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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2022 2:07:02 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Blue Jays Monday, 25th April 2022 7pm @ Rogers Center
Eovaldi 0-0/ 3.68
Berrios 0-0/ 6.36
The Toronto Blue Jays play host to the Boston Red Sox on Monday night from the Rogers Centre in the series opener. These two met just last week in Boston, with the Blue Jays taking two of three games and the series win. Last season, the Red Sox went 10-9 to take the season series between the two, and this season is expected to be a close matchup again across the course of the season. The Blue Jays will certainly like their chances to pick up where they left off last week in Boston, but the Red Sox have the talent and experience to put up a fight.
Red Sox In Rough Stretch Boston has high hopes for the season after making it to last year's ALCS but the last week has put things into perspective as to how difficult things could be. The Red Sox lost two of three to the Blue Jays at home just last week, finding themselves outscored 10-5. The Red Sox are one of the most balanced teams in the league on both sides of the ball and while there is certainly room for improvement, neither the lineup nor the pitching and defense is expected to be the reason they struggle this season. Going on the road to Toronto will be tough though, especially after playing on the road over the weekend against the Rays.
The biggest potential absence is J.D. Martinez (groin), who missed time over the weekend. Adding in Chris Sale (illness) and James Paxton (elbow) battling injuries, it isn't a surprise that the rotation has faced some inconsistencies.
Nathan Eovaldi will get the start for the Red Sox, as the experienced righty brings in a 1-0 record and 3.68 ERA. His last start came against the Blue Jays as well, in what was the best start of the season for him. He was able to go 4.2 innings, allowing only one run, as he looks to replicate that performance. He's faced Toronto ten times in his career and while his lone win was back in 2010 against them, he's hoping to get back into the win column against the divisional rival on Monday.
Boston had one of baseball's best offenses in 2022 but so far, they've struggled to match that level of production. They rank 15th in the league in scoring but are struggling to find much power in the lineup. Xander Bogaerts (.357 average, .379 OBP) leads the way, while Verdugo has provided the limited power in the lineup behind a team-high three home runs. As a whole, the lineup has found decent success against Jose Berrios though, hitting .247 as a team across 14 at-bats, though with Martinez leading the way against him with a .350 average, his bat is sure to be missed.
Blue Jays Atop AL East Standings The Blue Jays come in looking like the top team in the AL East this season and after taking two of three against Boston last week, are riding some of that momentum forward. Adding in a strong weekend on the road against Houston, it's clear that Toronto is a legit contender in not only the AL East but in baseball as a whole. The Blue Jays are 4-2 this season at home, after going 47-34 at home last season. With their eyes set on being the best team in baseball, Toronto knows that continuing to dominate at home, especially against divisional rivals, is going to be key to their continued success.
It has certainly helped that Toronto is one of the healthiest teams in baseball, though they will continue to miss Teoscar Hernandez (oblique) and Danny Jansen (oblique). Adding in Hyun Ryu (forearm) missing time out of the rotation, this team will only be more dangerous once healthy.
The Blue Jays will turn the ball over to Jose Berrios as they look to start their mid-week action with a win. The righty comes in with a 1-0 record, despite his 6.35 ERA. He grabbed the win against Boston the last time out, allowing only one earned run across six innings of work, and was strong as well the start prior, allowing only three runs across five innings. Sitting with just a 1-5 record against Boston all-time though, it'll take a great start to find a way to stay in the win column against the divisional rival.
Toronto's offense was expected to lead the way this season and while they have, there's certainly room for improvement. They rank sixth in batting average and ninth in OPS while sitting first in home runs. Despite that, they rank only 16th un runs per game and need to do a better job making the most of their opportunities. Vlad Guerrero Jr. Hasn't wasted any time emerging as the lead star in the AL East, leading the Blue Jays in nearly every offensive statistic. Leading the team in batting average (.333), home runs (5), RBI (11), OBP (.393), and hits (18), this offense will go where his big bat takes them.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2022 2:11:24 GMT -5
SP Probables Tuesday...7pm...Pivetta 0-0/ 10.03 vs Gausman 1-1/2.89
Wednesday...7pm....Wacha 0-0/1.88 vs Stripling 0-0/4.50
Thursday..3pm...TBD (Whitlock) vs Manoah 0-0/ 2.00
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2022 2:11:49 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 4h
The Red Sox are averaging 3.5 runs per game, their second-lowest scoring average through 16 games this century. League context is that offense is down everywhere for multiple reasons, but … their offense is absent for huge swaths of most games.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2022 2:13:27 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox preparing to be without multiple unvaccinated players (including Tanner Houck) for 4 games in Toronto this week Published: Apr. 24, 2022, 3:16 p.m.
By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
The Red Sox roster is going to look a bit different for the club’s first series of the year in Toronto, beginning Monday. But just how different remains unclear.
