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Post by scrappyunderdog on Apr 26, 2022 20:23:44 GMT -5
It drives me nuts when Pivetta walks guys like Bradley. Bradley was 2-19 with 8 Ks, and -0- walks. You have Springer, Bichette & Vlad coming at you. You cannot, under any circumstances, walk someone like Bradley.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Apr 26, 2022 20:47:20 GMT -5
2nd & 3rd, no out, and Tapia throws thru to the plate instead of the cut-off? That allowed Story to tag and go to 3rd (headsup!). That forces TO to play the IF in, which allows Bogaerts grounder to sneak by Chapman for a double.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Apr 26, 2022 20:49:08 GMT -5
Terrific play by Heinman.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Apr 26, 2022 21:39:28 GMT -5
The OPS for the bottom five in the lineup tonight:
.597 .562 .505 .358 .550
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 27, 2022 1:17:52 GMT -5
Gas Can Gang Strikes again.
Same old, same old.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 27, 2022 1:19:04 GMT -5
Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 6: Baseball is pain.
An awful loss. Again. By Matt_Collins@MattRyCollins Apr 26, 2022, 11:03pm EDT 10 Comments
The Red Sox can’t get out of their own way. They lost yet again on Tuesday, and in incredibly frustrating fashion. After the offense finally showed some life in a four-run eighth to take a three-run lead, they looked like they were cruising for a win. That is, until Jake Diekman imploded in the ninth, giving up three extra-base hits, the latter of which was a game-tying homer from George Springer. It sent the game to extras, where the Blue Jays were able to walk it off for a win.
More robust game notes below
For a Red Sox offense that is mired in one of those slumps that you think will never end, it seemed just plain unfair that they had to go up against Kevin Gausman for Tuesday night’s game in Toronto. Not only did the righty come into this game as one of the best pitchers in the game so far this season, striking out 22 in 18 2⁄3 innings while not allowing a homer or issuing a single walk (!), but he also dominated the Red Sox just last week. Throw in a routine off-day for Rafael Devers, his first of the season, and things were not looking up for Boston’s bats.
They didn’t exactly defy expectations right away against the Blue Jays ace, going down in order in the first. J.D. Martinez did give them some life with a leadoff double in the second, but three straight outs, including two strikeouts, ensured he would move no further on the bases. Similarly in the third, they got a one-out single with the runner moving up to third with two outs, but not getting beyond that point.
Over on the other side, Nick Pivetta got the ball for the Red Sox looking to get his season moving in the right direction after a terrible start. Early on he looked good, needing just 23 pitches to get through the first two innings without allowing a run. But in the third, he started having issues with control, walking Santiago Espinal to lead off the inning. He’d issue another walk in the inning before a double steal attempt cut down the runner on second for the second out, but George Springer didn’t waste the chance, ripping a two-out base hit into left field. Toronto took a 1-0 lead.
The one-run difference seemed insurmountable given the circumstances, but the Red Sox actually did get going in the fourth. Xander Bogaerts led things off with a single, and then moved up to third on a bad throw trying to catch him stealing second. It was a prime opportunity with the man 90 feet away and one out, and sure enough Enrique Hernández got one in the outfield to tie the game up at one run apiece. Even that was frustrating though, as Hernández laced a line drive but a diving Bradley Zimmer limited him to a sacrifice fly rather than extra bases.
But the tie would only last so long, with Pivetta still struggling with location in the fourth. He once again started the inning off with a walk, and this time it was followed up with a single to put a pair on with nobody out. He got two outs from there to nearly escape, but the final out proved elusive. Espinal came through with a line drive back up through the middle, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. came around to give the Jays a 2-1 lead.
Ultimately, Pivetta had two more outs in him, finishing the game with 4 2⁄3 innings of two-run ball, striking out six but walking four. It was technically a step in the right direction, and the contact he allowed was mostly of the weak variety, but the control was rough and he was just way too inefficient.
Still, as has been the case for weeks now, the story was the lack of offense. They didn’t respond after the second out, with the next five batters going down before Bogaerts broke up that streak with a single. Martinez did his best to continue a two-out rally, but his 99 mph line drive was snagged by Gosuke Katoh at first base to end the inning.
