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Post by Zig on Mar 28, 2014 10:59:35 GMT -5
Sizemore wins the CF job, JBJ sent down,,, BOSTON (CBS) — It’s official: Grady Sizemore will be the Boston Red Sox’ opening day center fielder. Manager John Farrell made the announcement Friday morning ahead of Boston’s spring game against the Minnesota Twins. Sizemore has had a great spring since signing a one-year deal with the Red Sox in the off-season, hitting .333 (13-for-39) with a homer, two doubles and six runs scored in 12 games. He played in his third straight game on Thursday night, going 2-for-3 at the plate with a single, double and a walk. The 31-year-old Sizemore, who has missed the last two-plus years due to various injuries, beat out rookie Jackie Bradley Jr. for the starting spot in center. Bradley hit just .158 in 19 games this spring, striking out 17 times. Bradley Jr. will start the season in Triple-A Pawtucket, Farrell announced. Farrell said on Thursday that Sizemore will not bat leadoff for Boston, and will likely hit in the middle of the lineup. boston.cbslocal.com/2014/03/28/sizemore-named-red-sox-opening-day-center-fielder/ |
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Post by Zig on Mar 31, 2014 11:13:55 GMT -5
and JBJ doesn't stay down long, Victorino to the DL BALTIMORE -- The Red Sox placed outfielder Shane Victorino on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Sunday, with a right hamstring strain, prior to Monday's season opener in Baltimore. Outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket to fill his spot on the 25-man roster. Victorino, 33, sustained the injury while running the bases in Saturday's Grapefruit League finale against the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers, Fla. He batted .250 (7-for-28) with three doubles, one RBI, and three runs scored in 10 games this spring. Bradley, 23, went 9-for-57 (.158) with four doubles, one triple, five RBIs and two runs scored in 19 Grapefruit League games this spring, his second straight year in Major League camp. He began the spring with 15 appearances in center field and played his last three games in right field. mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/red-sox-place-shane-victorino-on-disabled-list-recall-jackie-bradley-jr?ymd=20140331&content_id=70481580&vkey=news_mlb |
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Post by Zig on Apr 1, 2014 7:49:36 GMT -5
BALTIMORE, MD (CBS) – Some random thoughts on the Red Sox as they drop a 2-1 Opening Day decision to the Orioles here in Baltimore. –Grady Sizemore is an incredible sports story. How many athletes could go through two years of injuries where you miss 2/3rds of your games and then on top of that, miss another two entire seasons due to injuries? Four seasons? Unthinkable! He looks good too; there’s no limping around or even a hint or sign of any lingering effects. Pretty A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Related: Sizemore Provides Positive In Sox Loss –How good do you think it felt when Sizemore singled in his first at-bat (what nerves?) with the Sox? And then to follow it up with a home run? Sizemore also said he broke his bat on the home run swing. Are you kidding me? –Jon Lester looked like the Jon Lester we saw in last year’s postseason when he went a dominating 4-1. Lester was pretty much in command over his seven innings of work as he gave up just two runs. He also got better as the game went on. His cutter was nasty too. All positive signs from Boston’s ace. Rochie Talks Opening Day on Toucher & Rich: play Dan Roche Talks Red Sox Opening DayToucher and Rich 00:00 –I get asked all the time for my thoughts on the Lester contract extension negotiations. I think both sides want to get a deal done, but both sides maybe sharedifferent visions of the lefthander’s value. If you ask me, I do shorter years, but higher AAV. Put me down for four-years, $25-million per plus a vesting option for a fifth season. Shorter deal, but a high reward for Lester. Meanwhile, Ben doesn’t get handcuffed with a seven or eight-year deal and has that one pitcher to lead the young prospects as they try to succeed and mature on the big league level. –Health has to be an early concern for the Red Sox. Shane Victorino has already hit the DL and David Ortiz is dealing with a calf strain. It’s still early, but you hope it’s not the beginning of a long season of health issues. –I liked the bottom third of the Sox line-up Monday. Having Xander Bogaerts, A.J. Pierzynski, and Will Middlebrooks hitting 7-8-9 is a pretty decent trio. boston.cbslocal.com/2014/03/31/roche-red-sox-opening-day-blog/ |
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Post by Zig on Apr 3, 2014 6:36:02 GMT -5
It's pretty obvious the Sox are the best team in the AL East BALTIMORE -- The middle of the Red Sox order performed Wednesday night as if it was already the middle of the season. David Ortiz and Mike Napoli each supplied two-run homers and Napoli later added a two-run single, sending the Red Sox to a 6-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Ortiz collected his first homer of the season -- and No. 432 of his career, passing Cal Ripken Jr. -- in the third, scoring Dustin Pedroia (single) ahead of him. In the sixth, Napoli crushed a pitch from Orioles' starter Ubaldo Jimenez to straightaway center. It came on an 0-and-2 pitch, marking the first time Napoli had hit one out on that count since 2012. In the seventh, with Jimenez out of the game, the Orioles elected to walk Ortiz intentionally, loading the bases with no out for Napoli. Napoli lined a single to center, scoring two runs and salting the game away. Pedroia enjoyed a four-hit game -- all