RSNStats

Baseball News and Stats
Red Sox Nation Focused

Another Series Win For Red Sox Over Yankees

Leave a Comment

As in New York last weekend, the Red Sox won two-out-of-three this weekend for another satisfying series victory.

It’s always fun to beat the Yankees, but it’s even more satisfying besting your rival for the division crown. Sure, winning the Wild Card spot beats sitting at home when the postseason begins, but not by much. The first real prize of the postseason is the advantage of being the division leader.

Sunday’s 5-1 smack down didn’t feel like a sure thing. Though Boston led right from the start on a Jackie Bradley triple that scored two in the second, the Yankees made it a one-run game in the fifth on a Brett Gardner solo home run. Once again, though, the Sox broke away in the late innings, scoring in the sixth and twice again in the eighth.

Bradley’s triple was his third of the season and 16th of his career, ten of those coming with men on base. The last player with a go-ahead triple against the Yankees at Fenway was Nomar Garciaparra on August 30, 2003. Jackie has now driven in at least one run in each of his last four games against the Bombers.

For the Yankees, it was the first time they’ve lost this season when Gardner homers. They had been 16-0 in such games.

In another solid outing, Rick Porcello allowed just one run on three Yankee hits, including Gardner’s home run. Despite giving up a career-high XX home runs in a single season, Porcello has allowed two or fewer earned runs over 6.0+ innings in each of his six starts against the Yankees at Fenway, the longest such streak to being a Red Sox career since at least 1913.

The Sox bullpen, back to its old self, got three perfect innings from Brandon Workman, Addison Reed, and Craig Kimbrel. Workman has now made 12 straight scoreless appearances (14.1 total innings pitched).

Sunday’s was the third time this season the Yankees have been held to three or fewer hits in a game, the first time for Sox pitching since September 28, 2016.

Yankees starter Sonny Gray worked 5.0 innings, allowing two runs on seven Red Sox hits. It was Gray’s 115th career start and his first ever without a strikeout.

Aaron Judge, whose positive first-half narrative has been somewhat eclipsed by his second-half strikeouts, whiffed for a 37th straight game on Sunday. He had already surpassed the major league record for consecutive games with a strikeout in a single season. He’s now tied with pitcher Bill Stoneman for most such games ever. Stoneman’s record spanned the 1971-72 seasons.

Clutch Production From Bottom of the Order

Bradley, batting ninth on Sunday for a 15th time this season, plated the first three Boston runs, all coming with two outs.

The Red Sox now have American League-best 28 two-out RBI from their No. 9 hitters, a list that, in addition to Bradley, includes 36 games from Deven Marrero, 14 games apiece from Christian Vázquez and Marco Hernández, 13 from Sandy León, 10 from Tzu-Wei Lin, 8 from Brock Holt and a handful of games from seven other players.

Nearly 40% of Boston’s two-out RBI from their No. 9 hitters this season (11 of 28) have come just this month, the most in baseball.

Especially in the late going, the Sox bottom of the order has shined this season. The Sox lead all of baseball in 2017 with 29 RBI from No. 9 batters from the seventh inning on.

León, batting eighth on Sunday, was 2-for-3 with double in the eighth inning that scored Xander Bogaerts and Mitch Moreland. The hit brought to an end an 11-game hitless streak vs the Yankees for León, the longest by a Boston non-pitcher since 1913. Nevertheless, León is now 13-for-42 (.310) over the last three homestands.

No. 8 and No. 9 batters have combined for 50 Red Sox RBIs coming in or after the seventh inning this season, the most in the majors.

History Without A Hit

Even without the benefit of a hit, Red Sox newcomer Rafael Devers managed to make more history on Sunday. Devers was 0-for-3 but drew his 9th career walk and has reached base in 19 of his 21 career games, including each of his last nine.

The only other hitter ever in American League history to reach safely in as many as 19 of his first 21 games at age 20 or younger is Hall of Famer Ted Williams, who went 19-for-21 in 1939.