Any players who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 are not allowed to travel to Canada and play against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre this year. Anyone who falls under that category will be placed on the restricted list for the duration of the team’s four-game series and will not receive pay or service time. The Red Sox have multiple players who remain unvaccinated, manager Alex Cora said, though the exact number is unclear. Starter Tanner Houck is one of them and will not be able to pitch in Toronto.
Beyond Houck, it’s unclear who will miss the series but the sense here is that the vast majority of players on Boston’s 28-man roster are vaccinated and will be good to go. The Red Sox are not expected to be missing any key position players and have listed Nate Eovaldi, Nick Pivetta and Michael Wacha as their starters for the first three games of the series. The vaccination statuses of some bullpen members are unknown though Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier and Garrett Whitlock are among those who have said they are vaccinated. The identities of any unvaccinated players other than Houck likely won’t be known until the Red Sox place players on the restricted list Monday morning. Left-hander Chris Sale, who is unvaccinated, is on the injured list and wouldn’t have been ready to pitch in Toronto anyway.
The Red Sox will be, in some sense, shorthanded for four games against a division rival. Things might change before they next play in Toronto from June 27-29 (or for the final time from Sept. 30-Oct. 2). At least for now, the rules will require the club to make some adjustments.
“From my personal perspective, you’ve got to respect their decisions and we have to adjust,” said manager Alex Cora, who is away from the team after testing positive for the virus Thursday. “That’s the bottom line. Obviously, it’s not perfect but it’s where we’re at. Going into Toronto, this is what it’s going to be and what it’s going to be, probably, the rest of the season.”
The most notable adjustment the Red Sox have to make is in their rotation because Houck won’t be able to make his start Tuesday when his turn comes up. By starting Whitlock on Saturday and Rich Hill on Sunday, the club maneuvered things so they don’t have an open spot until Thursday’s series finale (after Eovaldi, Pivetta and Wacha start the first three games). Whitlock will likely take that spot, setting up Houck to pitch Friday in Baltimore on regular rest after coming out of the bullpen Sunday.
Reliever Tyler Danish, who was sent to the minors Sunday, is still with the team and is a candidate to take Houck’s roster spot in Toronto. Additional players will need to be called up from the WooSox to fill the other spots. Making matters slightly more complicated are the impending returns of catcher Kevin Plawecki and infielder Jonathan Araúz, who are both on the COVID-19 related injured list after testing positive. Both are vaccinated and it sounds like Plawecki might be ready to be activated early in the week.
Unlike teams who expect to be at full strength heading into Toronto -- including the Yankees -- the Red Sox will have to maneuver their roster every time they cross the border. It’s an unfortunate reality for a team fighting for position in the toughest division in baseball.
“Obviously, you want everyone to be there. Your whole team, your teammates. But it’s a personal decision and you can’t force anyone to do what they don’t want to do,” said Bogaerts. “We’re grown guys here. You try to convince but it’s everyone’s own choice.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2022 2:14:31 GMT -5
Lou Merloni @loumerloni · 1h I was always told that the Definition of a bad team is getting good pitching when you can’t hit and when you start to hit, your pitching goes south. Looks like it so far, they need to start hitting. Need a couple in Tor
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2022 2:16:13 GMT -5
Breaking down Boston Red Sox’s lifeless offense through 16 games; what’s wrong? Updated: Apr. 24, 2022, 8:18 p.m. | Published: Apr. 24, 2022, 6:41 p.m.
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It’s only a matter of time before the Red Sox offense breaks out of its slump, right? They have too many talented hitters not to start raking soon, correct?
“Yes, it’s a matter of time but ... we’ve been saying that for quite some days now,” Kiké Hernández said. “So we’ve got to figure out a way to get it done.”
The Red Sox lost 5-2 to the Rays here at Tropicana Field on Sunday.
Trevor Story doubled on the first pitch of the game. Hernández singled on the second pitch of the game to make it 1-0. Boston scored two runs on four hits in the first inning.
But the offense went scoreless with only two hits over the final eight innings.
The answer to why the Red Sox offense has slumped so much is not easy to identify.
“If we knew the answer to that right now, we would have figured it out by now,” Hernández said.
The Red Sox offense scored eight runs last Sunday in a win over the Twins. Since then, Boston has 16 runs in seven games (2.3 runs per game).
Acting manager Will Venable doesn’t see one common theme in the seven games.
“I think on a day-to-day basis, it’s different,” he said. “Largely, we talk about getting in the strike zone, swinging at strikes. The willingness to use the whole field. ... I think that with our group is gonna be the story. And these guys will figure it out.”
Boston ranks 19th in MLB in runs (58 runs), an average of 3.6 runs per game.
It’s still early. The sample size is minimal. But under former hitting coach Tim Hyers (who left in the offseason for the same position with the Rangers), the Red Sox averaged 5.1 runs per game in 2021, 4.9 runs per game in 2020, 5.6 runs per game in 2019 and 5.4 runs per game in 2018.