singles -- for the first time since 2012. John Lackey turned in a strong six innings, with his only mistake coming in the fourth. He walked Chris Davis on four pitches, then tried to go up and away on Nelson Cruz, who launched it to the opposite field for a two-run shot. Lackey allowed just three hits through six. Edward Mujica, Junichi Tazawa and Koji Uehara all pitched scoreless innings, with the latter appearing in a rare non-save situation. STAR OF THE GAME: Mike Napoli Napoli hit an 0-and-2 pitch more than 400 feet for a two-run homer in the fifth, making good on his promise to have a better two-strike approach. Then, after the Orioles chose to walk David Ortiz intentionally in the seventh, Napoli foiled the strategy with a two-run single to left, giving him a four-RBI night. HONORABLE MENTION: Dustin Pedroia Pedroia had a four-hit night (all singles) for the first time since the 2012 season. But his night's best highlight came in the second when he dived to grab a two-hopper from J.J. Hardy behind the second base bag, then scrambled to make a strong throw to record the out at first. GOAT OF THE GAME: Ubaldo Jimenez Some wondered if Camden Yards would be a good fit for the free agent pitcher, and after his very first start for the Orioles, it's worth asking again. A fly-ball pitcher -- 7 of the 18 outs he recorded were in the air in the outfield -- Jimenez gave up two two-run homers in his six innings of work. TURNING POINT: After John Lackey stumbled some in the fourth, allowing a two-out, two-run homer to Nelson Cruz and a single to Matt Wieters, Lackey finished strong, retiring the final seven hitters he faced in succession. BY THE NUMBERS: It wasn't until Napoli's bases-loaded, two-run single in the seventh that the Red Sox had their first hit with runners in scoring position this season, having gone 0-for-10 in that department in the opener on Monday. QUOTE OF NOTE: "I don't have time for spring training hits.'' -- David Ortiz, who was 2-for-37 in Grapefruit League play, but has two hits in his first two regular-season games. www.csnne.com/boston-red-sox/napolis-4-rbi-lead-sox-past-orioles-6-2 |
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Post by Zig on Apr 4, 2014 6:39:56 GMT -5
Birthday boy: Koji gift-wraps series win
Bogaerts turns in first three-hit game; bullpen solid after Doubront exits
By Ian Browne / MLB.com | 4/3/2014 11:49 PM ET
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BOS@BAL: Uehara gets the save and secures the win
BALTIMORE -- Koji Uehara celebrated his 39th birthday Thursday as perhaps only he can -- with what seemed like a 39-second save.
The Red Sox's closer is not only dominant, but he is strikingly efficient. And if you think there's going to be a significant dropoff from his career season of a year ago, the righty is already offering evidence to the contrary.
In helping the Red Sox put the finishing touches on a 4-3 victory over the Orioles in the rubber game of a three-game series at Camden Yards, Uehara got the save in just seven pitches.
Of those seven pitches, six were for strikes, and none of them were hit even remotely hard.
After a strikeout and two infield popups, Uehara once again found himself in a victory line following his first save of 2014.
How old does Uehara feel?
"Today, 29," the righty said through his interpreter.
Before the game, as Uehara was going through his preparations, some of his fellow pitchers made it clear they knew what day it was.
"They sang happy birthday while I was stretching," said Uehara. "Now I just have to wait for the presents to come."
Manager John Farrell gave him the one he needed before the game.
"I told him he was pitching the ninth," Farrell said.
These days, there might not be anybody who does that job better.
"They have grasped how to use him, No. 1," said Orioles manager Buck Showalter. "A lot of guys, you've heard about hitters who are ambush hitters. He's an ambush pitcher. One of the few I've seen. He spins the ball real well with his fastball. That's why velocity doesn't matter. I think they said he has more rotation on his fastball than anybody else.
"He slows them down with a get-me-over slider, and a split for the left-handers. He's got a lot of weapons. And that's a sharp knife. If you can ever get him in that 15-pitch margin, you've got a chance. He doesn't really give you time to make the adjustments with the late life on the fastball, so you get ambushed by him early."
While Boston's oldest player got the save, the youngest guy on the team also played a pivotal role.
Looking primed to live up to the big expectations that surround him, rookie Xander Bogaerts continued his hot start by belting three hits, scoring twice and making a clutch play in the hole to start a force in the bottom of the eighth.
It was the first three-hit game in the career of Bogaerts, and there are likely to be many more to come for the 21-year-old. Through the first three games, Bogaerts is hitting .556.
"Yeah, he's played the game comfortably, to say the least," said Farrell. "He's on base multiple times each game. He's played very good defensively. He goes to the backhand on the force play late in the game. He's doing an outstanding job for us."
Bogaerts also helped Boston quite a bit down the stretch last season after he was called up from the Minors. But now he's the starting shortstop, and he looks ready for all the responsibility that entails.
"I mean, towards the end of Spring Training, I was swinging the bat really well," said Bogaerts. "I'm really happy the way things have gone so far."
There were plenty of other contributors for Boston, including David Ortiz (3-for-5), Will Middlebrooks (2-for-4) and Jackie Bradley Jr. (2-for-4).
