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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2022 3:40:00 GMT -5
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne · 6h The Red Sox have won three in a row for the first time this season, beat the Mariners, 7-3. Grand slam by Story. Homer off the bench for JBJ. Strong return by Wacha.
Lower back discomfort for Bogaerts. Day to day.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2022 3:59:19 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK After a slow start to 2022 season, Red Sox offense finally getting on a good run By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated May 20, 2022, 7:50 p.m.
Red Sox hitting coach Peter Fatse believes his offense is on the right track.
After a forgettable start to the season, the Red Sox scored 58 runs in their previous 10 games entering Friday, batting .285 over that span with an .840 OPS. The Sox have hit 12 home runs in those 10 games compared with just 16 over their first 29 games.
“Our commitment to the strike zone has been really good,” Fatse said Friday before the Sox’ 7-3 victory against the Mariners. “We’ve been winning the battleground areas every night that we need to win in order to have success. You’re seeing the slug start to go up, guys hitting the ball in the air a little bit more.”
The Sox have had quality offensive production from Trevor Story, who was fresh off a 4-for-4 game in which he belted three homers, registering seven RBIs. He added to that total Friday with a grand slam in the third inning off Mariners starter Robbie Ray.
Story said after Thursday’s contest that he felt as if he now has better balance at the plate and is on time. Fatse agreed.
“The biggest thing for him is making sure he’s getting started early enough and making sure he has control of his body when he goes to make his forward move on the ball,” Fatse said. “He’s made a couple tweaks. We worked together to kind of lock in on a couple things that are important for him but most importantly, finding a balance point for him when he’s going forward.” Brasier optioned to Worcester
The Red Sox officially optioned righthanded reliever Ryan Brasier to Triple A Worcester. Michael Wacha was activated from the injury list.
Brasier dealt with a number of injuries that kept him sidelined for most of last season. He was finally healthy this year, but struggled mightily on the hill, to the tune of a 6.28 ERA in 18 games (14⅓ innings). Brasier had a 1.465 WHIP and allowed a whopping five homers.
“It’s one of those that it’s not an easy decision,” manager Alex Cora said. “We know what he means to us but in the end, he knows he has to get better and he will. It’s a guy that at one point he’s going to come back and he’s going to help us accomplish what we’re trying to do.”
The Sox want Brasier to utilize his four-seam fastball up in the zone, believing that’s where it’s at its best. When the fastball is down that plays a large factor in it getting hit so hard. Overall, though, the fastball didn’t play, with four of the five homers Brasier surrendered coming on that pitch.
Bogaerts leaves with back issue
Xander Bogaerts left Friday’s game in the eighth inning with lower back discomfort after colliding with Alex Verdugo on a fly ball in the top of the inning. Bogaerts is considered day-to-day . . . WooSox starter Connor Seabold was scratched from his start Friday with what Cora described as a right pectoral strain, which is similar to what Garrett Whitlock experienced toward the end of last season. “We shut him down,” Cora said. “We’ll see how he progresses in the upcoming days.” The Sox don’t view Seabold’s injury as a huge concern right now. Seabold put together his most impressive start of the year last Sunday, when the righthander went six shutout innings and allowed just one hit while striking out 11. Seabold had a 2.45 ERA in seven starts for Worcester, striking out 37 batters in 36 ⅔ innings pitched. Seabold has a history of injuries, dealing with oblique and elbow issues over the course of his minor league career.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2022 4:01:50 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 7h How much has John Schreiber emerged as a trusted late-innings reliever? The Sox haven't had anyone warming behind him while he faces the heart of the Mariners lineup. But Schreiber - on a pair of well-placed pop-ups - has allowed two hits and his first run of the year.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2022 4:03:49 GMT -5
Red Sox notebook: Story making the grade at second base
By Rich Thompson | richard.thompson@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald PUBLISHED: May 20, 2022 at 6:47 p.m. | UPDATED: May 20, 2022 at 8:57 p.m.
Red Sox second baseman Trevor Story was a power-hitting shortstop over six Major League seasons with the Colorado Rockies before coming to Boston.
