Daniel Nava Archives

Red Sox Pedroia Beats Phillies in Extra Innings

June 13, 2017 Leave a Comment

It’s likely most Red Sox fans didn’t expect such a tough contest on Monday when Boston faced the Philadelphia at Fenway. The Phillies arrived at Fenway with a 21-40 record, the worst in the majors, and a 9-26 road record. They’d lost all five Interleague games in which they played this season, the only MLB club to do that (only the Dodgers have yet to play in Interleague in 2017). Philly also toted in a 5.02 team ERA, the worst such pitching performance in baseball.

But the Phillies were no pushovers in this first of two games in Boston before two more later this week in the City of Brotherly Love.

Philadelphia jumped all over Rick Porcello for four first-inning runs. The Sox chipped away at that lead but didn’t ever get on top until it really mattered, at the end of the 11th inning. It was the second straight steamy, long night at Fenway with a game that clocked in past the four hour mark. Unlike Sunday’s bout with the Tigers, though, there were likely less complaints thanks to the Sox victory.

Off to a tough start, Porcello did, in fact, calm down to finish 6.0 innings of work, but allowed ten hits and five runs in the process. He walked one and struck out four. Fortunately, he was backed up by five innings of scoreless relief by Joe Kelly, Robby Scott and Craig Kimbrel, each for an inning, and then two gutsy innings of scoreless play from Matt Barnes.

“I can’t say enough about the job that they did.” Porcello said after the game, “and especially Barnsie…huge, gave us a chance to win.” Porcello also recognized the efforts of Mookie Betts who made a tremendous outfield catch. “He cut that ball off in the gap. If he doesn’t do that, they score, and the game is probably over at that point.”

Betts, after a recent cool spell, is torrid again going 4-for-5 on Monday with a career-high three doubles, one off the MLB-record last set for Boston by Brock Holt in 2014.

The bullpen kept the Sox in the game long enough for Dustin Pedroia to drive in the winning run with just the second walk-off of his long and distinguished career.

Pedroia-Nava Connection

Daniel Nava, who played in Monday’s game for the Phillies, went 3-for-6 improving to a full season average to .329 in his first season with Philadelphia. It’s a nice bounceback so far for a guy who had a miserable .590 OPS in 45 games with the Angels and nine with the Royals last season. Nava played parts of five seasons with the Sox, 2010-15.

In a coincidence almost too strange to be true, Pedroia’s only previous walk-off hit in his long career came June 19, 2010 against the Dodgers. In that game Pedey’s hit drove in Nava to secure the win.

But what had to be on Nava’s mind Monday night was his first career at-bat, the first pitch in particular, right here at Fenway, seven years ago to the very day. Not just a hit but a home run. Not just a home run, but a grand slam.

And for a final irony, Nava’s slam came against the Phillies, in just their 19th game ever at Fenway Park.

Sunday Odds ‘n Ends

June 12, 2016 Leave a Comment

A big week ahead as the Red Sox return home to face their division foes, the Orioles, and the hard-hitting Mariners. But before looking ahead, let’s have a look back at some odds ‘n ends from the week that was:

