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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2022 1:22:20 GMT -5
Red Sox 12, Mariners 6: Trevor Story homers thrice
The Red Sox continue to beat AL West teams. By Matt_Collins@MattRyCollins May 19, 2022, 10:52pm EDT 16 Comments
Break up the Red Sox! Boston has been playing their best baseball of the season over the last week-plus, feasting on AL West competition. That carried over into Thursday’s series opener against the Mariners at Fenway, with Trevor Story taking center stage. Swinging a better bat over the last couple of weeks, he had his best game of the season here in this one, smashing a trio of homers and finishing with five runs and seven RBI. J.D. Martinez contributed a four-hit game while Tanner Houck came out of the bullpen and threw four dominant innings, all combining for a 9-5 win.
More robust game notes below.
It’s been a strange few days for Red Sox starting pitchers, who have oscillated between both extremes in terms of outing lengths. On Tuesday, Nathan Eovaldi was knocked out with two outs in the second inning after having given up a record five homers in the inning. Then on Wednesday, Nick Pivetta followed it up with Boston’s first complete game since back in 2019. Rich Hill got the start on Thursday to start a four-game set against the Mariners, and he was looking to at least find a happy medium if not match Pivetta’s performance. Instead, he was closer to the Eovaldi end of the spectrum, albeit without quite as extreme of a blow up.
He also didn’t have as extreme of a first inning in terms of effectiveness, needing 17 pitches to get through his scoreless opening frame compared to Eovaldi’s five. But in the second, he found himself in some trouble and it would ultimately be his final inning of work. Things started when Eugenio Suárez hit a fly ball out to left field that was just past the glove of Alex Verdugo, falling in for a leadoff double. After a strikeout, Hill gave up a single before facing Dylan Moore. The key for Hill is for hitters to not sit on the fastball, because if they are and it’s over the plate, it’s essentially batting practice. This was batting practice. Moore took Hill’s fastball and put it into the Monster Seats for a three-run shot, and Seattle got on the board first with a 3-0 lead.
Hill followed that up with the second out of the inning, but Seattle continued to push from there. Adam Frazier drew a two-out walk to keep the inning alive before Ty France attacked the first pitch and lined a double into the right field corner. Jackie Bradley Jr. struggled to cut it off, bobbling it on a sliding attempt, which made it fairly simple for Frazier to come around and make it a 4-0 game. A Julio Rodríguez base hit then put runners on the corners, but fortunately Rich Hill was able to induce a pop up from Jesse Winker, ending both the inning and his outing.
It wasn’t really what the Red Sox were looking for, and now the onus was on the offense to pick up Hill as they faced an inexperienced but very talented rookie in George Kirby. They also went down without a run in the first, but in the second they answered back. Verdugo started it off going the other way against the shift and reaching on an infield single, putting a runner on for Trevor Story. He’s been swinging a better bat of late, and he showed it here by sending a middle-middle fastball just up and into the Monster Seats for a two-run shot, cutting the deficit in half. Boston had a chance to add on, too, with a one-out groundrule double from Christian Vázquez, but failed to capitalize.
That frustrating subsided in the next inning, and it was basically the same story as the second. After Tanner Houck came on for a perfect third, it was J.D. Martinez this time leading things off with a base hit. Different leadoff man getting on, but same guy producing the big swing. Story came up again with a runner on base and hit his second two-run homer of the day, this one a bit more emphatically for a no-doubt shot to tie the game at four runs apiece.
From here it become about Houck. The Red Sox are still trying to find the right role for the righty, but this seemed like a perfect spot with the game still within reach and needing someone to go a few innings to give the offense a chance to come back. It only took a couple of frames for the latter portion to happen, and Houck held up his end of the bargain. Including that aforementioned scoreless third, he ended up giving the Red Sox four very strong innings, allowing just a single and a walk — in separate innings — to go with six strikeouts.
So it was still a 4-4 game head into the bottom of the sixth, with Kirby still on the mound. He’d throw just one pitch — Seattle tried to take him out to start the inning, but as he was already warming up he had to stay in the game — and it was a double for Verdugo. That brought Story back to the plate, and once again he delivered. It wasn’t a home run this time, but rather a line drive up the middle for a base hit. The young Julio Rodríguez then got a little overaggressive, trying to cut down Verdugo at third after the latter had to hold up in case the line drive was caught.