It certainly hasn’t helped that the Red Sox have been without J.D. Martinez (left adductor tightness) in the starting lineup for four straight games.
“I think for us coming into this series, it’s about winning pitches in the strike zone,” Red Sox hitting coach Peter Fatse said. “These guys do a good job of keeping you off-balance, throwing a lot of breaking balls. Like I said, I think it’s one of those things where we have to keep going back to dominating the strike zone and competing when we have the opportunity.”
Boston promoted Fatse from assistant hitting coach to hitting coach when Hyers departed. Luis Ortiz and Ben Rosenthal were hired to work as assistant hitting coaches under Fatse.
The Red Sox rank 19th in the league in batting average (.225), 27th in on-base percentage (.276), 18th in slugging percentage (.350) and 23rd in OPS (.626).
While the Red Sox entered today tied for the MLB lead in percentage of swings at pitches within the strike zone (73.4%), they also have the highest chase rate (36.2%), per Fangraphs. And they are 29th in the league in percentage of contact on pitches within the zone (79.3%).
Boston entered today with a .124 batting average, .216 on-base percentage, .169 slugging percentage and .384 OPS in 102 plate appearances considered “late and close.”
The Red Sox have the worst first base offensive production (6-for-58, .103 batting average) in the big leagues. Dalbec (.154/.214/.269/.483 line) has started 13 of the 16 games there. Backup first baseman Travis Shaw is 0-for-17.
“It’s still early,” Fatse said. “We’ve got guys still grinding. They’re working really hard. It’s just that at this moment, it’s just about putting good at-bats together. Putting things together as a group, passing the baton to the next guy. Like I said, hoping to string more runs across.”
Rays starter Shane McClanahan settled in and pitched seven innings after giving up two runs on four hits in the first.
“I think he did a good job of keeping us off-balance, especially in some of the middle counts,” Fatse said. “We was going back-to-back with his breaking ball-changeup combination. Kept everybody off balance.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2022 2:25:38 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Hill back from bereavement April 24th, 2022
Keep track of the Red Sox’s recent transactions and injury updates throughout the season. LATEST NEWS
April 24: LHP Rich Hill reinstated from bereavement/family medical emergency list; RHP Tyler Danish returned to Triple-A Worcester Hill, who attended funeral services for his father, Lloyd Hill Sr., earlier this week, returned to the Red Sox in time to start the April 24 finale of a three-game series against the Rays at Tropicana Field. While Danish was taken off the roster for the game, he could be reinstated within a day or two, as Boston's players who aren’t fully vaccinated aren’t permitted to take the upcoming road trip to Toronto. -- Ian Browne
April 24: J.D. Martinez (left adductor tightness) still unavailable The star slugger was out of the lineup for the fourth straight game with an injury he suffered while pulling into second base on April 20. Martinez’s absence has been glaring at a time when much of the Red Sox offense is struggling. The club hopes he can return for the series that starts in Toronto on April 25. -- Ian Browne
• All Red Sox transactions INJURY UPDATES
COVID-19-related IL
C Kevin Plawecki (tested positive for COVID-19) Expected return: April 25-28 Acting manager Will Venable, filling in while Alex Cora recovers from COVID-19, said Plawecki is feeling better and should join the Red Sox for the series in Toronto that starts April 25. Plawecki tested positive prior to the April 18 game against the Twins. He is vaccinated. -- Ian Browne (Last updated: April 24)
INF Jonathan Araúz (tested positive for COVID-19) Expected return: TBD Araúz is still “in protocol,” according to acting manager Will Venable. The Red Sox are covered well enough in the infield because they have an all-purpose backup in Christian Arroyo. Rob Refsnyder was called up from Triple-A Worcester earlier in the week to take Araúz’s spot on the bench, and he has been getting some playing time against lefties. -- Ian Browne (Last updated: April 24) 10-day and 15-day IL
LHP Josh Taylor (back soreness) Expected return: Some point in May Taylor started his Minor League rehab assignment on April 18, but got the next five days off due to concerns about possible exposure/close contact to COVID-19. He got back out there on Sunday and gave up three hits and two runs while recording two outs for Double-A Portland.
The Red Sox are treating this like a Spring Training progression for Taylor, so he’s likely to make another three or four more appearances in the Minors before he is activated. Taylor is Boston’s best left-on-left pitcher, so he will be an important addition when he comes back. -- Ian Browne (Last updated: April 24)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2022 2:38:14 GMT -5
Jason Mastrodonato @jmastrodonato · 11h The Red Sox have been held to four runs or fewer in each of their last seven games. They’ve gone 2-5 while scoring 2.3 runs per game in that stretch.
Overall in 2022, they rank 30th while seeing just 3.7 P/PA. They also rank 30th while chasing 32% of pitches outside the zone
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2022 2:41:57 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Rich Hill offers appreciation in his first outing since his father’s funeral By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated April 24, 2022, 7:50 p.m.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Rich Hill knew this would be a tough week following the recent passing of his father, Lloyd Hill.
