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Post by Kimmi on Apr 25, 2022 16:46:22 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. Pitching has not been the problem in most of the games.
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Post by Kimmi on Apr 25, 2022 16:48:55 GMT -5
It's a new day. A new series.
Time to stop breaking my heart Red Sox.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2022 17:04:41 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 36m Red Sox announce Kevin Plawecki has been reinstated from the COVID-19 IL.
Connor Wong optioned to Triple-A Worcester.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2022 17:06:45 GMT -5
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne · 1h Some good news for the Red Sox in Toronto. J.D. is "a go" for tonight according to Will Venable.
Cora update? He is getting better. Hasn't been ruled out for this series but hasn't been ruled in either.
Garrett Whitlock will start the finale of this four-game series on Thursday in Toronto.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2022 17:08:58 GMT -5
Shi Davidi @shidavidi · 2h Cavan Biggio experiencing symptoms and he’s likely headed to COVID-19 IL, says GM Ross Atkins. RHP Bowden Francis will take his place if the move becomes official.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 25, 2022 18:18:19 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 22m Just a day off for Trevor Story. With seven games in a row on turf you'll probably see all the infielders get a day.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 26, 2022 0:27:19 GMT -5
Red Sox 2, Blue Jays 6: Bad managing and nonexistent offense
It’s not a great combination! By Matt_Collins@MattRyCollins Apr 25, 2022, 9:27pm EDT 7 Comments
That’s about as infuriating of a loss as you can get. The Red Sox offense was simultaneously nonexistent and riddled with bad luck, as the rare hard contact they did make either found gloves or floated out of play. They were able to remain in the game because Nathan Eovaldi was dealing, cruising through seven innings of work, allowing two runs on a pair of solo homers. And the offense did finally come alive in the eighth, scoring two to tie the game! But then Will Venable made some choices. First, he pulled a dealing Eovaldi with just 72 pitches under his belt. Then, with two on, one out, and the top of the Blue Jays order coming up, Venable inexplicably called upon Tyler Danish. Predictably, that did not go well, and one grand slam later the game was basically over. It was not a fun time.
More robust games notes below.
The Red Sox offense is in a place where they can fail plenty on their own. Between over-aggressive approaches, listless stretches that last innings at a time, and poor situational hitting when they actually do mount a rally, they’ve really excelled at not putting runs on the board lately. And so when that is combined with all sorts of bad luck on hard contact, it just doesn’t seem fair. But alas, that is exactly what happened against José Berríos on Monday night.
That bad luck happened right away as the Blue Jays righty was leaving hittable pitches over the plate here and there to start the night. Enrique Hernández led off again in this game, and he hit one 369 feet, but for an out. The next batter, Alex Verdugo, hit one just nine feet shorter, but a mile and a half per hour faster off the bat, again for an out. So the Red Sox went down in order, and Berríos would end up retiring the first four batters he faced.
That stretch was broken up by J.D. Martinez, back from a handful of games missed with an adductor injury. He welcomed himself back into action very quickly, smacking a one-out double out to left-center field in the second inning. After a walk from Jackie Bradley Jr., and a base hit from Bobby Dalbec, the bases were loaded with just one. It was a big chance to take an early lead, but Christian Arroyo dashed any of those dreams by hitting a ground ball right back to Berríos, who started a 1-4-3 double play to end the inning with the bases full, no runs coming across.
From there, the offense went into the hibernation mode they seem to flock to after a wasted chance, though both Hernández and Verdugo had some bad luck again in the third with each hitting long fly balls just going foul. They also did get a man to third in the fourth when Xander Bogaerts led off with a single and moved one base each on two outs, but he couldn’t move up the final 90 feet, and Boston stayed off the board. And then in the fifth, Kevin Plawecki laced a line drive but it was caught superman style by George Springer.
To make matters even more frustrating, Nathan Eovaldi was dealing. He’s been mostly good this year outside of a weird home run problem, but the last time out he was also very inefficient and couldn’t even make it through five innings. That was not an issue on Monday. Eovaldi’s day started with a swinging bunt that went for a single, but a double play helped him get through the first on only five pitches. He then was perfect in each of the second, third, and fourth innings, needing only 34 pitches to get to that point of the game.