Last season, the sole Red Sox representative to the 2015 All-Star Game was Brock Holt. But this year, the Red Sox look to be well-represented. MLB gave a fan voting update this week and it shows David Ortiz, Xander Bogaerts, and Jackie Bradley all looking solid so far for All-Star honors. Mookie Betts, too, was coming on strong in the voting, which continues until June 30th.
Naysayers are inclined to say the Red Sox aren’t performing well against good clubs, this season, just the weak ones. But the numbers make it clear: at 20-19 Boston is just ahead of .500 ball versus clubs with winning records. To be sure, that’s a far cry from the remarkable 17-6 record (.739) posted by the Cubs, who have the best such mark in baseball. Against clubs playing below .500, the Sox are 15-6 as of Saturday morning, the best such mark in the American League and 5th best in the majors.
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It was only six years ago, but it seems a lifetime away. Today, June 12, marks the anniversary of Daniel Nava‘s historic first-pitch grand slam home run in his major league debut in 2010. Nava played five seasons with Boston slashing .267/.357./387 with 23 home runs, including a second grand slam at Kansas City. After part of season with the Rays last year, he signed a one-year, $1.4 million deal with the Angels where he’s 10-for-45 (.222) over 17 games this season.
Red Sox catcher Sandy León put together a career-high four hits and a walk Saturday against the Twins becoming just the 12th Sox catcher with such a performance in a 9-inning game since at least 1913. Blake Swihart managed the feat in 2015, but you have to go back to Jason Varitek in 2007 to find another. Rich Gedman is the only Sox catcher with multiple such games. Gedman had three from 1985-86.
So far this season the Mets are leading baseball with 35 home runs knocked in by their outfielders, but hot on New York’s heels are the Sox who have 32 such home runs, including one from Jackie Bradley on Saturday. Boston’s 32 outfielder-produced blasts are the most in the American League and third most in the majors. The Sox are on pace for 84 outfielder home runs but even if the final tally falls short of that, it’s likely to be a good deal better than the club’s 2015 total of 53.
Another week, another David Ortiz milestone. Big Papi now has six games with three or more hits tying him with Carl Yastrzemski in 1982 for the most such games by a Red Sox player aged 40 or older through the first 61 contests in a season. The only players with more such games in that timeframe are from a bygone era of baseball: Honus Wagner had 11 in 1916, Sam Rice had 10 in 1930, Ty Cobb had nine in 1928, and Nap Lajoie had seven in 1915.
While we’re on the subject of history, Monday is the anniversary of Ted Williams‘ second three-home run game in 1957. He became the first American League player to have two such games in a single season. Williams’ first came against the White Sox, the second against the Indians. Before Williams, two National League players, the Cardinal Johnny Mize and the Pirates Ralph Kiner had multiple three-home run games in one season. Mize did it twice in his 1938 and 1940 campaigns. Kiner’s came in 1947. Since Williams, no other Red Sox player has had multiple three-home run games in a single season, though Mookie Betts has the rest of the season to match Williams’ record. Betts stroked three home runs on May 31 at Baltimore.
You can argue whether the Mariners overpaid for Robinson Canó but you can’t argue with his home run production. With two more on Thursday Canó now has 246 home runs over his career when playing as a second baseman, more than any other American Leaguer ever. Jeff Kent is the all-time HR leader among second basemen having collected 351 over 17 seasons. Dustin Pedroia has 125 career home runs, all coming as a second baseman.
Hard to believe, but after this weekend there are just 100 games left in the Sox regular season schedule. Red Sox offense has managed to keep the team well in contention (Boston started the weekend with the top team AVG, OBP and SLG in the majors), but even the casual observer recognizes the need for better pitching. Though the trade market is just getting into gear, the Red Sox have put out the unsurprising word out that starter and relief pitching will be high on their shopping list, according to the Boston Herald’s Evan Drellich. No doubt the Sox will be homing in on the Athletics’ Sonny Gray and Rich Hill (despite his recent groin strain) and the Braves Arodys Vizcaíno and Julio Teheran, among others.

An important June

June 1, 2015 Leave a Comment

After a mediocre April (12-10) and a miserable May (10-19), the calendar turns to June with hopes for a Red Sox turnaround and some salvation in 2015.

If ever a team needed a good month, the Red Sox are that team.

Best Junes

While you certainly can’t take anything for granted when it comes to the 2015 Red Sox, June has, nonetheless, traditionally been a favorable month for the club.

Consider this: When looking at the last 10 seasons starting in 2005, the Red Sox have stacked up extremely favorably in June compared to other clubs in the major leagues.

Since 2005 Boston owns the 3rd-best batting average in baseball for June (.281) as well as the #1 on-base percentage (.350), the top slugging percentage (.450), and the top OPS (.801) for the month.

Ten seasons of Junes have yielded the Sox 4,168 total bases and 569 doubles, both the most by any club over that timespan in MLB. Boston’s average on batted balls in play (in other words, plate appearances that ended with a ball in play that wasn’t a home run) has been .316 over the last 10 Junes, the 3rd best mark in the American League and 4th-best in baseball.

Here’s a look at the club’s best (and worst) marks for the month of June since 1914 alongside a comparison to the club’s performance in the month that just passed.

Individual performers

Among current Red Sox with at least 25 at-bats, the player with the best June record while playing for Boston is Brock Holt. His .322 AVG is a small sample size, however, as he’s only had one June with the club (the one in 2014) up until now. Holt is followed by Shane Victorino‘s .304 AVG, though he, too, has appeared with Boston in just one season of June play (his was in 2013).

Daniel Nava has a few more data points and they’re very favorable. In 4 seasons of play from 2010 to 2014 he’s put together a strong June AVG of .304 over 86 total games. He’s followed by Dustin Pedroia (.296 in 199 games), David Ortiz (.296 in 279 games), and Mike Napoli (.287 in 42 games).

Since 1914 just three Red Sox have accumulated batting averages of .400 or better in June during their careers with Boston (minimum 30 at-bats). Topping the list is Gabe Kapler, who was 26-for-63 (.413) from 2003-06. He’s followed by Bing Miller, 19-for-46 (.413) in 1935-36, and Dante Bichette, who was 36-for-90 (.400) in 2001. Honorable mention goes to Jose Iglesias for his 34-for-86 (.395) record of June 2013.

More than just offense

A winning June will take more than just solid offense, though that’s not a bad place to start. It was, after all the one “given” we expected of this team when they broke camp in Florida this spring.

While the pitching has improved of late, back-to-back games with 3 Red Sox errors each, gave all fans a reason to question even the most fundamental beliefs about this year’s team.

