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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 14, 2021 2:30:51 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Red Sox shelving concerns about regular-season struggles with Houston By Michael Silverman Globe Staff,Updated October 13, 2021, 8:34 p.m.
The Red Sox got clobbered by the Astros in the regular season. They were outscored, 42-25, out-hit, 70-49, and they lost five of seven games the teams played, all in an 11-game span from May 31-June 10.
That inglorious past is irrelevant to manager Alex Cora. The playoffs take place in another dimension.
“We should be OK. I think the regular season is the regular season,” he said before the Red Sox’ workout Wednesday at Fenway Park. “I think in the playoffs, you have more time to prepare for the opposition. It’s a more team-oriented attack than actually an individual attack. You saw that against the Rays.”
The Red Sox pitching staff stifled a dangerous Tampa Bay lineup, holding it to a .211 batting average and .688 on-base percentage for four games. The Astros lineup is more formidable. Their offense was tops in the majors in runs, hits, batting average, and on-base percentage.
Pitching to those hitters in October, however, is almost like speaking in another language. Starters will be on short leashes, and relievers will be on tenterhooks beginning at the end of the national anthem.
That worked in the Division Series against the Rays, and it worked against the Astros and Dodgers three seasons ago in the ALCS and World Series. Nothing’s changing.
Everyone’s on call.
“They understand, they understand where we’re at, they understand what it takes,” said Cora. “It’s good that in our group we’ve got three guys who’ve been there, done that — [starters] Eduardo [Rodriguez], Chris [Sale], and Nate [Eovaldi]. There’s no excuses. If you are healthy and you feel good, you know what you have to do. They’re on the same page, everyone’s on the same program. We’re going to keep doing this in the ALCS, then we’ll see where we go.”
Cora joked “we’re probably going use” outfielder Alex Verdugo, who reiterated a desire to pitch early in the Rays series.
“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,” Cora said. Who’s on first?
Per custom, Cora was not about to name his Game 1 and 2 starters with slightly more than 48 hours before first pitch in Houston. It will be surprising if Eovaldi does not get the ball for Game 1, but nobody should be surprised if the Game 2 starter is a name outside of the list of most likely suspects: Rodriguez, Sale, and Nick Pivetta.
The deep dive the Red Sox coaches and baseball operations staff have embarked on regarding how to pitch to the Houston hitters takes precedence over announcements.
“When we announce the starters for Game 1 and 2, the rest of them will be in the bullpen. So whenever we decide that . . . we’ve done it before that way and that’s the way we’re going to do it,” said Cora. “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 3 and 4.” Chris Sale’s standing
A role for the struggling Sale is not ready for public — and maybe even private — consumption. “He’ll pitch, he’ll pitch,” said Cora. “He’ll be a part of this and he’ll be an important part of this.” Before Sale’s ugly five-run inning in Game 2 of the Division Series, both Sale and Cora voiced confidence that he had made progress with his pitches, especially his changeup. “We feel good about him, he feels good about where he’s at,” Cora said on Wednesday. “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 ‘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. If he does that, he’ll be fine” . . . Cora and Houston shortstop Carlos Correa, a fellow Puerto Rican, are close. “I’m very proud of him, I love that kid,” said Cora. “He’s very important to our family. I know I’m important to his family. But at the end we know what’s most important the next 10 days. It’s gonna be fun to watch him compete. He loves competing against me — although I’m not gonna dive for a ground ball or anything, but I wish him the best, you know, 10 days on” . . . Cora said he’s hearing from home that the Red Sox and this upcoming series are being taken very seriously. “It has that ‘18 feeling, a lot of friends just watching games, everybody locked in,” said Cora. ”I know, I’ve got a few friends that have sports bars, and they’d rather have us separated so they can watch one game and then the other one” . . . The Sox’ two-hour workout at Fenway included infield drills, batting practice, and live batting practice sessions for taxi squad pitchers Darwinzon Hernandez and Eduard Bazardo . . . Catcher Connor Wong, who was selected to play in the Arizona Fall League, will remain with the Sox through the postseason as an extra player in the event of injury . . . The Sox are scheduled to fly to Houston on Thursday and have a 6 p.m. (ET) workout scheduled at Minute Maid Park.
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Peter Abraham of Globe Staff contributed to this report.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 14, 2021 2:32:49 GMT -5
Just how will the Red Sox use Chris Sale in the ALCS? Red Sox skipper Alex Cora isn't giving any clues Bill Koch The Providence Journal
BOSTON — Alex Cora declined to name a starting pitcher for the opening two games of the American League Championship Series against the Astros.
More:Here's the ALCS schedule between the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros
The Red Sox manager demurred when asked the question prior to a team workout Wednesday afternoon at Fenway Park. Boston is scheduled to open Game 1 against Houston on Friday night.
Nathan Eovaldi would be available on full rest for the Red Sox at Minute Maid Park. But it’s likely a pending decision on Chris Sale that would snap the rotation into order and he’s fresh off a disastrous Game 2 performance against the Rays in the A.L. Division Series.
“We’re going to talk about it tonight,” Cora said.
More:'Here we are surprising everybody but ourselves' says Red Sox ALDS star Kiké Hernandez
Sale barely escaped the bottom of the first inning in what wound up to be a 14-6 victory over Tampa Bay. He allowed a grand slam to career journeyman Jordan Luplow on a fastball above the zone that was yanked out to deep left. Tanner Houck saved Boston with five superb innings in relief, one of three bulk stints covered by Red Sox starters during their dismissal of the A.L. East champions.
“[Sale] will pitch,” Cora said. “He’ll be part of this. He’ll be an important part of this.”
Right-handed hitters have roasted Sale to the tune of an .824 OPS during his 2021 return from Tommy John surgery. That’s well above his career mark of .653 in left-right matchups. Sale has dominated opponents left-left this season, holding them to a microscopic .346 OPS.
Would those numbers convince Boston to deploy Sale as a specialist? The Astros almost certainly will spread regular lefties Yordan Alvarez, Michael Brantley and Kyle Tucker throughout their lineup. Offering Boston a ready-made pocket to deploy Sale, Josh Taylor or even Austin Davis — should he be named to the 26-man roster — would be an unlikely strategy from a veteran manager like Dusty Baker.
“We know what we want to do,” Cora said. “We’ll have our starters be part of the bullpen in Games 1 and 2 and then we’ll decide what we do in Games 3 and 4.”
Houston’s attack is primarily sparked by an infield that hits exclusively from the right side. And, unlike in the matchup advantages sought by the Rays, this quartet of Astros will be in the lineup regardless of opposing pitcher. Yuli Gurriel, Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman drove the final nails into the White Sox during their 3-1 victory in the ALDS.
Houston’s splits among right-handed hitters during the regular season weren’t all that extreme — a .754 OPS right-right and an .834 OPS left-right. Bregman and Altuve in particular have crushed southpaws throughout their respective careers, posting an OPS of .878 and .981, respectively. Correa and Gurriel are within 30 points in terms of OPS splits against lefties and righties in their careers.