It was a poor decision and it backfired, with the ball getting by the bag and allowing Verdugo to come home and make it a 5-4 game with Story now in scoring position. The bottom of the lineup looked as though they were poised to waste the chance, but Jackie Bradley Jr. made sure that wasn’t the case. He worked an impressive 10-pitch at bat, finishing it off with a double going the other way off the Monster, bringing home Story and extending the lead to two.
Now it was on the bullpen to hold this lead, and John Schreiber got the call for the seventh. He’s been impressive since joining the club, and he was once again, retiring the top of Seattle’s lineup in order. That gave more time for the Red Sox offense, who got some help from Seattle’s bullpen to start to pull away a bit in the bottom of the inning. Boston got a one-out double from J.D. Martinez, and then a two-out single from Verdugo kept the inning alive, and everything when downhill when Wyatt Mills came in. He walked Trevor Story to load the bases, then issued another walk to Bobby Dalbec before hitting Vázquez with a pitch. Seattle then went back to the bullpen to bring in Danny Young, who walked Bradley before finally ending the inning, but not before Boston created a five-run cushion.
With the bigger lead now in hand, Hirokazu Sawamura got the call out of the bullpen, but he didn’t make things easy. After starting off the inning with a strikeout, he gave up back-to-back singles before issuing a walk, loading the bases and bringing the tying run to the plate. That was enough for Alex Cora, who brought on Matt Strahm to get out of the jam. Things didn’t go much better, as he walked the first batter he saw to bring home a run. Strahm started the next at bat falling behind 2-0, too, but came back for a strike out and ultimately got out of the inning with just the one run coming across.
The Red Sox then, once again, broke things open, and it was Story again. With two men on, he smashed a three-run shot, his third homer of the game, and the Red Sox were up 12-5. That just left it up to Ryan Brasier to protect the blowout. He did allow a solo homer, but that was all to finish out the 12-6 victory.
The Red Sox can now guarantee at least a split for this series with a win on Friday. Boston will have Michael Wacha back from the injured list for this game while Robbie Ray goes for Seattle. First pitch is at 7:10 PM ET.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2022 1:42:26 GMT -5
Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe reports that the Red Sox will option RHP Ryan Brasier to Triple-A Worcester.
Brasier will likely be sent down to make room for Michael Wacha, who is coming off the injured list on Friday for a start against the Mariners. The right-hander pitched an inning to close out the 12-6 win over the Mariners on Thursday, giving up a homer and seeing his ERA rise to 6.28. He'll likely be back at some point this summer.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2022 1:59:37 GMT -5
An epic Story: 3 homers, 4 hits, 7 RBIs, 1 steal 'It was special,' first-year Red Sox infielder says after memorable game at Fenway Park 2:40 AM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
BOSTON -- With each forceful cut Trevor Story unleashed en route to a monster performance on Thursday night at Fenway Park, he distanced himself from the difficult slump he endured in his first few weeks with the Red Sox.
How much distance, you ask?
As part of a 4-for-4 night that included five runs, seven RBIs and one stolen base, Story belted three homers -- the latter two of which soared over the Green Monster and onto Lansdowne Street -- at an aggregate Statcast-projected distance of 1,163 feet.
As the third homer left his bat, Story pirouetted in the batter’s box before joyfully trotting around the bases. The power-packed performance led the Red Sox to a 12-6 victory over the Mariners in the opener of a four-game series.
This is the Story the Red Sox targeted before the lockout and ultimately signed to a six-year, $140 million contract after Spring Training had started.
On the two-week anniversary of getting booed at Fenway Park after striking out four times in one afternoon against the brilliant offerings of Shohei Ohtani, Story soaked in the roars from a crowd of 29,783. And they got louder each time he went deep.
“Yeah, it was special,” said Story. “Just, like I’ve said, this is the best place. It’s a great atmosphere and an unbelievable place to play every night. To do it here is something I’ll remember forever.” e
It was the second three-homer game of Story’s career and the 35th in Red Sox history.
Yes, Story should do fine away from the thin air and the humidor at Coors Field.
“I mean, the at-bats are getting better,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “He keeps working hard at it. And he’s a good athlete. He will hit, we know that. He’s feeling comfortable in the environment. It’s just a matter of time.”
On Monday, Story had a breakout moment, unloading for a game-tying homer (his first at Fenway), leading the Red Sox to a big 6-3 win over the Astros.
On Thursday, Story had something much more significant. He had a breakout night.
