Green Monster in Game 3 of the ALDS, Vazquez authored one of the more indelible moments of this postseason to date.
Advantage: Red Sox
First base
OK, so Kyle Schwarber’s defense at first base is iffy enough that when he made a routine 3-1 putout in Game 3 of the ALDS, it was cause for a hilarious, self-deprecating celebration. Whatever. The dude rakes. He did it throughout a fantastic 2021 season with the Nationals and Red Sox (Schwarber’s 145 wRC+ ranked 10th among all MLB hitters with at least 450 plate appearances), and he’s done it thus far in a postseason during which he’s gone 6-for-19 with two dingers.
Yuli Gurriel had a typically terrific season (AL-best .319 batting average with an .846 OPS) and has the far more experienced and reliable first-base glove. But right now, it’s hard not to side with Schwarber, who started at first in each of the past three games of the ALDS (Bobby Dalbec starts here when Schwarber starts elsewhere).
Advantage: Red Sox
Second base
The Red Sox turned back to a rusty Christian Arroyo at second base because their go-to regular down the stretch, José Iglesias, was acquired too late in the season to qualify for their postseason roster. Arroyo is 5-for-19 with a double so far.
For the Astros, it’s a familiar scene: Jose Altuve is owning October, just as he always does. He went 5-for-16 with a homer, two doubles and nine runs in the ALDS, and he has a .960 OPS in his postseason career -- the best for a second baseman with at least 150 plate appearances. Get the latest from the Red Sox
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Advantage: Astros
Shortstop
Oh, nothing to see here. Only two of the best shortstops MLB has to offer.
It’s one thing to love the big moment and another to actually seize it. Carlos Correa does both. He’s followed up a fantastic free-agent walk year (134 wRC+, 5.8 fWAR) with another awesome October so far (5-for-13, two doubles).
But Xander Bogaerts has had some huge hits as well (7-for-20, two homers), and his regular season was just as good (130 wRC+, 5.2 fWAR).
We need a determining difference-maker, and it’s defense. Correa graded out at a plus-12 in outs above average this season, ranking sixth among shortstops. Bogaerts did execute a perfect and timely relay throw in the AL Wild Card Game, but he had a minus-10 mark and ranked 35th.
Slight advantage: Astros
Third base
We have another ridiculous decision to make here.
Alex Bregman is another Astro who loves to seize this stage. He went 6-for-16 with a double against the White Sox and is healthy after a left quad issue forced him to miss 59 games this season. He is simply a better defender than Rafael Devers, and that matters.
But Devers will get down-ballot MVP love this year after ranking second among MLB third basemen in fWAR (4.7) and third in wRC+ (134). He’s 6-for-20 with two homers this postseason, and he’s homered in two clinching games (the regular-season finale and ALDS Game 4) in the past two weeks.
Slight advantage: Red Sox
Left field
Alex Verdugo had a so-so second season in Boston overall. But he came through in the clutch quite a bit and has been locked in at precisely the right time, going 8-for-23 with a homer and two doubles in the postseason. If you want to side with him (and perhaps Schwarber, depending on the daily lineup) here, we won’t fault you at all.
But Michael Brantley is one of the premier contact hitters of his era. The 34-year-old vied for the batting title this year with a .311 average, and he has hit safely in 15 consecutive postseason games -- the fifth-longest streak of all time.
Slight advantage: Astros
Center field
Kiké Hernández has nine hits, three doubles, two homers, six RBIs and four runs ... just in the past three games. He has only added to an impressive and extensive October résumé that includes five multihit games and tons of clutch knocks. He’s an asset in center field (or at second base), too.
The Astros’ center-field situation was up in the air, as of this writing, after rookie Jake Meyers injured his left shoulder trying to make a play at the outfield wall in Game 4 of the ALDS. Meyers was replaced by Chas McCormick in that game, and his status for the ALCS is uncertain.
