Category: Baseball

Christian Vázquez comes through in 10th inning to lift Red Sox to 6-5 win over Angels

It took 10 innings and nearly four hours to accomplish, but the Red Sox won their sixth straight game on Tuesday with a hard-fought, come-from-behind win over the Angels at Angel Stadium.

Boston defeated Los Angeles by a final score of 6-5 in 10 innings to improve to 29-27 on the season and a perfect 5-0 on its current west coast road trip.

Garrett Whitlock, making his ninth start of the season for the Sox, allowed four earned runs on six hits, zero walks, and five strikeouts over just four innings of work. The right-hander served up a two-run home run to Mike Trout in the bottom of the first before giving up another run on a fielder’s choice in the second and a Max Stassi RBI double in the third.

Whitlock ended his night by striking out the side in the bottom half of the fourth. The 25-year-old finished with a final pitch count of 71 (47 strikes). He did not factor into Tuesday’s decision, though he did raise his ERA on the season to 3.51.

While Whitlock may have struggled, the Red Sox lineup certainly backed him up out of the gate. With left-hander Jose Suarez on the mound for the Angels, Trevor Story jump-started a three-run second inning with a leadoff double. Alex Verdugo and Christian Vazquez then both reached to fill the bases for Christian Arroyo, who drove in Story on a force out. Back-to-back RBI singles from Bobby Dalbec and Enrique Hernandez allowed Verdugo and Arroyo to score and give the Sox their first lead of the night at 3-2.

Picking things up in the middle of the fifth inning, Jake Diekman received the first call out of the Boston bullpen from manager Alex Cora. Taking over for Whitlock with his team trailing by a run, Diekman issued a leadoff walk to Luis Rengifo, who advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored from there on a run-scoring double off the bat of Jo Adell.

The veteran lefty managed to limit the damage to just one run, though, and the Sox immediately got that one run back when Dalbec plated Verdugo on an RBI single a half-inning later.

After Hirokazu Sawamura retired the side in order in the sixth, Boston struck once again in the seventh with Rafael Devers ripping a leadoff double and scoring on a 31-foot RBI single from Story that deflected off the leg of Angels reliever Ryan Tepera.

Sawamura also got the first out in the latter half of the seventh before making way for Austin Davis, who worked his way around a two-out walk to keep things tied at five runs apiece.

Tanner Houck was next up, and he ensured this one would head to extra innings by working a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth and stranding a runner at second base in a scoreless ninth.

With Story in scoring position representing the potential go-ahead run, Vazquez came through by lacing a 96 mph RBI single to right field off Jaime Barria. The speedy Story easily scored from second to give the Sox a 6-5 lead.

Matt Strahm was tasked with keeping the score that way in the bottom of the 10th. He fanned both Jared Walsh and Stassi before getting the pinch-hitting Kurt Suzuki to ground out to Hernandez to seal the win and earn the save.

Hernandez, who started in center field on Tuesday, had moved to shortstop in the ninth inning after Xander Bogaerts was removed from the game due to left shoulder tightness.

So, despite leaving 10 runners on base as a team, the Red Sox came away with another one-run win on Tuesday. That five different relievers combined to surrender just one run in six innings was undoubtedly key.

Next up: Eovaldi vs. Detmers

The Red Sox will look to extend their winning streak to seven consecutive games when they send right-hander Nathan Eovaldi to the mound on Wednesday night. The Angels will counter with left-hander Reid Detmers.

First pitch from Angel Stadium is scheduled for 9:38 p.m. eastern time on NESN and MLB Network.

(Picture of Christian Vazquez: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Red Sox pitching prospect Shane Drohan records season-high 14 strikeouts in latest start for High-A Greenville

Red Sox pitching prospect Shane Drohan struck out a career-high 14 batters in his 10th start (11th overall appearance) of the season for High-A Greenville on Tuesday night.

Matched up against the Asheville Tourists at Fluor Field, the left-hander allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits and just one walk to go along with those 14 punchouts over 5 2/3 innings of work.

Drohan took a no-hit bid into the fifth inning before serving up a two-out solo shot to Astros prospect Cristian Gonzalez. In the sixth, he allowed one runner to reach base on a fielding error and another to reach base on a one-out single. He then served up a three-run home run to Colin Barber that made it a 4-0 game in favor of Asheville. His night came to an end after he fanned his 14th and final batter and was replaced by Casey Cobb out of the Greenville bullpen.