After Austin Davis came on for a scoreless sixth, the Red Sox offense finally got away from Gausman for the seventh, but facing the Blue Jays bullpen didn’t change much as they went down in order. Davis and Ryan Brasier then combined for another scoreless inning in the seventh, this time leaving a runner on third, giving Boston six more outs to play with trailing 2-1.
Devers was called upon to pinch hit starting off the top half of the eighth, taking Christian Arroyo’s place in the lineup and ripping a single into right field. Christian Vázquez followed that up with a single of his own, and they had something cooking with two on and nobody out. Finally, they came through with runners on base. Specifically, Trevor Story came through, scalding a double into left-center field to bring home Devers, and the game was tied at two, still with a pair in scoring position and nobody out.
Alex Verdugo was up next, and while he did make the first out it was a productive one, sending a fly ball to left field plenty deep enough to get Vázquez home. The Red Sox caught a break there, too, with Raimel Tapia making an ill-advised throw to the plate, which allowed Story to move up to third with one out. Bogaerts then joined the party with a double down the left field line, and it was a 4-2 Red Sox lead. They’d add one more on a swinging bunt single, and now it was up to the bullpen to protect a three-run lead.
Hansel Robles got the call for the eighth facing the meat of the Blue Jays lineup, and he got the job done. The righty did allow a two-out single, but that was all in an otherwise perfect inning to keep the Red Sox up by three. That just left the ninth, which went to Jake Diekman. The southpaw didn’t get off to the start he wanted, with Tapia starting the inning off with a double. Espinal followed that up with a double of his own, and things got way too interesting, way too quickly.
Now a 5-3 game, still with nobody out and a runner at second, Diekman came back with a big strikeout for the first out. That was followed with another strikeout, but then Springer changed the game. On a fastball right down the pipe, he blasted a no-doubt two-run shot and we were all tied up. Matt Barnes came on for the last out, but the damage was done and we headed into extras.
In the 10th, the offense did get the Manfred runner over to third base with one out, but a Bogaerts line drive back up the middle was stopped by Jordan Romano on the mound, and then Martinez struck out to give the Blue Jays a chance to walk it off in the bottom half. Boston started that bottom half by intentionally walking Guerrero, and then Barnes issued a regular walk to Alejandro Kirk. He did come back with a strikeout before Will Venable turned to Matt Strahm to get out of a bases loaded, one-out situation. He couldn’t find a putaway pitch for Tapia, who finally got a fly ball out to left field, bringing home the winning run and punching the Red Sox in the gut.
The Red Sox now look to snap their four-game losing streak on Wednesday, with Michael Wacha getting the ball to take on Ross Stripling. First pitch is set for 7:07 PM ET.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 27, 2022 2:08:07 GMT -5
Bogaerts: ‘That one did sting a lot’ 2:16 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
TORONTO -- In their last-ditch attempt to stave off yet another agonizing defeat in what has been a recent string of them, the Red Sox went with a five-man infield with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the 10th inning on Tuesday night at Rogers Centre.
But that didn’t work either.
In a fearsome Toronto lineup that has sluggers George Springer, Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., it was the light-hitting Raimel Tapia who did exactly what his team needed, lifting a fly ball over that five-man infield and into left field for a sacrifice fly that handed the reeling Red Sox a 6-5 loss in 10 innings.
Considering that the season is only 18 games old for a team that slipped to 7-11, it’s not a stretch to say this was the most stinging defeat of the season for Boston.
Especially when you consider that the Red Sox finally mounted the substantial rally that had eluded them the previous eight days, putting up a big four-spot in the top of the eighth that turned a 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 lead.
With two outs in the ninth, Boston still led by two. But that was when lefty reliever Jake Diekman’s 96.1 mph fastball to Springer was center-cut. Springer, who always seems to torment the Red Sox in the late innings, did it again, this time with a two-run equalizer that sent the Rogers Centre faithful into a frenzy.