Story displayed that aspect of his game with a breakthrough performance in Thursday night’s 12-6 mauling of the Seattle Mariners in the first of four at Fenway Park. Story began building toward that moment in the previous series with the Houston Astros before upending the Seattle pitching staff.
Story went 4-for-5 with a career-high five runs, three home runs, seven RBI and a stolen base. He became the second Red Sox player to have five runs, three homers, seven RBI and a steal in a game and first since Yoenis Cespedes at Colorado on August 21, 2015.
“I think that was my best performance with the Red Sox so far,” said Story in the Red Sox clubhouse prior to Friday night’s tilt with the Mariners.
“A lot of work had gone into it. A lot of behind-the-scenes stuff and all that kind of work came out and now we want to ride that out. I felt great and obviously it kind of feels great when the hard work pays off a little bit with each game.
“We know that over 162 we are working on the right things and the right stuff to be prepare for the game.”
Story knew when he came to Boston that there was no place for him on the left side of the Red Sox infield. Even with an impressive resume on that side in the National League, Story was not going to supplant Xander Bogaerts at shortstop or third baseman Rafael Devers.
“It was a little bit different being on that side of second base and playing second but I have gotten more comfortable each and every game,” said Story. “I am definitely more confident than I was in the beginning, but there is definitely room for improvement.”
Story had played at second base occasionally in the minor leagues. He knew playing on the right side was his gateway to the starting nine in manager Alex Cora’s lineup.
“There are going to be plays he’s never seen before and he might have struggled in the beginning on some reaction things,” said Cora. “But as far as making the routine plays and moving in the shift and throwing the ball, he has been really good for us.”
The Red Sox went into Game 2 with the Mariners ranked second in MLB in both defensive runs saved (19) and ultimate zone rating (7.1). Devers is second among qualified third baseman with a .982 fielding percentage. Story made it his mission to get on the same page with Bogaerts, Devers and first baseman Bobby Dalbec.
“We take a lot of pride in our defense and we put a lot of work into it,” said Story. “We are out there early and taking ground balls all the time and that was a big thing I did in the past.
“Right when I stepped in, I knew that was something they took a lot of pride in and it is a really good group.” Wacha time
Right hander Michael Wacha returned to the rotation for Game 2 against the Mariners. Wacha was reinstated from the 15-day injured list after recovering from left intercostal irritation. Wacha was 3-0 in five starts over 26.0 innings with a with a 1.38 ERA, 19 strikeouts and 11 walks before going on the IL on May 8.
“Obviously he hasn’t pitched in a while, but we feel comfortable with him,” said Cora.
To make room for Wacha on the active roster, the Red Sox designated RHP relief pitcher Ryan Brasier to Triple A Worcester. Brasier pitched the ninth inning against the Mariners on Thursday night and allowed a run. Brasier leads the club with 18 appearances with a 6.28 ERA.
“He (Brasier) mixes up his pitchers with the fastball up in the zone and works in the slider,” said Cora. “In the end, he knows he has to get better and he will.
“He is a guy that at one point he will come back and help us win.” Kiké leads the way
Center fielder Kiké Hernandez has been in the leadoff spot in his last 11 starts despite batting a woeful .177 in 35 games as the Red Sox place setter. Hernandez has batted leadoff in 142 of his 165 starts and currently is rated second among center fielders in defensive runs saved with 16.
“He’s been better and he is still not hitting the ball hard, especially in the strike zone, he’s getting under it,” said Cora. “One thing about him is he likes a challenge and somebody has to lead off.
“He did it last year and he did an outstanding job with us.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2022 4:06:54 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 8h 106 MLB batters have batted with at least 80 men on base for them this year, Story ranks 2nd driving in 24% of them.
1. 27% Rowdy Tellez 2. 24% Trevor Story 3. 24% Jose Ramirez 4. 23% Giancarlo Stanton 5. 23% Paul Goldschmidt
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2022 4:13:58 GMT -5
Mariners @ Red Sox Saturday, 21rst May 2022 4pm @ Fenway Park
Flexen 1-6/4.35
Whitlock 1-1/2.43
Seattle Mariners vs. Boston Red Sox Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 4:10pm EDT Written by David Delano
The Boston Red Sox (17-22) will host the Seattle Mariners (17-23) on Saturday in the third game of a four-game set. The Red Sox took the opening contest 12-6 on Thursday and again 7-3 on Friday night.