The Red Sox could opt for Houck or Nick Pivetta to counter the Astros in this series. Houck held right-handed hitters to a .580 OPS this season while Pivetta checked in at .729 — down considerably from his career mark of .804 since his 2017 debut with the Phillies. Both picked up victories in relief against Tampa Bay, helping Boston erase its 1-0 series deficit.
“What Nick did here in Game 3, that was amazing,” Cora said. “Then we used Tanner again in Game 4. They understand where we’re at. They understand what it takes.”
Eduardo Rodriguez seems likely to have earned himself another start after working into the sixth inning of Monday’s clincher against the Rays. Rodriguez recovered from his own brutal effort in Game 1 to toss five strong frames and leave with a four-run lead. The Red Sox ultimately walked off with a 6-5 triumph thanks to Kiké Hernandez's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth.
Has Sale done enough to earn the same sort of second chance from Cora? He was warming and would have been brought on for a save chance in Game 4 if Ryan Brasier hadn't coughed up a 5-3 cushion in the top of the eighth. It was shades of the clinching Game 5 in the 2018 World Series, as Sale — despite two bouts of shoulder inflammation that landed him on the injured list — fanned the side in the bottom of the ninth against the Dodgers.
“We can be aggressive in Games 1 and 2,” Cora said. “Then, after that, we’ll see where we’re at and we’ll decide which route we go. Having guys who are able to bounce back is very important.
“We already saw it in this past series. You have to be careful but, at the same time, we know there’s a route there — one day at a time.”
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @billkoch25
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 14, 2021 2:38:30 GMT -5
Red Sox-Astros Preview: A lot has changed with Houston since 2018
by Justin Leger
The stage is set for the American League Champion Series as the Boston Red Sox will take on the Houston Astros.T
It'll be a rematch of the 2018 ALCS, when the Red Sox defeated the Astros in five games and went on to take down the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. That year, Boston won 108 games and entered the postseason as the AL's top seed. This time, it enters as an underdog many expected to miss the playoffs, never mind be one step away from another World Series berth.
With a resilient Division Series performance vs. the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays, the Red Sox showed it would be foolish to count them out going forward. Still, there's no doubt they have their work cut out for them as they pack their bags for Houston. The Astros boast the best offense in the major leagues and a pitching staff that finished the campaign seventh in runs allowed. They're coming off an impressive ALDS showing vs. a young, talented Chicago White Sox club.
As we look forward to Friday's Game 1 showdown, here's a refresher on the 2021 Astros and what to expect from them in the best-of-seven series. Astros to watch out for
The usual suspects: Alex Bregman (3B), Carlos Correa (SS), Jose Altuve (2B)
We're lumping Bregman, Correa and Altuve together as they're the faces of the Astros franchise, as well as the players Red Sox fans will be most familiar with heading into the series.
All three starred on the infamous 2017 Astros club that won the World Series and subsequently was disciplined for illegally stealing signs. They also were on the roster for the team's 2018 ALCS loss to Boston.
Bregman, a two-time All-Star, played in only 91 games this year due to injury. The 27-year-old hasn't been his MVP-caliber self these last couple of seasons, but he remains a serious threat at the plate. Two years ago, Houston's third baseman finished with 41 homers, 112 RBI and a 1.015 OPS.
Correa enjoyed a stellar 2021 season, hitting .279 with 26 homers, 92 RBI and a .850 OPS. Set to become a free agent this winter, Correa has plenty of postseason success on his resume. The 27-year-old shortstop has 17 homers and a .873 OPS in 66 career playoff games.
Altuve has played for the Astros for all 11 years of his MLB career, making seven All-Star teams in that span. The 5-foot-6 second baseman won the American League MVP award during the team's 2017 championship season. This year, Altuve bounced back from a rough 2020 season with 31 homers and a .839 OPS.
Yordan Alvarez, DH/OF
Alvarez arrived in Houston in 2019 and earned AL Rookie of the Year honors with 27 homers, 78 RBI, and a 1.067 OPS. Simply put, the 24-year-old slugger has incredible power.
Now in Year 3 of his MLB career, Alvarez hit 33 homers, 104 RBI with a .877 OPS during the regular season to maintain a reputation as one of the most feared hitters in the league. He was a Red Sox killer in 2021 with seven hits (three doubles, one homer) in 20 at-bats.
Michael Brantley, OF
Brantley is a 13-year veteran who, when healthy, is one of the game's best pure hitters year in and year out. The former Cleveland Indians standout is a five-time All-Star coming off his seventh season with a batting average of .300 or higher.
Brantley also owns a 15-game postseason hitting streak entering the ALCS. That's the longest such streak in franchise history and tied for the fifth-longest all-time, trailing only: 2003-04 Manny Ramírez (17 with Red Sox), 1998-99 Derek Jeter: (17 with Yankees), 1956-58 Hank Bauer: (17 with Yankees) and 1991-93 Pat Borders: (16 with Blue Jays).
Yuli Gurriel, 1B
Gurriel was part of the Astros' 2017 World Series roster and the one that fell to the Red Sox in the 2018 ALCS. The 37-year-old was a late bloomer, completing his rookie season as a 33-year-old in '17.
He's far from the biggest name on the lineup card, but make no mistake: Gurriel can present a real problem at the plate. He hit .319 this year to earn the American League batting title. He also can hit for power as two years ago he put together a 31- homer season.
Kyle Tucker, OF
Tucker, 24, didn't face the Red Sox during the 2018 ALCS but could be a real thorn in their side this time around. The Astros' first-round pick in the 2015 MLB Draft has become one of the team's most intimidating hitters, coming off a season in which he clubbed 30 homers and posted a .917 OPS. Tucker hitting sixth or seventh in Houston's lineup speaks to just how scary this offense can be. Advertisement
Lance McCullers Jr., RHP
With Zack Greinke underperforming and Justin Verlander out for the year, the Astros needed someone in the rotation to step up. Lance McCullers answered the call.
McCullers enjoyed his best season yet in the bigs, posting a 13-5 record with a 3.16 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. Walks are a real problem for the right-hander, however, as he walked a league-high 76 batters during the campaign.
McCullers has carried his impressive season into the playoffs. In two ALDS starts vs. the White Sox, the 28-year-old has allowed only one run in 10 2/3 innings pitched and led his team to wins in both games. It's worth noting he exited Tuesday's Game 4 with forearm tightness.
Ryan Pressly, RHP
Pressly has been one of the game's best relievers since entering the league with the Minnesota Twins in 2013. The two-time All-Star notched 26 saves with Houston this season to go along with a 2.25 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. In the 2018 ALCS vs. Boston, Pressly allowed one hit and one run while striking out four in 2 2/3 innings. Notable newcomers
Jake Meyers, OF
Meyers played 49 games with the Astros in 2021, so he'll still be considered a rookie next season. The 25-year-old hit .260 with six homers and a .761 OPS and saw some success at the plate in the ALDS, going 3-for-7 with two RBI in the two games he saw at-bats. In Game 4, he exited with a shoulder injury after a violent collision with the wall.
