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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 17, 2022 3:02:22 GMT -5
Red Sox post first shutout win of the season against the Minnesota Twins By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated April 16, 2022, 7:45 p.m.
The best athletes have the shortest memories. In most cases, they have an ability to forget what plagued them the game before, or the previous play. They flush out the bad, because what has already happened is truly out of their control.
In baseball, that short-term memory is even more of an advantage. The idle time following a setback can be consuming, for those who dwell on failures past.
Tanner Houck doesn’t let that happen.
In the Red Sox’ 4-0 win against the Twins Saturday, Houck looked at first glance as if he would suffer another sputtering performance like his previous outing against the Yankees in New York. In that game, Houck lasted just 3⅓ innings, allowing three runs and three walks while hitting a batter in 79 pitches.
Houck displayed that same lack of command early on in Saturday afternoon’s outing at Fenway Park. He fell behind early, going into deep counts of 3-2 and 3-1 four times in the first three innings.
He walked three batters over the course of his start and yet, somehow exited the game after 5⅔ innings without allowing a run. What could have turned into another underwhelming outing evolved into exactly what the Sox needed from their righthander, in some measure, because of Houck’s natural ability to not dwell on the negative.
“It’s kind of like, Garrett [Whitlock],” manager Alex Cora said. “They’re just so consistent in everything they do. He knows he has to work and keep getting better. But one bad outing is not going to take him out of who he is.”
Houck has relied upon his abundant talent, combined with his short-term memory, to extricate himself from self-inflicted jams.
In the first inning, he wiggled out of trouble with an inning-ending double play. He got Carlos Correa swinging on a slider for the second out of the inning and then Christian Vázquez doubled off Jorge Polanco on an attempted steal.
In the third, Houck walked Nick Gordon and surrendered a Miguel Sanó single to left. But following a mound visit, Houck got Ryan Jeffers to hit into a double play, which was followed by Luis Arraez’s inning-ending ground out.
Houck settled infrom the fourth until Cora summoned Matt Strahm with two outs in the fifth. Houck’s day ended after 89 pitches (50 for strikes), with the righthander allowing just two hits while ringing up four strikeouts.
“I just [took a minute],” Houck said. “Like truly stepping off [the mound] and just gathering myself. We made just a few slight adjustments in-between innings and everything started to click.”
The Red Sox got on the board in the second behind Alex Verdugo’s two-run shot off Twins starter Sonny Gray. Verdugo’s third homer of the season sailed just to the right of the 420-foot mark in center field.
“I was just looking out over the plate. I had two strikes,” Verdugo said. “I think he tried to go in but left it middle. Those are pitches you can’t miss.”
Gray left the contest in that same frame with right hamstring tightness after 31 pitches. Josh Winder replaced Gray and was greeted in the third inning by Xander Bogaerts’s first homer of the year, a two-run shot that made it 4-0. Bogaerts, who finished 1 for 4 with 2 RBIs, entered the day 1 for 12, dating back to the start of the Tigers series earlier this week.
Houck had to work for his strikeouts, with the Twins fouling off 18 pitches. He didn’t get many swing-and-misses either, drawing five overall. But the stellar play from the Red Sox defense and Houck’s knack for making pitches when he needed to helped him pitch deep into the sixth inning.
“They showed some discipline early on,” Cora said of the Twins lineup. “But in the end, it was weak contact [against Houck] and he was able to give us 5⅔ [innings]and pass the baton to the bullpen.”
Strahm took over for Houck and collected four outs. Whitlock, who pitched four innings on Tuesday in Detroit to pick up his first win of the season, submitted 2⅓ innings of scoreless relief to shut the door.
“To see him go out there whenever he does, and do what he does every single time, it’s truly incredible,” Houck said of Whitlock.
It was also incredible to see Houck overcome an early hiccup, rely upon his steady-handed nature and sheer competitive will, and turn in a scoreless performance.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 17, 2022 3:04:28 GMT -5
After frenetic opening weeks, Trevor Story offering signs of why he’s here By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated April 16, 2022, 7:14 p.m.