Mariners drop second game in series The Seattle Mariners lost for the fourth time in five games on Friday. After getting off to an 11-6 start this season, they are just 6-17 in their last 23 games. Abraham Toro hit his sixth home run of the season and drove in two-run in the loss. On the season, Toro is batting just .174.
The Mariners as a team are 22nd scoring four runs per game, 18th with a .232 batting average and 13th averaging 1.1 home runs per game. Leading the club is Ty France with a 1.9 WAR, .327 batting average, and 28 RBI. He is also second on the team with six home runs. Eugenio Suarez has a team-best seven home runs. Julio Rodgriguez is tied for first in MLB with 11 stolen bases.
The Mariners are 25th with a 4.14 ERA and 21st with a 1.29 WHIP. Listed to start on Saturday is Chris Flexen who is 1-6 with a 4.35 ERA and 1.30 WHIP.
Stroy's Grand Slam led Red Sox win The Red Sox are fourth in a tough AL East, 11.5 games out of first place, but they won their third straight game on Thursday. Boston scored four runs in the bottom of the third on a Trevor Story grandslam to get the scoring started, and added three runs in the bottom of the eighth to put the game away.
On the season, Boston is 12th with a .242 batting average, 21st averaging 4.1 runs per game, and 26th hitting .78 home runs per game. J.D Martinez has five home runs, 20 RBI, and leads the team with a .349 batting average. Rafael Devers is second on the team with 21 RBI and a team-best seven home runs. Trevor Story has added six home runs and a team-best 27 RBI.
Second-year pitcher Garrett Whitlock will make his sixth start of the season. In nine games, he is 1-1 with a 2.43 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 37 to 10 strikeout to walk ratio. As a team the Red Sox are 16th with a 3.81 ERA and ninth with a 1.17 WHIP.
Mariners at Red Sox Saturday, at 4:10 PM EST Partly Cloudy According to Forecast.io, it's expected to be 82° F with a 0% chance of precipitation and 6 MPH wind blowing right to left in Boston at 4:10 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com Forecast.io
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Post by Kimmi on May 21, 2022 7:59:07 GMT -5
Haven't posted in about 2 weeks as I have a lot of stuff I'm dealing with at home right now. I hope to have more time and desire to post, but I may be a little infrequent in posting over the next several weeks until school is out.
At any rate, a few comments:
1. First off, a shout out to Pivetta and Story.
2. Our Pythagorean W-L is 19-20, so along with our early poor play, we were also the victims of some tough luck.
3. I'm not saying that our BP couldn't use some improvement, but when the offense scores like they should, it's not usually a big deal when the pen gives up 2-3 runs. As I've posted before, it's been way more about our lack of offense than it has been about our pitching.
4. Almost every team, including playoff teams, go through bad stretches like the Red Sox went through to open the season. The fact that our bad stretch was at the beginning of the season only made it more glaring, but it happens every year to most teams. Hopefully, the Sox are past that and can continue to play good baseball now.