And from the mound, lefty Felix Doubront wasn't spectacular, but he did enough to get the win, scattering six hits and three runs over 5 1/3 innings.
"Pretty good," Doubront said of his outing. "With my location, I tried to get the hitters off-balance. My arm and my delivery feel great. This first game was good."
The bullpen took it from there, getting the final 11 outs.
Before Uehara's blur of a save, Brandon Workman, Chris Capuano and Junichi Tazawa all did their jobs.
Following the game, the Sox packed their belongings and headed back to Boston, where they will receive their championship rings and open their Fenway slate against the Brewers on Friday afternoon.
Before going home, Farrell's team swung the bats well all night, cranking out 14 hits, though it didn't lead to a barrage of runs.
Bogaerts and Daniel Nava helped set up the first run when they led off the second with singles. Though Middlebrooks hit into a 6-4-3 double play, Bogaerts scored to make it 1-0.
Bradley, making his first start of the season, got things started in the third with an infield hit. With two outs, Ortiz blooped one into left and Nelson Cruz tried to make a sprawling catch. Instead, the ball squirted past him and Bradley motored all the way in from first on a single.
"When I started off, I got a great jump," said Bradley. "I saw Nelson try to make an attempt for a diving play. After that, I just put my head down. I knew it was going to be close. I just kept booking and standing up."
In the fourth, it was David Ross who came through with an RBI single to left to give Doubront a 3-0 lead.
Chris Davis, who clubbed 53 home runs last season, nearly had his first this year. But his towering shot went off the wall in center for a double in the bottom of the fourth. He scored on a double to right-center by Matt Wieters. Delmon Young followed with an RBI single off the wall in right to make it a 3-2 game.
But the Boston bats kept coming. Middlebrooks ignited the rally in the sixth with a one-out double. Bradley smashed a single up the middle and Middlebrooks scored from second to make it a two-run game.
Adam Jones nearly tied it with a two-run homer to left in the bottom of the sixth, but his drive down the line curled just foul.
And once it was Koji time, the Orioles had little chance to mount a comeback.
"Pretty sharp," said Farrell of Uehara. "A year older today. It's remarkable the consistency he shows and the elite performance he gives us, particularly in tight games like this. You see the pitch efficiency even better than in some other games. We're thankful we have hihttp://boston.redsox.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?c_id=bos&gid=2014_04_03_bosmlb_balmlb_1&mode=recap&partnerId=as_mlb_20140404_21292984m."
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Post by Zig on Apr 9, 2014 18:41:48 GMT -5
BOSTON - Just in case anyone had the impression that David Ortiz can only deliver clutch late-inning homers in the postseason, Ortiz reminded them otherwise in the Red Sox' homestand finale. Ortiz launched a ball deep into the right field box seats off reliever Neal Cotts to erase a 2-1 deficit and send the Red Sox to a dramatic 4-2 comeback victory over the Texas Rangers. Before the at-bat, Ortiz had been 0-for-5 with five strikeouts and a walk in six career appearances against Cotts. Koji Uehara made quick work of his former teammates, needing just 12 pitches to record the save. The Rangers, shutout over the first six innings by Jake Peavy, had used a solo homer from Mitch Moreland (off Peavy) and a sacrifice fly from Alex Rios (off Andrew Miller) to pull ahead. The Sox had scraped out a run in the third, turning two walks, an infield single and a throwing error by Texas start Robbie Ross to score the game's first run. Peavy gave the Red Sox his second strong start in as many outings. Through the first six innings, he allowed just three balls out of the infield -- a booming leadoff double to straightaway center to Shin-Soo Choo and routine flyouts to left in the second and sixth. Along the way, he racked up eight strikeouts, including a stretch that saw him register seven in the span of 10 hitters, from the first through the fourth, when he fanned the side. www.csnne.com/boston-red-sox/ortizs-3-run-hr-saves-sox-4-2 |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2014 19:26:42 GMT -5
Ortiz is awesome. The Red Sox are awesome. They'll be back in contention for the East again, I have no doubts.
