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Making Fenway Friendly Again

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Throughout the season, the Red Sox have been justifiably pilloried with questions about their ability to win against the really good teams. But on Wednesday night they put some of those questions to rest, at least for a bit, with a series win over baseball’s best team, the Minnesota Twins. The Sox headed home to Fenway with the favorable tailwinds of a 5-1 road trip, including their three-game sweep of the Orioles in Baltimore.

Fenway At Dusk
Fenway Park at Dusk

Even in their one loss this trip, the Sox held the Twins mighty offense at bay for more than 16 innings before ultimately losing 4-3 in the longest game by innings in Target Field history.

Better At Home

Back home the Red Sox will face the Blue Jays and White Sox in a six-game homestand that ushers in the official start of summer baseball on Friday.

But Fenway has been decidedly less friendly this season. The .500 baseball the Sox have played so far in Boston (17-17) is a far cry from the .704 win percentage of 2018, when they finished 57-24. Since 1908 Boston has played no better than .500 ball at home in just 24 seasons, most recently in 2014 (34-47, .420).

Since 1908 the Red Sox have never made the playoffs with anything less than a .580 record at home. Indeed, of the 118 playoff appearances in the past 20 seasons by any team, just one—by the 2001 Atlanta Braves—came with a losing home record (40-41, .494).

“We know we have to play better at home,” manager Alex Cora said after the win on Wednesday. “That’s the next step, the next challenge…Go over there and start dominating at Fenway.”

Now a few notes of interest to Red Sox Nation:

  • Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts is having a great year, playing with confidence after Boston extended him in April for six years with $120 million. Bogaerts is a player who is delivering on the promise he showed early on. In 2019 he owns a career-best .928 OPS with 14 home runs as well as 3.0 wins above replacement. His defense has improved, he’s mentoring young Rafael Devers, and he seems to be playing the game with a lot of joy. So why isn’t Bogaerts getting any All-Star respect?
  • With a double on Wednesday the Red Sox have recorded an extra-base hit in 90 straight games. That’s the longest active streak in baseball and longest for Boston since a franchise record 164 games in 2004-05.
  • Officials in the Dominican Republic said on Wednesday the plot to kill David Ortiz was actually a plot to kill his friend, Sixto David Fernández, who was with Ortiz that night at the Dial Bar and Lounge. “I don’t have a single enemy,” Fernández told a radio interviewer. Big Papi’s condition was upgraded to “good” this week by doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital.
  • The Sox continue to sew up deals with the young players chosen in this month’s draft. On Thursday came word that the latest to sign is second-round pick Matthew Lugo, a shortstop and the nephew of nine-time All-Star and one-time Rookie of the Year Carlos Beltrán.
  • Eduardo Núñez had appeared in 841 previous MLB games when he stepped in for an ailing Rafael Devers in the top of the fifth inning on Wednesday. Núñez went on to give the Sox two hits, both of them doubles. It marked just the second multi-hit (and first multi-double) performance of his career in a game in which he did not start.

Red Sox Dig Deeper Hole

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After a celebratory off-season Red Sox Nation has been stunned by a team that can’t seem to do much right. On Friday, in the Diamondbacks home opener, the Sox were embarrassed in a 15-8 pounding. Truth is, the final score doesn’t reflect Boston’s generally moribund performance. The Sox trailed 14-1 until Arizona reliever Matt Koch got tagged for seven runs in the eighth.

So deep was the trench that Manager Alex Cora turned to Eduardo Núñez to pitch late in the game. It was Núñez’ first career pitching appearance and the first for the Red Sox since Mitch Moreland worked an inning in 2017. This decade the Sox have used position players as pitchers eight times.

Porcello’s Interleague Win Streak Ends

Núñez might be forgiven for allowing an Alex Avila home run but what can be said of Friday starter Rick Porcello, who entered the game seeking redemption after his first tough start of the season. Red Sox Nation had reason to be hopeful as Boston has won an MLB-best 14 consecutive Interleague matchups with Porcello on the mound. Instead, the veteran did something he’s only done four times before (and never in a Red Sox uniform), giving up seven or more runs and 10 or more hits over just 4.2 or fewer innings of work.

Porcello, visibly angry with himself in the dugout after leaving the game, admitted growing anxiety when he met the media postgame. “Very frustrating. I’m not doing my job right now. I don’t take that lightly,” Porcello said. “This one’s on me…not throwing the ball the way I need to. Got to turn it around quick.”

Porcello’s two home runs allowed on Friday (and reliever Brian Johnson‘s mammoth grand slam given up to Ketel Marte) means Boston pitchers have allowed opponent round trippers in all nine games this season, the most in the majors for 2019 and the longest such streak to open a season in club history.

Red Sox pitchers have now allowed six or more runs to score in an MLB-high seven games this season, tying them with the 1928 Sox for the most such games in the first nine contests of any season since at least 1908. Just two major league teams have ever reached the playoffs with such an opening performance (1999 Rangers and 1995 Reds).