“That was a rough one,” said Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts. “Especially because we know how we’ve started the season. That one did sting a lot.”
This was the sixth loss in the last seven games and seventh in the last nine for a team that has high hopes this season.
It was Bogaerts who had a chance to put Boston up in the top of the 10th, even after the gut punch provided by Springer.
With Trevor Story on third and one out, the 102.1 mph laser by Bogaerts caught a piece of Jays pitcher Jordan Romano instead of going up the middle. Romano fired to first for the second out and then struck out J.D. Martinez. The Red Sox didn’t bat again.
“That’s the frustrating part,” said Diekman. “Nick [Pivetta] pitched great, everyone [else] pitched great, the hitters scored when they had to, and I should be able to hold a three-run lead. It sucks right now, but tomorrow we’ve got to come out and play again.”
Winning the final two games of this four-game series against a tough Toronto team would be a good way for the Red Sox to snap out of their current rut.
“These moments don’t define us at all,” said Pivetta. “It’s what we do going forward.”
Despite the loss, there were a couple of good developments for the Sox, who played their sixth straight game without manager Alex Cora as he recovers from COVID-19.
That elusive rally It would have been much more joyful if it had come in a win. But the way the Red Sox have been swinging the bats of late, Tuesday’s eighth-inning rally could mean big things going forward.
The offense needed a confidence-building sequence, and perhaps this was it.
The four runs in that frame were more than Boston scored in all but one game since April 18. The breakdown of what is supposed to be one of MLB’s top offenses went like this in the eight-game stretch that produced just two wins heading into Tuesday. Three runs, two runs, one run, two runs, four runs, two runs, two runs, two runs.
The biggest moment -- the one that could have the biggest carryover -- was prized but struggling free-agent acquisition Story scalding a game-tying double off the wall at an exit velocity of 111.8 mph, marking his hardest-hit ball with his new team.
If Story, who has a .594 OPS and has been leading off lately, can get going, it could have a ripple effect on the entire lineup.
“That was huge for us and for him,” said Bogaerts. “He’s been hitting a couple of balls hard. I feel like he’s been just missing some pitches and some breaking balls. His swing looks good. Maybe a timing issue. He’s been just under a couple of balls, but that was huge for us and definitely got us going.”
Pivetta shows improvement Pivetta, who is Boston’s No. 2 starter with Chris Sale and James Paxton both on the 60-day injured list, wasn’t effective in his first three starts.
Though his control (four walks) still abandoned him at times on Tuesday, Pivetta looked much better in this one.
Over 4 2/3 innings, he held the heavy-hitting Jays to three hits and two runs while striking out six.
“It was definitely a step forward,” Pivetta said. “Obviously the four walks are unfortunate, but I felt much better with my mechanics and competed in the zone better when I needed to.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 27, 2022 2:09:02 GMT -5
Dan Shaughnessy @dan_Shaughnessy · 3h Orioles lost to Yankees, so Red Sox dodge last place for another day.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 27, 2022 2:10:05 GMT -5
Jon Couture @joncouture · 4h A road trip chock full of winnable games that were lost, and one of the #RedSox starting pitchers found a reason to not be available to help.
Yeah, their problems are deeper than one guy. But you can't tell me that isn't a little chafing in that clubhouse.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 27, 2022 2:11:20 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 4h It appears Jake Diekman slipped his gas can through customs.
The Red Sox bullpen absent Garrett Whitlock is a major problem.
Red Sox are 7-11.
Boston falls to 3-8 against the AL East. This was yet another crusher.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 27, 2022 2:22:11 GMT -5
Bullpen falters in ninth, Red Sox lose to Blue Jays in 10th By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated April 27, 2022, 2 hours ago
TORONTO — The Red Sox knew weeks ago that Tanner Houck would miss at least their first trip to Canada because of his refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
They filled his spot in the rotation by moving Garrett Whitlock out of the bullpen, an easy decision. The complicated part was replacing the quality innings Whitlock provided as a reliever late in games.
That void proved extraordinarily costly on Tuesday night in a 6-5, 10-inning loss against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The slumping Sox scored four runs in the eighth inning to take a 5-2 lead, an outburst that lifted the spirits of the entire team.