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Post by Zig on Apr 12, 2014 9:14:23 GMT -5
Ex-cellent: Sizemore belts clutch homer off CC
Lester yields just two runs, fans six en route to first win this seasonNEW YORK -- Perhaps the full-fledged offensive revival they seek will come soon. For now, the Red Sox are just hoping to come up with enough timely hits to win. They were able to do that Friday night at Yankee Stadium, as the big swing of the night -- a three-run homer by Grady Sizemore -- paved the way for a 4-2 victory over the Yankees. "Yeah, I was just trying to look for a good pitch," said Sizemore. "I wasn't really sitting on anything. I was just trying to hit the ball over the plate and get something good to hit." Entering the top of the sixth, the Red Sox had only come up with one hit on the night, marking three straight games they had one hit in the first five innings. But Jonny Gomes tied the game by leading off the sixth with a shot against CC Sabathia. "CC is such a competitor and bulldog out there," said Gomes. "Once he gets the lead, you have to do what you can to jump him. So coming out in the sixth, he's going to be pounding the strike zone. So I want to try and be aggressive in the count." With one out, David Ortiz had good fortune on his side, trying to pull back his swing but tapping an infield bleeder past the mound for a hit. Mike Napoli kept the rally going with a single. Up stepped Sizemore, who belted an 0-1 slider from his former Indians teammate and easily cleared the wall in right. "You face your friends all the time," Sabathia said. "Me and Grady are really close, and we have been for a long time. That's what makes it even more frustrating, giving up the home run to him. It just is what it is. You go out and compete against your friends and try to get the best of them. He got the best of me tonight." The Red Sox no longer look at Sizemore as the feel-good comeback story. They look at him as a key ingredient in their lineup. "To be completely honest with you, I'm not surprised one bit," Gomes said of Sizemore. "I'll tell you right now, if he's healthy, that's what you're going to see. If the tables were turned and he wasn't doing good, I would be completely surprised, to be completely honest. He's a heck of a player." For Boston, the rally was the type they've lacked of late. "Jonny leads off that sixth inning with a solo home run off of CC, who really kept us in check with a lot of offspeed pitches here tonight and then Grady gets the 0-1 breaking ball that he hits out of the ballpark and finally we've got a little bit of breathing room," said manager John Farrell. And the bullpen took it home, despite the absence of closer Koji Uehara, who didn't pitch because of some right shoulder soreness he felt in pregame warm-ups. Edward Mujica, who saved 37 games for the Cardinals last year, came on for the save, redeeming himself from a tough performance in the home opener. The righty fired a 1-2-3 ninth, ending the game with a punchout of Brett Gardner. "I'm prepared for whatever situation," said Mujica. "Everybody in the bullpen is prepared for whatever situation. They gave me that opportunity today. I went over there and did my job." For the third time in as many tries this season, Jon Lester produced a solid start. But this time he got a win to show for it. The power lefty gave up six hits and two runs over 6 2/3 innings, walking two and striking out six. He threw 113 pitches, 71 of them for strikes. "I felt all right," said Lester. "I had some grinds in there throughout the game. That's the Yankees. They're going to grind away at you and make you throw a bunch of pitches. Overall, none of that really matters. We won the game, at the end, that's all that matters." Junichi Tazawa got four big outs, including a flyout to right by Derek Jeter that helped Lester out of a jam in the seventh. "Well, when you think back to last October, we put him in some of the highest leverage situations with men on base and he excelled in it," said Farrell. "Tonight is no different. He was completely calm and confident." Lester mowed the Yankees down early, with one exception. Alfonso Soriano led off the second with a towering homer to left to make it 1-0. The Yankees threatened to come back in the seventh, as Ichiro Suzuki started a two-out rally with a single to right. Lester walked Brian Roberts. Kelly Johnson came to the plate 0-for-14 lifetime against Lester, but he ended that drought with an RBI single to right to make it a 4-2 game. From there, the Red Sox snuffed out the drama, with the interim closer sealing the game. "Koji is running a pretty historical career these past five years. It doesn't hurt to hand the ball off to a guy who had 30-plus saves last year," said Gomes. "We're in a good spot with a deep bullpen." mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2014_04_11_bosmlb_nyamlb_1&mode=recap_away&c_id=bos&partnerId=ed-8068741-670641193----------------------- Hopefully it's nothing serious with Koji And Grady...please stay healthy man!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2014 10:52:34 GMT -5
Ninth batter Jackie Bradley bats .308. When your ninth batter has a higher average than most everybody else's lead off men do, you know you have a solid team.
Sox are solid. The only knock I can give them is that Jonny Gomez needs to hit better.
But who thought the Jays would be sitting on top of the division right now? That's suprising.
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Post by Zig on Apr 13, 2014 16:03:58 GMT -5
The Sox will have to try for the split in NY sans Pedey NEW YORK -- No word as of yet as to why, but Dustin Pedroia -- originally scheduled to hit leadoff for the Red Sox Sunday night against the Yankees -- has been scratched from the lineup. The revised batting order: Grady Sizemore LF Xander Bogaerts SS David Ortiz DH Mike Napoli 1B Daniel Nava RF A.J. Pierzynski C Ryan Roberts 3B Jackie Bradley Jr. CF Jonathan Herrera 2B --- Felix Doubont P More to come . . . www.csnne.com/boston-red-sox/pedroia-scratched-red-sox-lineup |
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Post by Zig on Apr 18, 2014 16:54:27 GMT -5
bout time BOSTON -- Technically, Brock Holt was with the Red Sox earlier this month. He was called up to give the team some infield depth after Will Middlebrooks strained his calf. Soon thereafter, however, the Red Sox signed free agent infielder Ryan Roberts and Holt was sent back to Pawtucket. For the one game he was with the big-league club, he did not make an appearance. As a player who has teetered back and forth between the minors and majors a few different times over the last two seasons, Holt handled his most recent demotion in stride. Now he's back. He was called up to Boston on Friday and Roberts -- who hit .105 with a .227 on-base percentage in eight games and 22 plate appearances -- was designated for assignment. Holt will be starting at third base and hitting ninth as Boston takes on Baltimore righty Chris Tillman. "We felt like we needed to create a little bit of a jump start to the offense," Farrell said. "With the designation of Ryan, we have another lefthanded hitter here in Brock Holt. We've come through a stretch of seven lefthanded starters in our last 10 [games], and we're kind of reversing that right now, going against primarily righthanders. We felt like we had to try a different combination to attempt to spark that bottom part of the order." Holt has been very good in his 12 games for the PawSox this season, hitting .380/.446/.600. "He's clearly earned the promotion here," manager John Farrell said. "When he was sent out after just one day of being here with the big league club, I think he was initially disappointed, but he's channeled that in the right way and gone down and played very well on the left side of the infield." As for Roberts, Farrell indicated that the Red Sox hoped to retain the utility player, though he would have to pass through waivers for that to be a possibility. "He had about a nine day layoff from the end of spring training until he joined us here and as we talked to him today, he's gotta go through the waiver process here, but we certainly want him to remain in the organization," Farrell said. "Feel like he needs at bats to get things going a little bit." www.csnne.com/blog/red-sox-talk/holt-promoted-will-start-third-vs-osNow to sweep the Fightin' Scals and get back ovah .500 |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 19, 2014 11:14:54 GMT -5
Sox are 2-5 at home, 5-5 on the road.