At the time of this writing the Red Sox are less than 5 games out of first place in the weak AL East division. June can be a new beginning for the Red Sox season. Nothing but possibilities on this first day of the heart of the season. We’re on our way to learning whether this is the breakthrough month for the Sox or another disappointing 30 days on the march towards the trade deadline.

May collapse

May 22, 2015 Leave a Comment

If you’re going to have a terrible month, you can argue that it’s better to have it now rather than in September.

That said, and even with about a week remaining, May has been an attrocious month of the Red Sox, made all the worse by the eventual uptick in what had been attriocious Red Sox pitching.

Boston’s .218 batting average thus far this month is the absolute lowest in the majors. The Sox are also last in a variety of offensive categories including runs scored (44), RBI (43), stolen bases (2), slugging (.351) and in OPS (.637).

Red Sox offense in May is not just bad, it’s historically bad. Unless the bats suddenly spring to life, this month will go down as the club’s worst May batting average since at least 1914.

The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier points out that the Red Sox’ .259 batting average on balls in play this season (i.e., at-bats that ended in something other than a home run, a strike out, or a walk), is not just the worst in the majors, it lumps the Sox with only four other teams since 2000 with a BABIP below .275 — and none of those teams dipped below .269!

Next up, Angels

The Red Sox should have feasted on sub-.500 clubs like the Athletics, Mariners, and Rangers. Instead, they went 5-5 against them with one series win, a split, and a series loss, respectively. Over the 10 games Boston was outscored 22-31. In all, the Red Sox have gone 13-13 this season against sub-.500 clubs.

So now the 21-20 Angels are in for a 3-game series at Fenway. The Sox are 6-9 against clubs playing at or above .500 this season.

The Red Sox are 332-294 for all-time vs the Angels, with even the hapless 2014 Sox taking 5 wins of their 7 matchups.

Rick Porcello (4-2, 4.26 ERA) gets the start on Friday vs the Angels Garrett Richards (3-2, 2.29 ERA). Last time out Porcello earned a win over the Mariners pitching 6.2 innings and allowing just 2 runs and 6 strikeouts. Richards, meanwhile, was the loser in his last outing, despite a strong 7.2 innings of work with just 2 runs allowed and 7 strikeouts vs the Orioles.

In 8 starts thus far Porcello has allowed at least one home run in all but 3 games, including 2 in his most recent game last Saturday. Richards has allowed just one home run in his 6 starts of 2015.

Against Porcello the Angels have 3 with a career batting average of .300 or better (minimum 6 at-bats): Chris Ianenetta is 3-for-7 (.429), Mike Trout in 5-for-15 (.333), and Albert Pujols is 4-for-13 (.308).

Against Richards the Red Sox have 3 with a career batting average of .300 or better (minimum 6 at-bats):Mike Napoli is 4-for-7 (.571), Dustin Pedroia and Daniel Nava are both 2-for-6 (.333).

Sox earn series win over Athletics

May 13, 2015 Leave a Comment

The Athletics have their problems, no doubt. But if, only on paper, the Sox looked overmatched at any time in this series, it would have been in this final game.

For the Red Sox it was Wade Miley toting his 1-4, 6.91 ERA record over 6 starts of 2015 and facing Oakland for the first time in his career.

In the other corner, pugilistically named pitcher Sonny Gray, one of five undefeated pitchers in the American League with at least 4 wins. Coming into today’s game Gray owned an impressive 4-0 record with a 1.65 ERA in 7 starts. Opponents’ have been slugging at .234 against Gray this season, the second best mark in the AL.

But then, that’s why they play the games.

The Red Sox shut out the Athletics 2-0 to win the game and the series. It was the first Boston shut out over Oakland since Game 2 of a Fenway doubleheader on August 27, 2011; the first time in Oakland in over 7 years.

Boston’s first run Wednesday came in the 2nd inning on a Daniel Nava single to short left. They tacked on an insurance run with 2 outs in the 8th on a throwing error by Athletics shortstop Marcus Semien that scored Nava.

Boston opponents have now committed 38 errors, leading to 25 unearned Red Sox runs. Oakland has now committed an error in each of their last 11 games, the second longest such streak by an A’s team over the last 14 years.

Odds ‘n Ends

Dustin Pedroia extended his hitting streak to 7 games, one from his season high. He now has an 11-game hitting streak against the Athletics…Today’s game was Pedroia’s 1,184th tying Duffy Lewis for 15th-most in Red Sox history…3 Red Sox had 2 hits each, accounting for the club’s 6 hits Wednesday. It was Nava’s 3rd multi-hit game of the season, Pedroia’s 10th, Hanley Ramírez’ 12th…Red Sox started the day with the 4th-fewest strikeouts in the AL but racked up 11 on Wednesday for a 4th time this season…Miley gave Oakland plenty of opportunities, but the Athletics were 0-for-14 overall with runners in scoring position, stranding 9…12th game this season with 2 or fewer runs by Red Sox, the 8th game so far in May. The Sox are 2-6 in such games this month.