However, it was still a scoreless game because, well, that’s just how things are right now, but that changed in the bottom half of the fifth. And again, it was the home run ball against Eovaldi’s slider. Lourdes Gurriel jumped on one slightly down and away off the center of the zone, and launched it just up and over the wall in left field for a solo shot. It was the third off Eovaldi’s slider this season, and it put Toronto up 1-0. He recovered fine from there, just giving up a single before finishing out the inning, but the damage was done.
The Red Sox offense did not have any answers for that homer from the Jays, going down in order in each of the next two innings. Eovaldi did his damndest to keep his team in the game, too, tossing a perfect sixth. But the homer issues came back once again in the seventh. This time it was on a fastball up in the zone, but not by enough, and Matt Chapman blasted a no-doubt shot to the power alley in left field, doubling Toronto’s lead to two.
Homers or no, the Red Sox offense needed to do something, only having six more outs despite having just started the game 90 minutes early. They finally mounted another rally in that eighth, starting off with back-to-back singles from Dalbec and Arroyo. That would finally end the night for Berríos, with the Red Sox looking to get to Toronto’s bullpen. They played some small from there with Plawecki dropping a well-executed sacrifice bunt to both avoid a double play — because we all know that was a distinct possibility with this group — and move the runners up into scoring position.
Hernández immediately followed that up with a base hit, and the Red Sox snapped their 15-inning scoreless streak and also pulled to within one. Verdugo then followed that up with a fly ball deep enough to bring home Arroyo, and somehow, someway the Red Sox had tied the game.
Despite being at just 72 pitches, Eovaldi was pulled after seven, with Matt Strahm getting the call against the bottom of Toronto’s lineup in now a tied game. Things started well with a quick first out, but then a pair of singles — the second of which should have been ruled an error as Dalbec dropped a ball that hit him right in the glove on what would have been a sick play by Strahm on a drag bunt — put two on. That was it for Strahm, and shockingly it was Tyler Danish coming in with two on, one out, and the top of Toronto’s lineup coming in. Springer welcomed him to the game with a base hit to load the bases, and then Bo Bichette had the dagger, sending a grand slam out to right field to make it a 6-2 game.
The offense now had their work cut out for them in the bottom half of the inning, which did start with a leadoff double from Rafael Devers. That was all they would get, though, ending an incredibly frustrating loss.
The Red Sox now look to snap their three-game losing streak on Tuesday, with Nick Pivettta taking on Kevin Gausman. First pitch is set for 7:07 PM ET.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 26, 2022 0:46:43 GMT -5
Venable will get it from the press but Cora would of yanked Eovaldi as well That call was on the damned Analytic department u add a shit offense and the gas can gang bullpen and again I am not shocked a darn bit
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 26, 2022 2:57:20 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 6h The Red Sox are being punished for seemingly every mistake on the field and roster flaw off the field.
This isn't the start you would have hoped to see after overachieving in 2021.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 26, 2022 2:58:57 GMT -5
Tom Caron @tomcaron · 7h Gurriell goes deep for his 2nd HR of the year. That’s 6 allowed by Eovaldi this season. Last year he didn’t give up his 6th until July 31. #redsox
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 26, 2022 3:02:19 GMT -5
Eovaldi's strong start doesn't make up for offensive woes 1:11 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
TORONTO -- Nathan Eovaldi prides himself on being a stopper, and he made like one Monday night at Rogers Centre.
His team reeling overall and struggling mightily on offense, Eovaldi tamed a heavy-hitting Toronto team to just two runs over a season high of seven innings. He walked none and struck out five.
If the Red Sox had won, much of the postgame talk would have centered on Eovaldi’s dominance and efficiency on a night he threw just 72 pitches.
But the 7-10 Red Sox didn’t win.
Instead of their recent woes ending after clearing customs, they continued, as Bo Bichette’s grand slam with one out in the eighth snapped a tie and lifted the American League East-leading Jays to a 6-2 victory.
Tough to waste such a tremendous effort from the ace starter?