Can you say, Need a
ROAD TRIP!!!!!!!!!!! LOL
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Post by Zig on Apr 19, 2014 16:04:55 GMT -5
bout time BOSTON -- Technically, Brock Holt was with the Red Sox earlier this month. He was called up to give the team some infield depth after Will Middlebrooks strained his calf. Soon thereafter, however, the Red Sox signed free agent infielder Ryan Roberts and Holt was sent back to Pawtucket. For the one game he was with the big-league club, he did not make an appearance. As a player who has teetered back and forth between the minors and majors a few different times over the last two seasons, Holt handled his most recent demotion in stride. Now he's back. He was called up to Boston on Friday and Roberts -- who hit .105 with a .227 on-base percentage in eight games and 22 plate appearances -- was designated for assignment. Holt will be starting at third base and hitting ninth as Boston takes on Baltimore righty Chris Tillman. "We felt like we needed to create a little bit of a jump start to the offense," Farrell said. "With the designation of Ryan, we have another lefthanded hitter here in Brock Holt. We've come through a stretch of seven lefthanded starters in our last 10 [games], and we're kind of reversing that right now, going against primarily righthanders. We felt like we had to try a different combination to attempt to spark that bottom part of the order." Holt has been very good in his 12 games for the PawSox this season, hitting .380/.446/.600. "He's clearly earned the promotion here," manager John Farrell said. "When he was sent out after just one day of being here with the big league club, I think he was initially disappointed, but he's channeled that in the right way and gone down and played very well on the left side of the infield." As for Roberts, Farrell indicated that the Red Sox hoped to retain the utility player, though he would have to pass through waivers for that to be a possibility. "He had about a nine day layoff from the end of spring training until he joined us here and as we talked to him today, he's gotta go through the waiver process here, but we certainly want him to remain in the organization," Farrell said. "Feel like he needs at bats to get things going a little bit." www.csnne.com/blog/red-sox-talk/holt-promoted-will-start-third-vs-osNow to sweep the Fightin' Scals and get back ovah .500 and the kid makes a big impact already. Attaboy |
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Post by Zig on Apr 19, 2014 16:07:43 GMT -5
Sox are 2-5 at home, 5-5 on the road. Can you say, Need a ROAD TRIP!!!!!!!!!!! LOL Yeah they are usually tough at home so that's concerning. But they've also faced a lot of lefties and don't do well vs them so...The 2 reasons I'm not that worried yet lol  |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2014 11:08:19 GMT -5
I wouldn't be worried, either, at this point. Too many games left in the season. We haven't even gotten started good yet.
Blue Jays are looking a whole lot better, though. Your division is the toughest one in baseball.