Luis Garcia, RHP
Garcia went 11-8 with a 3.30 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP during his rookie season this year. The 24-year-old righty pitched well in his lone start vs. Boston this season, allowing only one run on five hits in seven innings.
Cristian Javier, RHP
Another name Sox fans may be unfamiliar with as he wasn't on the 2018 Astros club, Javier debuted for Houston in 2020 as one of the team's top prospects. The 24-year-old appeared in 36 games this season and made nine starts, amassing a 3.55 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 101 1/3 innings.
Kendall Graveman, RHP
Graveman began the 2021 season in Seattle and was shipped to Houston at the trade deadline. The 30-year-old was one of the best relief arms in baseball with a 1.77 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. His production dipped a bit after the trade, however, as his WHIP ballooned to 1.39 with Houston and his ERA shot up to 3.13 in 23 games.
Ryne Stanek, RHP
Red Sox fans might recognize Stanek from the right-hander's tenure with the Tampa Bay Rays from 2017-19. The 30-year-old joined the Astros in 2021 and was solid out of the bullpen with a 3.42 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 72 appearances (68 1/3 innings pitched). The skipper
Dusty Baker
Baker took over as Astros manager in 2020 after A.J. Hinch was fired as a result of the team's sign-stealing scandal. The 72-year-old has a significant edge over Alex Cora in playoff experience as he's one of only six managers ever to reach the postseason 10 times. Baker hasn't won a World Series as a manager, however. Advertisement
In 3,722 games managed with the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals and Astros, Baker owns a 1,987-1,734 record (.534). He is 31-37 (.456) for his career in the playoffs. Numbers to know
863
The number of runs scored by the Astros in 2021 to lead the majors.
44
Yordan Alvarez's jersey number, a sight Red Sox fans probably won't enjoy seeing in the series.
1
The number of runs allowed by Lance McCullers Jr. in his two ALDS starts vs. the Chicago White Sox combined.
.319
Yuli Gurriel's batting average in 2021, which made him the second player in Astros history to win a batting title.
2
The number of times the Red Sox beat the Astros in seven games during the regular season.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 14, 2021 2:40:39 GMT -5
Red Sox Notebook: Alex Cora says Chris Sale found something in bullpen ahead of ALCS
By Steve Hewitt | stephen.hewitt@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald PUBLISHED: October 13, 2021 at 6:22 p.m. | UPDATED: October 13, 2021 at 6:22 p.m.
Chris Sale will play a factor in the ALCS. But what that may look like remains to be seen.
Sale hasn’t pitched since Game 2 of the Division Series last Friday, when he was crushed for five runs — including a grand slam — and only lasted one inning. But Red Sox manager Alex Cora confirmed Wednesday that the lefty would have come in to close Monday’s series-clinching Game 4 if they had a lead in the ninth inning.
Still, there are questions on Sale’s current form. His last two starts haven’t looked good. He recorded just seven outs in the season finale against the Nationals before his disastrous postseason outing. But Cora is even more optimistic now about him than maybe before.
“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,” Cora said. “The last time I heard somebody found it in the bullpen was David Price in ’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 Astros). … 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 has yet to name his starters for Games 1 and 2 against the Astros. Nathan Eovaldi, who hasn’t pitched since Sunday, seems to be the likely choice for Game 1 on Friday. Sale, who’s even more fresh, could go in Saturday’s Game 2, but Cora isn’t showing his cards yet.
“He’ll pitch,” Cora said of Sale. “He’ll be part of this and be an important part of this.”
Cora eyes World Series
The Red Sox are slight underdogs heading into this series against the Astros — who won five of their seven meetings this season, but that was back in June. As they head back to the same place where they clinched a spot in the 2018 World Series, Cora woke up Wednesday morning with a realization of the possibility his team faces now after beating the top team in the American League.
“I woke up today and I was like, ‘We’re four games away from the World Series,’” Cora said. “We win four games and we’re right there. I always said that we have to keep working hard for what we have. The team that we’re going to face, they’re really good. They are. At the same time, they know we’re really good, too. When people start talking about us like that, it’s like, OK, we have something special going on here. But, we’ve got to keep working. We’ve got to keep getting better. We made some mistakes in this series that cannot happen again and that’s the way we see it. …
“But … yeah, I feel that we have a chance to win the World Series. … We feel good about where we’re at. We feel good about the team and now, we talk about … in 2018, you win 11 … and now we’re like, eight games, we need to win eight more games and we’ve done that before.”
Deadline frustration?
When the trade deadline came and went, with the Red Sox adding Kyle Schwarber and relievers Hansel Robles and Austin Davis, there was a notion that the first-place club didn’t do enough compared to their top competitors. Evidently, that was also a feeling inside the Red Sox clubhouse.
“I think we were a little frustrated that we didn’t make more moves,” Eovaldi said Wednesday while appearing on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show.” “But picking up the guys we did, Schwarber was a huge pickup, we got Robles who’s been huge for us down the stretch, same with Davis. Schwarber, I think, has been the biggest one so far. The energy that he’s been able to bring into the clubhouse on a day-in, day-out basis … and once we got to the playoffs, we all clicked again.”
After the deadline, the Red Sox went 7-14 in their next 21 games as they fell out of first place, which put them on a track for the Wild Card for the rest of the season. But the deadline additions have certainly provided a boost. Schwarber has been a centerpiece of their lineup, while Robles had a stretch of 17 consecutive scoreless appearances.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 14, 2021 2:43:53 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox’s Alex Cora plans to have all his starting pitchers available for Games 1 and 2 of ALCS Updated: Oct. 13, 2021, 5:12 p.m. | Published: Oct. 13, 2021, 5:08 p.m.
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — Manager Alex Cora is not yet ready to name his starting pitchers for Games 1 and 2 against the Houston Astros.
Game 1 of the American League Championship Series is Friday at Minute Maid Park. First pitch is at 8:07 p.m.
Cora plans to announce both his Games 1 and 2 starting pitchers together. He likely will announce them Thursday when the team works out in Houston.
“And then the rest of them (the starters) will be in the bullpen (for Games 1 and 2),” Cora said. “We’ve done it before that way. And that’s the way we’re going to do it. Those two games in Houston, they’re very important. We know what we want to do. We will have our starters be part of the bullpen in Games 1 and 2. And then we’ll decide what we do 3 and 4.”
Nathan Eovaldi is the most likely candidate to start Game 1.
Cora also would not say whether he plans to use struggling Chris Sale as a starter or reliever in the ALCS.
“He’ll pitch. Yeah, he’ll pitch,” Cora said, smiling. “He’ll be part of this and he’ll be an important part of this.”