“Absolutely,” Red Sox left fielder Alex Verdugo said. “I think our pitchers have been lights out. They’ve been really good. Nate up there today was just dominant, doing his thing. Any time you have a starter go that deep and only go two runs with this offense, most of the time, that’s going to go for us.
“We’re scuffling at the moment, but I feel like a lot of us are putting up good at-bats, hitting the ball hard, but we’re kind of chasing results right now.”
Chasing is an apt description.
Entering the night, Boston’s chase rate of 33.2% was the highest of any team in MLB.
For a team that prides itself on patience at the plate, this has been an oddity, one that has served as a catalyst in the Red Sox losing five of their past six and six of their past eight.
Over those eight games, the Sox have scored just 18 runs.
“The guys, the mentality in the clubhouse, everybody’s been good, we’ve been grinding, we’ve been positive,” Eovaldi said. “I think it’s just kind of waiting for that moment for everything to flip, and we’ll be back on the positive side of things.”
Clearly, Eovaldi’s start was the most positive development Monday. Due to the shortened Spring Training, Eovaldi hadn’t topped five innings in his previous three starts.
For him to get 21 outs Monday while throwing a season low of 72 pitches was encouraging.
It also makes you wonder if acting manager Will Venable was tempted to bring Eovaldi back out for the eighth.
“The way we were looking at it, we weren't going to have him face the top of the order again, and it was a really good pocket for [Matt] Strahm,” said Venable, who guided the team for the fifth straight game as Alex Cora recovers from COVID-19. “We’d highlighted that spot going in, and Nate gave us everything we needed tonight, and regardless of pitch count, it was really a spot for Strahm.”
When Strahm got into trouble, Venable called on Tyler Danish, who had pitched in just two games this season -- his first two in MLB since 2018.
Venable went for the double play, and the move backfired.
“We weren’t going to go to [Hansel] Robles without the lead and we’re looking to get a ground ball in that spot, and Danish has a great sinker,” Venable said. “Just left it over the plate, but we’re looking to get a ball on the ground. Danish was the guy for that.”
Bichette is paid to hit the ball in the air, and he pummeled the game-breaking slam -- the first of his career -- to the opposite field in right.
Did Eovaldi want to keep going?
“I felt great,” said Eovaldi. “Tonight, I had a hard time finding the pitch count [on the scoreboard] so I wasn’t really aware of the pitch count or where I was at. I knew I was in the seventh inning. Any time as a starter, you can get to the seventh inning, you’re going to rely on the bullpen guys. You trust that they’re going to be able to get it done. I trust whoever is coming in in that situation and I obviously respect Will’s decision.”
With three games left to go in this series, the Red Sox hope their momentum can start taking a drastic shift come Tuesday.
“We do need to make longer at-bats and make the starting pitchers work a little bit more,” Verdugo said. “We’re kind of getting them off the hook a little easy. We get guys on, we maybe chase the first pitch, and it’s not the one we want, and we ground out or things like that. Sometimes, aggressiveness is going against us. It’s baseball. It’s one of those things that at any point, momentum can change. You put one good swing on a ball, and it can change the game.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 26, 2022 3:03:38 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 5h “We weren’t going to have Eovaldi face the top of the order again and it was a good pocket for Strahm. Nate gave us everything we needed tonight; regardless of pitch count it was a good spot for him. Looking for a grounder and Danish has a great sinker, left it over the plate.”
Lou Merloni @loumerloni · 5h He was about to face 7-8-9 in the 8th not the top of the order. Weird.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 26, 2022 3:11:00 GMT -5
With Nate Eovaldi only at 72 pitches, Red Sox follow script, go to bullpen, and Blue Jays crush it By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated April 25, 2022, 9:31 p.m.
TORONTO — There comes a time when you crumple up the script and put everything you have into winning the game in front of you.
For the Red Sox, that moment came in the bottom of the eighth inning on Monday night.
They had just scratched for two runs against the Toronto Blue Jays to tie the game. The Jays had the bottom of their order coming up against Nate Eovaldi, who had thrown only 72 pitches.
With Alex Cora back in Boston recovering from COVID-19, bench coach Will Venable called for lefthander Matt Strahm.