For Trevor Story, it has been a stretch of firsts: First game with the Red Sox, first Red Sox-Yankees contest, first game at second base, first hit, first home game, first home hit. On Saturday, Story achieved his most notable milestone yet for his new team and in his new ballpark: The first real glimpse of the extent of his abilities.
Story delivered a pair of notable moments in the 4-0 victory over the Twins at Fenway Park. After four games in which his timing had looked out of joint, Story’s swing looked well-calibrated in the fourth inning. He drilled a 95 mph fastball from Twins reliever Josh Winder and smashed a 103 mph rocket to right-center for a single — the hardest Story has hit a ball this season.
“The line drive to right was a really good sign for me,” said Story. “If I’m doing that, I know I’m really close.”
One inning later, Story — rapidly acclimating to his new role as a second baseman — collaborated with shortstop Xander Bogaerts on a dazzling double play. Bogaerts fielded a Gio Urshela grounder to his left with a slide and made a glove-hand flip to second. Story grabbed the flip with his barehand and fired to first for an easy double play.
“Whoa!” Bogaerts said of Story’s play. “He’s an athlete. He can do it anywhere you put him on the diamond. It was pretty cool having that view. … Surehanded Story over there, it seems like he’s played there before. It just feels like he’s been there for a while.”
Yet he hasn’t been either at second or with the Red Sox, a fact that made a settling-in period inevitable — particularly given the circumstances that brought Story to Boston. The 29-year-old’s path was a winding one. The 99-day lockout led to a March free agent scramble, and Story didn’t officially sign until March 23 — little more than two weeks before the start of the regular season.
Even under normal circumstances, that timing would have created a race to prepare. Yet Story had to return to Texas shortly after signing for the birth of his son.
When he returned, the clock was running out on spring training. The effort to gain timing against opposing pitchers was further complicated when Story missed three games due to a stomach bug.
Just over three weeks into his Red Sox career, Story has been around the team for little more than two. Early offensive struggles thus seemed inevitable for a player who is simultaneously trying to achieve a spring training-like buildup while helping his team in games that count.
“It’s tough, but these are the circumstances we’re in. A lot of it was kind of out of our control, but we’re here now,” said Story. “It’s been a crazy few weeks. But I feel good. I know I’m progressing each day. That’s what I want. I know what it feels like when I’m there, and I know it’s really close.”
The Sox are measuring expectations for Story’s offense until he has more of an opportunity to gain his timing. His 1-for-3 Saturday put him 5-for-20 in five games, with a double, one walk, and seven strikeouts. His 24.3 percent swing-and-miss rate entering Saturday ranked third-highest in the big leagues.
That initial performance might not align with a six-year, $140 million contract, but reflects more on the strange runway into the 2022 season.
“There were a lot of things going on in a short period of time,” said hitting coach Pete Fatse. “He’s a worker. He works on it constantly, but there’s no substitute for just needing to get in the box and see pitches basically. And then aside from that, getting used to a new league, a whole new set of arms, I think those two things kind of go hand in hand. You just need more time, acclimation. Ideally in spring training, you get the reps, but for him it was a little more condensed.”
Story said his new lineup makes the task easier. Hitting sixth has helped him avoid feeling too great a weight in the season’s opening days.
“It’s a very deep lineup,” said Story. “I’m not the dude. I’m not the only dude doing it. It definitely gives a sense of relief to where I can just relax and we’ll figure it out.”
Both Story and the Sox seem comfortable that the time it will take him to do just that will prove relatively brief. A notion that suggests there are more days such as Saturday on the horizon.
“There’s a couple things he’s ironing out with his mechanics. [But] the pedigree, what he’s done in the past, says he’s a guy that’s really athletic [and] he can turn on pitches in a hurry,” said Fatse. “I’m really excited for us to keep pushing this thing forward. It’s going to be fun.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 17, 2022 3:08:00 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Garrett Whitlock has worked to become an armed threat with the development of four legitimate pitches By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated April 16, 2022, 5:45 p.m.
