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Sox edge Angels in third straight win

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A win is a win, but after a couple games where the Red Sox merely capitalized on Angels miscues, the Sox claimed a victory mostly on their own merits Sunday at Fenway Park.

The 2-1 Boston win in just under two hours sealed a third series win of the season, regardless of tomorrow’s outcome. The game time of one hour, 57 minutes was the shortest nine inning affair for the Sox since a game in Detroit on April 22, 1999. It was the shortest game at Fenway Park since October 1, 1989 against Milwaukee.

Solid Red Sox pitching made up for light offense on Sunday, with Boston’s only runs scored on a two-run home run for Justin Turner.

Trailing 2-1, the Angels’ best shot at pulling even or going ahead came in the top of the eighth inning when reliever Kaleb Ort allowed a base hit and a walk. Los Angeles manager Phil Nevin elected to run for Gio Urshela at second base, but with two down, Ort spun around to pick off pinch-runner Brett Phillips.

On Patriots Day, the Red Sox will aim for their first four-game sweep of the Angels since April 21-24, 2011, and the first such sweep at Fenway Park since four games in May 2010.

To earn the sweep, the Red Sox will need to get through Angels phenom Shohei Ohtani, who has allowed just one earned run in 19 innings over three starts this season for a Major League best 0.47 ERA.

Sunday Game Notes

Boston got its first standout starting performance of the season on Sunday when Garrett Whitlock pitched a career-best 7.0 innings, allowing just three hits and one run, with two walks and five strikeouts. It was the first time a starter has pitched seven innings in the last 34 Boston games, dating back to September 16 for Michael Wacha versus the Royals.

Ryan Brasier, in for the closer, Kenley Jansen, who had been rock solid with saves in back-to-back games, preserved the one run lead, working his way through the top of the Angels order, including a strikeout to Mike Trout and a flyout for Shohei Ohtani than wrapped things up. It was a ninth career save for Brasier, just his second at Fenway Park.

Sox rookie catcher Connor Wong caught his fourth runner attempting a stolen base so far this season. Wong now leads the American League for caught stealing, tied for second-most in the Major Leagues.

Sunday’s game was the first time the Red Sox have limited the Angels to just one run at Fenway Park since June 26, 2018 (a 9-1 win). It was the first time Boston has done that in a one-run victory here against Los Angeles since July 20, 1993.

The Red Sox are now back to .500 at 8-8, and a game over even at home (5-4).


Rays Sweep Sox over 4 games

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The Red Sox were swept away by the Rays on Thursday, with Tampa Bay completing its second four-game sweep of the Sox in less than a calendar year (also July 11-14, 2022). Over the four-game stretch, the Rays proved themselves the better team in just about every facet of the game.

For the third time this season, Boston bats were limited to just four hits in the game. In four innings Boston’s lineup went down in order. In all, 12 Sox batters struck out on Thursday marking the 10th game with at least a dozen Boston strikeouts at the hands of Rays pitching since 2010, more than any other Major League team in that time.

The Red Sox got an early lead on Thursday with a first-inning home run for Rob Refsnyder. For a few minutes, at least, it looked like a chance to break the Ray’s 12-game unbeaten streak. But Tampa immediately tied the game in the bottom of the first inning on the fourth pitch thrown by Boston starter Corey Kluber. Then, a fifth inning rally ended Kluber’s day prematurely. By the top of the sixth, the Rays were in command 8-3.

The sixth inning is a key marker for the Red Sox so far in 2023. The Rays are unquestionably hot, but the fact remains that Boston has only one victory this year when trailing in the game after six innings.

The Red Sox have now lost 13 straight games at Tropicana Field, the longest stretch of losses at a single venue for the club since dropping 17 in a row to Twins at Metropolitan Stadium 57 years ago.

Additional Game Notes

The Rays continue to break new records. Their now 13-game win streak to start the season ties the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers and 1982 Atlanta Braves for the most such wins in Major League history. Tampa is getting it done with great pitching (their 2.23 team ERA is the best in baseball) and great offense (their +71 run differential is third-best through 13 games in Major League history).

With two more home runs today, the Rays have 32 on the season, just one shy of the Major League record set by the 2000 St. Louis Cardinals and 2019 Seattle Mariners for most HRs over any 13-game span to start a season.

The Red Sox team ERA, meanwhile, is up to 5.42, which is the fifth-worst mark in baseball. Boston’s starters have recorded a 6.71 ERA, third-worst among the 30 Major League teams.

