|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2022 15:25:10 GMT -5
Mariners come out swinging and Whitlock who should never of been starting this season is getting Charlie Brown'd.
4-0 in the first Mariners and counting
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2022 15:44:08 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo @chriscotillo · 28s Verdugo is out of the game. Cordero in LF, Dalbec at 1B.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2022 19:42:08 GMT -5
Rafael Devers’ 2 homers lead Boston Red Sox out of 5-run hole in 6-5 comeback win over Mariners; Matt Barnes gets save Updated: May. 21, 2022, 7:55 p.m. | Published: May. 21, 2022, 7:09 p.m.
By Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
BOSTON -- The Red Sox spotted the Mariners five runs in Saturday’s game, then got their bats going en route to their biggest comeback win of the season.
Boston rallied behind a four-run fifth inning and two Rafael Devers home runs to come back and beat Seattle, 6-5, for their fourth straight win. Christian Vázquez clinched the victory with an eighth-inning RBI single and Matt Barnes recorded his second save of the season with a scoreless ninth.
Seattle hit Garrett Whitlock hard in the first inning, tagging him for four runs on six hits before the Red Sox even stepped to the plate. Julio Rodríguez (single), Jesse Winker (groundout), Eugenio Suárez (single) and Mike Ford (single) each had RBIs, then Luis Torrens hit an RBI single of his own to make it 5-0 in the third.
Devers launched his first homer of the game off Mariners starter Chris Flexen in the third to make it a 5-1 game. In the fifth, Boston’s bats really got going, as the first four batters reached with hits and chased Flexen from the game. After Kiké Hernández doubled, Devers launched his first homer of the game to make it 5-3, then J.D. Martinez (double) and Xander Bogaerts (single) reached. Bobby Dalbec’s RBI single made it a one-run game and Trevor Story tied the game with a sacrifice fly to center.
Both bullpens traded zeroes before the eighth, when Franchy Cordero tripled off the Green Monster and came around to score on Vázquez’s single. With the Red Sox running low on relievers, manager Alex Cora turned to Barnes, who has struggled all season, in the ninth. The righty pitched a 1-2-3 inning for his second save of the year.
With the win, the Red Sox improved to 17-22.
Whitlock struggles
The usually dominant Whitlock was not himself Saturday. In three innings, he allowed five earned runs on 10 hits while walking three. His ERA rose from 2.43 to 3.58.
Eovaldi pitches finale
Righty Nate Eovaldi (1-2, 4.32 ERA) will look to bounce back from a historically bad start in Sunday’s series finale against Seattle. Mariners ace Logan Gilbert (4-2, 2.40 ERA) will be on the mound for the road team. First pitch is at 1:35 p.m. ET.
The Red Sox will then be off Monday and head to Chicago for three games with the White Sox before returning home Friday
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2022 19:43:14 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 2h Rafael Devers is making the leap to superstar in 2022.
These runs of production he goes on -- like right now -- are special.
Red Sox are 18-22. They rallied from an early 4-0 deficit.
Rafael Devers with two more homers. He's sizzling at the moment.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2022 19:44:15 GMT -5
Kyle Montemagno @kylemontemagno · 2h Today is Rafael Devers' 11th career multi-HR game.
The only players with more multi-HR games with the @redsox prior to turning 26 years of age are Jim Rice (16) and Mookie Betts (13).
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2022 19:45:23 GMT -5
Julian McWilliams @byjulianmack · 1h Flu-like symptoms for Verdugo. Team is going through protocol.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2022 19:47:32 GMT -5
Jon Couture @joncouture · 1h Barnes pitches a clean ninth in a one-run game, and let's not dig any deeper into it because that's no good for anybody. #RedSox
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2022 19:49:03 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 1h Five-run comeback is their largest of the season.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2022 19:52:35 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 21, 2022 19:54:11 GMT -5
Christopher Smith @smittyonmlb · 1h Well, the Red Sox are back in it. There will be a baseball season in Boston this summer
|
|
|
Post by scrappyunderdog on May 21, 2022 21:09:36 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. I'd love to see him and Seabold as stackable candidates,
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 22, 2022 3:27:26 GMT -5
Red Sox riding wave of momentum: 'It's been awesome' Devers HRs twice in comeback win over Mariners May 21st, 2022 Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
BOSTON -- A 5-0 deficit in the third inning?
That that would have been jarring to the Red Sox a couple of weeks ago, when they were completely disjointed on offense and shaky in the bullpen.