When Garrett Whitlock became a key part of the Red Sox’ pitching staff last year, the coaching staff and Whitlock felt he could take his success a step further. Whitlock came up through the minors with a four-seam fastball and changeup mix. But he began developing a two-seamer that would go away from lefthanders and in to righties.
The Sox figured he could add another pitch to his repertoire, too, and settled on a slider. So, Whitlock practically learned that pitch on a fly during the season. Since he harnessed the ability to throw a two-seamer — in to righties; away to lefties — the slider became a pitch that had the opposite effect of his two-seamer: away to righties and in to lefties.
That gave Whitlock four legitimate pitches with which to attack hitters, who wound up batting just .216 against his slider.
That pitch, however, had horizontal break to it. Heading into this year, pitching coach Dave Bush and Whitlock decided that they wanted to incorporate some vertical depth, too.
“It was something that Bush brought to me during the spring,” said Whitlock, who extinguished a threat when he fanned Gio Urshela on three pitches after inheriting a runner at second base with two outs in the seventh inning of Saturday’s 4-0 shutout of against the Twins. Related: Red Sox post first shutout win of the season against the Minnesota Twins
“He said, ‘Hey let’s try and get a little bit more depth on it.’ So I’m just thinking, kind of, like, throwing over the top a little more. My arm angle doesn’t change, but I think over the top and it’s gotten a little more vertical so far.”
The vertical depth over horizontal depth doesn’t match the rest of Whitlock’s arsenal, but that, in part, is what the Sox want. He still can still shape that pitch horizontally, but adding in the vertical shape to it makes Whitlock a bit less predictable.
“It’s just something we’re throwing in there to get guys off my two-seamer and changeup,” Whitlock said. “Those are my two main pitches.”
In Saturday’s shutout, Minnesota had no answers for Whitlock, who worked the final 2 ⅓ innings for the Sox, striking out five in that span.
Whitlock drew seven swings and misses, all of which came on the slider. Josh Taylor to return
Josh Taylor will return to action soon. The Sox lefthander was in the Red Sox clubhouse Saturday and said he came out of Friday’s live batting practice feeling good. Taylor said he’s slated to throw an inning for the Worcester Red Sox Sunday. Sox manager Alex Cora said that would likely be the case, too.
“I’m getting back into the swing of things here,” Taylor said. “My body feels great. My arm feels great. I’m ready to take that next step. I’m excited to get some real game [action] and I’m dying to play. It’s getting more real now.”
Taylor missed the entire spring. As a result, the Red Sox will have to treat his progression like a spring training with Taylor making roughly five or six appearances. Taylor traveled from Fort Myers, Fla., to Fenway Thursday in order to be with the team for Opening Day on Friday, which Taylor said helped get him in that baseball frame of mind.
“I think coming up to Boston is probably the best for me right now,” Taylor said. “You know, sitting in Florida, it kind of gets kind of boring. You do your thing early in the day, and that’s it. I like being around the team, and I like feeling that competitive nature in the clubhouse.
Special apparel
The Red Sox will wear their yellow City Connect jerseys again Sunday. They will wear their white jerseys with “Boston” across the front on Monday in conjunction with Patriots’ Day and the 126th running of the Boston Marathon.
It will be the first Marathon Monday on Patriots’ Day since 2019. The series finale matchup with the Twins will begin at 11:10 a.m.
“I think it’s great,” Cora said. “It’s great for the city. Just the whole atmosphere — the whole weekend itself, is amazing. It’s a special one. As a player, you know. You see the 11:10 [a.m.] start, but it doesn’t matter. Everybody knows that it’s a special day and we’re going to enjoy it.” Progress reports
James Paxton, recovering from Tommy John surgery, is making progress and threw a bullpen Friday. Chris Sale (right rib stress fracture) continues to play catch. It is yet to be determined when Sale will begin throwing. Both Sale and Paxton will travel to Tampa for the first leg of the team’s three-city, 10-game road trip next week. The pair will drive back to Fort Myers, Fla., following that series vs. the Rays and continue their rehab.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 17, 2022 3:14:28 GMT -5
Trevor Story making big progress after crazy start to Red Sox career: ‘I know I’m really close’ Impresses on both sides in Sox’ 4-0 win
By Steve Hewitt | stephen.hewitt@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald PUBLISHED: April 16, 2022 at 9:13 p.m. | UPDATED: April 16, 2022 at 9:13 p.m.
