Boston’s bats had it rolling Tuesday night at Fenway Park, but the Red Sox’s defense had an equally impressive night. On a night in which the Sox used six pitchers, the gloves rose to the occasion to help preserve an 8-4 win over the Texas Rangers. No one more so than Mookie Betts, who robbed Nomar Mazara of a two-run home run in the fifth inning. After the game, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Xander Bogaerts shed light on the importance of playing good defense. To hear what they had to say, check out the video above from “NESN Sports Today,” presented by People’s United Bank. < !... NESN.com
Tag: Defense
Here’s What Alex Cora Is Happiest About Amid Red Sox’s Stellar Start
BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox have been firing on all cylinders to start the 2018 season. The starting pitching has been superb, the hitting has been timely and the team’s resiliency has resulted in a few hard-fought, exciting wins. But for new Red Sox manager Alex Cora, what he’s happiest about through Boston’s 8-1 start to the campaign is what he’s seen with the gloves. “Defense,” Cora said prior to Tuesday’s game against the New York Yankees. “I know there’s numbers and errors and stuff that you take into consideration and errors are not as important as it was when we used to play. But when you make the routine play, you... NESN.com
Bruins’ Defense Creating Offensive Opportunities Vs. Predators
The Boston Bruins need all hands on deck Monday against the Nashville Predators, and the B’s defense certainly did its part during the first period. Boston’s defense was aggressive early at Bridgestone Arena which led to multiple offensive chances for the Bruins. The B’s, however, were unable to capitalize on the offensive opportunities in the first frame as the Predators led 2-0 after one period. For a breakdown of Bruins’ first-period performance, check out the “Amica Coverage Cam” video above, presented by Amica Insurance. Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images < ... NESN.com
Patriots Notes: How Goal-Line Defense Helped Turn Tide In AFC Title Game
by Zack Cox on Mon, Jan 23, 2017 at 2:11AM 2,003 FOXBORO, Mass. — Tom Brady and Chris Hogan both had fantastically productive performances in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game. But two of the most important sequences in the New England Patriots’ rout of the Pittsburgh Steelers came on the defensive side of the ball. The Patriots’ defense mounted two successful goal-line stands, keeping the Steelers out of the end zone on seven plays from inside the 5-yard line. Pittsburgh managed just thre... NESN.com
Patriots’ Biggest Weakness So Far Is Their Third-Down Defense
The New England Patriots don’t have too many things to work on after improving to 5-1 with a 35-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, but one big issue stands out. The Pats’ defense has had a rough time on third down this season, allowing opponents to convert 44 percent of the time, which is good for sixth-worst in the NFL. Hear more from former Patriots tight end Jermaine Wiggins on the topic in the video from “NESN Sports Today,” presented by People’s United Bank, above. ... NESN.com
Patriots-Saints Notes: Defense’s Big-Play Ability On Full Display In Preseason O…
by Zack Cox on Fri, Aug 12, 2016 at 12:57AM 3,800 Share this: FOXBORO, Mass. — Those not yet sold on the formidablity of the New England Patriots’ defense need only to look at the film from Thursday night’s preseason opener. The Patriots’ D terrorized the visiting New Orleans Saints from the opening kickoff, forcing four turnovers and producing a pair of defensive touchdowns in a 34-22 win at Gillette Stadium. “Any time the defense can score, it’s a real game-changer,” defensive end Chris Long said after the game. “For the entire team, it’s a little bit of a lift. Ball disruption, creating turnovers — that’s always an emphasis for everybody, and any time you can do that, it’s a good thing.” Defensive end Jabaal Sheard set
Bruins’ Defense Stepping Up As NHL Playoff Race Draws To A Close
BOSTON — The Bruins don’t control their own destiny in the race for the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. That said, the B’s will give themselves a great chance to qualify if they bring the same defensive performance to Saturday’s regular-season finale that we saw in the last two games. The Bruins gave the Red Wings very little in Thursday night’s 5-2 win at TD Garden. Boston gave up just 15 shots on goal, tying a season low previously set March 29 at New Jersey. Perhaps most impressive was Detroit’s five shot attempts at even strength in the third period, which shows how well Boston clamped down defensively while protecting a