It might be more difficult for Cora to be as aggressive in the ALCS considering the schedule. The ALDS was five games with off days scheduled between Games 2 and 3 and Games 4 and 5. The ALCS has an off day between Games 2 and 3. But then Games 3, 4 and 5 will be played on consecutive days.
“We can be aggressive in Game 1 and 2,” Cora said. “Then after that, we’ll see where we’re at. We’ll see which route we go. But having guys that are able to bounce back is very important. We already saw it in this past series. Obviously you have to be careful. ... One day at a time. We’ll take care of Day 1 first. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll take care of Day 2 and we keep on moving forward. The versatility of our guys will help us to maneuver our rotation and our pitching staff the way we want to be aggressive.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 14, 2021 2:45:32 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 10h The Red Sox apparently aren't mapping out ALSC pitching until tonight. In a perfect world Eovaldi pitches on short rest in 4 and 7, but can't see that happening. So I'd like to see something like this.. but we'll see what reality (Sale's health/ performance/ role) brings.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 14, 2021 2:46:20 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 10h Houston is an absurd park
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 14, 2021 6:43:38 GMT -5
Red Sox Notebook: Alex Cora believes Boston can win World Series Updated: 7:18 a.m. | Published: 7:18 a.m.
By Matt Vautour | mvautour@masslive.com
BOSTON — Alex Cora has been part of World Series champions before. The Boston manager was a player on the 2007 Red Sox, a bench coach on the 2017 Houston Astros and the manager of the 2018 Red Sox. He knows what championship talent is and how to spot a team capable of winning the whole thing.
On Wednesday, he said the current Red Sox team is good enough to do it.
“Yeah, I think we have a chance to win the World Series. Offensively, we are where we really wanted to be,” he said. “We feel good where we’re at. We feel good about the team.”
He admitted he’s been thinking about it.
“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. We have to keep working hard. The team that we’re going to face, they’re really good. At the same time, they know we’re really good too,” he said. “We got to keep working. We got to keep getting better. We made some mistakes in this series we can’t have happen again.”
NO DECISIONS ON STARTERS, ROSTER YET — While the expectation is that Nathan Eovaldi will start Game 1, Cora said nothing had been finalized as far as which pitchers would start Game 1 and 2.
“We’re going to talk about it tonight. We’ll decide who starts one and two and everyone else will be in the bullpen,” Cora said. “We can be aggressive in Game 1 and 2 and after that, we’ll see where we’re at and see what route we go.”
The Red Sox could change their postseason roster in between series as well. Cora said he was monitoring the health of the Astros roster — No. 1 starter Lance McCullers and centerfielder Jake Myers are dealing with medical issues — before making his decision
“We have to go over the roster. There’s a few things we’re going to try to find about them - where they’re at physically, pitching-wise and go from there,” Cora said.
EOVALDI HOMECOMING — Eovaldi, an Alvin, Texas, native, said he loves playing in Houston, but told WEEI’s Greg Hill that he doesn’t love the Astros.
“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.”
Eovaldi is likely to pitch Game 1 of the series in front of many family and friends.
“Every time I get to play in Houston, it’s a special moment for me, just with it being so close to home,” Eovaldi said. “I’ll have a lot of family and friends out there. They’re already texting asking for tickets. I think it adds a little bit more excitement for me.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 14, 2021 8:55:25 GMT -5
Postseason Preview: Red Sox and Astros Tangle With Ghosts in the ALCS by Dan Szymborski October 14, 2021
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Of all the major sports, I would argue that none rely on their history and its place in the cultural milieu more than baseball. Every big moment in baseball seems to be steeped in comparable historical feats accomplished by some of the game’s most famous protagonists, from Ruth to Mantle to Maddux. In one sense, that’s a positive; even if there are more strikeouts and home runs than there were 100 years ago, someone from 1921 could arrive by time machine and still follow what is fundamentally a very similar game. But on the flip side, someone like Mike Trout can’t simply be recognized as being the first Mike Trout but as the next version of Mays or Mantle or Speaker. We joke about broadcasters waxing nostalgic about the aura and mystique of the New York Yankees, but a player on the Yankees can’t help but be endlessly compared to the heroes of yore, and mortals are usually found wanting in those comparisons.
Every team in the playoffs has something to prove, but Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros would both like to be victors who write the history books.
The Red Sox spent most of the 20th century as the Goofus to New York’s Gallant. The Yankees were expected to win World Series after World Series while the less-fortunate son was the habitual loser, constantly pulling defeat from the jaws of victory because of a curse caused by a team owner who wanted to produce a play, My Lady Friends in 1919. But the 2000s have swung things the Sox way, with Boston not just breaking its long championship-less streak but winning four championship trophies this century, the most in baseball. Yet to a large extent, the Yankees still retain the position of the big dog. It even felt a bit like that at the trade deadline, when the Yankees got the headlines for acquiring Joey Gallo and Anthony Rizzo while Kyle Schwarber was seen as a Boston consolation prize. But Schwarber played better than either Gallo or Rizzo, and unlike them is still playing in 2021.
Winning the World Championship so soon after trading a popular franchise player like Mookie Betts in a year that was supposed to be dominated by the Yankees, and even eliminating them from the playoffs, is a great highlight, especially since the last time we saw the Red Sox in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, they fought the Orioles for fourth place in the AL East — and lost! Not to mention Boston getting nicked in 2020 for sign-stealing during the 2018 championship season. While their scheme appears to have been significantly less extensive than what happened in Houston, it’s still something for Sox-haters to cling onto. Coming into 2021, only one of us here at FanGraphs picked them to make the playoffs. Between the specters of distant history and the prognosticators of recent past, the Red Sox have a lot of adversaries to prove wrong.
The history of the Houston Astros is much shorter, but the team has their own questions to answer. Whether or not you think stealing signs gave the Astros a significant advantage in the end, the fact remains that they did it, they were caught, and no player suffered a specific punishment from MLB. But there was a de facto punishment, that loss in reputation. The history books will always show that the Astros won the 2017 World Series, beating the Red Sox on the way to the denouement, but much of the public and likely many other players see that victory as tainted. Just this past week, Ryan Tepera of the White Sox accused them of cheating in the present while Tony La Russa charged them with a “character shortage” after a José Abreu hit-by-pitch late in Game 4 of the ALDS. The black cloud will likely linger no matter what, but a World Series victory post-scandal would be some consolation to their fans.
Against this backdrop, Boston and Houston start their seven-game series in Houston on Friday. This is the third time the teams have faced each other in the playoffs; in the prior two, the victor went on to win the World Series.
Like the Red Sox, the Astros were underestimated to an extent coming into the season. Here at FanGraphs, we still picked Houston to win the AL West but had the Los Angeles Angels as dangerous competition (oops!). ZiPS had the Astros tied with the Oakland A’s at 88 wins, an improvement over 2020 but still well below their 2017-19 peak years.