Finishing with a final pitch count of 86 (60 strikes), Drohan wound up inducing 32 swings-and-misses on Tuesday, according to Red Sox Stats on Twitter. Since the Drive ultimately fell to the Tourists by a final score of 6-3, Drohan was the tough-luck loser and is now 3-4 on the year.

In his 11 outings with the Drive this season, Drohan has posted a 4.53 ERA and 1.23 WHIP with 71 strikeouts to 19 walks over 53 2/3 total innings pitched. The 23-year-old is also holding opposing hitters to a .228/.303/.383 slash line against.

Among qualified South Atlantic League pitchers, Drohan ranks sixth in strikeouts per nine innings (11.91), 11th in walks per nine innings (3.19), sixth in strikeout rate (31.3%), second in swinging strike rate (17.9%), ninth in walk rate (8.3%), 10th in batting average against, ninth in WHIP, ninth in FIP (4.02), and ninth in xFIP (3.90), per FanGraphs.

The Red Sox originally selected Drohan in the fifth round of the pandemic-shortened 2020 amateur draft out of Florida State University. The Fort Lauderdale native signed with the club for $600,000 and is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the 47th-ranked prospect in Boston’s farm system.

Per his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the 6-foot-3, 195 pound southpaw throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of an 88-92 mph fastball, a 75-78 mph curveball, and a 78-81 mph changeup.

Drohan, who does not turn 24 until January, seems like a prime candidate to get to Double-A Portland by season’s end. There are several things that go into a decision like that, but it would not be surprising to see the lefty pitching for the Sea Dogs before long.

(Picture of Shane Drohan: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Latest mock draft has Red Sox selecting Vanderbilt commit Ryan Clifford with second-round pick

When the Red Sox failed to sign University of Florida outfielder Jud Fabian in the wake of last summer’s amateur draft, they were rewarded with the 41st overall pick in this year’s draft.

The 41st pick will be made shortly after the Dodgers kick off the second round and Day 2 of the 2022 MLB Draft in Los Angeles on July 18. The selection has a recommended slot value of $1,905,500, which accounts for approximately 23.6% of Boston’s $8,078,300 bonus pool.

With that, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and Co. could go a number of different directions when it comes to the Sox’ second-round pick. They could target a college outfielder as they did last year or perhaps even a high schooler.

In his latest mock draft for Prospects Live, Joe Doyle has the Red Sox taking Pro5 Baseball Academy outfielder Ryan Clifford with their second-round selection at No. 41 overall.

Clifford, who turns 19 next month, is currently regarded by MLB Pipeline as the No. 68 prospect in this year’s draft class. Baseball America lists the North Carolina native as its 77th-ranked draft-eligible prospect.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 206 pounds, Clifford is committed to play college baseball at Vanderbilt University. The left-handed hitting, left-handed throwing outfielder has long been in the spotlight while playing for USA Baseball at several different levels.

Per his MLB Pipeline scouting report, Clifford “is equipped to hit for average and power” on account of his “picturesque” left-handed swing. “He has an advanced approach at the plate, focusing on driving balls from gap to gap while rarely chasing pitches out of the strike zone. With his bat speed and the strength in his 6-foot-3 frame, he could provide 25-30 homers per year once he starts driving the ball in the air more regularly. ”

Baseball America, on the other hand, notes that Clifford “developed a strong reputation as a hitter by playing up throughout his travel ball career and developing a solid track record with power potential in a strong, 6-foot-3, 206-pound frame. He’ll need to hit, as he has an offensive-forward corner profile and limited supplemental tools.”

On the other side of the ball, Clifford can best be described as a below-average runner with fringy speed who is “committed to working on his quickness and defense.” In addition to the outfield, the 18-year-old has experience at first base and could either settle there or in a corner outfield position in the long-run.

Because of these traits, Clifford has drawn comparisons to Diamondbacks first baseman Seth Beer, who was originally selected by the Astros in the first round of the 2018 amateur draft. The Red Sox had a chance to draft Beer, but instead took another first baseman in Triston Casas two picks prior.

(Picture of Ryan Clifford via his Instagram)

Red Sox activate top prospect Nick Yorke from High-A Greenville’s injured list

The Red Sox have activated top prospect Nick Yorke from High-A Greenville’s 7-day injured list. In a corresponding move, fellow infielder Ricardo Cubillan was transferred to Greenville’s development list, per the team’s minor-league transactions log.

