If everything goes according to plan, the Red Sox expect to have fans back at Fenway Park in some form next season. “We feel very confident that we should be in a position to welcome fans back next season in likely a socially-distanced environment to start,” Red Sox president Sam Kennedy said on Tuesday. Due…
Sam Kennedy: Red Sox ‘very confident’ fans will return to Fenway Park in 2021 — Boston Herald
For the first time in at least a decade, the Red Sox did not have a single Gold Glove Award finalist. Rawlings announced the finalists for its annual defensive awards on Thursday, and the Red Sox were notably absent across the board. Not even former Gold Glove winner Jackie Bradley Jr. was considered a top-three…
Jackie Bradley Jr. befuddled as Red Sox come up empty in Gold Glove Awards — Boston Herald
The Red Sox have begun their search for their next manager. According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the Sox have started to interview candidates, including Cubs third base coach Will Venable and Pirates bench coach Don Kelly, a pair of former players who only recently transitioned to the dugout. Each Venable and Kelly last…
Red Sox begin interviewing candidates for manager opening, per report — Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Red Sox may be in the driver’s seat for a Top 5 pick in next year’s draft, but they’re not playing like they’re trying to ensure that.
Christian Vazquez’s three-run homer in the sixth helped seal an 8-3 victory in Nick Pivetta’s debut as the Red Sox moved within two games of the Orioles for fourth place in the division on Tuesday night at Fenway Park.
Some takeaways and observations as the Red Sox moved to 21-34 with five games to go:
Pivetta on point in debut
Nick Pivetta wasn’t exactly dominant in his first start in a Red Sox uniform, but given how poorly the team’s starting rotation has performed this season, it was a good starting place to work from and good enough to show promise as a cog in the rotation moving forward.
It only took two months and 16 different starting pitchers, but the Red Sox finally have some reason to be encouraged about their starting rotation, with Nathan Eovaldi and Martin Perez coming on strong, Tanner Houck looking terrific in his first two starts, and now Pivetta. The right-hander they acquired in a trade with the Phillies last month showed a lot to like in his Red Sox debut, allowing just one run on four hits and striking out eight over five innings.
It took a month for Pivetta to finally make his debut because the Red Sox likely were waiting to call him up to take advantage of an extra year of service time, but also because they were working to stretch him out since he hadn’t started a game since last July and had only appeared in three games for the Phillies this season. But he showed little rust in his return.
Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said that with Pivetta, a native of Victoria, B.C., who had a career 5.50 ERA coming in, it’s all about location. On Tuesday, he was putting almost everything where he wanted, save for the three walks, two of which came in the first inning as the Orioles took a 1-0 lead. Pivetta took advantage of a chasing Orioles lineup to aid his eight strikeouts, which included 14 swings and misses, the third most by a Red Sox pitcher this season. Seven of those came via his slider.
Chavis has a tough night in left
Two weeks ago, with a need in the outfield and a willing participant, Michael Chavis moved over to left field, where he had never played professionally before. The idea was to get him in the lineup any way possible, and a year after he got a look defensively at second, to expand his versatility.
Chavis had mostly been solid in his first foray into left, but playing left at Fenway Park may take some time getting used to. Two days after a two-homer game, Chavis misplayed a pair of line drives in the sixth inning that ultimately cost the Red Sox a run. The first one off the bat of Pedro Severino and was ruled an error as a catchable ball deflected off his glove, and the second one, a liner from Rio Ruiz, cleared his head for a double.
Bradley Jr. continues late surge
This could be Jackie Bradley Jr.’s last week in a Red Sox uniform, and the impending free agent is making a case for potential suitors this winter. Two days after a four-hit performance in Sunday’s win over the Yankees, Bradley recorded two more hits in Tuesday night’s victory, which included a second-inning single that helped ignite a three-run frame.
Bradley has now hit safely in 27 of his last 32 games, and he’s having a terrific September at the plate, with a .333 average, eight extra-base hits, eight RBI and 13 runs scored in 19 games while raising his season average to .279, which would be a career high even if the season is a much smaller sample size. Either way, Bradley, who has publicly stated that he’s interested in testing free agency, seems intent on closing the season strong.
It’s been rare as of late, but J.D. Martinez also had a strong night at the plate, as he went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and an RBI. It was just the third three-hit night of the season for Martinez, who raised his average to .216.
