Category: Baseball

Red Sox select University of Florida outfielder Jud Fabian with No. 40 pick in 2021 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected University of Florida outfielder Jud Fabian with their second-round pick in the 2021 MLB first-year player draft at No. 40 overall.

Fabian, 20 was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 27 prospect heading into the draft, ranking sixth among college position players.

There was a point in time not too long ago — before the college baseball season started — where it looked as though Fabian, a native of Florida, could be a potential top-five pick this summer, but an up-and-down sophomore season with the Gators resulted in his stock dropping a bit.

Over 59 games (269 plate appearances) with Florida this spring, the right-handed hitting, left-handed throwing outfielder slashed .249/.364/.560 with 10 doubles, 20 home runs, 46 RBI, 51 runs scored, six stolen bases, 40 walks, and 79 strikeouts.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, Fabian enrolled at Florida a year early in 2019 after skipping his senior season at Trinity Catholic High School (Ocala, Fla.), making him one of the younger college prospects in the draft.

Per his Baseball America scouting report, Fabian — who does not turn 21 until late September — “teams [had] plenty of concerns about his pure feel for hitting and his high strikeout rates” this spring.

“He entered the year with question marks about his swing and miss against spin but has whiffed more than 30% against each pitch type,” Fabian’s scouting report reads. “Fabian has attempted to make some tweaks mechanically to cut down on his strikeouts, removing a leg kick in two-strike counts which did help him lower his strikeout rate, but it’s still higher than the 25% mark teams generally prefer with first-round bats. Fabian does have solid bat speed and plus raw power that has translated mostly to the pull side, but he’s hit a few impressive homers over the right-field fence as well.

“Fabian should have no issues handling center field and playing it at a high level defensively at the next level. He’s an above-average runner but what makes him a special defender are his defensive instincts, first step, reads off the bat, athleticism and arm strength. He’s at least a plus defender in the outfield and some scouts have gone as far as putting double-plus grades on his glove, making him one of the best defensive center fielders in the 2021 draft class.”

Because of his age and the fact that he has two years of eligibility left, Fabian has plenty of leverage when it comes to negotiating his signing price.

According to FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen and Kevin Goldstein, some within the industry feel as though the young slugger “might go back to school if he doesn’t go in the first round.”

Longenhagen and Goldstein also noted earlier this month that Fabian partook in a private workout conducted by the Red Sox that included the likes of Henry Davis and Brady House.

With all that being said, the recommended slot value for the 40th overall selection in this year’s draft is approximately $1,856,700, while the Red Sox — whose drafting efforts are led by chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and amateur scouting director Paul Toboni, among others — have approximately $11,359,600 in total bonus pool space to work with when it comes to signing their picks.

While it’s unclear at the moment if Fabian will sign with Boston or return to campus in Gainesville, one thing is for certain: the Red Sox will be on the clock again when it is time for pick No. 75 to be made.

(Picture of Jud Fabian: Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Red Sox prospects in the Futures Game: How did Brayan Bello, Jeter Downs fare in showcase?

While the Red Sox were in the process of falling to the Phillies by a final score of 5-4 at Fenway Park on Sunday afternoon, two of the brightest prospects in Boston’s farm system were showcasing their talent nearly 2,000 miles away at Coors Field in Denver.

Infielder Jeter Downs and right-hander Brayan Bello both represented the Red Sox while playing for the American League in Sunday’s All-Star Futures Game, and both prospects were able to get into the game.

Bello, who is regarded by Baseball America as the No. 9 pitching prospect in the Red Sox farm system, came on in relief of Rangers prospect Cole Ragans with one out in the bottom of third inning.

Inheriting a situation in which the American League was already trailing 3-0 and the National League had a runner on first base, Bello’s first pitch — a 97.7 mph fastball — was sent flying off the bat of Cardinals prospect Nolan Gorman, who reached second base on a hard-hit double before advancing to third on a wild pitch.

With that potential run just 90 feet away from scoring, Bello proceeded to give up a sacrifice fly to Padres catcher Luis Campusano that plated Gorman, but then rebounded by getting the Braves’ Michael Harris to line out to second to put an end to an inning as well as his outing.

