Porcello’s First On Opening Day

March 16, 2017 Leave a Comment

Red Sox manager John Farrell yesterday named Rick Porcello the Opening Day starter for 2017.

The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner will be making the first Opening Day start of his career when he faces the Pirates at Fenway on April 3. Farrell also announced that Sox newcomer Chris Sale will start the second Fenway game on April 5.

Porcello, of course, had a memorable 22-4 campaign in 2016 with a 3.15 ERA that included an MLB-best 13 wins at home split between two streaks: six straight from April 15 to June 16 followed by seven straight from July 4 to August 29. The only hiccup, a team win but a no-decision for Porcello on June 23 against the White Sox.

Rick Porcello flickr photo by Keith Allison shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license

Porcello didn’t lose a game at Fenway last season until September 14.

Kyle Kendrick Impresses

Far from the glare of the Porcello-Sale-David Price spotlight is Sox non-roster invitee Kyle Kendrick, 32, who despite not playing at the MLB level at all in 2016, is having a great spring training. Over 18 innings, Kendrick has given up just three earned runs while collecting 16 strikeouts. The Boston Globe‘s Peter Abraham says Kendrick is giving the Sox something to think about. The Boston Herald‘s Evan Drellich also has a package on the righty saying that Kendrick has gone from longshot to a nice commodity.

Now, a few other notes of interest to Red Sox fans:

The rebuilding Chicago White Sox have cleared the path for one-time Red Sox prospect Yoan Moncada to join their major league club. This past week Chicago somewhat surprisingly sent veteran second baseman Brett Lawrie, 27, packing. There’s talk that the Royals, Mets and Blue Jays are teams interested in Lawrie, though the player’s agent says Lawrie won’t sign anywhere until he’s fully recovered from “minor soft-tissue discomfort in his lower body.” For his part, Moncada miserable spring (he was hitting .200 with 13 strikeouts in 30 at-bats entering Wednesday’s game) came through with two home runs against the Royals.
Nice bit of background on the connection between members of the Sox coaching staff from Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal. Farrell, Chili Davis, Gary DiSarcina all were playing with the 1993 Angels, as was former Sox bench coach and new Arizona manager Torey Lovullo. DiSarcina remembered restaurant meetings after the games as his “classroom.” “Little did we know,” Farrell says, “here we are grabbing coffee again.”
There’s so much offensive power in baseball, right? So, when was the last time a major league club batted at .300 or better? You’ve got to go all the way back to the 1950 Red Sox! Only Vern Stephens (.295) and Bobby Doerr (.294) slipped below .300 that Sox season. Billy Goodman led the club (.354, a career best over 16 big league seasons), followed by Dom DiMaggio (.328), Al Zarilla (.325), Walt Dropo (.322), Hall of Famer Ted Williams (.317), and Johnny Pesky (.312). Overall, Boston batted at .302 that season. Hardball Times has a deep dive on the history of .300 AVG ball clubs that’s a fun read. In 2016 the Sox led MLB with a .282 AVG, the best team AVG since the Tigers batted .283 in 2013.
Last season only two first basemen collected 20 or more doubles, home runs, and stolen bases: the Padres Wil Myers (29 2B/28 HR/28) and the Diamondbacks phenom Paul Goldschmidt (33/24/32), who also achieved that feat in 2015 (not since Ryan Braun in 2000-01 has such back-to-back achievement happened). There are only 11 first basemen in MLB history to reach the 20 2B/20 HR/20 SB milestone. You have to go all the way back to 1987 to find an American League first baseman with such a season. That was Joe Carter (27/32/22). The only others in the Junior Circuit are Rafael Palmeiro (40/37/22) and Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, who collected 29 doubles, 40 home runs, and 23 stolen bases while playing 99 games of the 1970 season at first. Last season, Mookie Betts (42/31/26) became the eighth Red Sox at any position to join the 20/20/20 club and the first since Jacoby Ellsbury (46/32/39) did it in 2011. Only one Sox players has ever done it twice: Jackie Jensen in 1954 (25/25/22) and again in 1959 (31/28/20).