It’s likely Monday helped lead to Thursday. Any baseball player performs better with more confidence.
“Baseball is the most challenging sport in the world. I feel like on an everyday basis, you’re going to be challenged, especially here,” said Story. “It’s something that I take a lot of pride in -- trying to be very even-keeled about it all. I just believe that the hard work pays off eventually, but yeah, [slumps are] always very challenging.
“You just grind every day, and when you go out there and play, you just let it rip, and hopefully the stuff you’re working on clicks.”
It was as if everything came together for Story on Thursday. But this has also been building.
In Story’s first 105 plate appearances of the season -- which took him to May 8 -- he had a line of .194/.276/.269 with no homers and nine walks.
In his past 40 plate appearances starting on May 10, Story has slashed .333/.425/.818 with five homers and six walks. The uptick in the walk rate is significant, Story acknowledged.
As for the fixes to his swing? Story doesn’t think it has been anything major.
“Very simple stuff,” Story said. “Just trying to be more balanced. Be on time. I think that’s as simple as I can put it and not try to do too much. I think that works really well for me.”
While the Red Sox will take a three-homer night anytime they can get it, power is just one element to Story’s well-rounded game. He is also a plus defender, even while learning a new position at second base. And he is the best baserunner the Red Sox have.
Story’s all-around prowess became more evident by this nugget: He is the first Red Sox player to have multiple homers and a stolen base in one game at Fenway since John Valentin on Aug. 10, 1995. Story got a great jump for his steal on Thursday, motoring into third.
“He’s playing free, and that’s something I told him in the recruiting process, that one more athlete to this lineup is going to help us,” Cora said. “Just play. With him, he has the green light, he can run whenever he wants to. He’s a smart baserunner. He brings a different dimension.”
Just as Story is getting hot, the 16-22 Red Sox are showing signs of digging out of their early season rut, winning six of nine after starting the season 10-19.
“It just shows his talent. He’s an incredible hitter,” said winning pitcher Tanner Houck. “Us as a team, we struggled early, but I think everyone now has truly picked it up. For him to go out there tonight, with three homers, seven RBIs, just an incredible night.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2022 2:14:55 GMT -5
Tanner Houck delivered a sterling effort in relief of struggling starter Rich Hill By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated May 20, 2022, 12:10 a.m.
The Red Sox haven’t been sure how best to use righthander Tanner Houck this season — and part of that was his fault.
Houck was the Game 3 starter coming out of spring training and initially pitched well in the rotation. But he was dropped into the bullpen on April 24, a day before the first series in Toronto.
Because he has so far refused to get vaccinated, Houck could not travel to Canada and missed four games while on the restricted list.
Houck allowed 11 earned runs over 11 innings in his next four games, one of them a start. At one point he was idle for six days.
Manager Alex Cora finally said a few days ago that Houck would remain in the bullpen in a multi-inning role.
Did getting some clarification help? It seemed to on Thursday night when Houck pitched four dominant innings in a 12-6 victory against the Seattle Mariners.
With the Sox trailing 4-2, Houck came out of the bullpen and retired 12 of the 14 batters he faced, striking out six of them.
The final score doesn’t reflect it, but Houck changed the game with how he pitched. Seattle reached base seven times in the first two innings off Rich Hill and Houck stopped them cold.
The Red Sox took advantage to win for the fifth time in seven games as Trevor Story homered three times and drove in seven runs.
Friday may well be a game remembered as the night Story got going offensively and won over some skeptical fans. But the other long-term consequence could be finding a role for Houck to use his considerable talents.
Houck has a 3.38 earned run average in 30 games with 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings since making his debut late in the 2020 season. He’s 4-6 with a 3.22 ERA in 20 starts.
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Because he relies heavily on a fastball and a slider and wavers between a sinker and splitter as his third pitch, Houck profiles as a better fit in the bullpen long term.
How he was used Friday feels like a good template moving forward.
“We feel comfortable with the structure of the bullpen. He’s going to be a big part of this,” Cora said. “We were aggressive with the bullpen and he did an outstanding job.”
Friday was the first time Houck used a different grip on his slider and that produced a little more spin and different movement.
He threw it 22 times and the Mariners put in play twice.
“I enjoyed it,” Houck said. “I’m not really scared to try something new. That’s kind of the takeaway from today. I’ve been working on it [and] felt confident going out there with it. I took a shot and don’t regret it at all.”