Of the 11 pitches the 22-year-old hurler threw on Sunday, seven went for strikes, though he only induced one swing-and-miss, which came on an 0-0 changeup to Campusano.

Besides that, Bello averaged 97.9 mph with the four four-seam fastballs he threw while topping out at 98.1 mph with his well-regarded heater. He also threw five sliders and three changeups in total.

Bello, who originally signed with the Sox out of the Dominican Republic for $28,000 back in 2017, is enjoying a breakout season in 2021.

Opening the year with High-A Greenville, the 6-foot-1, 170 pound righty went 5-0 while posting a 2.27 ERA and 2.62 xFIP with 45 strikeouts to just seven walks over six starts spanning 31 2/3 innings of work before earning a promotion to Double-A Portland on June 8.

Since then, Bello has produced an ERA of 3.06 and xFIP of 3.81 to go along with 22 strikeouts and eight walks in five starts (17 2/3 innings pitched) with the Sea Dogs.

Downs, meanwhile, came off the bench in the fifth inning of Sunday’s seven-inning exhibition, as he took over at second base for Rays prospect Xavier Edwards.

Facing off against Nationals 2020 first-round pick Cade Cavalli in his first trip to the plate, Downs was bombarded by a barrage of high-octane fastballs that ranged between 98.4 mph and 100.4 mph.

The talented right-handed hitter was able foul off five of the first seven pitches he saw from Cavalli, but ultimately went down swinging on a 2-2, 91 mph changeup in the dirt that caught him off-balance.

In the seventh inning, however, Downs bounced back against Brewers left-hander Ethan Small.

With one out and runners on first and second, Downs took an 0-1, 92 mph fastball up and on the inner half of the plate and ripped a two-run double to deep left field that left his bat at a scorching 107.7 mph, making it the fourth hardest-hit ball of the day between both sides.

Downs was responsible for two of the three runs the American League scored, as the National League went on to take the showcase by a final score of 8-3.

The soon-to-be 23-year-old — one of three players acquired from the Dodgers in the Mookie Betts/David Price trade — is regarded by Baseball America as the No. 2 prospect in Boston’s farm system and trails only fellow infielder Triston Casas for the top spot.

2021 has marked Downs’ first exposure to the Triple-A level, and the first half of the minor-league season has proven to be an adjustment period for the native of Colombia.

Through 44 games (188 plate appearances) with Triple-A Worcester this year, Downs is boasting a .234/.309/.377 slash line (83 wRC+) to go along with three doubles, seven home runs, 17 RBI, 22 runs scored, 17 walks, and 55 strikeouts.

That said, Downs will look to get back on track after a decent showing in Denver, as the WooSox open up a seven-game series against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders at Polar Park on Tuesday night.

(Picture of Brayan Bello: Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Red Sox land highly-regarded shortstop Marcelo Mayer with No. 4 pick in 2021 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Eastlake High School (Calif.) shortstop Marcelo Mayer with their top pick in the 2021 MLB first-year player draft at No. 4 overall.

Mayer, 18, was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 2 prospect headed into the draft, trailing only fellow prep infielder Jordan Lawlar for the top spot.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Mayer is committed to play college baseball at the University of Southern California.

The California native hits from the left side of the plate, throws with his right hand, and was viewed as a potential fit for the Pirates, who wound up selecting Louisville catcher Henry Davis with the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft earlier Sunday night.

Mayer, who does not turn 19 until December, played his high school baseball in Chula Vista, Calif.

In his senior season for the Eastlake Titans, the young infielder slashed an impressive .392/.555/.886 to go along with six doubles, 14 home runs, 45 RBI, 46 runs scored, and 18 stolen bases over 34 games played this spring, per MaxPreps.

According to his Baseball America scouting report, Mayer “is arguably the top defensive shortstop” in this year’s draft class which is loaded at that position.

“He glides around the infield with silky smooth actions and has the hands, footwork and arm strength to stick at shortstop long-term,” his scouting report reads. “He slows the game down and has no problem throwing from multiple angles with an accurate arm. Though he is a below-average runner, he moves fluidly around the dirt and should be at least an above-average defender. 