Not too much later, Venable was left trying to explain a 6-2 loss.
“It was a really good pocket for Strahm,” he said. “We kind of highlighted that spot going in. Nate gave us everything we needed tonight. Regardless of pitch count, it was just really a spot for Strahm there.”
Instead the Jays came to life, collecting four consecutive hits capped by Bo Bichette’s grand slam off Tyler Danish to beat the Sox, 6-2, before a crowd of 20,981 at Rogers Centre.
The Sox have lost three straight and four of five without Cora.
Pitch count did matter. Eovaldi, who averaged 90.6 pitches over his first three starts, clearly had plenty left to give given the 98.8-mile-per-hour fastball he threw in the seventh.
“I felt great,” said Eovaldi, who carved the Jays up outside of solo home runs from Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Matt Chapman “I wasn’t really aware of the pitch count. I knew I was in the seventh inning. Any time the starter can get to the seventh inning you’re going to rely on the bullpen guys you trust … Obviously I respect Will’s decision.”
Who do the Sox trust? Venable preferred Danish over Matt Barnes or Ryan Brasier and only wanted to use Hansel Robles if there was a lead to protect.
Jake Diekman, who struck out three Yankees for a save on April 10, has faced 17 batters since and put eight of them on base.
Strahm got one out before Santiago Espinal singled. Bradley Zimmer then bunted down the first base line. Strahm was able to flip the ball to Bobby Dalbec, but it popped out of his glove for what was ruled a hit.
With a string of righthanded hitters coming up, the call was to Danish, a 27-year-old rookie righthander who had pitched twice since being called up last week.
“We were looking to get a ground ball in that spot and Danish has a great sinker,” Venable said.
Danish threw a curveball that George Springer rapped into center field to load the bases. Danish did throw a sinker to Bichette, but it was up and over the plate and landed well beyond the fence in right field.
The Sox have scored only 18 runs in their last seven games. A team that once wore down opposing pitchers is now a jittery bunch that makes quick outs, chases pitches out of the strike zone and only occasionally strings hits together.
“I think we have a good idea of what we want up there, and we might be chasing a little bit more than what we should be,” left fielder Alex Verdugo said. “Probably have to get a little bit more selective on certain pitches that we want.”
The Sox snapped a string of 15 consecutive scoreless innings by clawing for two runs in the eighth inning.
Dalbec and Christian Arroyo started the inning with singles off Blue Jays starter José Berrios. With Berrios at 89 pitches, Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo went to righthander Adam Cimber.
The Sox resorted to small ball. Kevin Plawecki bunted the runners to second and third. Slumping Kiké Hernández followed with a single to left field and the Sox were finally on the board.
Verdugo’s fly ball to center field was deep enough to score Arroyo and it was 2-2.
But that was the extent of the offense. Outside the eighth inning, the Sox were 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position.
J.D. Martinez, back in the lineup after missing four games with a left adductor strain, doubled to left center with one out in the second inning. Jackie Bradley Jr. drew a walk and Dalbec singled to right field to load the bases.
Arroyo, in the lineup at second base with Trevor Story getting a day off, swung at the first pitch and hit a sharp one-hopper back to Berrios.
Like he was throwing another pitch, Berrios fired back to the plate to start a 1-2-3 double play.
Xander Bogaerts led off the fourth inning with a single to center. That led to nothing.
Plawecki, who was activated off the COVID-19 injured list before the game, lined a Berrios fastball to the gap in left with two outs in the fifth.
Springer took off in a full sprint from center and made a leaping catch to steal a double away from Plawecki. Springer popped off the turf pumping his fist, having made one of the best plays of the season.
The Jays maintained that energy. It’s what the Sox are searching for.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 26, 2022 3:13:27 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck placed on COVID restricted list ahead of Red Sox’ series in Toronto By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated April 25, 2022, 2:50 p.m.
TORONTO — For this series at least, Canada’s border regulations proved to have little impact on the Red Sox.
Righthanders Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck were the only players placed on the restricted list on Monday before a 6-2 loss against the Toronto Blue Jays. Related: Red Sox bludgeoned by Blue Jays, Bo Bichette’s grand slam
Canadian regulations require either a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccination or a second shot of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines at least two weeks before arrival.