Yorke had been sidelined because of turf toe and last appeared in a game for the Drive on May 26. He was officially placed on the injured list last Thursday, though the move must have been made retroactively since he was reinstated just five days later.

In 34 games with Greenville this season, the right-handed hitting second baseman is batting .245/.319/.361 (88 wRC+) with five doubles, four home runs, 18 RBIs, 25 runs scored, five stolen bases, 16 walks, and 32 strikeouts over 163 plate appearances.

Boston originally selected Yorke with the 17th overall pick in the 2020 amateur draft out of Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif. In his first full professional season, he took home Red Sox Minor League Offensive Player of the Year honors last September.

Now, the talented 20-year-old is regarded by Baseball America as the No. 3 prospect in the Sox’ farm system and the No. 32 prospect in all of baseball.

(Picture of Nick Yorke: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox demote struggling prospect Brandon Howlett to High-A Greenville

In order to make room for the recently-promoted Ceddanne Rafaela on Double-A Portland’s roster, the Red Sox have demoted infield prospect Brandon Howlett to High-A Greenville, per the team’s minor-league transactions log.

Howlett, 22, has struggled with the Sea Dogs this season. Coming into play on Tuesday, the right-handed hitter was batting just .167/.278/.205 (44 wRC+) with one double, one triple, no home runs, four RBIs, five runs scored, 11 walks, and 42 strikeouts over 27 games (90 plate appearances) for Portland.

Defensively, the 6-foot-1, 205 pounder has unsurprisingly seen the majority of his playing time this year come at third base, though he has also made 10 appearances and logged 70 2/3 innings in right field for the first time in his professional career.

Originally selected by the Red Sox in the 21st round of the 2018 amateur draft out of George Jenkins High School in Lakeland, Fla., Howlett forwent his commitment to Florida State University to sign with Boston for $185,000.

Once regarded by Baseball America as the No. 14 (2019) and No. 20 (2020) prospect in the Sox’ farm system, Howlett will now return to Greenville, where he enjoyed a moderate amount of success last season — particularly in the second half.

In September, for instance, Howlett slashed a stout .289/.373/.533 (140 wRC+) with two home runs and six RBIs over his final 12 games of the year with the Drive.

There is no doubt that Howlett, who turns 23 this September, will look to regain that kind of form and work his way back up to Portland at some point this summer.

(Picture of Brandon Howlett: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox send Hansel Robles out on rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have sent veteran reliever Hansel Robles out on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester, per his transactions log on MLB.com.

Robles was initially placed on the 15-day injured list because of back spasms on May 28. Since his stint on the IL was backdated to May 25, though, the right-hander is eligible to be activated as soon as this Thursday.

The plan was to have Robles make an appearance for the WooSox in their game against the Buffalo Bisons at Sahlen Field on Tuesday, but that contest has since been postponed due to rain and will be made up as part of a single-admission doubleheader on Wednesday.

Robles is now expected to pitch for Worcester at some point during Wednesday’s twin bill. He would then travel to Anaheim with the hopes of being activated in time for Thursday’s series finale against the Angels.

Prior to being placed on the injured list, the 31-year-old had made 16 relief outings for Boston this season, posting a 2.65 ERA and 5.20 FIP with 11 strikeouts to six walks over 17 innings of work.

(Picture of Hansel Robles: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Michael Wacha tosses complete game shutout to lead Red Sox to 1-0 win over Angels

One run of support is all Michael Wacha needed to put together one of the best performances of his career on Monday night.

Wacha, making his ninth start of the season, threw a complete game shutout to lead the Red Sox to a 1-0 victory over the slumping Angels at Angel Stadium. The veteran right-hander dazzled by allowing just three hits and one walk to go along with six strikeouts over nine dominant frames.

Boston’s lone run came in the top of the second inning, when Christian Vazquez drove in Alex Verdugo all the way from first base on an RBI single off Los Angeles starter Noah Syndegaard. Besides that, the Sox lineup went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left seven runners on base as a team.

That did not matter for Wacha, though, as he worked his way around two singles in the first inning with the help of a double play and at one point retired 15 straight batters before giving up a two-out double to Matt Duffy in the sixth.