Historically Bad Start

Boston’s now seven losses over its first nine games are its most since the 1945 team went 1-8 to start the season. The last major league team to make the playoffs after starting the season with seven or more losses in their first nine games was the Rays, who led off the 2011 campaign 1-8. The last such team to win a World Series was the 1977 Yankees, who likewise started 2-7.

Nothing’s settled after nine games of a baseball season, of course. With the full schedule only about 5.6% complete the games played to date are the equivalent of about one game in the NFL season. But every game, those in April as much as those in August, means something, all the more so in a hotly contested division. For now, the 2019 Red Sox are still digging a big hole they’ll need to fill.

After such a charmed season in 2018—and with some many issues to address with this year’s club—Cora admitted the current situation is the biggest challenge he’s in his young managerial career. “But we’ll be OK. We’ll keep working. We understand we’re not playing good baseball…but we’ll be OK…We just have to figure out somehow, some way.”

A couple additional notes: The Red Sox placed Johnson and Brock Holt on the 10-day Injured List on Saturday with elbow inflammation and a scratched cornea, respectively. Tzu-Wei Lin and Marcus Walden were called up from Triple-A Pawtucket…Mookie Betts recorded a three-hit game on Friday. Betts led the club with 18 such games in 2018, tied for 3rd most in the major leagues…Moreland’s home run was the 149th of his career, his second of the season and 80th coming on the road.


Walk This Way

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Another fun article by Jayson Stark in The Athletic this week got me thinking about walking. Stark noted that while the Angels Mike Trout drew nine walks over just four games of 2018, Dee Gordon of the Mariners drew the same number of free passes in 588 plate appearances of the whole season! That’s the fewest walks in that many plate appearances of a single season in almost 70 years.

Stark didn’t mention any Red Sox players in his analysis, but that’s where RSNStats gets to work. It turns out Boston’s own Eduardo Núñez made some Sox history of his own in this department last season.

Núñez stepped to the plate 502 times in 2018, his most PA in one season since a career-high 595 PA in his 2016 All-Star Season. But in all those trips to the dish last season Eduardo drew just 16 walks. Only the aforementioned Gordon had fewer in all of baseball. In fact, Núñez went walk-less in 41 straight games from April 19 to June 8, the longest such streak in the American League for 2018.

Núñez in 2018 became just the seventh Red Sox player in franchise history with fewer than 20 walks in 500 or more plate appearances, the first since Shano Collins set a club record with seven walks in 503 PA of the 1922 season.

Núñez and Gordon were two of just five major league players with fewer than 20 walks in 500 or more plate appearances last season. The others were Salvador Perez, Kevin Pillar, and Jonathan Schoop.


Red Sox May Have Lost More Than A Game Monday

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The Red Sox may have lost more than a game on Monday. The Sox fell to the Blue Jays 6-4 after a bad outing by starter Drew Pomeranz. Over just 2.0 IP, Pomeranz allowed five runs, all earned, on seven hits with a walk and no strikeouts.

With two outs in the second inning and Sox up 2-1, Pomeranz walked Darwin Barney, allowed a Ryan Goins single, then an infield hit by the #9 batter, Luke Maile, to load the bases. Pomeranz, so solid with runners in scoring position this season, then gave up his first bases-loaded hit of the season, a double to Teoscar Hernández followed by a second double to Josh Donaldson, for a 5-2 Toronto lead.

Monday’s game marked Pomeranz’ shortest start since September 13, 2016. It was just his fourth career start (of 110) in which he failed to go more than 2.0 innings.

Worse Than The Loss

As bad as a loss is, Sox fans were likely more troubled watching Mookie Betts and Eduardo Núñez leave the game early with injuries.

The Sox can ill afford losing Betts, who before leaving the game early with pain in his wrist, was 2-for-3 with his 100th and 101st runs batted in. Betts has scored 98 times this season. With two more runs, he’ll join Hall of Famer Ted Williams as the only Red Sox players ever with multiple 100 RBI/100 R seasons before turning age 25.

After the game, Betts explained that a “sharp pain” in his wrist pain began after swinging the bat a few days earlier. He may be the only one, but Betts said he wasn’t concerned, “I think I’ll be fine.” Whether he’ll rest as the Sox head towards the playoffs is unclear. “That’s not for me to decide,…we haven’t worn the division yet,” Betts said.

Meanwhile, Núñez, so pivotal to the club’s offense since arriving just before the trade deadline (53-for-165, .321), returned the lineup after missing 13 games with a bad knee. Núñez immediately stroked a first-inning double but then collapsed at the plate, clutching the knee, after an awkward swing in the in the third inning.

Bizarrely, manager John Farrell allowed Nunez to stay in the game to complete the at-bat before ultimately lifting him.

After the game, Núñez said he would rest for the remainder of this series and possibly be back for the final regular season set against Houston.

Coupled with a Yankees’ win earlier in the day, Boston lost a game in the AL East Division race. The club’s magic number to win the division held at three.