Yu Chang remains hitless in eight games for Boston (0-12), but he managed to reach base for the first time since last October 5 with a walk on Thursday.

Bobby Dalbec struck out three times in Thursday’s game. Was his 23rd three-strikeout game since his debut in 2020, the most on the team and tied for 11th-most in American League, in that time.

Triston Casas‘ 14-pitch at-bat on Thursday was just the fourth for Boston to end with a walk since 2000. He celebrated the walk by screaming.


Rays juggernaut rolls over Sox

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The Red Sox took care of business with a three-game road sweep of the Tigers, but have been stymied in back-to-back games against the red-hot Rays this week. Tampa Bay, making the most of their light schedule to start 2023, improved to 11-0 with their win on Tuesday.

Photo by Louis Hansel on Unsplash

Their easy schedule doesn’t take away the Rays’ achievements in the early going. They’ve not only hit the ball with prodigious, record-setting strength, they’re also working at a high level from the mound, too. Rays pitchers have limited the Sox to just three runs over the first two games of this series.

The Rays are now one of just four teams ever to win at least the first 11 games of the season. The list includes the 1981 Athletics (11-0), 1982 Braves (13-0) and 1987 Brewers (13-0). With four more home runs on Tuesday, Tampa Bay now has 29 long balls on the season, tied with the 2000 Cardinals for the most home runs through 11 games in Major League history.

Particularly significant, Tampa’s run differential, the number of runs they have scored minus the runs they’ve allowed, is +63. That’s the third-highest best differential through the first 11 games of a season since 1884 New York Gothams (+73) and 1884 St. Louis Maroons (+106).

Duvall’s injury changes Sox lineup

But it was the combination of Rays stellar pitching and losing slugger Adam Duvall to a wrist fracture on Sunday that has been particularly troubling for Boston.

Red Sox batters were set down in order in six of nine innings of Monday’s game and three more times in Tuesday’s game. Four Boston lineup regulars are batting under .200 (Kiké Hernández, .083; Christian Arroyo, .176; Triston Casas, .161; and Connor Wong, .120) with Justin Turner at just .205.

It wouild be easy to dismiss the two dismal games at the Trop as just how things are for the Sox and Rays. It doesn’t excuse it, but it’s not exactly a new thing. Boston has lost 11 straight games at the Tampa circus tent, their longest road losing streak against any opponent. And the Rays look invincible right now, though their early contests have featured the Tigers, Nationals, Athletics and now Red Sox.

Still, it’s tough to altogether dismiss Boston’s lackluster offense as merely nothing to see. While the Sox handled Detroit, they were also swept over three games at home against the Pirates.

And now, here in St. Petersburg, the Red Sox look over their heads against a division rival that’s banking wins for the road ahead.


Sox beat Tigers in 1st road game

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The Red Sox shook off a nasty Pirates sweep with a come-from-behind win on Thursday, spoiling the Tigers home opener in Detroit, 6-3.

Chris Sale, in his second start of the year, looked as though he might not escape the first inning today, walking the first two Tigers of the game. “I don’t know if I’ve ever thrown eight straight balls in my life,” Sale said after the game (he hadn’t). “That was definitely interesting.”

But in the end, Sale walked away with a win, his first against Detroit in nearly five years, and his first overall winning decision since September 22, 2021.

Sale did, in fact, regain his composure, ultimately lasting 5.0 innings and allowing three runs on three hits. He walked three, but also struck out seven Tigers. It was Sale’s first game with seven punch outs since October 3, 2021.

After Sale, the bullpen was terrific once again, with 4.0 scoreless, innings contributed by John Schreiber, Chris Martin, Ryan Brasier, and Kenley Jansen.

For Jansen, who came to Boston this season with the eighth-most saves in MLB history (391), it was his first in a Red Sox uniform. “Man, it feels awesome, the first of many,” Jansen said after the win, telling reporters he’s keeping the ball he used in today’s outing as a momento. “It had a different feel, that first save as a Red Sox.”

Offense returns

Sale said that even after he had allowed two Tigers runs in the second inning, Sox batters told him they’d break through. “The whole time they kept telling me, ‘Hey, we’re going to pick you up.'” Those positive sentiments helped Sale stay focused. “The confidence they have in themselves gives me confidence to go out there and just keep battling.”