Advantage: Red Sox
Right field
Hunter Renfroe has followed up a strong season in Boston with a solid postseason, going 6-for-20 with a double and three walks. He hasn’t hit any balls over the wall with his bat, though he did accidentally hit one over with his leg in a memorable mishap that benefited Boston.
Kyle Tucker, though, is the clear choice here, after slashing .294/.359/.557 with 30 homers and 37 doubles in a breakout regular season and then going 5-for-17 with two homers, a double and seven RBIs in the ALDS. Here’s a chance for his emerging star to shine all the brighter.
Advantage: Astros
Designated hitter
Yordan Alvarez and J.D. Martinez had eerily similar slash lines this season -- .277/.346/.531 for Álvarez, .286/.349/.518 for Martinez. Alvarez had 33 homers and 35 doubles with 104 RBIs; Martinez had 28 homers, a Major League-high 42 doubles and 99 RBIs. Alvarez went 3-for-11 with a homer and a double in the ALDS; Martinez went 7-for-15 with a homer and a double in the ALDS (after missing the Wild Card Game with a left ankle injury).
You see where we’re going with this. It’s a coin flip. Martinez is established as one of the game’s more gifted hitters, and Alvarez, despite missing almost all of 2020 following double knee surgery, is very quickly amazing an incredible offensive profile of his own. We’ll respect the more veteran player here, but either of these guys could change a game and a series with a single swing.
Slight advantage: Red Sox
Starting pitching
For the season, the Astros had a 3.63 ERA that ranked second in the AL, while the Red Sox had a 4.49 mark that ranked in the middle of the pack. So this is easy, right?
Of course it’s not easy. Hardly any of the decisions on this list are easy.
The Astros’ rotation situation is affected by using ace and workhorse Lance McCullers Jr. to try to close things out in Game 4 of the ALDS and McCullers leaving that start early with right forearm discomfort. That’s a huge X-factor for this ALCS. Framber Valdez will start Game 1 after allowing four runs in 4 1/3 innings against the White Sox. Rookie of the Year Award candidate Luis Garcia was charged with five runs in 2 2/3 innings in his second career postseason start. Depth starter José Urquidy is battle tested, having stepped up on the postseason stage in the past, and Zack Greinke could conceivably return from his banishment to the bullpen to pitch in, but if McCullers is compromised, so are the ‘Stros.
For the Red Sox, the big question is Chris Sale, who has allowed 10 earned runs in his past 8 2/3 innings and was chased after the first inning of his ALDS start in St. Petersburg. But with Sale healthy, Game 1 starter Nathan Eovaldi wielding a 1.93 career ERA in the postseason, Eduardo Rodriguez having delivered five solid innings in his second start of the ALDS and Nick Pivetta and Tanner Houck pitching well this postseason as depth options, the Red Sox seem better situated here, no matter what the season ERAs suggest.
Advantage: Red Sox
Bullpen
Because of the second-half struggles of Matt Barnes and Adam Ottavino, the bullpen was Boston’s biggest question mark going into October. And perhaps it remains a question mark in a longer series. But during the off-days, the late-season return of Garrett Whitlock and manager Alex Cora’s expert utilization of his options (including the aforementioned Pivetta and Houck) are helping the Red Sox advance.
The Astros’ situation is a little more straightforward. Ryan Pressly had a terrific year in the closer role, and the uncertainty of the Houston ‘pen was abated by the in-season arrival of Kendall Graveman and by Cristian Javier’s move to relief work. One X-factor for the Astros is Yimi García, who was shaky after his midseason arrival (5.48 ERA) and in Game 3 of the ALDS but recovered nicely in Game 4.
This is another coin flip, and it will ultimately come down to which manager pushes the right buttons in the bullpen. Dusty Baker has loads of experience and has evolved more than he gets credit for. But right now, it’s hard not to side with Cora’s seemingly magic touch.