Both teams had a similar cause for concern at the start of the season: their starting pitching. Both clubs’ offenses had some serious high-end talent, but the depth of their respective rotations was a different story. Since winning the World Series, the Astros have lost Justin Verlander (he’s still with the team, but injured), Gerrit Cole, Dallas Keuchel, Charlie Morton, Collin McHugh, Wade Miley, and Brad Peacock. Could the team cobble together a solid rotation behind Zack Greinke and Lance McCullers Jr. from their young talent? As it turned out, yes!
Boston’s pitching was even more worrisome. ZiPS was skeptical about the Red Sox coming into the season, basically seeing them as a .500 team. But digging a little deeper, I found that the win-loss record was highly dependent on their rotation’s health, more than any other team in baseball. Even in the simulations where players like Xander Bogaerts or Rafael Devers missed lot of time, the offense was still at least adequate. But the rotation featured five pitchers — Nathan Eovaldi, Eduardo Rodriguez, Garrett Richards, Martín Pérez, and Nick Pivetta — with a long combined injury history and not much beyond Tanner Houck and the possible return of Chris Sale as backup. But outside of arm fatigue that delayed that start of E-Rod’s season and some cases of COVID-19, the pitching stayed remarkably healthy, enabling Boston to hit their upside projections.
The rotations may have held together surprisingly well over 162 games, but the bread-and-butter for the teams facing off here is their lineups. Thanks to a rebound season from Jose Altuve, full years from Yordan Alvarez and Carlos Correa, and Kyle Tucker’s emergence as a legitimate everyday starter, the Astros recovered from their 17th-ranked wRC+ in 2020 to lead the league, a feat they also achieved in ’17 and ’19. Outside of Martín Maldonado, a defensive luxury the Astros can afford because of the strength of the rest of their hitters, there aren’t any notable holes in the lineup. They have tough outs from top to bottom and no marked platoon split. Only the Rays won more games (38) by at least five runs than the Astros did (36), and they were one of only two teams in baseball to have an offense that posted positive run values against each of our pitch categories this season. The other? The Boston Red Sox.
Boston’s trade deadline acquisition of Schwarber looks especially prescient given the heavy helping of righties the Sox faced, first against Tampa Bay and now with Houston. The day they acquired Schwarber, the team had a .760 OPS for the season against right-handed pitchers; after the trade, they had an .839 OPS the rest of the way against righties. The Astros went into the ALDS with only two left-handed pitchers on the roster: Framber Valdez and Brooks Raley. Houston had the third-fewest batters faced by lefties this year, so the staff will remain righty-heavy even if Blake Taylor is added.
With two stacked lineups and few significant injury concerns among the hitters– J.D. Martinez didn’t seem bothered by his ankle in the ALDS — this series may come down to some of the unanswered pitching questions, the most significant of which is probably McCullers’ status for the ALDS. He was lifted after four innings in his Game 4 start against the White Sox due to reported forearm tightness, which the team has suggested is minor:
In any case, I’m not sure I would have put McCullers out for the fifth with a 5-1 lead. It looks like his availability won’t be an issue, but any time there’s doubt surrounding a key pitcher and an injury, you have to take it very seriously. Valdez is my current best guess for Game 1, with McCullers back for Game 3, and a bullpen game probably in there somewhere. Houston does have several Plan Bs at their disposal. Could Zack Greinke start in the playoffs? Was Cristian Javier’s 56-pitch outing on Sunday enough of a warmup to see him get a turn, at least in a four-inning special? Will Jake Odorizzi make an appearance?
At the moment, Boston’s rotation looks more set than Houston’s. Eovaldi can start Game 1 on normal rest and seems the obvious choice. Sale had a forgettable Game 2 against the Rays, but he’ll be well-rested, and given that Alex Cora still trusted him enough to warm up for a possible Game 4 appearance out of the ‘pen, I doubt they skip over him. Rodriguez would be ready for Game 3, and then Boston has a choice of Houck, Pivetta, or some kind of bullpen game depending on usage. Like the Rays, the former team of Boston’s CBO, Chaim Bloom, the Red Sox showed a willingness to blow up a neat little rotation plan if the game demanded it. Houck and Pivetta were allowed to go long in relief against Tampa Bay, and both Sale and Pérez warmed up. Don’t be surprised if Boston’s rotation looks very different on Monday than it does right now.
So what do the projections think? Well, with the assumptions I’m making right now (Houck in Game 4, Urquidy in Game 2, Luis Garcia in Game 4, and an Astros bullpen game in Game 5), ZiPS thinks the series is as close to a coin flip as anything I’ve ever projected: ZiPS Playoff Projection – ALCS Team Win in Four Win in Five Win in Six Win in Seven Victory Astros 6.0% 11.8% 14.9% 17.3% 50.0004% Red Sox 6.4% 13.2% 16.4% 13.9% 49.9996%
I’ve never had a whole series projected as 50.0%-50.0% before, let alone one where I had to go a few more decimal places. There will likely be updates, however, which you will be able to find here on this very website.
The team that wins this series might go to the World Series with a battered and bloody pitching staff. But it’s infinitely better than going home and letting someone else write the history of 2021.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 14, 2021 10:14:39 GMT -5
Tomase: Here's the path for Red Sox upsetting Astros in ALCS 2H ago / by John Tomase John Tomase RED SOX INSIDER
Gut reaction to Red Sox-Astros right after Houston dispatched the White Sox on Tuesday: Astros in five.G
More educated prediction after digging into the numbers and getting a better feel for Houston's strengths and weaknesses: toss-up.
The Red Sox have a legitimate chance to win the American League Championship Series, ladies and gentlemen. These clubs are basically mirror images with dominating offenses trying to prop up ailing pitching staffs.
Houston hammers the ball. The Red Sox hammer the ball. Forget about Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman, Rafael Devers, and Xander Bogaerts. The series may very well come down to Tanner Houck, Nick Pivetta, Phil Maton, and Ryne Stanek. Ranking the best players in Red Sox-Astros ALCS: Top 10 hitters | Top 10 pitchers
Those are just some of the pitchers who'll be picking up pivotal innings as baseball moves away from the dominating starter model to the let's-use-six-relievers model. One of these teams is going to capitalize. Unless Nathan Eovaldi is pitching or Astros ace Lance McCullers returns from an arm injury to start one of the middle games, we should be in for a high-scoring series.
"It's a great team," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora of Houston. "Complete team. Obviously, there's certain guys that I know that we worked together before, but they added some great players 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 a good job just staying on top of the West in a tough division with the Mariners and A's. And there's a reason they're here. They're very well managed, and Dusty (Baker) has done this since he became a manager with the Giants back in the day in Candlestick Park. For him to still be around and have the energy to do it is impressive. And it should be fun."
The task for the Red Sox is obvious. After a Wild Card game vs. the Yankees that required them to worry about only two batters (Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton), and an ALDS vs. the Rays with similar parameters (Randy Arozarena, Wander Franco), the Astros present the inverse challenge.
The Astros lineup runs seven and maybe even eight deep. With the exception of catcher Martin Maldonado and whomever they're playing in center, there are no easy outs. They led the league in runs for a reason.