Pomeranz Is Legitimate No. 2 Of Red Sox Rotation

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Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised anymore by Drew Pomeranz.

Increasingly, Pomeranz has shown signs that he is the legitimate No. 2 starter for the Red Sox rotation. Any remaining doubts were likely erased—or at least reduced—on Wednesday when Pomeranz went toe-to-toe with Indians ace Corey Kluber and came out on top.

Doug Fister‘s complete game one-hitter against the Indians on Tuesday was unexpected, but it’s time to believe that Pomeranz can, in fact, face off against the league’s toughest opponents.

Pomeranz is now 13-4 with a 3.18 ERA for the season and has won a career-high six consecutive road decisions.

Asked about the prospect of competing against an opposing ace, Pomeranz said he tries not to focus on that. “I don’t really like to look at the other pitcher,” Pomeranz said after the game. “If I do my job, it doesn’t matter who’s on the other side.”

Big Win Against A Tough Team

Kluber has been outstanding this season and he was good again on Wednesday, limiting the Sox to two runs on four hits with 12 strikeouts over 7.2 IP. But Kluber would take the loss as Pomeranz, though somewhat less efficient, kept pace by allowing just 2 hits and no runs with nine strikeouts. Pomeranz did walk four, however, which helped to drive his pitch count to 103 by the time he left the game after 5.1 IP.

Mitch Moreland‘s home run gave the Sox the lead in the fifth inning, but it was Mookie Betts‘ two-out base hit in the eighth, scoring Brock Holt, that sent Kluber to the showers with Boston leading 2-0.

In the bottom of the eighth, Edwin Encarnación belted a solo shot, his club-best 29th of the season, off Sox reliever Addison Reed, sending us back to a one-run game.

With Kimbrel prepping to protect the slim lead, Boston put together a big top of the ninth with back-to-back singles by Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts and a big double for Brock Holt. Aided by a passed ball and a wild pitch, the Sox were now up 4-1 when Eduardo Núñez stepped to the plate and blasted a two-run home run.

Already warm, Kimbrel did enter the game collecting his 100th strikeout of the season. Kimbel is now struck out 101 of the 195 batters he’s faced this season (51.8%).

Boston batters struck out 14 times on Wednesday, with half those coming from Hanley Ramírez (4 SO) and Christian Vázquez (3 SO). For Ramírez it was Career Game No. 1,581 and his first ever with four strikeouts in nine innings. The 14 strikeouts was one shy of the club’s season-high (15) also coming against the Tribe.

Wednesday’s win gives the Red Sox a 4 games-to-2 lead over the Indians this season, assuring them of a season series win. The Sox took the 2016 set 4-games-to-2 in 2016; the Indians beat the Sox 4-2 in 2015.

Farrell Moves Up The List

Red Sox Manager John Farrell recorded his 412th win with the club on Wednesday for sole possession of seventh place on the club’s All-Time Managers Win List. With two more he’ll tie Jimy Williams at No. 6 on that list.

It’s a long way to No. 1 for Farrell. That record is held by Hall of Famer Joe Cronin, who recorded 1,071 wins from 1935-1947.

Red Sox Acquire Rajai Davis

Just prior to the game came word that the Red Sox had acquired veteran player Rajai Davis from the Athletics in return for 18-year-old minor leaguer Rafael Rincones.

Speedy Davis, has stolen at least 18 bases in each of the last 11 seasons and has five seasons with 40 or more steals. His 26 stolen base in 2017 automatically make him the SB champ for the Red Sox.

Davis broke into the big leagues with the Pirates in 2006 then played for the Giants (2007-08), Athletics (2008-10), Blue Jays (2011-13), Tigers (2014-15), Indians (2016) before returning to Oakland this season on a one year deal as a free agent.

As part of the Indians postseason drive last year, Davis was 5-for-22 (.227), all during the World Series, including that big, game-tying home run off the Cubs’ Aroldis Chapman in the eighth inning of Game 7.

Though Davis’ .233 AVG/.294 OBP/.353 SLG slash line for 2017 seems mediocre, his power turned up in the second half, going .303/.361/.487 in 30 games since the All-Star break.

Following tonight’s announcement, Sox baseball president Dave Dombrowski praised Davis’ clubhouse presence and his postseason experience.. “He’s a tremendous individual,” Dombrowski said. “He’s the type of person everyone thinks the world of when they meet him, he’ll fit in with the ball club well.”

Dombrowski stressed that talks to acquire Davis were in the works for a week and did not reflect any greater concerns about Jackie Bradley, who injured his thumb sliding into home on Tuesday. Bradley was back in Boston today for further medical examination which found no tears or fractures, but he’ll need a splint for about a week and was officially placed on the 10-day disabled list.

Davis grew up in Connecticut and graduated from New London High School in CT in 1999 where he played baseball, basketball and football. He attended the University of Connecticut at Avery Point. Davis and his wife, Marissa, have a daughter, Jada Marie, and son, Jordan Michael.