Slight advantage: Red Sox
Prediction
Like so many of the positional selections, the prediction could go either way. But McCullers’ iffy arm is enough to sway us to the red-hot Red Sox. Boston in six.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 14, 2021 2:06:38 GMT -5
Red Sox plan for ALCS? All arms on deck October 13th, 2021 Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
BOSTON -- In their upset of the Rays in the American League Division Series, the Red Sox went with a pedal-to-the-metal style of pitching in which manager Alex Cora asked a lot of his pitching staff.
The starters knew that, just about every day, it was "spikes on," meaning there was a good chance they could be used in relief.
The high-leverage relievers knew they could be called on for anything from one inning to the five that Tanner Houck pitched in Game 2, when he changed the momentum of the series. And if a pitcher has had a couple of days of rest after throwing 73 pitches in his previous outing, don’t be surprised if Cora looks for another 67 the next game, as he did with Nick Pivetta in an even bigger momentum-turner in Game 3.
That style worked beautifully for Cora in the more forgiving best-of-five format that is used in the Division Series round.
Can it also work in the AL Championship Series, which is a best-of-seven, and will start in Houston on Friday night?
We are about to find out. Because Cora indicated he will stick with his seize-the-day mentality in the upcoming days, just as he did throughout the 2018 postseason.
“When we announce the starters for Games 1 and 2, the rest of them will be in the bullpen,” said Cora. “We've done it before that way. And that’s the way we're going to do it. These two games in Houston, they're very important. We know what we want to do. And we will have our starters be part of the bullpen in Games 1 and 2, and then we'll decide what we do [for Games] 3 and 4."
The big difference between the last round and this one is that Cora will probably have to ease his foot off the gas at least a little for Games 3, 4 and 5 (if necessary) at Fenway, because those contests will be played on three consecutive days.
“We can be aggressive in Game 1 or 2, and then after that, we’ll see where we’re at and decide which route we go,” Cora said. “But having guys who are able to bounce back is very important. Everybody saw it in this past series. We’ll take care of Game 1 first, and if it doesn’t work out, we’ll take care of Game 2 and we keep moving forward. I think the versatility of our guys will help us to maneuver our rotation and our pitching staff the way we want to, being aggressive.”
Who will Cora ask the most out of? Expect Houck and Pivetta -- both of whom are starting pitchers by trade -- to again play big roles in this series as multi-inning guys. And you never know: Either one of those pitchers could also get a start.
One big mystery is how Cora will deploy Chris Sale, who has totaled 10 outs in his last two starts -- his ninth and 10th outings, respectively, coming back from Tommy John surgery.
“He’ll pitch,” said Cora. “He’ll be a part of this -- and he’ll be an important part of this.”
Looking back to ’18 for Cora clues -- first the ALCS Glancing at box scores from the 2018 ALCS and World Series offers glimpses of how Cora could maneuver through this series.
After using only traditional relievers behind Sale in a loss in Game 1 to the Astros in the 2018 ALCS, Cora went to Rick Porcello for a key scoreless frame in his club’s victory in Game 2.
Porcello was back on the mound for a start in Game 4 three days later.
In Game 3, Nathan Eovaldi was dominant for six innings and the Red Sox built a big lead, so no “rovers,” as Cora likes to call them, were needed.
Though Game 4 was a memorable epic, which the Red Sox won 8-6, Cora again went with standard bullpen usage. However, there is one thing that stuck out about that night. David Price warmed up for what seemed like forever in the late innings of that game.
And then he started the very next day, when the Red Sox closed out the Astros in Game 5. Eovaldi also got four big outs in that game, with just one day of rest after his strong start in Game 3.
The Price-Eovaldi scenario was just another reminder of Cora’s unique style this time of year.
World Series pitching plans started innocently One thing that helped the Red Sox during their 2018 run was closing out the Astros so quickly. That provided the team with four days off before facing the Dodgers in the World Series.
In Game 1 of the Fall Classic, Cora pulled another surprise. Even though Eovaldi had been dominant in his Game 3 starts of both the ALDS and ALCS, Cora asked the hard-throwing righty to be his eighth-inning setup man that night. Eovaldi obliged and dominated in his 16 pitches -- and the Red Sox won.