This is a marked change from the 2018 ALCS, won by the Red Sox in five games, when the names looked impressive but not the output. In that series, the Red Sox treated All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman like kryptonite, walking him seven times in five games and pitching to him with runner on base basically never. A notable exception: the final out of Game 4, a Craig Kimbrel fastball that Bregman drilled to left with the bases loaded. Andrew Benintendi made the signature play of his career with a diving catch, denying the Astros a walk-off win.
Bregman and the since-departed George Springer were the only dangerous hitters in that series. Stalwarts like Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa played hurt, and the Red Sox had no problem pitching to Maldonado, Josh Reddick, and Marwin Gonzalez, among others.
There are no such breaks now. The Astros just scored 31 runs in four games vs. the White Sox, pounding the No. 2 staff in the American League. Altuve matched a career-high with 31 homers this season. Correa guaranteed himself a massive payday in free agency with 26 bombs. Bregman hit .375 in the ALDS after missing two months with a quad injury. Yuli Gurriel and Brantley went 1-2 in the batting race. Former No. 5 overall pick Kyle Tucker exploded with 30 home runs. DH Yordan Alvarez led the team with 33 homers and 104 RBIs.
As if that's not enough, the Astros were the toughest team in baseball to strike out (19.4 percent) and the only club not to whiff at least one-fifth of the time. You want a challenge, this is it.
"They lost George (Springer) and at one point we thought he was the leader of the pack," Cora said. "He was the guy that ignited the offense and was the emotional leader of the team, and they're still playing good baseball and here they are. They're here in the ALCS, so it's a testament to what they did in the past with the people that used to run that team and obviously what they're still doing right now."
How are the Red Sox supposed to compete with that, you might ask? Well, all hope is not lost, because Houston's pitching staff scares no one.
Ace Justin Verlander is recovering from Tommy John surgery that limited him to one start last year. Fellow Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke battled neck issues down the stretch, returned for Game 162, and is now being used in relief. The oft-injured McCullers left the clincher vs. the White Sox with a sore forearm and there's no word on his status.
So while the Red Sox try to figure out how to fill in around Eovaldi, the Astros may end up doing the same with left-hander Framber Valdez, who dominated the Red Sox twice within the span of a week in June (2-0, 1.26), but hasn't faced them since. Houston, we have a weakness Opponents' batting average vs. Astros pitching in playoffs .291
He got lit up by the White Sox in their only win of the ALDS, and doesn't possess the pedigree of Eovaldi. No one on the Astros staff does, and that includes a healthy McCullers, with Luis Garcia and Jose Urquidy the other likely starters.
The task for Baker will be maneuvering to his best bullpen arms, including former Mariners closer Kendall Graveman, All-Star Ryan Pressly, and perhaps the key pitcher to the entire series, Maton.
The only lefty in their bullpen in the ALDS was Brooks Raley, with Blake Taylor left off that roster but a possibility for this one. Instead of a specialist, they prefer Maton, a righty with reverse splits who limited lefties to a .233 average. He'll likely get the call against Kyle Schwarber, Alex Verdugo, and Devers. That's a tall order and an area the Red Sox could exploit.
And that's why this series could go either way. Houston probably possesses just a little more firepower, but either staff could very easily go supernova, in which case all bets are off except this one -- take the over.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 14, 2021 10:59:48 GMT -5
The rise of the Vibes Sox
This team, man. By bryanjoiner@bryanjoiner Oct 14, 2021, 10:30am EDT
The last time the Red Sox made the ALCS, in 2018, they played the Astros, and the world was a very different place. The Astros’s trash-can affair hasn’t yet been brought to light, Mookie Betts and Dave Dombrowski were still in Boston and what we call COVID-19 was, at it had been for thousands of years, just hanging out in bats, waiting to strike.
Now the Astros and Sox are at it again, except COVID has escaped from bats, Betts is in L.A., Dombo’s in Philadelphia and we all know what Houston has been up to. The binge-and-purge Sox the first 20 years of Fenway Sports Group’s ownership have been replaced by the (extremely relatively) on-the-cheap-Sox, a team that’s surviving on serious ~vibes~. The vibes are good now, so things are nice. Actually they’re way better than that: They’re miraculous.
Now, though, the rubber will meet the road. The Astros do not care for fairy tales. Beating the Yankees was cathartic and beating the Rays was delicious and beating the Astros will be hard as hell. The Rays were still always the Rays, trying to cut corners, but the Astros don’t cut corners. They are in their fifth straight ALCS for a reason, and it’s not (just) cheating. They are a mini-dynasty, albeit a particularly reviled one. As a resident of suburban New York I can confirm that Houston is currently more reviled than the Sox among Yankees fan. Maybe that changed after the Wildcard Game, but also maybe it didn’t. I think Yankees fans mostly blame the Yankees. I think that any of them still invested in the playoffs will be rooting for us, too. What a concept!
At the same time, I’m a little scared that this is the top of the mountain. The Astros really are big and bad and determined to show the world that they can win it all without their bang-bang business. It hardly matters if, as the White Sox showed in suggesting they’re still at it, no one will believe them regardless. They are an angry bunch, and the Sox are little more than the latest obstacle.
Unlike three years ago, too, the Sox are not the favorites. The 2018 team was built on muscle. This team rides the waves, and the thing about waves is they are eventually going to crash. Sometimes a vibes team can carry on all the way through a title run—the 2006 Cardinals are the shining example of this, and the 2007 Rockies team that came up short is also a good one—but most of the time this is where the feelings start to run up against reality, and the dream dies.
As much as I hate to say so, that sounds about right for this team. The last week or so has had Sox fans digging into the March archives to find their team’s doubters, and while it’s been instructive, it hasn’t really been fair. You don’t predict how a season is going to go on how you want it to go, but on how you think it’s going to go, and the Sox were putrid last year. It’s all good because it’s all in fun, but it won’t help the Sox now.
Now we likely see the limits of a team trying to win it all without trying to win it all. I hope I’m wrong, but the difference between a Houston team several years into title-or-bust and a Sox team that isn’t there yet us likely to show up on the field. Obviously I hope it doesn’t, just as I’m thrilled to have been wrong in March. If I am, it’ll be the vibes that got me, and I’d like nothing more.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 14, 2021 11:01:40 GMT -5
Alex Cora confirms Chris Sale will be in the rotation for ALCS Current Time 0:16 / Duration 0:30 By Alex Reimer 2 hours ago
Chris Sale is going to start games for the Red Sox in the ALCS, Alex Cora confirmed Wednesday to Merloni and Fauria.
During his weekly interview spot, Cora said the Red Sox are counting on sale to deliver for them against Houston, despite his late-season struggles and woeful performance in the ALDS. In fact, Cora says he was ready to use Sale if they had a lead in the ninth inning of Game 4.