“He’s a plus hitter with excellent barrel control and extension in his swing and drives balls hard in the air from gap-to-gap. He can turn on good fastballs and drive them off the right-field fence or let pitches on the outer half travel deep and line them hard up the middle or the opposite way. He has fringe-average power now, but could tap into above-average power in the future as he fills out his projectable frame. He controls the strike zone and has a calm, steady presence in the batter’s box.”

By selecting Mayer with the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft, the Red Sox have made their earliest selection since 1967, when they took right-hander Mike Garman at No. 3.

This is also the second straight year in which the Red Sox, whose drafting efforts are led by chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and amateur scouting director Paul Toboni, among others, have selected a prep infielder out of California with the club’s top pick, as Nick Yorke was taken off the board at No. 17 last year.

The recommended slot value for the fourth overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft is approximately $6.664 million, while Boston will have approximately $11,359,600 in total bonus pool space to work with when it comes to signing as many picks from Rounds 1 through 20 as they so choose.

While the Red Sox may be done drafting for now (Sunday), they will be on the clock once again on Monday for picks 40, 75, 105, 136, 166, 196, 226, 256, and 286, and then again on Tuesday for picks 316, 346, 376, 406, 436, 466, 496, 526, 556, and 586.

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Nick Pivetta falters as Red Sox fall short against Phillies in 5-4 loss to close out first half of season

The Red Sox capped off the first half of their season in disappointing fashion on Sunday afternoon, as their comeback attempt against the Phillies fell short in the form of a 5-4 defeat at Fenway Park.

Xander Bogaerts provided the Sox with an early 1-0 lead by crushing a solo home run — his second in as many days — off Phillies opener Brandon Kintzler in the bottom of the second inning, but that would prove to be the only lead Boston would enjoy on Sunday.

That being the case because Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta got rocked for five runs — four of which were earned — on four hits and two walks to go along with four strikeouts on the afternoon.

Facing off against his former team for the first time since being traded last August, Pivetta likely had revenge on his mind, and it looked like things were going to go his way when he retired the first six batters he faced in order.

The third inning, however, was a different story for the right-hander, as he issued a one-out single to Ronald Torreyes to break up the perfect game before walking Travis Jankowski on 10 pitches and subsequently recording the second out.

Just two strikes away from escaping the jam, Pivetta gave up a hard-hit single to J.T. Realmuto that undoubtedly would have plated one run, but wound plating two on a throwing error made by right fielder Hunter Renfroe.

That sequence saw the Sox’ one-run lead turn into a one-run deficit at 2-1, and the Phillies tacked on even more off Pivetta in their half of the fourth when Torreyes deposited a two-out, three-run homer over the Green Monster, making it a 5-1 contest in favor of the visitors.

Pivetta’s day came to a close after he recorded the final out of the inning, as the 28-year-old finished his outing having thrown just 76 pitches, 48 of which went for strikes. In addition to taking the loss to fall to 7-4 on the year, Pivetta also raised his ERA on the season up to 4.30.

While Pivetta certainly put his side in a less-than-ideal spot, the Red Sox bullpen picked things up the rest of the way, as the likes of Yacksel Rios, Darwinzon Hernandez, Hirokazu Sawamura, Adam Ottavino, and All-Star Matt Barnes combined to toss five innings of scoreless baseball.

That said, the Boston lineup was unable to get anything substantial going offensively, though they certainly had their chances to do so.

After falling behind 5-1 in the fourth, the Sox countered in their half of the fifth by plating a run of their own an RBI groundout off the bat of Alex Verdugo, cutting the deficit down to three runs.

An inning later, Boston threatened once more, this time driving in a pair on back-to-back run-scoring knocks from Bobby Dalbec and Christian Arroyo off Phillies reliever Jose Alvarado to trim Philadelphia’s advantage to just one run at 5-4.

Fast forward to the eighth, and it looked as though the Red Sox were in a prime spot to turn this game on its head, as the bases were loaded with two outs for Verdugo, who was matched up against left-handed reliever Ranger Suarez.

Suarez wound up winning that particular left-on-left battle, though, as he got Verdugo to weakly ground out to second to extinguish the threat.