Houck had last pitched on Sunday in Texas, going three innings and throwing 37 pitches. In the four days that followed, he tinkered with his slider. He used a grip fellow reliever Austin Davis showed him and ran the idea by pitching coach Dave Bush, who approved. Related: Red Sox prospect Bryan Mata hits 100 m.p.h. in competitive return from Tommy John surgery
“It stuck, it resonated with me and it made a lot of sense,” Houck said.
It was a subtle change but one that gave the pitch more life.
“It’s a process. I’ve now broken the seal with it and it’s about learning about the pitch, grow with it and truly be able to harness it,” Houck said.
Most any pitcher can be taught a particular grip. The success comes in commanding the pitch in the strike zone and not just letting it go with a hope and a prayer.
As for his role, Houck said it doesn’t matter whether he asked to go one inning or three.
“As long as it puts us in a position to win,” he said.
Young pitchers invariably say such things. But structure matters. The bullpen has been a glaring weakness for the Sox and Houck’s ability to turn a lineup over in the middle of the game will make it easier for Cora to piece together the final innings.
That, as much as Story getting on track, is what can turn the season around.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2022 2:16:55 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Impressed by J.D. Martinez’s start to 2022 with the Red Sox? He knows he can do more. By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated May 19, 2022, 7:58 p.m.
J.D. Martinez’s 18-game hitting and 36-game on-base streaks were snapped in Wednesday’s win over the Astros when the Sox designated hitter went 0 for 3.
Both were the longest active streaks of his career, and Martinez started new runs in Thursday’s 12-6 win over Seattle. Going 4-for-5 ran his season numbers to .344/.383/.582 (.965 OPS) with five homers. Yet Martinez said before the game he doesn’t feel as if he’s hot at the plate.
“I wouldn’t say I’m locked in,” he said. “I’m locked in when you see me freakin’ hitting three or four homers a week.”
So, how does Martinez view his latest production at the plate? Stubborn.
“Being stubborn in my game plan and what I’m trying to do,” he said.
Martinez is a tinkerer. He has the ability to adjust his mechanics from at-bat to at-bat, processing information and quickly applying it. But there is such a thing as too much information at once, even for a hitter constantly obsessed with the process of trying to gain an edge.
“I just have to be stubborn and not get in my own way, and be stubborn in my plan. Not give in,” he said.
As for the streaks, Martinez was sort of indifferent.
“It’s more for the fans,” he said. “There’s some luck [involved], some work and some balls hit hard.” Knee surgery for Darwinzon Hernandez
Reliever Darwinzon Hernandez was diagnosed with a torn right meniscus in his knee and underwent surgery Thursday morning. There is no timetable for his return.
“It sucks for the kid,” manager Alex Cora said. “We know he’s going to bounce back. He’s going to be OK.”
The Sox optioned Hernandez to Triple A Worcester at the end of spring training. The Sox wanted him to refine his mechanics, hoping Hernandez could contribute in a multi-inning role for the big-league club at some point this year.
Hernandez has struggled with the WooSox, posting a 5.95 ERA and walking 16 in 19⅔ innings. Cora reiterated on Thursday that the Sox were encouraged by Hernandez’s last outing, where he worked across three innings and struck out three, with one walk against an unearned run.
“Forget results,” Cora said. “Just repeating delivery and getting where we want him to get [was good]. The fastball in the last two or three outings was on point.” Source: Ryan Brasier to Triple A
The Red Sox informed reliever Ryan Brasier after Thursday’s game that he’s being optioned to Triple-A Worcester, according to a major league source. Brasier, who allowed a homer in ninth-inning mop-up duty, has allowed seven runs and four homers in his last four appearances (3⅓ innings). He has a 6.28 ERA in 14⅓ innings this year . . . The Red Sox will officially activate starter Michael Wacha from the 15-day injured list ahead of Friday night’s game. Wacha has a 1.38 ERA in five starts and 26 innings . . . Seattle activated righthanded reliever Drew Steckenrider from the restricted list and returned lefthander Roenis Elías to Triple A Tacoma. Steckenrider, who is not vaccinated, was not with the team for its series in Toronto. Neither was lefthander Robbie Ray, but unvaccinated starting pitchers who pitched within four days of their team entering Canada are not eligible for the restricted list . . . The Sox will wear NBA jerseys for their trip to Chicago on Sunday afternoon. Most have Celtics jerseys in their locker. Trevor Story, who is from Texas, will wear a Mavericks jersey.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2022 2:18:45 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 5h Sawamura is done after 4 batters.