Hill started for the Red Sox on Marathon Monday, three days after his father’s death, then went on the bereavement list until Sunday morning. Before he talked about baseball, he took some time to reflect on his support systems.
“I just want to thank everybody for their outreach and support,” Hill said. “For myself, my family, it was great. From everybody inside the clubhouse, outside of it, and around the league.”
As for the game, Hill tossed four scoreless innings, allowing four hits and walking three. The outing was sufficient enough for the Red Sox to tally a win, but a dismal offense and bullpen resulted in a 5-2 loss.
‘We gotta give those guys credit. This is a tough division,” Hill said of the Rays. “This is going to be a tough division all year long. Obviously, we have work to do. And obviously, going up to Toronto, it’s not going to be an easy series at all, either. But we’re fully capable of going on a nice run here.”
Hill, who was pushed back a day, threw a bullpen and played catch while on the bereavement list to keep up with some sort of routine. Nonetheless, he’s excited about the week ahead and getting back on a normal throwing program with the team. Sox might be buying into PitchCom
The Sox have been hesitant to use PitchCom, a device which debuted in the majors this year designed to help curtail sign-stealing. The catcher wears a wristband with buttons to signal pitch and location, which delivers an audio sign to the pitcher (and up to three fielders) through a receiver in his cap.
The Sox used it some in spring training but ran into issues, mainly around being able to hear what pitch is being called with the earpiece. They have largely not used it, though Nate Eovaldi tried it for two innings during his start at Detroit.
Hill used it Sunday and gave some positive feedback.
“It was smooth,” Hill said. “It kept a good rhythm to the game. I think there was maybe a few things here and there we can change with some of the pitches, but, overall, I thought it was really, really good.”
Hill believes using the device will erase an opponent’s ability, particularly with runners on, to relay signs to the batter.
“I think this is going to be beneficial,” Hill said. J.D. Martinez gets on the field, sort of
J.D. Martinez did some work on the field prior to missing his fourth straight game with with left adductor tightness. Martinez said Saturday that he hopes to be back in a couple of days . . . Both manager Alex Cora and utility man Jonathan Araúz are still in the COVID-19 protocol, with neither’s return date yet known. Catcher Kevin Plawecki should rejoin the team during the Blue Jays series . . . Lefthander Josh Taylor made a rehab appearance for Double A Portland, his first in a week after being put in COVID protocols as a close contact. He allowed two runs on three hits (two singles and a double) with a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning. He tossed 21 pitches, 14 for strikes . . . Matt Barnes had another strange outing when he took over for Ryan Brasier to begin the sixth. His fastball is still at 92-93 miles per hour, and it’s evident that he doesn’t trust it. He tossed just three out of the 15 pitches he threw, the rest curveballs and changeups . . . Nate Eovaldi, Nick Pivetta, and Michael Wacha are lineup up to pitch in the Toronto series. Garrett Whitlock, who threw four shutout innings as Saturday’s starter, is a likely candidate to take the turn of Tanner Houck, who was slated for Tuesday, but who won’t make the trip to Canada due to the country’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The East-leading Jays have scheduled José Berríos, Kevin Gausman, Ross Stripling, and Alek Manoah . . . Hill offered Rays shortstop Wander Franco some high praise, declaring “I know it’s a bold statement, but I think he’s going to be a Hall of Famer. I mean, I think I said that the first couple of weeks just watching him, seeing how much he loves playing the game of baseball. He doesn’t take anything for granted.” Hill played with Franco, 21, last season. The Sox held Franco hitless (0 for 7) the last two games, but he did homer twice in Friday’s series opener while also playing a stellar shortstop. He’s batting .349/.364/.635 (.999 OPS) with three homers.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2022 2:55:47 GMT -5
Red Sox aim for series win on road vs. Blue Jays FLM
The Boston Red Sox will try to reverse the result of last week's series between the teams when they visit the Toronto Blue Jays for a four-game set that opens Monday night.
The Blue Jays won two of three games from the Red Sox at Fenway Park as part of their 4-2 road trip that finished with an 8-7 loss in 10 innings to the Houston Astros on Sunday.
After dropping the series against Toronto, the Red Sox lost two of three to the Tampa Bay Rays at St. Petersburg, Fla., where they opened a 10-game road trip.
"Give those guys credit," said Boston starter Rich Hill, who allowed four hits and three walks in four runless innings on Sunday. "We're in a tough division and it's going to be a tough division all year long.
"Obviously, we have work to do. Going up to Toronto is not going to be an easy series either, but we're fully capable of going on a nice run here."
Red Sox starting pitcher Tanner Houck, who will not make the trip to Toronto because he has not been vaccinated for COVID-19, was used in relief in the 5-2 loss to the Rays on Sunday. Houck struck out two in 1 2/3 runless innings.