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Post by Zig on May 1, 2014 8:46:03 GMT -5
BOSTON -- It's nothing to boast about, of course, especially not when you're the defending World Series champ. But the Red Sox' 13-14 record for the month of April could have been a lot worse. Actually, more to the point, their 2 1/2-game deficit in the American League East standings could have been a lot worse. Had the Red Sox been in a division in which a team got hot -- like, say, the Milwaukee Brewers have done in the N.L. Central -- the month could have been far more damaging. As it is, the Sox haven't dug themselves too large a hole. They have not, metaphorically speaking, buried themselves. Instead, they've been merely inconsistent -- unable to win as many as three in a row, but staying out of any protracted losing streaks. What's more, there's reason to believe that, at the very least, the Red Sox have found a sort of early-season equilibrium. In the last week, they welcomed back Will Middlebrooks -- who hit the DL just four games into the season -- and Shane Victorino, who was laid up with a hamstring strain two days before the season opener. It's likely not a coincidence that after scoring as many as seven runs in a game just once in their first 23 contests, the Red Sox have done so three times in the last four tries, now that their lineup is as they envisioned it. The offense was supposed to be better than this. With just three regulars subtracted from a lineup that led the majors in runs scored a year ago, the Sox were expected to be prolific. But if they've discovered anything in the first four weeks, it's that they miss Jacoby Ellsbury more than they expected. They can make do without his defense -- Jackie Bradley Jr. is at least as good in center -- and can even do without his stolen-base ability. What they can't seem to replace, however, is Ellsbury's penchant for getting on base and igniting the offense. The Red Sox have used five different players in the leadoff spot, none with great results. For lack of alternatives, it seems Dustin Pedroia is the choice, though he has said in the past that he would prefer to hit elsewhere in the order. In the eight games he's hit leadoff, Pedroia is hitting just .216 with an OBP of .310. Some of those numbers are the result of the inflammation of the wrist that Pedroia has battled since the home opener and there are signs that he's finally more of himself at the plate: in the last 10 games, he's hit at a .333 clip with a .417 OBP. Should Pedroia maintain that pace, the top of the Red Sox order -- backed by the return of Victorino in the No. 2 slot -- should heal itself. That, coupled with the recent production the lineup has gotten from the lower third, suggest an offense that is only now beginning to find itself. The starting pitching has, with a few notable exceptions, been competent. The last homestand featured three starts in which the starter failed to get out of the fifth inning, the kind of performances which put games out of reach and tax bullpens. But those would seem aberrations. Jon Lester and John Lackey have had 3 bad starts in 12. Jake Peavy has been solid. The questions revolve around Felix Doubront and Clay Buchholz. The former is as maddeningly inconsistent as ever while the latter has been downright troubling -- until his most recent start. The Sox are accustomed to slow starts from Doubront, but it was thought that better conditioning would help avert another. Instead, Doubront sports an ERA of 6.00 and a wHIP of 1.708. On Wednesday, John Farrell issued a vote of confidence for Doubront, maintaining that there were no plans to pull him out of the rotation for a May tune-up with pitching coach Juan Nieves. Should it come to that, however, the Red Sox have some depth options, led by Brandon Workman. Buchholz is more of a mystery, still needing to improve his arm strength a month into the season. If last Saturday's effort in Toronto suggested he had turned a corner regarding his velocity, perhaps the team's decision to ease him into the year will pay dividends. Finally, there's the defense, which remains something of a trouble spot. Again, Victorino's return to good health can be a stabilizing force, leaving only left field as a potential weakness in the outfield. Xander Bogaerts' inexperience has been glaring at times at short, but the Red Sox continue to express their fullest confidence that he will improve. For now, they would be content with him merely settling down at the position. One month down, five to go. "We're going to get there,'' vowed David Ortiz Wednesday. He was talking about better weather on the horizon, but he just as easily could have been talking about his team, still trying to get some traction after the first four weeks. www.csnne.com/boston-red-sox/red-sox-survive-tough-april-hope-better-times-ahead |
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2014 9:24:12 GMT -5
Give them some time, man. They must have partied too hard in the off-season. LOL Who can blame them? If I was on a team that won a WS I'd be a lazy partying louse all off-season long. LOL
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Post by Zig on May 20, 2014 8:30:15 GMT -5