Red Sox Stun Yankees Again

Leave a Comment

In yet another of this season’s greatest Red Sox games, Friday’s come-from-behind victory over the Yankees ranks right up there. It really had it all.

After three good innings from Drew Pomeranz, the Red Sox had to piece it together in the top of the fourth after Pomeranz left with back spasms. An early Sox 2-0 lead evaporated at the hands of relievers Matt Barnes and Joe Kelly, who allowed two and three runs, respectively.

Particularly painful at the time was four Yankees runs in the top of the seventh. But then, lightning struck again. The Sox rallied for four of their own in the bottom half of the inning and got two more in the bottom of the eighth to come away with the win.

As usual, you can find recaps in all the usual places. Let’s focus, instead, on some of the more interesting stats from Friday’s match-up.

  • Rafael Devers‘ home run on Friday made him just the third Red Sox ever with homers in back-to-back games against the Yankees before turning 21. He’s in elite company. The others are Babe Ruth in 1915 and Ted Williams in 1939. Only Ruth did able to accomplish the feat in three consecutive games. Devers will have the chance to match the Babe’s record on Saturday.
  • Devers’ seven home runs over his first 19 career games ties him with Sam Horn in 1987 for second-most over that time in Red Sox history. Only George Scott of the 1966 club had more (9).
  • Devers’ 26 hits is the most by a Red Sox batter over his first 19 career games since Sox Hall of Famer Johnny Pesky had 26 in 1942. Only Tom Oliver had more in club history (35 in 1930).
  • Only Scott (1.270), Fred Lynn (1.188), and Horn (1.145) had a better OPS than Devers (1.118) over 19 first games with the club (minimum 40 at-bats).
  • Mitch Moreland pushed the Sox ahead with a pinch-hit, two-out base hit in the seventh. Moreland is now 22-for-70 (.314) in 78 career games as a pinch hitter. All told, the Sox are now tied with the Rays for the most two-out, go-ahead RBI coming in 7th inning or later this season (9).
  • Andrew Benintendi (1-for-5) extended his career-best hitting streak to 11 games on Friday.
  • Brandon Workman came into the game in the fourth inning marking his earliest appearance in a game since he started against the Pirates on September 18, 2014.
  • Friday’s was the Red Sox’ 70th overall win and makes them 12-2 for an .857 win percentage in August. The club’s best August was 24-6 in 1950, an .800 win percentage.

The Red Sox offense is sparking up at just the right time. For their last 15 games, Boston leads the American League in runs per game (6.3). While the Sox bullpen has been outstanding overall (their 3.11 ERA is still third-best in the baseball after the Dodgers and Indians), over the past seven games a they are responsible for a 6.23 ERA.

Despite the runs allowed, Red Sox pitchers held Yankees batters to 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position on Friday. New York tied its own season high for a nine-inning game with 14 men left on base.

On Friday, Yankees rookie phenom Aaron Judge‘s marked his 35th straight game with a strikeout, the most by a position player in baseball history. “We don’t talk about it,” Yankees hitting coach Alan Cockrell told the New York Post.


Devers Magic, But Sox Lose

Leave a Comment

After such an exciting weekend series in New York, Monday’s 7-3 Red Sox loss to the Indians was especially disappointing, particularly given the Yankees’ come-from-behind 4-2 win over the Mets.

Monday’s game was a do-over for a rain out in the series between these two clubs earlier in the month. Boston already won the series with wins on July 31 and August 1.

After two good performances in his most recent starts, the Sox were at an almost immediate disadvantage when starter Doug Fister allowed three quick runs by the Indians in the second inning.

Boston rallied to tie the game by the end of the fourth, but Cleveland immediately scored twice in each of the next two frames, both coming on two-run blasts by Edwin Encarnacion. Encarnacion’s 20 multi-HR games in the last 5 years (2013-17) are tied with the Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton for the most in the Major Leagues in that time.