In the ninth, Suarez was at it again even while going up against the three most dangerous hitters in Boston’s lineup. The lefty punched out J.D. Martinez and Bogaerts, then got Devers to ground out to first to preserve the 5-4 victory for his side, as well as a 5-4 loss for the Red Sox.

All in all, the Sox went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position on Sunday and left 10 men on base as a team.

With the loss, the Red Sox fall to 55-36 on the season and end the unofficial first half of the campaign having dropped four of their last five. They do remain 1 1/2 games up on the Rays for first place in the American League East

Gonzalez removed with right hamstring strain

Marwin Gonzalez was originally in Red Sox manager Alex Cora’s lineup at first base and batting out of the eight-hole, but was forced to exit in between the second and third innings after re-aggravating his right hamstring while running out a ground ball.

Bobby Dalbec replaced Gonzalez at first base.

A trip to the injured list for the veteran utility man seems likely, per Cora.

Next up: All-Star break

The Red Sox will be off for the next three days on account of the All-Star break.

Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, J.D. Martinez, Nathan Eovaldi, and Matt Barnes will enjoy the festivities in Denver this week, while the rest of the team will prepare for a four-game series against the Yankees that begins in the Bronx on Thursday night.

Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez is slated to get the ball for Boston in the series opener, while New York has yet to name a starter.

First pitch Thursday is scheduled for 7:08 p.m. eastern time on ESPN.

(Picture of Christian Vazquez and Nick Pivetta: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Chris Sale to make first rehab start on Thursday; left-hander will pitch 2 innings in Florida Complex League game

Red Sox ace Chris Sale is slated to make his first rehab start in Southwest Florida on Thursday, Alex Cora said following Sunday’s 5-4 loss to the Phillies.

Sale, who tossed two innings in a simulated game at the Sox’ spring training facility in Fort Myers on Saturday, woke up Sunday morning without issue, leading to this next step being taken.

“He texted me. Everything is good,” Cora told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Matt Vautour) Sunday afternoon. “He felt great today.”

Thursday will mark the first time Sale has pitched in a competitive environment since August 13, 2019, as he has been on the road back from Tommy John surgery after undergoing the procedure last March — more than 16 months ago.

The Florida Complex League Red Sox will be taking on the Florida Complex League Orioles in Sarasota on Thursday, with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m. eastern time.

“The plan is for him to go two innings in Fort Myers,” Cora said of the left-hander. “He’s pitching in the game down there.”

If all is well with Sale come Friday morning, one would have to assume the 32-year-old would be lined up to make his next rehab start with Double-A Portland on July 20.

That being the case because the Red Sox would prefer to keep Sale within close proximity to Boston so that he has easy access to the team’s medical staff if needed.

The Sea Dogs begin a 12-game homestand at Hadlock Field in Portland on July 20 that runs through August 1, while the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox will be away from Polar Park from July 20 through July 25, but kick off a six-game homestand on July 27.

While Sale will begin his rehab assignment with a two-inning outing on Thursday, the plan will ultimately be to get him stretched out to five or six innings before he is ready to return to the big-league club, as Cora said on Saturday.

“He’ll probably go two in the first one,” said Cora. “It’s a lot different than just pitching down there. It’s not the big leagues, but it’s a real game. He’s going to be anxious. He’s going to be excited. The whole day is going to be different. Probably two innings. From there, we’ll see where it takes us.”

(Picture of Chris Sale: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Could Red Sox make surprise pick at No. 4 by selecting UCLA’s Matt McLain in 2021 MLB Draft?

While it certainly looks like the Red Sox are locked in on one of Vanderbilt right-hander Jack Leiter or Louisville catcher Henry Davis when it comes to who they will take with the No. 4 pick in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft Sunday night, some recent speculation suggests that the club could go in another direction.

According to Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo, the Sox may have their eye on University of California, Los Angeles shortstop Matt McLain depending on who is still on the board by the time they are put on the clock.

“It sounds like UCLA shortstop Matt McLain could wind up being a bit of a wild card here and Boston might be a fit depending on who’s available for them,” Collazo wrote earlier Sunday.

McLain, who turns 22 next month, is regarded by Baseball America as the No. 10 prospect coming into this week’s draft, ranking seventh among all position players and third among college bats.