Now? It's barely something to even blink about, particularly at Fenway Park as the weather starts to warm up.
On Saturday afternoon, the resurgent Sox roared back from the first truly tough outing of Garrett Whitlock’s career (3 innings, 10 hits, 5 runs) and scored six unanswered runs for a thrilling 6-5 victory over the Mariners. Just two days earlier, Boston rallied back from an early 4-0 deficit for another win against Seattle.
“We’re getting that feeling back,” said manager Alex Cora.
After going from April 13 to May 11 without winning a single series, the Sox have now won their last three series and will go for a four-game sweep against the Mariners on Sunday afternoon.
They’ve won four in a row, five out of six and eight out of 11. There is still a hill to climb for a team that has an 18-22 record, but the momentum is noticeable to anyone in the clubhouse.
“It’s been awesome,” said Matt Barnes, who earned his second save of the season. “I think you can kind of feel the energy shifting. Guys are just having fun playing.”
Here are three takeaways from a memorable Saturday for the Red Sox.
Devers kept them in it The most constant thing about the Red Sox this season? Big hits from Rafael Devers. The star slugger helped make this comeback possible when he swatted a no-doubter over the Boston bullpen in right-center and into the bleachers in the bottom of the third, followed by a two-run rocket over the Green Monster that slimmed Seattle’s deficit to 5-3 two innings later.
Devers has nine homers this season. Over his last 12, he is his batting .440 (22-for-50) with 12 runs, seven doubles, one triple, five homers, 13 RBIs and a 1.382 OPS.
On Saturday, Devers was satisfied to produce two swings that sent the momentum back in Boston’s direction.
“It feels great. We never give up at any point in the game. It feels great to help the team to close that deficit,” Devers said. “I feel great.”
Bottom’s up The Red Sox aren’t going to get very far this season if their big four of Devers, Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez and Trevor Story has to do all the damage.
That’s why Saturday was so encouraging. No. 7 hitter Franchy Cordero thrilled the crowd when he hit a triple that left his bat at 110.9 mph into the gap in right-center. It was the fifth triple of his career, but the first since 2018.
For a big man, Cordero can motor around the bases, diving head first into third for good measure.
“Obviously, when I hit the ball, I thought it was going to be a home run,” Cordero said. “But as soon as I saw the ball hit the wall, I just started running, tried to put myself in scoring position. When I saw the chance to go to third base I took that chance, knowing I had good hitters behind me to bring me home.”
That hitter was Christian Vázquez, who stepped up with one out needing a sac fly to put his team ahead, but instead drilled an RBI single high off the Green Monster to complete the comeback.
It was huge for us,” said Devers. “We know the type of hitter Franchy is, he’s good in clutch situations and with what Vázquez did behind him, everybody was as excited about that moment in the game and I’m happy for both of them.”
Familiar face at closing time With a one-run lead and three outs to go, Cora turned to someone he always went to in that situation for the first half of last season in Barnes. But the righty’s struggles have been well-chronicled since August of last season, which made Saturday’s opportunity one Barnes badly wanted to seize.
He did just that, thanks in part to some sweet glove work in the outfield from Jackie Bradley Jr. and Kiké Hernández, who ended the game with a nice snag on the warning track.
“Please catch it,” said Barnes, when asked what he was thinking. “We were trying to go bottom of the zone, kind of bounce it off the plate. Ty France is a really good hitter and he’s swinging the bat really well right now. Trying to make a quality pitch, I think I left it up. Luckily we’ve got some really good outfielders and athletes on this team and Kiké was able to go track it down for me.” Get the latest from the Red Sox
Have the latest news, ticket information, and more from the Red Sox and MLB delivered right to your inbox.
Why did Cora go to Barnes, whose only previous save this season was a one-out job on April 22?
“A lot of people down,” said Cora. “He has to get people out at one point. [John] Schreiber, this was his third day, so we decided to go with him in that pocket facing the bottom of the lineup [in the eighth]. You’ve got to trust him. At one point, he’s got to get people out at this level and help us win games. He grinded there and he got us three outs.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 22, 2022 3:29:01 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Verdugo exits with flu-like symptoms May 21st, 2022
Keep track of the Red Sox’s recent transactions and injury updates throughout the season. LATEST NEWS
May 21: Alex Verdugo exits with flu-like symptoms Verdugo played just one inning in left field and took one at-bat on Saturday before exiting the game with flu-like symptoms. The Red Sox were uncertain postgame if he would be able to play Sunday.