Sox Ticket Spike with Sale

January 15, 2017 Leave a Comment

In the winter, few things can warm you better than the thought of the crack of the bat from Spring Training. After the blur of the holidays, though, January can seem to grind to a standstill. Fortunately, we still have the Patriots while we watch the calendar inch closer to February 13, when Red Sox pitchers and catchers are required to be in Spring Training camp.

Spring Schedule Set

Last week, Major League Baseball announced the official 2017 exhibition schedule, which begins with the Diamondbacks, now managed by former Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo, hosting Grand Canyon University at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Arizona on February 22.

The Red Sox’ first game of the spring will come facing the Northeastern University Huskies on Thursday, February 23 at 1:05 ET followed by a match up against the Mets the next day at the same time. The Sox full exhibition schedule runs through March 30.

The official season starts April 3, with ESPN providing national coverage of seven games over that Sunday and Monday. The big Sunday night telecast features the Cubs at the Cardinals.

Once again, the Sox will open their season facing a National League opponent. This year it will be the Pirates, but at home at Fenway on Monday April 4. You can download a printable version of the Red Sox regular season schedule here.

Here are more notes of interest from the past week for Red Sox fans:

David Ortiz is gone and some seat prices may have gone up, but the Red Sox have already sold 1,675,000 tickets for 2017, up 6% from this time last year and at a rate that’s even better than after winning the 2013 World Series. Sure, it could be excitement of newcomer Chris Sale that’s spiked ticket demand but team president Sam Kennedy attributes it to having won the division and to “building on the momentum that we had last year.”
You needn’t be reminded, but it wasn’t a great first year with the Sox for David Price, who posted the highest ERA in any full season of his career (3.99). But Price says “I came here to win and we’re going to win,” saying he won’t opt out of his contract after 2018. Price also recounted some of the disappointing (my word, not his) jeers that he heard from the stands last season at Fenway.
The Portland Sea Dogs will remain the Sox’ Double-A affiliate through at least 2020. The two organizations extended their relationship, which began in 2003, with a two-year contract extension. There are 21 Sea Dogs alumni on the Red Sox 40-man roster including Andrew Benintendi, Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley, not to mention Dustin Pedroia and Hanley Ramírez, both of whom are members of the Dog’s Hall of Fame.
Yoan Moncada going from the Red to White Sox for Chris Sale dominated the news from the Winter Meetings last month. Perhaps lost a bit in the transaction was Michael Kopech, an elite Red Sox pitching prospect who really excites Chicago pitching coach Don Cooper. “Not only is he a big, strong son of a gun,” Cooper says of Kopech, but “the stuff out of his hand is really good: life, energy stuff. He’s just untapped talent right now.”
Sox minor leaguer Tyler Spoon was one of the six latest players to violate the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Spoon, who is currently with the Single-A Greenville Drive of the South Atlantic League, received a 50-game suspension for testing positive for the stimulant Amphetamine.

Your 1st Place Red Sox

May 2, 2016 1 Comment

Sunday’s exciting Red Sox 8-7 win over the Yankees combined with the Orioles loss to the White Sox put Boston in sole possession of 1st place in the American League East. In handing New York their fifth straight loss, the Sox improved to five games over .500 for the first time since 2013.

Offensive Might

The Sox woke up to Monday’s off day leading the AL in average runs scored per game (5.36), total runs scored (134), hits (252), triples (9), RBI (127), batting average (.285), on-base percentage (.347), total bases (400), and OPS (.799).

The Sox lead all teams in doubles (67) and (are you sitting down?) stolen bases (22). Along with the 2013 World Championship team, the 2016 crew are just the second Red Sox team in the last 20 years to steal as many as 22 bases in their first 25 games.

Early and Often

The hit parade continued Sunday with 14 Boston hits. To date, the Red Sox have had 10 or more hits in 15 games this season, more than any other major league team.