It was a formula Cora liked so much that he went to it again the next night in Game 2. This time, Eovaldi needed just 13 pitches to put away L.A. in the eighth.
Then the World Series pitching plans got crazy After an off-day prior to the series switching to Los Angeles, it would seem Cora was going to be conservative considering he had a 2-0 lead in the World Series, and Games 3, 4 and 5 would be on three straight days. Get the latest from the Red Sox
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Instead, a marathon Game 3 broke out and Cora rolled those dice. Price, who had started Game 2 just two days earlier, got two outs in the bottom of the ninth.
At least it seemed Eovaldi would be off the table for Game 3, right? Not only had he pitched in relief in the first two games, but he was on tap to start Game 4.
Then, Cora got into his “all-in” mode by the 12th inning, putting his chips on the table and watching as Eovaldi fired six brilliant frames. Unfortunately, the gallant effort ended in heartbreak, as Max Muncy took Eovaldi deep to open the bottom of the 18th.
What did Cora do after burning through his Game 4 starter? He asked Eduardo Rodriguez to move back to the rotation for a day, even though he hadn’t thrown more than 40 pitches in five weeks.
Rodriguez turned in a strong effort until Yasiel Puig ripped a three-run homer to put the Dodgers in front, 4-0, in the sixth inning. Cora later took the blame for asking too much of E-Rod.
But the Red Sox stormed back to win the game, 9-6.
For the final game of Boston’s magnificent postseason run, Cora had more surprises up his sleeve.
Rather than starting Sale on full rest, Cora had a hunch that Price was the hot hand to ride -- just four days after he had started Game 2, and two since he had pitched in relief.
It seemed like a bold idea until Price fired seven dazzling innings. When the Red Sox needed three more outs to win the World Series, Cora could have gotten boring and brought in closer Craig Kimbrel.
Instead, he called on Sale, who threw an inning of lethal pitches and ended the World Series with a slider that put Manny Machado down on one knee for strike three.
With Cora in October, you just never know how it will unfold.
Clearly over these next few days, all options will be on the table. And nothing Cora does should surprise anyone.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 14, 2021 2:08:07 GMT -5
Powerful Sox work to keep bats hot vs. HOU Boston recognizes unfamiliar Astros' pitching will be a 'handful' October 13th, 2021 Molly Burkhardt
Molly Burkhardt @mollyburkhardt
BOSTON -- Going up against a Rays pitching staff that compiled a 3.67 ERA (fourth best in the Majors), the American League Wild Card-winning Red Sox were immediately tagged as underdogs going into the AL Division Series.
After getting shut out in Game 1, Boston hammered Tampa Bay for 26 runs, including 14 in Game 2, over its next three games en route to punching its ticket to the AL Championship Series.
“I just believe we didn’t expand,” manager Alex Cora said of their approach. “We did a good job toward the end of the season, especially the second part in the Washington game; that was a good one. We stayed in the middle of the field, we didn’t try to do too much. And when you do that, good things happen. And we hit a lot of long drives, a lot of balls hard, and it was impressive. Watching them, the videos, the way we went about it against a great pitching staff, it was eye-opening.”
It also helped that as division rivals, the Red Sox and Rays met 19 times during the regular season, an advantage Boston won’t enjoy when it opens Game 1 of the ALCS in Houston on Friday.
“[The Rays] had some unique stuff. They’ve got a lot of different angles,” Red Sox hitting coach Tim Hyers said. “And I think it really helps them to be in our division, to play them a lot. I think our guys were comfortable. At a point against them, I think we just tightened up our game plan, we were a little more focused. … We knew how they’ve pitched to us in the past. And I felt that we came out probably more aggressive than we’ve ever been, and took advantage of some of those things.”
With the Rays behind them, the Red Sox have little time to breathe ahead of Friday’s opener against an equally dangerous, but different, Astros squad.
“That’s in the past,” Cora said. “We’ve gotta be ready for another, different type of pitching staff. They create angles, they have different shapes of breaking balls, different fastballs. We’ve just got to be ready for those.”