“Flu-like symptoms, we’re going through protocols right now so hopefully it’s not COVID-related. We’ll know more later on," said manager Alex Cora. -- Ian Browne
May 21: Xander Bogaerts (back) returns to lineup A day after the star shortstop was shaken up on a collision with left fielder Alex Verdugo and had to leave the game with lower back discomfort, he was somewhat surprisingly back in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Mariners. Seattle's J.P. Crawford hit what looked like a routine pop into short left during the top of the eighth inning on Friday. Bogaerts drifted back on a ball that traveled a Statcast-projected 221 feet and had it in his glove until Verdugo collided with him, taking out his legs.
Bogaerts landed awkwardly on his left elbow and the ball popped out of his glove when his back fell on top of it. Bogaerts stayed in for the rest of the inning, but Franchy Cordero pinch-hit for him in the bottom of the eighth.
“Yeah, he got some treatment last night. Called me this morning, asked me to give him a chance to see how he was moving. He’s moving well, so as of now, he’s playing," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said prior to Saturday's game. -- Ian Browne
May 21: Chris Sale throws first bullpen since setback The lefty, who was shut down from throwing a couple of weeks ago due to a non-baseball medical issue, took a significant step on May 19 when he threw a 15-pitch bullpen session.
“Fifteen pitches, that’s a [real] bullpen,” said manager Alex Cora. “It’s not the seven-pitch bullpen that he was throwing before [the medical setback]. So now, I haven’t sat down with [trainer] Brad [Pearson] about it but obviously he’ll probably throw one in four days and go from there.”
Sale suffered a stress fracture in his right rib and hasn’t pitched for the Red Sox this season. In a best-case scenario, he could be back in late June. -- Ian Browne
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 22, 2022 3:35:24 GMT -5
Suddenly the Red Sox are on a hot streak, and other observations from their fourth straight win By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated May 21, 2022, 7:14 p.m.
The Red Sox rallied to erase a five-run deficit with a four-run outburst in the fifth and broke the tie in the eighth on Christian Vazquez’s RBI single in a 6-5 victory over the Seattle Mariners Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park.
It might have been unfathomable some weeks ago, but with the pages of the calendar turning to summer months, the Sox bats have decided to heat up, too.
Rafael Devers kept the Sox in it, belting his eighth homer of the season in the bottom of the third inning. Devers made it 5-3 when he hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth. That sparked a four-run inning for the Sox against Mariners starter Chris Flexen.
For Devers, it was his 11th multi-homer game. The only players with more multi-homer games with the Sox prior to turning 26 are Jim Rice (16) and Mookie Betts (13).
Vazquez’s RBI single to center in the eighth scored Franchy Cordero, who reached on a one-out triple, with the go-ahead run.
The bullpen did its part, as well, with five relievers — Tyler Danish, Jake Diekman, Hansel Robles, John Schreiber, and Matt Barnes — combining to throw six scoreless innings to help the Sox cement their season-high fourth straight win, fifth in the last six games, and their third consecutive series win.
I know the team that we have,” Devers said afterward. “We can come from behind and score at any time.”
The Sox will go for the sweep on Sunday.
Observations from the game:
▪ One sequence in the eighth inning is what keeps the Red Sox intrigued about Franchy Cordero. His triple off the left-center field wall left his bat at 110.5 miles per hour. It was the hardest hit ball of the game for either team. Cordero saw the weird bounce the ball took toward center field and that is when he went to another gear on the base paths, which helped him reach third base easily.
“It’s always really exciting to get that hit in that situation, that late in the game, and be able to put myself in scoring position,” Cordero said. “It was a great feeling and a great opportunity to help my team.”
▪ Garrett Whitlock is experiencing some growing pains as a starter. He lasted just three innings against the Mariners and was roughed up for five runs on 10 hits, both career highs. Whitlock tossed 71 pitches, drawing just five swings and misses.
He got tagged for four runs in the first, beginning with three straight hits.
The third base hit was an RBI single by Mariners rookie Julio Rodriguez. It came on Whitlock’s changeup which, to that point, had kept hitters at bay, going 0 for 27 against that pitch. Whitlock did induce some weak contact, with half of Seattle’s 10 hits coming on the ground.
▪ Whitlock had three strikeouts. If you couple that with the lack of whiffs and the Mariners’ high contact rate, it was an indication Seattle wasn’t fooled by Whitlock’s stuff. The Mariners had the right game plan. Before the game, in fact, manager Alex Cora said that would be the main hurdle Whitlock would have to endure in moving from the bullpen to the rotation.
