Mark it down as a series win and forget the rest. After making five errors in Saturday’s loss, one that manager Alex Cora called “embarrassing,” the Red Sox made two more errors in the fifth inning on Monday and then blew the save in the ninth, when Matt Barnes coughed up a two-run lead. But…
The MLB trade deadline was almost two weeks ago, but with each passing loss the Red Sox have revealed yet another need that went unaddressed. Tuesday night was Matt Barnes’ third loss in four games. If a team loses three out of four, it’s scuffling. When a closer loses three out of four, there’s a…
As this Friday’s trade deadline comes and goes and a roster crunch in the rotation approaches, the Red Sox may soon have a decision to make on Garrett Richards. As he continues to reinvent himself on the fly since MLB’s midseason ban on foreign substances, Richards hasn’t been consistent. Chris Sale’s return to the Red…
BLUE JAYS NOTES (49-47) THE BLUE JAYS lost when leading after 7 innings for only the 4th time this season (33-4). Have lost 5 of their last 6 games but are 16-12 (.571) in their last 28 (beginning 6/19)…Are 1-3 on their current 7-game road trip. Have lost their last 4 games against the Red Sox (4-8 vs. BOS overall in 2021). Hit their 150th HR, most in the AL and 2nd-most in the majors (SF-151)…This is only the 2nd time they have reached 150 HR in 96 games or fewer, having also done so in 2000 (160 HR in first 96 games)…Have 24 HR in 12 games vs. BOS this season, including 19 HR in the last 6 meetings. Snapped a streak of 10 consecutive games without committing an error (Bichette, 3rd inning), 1 shy of MLB’s longest streak of 2021 (ATL-11). BO BICHETTE (1-for-4) gave the Jays a 4-3 lead with a 2-out, 2-run HR in the 5th inning…Was his 9th go-ahead HR of the season, 2nd-most on the Jays (Guerrero-10). His HR had an exit velocity of 111.8 mph, the 2nd-hardest HR of his career (112.0 mph on 5/16/21 vs. PHI). In 12 games vs. BOS in 2021, is 20-for-51 (.392) with 5 2B, 4 HR, and 12 RBI. VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR. (2-for-4, RBI) has reached base via hit or BB in 23 consecutive starts vs. BOS (beginning 9/11/19). In 12 games against the Red Sox in 2021, has gone 20-for-45 (.444) with 13 RBI, 10 XBH, and 9 BB. THOMAS HATCH made his 2021 season debut (3.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, BB, 4 SO, HR)…Made his 2nd career start (also his ML debut on 7/26/20 at TB). ADAM CIMBER (1.2 IP) retired all 5 batters faced…Extended his homerless streak to 50.2 IP, MLB’s longest active streak (last HR: 8/12/20 vs. CHC). TAYLER SAUCEDO (0.2 IP, H, SO) retired Jarren Duran in the 4th inning…Has held left-handed hitters to a .053 AVG (1-for-19) this season
The saving grace is that the Yankees threw their two best, and perhaps only competent starting pitchers this weekend. Otherwise, it’s fair to say the Red Sox fell flat in the Bronx, where they started a four-game series with a chance to bury their rivals into oblivion. But the first night was postponed due to…
The second half of the 2021 Major League Baseball season officially kicks off Thursday night. The Boston Red Sox have their hands full right out of the gate beginning Thursday as they travel to New York to take on the Yankees. Boston will face the Yankees in eight of its first 11 games coming out […]
The wait for Jarren Duran is over. After months of anticipation, the Red Sox are expected to finally call up Duran, their top outfield prospect. According to Joe McDonald of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Duran was not in the lineup for the nightcap of Triple-A Worcester’s doubleheader on Wednesday and was on his way…
Dustin Pedroia didn’t know what to expect on Friday night, but by the end, he couldn’t have asked for more. Featuring video tributes from a number of former teammates and special and surprising guest appearances, Pedroia was left in tears and plenty of smiles during a memorable retirement ceremony at Fenway Park that celebrated the…
The Red Sox won the game, 2-1, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stole the show on Monday night. And even though the Sox ended up walking off twice to split the four-game series, 2-2, it was Guerrero who put together a personal highlight reel while reminding the baseball world that nobody is better than he is…
THE RED SOX have lost each of their last 2 games…Allowed a franchise-record 8 HR (previous: 7 HR, 4 times).
Also allowed season highs in runs (18), hits (20), and XBH (11)…Last allowed 18+ runs on 7/25/19 vs. NYY (19-3).
Have allowed 5+ HR in back-to-back games for the 1st time in franchise history (5 on Friday, 8 today)…Did not allow 3+ HR in a game through their first 64 games…Allowed just 43 HR in their first 59 games prior to allowing 21 HR in the last 7 games.
XANDER BOGAERTS (1-for-3, R, HR, RBI, BB) hit a solo HR in the 2nd inning, his 1st plate appearance after missing the previous 2 games (left knee soreness).