hmmm, Sox losing hope for WMB? The Red Sox currently have recently-recalled Brock Holt starting at third base, with Will Middlebrooks on the 15-day disabled list with a fractured index finger on his right hand. While the Red Sox haven’t engaged in talks with agent Scott Boras about free agent Stephen Drew, the shortstop could represent an intriguing possibility if no other solution is uncovered. Some in baseball believe Boras might be waiting until after the Major League Baseball amateur draft (which ends June 7) to make a move with his client, who could sign with any team without costing draft pick compensation following the draft. The Red Sox are currently 25th in the majors for OPS at the third base position (.592), totaling a .200 batting average at the position. When asked about Drew on the Bradfo Show podcast (to be aired Monday), Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said, “I think what I’ve said before I would say again, we have to evaluate every situation based on the information we have at that time. If information changes then our position may evolve and change along with it. That doesn’t mean we get every decision right, of course we don’t. But every decision we make, every position we take, is based on the information we have at that time. That’s led us to where we are now. “Right now we know we’re right in the middle of this division. We know there are a lot of strengths on the team. We have a lot of depth, even before the 25-man roster that we might be able to count on maybe later in the year. We know we have position players that are going to hit more because that’s what they’ve always done. And we know we’ve got an area on the left field of the infield where we’re missing a player, and where we haven’t gotten the total performance that we would like to get at this point in the year. I think what all that means is that we’ll continue to look at the information we have in front of us at the time and try to make decisions accordingly. There is always an interest in improving. The default position is always let’s see how much we can get internally first, and then consider external alternatives after that.” www.prosportsdaily.com/articles/red-sox-aggressively-shopping-for-a-third-basemen-305347.html |
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Post by Zig on Jun 1, 2014 9:31:24 GMT -5
Red Sox calling up third-base prospect Cecchini Left-handed hitter will provide club with infield depth until Drew is ready By Ian Browne / MLB.com | 6/1/2014 12:28 A.M. ET Comments (15) 0 Share 4 print e-mail Top Prospects: Cecchini, BOS00:00:502014 MLB.com Top Prospects: Garin Cecchini has a line-drive stroke and tremendous plate discipline and the tools to play third base Twitter 0 Facebook Email BOSTON -- The recent youth movement at Fenway Park will add yet another new face on Sunday, when third baseman Garin Cecchini is recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket, a baseball source has confirmed. To make room for Cecchini on the roster, the Red Sox option righty reliever Alex Wilson back to Pawtucket. WEEI.com was first to report the recall of Cecchini, a move that has not been announced by the club yet. Cecchini, one of the best pure hitters in Boston's farm system and its No. 4 prospect according to MLB.com, is hitting .278 with a homer and 21 RBIs in 198 at-bats for Pawtucket. The left-handed hitter will provide Boston with depth in the infield until shortstop Stephen Drew rejoins the club in the next few days. The earliest Drew can be recalled by the Red Sox is Monday. With Brock Holt red-hot at the plate, Boston might have the luxury of giving Drew more time to get ready for the season. The Red Sox re-signed Drew as a free agent on May 21 and optioned him to the Minor Leagues two days later so he could get enough at-bats to be ready for the season. mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140531&content_id=77709980&vkey=news_bos&c_id=bos |
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Post by Zig on Jun 1, 2014 17:35:05 GMT -5
Lester, Holt lead Sox to win over Rays, 4-0BOSTON -- For the seventh consecutive game, the Red Sox found a new winning formula. With a heaping helping of Jon Lester and a dash of youth, the Red Sox beat the Rays in their series finale on Sunday, 4-0. Lester was dominant, throwing seven strong shutout innings, striking out 12 and allowing just six base runners. In so doing, he was surrounded by a diamond full of players who werUehara e still blossoming in the minors last season. Alex Hassan (called up on Friday) and Garin Cecchini (called up on Sunday) both notched their first major-league hits playing right field and third base, respectively. Scorching-hot Brock Holt hit four doubles in his first-ever start at first base. The Sox got the scoring started in the fourth inning when Jonny Gomes and Hassan began the inning with singles. After a David Ross flyout advanced the runners to second and third, Jonathan Herrera his a sac fly to score Gomes and make the score 1-0. Holt smaked his third double of the game one batter later scoring both Hassan and Jackie Bradley Jr., who had walked. The three-run cushion was more than enough for Lester. Edwar Mujica pitched a scoreless eighth and Koji Uehara entered to slam the door in the ninth. The Red Sox got their insurance run in the seventh when Holt led off the inning with a walk, stole a base, and came around to score on Cecchini's first-career hit, a double to left field. www.csnne.com/blog/red-sox-talk/lester-holt-lead-sox-win-over-rays-4-0Sweep! Wondering if Holt could play some OF? That's where they need help, gotta keep his bat in there at least until he cools down.
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Post by Zig on Jun 5, 2014 11:45:46 GMT -5
Yep,,,, We stand here now on June 5th with one of the worst outfields of all time. Meanwhile, Orioles outfielder Nelson Cruz is raking. The 33-year-old left fielder and designated hitter has an OPS of 1.064, is slugging .676 to go along with his 55 RBI and 21 home runs. His 21 home runs are 10 more than the entire Red Sox outfield. His 55 RBI are just 15 less than Jonny Gomes, Shane Victorino, Jackie Bradley Jr., Grady Sizemore and Daniel Nava combined. In other words, Nelson Cruz is a one-man wrecking machine, and is the primary reason why the O’s, whose pitching staff ranks near the bottom of the majors in team ERA, are competing in the American League East. boston.cbslocal.com/2014/06/05/red-sox-whiffing-on-nelson-cruz-becoming-biggest-offseason-regret/ |
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Post by Super Paul Mullin on Jun 6, 2014 18:43:25 GMT -5
Why is Jonathon Herrera in the major leagues?? It appears he doesn't do anything well except maybe field, but only at 2b.