“[As a starter the opposition] has a chance to look at tendencies and how he’s attacking guys,” Cora said before the game. “The running game comes into play. Obviously he’s a strike thrower. From the bullpen, it’s always fast, right. The at-bats are solved in three pitches most of the time with him. When he comes out of the bullpen, you don’t know when he’s coming in and what situation.”
In his six starts since becoming a starter, Whitlock has allowed 24 hits and 12 runs, pitching to the tune of a 4.70 ERA.
“Yeah, I sucked,” Whitlock said regarding his day.
▪ Despite not scoring until Devers’s homer in the third, six balls in play came with an exit velocity of 94 m.p.h. or higher off Flexen. Three were over 100 m.p.h. It was only a matter of time until the Red Sox offense pounced. The Sox’ bats stung 11 balls in play that registered at 100 m.p.h. or higher.
“Offensively, it felt like we were putting together good at-bats early on in the game,” Cora said. “And it was going to be one of those big games. We’re getting that feeling back.”
▪ Prior to this homestand, the Sox were 4-9 at Fenway. After the team’s road series against the Rangers, Cora alluded to his team’s struggles at home, adding that they need to play better. The Sox responded, winning four of their last five home games, including two of three vs. the Astros.
“It felt good today,” Cora said. “It was a great atmosphere. From our end, we have to do this. We have to play better at home.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on May 22, 2022 3:37:23 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK The Red Sox aren’t getting much offense from their first basemen, especially Bobby Dalbec By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated May 21, 2022, 5:22 p.m.
For the second straight season, the Red Sox are looking for more offensive production from their first basemen.
Before Saturday’s 6-5 win against the Mariners, the Sox ranked last in batting average at the position (.152), slugging percentage (.242), and on-base plus slugging (.482). They have produced just one homer, which also ranks last in the league.
Bobby Dalbec’s struggles at the plate have continued. He went 1 for 2 with an RBI single Saturday, but he’s hitting just .167 and has struck out 32 times in 116 plate appearances.
Franchy Cordero, meanwhile, came into the day hitting .273 and ripped a crucial triple off the wall in the eighth inning. He wound up scoring the go-ahead run on Christian Vázquez’s RBI single.
Cordero is making better swing decisions as of late and has shortened his swing. “I try to swing at good pitches and try to reach base,” Cordero said.
Worcester Red Sox Sox infielder Ryan Fitzgerald has been getting some reps at first base this year and made his first start at the position with top prospect Triston Casas (swollen ankle) out of the lineup.
Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom made it clear he wants to give Casas more time in Triple A, considering he hasn’t had a full season at the level. Fitzgerald, meanwhile, came into the day hitting .303/.365/.621 with nine homers in 149 plate appearances. He could very well be an option for the Red Sox, providing another lefthanded bat.
For now, though, the Red Sox are still trying to do everything they can to get Dalbec going.
“He can pull the ball with power and that’s what he did in August last year and you saw the difference with him,” manager Alex Cora said this past week. “He’s been a little bit late on the fastball, obviously out in front on the breaking ball. [Hitting the ball out of the ballpark] is part of his game, we know that. For a lineup that is in need of power, it will be good for him to start hitting the ball in the air and out of the ballpark.”
Dalbec entered Saturday’s game when Alex Verdugo departed in the second inning with flu-like symptoms. He will go through COVID-19 protocols. Cordero moved to left. Dalbec recorded the 100th RBI of his career during a four-run outburst in the fifth inning that tied it, driving in J.D. Martinez with a single to right that pulled the Sox within 5-4. Bogaerts back
Xander Bogaerts returned to the lineup after colliding with Verdugo on a fly ball in the eighth inning of the Red Sox’ 7-3 win over the Mariners. Bogaerts left the game in the bottom half of that frame.
Cora said Bogaerts texted him Saturday morning and said he was good to go. Bogaerts was moving around well enough for the team to put him in the lineup.
With the upcoming day off Monday, there’s a possibility Bogaerts will sit on Sunday.
“One thing about Xander is that he doesn’t like offdays [at Fenway],” Cora said before the game. “But obviously we’ll be smart about it and if he needs an offday we’ll give it to him.” Medical report
Chris Sale threw a bullpen this past week. James Paxton (Tommy John surgery) has yet to throw after being shut down with elbow inflammation. Sale was shut down, too, for what was described as a nonmedical issue unrelated to his rib cage fracture. Cora said he will have an update on WooSox starter Connor Seabold (right pectoral strain) in the coming days.
|
|