Duffy, representing the potential tying run, was stranded at second base when Wacha reached back and struck out the dangerous Shohei Ohtani on a foul tip. His last two pitches to Ohtani — both fastballs — registered at 96.4 and 96.6 mph, respectively. They are his two fastest pitches of the season to date.

From there, Wacha maneuvered his way around a leadoff walk in the seventh by inducing another twin killing before fanning two in a clean eighth and retiring the side in order in the ninth. He fittingly put an exclamation point on his outing by getting Ohtani to ground out to second for the third and final out.

Finishing with a final pitch count of 105 (71 strikes), Wacha improved to 4-1 on the season while lowering his ERA down to 1.99. The 30-year-old hurler became the third Red Sox pitcher to toss a complete game this season, joining Nathan Eovaldi and Nick Pivetta. Boston currently leads all of baseball in complete games thrown.

With the win, the Red Sox extend their winning streak to five straight games to improve to 28-27 on the season. This is the first time since April 19 that they are over .500. The Angels, meanwhile, dropped their 12th straight game and are now 27-29, or 1/2 games back of the Sox in the American League Wild Card standings.

Next up: Whitlock on deck

The Red Sox will send right-hander Garrett Whitlock to the mound as they look to continue their winning ways on Tuesday night. The Angels, on the other hand, have yet to name a starter.

First pitch from Angel Stadium is scheduled for 9:38 p.m. eastern time on NESN and MLB Network.

(Picture of Michael Wacha: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Latest mock draft links Red Sox to James Madison University outfielder Chase DeLauter

In his latest 2022 mock draft for Prospects Live, Joe Doyle has the Red Sox selecting University of Tennessee outfielder Jordan Beck with their top pick at No. 24 overall.

That is nothing new, as Beck has been connected to the Sox in past mock drafts. What does stick out here, though, is that Doyle links Boston to California’s Dylan Beavers and James Madison University outfielder Chase DeLauter.

“Dylan Beavers and Chase DeLauter are worth monitoring here,” writes Doyle, “the latter being one of the best players left on the board and a guy the Red Sox got a ton of lengthy looks at while on the Cape in 2021.”

DeLauter, 20, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 18 prospect and by MLB Pipeline as the No. 19 prospect in this year’s draft class.

Playing for the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League last summer, DeLauter opened some eyes by slashing .298/.397/.589 to go along with a league-leading nine home runs and 21 RBIs in 34 games.

With the Dukes this season, the left-handed hitting junior batted .437/.576/.828 with eight doubles, one triple, eight homers, 35 RBIs, 31 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, 28 walks, and 21 strikeouts over 24 games spanning 118 plate appearances. His season ended in early April when he sustained a broken left foot after sliding into second base on a double.

Per his Baseball America scouting report, the West Virginia native “has plenty of strength … that gives him plus raw power and while his swing isn’t described as fluid, he gets himself into good hitting position consistently. He’s uniquely athletic for his size and has posted double-plus run times in the 60-yard dash.”

MLB Pipeline, on the other hand, notes that DeLauter “could be a middle-of-the-order type of hitter. He’s put up gaudy numbers at JMU, beating up the pitching in the mid-major Colonial Athletic Conference. He has at least plus raw power and even though there’s a little drift to his lower half that causes him to be more of a front-foot hitter at times, he’s so big and strong he can still out-leverage pitching.”

Defensively, DeLauter possesses the kind of speed that has allowed him to stay in center field to this point, though most evaluators view the 6-foot-4, 235 pounder as a future corner outfielder given his size and power profile. His arm strength is to be reckoned with as well on account of his past experience as a pitcher.

If DeLauter, who turns 21 in October, were to fall to the Red Sox at No. 24 on July 17, he would become the first college outfielder the club used a first-round pick on since Andrew Benintendi, whom they took out of the University of Arkansas in 2015.

The recommended slot value for the 24th overall pick in this year’s draft, which will take place in Los Angeles, comes in at roughly $2.975 million.

Besides Beavers, Beck, and DeLauter, other college outfielders who have been linked to the Red Sox include Tennessee’s Drew Gilbert and Stanford’s Brock Jones.

(Picture of Chase DeLauter: James Madison University Athletics)

Red Sox activate Jackie Bradley Jr. from paternity leave list, option Jarren Duran to Triple-A Worcester

Before opening a four-game series against the Angels in Anaheim on Monday night, the Red Sox activated outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. from the paternity leave list. In a corresponding move, fellow outfielder Jarren Duran was optioned to Triple-A Worcester following Sunday’s 5-2 win over the Athletics in Oakland, the team announced.