Crawford and Houck will not be paid or accrue major league service time for four days. For Houck, that will be a loss of approximately $15,315.
Garrett Whitlock will replace Houck in the rotation and start on Thursday afternoon. Whitlock made his first career start on Saturday at Tampa Bay and retired 12 of the 13 hitters he faced, seven by strikeout.
Righthanded relievers Tyler Danish and John Schreiber were called up from Triple-A Worcester.
Danish was optioned on Sunday to get Rich Hill back on the roster following his bereavement leave. He remained with the team and returned to the roster on Monday. Danish entered the bottom of the eighth inning in relief of Matt Strahm with the one out, two runners aboard, and the game tied, 2-2. He served up a grand slam to Bo Bichette, who delivered the crushing blow.
It was the first call-up of the season for Schreiber.
“I’m glad to be here and have the opportunity,” said the 28-year-old, who had a 3.48 earned run average in five appearances for the WooSox. “I’m excited to be here and I hope I can make the most of it.”
The Sox signed Schreiber to a minor-league deal prior to the 2021 season, leaving his low slot offered some variation from their other righthanders. He has since incorporated a sinker into his repertoire.
The Sox are scheduled to play the Blue Jays here again June 27-29 and Sept. 30-Oct. 1.
Lefthanders Chris Sale and Josh Taylor, who are both on the injured list, are believed to be the only other unvaccinated players on the major league roster.
Both Crawford and Sale attended Florida Gulf Coast University. Cora improving
Manager Alex Cora missed his fifth game after testing positive for COVID-19
“Better and better every day. Still going through the protocols,” interim manager Will Venable said. “Still kind of day to day. He’s not here today and that’s as far as I know.”
The Sox activated Kevin Plawecki from the COVID-19 injured list. He was on the lineup to catch Nate Eovaldi, who allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings, including a pair of solo homers by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the fifth and Matt Chapman in the seventh.
Plawecki, who tested positive on April 18 and missed seven games, was 0 for 2 with a sacrifice.
Connor Wong was optioned back to Worcester. He appeared in two games and was 1 for 6. Pressure on Pivetta
It’s seemingly too early in the season for a starting pitcher to be worried about his spot in the rotation. But Nick Pivetta is 0-3 with a 10.03 ERA in three starts and opponents have hit .333 with a 1.056 OPS against him.
It’s not a matter of bad luck. Pivetta is allowing an average exit velocity of 95.2 miles per hour and opponents have been crushing his curveball.
Pivetta, who faces the Jays and Kevin Gausman on Tuesday night, has said it’s a matter of timing in his mechanics and he feels progress has been made during side sessions.
Pivetta’s last start was against Toronto at Fenway Park on Wednesday. He allowed five runs on seven hits and four walks over four innings. All five of the runs came in the second inning when the Blue Jays sent 10 batters to the plate.
Pivetta has a 6.28 ERA in eight career starts against Toronto. But he threw six scoreless innings at Rogers Centre last Aug. 7 in a 1-0 loss. Jays lose Biggio
The Blue Jays placed infielder Cavan Biggio on the COVID-19 injured list and called up righthander Bowden Francis . . . Through Sunday, the Jays led the majors with 22 homers. The Sox were tied for 23rd with 11 . . . Monday marked the first time since Aug. 26, 2019, that reporters from Boston were able to cover a Sox game at Rogers Centre . . . The game took only two hours and 16 minutes, the shortest of the season for the Sox by 22 minutes.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 26, 2022 3:27:14 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 8h For the third time this season, the Red Sox have seen 70 pitches or fewer through 6 innings. In none of the prior four *seasons* (2018-21) had the Red Sox had three games seeing <=70 pitches through six innings.
The gap between the Red Sox and everyone else is staggering. The gap between them and No 2 is larger than that between Nos 2 and 12.
Gary Marbry @nuggetpalooza · 7h Replying to @alexspeier @bradfo and 2 others To Alex’s point, #RedSox and #Yankees are 1-2 in % of out-of-zone pitches chased:
In 2018, Boston ranked 20th.
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