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, the California native was originally selected by the Diamondbacks in the first round of the 2018 amateur draft (one pick before Red Sox prospect Triston Casas), but opted to honor his commitment to UCLA rather than go pro out of high school.

In his junior season with the Bruins, McLain slashed an impressive .333/.434/.579 to go along with nine home runs, 14 doubles, two triples, 36 runs driven in, 47 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 34 walks, and 34 strikeouts over 47 games (226 plate appearances).

A broken thumb forced the right-handed hitting, right-handed throwing infielder to miss nearly three weeks of time in the month of May, but he finished the year strong by hitting .379 (11-for-29) in his final seven games this spring.

Per his Baseball America scouting report, McLain — who spent the summer of 2019 on Cape Cod with the Wareham Gatemen — “is a dangerous hitter who is strong” despite his undersized frame.

“He has a short, direct swing and consistently lines balls hard from gap to gap. He has a knack for finding the barrel, separates balls from strikes and rarely chases outside the strike zone,” his scouting report reads.” He is a consensus above-average to plus hitter and projects to hit at the top of a lineup for a first-division team. The only question about McLain’s offensive game is how much power he will produce. Though he hit for power in college, his fringe-average raw power will likely translate more to doubles with a wood bat and limit him to 10-15 home runs per season. He has plus speed and consistently runs hard to beat out infield singles and leg out doubles and triples.

“McLain played shortstop the last two seasons at UCLA and is playable there, but he lacks the natural actions for the position and projects better at second base. Some teams prefer him in center field, where he played as a freshman, and others think he projects best as a multi-positional player who bounces around the diamond. He is an instinctive defender who positions himself well, gets good reads off the bat and has above-average arm strength at any position.”

Whoever the Red Sox, led by chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and amateur scouting director Paul Toboni, do take with the fourth overall pick Sunday night, one thing is for certain: they will have approximately $6.664 million in slot money to spend on that particular pick.

With that in mind, however, it remains possible that Boston could select a prospect such as McLain, who is projected by Baseball America to go to the Brewers at No. 15, with the intention of signing him to an under-slot deal, which in turn would give the club more money to spend in Rounds 2 through 20.

(Picture of Matt McLain: UCLA Athletics)

Red Sox sign closer Matt Barnes to two-year contract extension that includes club option for 2024

The Red Sox have signed closer Matt Barnes to a two-year contract extension that includes a club option for the 2024 season, the team announced Sunday morning.

The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier was the first to report that the two sides were nearing a deal.

Per Speier, the official terms of Barnes’ deal are $18.75 million over two years with an option, meaning the reliever will earn $7.25 million in 2022 and an additional $7. 5 million in 2023.

On top of that, the club option for a potential third season in worth $8 million, though the Red Sox could opt to buy Barnes out for an approximate $2.25 million if they so choose.

Additionally, Barnes will net himself an instant $1.75 million in the form of a signing bonus, while escalators based off games finished over the course of the contract can increase the value of the club option to $10 million — a $2 million raise, potentially.

All that being said, the total value of Barnes’ new deal can reach $26.5 million over three seasons if the right-hander reaches his escalators and has his option picked up, as noted by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.

At the very least, the total amount of guaranteed money included in Barnes’ extension is $18.75 million, as noted by Speier.

Barnes, who turned 31 last month, is in the midst of a career year in which he was selected to his very first All-Star team last weekend.

Coming into play on Sunday, the fiery righty has posted a 2.68 ERA and 2.07 xFIP to go along with 62 strikeouts to just 10 walks over 37 relief appearances spanning 37 total innings of work this season. He has also converted 19 of a possible 23 save opportunities.

Among qualified American League relievers, Barnes ranks 18th in appearances, third in strikeouts, third in strikeouts per nine innings (15.08), first in strikeout percentage (44.6%), seventh in batting average against (.171), sixth in WHIP (0.86), 21st in ERA, first in expected ERA (1.76), fourth in FIP (2.04), first in xFIP, first in SIERA (1.71), and second in fWAR (1.7), per FanGraphs.

The Red Sox originally selected Barnes with the 19th overall pick in the 2011 amateur draft out of the University of Connecticut.