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bigddude
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Post by bigddude on Jun 6, 2014 18:47:00 GMT -5
Why is Jonathon Herrera in the major leagues?? It appears he doesn't do anything well except maybe field, but only at 2b. Especially after bringing Drew back. And, he is not playing much. So, maybe that is the answer there. They are waiting for Drew to get up to speed, and to be able to play everyday, before they send Herrera packing? |
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nava
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Post by nava on Jun 6, 2014 18:53:47 GMT -5
Why is Jonathon Herrera in the major leagues?? It appears he doesn't do anything well except maybe field, but only at 2b. Especially after bringing Drew back. And, he is not playing much. So, maybe that is the answer there. They are waiting for Drew to get up to speed, and to be able to play everyday, before they send Herrera packing? Drew should be used exclusively against righties. What the Sox *should* do is play Bogaerts at SS and Holt at 3rd when facing lefties, but Napoli's on the DL, so the Sox are stuck playing Holt at 1B. The thing is, Herrera can't even hit lefties. Or anyone, for that matter. He just sucks. Drew's career splits: LHP: .235/.291/.390 RHP: .274/.343/.450 2013: LHP: .196/.246/.340 RHP: .284/.377/.498 |
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Post by bigddude on Jun 6, 2014 18:58:37 GMT -5
Especially after bringing Drew back. And, he is not playing much. So, maybe that is the answer there. They are waiting for Drew to get up to speed, and to be able to play everyday, before they send Herrera packing? Drew should be used exclusively against righties. What the Sox *should* do is play Bogaerts at SS and Holt at 3rd when facing lefties, but Napoli's on the DL, so the Sox are stuck playing Holt at 1B. The thing is, Herrera can't even hit lefties. Or anyone, for that matter. He just sucks. Drew's career splits: LHP: .235/.291/.390 RHP: .274/.343/.450 2013: LHP: .196/.246/.340 RHP: .284/.377/.498 I feel kind of funny mentioning this, but, in respect to Napoli and how their OF guys have been hitting ( or not ), you would think there would be a place for Nava somewhere. As we don't, I can only assume the Sox have soured on him. Out till Monday. Last one here, turn out the lights! |
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Post by nava on Jun 6, 2014 19:03:05 GMT -5
Drew should be used exclusively against righties. What the Sox *should* do is play Bogaerts at SS and Holt at 3rd when facing lefties, but Napoli's on the DL, so the Sox are stuck playing Holt at 1B. The thing is, Herrera can't even hit lefties. Or anyone, for that matter. He just sucks. Drew's career splits: LHP: .235/.291/.390 RHP: .274/.343/.450 2013: LHP: .196/.246/.340 RHP: .284/.377/.498 I feel kind of funny mentioning this, but, in respect to Napoli and how their OF guys have been hitting ( or not ), you would think there would be a place for Nava somewhere. As we don't, I can only assume the Sox have soured on him. Out till Monday. Last one here, turn out the lights! Nava should be batting against righties and Gomes should be batting against lefties. But hey, Gomes has "intangibles." There wasn't too much of a gap in Gomes' RHP/LHP splits last year, but it was still a small sample size. And Gomes' career splits were pretty big (.880 vs lefties, .726 vs righties). Red Sox wouldn't be the first team to misuse Gomes though... Dusty Baker loved to play him every day. |
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Post by The Bag on Jun 6, 2014 19:20:37 GMT -5
Why is Jonathon Herrera in the major leagues?? It appears he doesn't do anything well except maybe field, but only at 2b. agreed. he just looks awful out there. |
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Post by redseat on Jun 6, 2014 20:19:25 GMT -5
Drew yet again not in the line-up?
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Post by redseat on Jun 6, 2014 20:22:29 GMT -5
De La Rosa not as shape as his first start. Granted that was against the Rays.
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Post by Zig on Jun 8, 2014 12:36:26 GMT -5
DETROIT - The Detroit Tigers beat the Red Sox 8-6 Saturday night, Boston's fifth straight loss. Miguel Cabrera had three hits for the Tigers, who have won all five games against the Red Sox this season after losing to them in the AL championship series last year. Detroit closer Joe Nathan allowed two runs in the ninth in a non-save situation, but retired Stephen Drew on a flyout with two on to end it. Nathan has an ERA of 7.04 this year. "We just wanted to get him an inning. We're going to need Joe Nathan," Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. "We wanted to get him out there and let him throw some pitches, and kind of work through this. He threw more pitches than we wanted, obviously, but was able to get through it." Max Scherzer (7-2) allowed four runs and 11 hits in 6 2-3 innings for the Tigers. He struck out nine and walked one. Jon Lester (6-7) allowed five runs and 12 hits in 4 1-3 innings. Castellanos and Austin Jackson had three hits for the AL Central-leading Tigers, who had lost five straight before taking the first two games of this series. They scored two runs in the first off Lester on an RBI double by Victor Martinez and a run-scoring single by Torii Hunter. Rajai Davis added an RBI single in the second. Castellanos hit a solo homer in the third. After Pedroia's solo homer in the fourth, Suarez led off the bottom half with a drive that carried past the fence in left for a 5-1 Detroit lead. Lester entered the day with 95 strikeouts, the third-most in the American League, but he didn't fan a single Detroit hitter. "I didn't feel good from the first toss in the bullpen to the last pitch I threw in the game. Against that offense, that means a long night," Lester said. "I flat-out wasted this game and the performance by our offense." The Red Sox chipped away against Scherzer. Jackie Bradley Jr. hit an RBI single in the fifth, and Drew added one in the sixth. In the bottom half, Ian Kinsler hit an RBI triple and scored on a single by Cabrera. David Ortiz chased Scherzer with an RBI double in the seventh to make it 7-4, but Al Alburquerque came on and got Grady Sizemore to ground out with runners on second and third for the third out. Boston is now in the middle of another long streak. The Red Sox lost 10 in a row, then won seven straight before their current skid. Boston's Xander Bogaerts stole third in bizarre fashion in the ninth when Castellanos left the base unattended to shift from his normal spot at third to the right side of the infield with Ortiz batting. Bogaerts took off for third, and Nathan ran over from the mound and tried to tag him but couldn't get to third in time. www.csnne.com/boston-red-sox/lester-i-flat-out-wasted-game |
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