Bradley Jr. returns to the Sox after spending the last three days away from the team to be with his wife Erin for the birth of their third child, Elle, at home in Naples, Fla.

In 48 games with Boston this season, the left-handed hitting 32-year-old is batting .227/.284/.353 with 14 doubles, one triple, one home run, 20 RBIs, nine runs scored, one stolen base, 12 walks, and 34 strikeouts over 164 plate appearances.

Bradley Jr. will bat ninth and start in center field for the Sox in Monday’s series opener at Angel Stadium. It will mark just his fourth start in center this year as Enrique Hernandez has the day off and is therefore out of the lineup.

Duran, meanwhile, returns to Worcester after filling in for Bradley Jr. over the weekend. The speedy 25-year-old appeared in two games and went 3-for-9 at the plate with one run scored and four strikeouts.

This was Duran’s second big-league stint of the year. He previously started one game against the White Sox on May 6 while Hernandez spent a very brief amount of time on the COVID-19 related injured list.

With the WooSox this season, Duran is slashing .314/.393/.523 with 12 doubles, four triples, four home runs, 22 RBIs, 31 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 19 walks, and 42 strikeouts over 37 games spanning 173 trips to the plate. The left-handed hitter was also riding a 29-game on-base streak at the time he was called back up on Friday.

(Picture of Jackie Bradley Jr.: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox prospects Victor Santos, Juan Daniel Encarnación earn Eastern League, Carolina League Pitcher of the Week honors

Red Sox pitching prospects Victor Santos and Juan Daniel Encarnacion have respectively been named the Eastern League and Carolina League Pitchers of the Week for the week of May 30-June 5, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Santos made two appearances (one start) for Double-A Portland in its most recent series against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Delta Dental Stadium. In those two outings, the right-hander allowed one earned run on seven hits, three walks, and nine strikeouts over 12 total innings for the Sea Dogs.

On the 2022 campaign as a whole, Santos has posted a 3.94 ERA and 4.63 FIP with 42 strikeouts to 12 walks across 11 appearances (10 starts) spanning 61 2/3 innings with Portland. Among qualified Eastern League pitchers, the 21-year-old ranks sixth in walks per nine innings (1.75), seventh in walk rate (4.8%), 12th in batting average against (.232), seventh in WHIP (1.07), and first in innings pitched, per FanGraphs.

Originally acquired from the Phillies last July as the player to be named later in the trade that sent C.J. Chatham to Philadelphia, Santos is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the 51st-ranked prospect in Boston’s farm system.

Per his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the 6-foot-1, 191 pound hurler from the Dominican Republic throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 90-92 mph fastball that tops out at 94 mph fastball, a 77-79 mph split changeup, and a 77-81 mph slider.

Santos, who turns 22 in July, can once again become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter. Because of that, he could be a prime candidate to pitch in the Arizona Fall League later this year.

Encarnacion, meanwhile, also made two appearances (one start) for Low-A Salem in its latest series against the Columbia Fireflies at Carillion Clinic Field. Over seven cumulative innings of work, the righty allowed no runs on just four hits and zero walks to go along with seven strikeouts.

In 10 outings (nine starts) with the Salem Sox this season, Encarnacion has produced a 4.01 ERA and 3.36 FIP with 49 punchouts to 12 walks across 42 2/3 innings. Among qualified pitchers in the Carolina League, the 21-year-old ranks eighth in strikeouts per nine innings (10.34), seventh in walks per nine innings (2.53), 10th in strikeout rate (27.2%), eighth in walk rate (6.7%), eighth in FIP, and ninth in xFIP (3.84), per FanGraphs.

The Red Sox originally signed Encarnacion for $40,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in September 2018. The San Pedro de Macoris native is not yet regarded as one of the premier pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system, though he certainly possesses intriguing potential.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 173 pounds, Encarnacion throws from a three-quarters arm slot and works with a 90-93 mph fastball that reaches 94 mph, a 76-81 mph slider, and an 84-85 mph changeup, according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Unlike Santos, Encarnacion — who does not turn 22 until next March — is not eligible for the Rule 5 Draft until the conclusion of the 2023 season. So there is still a ways to go there.

(Picture of Victor Santos: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)