The Astros are significantly less familiar to the Red Sox, as the two teams haven’t faced off since playing a home-and-home series back in June. Houston’s rotation, which put up a 3.63 ERA in the regular season, is a challenging mix of veterans -- Zack Greinke and Lance McCullers Jr. -- and younger arms in Framber Valdez, Luis Garcia and José Urquidy.
“They’re a really good team. They have really good pitching,” Hyers said. “They have some unique angles, how the ball comes out of the hand with some of their starters. I think it helps us because we did face them earlier, but we’ve got our work cut out for us and we’re going to have to make some adjustments to kind of counteract some of those moves.”
Those younger arms proved to be Boston’s Achilles' heel in June. On June 1, the Red Sox offense mustered just five hits and one run off of Garcia, striking out six times over seven innings. The following night looked much the same off Valdez, but with 10 strikeouts over the lefty’s seven innings. Just more than a week later in Boston, Valdez commanded the night again with a 7 1/3-inning outing, limiting the Red Sox to one run on five hits.
Despite the outcome of the June at-bats off Valdez and Garcia, the opportunity to face both pitchers was an invaluable experience for the Red Sox ahead of their postseason matchup.
“Because of their unique angles, those young guys, it helps a lot,” Hyers said of getting an early look at Valdez and Garcia. “We already have a little bit of a database with some of our hitters. So I think it helps a lot, but still a challenge. And it’s still unique, and it’s going to be a handful.” Get the latest from the Red Sox
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“Obviously, [Astros pitching coach] Brent Strom is one of the best pitching coaches in the big leagues,” Cora said. “The way he prepares, the way he uses the information to his advantage. … So we know how good they do it, but at the same time we just faced one of the best pitching staffs in the big leagues, one of the best [coached] teams in the big leagues and we did a good job offensively. So we’ll be prepared for them.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 14, 2021 2:09:33 GMT -5
Sox foresee Sale turnaround: 'He found it' October 13th, 2021 Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
BOSTON -- One thing that would aid the Red Sox greatly in their quest to upset the Astros in the American League Championship Series that starts on Friday night?
The resurgence of ace Chris Sale.
The past two trips to the mound have not gone well at all for Sale, who has made 10 starts since coming back from Tommy John surgery.
Starting game No. 162 against the Nationals and Game 2 of the AL Division Series against the Rays, Sale got a total of just 10 outs. Somehow, the Red Sox won both those games.
It’s doubtful Boston can beat Houston in a best-of-seven without a functional Sale. The Red Sox feel the seven-time All-Star might be on the verge of a breakthrough.
Cora actually had Sale warming up in the bullpen in Game 4 against the Rays in the ALDS and said the left-hander would have come on for the series-clinching save opportunity if Boston had the lead going into the ninth inning.
With the game tied, Garrett Whitlock stayed in for a second inning. It turns out that warming up Sale could wind up being something that helps him in this series.
“He feels good about where he’s at,” Cora said. “I had a conversation with somebody today, and it was music to my ears because they said something about, ‘He found it in the bullpen.’ The last time I heard somebody found it in the bullpen was David Price in [October ] ’18, and he took off.
“Hopefully, he found something in the bullpen, but I think we recognized a few things that are going to get him to the point that he’s more balanced and he’s more direct to the plate, he’s over the rubber -- and if he does that, he’ll be fine.
“Maybe we’re making a big deal out of it too. He’s just struggled three times against [the Rays]. You never know. For how much we look into stuff, sometimes we don’t find it and other teams find it. But I do believe he feels good where he’s at. He’s going to pitch such meaningful innings in this series and, hopefully, the World Series, and all this talk is going to be in the past.”
Cora will announce his starters for the first two games of the series Thursday during a workout in Houston. There’s a chance Sale will be in play for one of those games. If not, he will be available as a reliever.