K single single 4-pitch walk
Now Sox have to use Strahm. Changes what they can do the rest of the series.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2022 2:19:29 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 3h Trevor Story this afternoon:
.205/.293/.320.
and now:
.230/.317/.413.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2022 2:21:00 GMT -5
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne · 5h The late-inning relief pitchers on both sides seem to want to keep this game going a while longer.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2022 2:25:55 GMT -5
Red Sox notebook: Alex Cora hoping Rafael Devers ‘can play here the rest of his career’ Devers is red-hot at the plate
By Jason Mastrodonato | jason.mastrodonato@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald PUBLISHED: May 19, 2022 at 6:16 p.m. | UPDATED: May 19, 2022 at 6:30 p.m.
Nobody on the planet is hotter at the plate than Rafael Devers.
But when he legged out a first-inning triple during the Sox’ 5-1 win over the Astros on Wednesday night, it almost ruined his night.
“I was tired all game,” he told WEEI in a postgame interview. “First at-bat, triple, not good bro.”
That didn’t stop him from reaching base two more times. He’s now hitting a stunning .458 with a 1.354 OPS during a 12-game hitting streak in which he has 12 extra-base hits.
Overall, Devers leads MLB in hits (52), hard-hit balls (65), doubles (tied, 15), and total bases (tied, 90) while his .340 average is second in the American League.
Since the start of the 2019 season, no player in baseball has more than Devers’ 879 total bases and 217 extra-base hits.
The 25-year-old broke new ground in another way on Wednesday night, when he did his postgame radio interview partially in English. Throughout his six years in the big leagues, the Dominican Republic native has typically done his interviews in Spanish while using a translator.
But when WEEI’s Will Flemming asked Devers a question in Spanish, the third baseman answered in English.
“It makes me proud,” manager Alex Cora said Thursday. “I do believe this kid is going to be very special. He is special, but I think with time people are going to be talking about him. And for him to take that step, it’s very important.
“You saw it with David (Ortiz). I saw it with Adrian (Beltre). Those are Hall of Famers. I’m not saying Raffy is going to be a Hall of Famer but I saw how they grew into this… It’s a step that is needed. Hopefully he can play here the rest of his career and he’s going to be very important in the community. Not only the Latino community but everybody here.”
Devers is under team control through 2023, but the Sox have failed in their efforts to sign him to a contract extension.
Cora said he and some of the other bilingual folks in the clubhouse have been pushing Devers to communicate more in English, but “for him to do that, I’m actually at a loss of words. You caught me off guard. But I’m very pleased that happened.”
Speaking multiple languages is what helped Xander Bogaerts become a leader, and Cora said it could have the same impact with Devers.
“He’s becoming one of those just going about his business,” Cora said. “When we have off days on the field, he goes to (infield instructor Carlos Febles), ‘Hey, we’re going out.’ And when he goes out, the other guys follow. So as far as work ethic, they understand who he is now and what he means to the group. And at the same time, he’s been a little bit more vocal in the dugout and in the clubhouse.” Cora wants more production from first base
While Devers, Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez are carrying the Sox’ offense to a resurgence over the last two weeks, Cora is still concerned of the lack of production at every other position.
No other player on the Sox has an OPS-plus better than 79 (100 is league average).
“At one point, we expect them to do more offensively,” Cora said. “Obviously you can’t rely on three guys the whole season. It doesn’t work that way at this level. They’re working hard and they’re trying to get to who they are and hopefully they can do that soon.”
The most concerning area has been first base, where Bobby Dalbec and Franchy Cordero have combined to rank 30th in MLB with a .471 OPS.
Dalbec has mostly been on the bench of late, but got his second straight start against a right-handed pitcher on Thursday.
“I do believe he’s been controlling the zone the last four or five days,” Cora said. “That’s why he’s playing today because you can see the adjustments, what we’re preaching, and it seems like the at-bats are getting better. I always think that sometimes we get caught up in hitting the ball to right-center, driving it here. He can pull the ball with power. That’s what he did in August last year and you saw the difference.” Surgery for Hernandez
The Sox lost one of their best minor league left-handed pitchers. Darwinzon Hernandez suffered a torn meniscus in his knee and underwent surgery on Thursday morning. The team doesn’t have a timetable but is hopeful Hernandez can pitch again this year.