Moreover, Red Sox runs have come quickly so far this season, forestalling the maddening prospect, played out so frequently in 2015, of having to come from behind early in the game. With 30 each, the Red Sox and Nationals are tied for the major league lead in first inning runs. No other team in baseball has more than 21. The Sox lead MLB with 63 runs over the first three innings of the game.

Shaky Pitching

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On the season, Red Sox pitchers own a 4.26 ERA collectively, third highest in the American League after the Astros (4.80) and Yankees (4.79). But there’s reason for hope. Team ERA looks more reasonable when viewed over the past 14 days, shrinking to 3.82, or 8th lowest in the AL.

Overall, Boston pitching has struck out 236 opponents, the second most in any first month of Red Sox play since at least 1913. Only the 2013 club had more SO (255).

Still, David Price has yet to fully find his groove, and is tied for having allowed the most earned runs (25) in baseball. Compounding matters, Clay Buchholz appears third on that same list for the AL having allowed 20 earned runs already this season.

Price, who hit three batters in all of 2015, has plunked four already this season, tied for second most among AL hurlers.

Meanwhile, Steven Wright, who likely wouldn’t have had a starters role with the Sox had it not been for the unfortunate injury to Eduardo Rodriguez, continues to impress with a 1.37 ERA after 4 starts this season, the second lowest in the AL. New closer Craig Kimbrel is tied for the AL lead in saves (8).

Talking About Hanley

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You may have thought we would be talking a lot about Hanley Ramirez by this point in the season—and we are, but for all the right reasons.

Reborn as the Sox first baseman, Ramirez appears fired up, having fun, and most importantly, producing on the field.

Ramirez has driven in nine runs over his last 10 games, including a game tying two run single with the bases loaded Sunday before being thrown out at third to end the inning. Ramirez remains one of four error-free AL first basemen.

Sox Season Starts with Win

April 5, 2016 Leave a Comment

There’s simply no better way to start a campaign than with a win. And that’s what we got today, Opening Day 2016, with the Red Sox beating the Indians 6-2 in the start to Boston’s 116th American League season.

The game, postponed from Monday for the cold (the first postponement for the Red Sox on Opening Day since 2009), actually delivered a couple wins for Red Sox fans.

Of course, there’s the score, the only thing that matters. But surely the performance of new Sox ace David Price lived up to its billing. Price earned his first win of the season throwing 103 pitches and allowing two runs on five hits with two walks. He struck out 10.

With Tuesday’s start Price became the first Red Sox pitcher to make his debut with the club in an Opening Day start since David Wells in 2005. And with the win he joined Pedro Martinez (1998), Gary Peters (1970), Dick Ellsworth (1968) and Jim Bagby (1938) as the only five pitchers with a win in their Red Sox debut as an Opening Day starter.

Call the Sox bullpen winners today, too, for a hit-free 3.0 inning performance. Junichi Tazawa opened the 7th, followed by Koji Uehara in his new 8th inning slot, and the debut of new closer Craig Kimbrel.

In all, Red Sox pitchers struck out 15, their most since at least 1913 in an Opening Day game.

David Ortiz, already a double under his belt with the Sox up 4-2 in the 9th inning, hit career home run #504, his fifth ever Opening Day roundtripper and his first to start a season since 2011. The Sox also got two hits apiece from Mookie Betts (including a home run), Brock Holt, Hanley Ramirez, and Travis Shaw (including three strikeouts). Boston’s 11 hits were their most on Opening Day since April 1, 2013 (13).

Dustin Pedroia, who leads all active players with a .421 AVG on Opening Day (minimum 35 plate appearances in openers), ended his Day One hitting streak Tuesday going 0-for-4 with a walk and run scored. Pedroia had hit in all nine career Opening Days since 2007, the longest such streak in club history since Carl Yastrzemski’s 13 Opening Day games from 1968-1980.

Red Sox in Month One

March 24, 2016 1 Comment

Red Sox Wins Over First 30 Games

Stats help put it in perspective. Excluding the blip of the 2013 season, the Red Sox have averaged over the past seven seasons just under 15 wins for their first 30 games. They’ve played .493 ball in the early going during that time. Sure enough, in the Championship years of 2004, 2007, and 2013 Boston got off to winning records, besting opponents with 19, 20, and 20 wins, respectively.