Trevor Story didn’t have much time to react.
As Xander Bogaerts slid to snag a grounder up the middle, Story raced to second base, a potential double play in the works. Bogaerts didn’t have time to transfer the ball to his hand. Instead, he gloved it to Story at second.
Story reacted accordingly. He barehanded the ball, and in one fluid motion fired a bullet to Bobby Dalbec at first for the impressive twin killing.
“That was fun,” Story said. “Just kind of happened. It was in the flow of the game, so it was fun.”
That play in the Red Sox’ 4-0 win over the Twins on Saturday represented the growing comfort Story is playing with as he continues his transition with a new team and new position after a delayed start to the season.
Story has had, to put it lightly, a hectic and uneven three weeks since joining the Red Sox, which included leaving spring training to be home for the birth of his first child and missing three games earlier this week with food poisoning. But in between all of that, he’s making every effort to make up for lost time.
He’s been putting in the work with Bogaerts defensively, practice angles and communication with each other. It’s shown. Story has looked like a natural at second base, evidenced by the double play in Saturday’s win. And at the plate, he’s certainly getting there. On Saturday, he hit a missile to the gap in right-center for a long single, 103.1 mph off the bat for his hardest hit ball this season.
Story’s timing at the plate isn’t all there just yet. He had a late start to spring training and there’s still work to be done. But the two-time Silver Slugger knows he’s making significant progress.
“Like I’ve said, it’s a process, for sure. It’s been a crazy few weeks, but I feel good and I know I’m progressing each day, and that’s what I want. I know what it feels like when I’m there and I know it’s really close.”
Eventually, Story will be making good use of the Green Monster in left, painting wall-ball doubles or launching homers to Lansdowne Street. His career spray chart suggests it will come sooner than later. But right now, he’s satisfied with the progress he’s making.
“Right now I don’t need to do that,” Story said. “What I did, the line drive to right was a really good sign for me. If I’m doing that, I know I’m really close. The big thing in left will kind of take care of itself. I don’t need to try to hit it. Those just kind of happen.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 17, 2022 3:18:24 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 8h Whitlock will have the next few days off and at that point will be on pace for like 40 games 115 innings. I hope the Sox try to develop/acquire this type of player going forward and move away from 60 games 60 inning guys. A bunch of their pitching prospects seem like candidates.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 17, 2022 3:22:36 GMT -5
Twins @ Red Sox 17th April 2022 1:30 pm @ Fenway
Ober 0-0/7.20
Wacha 0-0/ 2.08
Red Sox look to stay hot, turn to Michael Wacha vs. Twins FLM
The Boston Red Sox look for their fourth win in five games as they host the Minnesota Twins on Sunday afternoon.
Boston pitched its first shutout of the young season and evened the four-game series with Saturday's 4-0 win. Alex Verdugo and Xander Bogaerts hit two-run home runs to account for all the offense in support of Tanner Houck, who pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings.
The Sox have hit multiple homers in back-to-back games after being held to one or fewer in their first six. Verdugo has left the yard in each game against Minnesota.
"Just experience and trying to get certain pitches," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said, has helped Verdugo hit for more power. "He's more mature and he's a little bit stronger this year. ... As long as he stays 'humble,' there's no problem with that. So far, he's staying humble."
Michael Wacha (0-0, 2.08 ERA) is set for his first Red Sox home start. He allowed one run on two hits and three walks while striking out four in a 4 1/3-inning no-decision last Monday in Detroit.
Wacha, who has a 2-1 record, 5.71 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 17 1/3 career innings against Minnesota, looks to follow up Houck's excellent Saturday outing.