A home-field scenario for the Red Sox? After winning the AL Wild Card Game, it seemed safe to assume the Red Sox wouldn’t get home-field advantage in any round of these playoffs.
In Division Series and Championship Series rounds, the Wild Card team starts on the road regardless of record.
However, the rule is different for the World Series. At that point, the team with the best record is granted home-field advantage.
If the Red Sox (92-70 in the regular season) beat the Astros in this round and the Braves (88-73) defeat either the Dodgers and Giants in the National League Championship Series, Boston would host Games 1 and 2 of the World Series, as well as 6 and 7, if necessary.
The Dodgers and Giants both had better records than Boston, so the Sox would start on the road in a matchup with either of those squads.
In their four World Series appearances since 2004, the Red Sox have held home-field advantage every time. They won all four of those Fall Classics.
The Astros are ‘a great team’ Cora has a lot of respect for the team he is about to go up against in the ALCS. Houston went 5-2 against Boston during the regular season.
“It's a great team, complete team,” Cora said. “Obviously, there's certain guys that I know that we worked together before, but they added some great players the last few years, like [Michael] Brantley. He is one of the best hitters in the big leagues. Obviously, pitching-wise, they're a lot different than the past. Throughout the season, they did good job just staying on top of the West in a tough division with the Mariners and A’s.”
Though he wasn’t prompted to do so, Cora went out of his way to praise Astros manager Dusty Baker.
“And there's a reason they're here. They're very well managed, and Dusty has done this, since he became a manager with the Giants back in the day in Candlestick Park,” Cora said. “For him to still be around and have the energy to do it, it’s impressive.”
Memories of '13 To shortstop Xander Bogaerts, the longest-tenured member of the Red Sox, the current team reminds him more of the upstart ’13 squad that won it all rather than the ’18 juggernaut that took out the Dodgers in five games.
“I would say it's the same as '13. I don't feel like it's the same as '18,” said Bogaerts. “That '18 team was just a PlayStation team that you created. All the names and all the players that we had on that team, it was unbelievable. But this one reminds me a lot of ’13. A lot of guys have to play different roles, respect the role, understand the role. It's fun so far to see a lot of guys stepping in when it's needed.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 14, 2021 2:28:43 GMT -5
Red Sox’ Nate Eovaldi admits he doesn’t like Astros very much By Khari Thompson Boston.com Staff,Updated October 13, 2021, 2:56 p.m.
Red Sox ace Nate Eovaldi hasn’t forgotten Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman trolling him on social media before a playoff game in 2018.
And though Eovaldi didn’t say it in so many words, when asked about that incident on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show on Wednesday, he made clear he doesn’t particularly like the Astros — whom the Red Sox will face off against in the ALCS beginning Friday.
“Yeah, they have a tendency of rubbing guys the wrong way,” he said. “I don’t necessarily hate any team, but they’re not high up on my list.”
The Astros aren’t high on many lists in the wake of the 2017 sign-stealing scandal that cost Red Sox manager Alex Cora his job in early 2020 (he was rehired in October of last year). When fans were allowed back into MLB parks, they took the opportunity to boo the Astros on the road.
But why Eovaldi’s disdain?
In 2018 — a year after the Astros won the World Series — Bregman took a swipe at Eovaldi on Instagram before the Astros and Red Sox met in the 2018 ALCS when he posted a video of Eovaldi giving up three home runs in a row against Houston earlier that season while Eovaldi was pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Chris Curtis, co-host of The Greg Hill Show, asked Eovaldi if he has a particular dislike for the Astros three years after Bregman’s diss.
The Sox pitcher (who might start Game 1) took the high road, but he also pointed to the scoreboard while doing it — the Red Sox won the 2018 ALCS en route to a World Series trophy.
“It happened. I gave up three homers back-to-back-to-back,” he said. “But we were able to come out on top in that series and hopefully we’ll do it again this time.”
Eovaldi also got one over on Bregman that series, striking him out with a 102-mph fastball that prompted then-Sox teammate David Price to troll the Astros star back by saying, “Post that!”
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