Phillips Valdez took the loss after being charged with three runs in one-third of an inning after hitting two batters with pitches and walking another. Ryan Brasier followed by allowing a two-run double.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora was not with the team in the series against the Rays because he tested positive for COVID-19.
The Blue Jays are starting a 10-game homestand with the series against the American League East rival Red Sox.
Boston will start right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (1-0. 3.68 ERA) in the opener against right-hander Jose Berrios (1-0, 6.35).
Eovaldi allowed one run in 4 2/3 innings Tuesday against Toronto and did not factor in the decision. He gave up seven hits and one walk while striking out six in the game won 2-1 by Boston. In 10 career games (nine starts), Eovaldi is 1-2 with a 4.33 ERA against Toronto.
Eovaldi has not allowed more than two walks in 22 straight regular-season starts to match his career best.
Berrios earned the win on Wednesday at Boston when he allowed one run, eight hits and one walk while striking out six in six innings. Toronto won 6-1. In eight career starts against Boston, he is 1-5 with a 4.05 ERA.
The Blue Jays came close to sweeping the Astros in a tight series after coming back from a 5-2 deficit. Toronto tied the game on a three-run homer by Zack Collins in the sixth and took the lead on Santiago Espinal's double in the seventh.
After Houston tied the game in the bottom of the seventh, Toronto regained the lead in the top of the 10th on Lourdes Gurriel Jr.'s double.
In the bottom of the 10th, however, Jordan Romano allowed Jeremy Pena's two-run, walkoff home run.
Romano had converted a franchise-record 31 consecutive save opportunities - eight this season - entering the game.
"We had a good road trip," Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said. "It's fine. We're not going to win every game. We came back and we were there until the end and we were closing the game."
--Field Level Media
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2022 6:41:42 GMT -5
Chad Finn @globechadfinn · 5m In 586 plate-appearances this season, the Red Sox as a team have 11 homers, 58 RBIs, and a .225/.276/.350 slash line.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2022 9:25:44 GMT -5
Red Sox Heading To Toronto Shorthanded Due To Canada’s COVID Vaccination Policy April 25, 2022 at 10:07 am
BOSTON (CBS) — The Red Sox stumbled in St. Petersburg over the weekend, dropping two of three to the AL East rival Tampa Bay Rays to fall to 7-9 on the young season. Now Boston gets to travel for another AL East showdown, this time to Toronto for four games against the first-place Jays.
Boston will be shorthanded for this set too, as any players who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 are not allowed to cross the Canadian border. The exact number of Red Sox players who remain unvaccinated is unclear, but manager Alex Cora has said multiple players will not be eligible to play north of the border. We’ll find out who made the trip — and who couldn’t — ahead of Monday night’s first pitch. Sen. Elizabeth Warren Rules Out 2024 Presidential Run
Those players who aren’t eligible to cross the border will be put on the restricted list over the next four games and will not receive a paycheck or service time. The rest of the Red Sox will have to do their best with what they have against the first-place Jays.
The only Boston player we know for certain that won’t be making the trip is Tanner Houck, who would have been slated to pitch Tuesday night. The Red Sox were able to maneuver around Houck leading up to the series, with Garrett Whitlock and Rich Hill starting over the weekend against Tampa, so Houck’s spot won’t come up until Thursday. Nick Pivetta will now pitch Tuesday night, with Whitlock likely getting another start on Thursday.
The biggest concern comes with the Boston lineup, though, which hasn’t been all that good to start the year anyways. But if the Red Sox are without some of their heavy hitters in the heart of their order, it will make it all the more difficult to keep up with the Jays and their high-powered offense.
The COVID rules could change by the time the Red Sox make their next trip to Toronto in late June. But Boston has 10 important games at the Rogers Centre this season, including their penultimate series of the regular season from Sept. 30-Oct. 2. That series could have some serious playoff ramifications to it, as will the two preceding it.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2022 11:07:27 GMT -5
Red Sox at Blue Jays Series Preview
The Red Sox head north of the border for a four-game set. By Matt_Collins@MattRyCollins Apr 25, 2022, 12:01pm EDT
Bluebird Banter The opponent in one sentence
The Blue Jays are right where they were expected to be before the season, sitting atop the American League East with a good all-around roster led by a legitimate superstar in the middle of their lineup. Record
10-6 Head-to-head record
Red Sox 1, Blue Jays 2 Trend
Up. The Blue Jays are in the midst of what should be a tough stretch on their schedule, with three against the Red Sox last week followed by three on the road against the Astros. They took two of three in each of those series, with the two losses coming by a combined two runs. Pitching Matchups
4/25: Nathan Eovaldi vs. José Berríos, 7:07 PM ET (MLB Network for out-of-market)
The Red Sox turn to their nominal ace to start what feels like kind of a big series despite the date. Eovaldi has had a bit of a strange start to his season, too, mostly because of the strange home run issues we wrote about earlier this morning. As was concluded in the linked piece, we’re still looking at it as mostly small sample size noise, but against a lineup that can be as potent as Toronto’s, the hard contact in general, and home runs specifically, are something to monitor. Otherwise, it’s been a strong start for Eovaldi, who has 19 strikeouts and only three walks over 14 2⁄3 innings. I’ll be watching specifically for how often he uses his slider (and how effective it is when he does use it), along with his efficiency. He’s yet to go more than five innings this season, and that includes his last time out which was against the Blue Jay when he only allowed one run (on a homer) but left after 4 2⁄3 innings.