"They showed some discipline early on, but in the end it was weak contact," Cora said of what led to outs on Saturday. "(Houck) was able to give us 5 2/3 and just passed the baton to the bullpen to finish it."
In the most recent of Wacha's three career starts (two last season) against Minnesota, he fanned seven over six innings of two-run ball in a Sept. 3 win. Prior to 2021, he hasn't faced the Twins since 2015 with St. Louis.
The Twins will start Bailey Ober (1-0, 7.20 ERA), who got his second MLB season off to a winning start after throwing five innings of four-run ball in last Sunday's 10-4 home win over Seattle.
Ober allowed all four runs in the third inning -- including three on a Mitch Haniger home run -- and bounced back to put up zeroes in the fourth and fifth.
"(He) fought through the start, which was great to see, and he (got) us through five on a day where he threw probably a handful of pitches that he didn't want to throw or were maybe a tick off," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "... You add that all together, I consider that a really good start."
Baldelli will need Ober to do the same after Sonny Gray left Saturday's start with right hamstring tightness in the third inning. The injury is not expected to be severe.
Ober, who was 3-3 with a 4.19 ERA in 20 starts for Minnesota last season, was outstanding during his only career start against Boston last Aug. 25. He shut out the Red Sox over five innings of four-hit ball with seven strikeouts at Fenway Park.
Before Saturday's game, Baldelli said that an MRI of center fielder Byron Buxton's sore right knee didn't reveal any structural damage. Buxton left Friday's series opener after coming up awkwardly on a slide into second base.
"Relatively positive news on Buck," said Baldelli, who expects Buxton to travel to Kansas City for the Twins' next series. "... We're still going to take some time over the next couple of days to continue to assess him."
--Field Level Media
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 17, 2022 6:45:27 GMT -5
Actually was very impressed with Mazz in the NESN booth yesterday had some good insight and was not babbling all the time. Hope it keeps up
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Post by Kimmi on Apr 17, 2022 8:10:09 GMT -5
Rob Bradford @bradfo · 1h Xander helps executes a flawless wedding proposal with a couple from Aruba
Chris Cotillo @chriscotillo · 1h The ring is probably worth more than the Sox’ lowball offer to Bogaerts. Quote Tweet Rob B Ouch. That was a low blow.
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Post by Kimmi on Apr 17, 2022 8:13:22 GMT -5
Sean McAdam @sean_McAdam · 1h Red Sox are wearing the yellow and blue “City Connect” jerseys today. They were 6-2 wearing them a year ago. As I said before, I love the colors of the jersey, but I don't think they have any business being on a Red Sox uniform. That said, the message and purpose behind the jerseys is a strong one, so it's all good.
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Post by Kimmi on Apr 17, 2022 8:14:47 GMT -5
Alex Cora reflects on Jerry Remy’s pizza call, Boston Red Sox’s tribute that ‘brought a smile to everybody’ FridayUpdated: Apr. 16, 2022, 3:37 p.m. | Published: Apr. 16, 2022, 3:34 p.m. By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com BOSTON — Fifteen years ago today marks Jerry Remy and Don Orsillo’s famous pizza toss call. I can't believe that was 15 years ago. I loved Remy and Orsillo together in the booth. The pizza incident was one of the best. It still cracks me up when I see it.
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Post by Kimmi on Apr 17, 2022 8:21:37 GMT -5
I have no data, but it does feel like some of our innings are really short. The only one I remember was the one at Detroit, but the Detroit fielders weren't helping the cause. OTOH, when Whitlock has been out there, the opposing innings seem pretty quick. I had the game on, switched for a minute, and it went from 1 out to 'game over' before I switched back. Whitlock doesn't mess around. He does tend to have really quick innings. Dude has ice water running through his veins.
Much, much better game yesterday.
Houck had some trouble with his command early, but settled in very nicely and was able to get through 5 2/3 strong innings.
