by Zack Cox on Mon, Jun 20, 2016 at 11:57PM 1,441 BOSTON — Victory appeared all but certain Monday night for the Red Sox, who loaded the bases in the ninth inning of a tie game against the Chicago White Sox. None of those three baserunners made it the final 90 feet to home plate, however, and Chicago responded with two runs in the ensuing half-inning to hand Boston a thoroughly frustrating 3-1 loss at Fenway Park. It was the first time the Red Sox had failed to capitalize in such a sit...
Tag: Notes
Red Sox Notes: Mookie Betts Breaks Out; Eduardo Rodriguez Makes Rehab Strides
BOSTON — With the way Jackie Bradley Jr. and Xander Bogaerts have been hitting, it’s easy to forget about Mookie Betts sometimes. But it was impossible to ignore the Red Sox right fielder Saturday at Fenway Park. That’s because Betts was a one-man wrecking crew against the Cleveland Indians, going 3-for-5 with two home runs, three runs scored and a career-high five RBIs to carry Boston’s offense in a 9-1 blowout win. All three of his hits went for extra bases: A rocket double off the Green Monster in the third inning, a solo homer in the fourth and a grand slam to top it all off in the seventh. “He’s got such lightning bat
Red Sox Notes: Carson Smith Excites In Debut; Tim Lincecum Catches Boston’s Eye
The Boston Red Sox had a rare off night at the plate Tuesday, and it cost them in a 4-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox. That’s the bad news. The good news is that Boston should be more concerned about its pitching than its hitting this season, and the Red Sox just welcomed a potential difference-maker into the fold. Relief pitcher Carson Smith, called up by the team Tuesday after beginning the season on the disabled list, made his Red Sox debut when he took the mound in the seventh inning. Smith didn’t disappoint, needing just nine pitches to retire the side in order. His unorthodox delivery induced ground outs from Jerry Sands and Dioner ...
Red Sox Notes: John Farrell Says Tim Wakefield ‘Paved The Way For Steven Wright’
BOSTON — Knuckleball pitchers don’t come around very often, but there’s a good reason the Red Sox have had two pretty notable ones on the mound. Wednesday’s 9-4 win over the Atlanta Braves marked knuckleballer Steven Wright’s fourth straight quality start this season after an outing that saw him allow two runs (one earned) on just three hits with eight strikeouts and three walks over seven innings. Wright has even allowed two runs or fewer in eight straight starts dating back to July, 25, 2015, which is the longest active streak among American League starters. But not every team wants to give knuckleballers a chance, and not every pi...
Red Sox Notes: Rick Porcello Helps Boston By Pitching Deep Into Win Vs. Braves
The Boston Red Sox needed a starting pitcher to turn in a quality, long start, and that’s exactly what they received from Rick Porcello on Monday night. The Red Sox right-hander tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings in Boston’s 1-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field, and it was just what the doctor ordered. “We needed a starter to go deep and he did that,” manager John Farrell said on NESN’s “Red Sox Extra Innings.” “He was in command the entire time out there. … Rick, as he’s been of late, he gets on a little bit of a roll — the rhythm, tempo of the game — he was moving along well. A
Red Sox Notes: Heath Hembree A Bright Spot In Messy Win Over Astros
Henry Owens made his 2016 major league debut and David Ortiz played his final game in Houston, but it was Heath Hembree who was the hero of the Boston Red Sox’s series against the Astros. Hembree, who only was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket on Tuesday, came on in the 10th inning after Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel blew his save opportunity in the ninth by allowing Astros left fielder Colby Rasmus to tie the game with a two-run homer. And Hembree held on through three scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out four, including the final two batters of the game. “He continues to come along so strong for us,” Red Sox manger John F...
Red Sox Notes: Rick Porcello Not Where He Wants To Be Yet After Rough Start
Rick Porcello’s once promising spring training outing Sunday changed with two outs in the second inning. Porcello, who had blanked the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday through the first 1 2/3 innings, allowed eight runs, all with two outs, over the next two frames in the Boston Red Sox’s 13-5 loss in Port Charlotte, Fla. “I don’t like the line, but it’s a work in progress, and clearly I’m not where I want to be yet,” Porcello said, via MLB.com. “It doesn’t look that good, but I feel like I’m improving.” He added: “The results weren’t very good. They hit mistakes. Really, the thing that felt most important to me was that I was ...