The Red Sox get to see Berríos for a second straight week, which is not a welcome sight for an offense that is trying to get going. That’s not to say Berríos can not be hit, because he’s gotten off to a bit of a tough start overall, but he largely shut them down last week and has a history of pitching well against this team. Last week he did give up eight hits and a walk over six innings, but only allowed one run while striking out six. The key here is going to be patience. The Red Sox can’t let Berríos work with an expanded zone, because as soon as that happens his stuff is just too good to beat anyway. The righty will feature a pair of fastballs in the 92-95 range along with a curveball and changeup. The curveball is the out pitch, and one the Red Sox will be hoping to avoid when possible.
4/26: Nick Pivetta vs. Kevin Gausman, 7:07 PM ET
There have been a lot of issues with the Red Sox early on in this season, and the offense has justifiably taken the bulk of the hit from the fans. That has kind of let Pivetta fly under the radar for having a really rough start to his year. The team’s nominal number two starter after the injury to Chris Sale, he was looking to build off a solid 2021 but instead has gone in the other direction. So far this season, the righty’s strikeouts are down, the walks are up, and he’s allowed four homers in 11 2⁄3 innings. He did indicate that he thinks he found a mechanical tweak towards the end of his last start, so if you’re looking for optimism there it is, but right now all of his pitches are getting crushed and he needs a major change to get back on track. Against the Jays last week he allowed five runs over four innings.
A struggling Red Sox offense certainly is not going to be happy to see Gausman, who absolutely dominated Boston when they met last week. The righty, who was signed this offseason and early on has looked like a hell of a snag by Toronto, allowed just one run over eight innings of work against the Red Sox last week, striking out six and not allowing a walk. In fact, Gausman has yet to allow a walk or a home run in three starts this season, putting his FIP at an absurd 0.73 for the year. That’s a number screaming for regression, even for the best pitchers, so hopefully Boston can oblige. Gausman features a a mid-90s fastball, plus an elite splitter and a very good slider.
4/27: Michael Wacha vs. Ross Stripling, 7:07 PM ET (MLB Network for out-of-market)
One of the big positive surprises for the Red Sox this season has been Wacha, whose peripherals don’t look great but he’s been able to keep runs off the board with a sub-2.00 ERA. One area of concern has been his control, as he’s walked over 12 percent of opponents, but weak contact has allowed him to work around that. His changeup in particular has been an incredible pitch, and if he can continue to excel with that he should have a chance against any lineup. This will be his first meeting of the year with the Blue Jays.
The closest thing the Red Sox have to a break in terms of pitchers they are facing this week will be on Wednesday against Stripling. The former Dodger has been with Toronto since mid-season 2020, and his ERA has consistently sat between 4.00 and 5.00, in large part because he is so susceptible to the home run. He has yet to allow one this season, but his strikeout rate and walk rate have both gone in the wrong direction so far. He’s a four-pitch pitcher with a low-90s fastball plus a slider, changeup, and curveball.
4/28: TBD vs. Alek Manoah, 3:07 PM ET
Officially, the Red Sox have not announced a starter for the series finale on Thursday, but it’s almost certainly going to be Garrett Whitlock, who was outstanding in his first career start over the weekend. I would assume the only reason they are not making the announcement yet is because they may want to use him out of the bullpen in a specific situation earlier in the series, but I’d be really surprised if anyone else made that start. And really, it wouldn’t be totally surprising if Whitlock just sticks in this role the rest of the year.
On a Blue Jays roster that is loaded with fun, young talent, Manoah kind of sneaks under the radar but he belongs in that conversation. He is going to be a problem in this rotation for the next few years at least, and the 24-year-old is off to a strong start this season with a 2.00 ERA and a 3.74 FIP. He can get into slight trouble with his control from time to time, but even there he’s largely league-average to go with above-average strikeout stuff. He’s also coming off a strong start against a good Astros lineup, allowing one run over six innings on five strikeouts and no walks. Manoah will feature a pair of fastballs along with a nasty slider and a good changeup.
