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Red Sox Overcome First Inning Hole, Again

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The Red Sox came away with a 10-7 win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday. In doing so, they avoided a sweep and lowered their magic number for a consecutive division crown to two.

Starting pitcher Rick Porcello once again put Boston into an immediate first-inning hole, allowing three quick runs before the Sox had even come to the plate. “Thank God our offense put up those runs,” Porcello said afterwards.

Porcello has now allowed a club-high 26 runs this season in the first frame. His 6.55 first-inning ERA is the club’s highest single-season mark by a pitcher with at least 30 starts since John Burkett‘s 10.12 ERA in 2003.

Porcello is averaging 0.78 runs per first innings pitched this season. Only Doug Fister (1.07) has a higher such ratio on the club. Porcello and Drew Pomeranz are among the 25 major league pitchers averaging the most first inning runs per innings pitched this season (minimum 30 starts).

For all its strengths, Red Sox pitching this season has now allowed exactly 100 first-inning runs, the 3rd-most in the American League. That ties this year’s crew with the 2003 club for the second-most such runs over the past 15 seasons.

2017 is just the 10th time in the last 50 Red Sox seasons that Boston has allowed 100 or more first-inning runs. The record is the forgettable 2012 season, when the Red Sox gave up 126 runs to first inning batters, the most runs allowed in any inning in that span of time.

Porcello’s Tough Season

Porcello, last year’s American League Cy Young Award winner, has struggled with his control throughout the season. He’s allowed the most runs in the American League in 2017 (125) and the most two-out runs (39) on the club, including two on Wednesday night.

With home runs by Jose Bautista and Darwin Barney, Porcello tied the Red Sox club record for most games in a single season with multiple home runs allowed (11). The others to do this were Tim Wakefield in 1996 and 2005 and Earl Wilson in 1964.

Porcello finishes the 2017 regular season 11-17 with a 4.65 ERA in 33 starts, setting new career highs for hits (236), runs (125), earned runs (105), and home runs (38) allowed. His 181 strikeouts were good for a career-best 8.0 SO per 9.0 innings pitched ratio.

Porcello gave the Red Sox 19 quality starts this season, in which he worked at least 6.0 IP and allowed three or fewer earned runs. He suffered a club-high nine losses in those starts. The righty worked two complete games, but had no shutouts.

For 2017 Porcello earned $20.1 million. His contract guarantees him $21.1 million for both the 2018 and 2019 seasons.


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.


Red Sox Get Back to Winning

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Again and again we’re seen that offensively speaking, the 2017 Red Sox aren’t like the Sox of last season. On Monday, we were reminded that neither are the 2017 Blue Jays.

For a fifth straight game a Sox opponent scored first and early in the game. Red Sox opponents have scored at least two runs before the third inning in every game since last Thursday.

But on Monday, the Red Sox knew that Jays pitching had a damning five-game streak of their own. Toronto had allowed five or more runs in five games and in seven of their last nine.

Despite a good outing from Jays starter Marcus Stroman (6.0 IP with two runs allowed, one earned, and no walks with four strikeouts), this was really a matter of getting into the Toronto pen. Once Stroman was gone, Boston struck for four quick runs against relievers Danny Barnes and Aaron Loup to take the lead and never look back.

Red Sox starter Drew Pomeranz wasn’t as sharp as in previous outings, allowing the leadoff batter to reach safely in five of his six innings. Still, Pomeranz lasted 6.0 IP to come away with the win, his 14th of the season. Pomeranz allowed three runs on seven hits but also walked five, tying for a third time his season high. Relievers Addison Reed and Brandon Workman each contributed a perfect inning apiece.

Craig Kimbrel, pitching with a three-run lead in the ninth, made things interesting when Justin Smoak cranked his 36th home run of the season. After a walk to José Bautista, Kendrys Morales stepped to the plate representing the winning run. It had been Morales who belted a HR against Kimbrel, the first of just four allowed by this season by the the gifted Sox closer. Morales popped out this time, however, and Kimbrel recorded his 30th save of the season.

Craig Kimbrel is now just the 6th MLB pitcher with at least 30 saves in as many as seven straight seasons. The others are Mariano Rivera (9 seasons), Trevor Hoffman (7), Jonathan Papelbon (7), Troy Percival (7), and Robb Nen (7).

Christian Vázquez Stays Hot

Boston catcher Christian Vázquez continued his torrid pace at the plate. On Monday Vázquez became just the second Boston catcher since at least 1913 with a stolen base and four hits, including a home run. The only other Sox catcher to do that was Hall of Famer Rick Ferrell on June 30, 1935.

Beside Vázquez, four other Red Sox had two hits in Monday’s game, including Hanley Ramírez, who was dropped to seventh in the batting order for just the 12th time in his career.

It was the 53rd game for the Sox with 10 or more hits, the most in the American League after the Astros (62) and Orioles (57).

Rafael Devers, hitless in four at-bats, made a pivotal play that underscores his remarkable maturity for so young a player. With the Sox down by a run in the fifth but with the bases loaded and just one out, Devers elected for the force play at home rather than an impulsive grasp at a tough double play. Pomeranz would work out of the jam to keep the game in check.

“These guys love to hit, so it’s always hitting, hitting, hitting,” Red Sox mental skills coach Laz Gutierrez told Rob Bradford of WEEI. “But [Devers] worked on all aspects of his game. And I think what you see now is all that work that he’s put in.”

With Cleveland beating the Yankees in New York, the Red Sox lead returned to 3½ games in the American League East. The Sox remain one of five major league teams this season not to lose five straight games.


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.


Red Sox Stun Yankees Again

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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.