5. Jonny Gomes' catch and subsequent reaction to getting Story's grand slam ball was priceless.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 21, 2022 8:19:08 GMT -5
Jonny Gomes caught Trevor Story’s first Red Sox grand slam on Green Monster, then signed ball and gave it to him in clubhousePublished: May. 20, 2022, 11:38 p.m. By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com BOSTON -- It’s pretty darn uncommon -- if not completely unheard of -- for a fan who catches a home run at a Major League Baseball game to be able to walk into the locker room and hand-deliver it to the player who hit the home run postgame. But that’s what happened Friday night at Fenway Park. Trevor Story’s third inning grand slam was caught by none other than Jonny Gomes, the former Red Sox outfielder, who was sitting in the Green Monster seats. Eight years after last patrolling the Fenway outfield as a member of the Red Sox, Gomes made one more memorable catch. Enter your email address here to receive the Fenway Rundown email newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday. Jackie Bradley Jr., who played with Gomes in 2013 and 2014, said he first found out Gomes had caught the ball when he saw the replay of the home run. Gomes’ decision to celebrate by lifting up his shirt helped Bradley quickly realize who had caught it. “I hadn’t even had an idea,” Bradley said. “Then I saw the shirt come off and was like, ‘Oh, I know that guy.’ That’s J.G. for you. Good times.” Story, who has now hit four home runs in his last two games, never met Gomes before Friday, when the ex-outfielder was hanging out in Boston’s dugout before the game. After Boston’s 7-3 win over the Mariners, Story found out what happened and had Gomes sign the ball for him. Originally, Gomes planned on keeping the ball and have Story sign it. But Story wanted a memento from his first grand slam in a Red Sox uniform. “He was going to keep it at first but I was like, ‘I think it would be cool if you signed it and I kept it just because it was the first one,’” Story said. “That’s something special,” he added. “I’ll never forget that.” The Story-Gomes exchange is the latest chapter in a (no pun intended) storybook week for the new Red Sox second baseman. After tying Monday’s game late with his first Fenway home run as a member of the Red Sox, Story hit three home runs in Thursday’s win and followed it up with Friday’s slam. In total, he as 22 RBIs in his last 17 home runs, including 11 in the last two days. Suddenly, he leads the Red Sox in RBIs, walks and stolen bases while ranking second in homers. “Literally a man on fire,” Bradley said. “It has been fun to watch. He works so hard and I look forward to continuing to see what he has.” Gomes’ catch had the Sox’ clubhouse buzzing after the game. The uniqueness of the moment was not lost on the group after Boston’s season-high third straight win. “You show up to the ballpark every day and see something you’ve never seen before,” said starter Michael Wacha. “That was that today, for sure.” How fracking awesome is that? I was just thinking about him the other day, celebrating shirtless after the WS, and the zest for life thingy. That's it. Season tickets in the Monster for Gomes, so our batters can target him.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on May 21, 2022 8:58:29 GMT -5
Haven't posted in about 2 weeks as I have a lot of stuff I'm dealing with at home right now. I hope to have more time and desire to post, but I may be a little infrequent in posting over the next several weeks until school is out.
At any rate, a few comments:
1. First off, a shout out to Pivetta and Story.
2. Our Pythagorean W-L is 19-20, so along with our early poor play, we were also the victims of some tough luck.
3. I'm not saying that our BP couldn't use some improvement, but when the offense scores like they should, it's not usually a big deal when the pen gives up 2-3 runs. As I've posted before, it's been way more about our lack of offense than it has been about our pitching.
4. Almost every team, including playoff teams, go through bad stretches like the Red Sox went through to open the season. The fact that our bad stretch was at the beginning of the season only made it more glaring, but it happens every year to most teams. Hopefully, the Sox are past that and can continue to play good baseball now.
5. Jonny Gomes' catch and subsequent reaction to getting Story's grand slam ball was priceless.
There are always so many small things that will corrupt a sample size this early. The NYY have played 13 games against teams > .500, and 25 v teams < .500. For the RS, it is pretty much the opposite, with 26 > .500 and 13 < .500. The NYY have already played 10 games against Baltimore. That isn't a shot; they've played well and we haven't, but it affects the records. We're 0-6 in extra innings. I think we should be scoring ~ 4.5 RPG, or better. Had we scored just exactly 4.5 rpg, our record would be 24-15. And I agree on the BP. I think we need a real, established closer, but the BP isn't that bad. Strahm, Davis, Robles, Diekman, and Schreider all have ERAs of =/less than 2.70, Sawamura is at 3.65m and Houck is high, but most of that was the meltdown against LAA. But you can't come in every game with a 2-2 score. Same with the hitting. You can't hit when every AB is crucial. And welcome back.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2022 10:22:56 GMT -5