After a tough 2014 season, and despite a thrilling win on Opening Day, the first 30 games of 2015 ended with just 13 wins, the fewest since 12 in 2012. It was the 45th time since 1914 that the Sox started the first 30 games of a season with a sub .500 record.

As your correspondent reminded you at the start of last season, just nine teams have won the World Series since 1914 when opening the season with a sub .500 win percentage over the first 30 games.

Since 1914, the Sox most wins over the opening 30 is 24 (.800) in 1946. The nadir was just five (.167) in 1932.

Farrell’s Hotseat

Much is being said and written about the importance of a “win now” approach as the Red Sox enter the 2016 regular season. Manager John Farrell, his job likely on the line, surely feels the importance of getting off to a good start.

FirstMonthDoubles2000-15 Sox offense in Month One of 2015 didn’t foretell the disastrous season to come, save for one anomaly unseen by Red Sox Nation for some time: the absolute paucity of doubles.

The Sox had 22 doubles April of 2015, the fewest since the 1981 club collected 21 in the first month of a season. Contrast that with Boston’s 58 doubles in the first month of the 2013 season, the most doubles by an eventual World Series winner in the first month of a season since 2000.

Despite the doubles drop-off, Boston scored 113 runs that first month of 2015. Only Toronto (122) and Kansas City (119) scored more across baseball.

Never In-Balance

Starting with the silly t-shirts in spring training camp, the “no ace” Sox pitching strategy, if one can call it that, had trouble written all over it right from the start.

With 12 wins and 10 losses came a bloated 5.04 first month team ERA that rivaled that of another best forgotten season, the Valentine’s massacre of 2012. That year, Boston opened with a 5.54 ERA in April. It turns out that 2015 was just the 11th season since at least 1913 that Boston’s team ERA was 5.00+ in the first month.

Screen Shot 2016-03-24 6.18.10 PM The Red Sox never seemed in balance in 2015. Having scored the third most runs in baseball in April is only valuable if you don’t give up so many at the same time. But instead, Red Sox pitchers allowed 119 runs that first month, the most in baseball and more than twice as many as the Cardinals (55).

From third best to the cellar, Boston offense all but disappeared in May. Just 82 runs scored was the fewest by any MLB club that month. Still, offensive production rallied and stayed in the top third of all major league clubs for every remaining month but July.

The damage, of course, was done. By August 1st, in last place at 47-58, even another strong month of offense couldn’t overcome the Sox pitchers’ seeming inability to protect a lead. Time and again, Boston needed to come from behind for a win. In 40 of the club’s 162 games, Boston left the first inning behind in the score.

Time for Predictions

Spring Training isn’t a real indicator of regular season performance. That said, the Sox look solid offensively again this year. There’s no reason to believe Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts won’t have great seasons. Dustin Pedroia says (again) he is healthy. David Ortiz will experience the joys (and perhaps pressures) of his final season. One would expect Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval have something to prove. Travis Shaw has had a monster spring, for whatever that’s worth.

The arrival of David Price, a legitimate ace with a 2.45 ERA last season, at the head Boston’s rotation is unquestionably good news. The early injuries to Eduardo Rodriguez and reliever Carson Smith, on the other hand, are disappointments. Smith, a lights out reliever, is said to be down for at least the first month. Clay Buchholz is not an ace but more of the wild card in the deck. Rick Porcello, with his 12.00 ERA over 3 spring starts is, well, less than inspiring. Joe Kelly and Steven Wright, on the other hand, have made their cases to be in the rotation somewhere.

We’re just a few days to the start of the season. 181 days later, as we turn the calendar to October, the regular season will close with the Blue Jays at Fenway.

Now’s the time when predictions are worth something. Feel free to record and lock in yours in the comments section below. Just where will our Sox be in the standings after 30 games? Where will they be on October 2nd?

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