Stephen Hewitt | September 22, 2020 at 11:07 pm | Tags: Orioles, Red Sox | Categories: Red Sox, Sports | URL: https://wp.me/panY8T-8Uwn
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to take an economic toll around baseball, the Red Sox announced more layoffs within the business side of the organization on Thursday. 167 more words
Red Sox announce more layoffs as COVID-19 continues to take its toll — Boston Herald
BUFFALO — Arriving back here for a seven-game homestand and his team in a playoff spot is new territory for Ross Atkins, and the Blue Jays general manager plans to make the best of it. Atkins made it clear he intends to be a buyer in advance of next Monday’s trade deadline, a shopping urgency […]
Blue Jays pitching collapses in loss to Sox as GM Atkins prepares to be trade deadline buyer — Toronto Sun
BUFFALO — Arriving back here for a seven-game homestand and his team in a playoff spot is new territory for Ross Atkins, and the Blue Jays general manager plans to make the best of it.
Atkins made it clear he intends to be a buyer in advance of next Monday’s trade deadline, a shopping urgency that may have heightened some on Tuesday due to a miserable six-run, sixth inning at Sahlen Field by the visiting Boston Red Sox.
The 9-7 loss — after opening with a 4-0 lead in the first and having the bases loaded with one out in the second — took some of the steam out of a series split in Tampa Bay on the weekend.
But it won’t dull Atkins’ desire to make a deal, given that his young team remains the front runner for the eighth post-season spot in the AL.
“It’s nice to be in this category where we’re thinking about adding at the highest level,” Atkins told the Toronto Sun. “It’s much more fun.”
On Tuesday, the Jays began a stretch of 13 in a row vs. Boston, Baltimore and Miami, a schedule that in theory would be conducive to solidifying a playoff spot. As they found out in their latest loss, however, there won’t be any gimmes when you counter with weak pitching.
As for his shopping plans, Atkins said the team is looking beyond “moving a rental” and looking for some potential short-term gain.
“We’re mostly focused on how we make the organization better at the major league level and how we can continue to complement this group,” Atkins said.
That’s music to the ears of fans who have suffered through selloffs at the previous two deadlines. And music to the ears of the mostly young team in the Jays dugout which believes it can be playoff material sooner or later.
“You can definitely feel that there is momentum,” Atkins said of the trade discussions with fellow GMs. “The cadence of calls and the exchanges is much higher.”
GAME ON
The Jays jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first, with a Lourdes Gurriel Jr. double leading the way. When they loaded the bases with one out in the second it looked like a potential rout was in the making. Instead, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounded into a double play for the fourth time this season and that was that … Guerrero made up for it in his next at-bat — somewhat — singling between third and short to drive in a pair and bump the lead to 6-3. The timely knock extended Guerrero’s hit streak to eight games … Though he was touched for seven hits and three runs, at least Jays starter Chase Anderson got through five-plus and his team up by three runs. It was the plus that was going to start the trouble in the 82-pitch outing … The Jays couldn’t take advantage of the gift presented by the Sox of starter Kyle Hart, who brought his 11.12 ERA to the downtown ball yard … Travis Shaw left the game in the third inning after feeling some pain in his right knee. After the game, Charlie Montoyo said the veteran is listed as day-to-day … Montoyo hinted at a roster move, but with bullpen days likely on Wednesday and Friday, it will be difficult to bring in a position player. “We need the pitchers to cover innings,” Montoyo said.
SICK SIXTH
Though the Jays lead never felt truly comfortable, it came tumbling down in a disastrous sixth. Anderson started by issuing a leadoff walk to Mitch Moreland, which gave way to a particularly poor version of Wilmer Font.
When the carnage was done, the Red Sox had batted around, scored six runs and turned a 6-3 deficit into a 9-6 lead. The biggest damage came on a three-run, bases-loaded triple from Rafael Devers.
The low point might from Font may have been hitting Jose Peraza with a pitch to load the bases. Montoyo couldn’t get A.J. Cole in soon enough and the Red Sox romped.
The six-run outburst tied for the most by any team in an inning this season.