Boston had seven hits in the game, four going for extra-bases with a double and a home run for Rafael Devers and then a three-run blast for Adam Duvall that put Boston ahead 6-3 in the sixth. Duvall’s home run was crushed at 414 feet and estimated to be a round-tripper in 28 of the 30 Major League ballparks.

Over the first seven game of the new season Devers has batted .323 with three doubles and two home runs. Duvall, who collected three more RBI today, is tied for the fifth-most in franchise history for the first seven games of a season.

Duvall’s 12 RBI over his six games in 2023 is the most ever by any Boston player in his first six games with the team, blowing past the previous record of 10 RBI by Eduardo Núñez (2017), Jake Jones (1947), and Carl Reynolds (1934).

Additional game notes

Kiké Hernández was charged with his third error of the season after a low throw to first that allowed Spencer Torkelson to reach. It’s the most errors in the Majors at this point.

Justin Turner was 0-for-3 on Thursday but still reached base after being hit by a pitch in the fourth. Turner has reached safely in all seven games thus far. Turner’s 14 times on base is the most in a player’s first seven games with the Red Sox since Kyle Schwarber in August 2021 (also 14).

Devers’ two hits gives him four multi-hit games so far, tied for the Major League lead.

Duvall’s two-out home run extended his Major League lead for two-out RBI this season to nine. No other Boston batter has more than three.

Tigers pitchers managed just three strikeouts in Thursday’s game (two to Reese McGuire and one to Duvall). Last season Boston had just two games with three or fewer strikeouts. Detroit pitching has not been limited to three strikeouts against Boston since June 6, 2018, a 7-1 Sox win.


Pirates sweep away Red Sox

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A promising Red Sox homestand ended with a thud on Wednesday as the Pirates completed a three-game sweep at Fenway Park.

Where just a few days ago fans’ concerns seemed primarily on Boston’s starting pitching, Wednesday’s game featured a great start from Corey Kluber, but a power outage coupled with sloppy fielding.

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Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

It was the first time the Sox were swept in a three-game Interleague series at home since August 31-September 2, 2020 against the Braves. The Red Sox have now lost five straight home games to National League clubs (two versus Atlanta in August 2022 and these last three games against Pittsburgh).

In a tale of two very different offenses, Boston bats went eerily quiet against the Bucs. The Sox batted .331 with 32 runs scored from Opening Day through the first inning of Monday’s game, but cooled to .172 batting average with just three runs scored from the second inning Monday onward.

Wednesday’s series finale was especially dispiriting with the Sox limited to just one hit, a single by Christian Arroyo, until there were two outs in the bottom of the seventh. That frame also featured a game-tying, pinch-hit home run for Reese McGuire that was overturned a minute later when the umpires realized the ball had gone foul down by the Pesky Pole.

Kluber Settles In

Red Sox newcomer Corey Kluber showed his veteran bonafides on Wednesday.

Rocked on Opening Day for five earned runs over just 3.1 IP, Kluber bounced back with a solid performance, limiting the Pirates to three hits and one run over five innings. Despite being in cruise control, Manager Alex Cora lifted Kluber after just 67 pitches, opening the door to three more Pirates runs allowed by John Schreiber (1 ER) and Kaleb Ort (2 ER).

After the game, Cora said he was following his game plan, happy with the five innings he got from Kluber. “We’re good right there. We feel like that was good enough, where we were, with the bullpen. Bring in Schreiber and just keep going…they kept adding on but I think [Kluber’s work] was good enough for us.”

Since the start of the 2016 season, Kluber’s résumé includes 19 times in which he’s allowed five or more earned runs in a start, as he did on Opening Day. In the starts immediately following those, however, he’s limited damage effectively. In 13 of those 19 follow up games Kluber held opponents to two or fewer ER and pitched at least five innings, and in nine of those he held opponents to no more than one run, as he did on Wednesday for the Sox.

They’re running on the Sox

With Zack Kelly on in relief the Pirates swiped two more bases on Wednesday. That makes a remarkable 14 stolen bases allowed by Sox pitching over the first six games of the season, the most allowed by the team over the first six games of any season in club history and tied for seventh-most of any team’s first six games in Major League history.

The Red Sox now head to Detroit for their first road trip of the season. They’ll face the Tigers, who just took two of three games from the Astros. After three games in the Motor City, the Red Sox go on to Tampa for four at the hands of the undefeated Rays.