Fister only made it through 4.1 IP with five runs allowed on seven hits. He struck out five but uncharacteristically walked four. With Monday’s loss, Fister now stands at 2-6 with a 5.56 ERA.

Indians starter Trevor Bauer, on the other hand, went 6.2 IP allowing three Boston runs on seven hits with 11 strikeouts, his second performance with 10+ strikeouts this season.

Sox Score Exclusively on Home Runs

In a season where home runs have been tough to come by, all three Red Sox runs on Monday came on solo shots, including two in back-to-back plate appearances by Rafael Devers and another by Andrew Benintendi. The home run for Benintendi extended his hitting streak to a career-best eight games. Benintendi has driven in at least one run in each of his last four games.

Devers, at age 20 years, 295 days, became the youngest player with two home runs in a game since Bryce Harper on April 20, 2013 at age 20 years, 186 days. No Red Sox player as young as Devers has belted two HRs in a game since Tony Conigliaro in 1965 at age 20 years, 253 days. The only other Red Sox hitters since 1913 with a multi-HR game before turning 21 are Ted Williams (1) and Conigliaro (4).

It was the first Fenway game in which a player on each team recorded multiple HR since May 18, 2008, when David Ortiz and the Brewers Ryan Braun each homered twice.

Devers is only the second Boston hitter in the last 100 seasons with six or more home runs in his first 16 career games, joining Sam Horn, who had seven in that time.

The Red Sox now have multiple home runs in their last six games at Fenway Park, the longest multi-HR streak there since six games in July, 2004.

The schedule doesn’t get any easier. Interleague play resumes Tuesday with two games against the Cardinals before an off-day and the return of the Yankees for another weekend series, this time in Boston. Then the Sox head to Cleveland for four more against the Tribe.


Red Sox Stun Yankees, Win Series

Leave a Comment

After a tough loss on Friday, the Red Sox still won two-of-three this weekend in New York. Boston starts the week 5½ games up in the American League East and has won 10 of 11 games.

Sunday’s 3-2 extra-inning Red Sox win was both thrilling and frustrating.

Despite another master class, starting ace Chris Sale (7.0 IP, 1R on 4H, with 2 walks and a dozen strikeouts) took another no-decision. Sale had held the Yankees to one run after Mookie Betts uncharacteristically flubbed a deep two-out fly ball, which scorers credited as the first-ever triple in the 200th career game for Austin Romine. The triple scored Chase Headley, who had singled earlier in the inning.

After Sale, Manager John Farrell looked to Matt Barnes to keep the game tied in the 8th, but Barnes was erratic. After a lead-off ground out, Barnes walked two and allowed a single to load the bases. A sacrifice fly by Todd Frazier scored the go-ahead run.

Rafael Devers’ Historical Homer

Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman came in for the 9th inning. After dispatching Hanley Ramirez, Sox rookie Rafael Devers belted a 103 MPH fastball 423 feet into the night. You could hear a pin drop. This Yankees’ fan’s reaction captures the moment from the stands:

Devers’ HR was first 9th inning, two-strike, game-tying home run for the Sox against the Yankees since Jason Varitek‘s on April 5, 2005. According to ESPN, it was the fastest pitch anyone has hit for a homer in the pitch-tracking era.

“That says a lot about the hitter,” Portland manager Carlos Febles told ESPN’s Scott Lauber. “You don’t see many power hitters hitting homers with two strikes.” Febles saw it himself. At Double-A this season. 14 of Devers’ 18 home runs came with two strikes against him.

For Chapman, it was just the second home run he has allowed in his career to a lefty batter in either a regular season or postseason game (also Luke Scott on June 26, 2011). It was the first-ever home run he has allowed at Yankee Stadium.

In August, Benintendi is Hotter Than July

An inning later, Chapman’s night came to an end when, with one out, he hit Jackie Bradley and walked Eduardo Nunez. Yankee reliever Tommy Kahnle fared no better, however. He walked Mookie Betts, setting the stage for the other Sox hero, baseball’s hottest hitter in the month of August, Andrew Benintendi.