Game 40: Mariners at Red Sox lineups and notesBy Amin Touri Globe Staff,Updated May 21, 2022, 17 minutes ago Winners of three in a row for the first time this season after another big night for Trevor Story, the Red Sox will try to make it four straight on Saturday against the visiting Mariners. Garrett Whitlock, continuing to settle into his role as a starter for the first time this season, has the ball for Boston; the righthander held the Mariners scoreless over 2 ⅓ innings in his only appearance against Seattle last April. Chris Flexen will go for the Mariners. His 1-6 record belies his decent performance, as he’s only allowed more than three earned runs or failed to throw at least five innings on one occasion this season. Advertisement Related: Sunday Baseball Notes: The Astros and Dodgers let their star shortstops walk, but would it work out as well for the Red Sox? Lineups MARINERS (17-23): 1. Adam Frazier (L) RF 2. Ty France (R) 1B 3. J.P. Crawford (L) SS 4. Julio Rodriguez (R) CF 5. Jesse Winker (L) LF 6. Eugenio Suarez (R) 3B 7. Abraham Toro (S) 2B 8. Mike Ford (L) DH 9. Luis Torrens (R) C Pitching: RHP Chris Flexen (1-6, 4.35 ERA) RED SOX (17-22): 1. Enrique Hernandez (R) CF 2. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 3. J.D. Martinez (R) DH 4. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS 5. Alex Verdugo (L) LF 6. Trevor Story (R) 2B 7. Franchy Cordero (L) 1B 8. Christian Vazquez (R) C 9. Jackie Bradley Jr. (L) RF Pitching: RHP Garrett Whitlock (1-1, 2.43 ERA) Time: 4:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Mariners vs. Whitlock: J.P. Crawford 0-1, Ty France 0-1, Dylan Moore 0-1 Red Sox vs. Flexen: Arroyo 0-3, Bogaerts 1-3, Cordero 0-2,Dalbec 0-3, Rafael Devers 1-3, Hernández 0-1, Martinez 1-4, Plawecki 0-2, Story 1-5, Verdugo 1-3 Stat of the day: The Mariners have offered Flexen an average of just 1.02 runs per game in support, and have been shut out in four of his seven starts to date. Notes: The Sox scored all their runs via homer on Friday, with Story’s grand slam and Jackie Bradley Jr.’s three-run shot providing all the offense Boston needed ... Story has four homers in the series and 22 RBIs in 17 games this month ... Whitlock has allowed three runs or fewer in each outing this season, though he has yet to log a win as a starter after getting a third straight no-decision on Monday in a 6-3 win over the Houston Astros ... Boston starters have allowed two runs or fewer in 19 of the past 27 games ... Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts collided with left fielder Alex Verdugo on a shallow fly ball late in Friday’s game, and Bogaerts was subsequently lifted for a pinch hitter. Cora confirmed that Bogaerts is day-to-day due to lower back discomfort on the left side. Song of the Day: Living Colour - Cult Of Personality www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xxgRUyzgs0
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2022 11:57:16 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 33m Unexpected company for Trevor Story in a power/speed showcase: He's the second Red Sox player ever with at least 6 homers and 4 steals over a 10-game stretch. The other? Mo Vaughn in 1995 had a 10-game stretch of 7HR/4SB and another with 6HR/5SB.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2022 13:49:25 GMT -5
Julian McWilliams @byjulianmack · 1h Chris Sale threw a 15-pitch bullpen a couple of days ago. Still nothing on Paxton.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2022 13:50:52 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 48m Ryan Fitzgerald is starting at 1B for the WooSox today. Noteworthy as teams will have to reduce pitching staffs to 13 pitchers later this month, which will prompt the Sox to drop one pitcher and add a position player. Also: Triston Casas (ankle) remains out.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2022 13:52:14 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo @chriscotillo · 1h Cora hinted that Josh Winckowski is a candidate to start one of the games of next Saturday’s doubleheader.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2022 14:53:25 GMT -5
Christian Arroyo embracing limited role with Red Sox despite just 4 May starts: ‘Every day you get in the big leagues is a blessing’ Published: May. 21, 2022, 3:48 p.m.
By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
BOSTON -- Things have not gone as planned for Christian Arroyo so far this season. The Red Sox second-baseman-turned-part-time-outfielder has barely played, and when he has, he has not performed to his liking.
Arroyo, who entered spring training as the projected starting second baseman until the team signed Trevor Story, made just his fourth start in 17 May games Friday night against Seattle. After he went 0-for-3 against Mariners starter Robbie Ray, his average fell to .185 (10-for-54) in 59 total plate appearances. Despite the struggles, he’s staying upbeat and embracing a different role on a new-look Red Sox team.