Without Whitlock, who will start in Houck’s place on Thursday, the Sox bullpen allowed three runs in the ninth, then the winning run on Raimel Tapia’s sacrifice fly in the 10th. As the crowd of 22,611 at Rogers Centre celebrated, the Red Sox walked slowly off the field having lost their fourth consecutive game.
“That was a tough one,” shortstop Xander Bogaerts said. “That one stings a lot.”
Hansel Robles pitched a scoreless bottom of the eighth but the Blue Jays scored three runs in the ninth inning off Jake Diekman, the last two on a two-out homer by George Springer.
“I should be able to hold that lead,” Diekman said.
With Bo Bichette on second to start the 10th inning, Matt Barnes intentionally walked Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Then he unintentionally walked Alejandro Kirk to load the bases.
Barnes struck out Matt Chapman. The Sox then turned to lefty Matt Strahm to face the lefthanded-hitting Tapia, who delivered a fly ball to left.
Sox interim manager Will Venable was asked how much a depleted bullpen was a factor.
“We have confidence in the guys we have out there,” he said. “The guys that we have here; the guys that we’re going with; the guys that we believe in. We had a chance to win.”
But they could have had a better chance if not for Houck. Now the Sox are 7-11 with losses in six of their last seven games.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman continued what has so far been a remarkable season by pitching six innings and allowing one unearned run on four hits with nine strikeouts. Gausman has worked 24⅔ innings without allowing a walk or a home run. He left with a 2-1 lead.
The Sox finally got their offense working in the eighth inning against Yimi Garcia.
Pinch hitter Rafael Devers led off with a single. Christian Vazquez followed with a single and Trevor Story with an RBI double off the wall in left-center. It was his biggest hit since joining the Sox.
Alex Verdugo’s sacrifice fly scored Vazquez. An alert Story took third when the Jays let the throw go through to the plate.
Bogaerts’s double down the third base line scored Story. Bogaerts came around on a single by Kiké Hernández.
The four-run inning was the largest for the Sox since April 17 when they scored six in the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park. The four runs were more than they scored in seven of the previous eight games.
Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta came into the game sporting an ugly 10.03 earned run average through three starts. The Blue Jays were responsible for some of that, having tagged the righthander for five runs on seven hits at Fenway Park last Wednesday.
Pivetta sailed through two perfect innings on 22 pitches. Then the bottom of Toronto’s order proved to be a problem.
Pivetta walked former Sox prospect Santiago Espinal on five pitches to start the third. Rookie Gosuke Katoh grounded to second for what should have been a double play. But Story was a tick slow getting the ball to Bogaerts and Katoh was safe.
Pivetta then walked Bradley Zimmer, who came in 2 for 19 with eight strikeouts. Pivetta thought he struck Zimmer out on a curveball at the top of the zone but umpire David Rackley disagreed.
The Jays tried a double steal that got Katoh to third but Zimmer was thrown out at second after a review. Springer lined a full-count fastball into center field for an RBI.
The Sox quickly tied the game against Gausman. Bogaerts singled to start the fourth inning. He stole second and went to third on a throwing error by catcher Zack Collins.
Hernández lined a fastball to center that could have been a double, but Zimmer made a running catch and Hernández settled for a sacrifice fly.
Pivetta gave the lead away in the bottom of the inning. He walked Guerrero on five pitches. Collins followed with a single to right field.
With two outs, Pivetta fell behind Espinal and left a slider over the plate that was slapped into center field. Guerrero scored easily.
That Pivetta allowed two runs on three hits over 4⅔ innings and struck out six was a step forward. As was his averaging a tick under 94 miles per hour on his four-seam fastball.
But he also walked four, three that helped lead to runs. Pivetta is averaging 7.2 walks per nine innings.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 27, 2022 2:25:01 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Red Sox infielders bouncing back thanks to daily drills By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated April 26, 2022, 11:42 p.m.