Ed. Note: The rest of this post is largely copied and pastes from last week’s series preview. Old Friends
Santiago Espinal was never a big name in the Red Sox farm system, but he ended up having an impact on the organization as he was traded to Toronto in 2018 in exchange for Steve Pearce, who would of course go on to win the World Series MVP. Since then, Espinal has blossomed into a clear major leaguer and in fact a starter on this contending roster, though even with that information the Red Sox would not re-do that deal. Notable Position Players
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is only 23 years old, but he’s already right in the thick of the “best hitter in baseball” conversation and was runner-up for AL MVP a year ago. His strikeout rate is a bit higher than you’d expect early in this season, but he’s got great plate discipline and hits the ball as hard as just about anyone in the game.
George Springer was unavailable for long stretches of last season, which had a big impact on their lineup as he’s a center piece for this group. You can get him to swing and miss at times, though even that has improved as his career has gone on while still showing off plus power.
Bo Bichette is yet another guy in this lineup who can absolutely smoke the ball off any pitcher in the game, though the shortstop is more aggressive than the two hitters above, and can be exploited with good pitches just off the plate.
Matt Chapman was acquired via trade after the lockout and added an elite defender to their infield. Offensively, he’s coming off a down year in which he was merely an average hitter with his strikeout rate going way up the last few years.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has watched his power drop the last couple years, but he’s still been able to make enough contact to keep his OBP respectable and keep the overall line above water.
Espinal is another guy who won’t add much power at all, but he’ll put a lot of balls in play while drawing a decent amount of walks.
Alejandro Kirk has stepped into a starting catcher role due to an injury, and while his defense is a bit shaky back there he’s got excellent plate discipline with the bat in his hands.
Cavan Biggio hasn’t blossomed like Toronto once hoped, still drawing a ton of walks but striking out too much for a guy with his lack of power.
Raimel Tapia has also been forced into the lineup due to injury, and the former Rockie is another low-power player who will put pressure on this Red Sox defense with contact. Bullpen Snapshot
Jordan Romano is taking a leap among the game’s best relievers, a conversation whose periphery he was entering last season. He cane be slightly prone to the long ball, but his control is improved early this season and he still misses bats at an elite rate. He’ll handle closing duties this year for the Jays.
Yimi García generally is not going to put batters on for free, and at his best can miss plenty of bats, but he also tends to leave pitches in the zone that can be hit a long way.
Tim Mayza is the top lefty in this bullpen, and while there’s no one skill that particularly stands out he’s solid across the board. Injuries
Teoscar Hernández is a big loss for this Blue Jays lineup, with the slugger suffering an oblique injury late last week that is likely to keep him out for at least a couple of weeks, but with this kind of injury it could always be longer.
Danny Jansen is an underrated catcher in the league, and he suffered his own oblique injury just a few days before Hernández hit the IL with his.
Hyun-Jin Ryu is dealing with some forearm inflammation, causing Toronto to cut into their rotation depth.
Nathan Pearson is an enticing young arm on this staff who has just not been able to stay healthy, and right now has been trying to come back from mono. He’ll need a few rehab starts to get ramped up for a full workload again. Weather Forecast
Weather isn’t a huge factor in Toronto because they can close their roof, and between some rain and snow (!) in the forecast for Monday and Tuesday along with relatively cold weather all week, the roof may be closed for all four games.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2022 11:11:44 GMT -5
Game 17: Red Sox at Blue Jays lineups and notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated April 25, 2022, 2 hours ago After dropping two of three at Tampa Bay, the Red Sox continue their road trip with a four-game series at AL East-leading Toronto. The Red Sox had 2-0 leads in each of the last two games, but came out on the losing end both times. Manager Alex Cora and utilityman Jonathan Araúz were still in COVID-19 protocol for Sunday’s game against the Rays, with neither’s return date yet known. Catcher Kevin Plawecki should rejoin the team during the Blue Jays series. Nate Eovaldi, Nick Pivetta, and Michael Wacha are lined up to pitch the next three games. Garrett Whitlock, who threw four shutout innings as Saturday’s starter, is a likely candidate to take the turn of Tanner Houck, who was slated for Tuesday but won’t make the trip to Canada because of the country’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The Jays have scheduled José Berríos, Kevin Gausman, Ross Stripling, and Alek Manoah as their starting pitchers. Lineups RED SOX (7-9): 1. Enrique Hernandez (R) CF 2. Alex Verdugo (L) LF 3. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS 4. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 5. J.D. Martinez (R) DH 6. Jackie Bradley Jr. (L) RF 7. Bobby Dalbec (R) 1B 8. Christian Arroyo (R) 2B 9. Kevin Plawecki (R) C Pitching: RHP Nate Eovaldi (1-0, 3.68 ERA) BLUE JAYS (10-6): 1. George Springer (R) CF 2. Bo Bichette (R) SS 3. Vladimir Guerrero (R) 1B 4. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (R) DH 5. Matt Chapman (R) 3B 6. Alejandro Kirk (R) C 7. Raimel Tapia (L) LF 8. Santiago Espinal (R) 2B 9. Bradley Zimmer (L) RF Pitching: RHP José Berríos (1-0, 6.35 ERA) Time: 7:07 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Red Sox vs. Berríos: Christian Arroyo 0-3, Xander Bogaerts 3-20, Jackie Bradley Jr. 3-17, Bobby Dalbec 1-4, Rafael Devers 4-17, Kiké Hernández 1-9, J.D. Martinez 7-20, Travis Shaw 2-5, Trevor Story 0-2, Alex Verdugo 5-8, Christian Vázquez 2-6, Connor Wong 1-3 Blue Jays vs. Eovaldi: Bo Bichette 5-15, Cavan Biggio 2-7, Matt Chapman 1-6, Zack Collins 1-2, Santiago Espinal 0-2, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 4-13, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. 4-13, Alejandro Kirk 3-3, George Springer 2-15, Raimel Tapia 0-2, Bradley Zimmer 1-5 Stat of the day: Eovaldi has not allowed more than two walks in 22 straight regular-season starts to match his career best. Related: Back-to-back painful losses to Rays show Red Sox in serious need of a kick-start Notes: The Blue Jays won two of three games from the Red Sox at Fenway Park last week as part of a 4-2 road trip that finished with an 8-7 loss in 10 innings to the Astros Sunday. … Eovaldi allowed one run in 4⅔ innings last Tuesday against Toronto and did not factor in the decision. He allowed seven hits and one walk while striking out six in the Red Sox’ 2-1 win. In 10 career games (nine starts), Eovaldi is 1-2 with a 4.33 ERA against Toronto. … Berrios earned the decision Wednesday at Fenway when he allowed one run, eight hits, and one walk while striking out six in six innings in a 6-1 Toronto win. In eight career starts against Boston, he is 1-5 with a 4.05 ERA. Song of the Day: The Breeders- Cannonballwww.youtube.com/watch?v=fxvkI9MTQw4
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2022 14:04:24 GMT -5
Unvaccinated Red Sox pitchers Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford placed on restricted list for series in Toronto; Tyler Danish, John Schreiber called up Updated: Apr. 25, 2022, 3:01 p.m. | Published: Apr. 25, 2022, 2:43 p.m.
By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
The Red Sox placed pitchers Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford on the restricted list before the first game of their series against the Blue Jays on Monday, the team announced. Right-handers Tyler Danish and John Schreiber were called up from the WooSox to fill the empty roster spots.
Both Houck and Crawford are unvaccinated against COVID-19, so they are ineligible to play in Canada this year, per the country’s rules for entry. The Red Sox play again in Toronto from June 27-29 and Sept. 30-Oct. 2 for a total of 10 games at Rogers Centre in 2022. Unless things change, Houck and Crawford (as well as any other unvaccinated players the Red Sox add to the roster) will have to sit out those games. Houck and Crawford will not receive pay or service time for any games they miss while on the restricted list.
Every other player on Boston’s active roster is vaccinated and therefore eligible to play road games against the Blue Jays. Left-hander Chris Sale is also unvaccinated but is already on the injured list with a stress fracture in his right rib cage and wasn’t going to be ready for the series anyway. He would be ineligible for future games in Toronto if he remains unvaccinated.
Houck, who is 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA in four appearances (three starts) this year, won’t be able to take his turn in the rotation against the Blue Jays. Instead, after coming out of the bullpen Sunday against the Rays, he’ll likely start Boston’s series opener in Baltimore on Friday. Nathan Eovaldi, Nick Pivetta and Michael Wacha will start the first three games in Toronto with Garrett Whitlock likely to start Thursday’s finale.
Houck previously disclosed his vaccination status in an interview with The Boston Globe. He called it a “personal choice.” Last week, he said he has tried to avoid paying attention to any backlash regarding his decision.
“I’ve tried to stay away from it. No matter what side of the fence you’re on, there’s always going to be positive and there’s always going to be negative. I’ve got a job to do and focus on what I’ve got to do,” Houck said.
Crawford shined in spring training and was a surprising addition to Boston’s Opening Day roster. A starter throughout his time in the minors, the righty has been used as a multi-inning reliever so far this season and has totaled a 9.00 ERA (7 ER in 7 innings) while striking out 11 batters and issuing six walks. He is a candidate to be optioned to Triple-A Worcester when rosters shrink from 28 players to 26 on May 2.
Danish (5 strikeouts in 3 scoreless innings) rejoins the Red Sox after being sent to the minors before Sunday’s game. Schreiber made one appearance for Boston last year (1 earned run in 3 innings vs. Cleveland on Sept. 5) and owns a 1.74 ERA in 10 ⅓ innings (5 appearances) with the WooSox this year.
Houck and Crawford don’t count against Boston’s 40-man roster during the club’s time in Toronto. Schreiber will temporarily be added to the 40-man roster then removed once the series is over.
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