“He’s still in the rotation. He’s going to be a big part of what we’re trying to accomplish,” Cora said. “He was probably going to come in with a lead in the ninth, because the way they were set up with lefties, there were a lot of good matchups for him. He’s ready, he’s great. He’s part of the rotation.”
Going forward, Sale’s performance may be the biggest x-factor for the Red Sox when it comes to serving Houston. It’s a miracle they won Game 2 against the Rays, even though Sale allowed five runs in his only inning of work.
Cora says the Red Sox believe they’ve identified the mechanical issues hurting Sale.
“A lot of work in between starts, a lot of video to try and find ‘what are we missing?’ It feels like it’s mechanics,” Cora said. “There was a big film session two days ago and people just looking at a few things, and hopefully we found it. From now on, he’s going to be Chris Sale for us, and give us the opportunity to win ballgames.”
The ALCS will begin Friday night. Sale has pitched three playoff games against the Astros, allowing 11 runs in 13.2 innings.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 14, 2021 11:04:37 GMT -5
Red Sox vs. Astros ALCS 2021: Live stream, TV schedule, tickets, how to watch MLB Playoffs Updated: Oct. 14, 2021, 11:58 a.m. | Published: Oct. 14, 2021, 11:17 a.m.
By Nick O'Malley | nomalley@masslive.com
It’s the Boston Red Sox vs. the Houston Astros battling for the pennant and a ticket to the World Series in the 2021 ALCS. The Red Sox successfully survived the Yankees in the Wild Card Game and the top-seeded Rays in the ALCS to advance and now face off against a familiar foe in the Astros. These two teams last faced off in the MLB PLayoffs back in the 2018 ALCS. The series will open up with a pair of games at Minute Maid Park in Houston before moving to Fenway Park. Fans looking to track down the TV schedule and start times for the series are in for a hunt. Major League Baseball has yet to finalize all the details for the series.
How to watch the Red Sox vs. Astros 2021 ALCS
What TV channel will the games be on? - The 2021 ALCS will be airing on either FOX or FOX Sports 1 depending on the game. Some games have yet to be determined. Additionally, the start times for most games have not been finalized as of Thursday.
Live steam options: FOX Sports | Sling | fuboTV - Viewers who have cable can use login credentials from their TV provider to watch via FOX Sports or the FOX Sports app. Fans who don’t have cable can also watch the game with a la carte streaming options such as Sling or fuboTV, which has a free seven-day trial.
Where to buy tickets: Fans can score tickets for all the games at Tropicana Field and Fenway Park are available from ticket providers such as StubHub, ticketmaster and SeatGeek.
Red Sox vs. Astros: Full ALCS TV schedule
Game 1: Oct. 15 in Houston | Time: TBD | TV: FOX | Tickets: StubHub | Live stream: fuboTV (free trial)
Game 2: Oct. 16 in Houston | Time: TBD | TV: FOX or FS1 | Tickets: StubHub | Live stream: fuboTV (free trial)
Game 3: Oct. 18 in Boston | Time: 4 p.m. | TV: FS1 | Tickets: StubHub | Live stream: fuboTV (free trial)
Game 4: Oct. 19 in Boston | Time TBD | TV: FS1 l Tickets: StubHub | Live stream: fuboTV (free trial)
*Game 5: Oct. 20 in Boston | Time TBD | TV: FS1 l Tickets: StubHub | Live stream: fuboTV (free trial)
*Game 6: Oct. 22 in Houston | Time TBD | TV: FS1 l Tickets: StubHub | Live stream: fuboTV (free trial)
*Game 7: Oct. 23 in Houston | Time TBD | TV: FOX or FS1 l Tickets: StubHub | Live stream: fuboTV (free trial)
*If necessary
More coverage via the Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — It was the middle of the pandemic, the Boston Red Sox stunk, and with major league ballparks empty in 2020, they couldn’t even count on the crowd to get them going. During one especially humdrum road game at the Rays’ Tropicana Field, coach Jason Varitek suggested they needed to put some fun back into the game.
The words had barely left his lips when Christian Vázquez hit a homer. So backup catcher Kevin Plawecki grabbed a nearby laundry cart, waited for Vázquez to return to the dugout, and told him, “Hey, hop in.”
“We hadn’t talked about it — nothing,” Plawecki said on Wednesday. “He sat right in, and I pushed him. And ever since it’s been our thing, I guess.”
The 2004 Red Sox were “The Idiots.” In ‘13 they grew bushy beards. And if the 2021 team performs like its predecessors and wins the World Series, the lingering image could be “Tunnel Time” — the home run laundry cart drive through the dugout.
Started on a lark in a last-place season, the Red Sox have continued the celebration this year and ridden it all the way to a spot in the AL Championship Series, which begins Friday night in Houston.
“It looked great in a difficult season for them to be able to find something that’s fun, and be able to celebrate something in the game,” manager Alex Cora said. “It means a lot for them. For them to have fun with that, that’s great.”
Sports teams have long found unique ways to celebrate their wins and other milestones, from the now routine post-victory Gatorade bath to jackets or jewelry awarded for big plays.
Even in baseball, where traditionalists sneer at anything that might seem disrespectful or undignified, teams haven’t been afraid to show some personality.
The Phillies have a straw Home Run Hat, the Rockies have “homer shades,” and the Blue Jays have a blue blazer for members of their “HR Club.” The New York Mets ride a stuffed pony through the dugout to celebrate homers; the San Diego Padres pass around a seven-pound bejeweled necklace dubbed the " Swagg Chain.”
During their 2019 World Series run, Washington Nationals car buffs Adam Eaton and Howie Kendrick celebrated by pretending to drive in the dugout — stepping on an imaginary clutch, shifting fake gears and making loud revving engine noises with their mouths.
“Everybody’s got their own way of having fun. That’s what it’s all about,” Plawecki said in an on-field interview during batting practice at Fenway Park. “It’s not an ‘In your face’ to anybody. It’s just a way for us to have fun, keep it light.”
Boston’s cart is now a new, customized model that may never have been touched by actual laundry; it even had it’s own bobble head day (though the Red Sox will tell you that the giveaway honored J.D. Martinez, who was riding in it).
During the playoffs, infielder José Iglesias has taken responsibility for the “carrito,” and declared himself the official chauffeur. Acquired too late in the season to be eligible for the playoff roster, Iglesias said he was happy to contribute in the dugout, since he can’t on the field.
“It’s a good way for him to stay involved with the guys,” Plawecki said. “I know it kills him to not actually be out there with us. He’s such a help for all of us.”
Plawecki said he had no regrets about giving up his cart-driving duties. After all, the way the Red Sox are going, he needs to save his energy: Boston hit two homers in an AL wild-card victory over the rival Yankees and nine more in the four-game Division Series win over Tampa Bay — a franchise postseason record five of them in Game 2 alone.