AROUND THE BASES
The longer this grind of a schedule goes, the more Montoyo is going to try to protect his players physically, starting with Wednesday’s second of three against the Red Sox. “What I’m trying to do the next couple of days is just show up and play, optional (batting practice) and keep them off their feet,” the manager said. “Playing so many games, nobody’s going to be 100 per cent, that’s a fact.” … Montoyo said that Guerrero had been taking some ground balls at third base over the past couple of days as a “just in case” precaution … Of the black holes offensively, the manager was honest about infielder Brandon Drury who is hitting a meagre .152. “He hasn’t done much offensively, that’s the best way I could put it. Offensively he hasn’t had many good at-bats up to this point … Teoscar Hernandez had his fourth homer in six games and team-leading 11th to pull the Jays within a run in the ninth.
INJURY UPDATES
While both starting pitcher Nate Pearson (elbow) and shortstop Bo Bichette (knee) are nowhere near returning both are hoping pick up in activity this weekend
Montoyo said that Bichette will resume “baseball activities” and Pearson will start tossing this weekend.
Bichette was originally pegged to be back in mid-September, that would be ideal for a Jays team in the midst of a Yankee-heavy conclusion to their schedule.
“We’re not going to rush him back,” Montoyo said. “Whenever the kid’s ready we will go. We don’t want to have a setback.”
Injured closer Ken Giles (right forearm strain) took a notable step forward throwing his first bullpen since suffering the injury in the first series of the season.
The prognosis for starter Trent Thornton (elbow inflammation) could be more concerning. Thornton is scheduled to get checked out by noted surgeon, Dr. James Andrews.
Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke made a very interesting decision to pinch hit outfielder Kevin Pillar for Andrew Benintendi in the fourth inning with Boston leading the Toronto Blue Jays by one run and searching for more offense. It was, certainly at the time, a move predicated by offense. But it actually didn’t prove well…
Red Sox Notes: Ron Roenicke Explains ‘Tough’ Decision To Pinch Hit For Andrew Benintendi — NESN.com
Eduardo Rodríguez will miss the entire season because of heart inflammation caused by COVID-19.
Eduardo Rodríguez out for the year due to an inflamed heart — HardballTalk | NBC Sports
The case has been cracked. In a season that is sure to have weird stuff happen all the time, something truly bizarre happened during the Boston Red Sox’s shellacking of the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. During the third inning, Eovaldi went out to the mound wearing No. 7. Of course, his number actually is 17,…
Red Sox’s Nathan Eovaldi Explains Reason For Mid-Game Number Switch — NESN.com
here were theories abound on Twitter about the one-inning swap, and following the game, Eovaldi put any rumors to rest. “So, I guess (Christian Vazquez) and I, we both sweat a lot, so we had the jerseys hanging up down in the batting cage, and I didn’t realize his were down there too,” Eovaldi said. “I glanced over and I just saw the seven and I assumed it was mine and grabbed it off the hanger, threw it on. And once I came back to the dugout they were like ‘Hey that a boy Vazquey’ And I was like, ‘What?’ And they were like ‘Oh, you’ve got his jersey on,’ I was like ‘I thought it felt a little tight on my arms,’ but it’s all good.” The change didn’t end up deterring Eovaldi, who had a pretty sharp outing in his first ever Opening Day start. Over six innings he allowed just one run on five hits with four strikeouts and a walk. More Red Sox:
Jose Peraza, Kevin Pillar Make Solid Impressions In Boston Debut Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
Read more at: https://nesn.com/2020/07/red-soxs-nathan-eovaldi-explains-reason-for-mid-game-number-switch/
Rain shortened the Boston Red Sox’s second and final exhibition game with the Toronto Blue Jays, but baseball was still played. The clubs got through just a few innings before inclimate weather forced them to call it after a short delay in the bottom of the 5th. Unfortunately, it was enough time for the Blue…
Red Sox Wrap: Rain Shortens Boston’s Exhibition Game Vs. Blue Jays — NESN.com
The nerves that seemed to accompany him to the Fenway Park mound aside, Nate Pearson has shown all the signs of being ready, willing and more than able to get major league hitters out. Read More
Nerves get to Pearson early but Blue Jays rookie shows flashes of Great Nate at Fenway — Toronto Sun
The Red Sox’s starting rotation already had plenty of question marks surrounding it after the departures of Rick Porcello and David Price, coupled with the injury to Chris Sale. Sale, of course, still remains with the Sox after undergoing successful Tommy John surgery in March. But Porcello now is a member of the New York…
Darwinzon Hernandez Cleared To Join Red Sox After Positive COVID-19 Test — NESN.com
The view from left field 