Benintendi did just enough, a single that scored Bradley was all Craig Kimbrel needed to save the game in the bottom of the 10th.

For Sale, it was a third straight no-decision against the Yankees this season, despite registering 10 or more strikeouts in each of those games. Sale has recorded nine or more strikeouts in each of his 14 road starts this season, the longest such streak in baseball

since at least 1913.

Boston is now 11-3 in extra-innings this season, the best such mark in the Majors.

This morning, the Sox improved a notch to #4 in the weekly ESPN Power Ranking, after the Dodgers, Nationals, and Astros.


Weekend Schedule Favors Red Sox

1 Comment

When it was announced well before the start of the 2017 Major League season, no one could have foreseen the Red Sox advantage during this random weekend of August. The schedule giveth and it taketh away, and this weekend it gives the Sox a big advantage.

While the New York Yankees tarry with a very tough and very motivated first-place Cleveland Indians team, the Red Sox this weekend are facing the decimated Chicago White Sox, already transitioned into rebuilding after a disappointing start to the year’s campaign.

Chicago, 38-49 at the All-Star break, spent July trading away the likes of Melky Cabrera, Todd Frazier, David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle,  Anthony Swarzak, and Dan Jennings. Then, toward the end of the month, they lost, at least a couple weeks, top-batting Avisail Garcia to a sprained thumb.

The result is a barely recognizable major league team, the roster sprinkled with unfamiliar names who have little experience at Fenway Park.

Porcello Allows 26th Home Run

The Red Sox got the series off to a good start on Thursday with a 9-5 victory. Hanley Ramírez (2-for-4 with 2 RBI) said post-game that Brock Holt “was telling everybody…let’s go for it in the first inning, and we did,” depositing four quick runs for starter Rick Porcello.

Porcello, perhaps unaccustomed to such riches, immediately coughed back up two runs of the lead in the second.

The Red Sox added three more in the bottom of the second—only to watch Rick give all three back in the top of the very next frame on a three-run bomb to Chicago rookie Nicky Delmonico. It was his 26th home run allowed this season by Porcello, fully twice as many as the next-highest Boston pitchers (Chris Sale and Drew Pomeranz), and a new single-season career mark for him.

Boston never trailed, however, tacking on more offense in the fifth and sixth frames.

Porcello lasted 5.1 IP, enough to earn the win. He’s now 5-14 with a 4.70 ERA. Porcello was followed by 3.2 IP of perfect relief from Fernando Abad, Heath Hembree, Addison Reed, Matt Barnes, and Brandon Workman.

Boston Bats Stay Hot

In all, the Red Sox offense has looked revitalized since the arrival of Rafael Devers and Eduardo Núñez to the lineup. Devers collected his third major league home run on Thursday making him the first Boston player to homer in at least three of his first eight career games since Mo Vaughn in 1991.

A couple days off (plus the rain out on Wednesday) worked wonders for Andrew Benintendi, who went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a walk and an RBI, but looked lost on the base pads, twice making an out at third base.

Mitch Moreland (2-for-5 with an RBI), looking more like his first half alter ego, recorded his second straight multi-extra-base-hit game. He’s now 6-for-20 (.300) with four doubles, a home run, three walks and five RBI on the current homestand.

Red Sox Expand Lead

Thursday’s Red Sox win was made sweeter by the Indians’ (5-1) victory over the Yankees in the debut of new New Yorker Sonny Gray. Together, that gives Boston a 2.0 game lead in the American League East with both teams facing their current opponents through the weekend.

Don’t sleep on the pesky Rays, however. Tampa Bay won Thursday 5-3, coming away with a 3-games-to-1 series victory over the AL’s best team. The Rays also have a tough set this weekend, going up against the Brewers, who trail the Cubs by just a 1½ games in the National League Central division.