“It sucks for the kid but we know he’s going to bounce back and he’s going to be OK,” Cora said. Wacha Wacha
Michael Wacha, who is 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA but has been on the 15-day injured list with left intercostal irritation, will return Friday to start against the Mariners. He could be on a pitch count.
“We’ve got to be smart about it, right?” Cora said. “I don’t know if he’s going nine. He’s so efficient. He’s very aggressive in the zone and he induces weak contact. We’ve just got to make sure we don’t overdo it.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2022 2:27:21 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 4h Trevor Story is the third Red Sox second baseman ever with three homers in a game, joining Bobby Doerr (1950 - in a 29-4 win over the St. Louis Browns) and Dustin Pedroia (2010 - a 13-11 win over the Rockies).
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2022 2:30:30 GMT -5
Trevor Story after 3-homer game for Boston Red Sox: ‘Just a special night and one I’ll never forget’ Updated: May. 20, 2022, 12:25 a.m. | Published: May. 20, 2022, 12:22 a.m.
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
BOSTON — “Just a special night and one I’ll never forget.”
That’s how Trevor Story described his three-homer game Thursday. He led the Red Sox to a 12-6 comeback victory over the Mariners here at Fenway Park.
“He will hit. We know that,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “He’s feeling comfortable in the environment. It’s just a matter of time and today was outstanding.”
Story did it all after Boston fell behind 4-0. He crushed a 402-foot two-run homer to cut the deficit to 4-2 in the second inning. He tied it with a 403-foot two-run home run over the Green Monster in the third.
He singled, stole a base and scored during a two-run sixth inning that put Boston ahead 6-4.
His third homer — a three-run shot that traveled 358 feet over the Monster — gave Boston a 12-5 lead in the eighth.
He went 4-for-4 with three homers, seven RBIs, five runs, one walk and one stolen base.
“Special. Great atmosphere. Unbelievable place to play every night,” he said about Fenway. “So to be able to do it here is something I’ll remember forever.”
Cora said Story is an old-school baseball player.
“Like you go 0-for-4 and you go to the cage and you stay there for an hour, an hour and a half,” Cora said. “He’s done it a few times. And other guys have done it following his lead.”
Story — who spent an hour in the cage after his four-strikeout game against Shohei Ohtani on May 5 — said he tries not to focus on his stats. That seems easier said than done after he signed a six-year, $140-million contract and started out as slow as he did.
“I really just focus on the process and the preparation,” Story said. “Go out there and we play and whatever happens, we’ll look up at the end of the season and the numbers will be where they’re at. But especially on a daily basis, I’m not looking at the scoreboard.”
The numbers certainly took a major jump here Thursday.
Story entered the game batting .205 with a .293 on-base percentage, .320 slugging percentage and .613 OPS.
He’s now slashing .230/.317/.413/.730. And so his OBP increased 24 points, his slugging percentage jumped 93 points and his OPS increased 117 points.
He said he has tried to be more balanced and on time. He’s not trying to do too much.
“Baseball is the most challenging sport in the world,” Story said. “I feel like on an everyday basis, you’re going to be challenged, especially here. It’s something that I take a lot of pride in, trying to be very even-keeled about it all. I just believe that the hard work pays off eventually. But yeah, it’s always very challenging.”
Cora said he told Story a couple weeks ago, “Hey, man. Be you.”
“AC’s been great,” Story said. “He’s such a player’s manager. Communication. Doors wide open. Talk to him about anything, how you’re feeling good or bad. He’s got a lot of experience and I’m just happy he’s the guy. He’s been great for me.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2022 2:34:34 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 4h Story 4-4, 3 HR, BB, 5 R, 7 RBI
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2022 2:42:22 GMT -5
Mariners @ Red Sox 20th May 2022 7pm @ Fenway
Ray- 4-3/4.62
Wacha 0-0/1.38
Red Sox's Michael Wacha returns from injury to face Mariners FLM
After defeating the Seattle Mariners with a season-high 12-run, 16-hit performance on Thursday, the Boston Red Sox look to build upon that victory as the four-game series continues on Friday.
Michael Wacha (3-0, 1.38 ERA) is expected to come off the injured list to start for Boston.
The Red Sox hadn't listed a starter for Friday prior to the Thursday game, but manager Alex Cora said that Wacha is expected to return after missing two weeks due to left intercostal irritation.