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Post by Kimmi on Apr 17, 2022 8:25:23 GMT -5
Actually was very impressed with Mazz in the NESN booth yesterday had some good insight and was not babbling all the time. Hope it keeps up I was going to say the same thing. I really liked him in the booth.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 17, 2022 9:18:22 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 55s The Sox had been planning to sit Story today. Evidently, after his best swing of the season yesterday, he talked them out of it: Hernández CF, Devers 3B, Bogaerts SS, Martinez DH, Verdugo LF, Story 2B, Dalbec 1B, Bradley Jr. RF, Plawecki C, Wacha P
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 17, 2022 9:21:00 GMT -5
Game 9: Twins at Red Sox lineups and notesBy Amin Touri Globe Staff,Updated April 17, 2022, 4 minutes ago With their first home win on the books, the Red Sox host the Twins Sunday afternoon for the third leg of a four-game homestand. Michael Wacha will make his second start for Boston and his first home start at Fenway. Wacha was left frustrated after a strong first outing, exiting after 4 ⅓ innings having allowed only one run on two hits, but settling for a no-decision in a 3-1 Sox loss in Detroit. Bailer Ober is on the hill for Minnesota, making his second career start in Boston; the righthander threw five shutout innings at Fenway last August, striking out seven and allowing only four hits. The Twins said Saturday that star center fielder Byron Buxton didn’t suffer any structural damage to his knee sliding into second on Friday, but he remained out of the lineup on Sunday. Lineups TWINS (3-5): 1. Luis Arraez (L) 2B 2. Carlos Correa (R) SS 3. Jorge Polanco (S) DH 4. Max Kepler (L) RF 5. Gio Urshela (R) 3B 6. Trevor Larnach (L) LF 7. Gary Sanchez (R) C 8. Miguel Sano (R) 1B 9. Nick Gordon (L) CF Pitching: RHP Bailey Ober (1-0, 7.20 ERA) RED SOX (4-4): Pitching: RHP Michael Wacha (0-0, 2.08 ERA) 1. Enrique Hernandez (R) CF 2. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 3. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS 4. J.D. Martinez (R) DH 5. Alex Verdugo (L) LF 6. Trevor Story (R) 2B 7. Bobby Dalbec (R) 1B 8. Jackie Bradley Jr. (L) RF 9. Kevin Plawecki (R) C Time: 1:35 p.m. TV, radio: MLB Network, NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Twins vs. Wacha: Arraez 2-6, Buxton 0-5, Correa 1-6, 0-2, Jeffers 1-2, Kepler 2-5, Polanco 1-6, Sanó 1-5, Sánchez 0-7, Urshela 2-9 Red Sox vs. Ober: Bogaerts 0-2, Devers 0-1, Hernández 0-3, Martinez 0-2, Shaw 0-2, Verdugo 1-2, Vázquez 1-2 Stat of the day: The Sox have hit multiple homers in back-to-back games after being held to one or fewer in their first six. Notes: The Red Sox look for their fourth win in five games after a 1-3 start ... Saturday’s 4-0 win marked Boston’s first shutout victory of the season ... Wacha has a 2-1 record with 5.71 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 17 ⅓ career innings against Minnesota. In the most recent of his three career starts against Minnesota, he fanned seven over six innings of two-run ball in a Sept. 3 win with the Rays ... Alex Verdugo has homered in both games of the series thus far, bringing his career OPS against the Twins to 1.180. Song of the Day: The Pretenders- Back on the Chain Gangwww.youtube.com/watch?v=CK3uf5V0pDA
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Apr 17, 2022 10:08:07 GMT -5
“They showed some discipline early on but at the end it was weak contact,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “He was able to give us 5 2/3 [innings] and pass the baton to the bullpen and the bullpen finished it.”
Was Houck dominant? The modest five whiffs on the 35 swings the Twins took against his 89 pitches show he wasn’t quite that.
Did he keep the Twins -- who clearly came in with the mindset of being patient -- off-balanced?
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And those two things are 100% connected. If you think the other team is building up counts, then you attack early. They can build up your count, but they will also get behind in the count. And they will knock you out early, but have to sacrifice offense to do so.
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