TORONTO — As the Blue Jays were taking batting practice Tuesday afternoon, Red Sox coach Andy Fox set up a pitching machine on a patch of carpet outside the visitor’s clubhouse and fired several dozen balls at Bobby Dalbec.
The machine was positioned to simulate one-hop throws coming to Dalbec at first base from different angles.
Daily individual defensive drills are a routine the Sox started last season and they appear to be paying off. Through Monday, opposing teams were hitting .239 on ground balls, 35 points below the expected batting average. The Sox were 23 points above last season at .273.
“It’s a continuation of what we started last year,” infield coach Carlos Febles said before the Sox’ 6-5 extra-inning loss. “You can see how much progress we’ve made. Down the stretch, we played our best defense and they came to spring training with the mind-set to keep that going and make more adjustments.
Febles said the focus was on pre-pitch positioning, getting the infielders ready to make an aggressive first step toward the ball.
“If you have a good first step, the rest will come,” Febles said. “We’ve cleaned up a lot of the mistakes we were making.” ADVERTISING
The addition of Trevor Story at second base has made a difference. His range toward the middle has allowed Xander Bogaerts to play a step closer to the hole at shortstop. The defensive runs saved charts bear this out. Bogaerts and third baseman Rafael Devers cost the Sox 19 runs last season; through Monday, it was only one.
“We’re setting up that machine every day,” Febles said. “Bogey and Devers do it right before the game, other guys do it earlier in the day. Whatever they’re comfortable with.”
That Bogaerts, Dalbec, and Devers are essentially neutral defenders so far this season doesn’t sound like much. But they were detrimental last season.
“It’s a process,” Febles said. “You don’t go from zero to 100 the next day. It takes time. Right now we are focused on the process.” Dead ball society?
Alex Verdugo has hit a few balls this season he felt sure were home runs only to see them caught at the warning track. As a left fielder, he’s also caught a few balls he thought were out.
Is the ball dead? That’s the talk around the game.
“I feel like the ball is mixed,” he said. “I feel like they’re kind of playing with the ball in certain games. Certain games, you have the ball fly more. In other games I feel like the ball is dead. You can take that for what it’s worth.”
Verdugo doesn’t feel there’s any disadvantage.
“Just stick to our approach and keep barreling it up,” Verdugo said. “That’s all you can do.” Cora progressing
Alex Cora missed his sixth game after testing positive for COVID-19 last Thursday. He is experiencing only minor symptoms and the hope is he will rejoin the team before the end of the road trip . . . Devers, who started the first 17 games, was out of the lineup to get a break, but was called on in the eighth and started the four-run rally with a single. The Sox are in the middle of playing 17 games in as many days with seven of those games on artificial turf. “I think he could really use it like a lot of our guys could use it,” interim manager Will Venable said. “Especially playing these games on the turf, I think he’ll take full advantage of having a day off for sure.” . . . Michael Wacha, the Sox’ scheduled starter on Wednesday, has allowed three earned runs on only six hits over 14⅓ innings in his first three starts. The 30-year-old righthander has given the Sox exactly what they wanted. “He’s impressive,” Venable said. “Very consistent in his approach and his preparations.” Opponents have hit only .125 against Wacha’s fastball . . . Lefthander Josh Taylor was scheduled to pitch an inning for Triple A Worcester but the game against Buffalo was rained out. He has so far pitched twice in the minors since starting the season on the injured list with a lower-back strain.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 27, 2022 2:27:50 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 4h Whitlock should be a starter. But making that transition now because Houck didn't get vaccinated is clearly a factor in losing games on this trip.
Crawford is still a work in progress. Some good and bad. He can be replaced.
But Houck's decision has led to losses.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 27, 2022 2:30:40 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 4h True: Houck’s absence has had a domino effect that has contributed to losses. Also true: it’s a bad sign for a bullpen when one player’s absence opens the door to multiple losses in games the Sox led by multiple runs in the final inning.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 27, 2022 2:31:47 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 5h Before this three-run eruption, the Red Sox had gone 79 innings without scoring more than two runs (dating to their 6-run eighth against the Twins on 4/17). They had scored fewer than 3 runs in 6 of their prior 7 games.
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