"Because of his history with the oblique and all that, we just make sure we have the MRI and all that stuff and everything's good," said Cora, who originally hoped Wacha would be able to start last weekend at Texas. The right-hander threw a simulated inning Monday at Fenway Park.
Wacha hasn't pitched for the Red Sox since May 3, when he blanked the Los Angeles Angels over 5 2/3 innings of three-hit ball. He is 0-3 with a 9.56 ERA in three career starts against the Mariners, having allowed 30 hits and 17 runs in 16 innings.
While the stars of the series opener were many, Trevor Story led the way, going 4-for-4 with three home runs, seven RBIs and five runs in Boston's 12-6 win.
"It's special. (You just have) a lot of appreciation for these nights knowing how hard the game is," Story told NESN in a postgame interview. "You forget all the hard times on a night like this. ... I was seeing the ball well and trying to hit line drives, not trying to do too much."
J.D. Martinez (4-for-5, three runs) and Alex Verdugo (3-for-5, four runs) also enjoyed huge games for the Red Sox, who will shoot for their first three-game winning streak of the season on Friday.
The Red Sox "did a lot of good things," Cora said of his club that erased an early 4-0 deficit for its largest comeback win of the season.
"It shows the toughness of our team," Story said. "If we get down early, we're not out of it."
Seattle will try to bounce back Friday behind Robbie Ray (4-3, 4.62 ERA), who has logged 19 strikeouts over 11 2/3 innings over his past two starts. Despite allowing seven runs in the two games, Ray earned back-to-back wins over the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets.
In New York on Sunday, Ray gave up five runs on five hits and three walks in six innings. However, he generated a career-high 27 swings and misses on 97 total pitches, and he fanned nine.
"The walks obviously hurt," Ray said. "That's something that is super frustrating because I feel like I have the stuff that I don't need to walk guys."
A first-year Mariner, Ray made four starts against Boston as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays last season. He went 2-1 with a 3.13 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 23 innings over those games.
Ray, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, didn't travel to Toronto earlier this week as he is unvaccinated.
On Thursday, Seattle's Dylan Moore homered and drove in four runs while getting a start at shortstop. J.P. Crawford sat out with left-hander Rich Hill starting for Boston.
"We knew we were probably getting some guys some days (off) on this trip," Seattle manager Scott Servais said before the game. "I talk to these guys a lot about their bodies and how they're feeling."
Mariners rookie Julio Rodriguez also left the yard on a 3-for-5 night. He has recorded multiple hits in three of his past five games.
--Field Level Media
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2022 5:56:30 GMT -5
Peter Gammons @pgammo · 51m Earlier in the week, Trevor Story said "he now feels comfortble." With his elbow, in new league and team. HR, season highight def. play, now 4 G, 7-14, 4 HR...fans comp to Ryne Sandberg, Former teamates, manager, GM call him "players player." New mates buy that
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 20, 2022 5:58:07 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox send Ryan Brasier down to WooSox to make room for Michael Wacha on roster (report) Published: May. 20, 2022, 6:00 a.m.
By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
The Red Sox have optioned reliever Ryan Brasier to Triple-A Worcester, according to a report from Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe. The move will open a roster spot for starter Michael Wacha, who will be activated off the 15-day injured list and start Friday against Seattle.
Brasier has been inconsistent this season and his last few outings have been brutal. For the season, he owns a 6.28 ERA and 1.465 WHIP while allowing five home runs in 14 ⅓ innings. He emerged as a top bullpen option in late April with a handful of strong outings in a row but has been abysmal in May so far. He took losses on May 11 and May 15 after blowing games to the Braves and Rangers, respectively, and has an 18.90 ERA (7 ER in 3.1 innings) in his last four outings. He allowed a run in the ninth inning of Thursday’s 12-6 win.
Brasier, 34, has had big-league success before, including during a dominant 2018 season and at the end of last year, when he came off the injured list and posted a 1.50 ERA with nine strikeouts in 12 innings to close the season. But his inconsistency and recent struggles made him a prime candidate to be lopped off the roster. Notably, the Sox chose to send Brasier to Worcester over other pitchers like Hirokazu Sawamura or Tyler Danish, who both have options.
Wacha has been on the IL since May 8 with left intercostal irritation. He will return Friday, which is the first day he is eligible. So far, the veteran righty is 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA in five starts on the year.
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