Has homered in 2 of his last 3 games…His HR today had an exit velocity of 110.2 mph, his 2nd hardest hit HR in the Statcast era (112.1 mph, 7/25/19 vs. NYY).
During his season-best 9-game hitting streak, is batting .412 with 5 XBH, 8 RBI, and a 1.126 OPS (13-for-34, 8 R, 3 2B, 2 HR, 4 BB).
BOBBY DALBEC (1-for-3, R, HR, RBI, BB) hit a solo HR in the 7th inning…Is 5-for-15 (.333) with 4 XBH and 4 RBI in his last 4 games, after a 3-for-38 stretch (.079).
Exit velocities of Dalbec’s last 5 hits: 109.3 mph (single), 105.9 mph (double), 106.7 mph (HR), 100.9 mph (triple), and 108.1 mph (today’s HR).
KIKÉ HERNÁNDEZ (1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI) hit a 2-run double in the 5th inning…Is 7-for-26 (.269) with 4 2B and a .345 OBP in his last 7 games (2 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB, HBP).
MARTÍN PÉREZ (1.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, BB) tossed the 3rd-shortest start of his career…Lasted 0.2 IP on 9/26/12 and 1.0 IP on 7/28/15, both with TEX.
MARWIN GONZALEZ (1.0 IP/0-for-1) made his 1st career pitching appearance, tossing the 8th and 9th innings…This season, Gonzalez has pitched and played 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, LF, and RF…The only other Red Sox to play each of those 7 positions in a season are Steve Lyons (1991) and Jack Rothrock (1928).
BLUE JAYS NOTES (33-30)
THE BLUE JAYS have won back-to-back games after losing 4 of their previous 5…Are 10-7 in their last 17 games following a season-long 6-game losing streak.
Set season highs in runs (18), hits (20), HR (8), and XBH (11)…A franchise-record 7 Blue Jays hit at least 1 HR…Hit 5+ HR for the 4th time in 2021.
Have hit 5+ HR in back-to-back games for the 3rd time in franchise history (also 8/12-14/20, 6/16-17/17)…Are the only team in the majors this season with 5+ HR in back-to-back games (previous: NYY 9/15-17/20, 3 games).
Scored 4 runs in the 1st, 4th, and 5th innings, their 1st game with 4+ runs in 3 different innings since 8/26/16 vs. MIN (also 3 innings).
TEOSCAR HERNÁNDEZ (3-for-6, 2 R, 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI) hit a pair of 3-run HR in his 11th career multi-HR game, 2nd of 2021 (also 5/12 at ATL)…Is the 1st Blue Jay with multiple 3-run HR in a game since Michael Saunders on 6/17/17 at BAL (2).
Set a career high with 6 RBI…Is the 2nd Blue Jay with 6+ RBI in a game this year (Guerrero Jr., 4/27 vs. WSH, 7 RBI).
BO BICHETTE (4-for-5, 5 R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB, SB) had a season-high 4 hits, including a 3-run HR in the 5th…Recorded his 8th SB of the season, tied for the team lead.
Tied a franchise record with 5 runs scored (5th occurrence, previous: Josh Donaldson, 5/26/15 vs. CWS).
ROBBIE RAY (6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 10 SO) recorded 10+ SO for the 2nd-straight start, 3rd time this season and 26th time in his career–4th most among active LHP….Is his first time with 10+ SO in back-to-back starts since 9/22-28/19.
Has 86 SO over his last 10 starts, his most SO in a 10-game span since a career-high 87 from 6/30-9/15/17…The only Blue Jays with at least 86 SO in a 10-game span are Roger Clemens (25 times from 1997-98) and A.J. Burnett (2 times from 2006-08).
VLADIMIR GUERRERO JR. (3-for-5, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI) hit his MLB-leading 21st HR…Recorded 3+ hits for the 11th time this season, most in the majors…At the conclusion of today’s game, led the majors in HR (21), RBI (55), OBP (.450), SLG (.688), OPS (1.137), and total bases (154), and led the AL in AVG (.344)
Has homered in 3 consecutive games for the 2nd time in his career, both this season (also 5/13-16).
MARCUS SEMIEN (2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI) singled and scored in the 1st inning and hit a solo HR in the 2nd…Has homered in back-to-back games for the 1st time since 8/15-16/20…14 of his 15 HR this season have been hit while playing second base, the most at the position in the majors this season.
CAVAN BIGGIO (2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, RBI, BB) homered in back-to-back games for the 2nd time in his career (also 8/30-31/19).
The Red Sox’ are scoring just 3.4 runs per game over their last eight games. A rare slump from all three sluggers in the middle of the order has been a glaring reason for their sudden lack of firepower. Here’s another: their table-setter hasn’t been setting the table. Kiké Hernandez has been anything but an…