“Every day you get in the big leagues is a blessing,” Arroyo said. “At the end of the day -- I talk to my wife about it a lot -- you’re going to be a former player a lot longer than you are a current player, so you have to enjoy these days as much as you can. That’s what I try to do. These guys make it easy.”
After being claimed off waivers in Aug. 2020, Arroyo made enough of an impression in 14 games for that year’s Red Sox to be all but guaranteed of a roster spot entering 2021. Though injuries limited him to just 57 games during the regular season, he performed well enough on both sides of the ball to emerge as Boston’s starting second baseman for all 11 postseason games. For a player who had been with four different organizations in four years, the rise was impressive.
Now, Arroyo is a bit of a forgotten man on Boston’s roster. With Story entrenched at second base, he has joined a right field platoon with Jackie Bradley Jr. and starts there against lefties. He’s a natural backup at a few infield positions and will even get some starts at first base, according to manager Alex Cora. The Red Sox tried Arroyo at that spot last July only to have him strain his hamstring stretching for a ball in his first game and, as a result, missing a month.
“It’s safe to say I don’t think I’m going to be dropping into any splits if I get back out there,” Arroyo joked.
The Red Sox still like Arroyo and, especially, his potential against left-handed pitchers. In 2021, he hit .329 with three homers and an .885 OPS in 74 plate appearances against southpaws. Offensively, he’s a perfect complement to the light-hitting Bradley even if the team’s defense suffers in right field. And his versatility makes him a valuable player in the field, too.
“It’s part of the equation. We’ve faced a lot of righties so far,” Cora said. “At one point, probably, we’ll start facing a lot of lefties. He’s a pro. He understands his role. Yeah, we’ll try to get him a few righties here and there. (He needs to) just keep working, coming in early to face the machine, hitting indoors, all that stuff. He has been doing a good job.
“There were no promises that he was going to be the starting second baseman either, but this is a guy we count on,” Cora added.
Even before Boston inked Story to a six-year, $140 million deal in late March, Arroyo was on board with the idea of being displaced. On Friday, he pointed to Story’s Thursday performance, in which he hit three homers, as a reason why he couldn’t be upset about the team making an upgrade at second base. He has kept that attitude through the first six weeks of the season.
“You can either look at it and be pissed off about it and mope and cry or whatever, or you can go the opposite route, which is the way I like to do it,” Arroyo said. “Every day here is a blessing and every day I get to wear the Red Sox uniform is a blessing.”
Arroyo said that his perspective on playing time has changed throughout his career. Early on, as a first-round pick trying to stick in the big leagues for the Giants and Rays, he might have gotten upset about not being in the lineup on certain days. Now, he says, he’s strictly in the “business of winning ballgames.”
Playing sparingly does make it harder to get into a rhythm at the plate, Arroyo said, even though he continues to prepare as if he’s going to play everyday. When a player is fighting for at-bats, there’s a natural inkling to view each opportunity as some sort of audition for a larger role. Arroyo said that thought has creeped into his head.
“I think, naturally, the human side of it will cause that to happen,” he said. “But at the end of the day you really need to push the pressure aside. You’ve got to go up there and trust your ability and just have good at-bats.”
If there’s a silver lining to Arroyo’s situation, it’s that it has allowed him more time to learn right field, which he had never played before. In the club’s first 40 games, he has only made eight starts there while Bradley has made 29 and Franchy Cordero and Rob Refsnyder have each made cameos.
“I’m definitely getting more comfortable,” Arroyo said. “The in-game stuff is a little different. The speed of the game is a little different than shagging BP. But no, I’m getting used to ball flights off the bat and different exit (velocities) and lefties and righties and all that, it definitely makes it easier when you get in there. It’s just another tool to add to the bag.”
For now, though Arroyo has limited opportunities to showcase those tools, he’s embracing every opportunity he gets to do so.
“Coming in and facing the lefties I’m facing then on those days, giving guys days off, it’s about not being a liability and moreso just being a guy who can slot into the lineup, make plays and just be a guy who has quality ABs,” Arroyo said.
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