“They kept me very, very busy,” Iglesias said. “And I hope I get busier over the course of the playoffs.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 14, 2021 11:07:16 GMT -5
In Red Sox-Astros matchup, it’s impossible to ignore both teams’ scandalous recent history By Dan Shaughnessy Globe Columnist,Updated October 14, 2021, 11 minutes ago
“Until you’ve seen this trash can dream come true, you stand at the edge while people run you through.”
— “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters,” Elton John and Bernie Taupin
It won’t be a party starter at Fox Sports, Fenway Park, or Minute Maid Park, but it’s impossible to avoid the years-old cheating narrative in this 2021 American League Championship Series.
Astros vs. Red Sox features those lyin’, cheatin’ Despicable Me(s) from Houston — Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman & Co. — against the upstart Bostons, who are managed by Alex Cora, one of the few culprits of the 2017 Trash Can ‘Stros who was punished for his role in the scheme.
It’s as if the Spygate Patriots faced the Deflategate Patriots in some computer-programmed, analytic-driven, virtual Super Bowl. It’s where “Bang the Drum Slowly” meets “Rounders” at the intersection of “Molly’s Game” and “Eight Men Out.”
The Houston Astros are the most famous cheaters in sports history. They won the 2017 World Series in seven games against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In January of 2020, an MLB report found that the ‘Stros cheated their way to the title with a sign-stealing system that (in part) included relaying stolen signs to batters by banging on a trash can at Minute Maid Park. Four years later, Houston’s lineup features four batters who were part of the scam.
The 2021 Red Sox, meanwhile, are managed by Cora, who served as Houston’s bench coach in 2017 and was identified by MLB as a trash can ringleader. Cora received a suspension and served a year in exile while the Red Sox finished in last place in 2020.
Perhaps unfairly singled out, he has owned his role in Houston’s 2017 disgrace, and when the ‘Stros visited Fenway in early June, he said, “I was part of the whole sign-stealing situation. Them being booed [by the Fenway crowd] and screamed at the way they did, I was part of that, too.”
Astro players on the 2017 World Series team were given immunity to testify and never punished by MLB. Their sins were never specified nor quantified. In addition, they were spared much of the public stoning they deserved when the 2020 season was shortened to 60 games and played in empty ballparks. Fans never had a chance to boo Houston’s cheaters.
Now the ‘Stros are in the postseason spotlight again for a series that opens Friday night at Minute Maid Park. When Houston plays at Fenway in Game 3 Monday, it’s going to be difficult for Sox fans to take the high ground given that Boston’s manager was identified as one of the orchestrators of Houston’s cheating scandal.
The 2021 Astros are managed by 72-year-old hardball sage Dusty Baker. Houston players were accused of new chicanery during their ALDS against the White Sox. Chicago pitcher Ryan Tepera implied that the ‘Stros were stealing signs in Games 1 and 2 in Houston. The noble Baker responded, “I was listening to Eric Clapton this morning, and he had a song, you know, ‘Before You Accuse Me,’ you need to look at yourself.”
The formidable ‘Stros have been in the ALCS for five consecutive seasons (unmatched since the 1971-75 A’s), including 2018 when they were beaten in five games by the Red Sox. In that series, an Astros employee, stationed in Fenway’s first base photo pit (perhaps fingered by Cora, who was then managing the Sox and aware of Houston’s cheating ways), was caught monitoring the Red Sox dugout with a cellphone camera. He was removed from the photo pit.
Cora’s 2018 Red Sox beat the Astros and won the World Series over the Dodgers, but in April of 2020, they were sanctioned by Major League Baseball after an investigation concluded that the ‘18 Sox illegally used a video replay monitor to decode signs during the regular season. A Boston video staffer was fired and the Red Sox were forced to forfeit a second-round draft pick.
This came one year after the Sox were punished by MLB for illegally using Apple watches to relay signals to hitters. The Sox were fined by MLB after that transgression.
The whole thing makes your head spin like a Garrett Richards Spider Tack fastball. It’s mildly reminiscent of the 1973 Academy Award-winning film “The Sting,” when a card-cheating character played by Paul Newman bests a wealthy businessman (who also cheats) in a high-stakes poker game on a moving train. When the rich guy realizes he’s been had, he asks an associate, “What was I supposed to do — call him for cheating better than me in front of the others?”
There you have it. The 2021 ALCS. Our cheaters against their cheaters. May the best team win.
All kidding aside, this should be a great series. The Astros are an offensive wagon. Houston’s infield (Yuli Gurriel, Altuve, Correa, Bregman) features four players who have played in more postseason games together than any other four teammates in MLB history. All have tarnished 2017 championship rings.
The Red Sox are a 92-win wild-card entry who caught fire in October, beating the Yankees, 6-2, in a one-game bakeoff at Fenway, then winning three of four against the 100-win, division-winner Tampa Bay Rays. The Sox hit .341 in four games against Tampa, striking out only 26 times.
Cora makes the Sox better than they are. He is 5-0 in playoff elimination games, and 15-4 as a postseason manager.
Often sloppy during an uneven season, the Sox are playing their best ball of the season and are a real threat to make it to the World Series for the fifth time this century.
Red Sox-Astros.
May the best team win.
On the level.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Oct 14, 2021 13:16:02 GMT -5
Latest On Lance McCullers Jr.
By Anthony Franco | October 14, 2021 at 1:27pm CDT
1:27 pm: Houston general manager James Click tells Brian McTaggart of MLB.com and other reporters that the club is still evaluating the results of McCullers’ MRI.
12:51 pm: Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. left his final start of the club’s Division Series win over the White Sox after four innings due to some tightness in his forearm. Jon Heyman of the MLB Network now reports (Twitter link) that McCullers is likely unavailable for the upcoming AL Championship Series against the Red Sox, which is scheduled to begin on Friday. However, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that he might be able to return for the World Series, should the Astros advance.
It doesn’t seem to be a long-term concern, as Heyman reported this morning that an MRI suggested McCullers “should be fine in the long run.” That aligns with the pitcher’s initial assessment of the injury, as he told reporters on Tuesday that he didn’t believe the issue to be related to his ligament. McCullers missed the entire 2019 season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Given that injury history, it’s no surprise the Astros are expected to play things cautiously with McCullers over the coming days. He remains a vital part of the franchise’s long-term future, having signed a five-year, $85MM extension in March that’ll take effect beginning in 2022.
Still, his (presumed) absence will be felt over the upcoming series, as McCullers is arguably the Astros’ top pitcher. This season, he worked 162 1/3 innings of 3.16 ERA/4.01 SIERA ball. As he typically does, the righty posted well above-average strikeout and ground-ball rates (27% and 56.4%, respectively). That offset an elevated 11.1% walk percentage to allow McCullers to post the fifth sub-4.00 ERA season in his six-year MLB career.
In McCullers’ absence, Houston looks likely to turn to some combination of Framber Valdez, Luis Garcia, José Urquidy and Zack Greinke to start against Boston. Jake Odorizzi was a healthy scratch for the Division Series, although he could be brought back onto the ALCS roster in McCullers’ place to offer an additional starting and/or multi-inning relief option.
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