Since making his major-league debut in 2014, Barnes has emerged as one of the more consistent and durable relievers in Boston’s bullpen, which ultimately helped him land the closer role heading into the 2021 season.

While he has excelled in that role thus far, Barnes, who was in his final year of team control, will not be hitting the open market this winter as he was originally slated to do. Instead, he will remain with the organization he began his professional career with through at least the 2023 season.

Barnes had said previously that he was interested in signing an extension with the Red Sox to remain with the club long-term, and that is what winds up happening in a rare in-season announcement.

(Picture of Matt Barnes: Theoron W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Chris Sale takes next step towards rehab assignment; ‘Tomorrow is a big day,’ Alex Cora says

Red Sox ace Chris Sale appears to be on the verge of being sent out on a rehab assignment after another successful simulated game on Saturday.

While the Red Sox were in the process of losing to the Philles, 11-5, on Saturday afternoon, Sale threw two simulated innings in which he faced live hitters at the club’s spring training facility in Fort Myers.

Per Sox manager Alex Cora, reports from head athletic trainer Brad Pearson pertaining to the left-hander’s outing came back positive.

“Everything [was] good. He was good,” Cora said Saturday night. “Brad told me he struck out a lot of people down there. As far as his stuff, he was was really good.”

If Sale, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, wakes up Sunday morning without feeling any sort of discomfort in his throwing elbow, the next step would likely be to send him out on a rehab assignment with one of the Sox’ minor-league affiliates.

“Tomorrow is a big day. He did what he did today,” Cora said of Sale. “Let’s see how he shows up tomorrow. Hopefully, everything is fine. After that, we can map it out.”

The 32-year-old hurler underwent Tommy John surgery on March 30, 2020 — his 31st birthday — after dealing with elbow inflammation during the latter stages of the 2019 season and the early stages of spring training in 2020.

Sale last took a big-league mound on August 13, 2019, when he struck out 12 over 6 2/3 innings against the Indians in Cleveland, so it’s safe to assume that the Sox will ease their way back when it comes to building the seven-time All-Star up to a reasonable five- or six-inning workload.

“He’ll probably go two in the first one,” Cora said. “It’s a lot different than just pitching down there. It’s not the big leagues, but it’s a real game. He’s going to be anxious. He’s going to be excited. The whole day is going to be different. Probably two innings. From there, we’ll see where it takes us.”

Based off his throwing schedule in which he has been pitching every five days, it would appear that Sale would be in line to make his first rehab start on July 15.

Cora has previously said that the Red Sox would like to keep Sale close to Boston while he is rehabbing so the team’s medical staff has easy access to him if needed.

With that in mind, the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox will be playing against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders at home at Polar Park from July 13 through July 18, while the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs will have a 12-game homestand at Hadlock Field that begins on July 20 and runs through August 1.

That being said, it seems likely that Sale would make his first rehab outing for the WooSox on July 15 and, if everything goes swimmingly, make his second rehab outing for the Sea Dogs on July 20.

(Picture of Chris Sale: Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

Red Sox bullpen experiences eighth-inning meltdown in 11-2 loss to Phillies

The Red Sox came into the eighth inning of Saturday’s game against the Phillies at Fenway Park trailing only by a run at 3-2.

Josh Taylor, after recording the final out of the seventh, was looking to notch his 27th straight scoreless appearance out of the bullpen in the eighth, but got off to a poor start by issuing a leadoff single to Bryce Harper.

A five-pitch walk of Andrew McCutchen did not do Taylor any more favors, and neither did a two-run double off the bat of Rhys Hoskins that resulted in the left-hander’s scoreless streak coming to an unceremonious close.

Taylor would get the hook from Red Sox manager Alex Cora after plunking the next man he faced, and in came Brandon Workman, inheriting a bit of a mess.

Workman, like Taylor, failed to record an out in the top of the eighth, as the veteran reliever walked a batter to fill the bases before yielding two runs on an RBI single and bases-loaded walk.

Turning to his bullpen for the second time in the inning, Cora handed things off to the recently-recalled Austin Brice, who proceeded to allow four additional Philadelphia runs to cross the plate on hits from Jean Segura and Harper before eventually and mercifully getting out of the inning.

By the time that happened, though, the Sox found themselves in a considerable 11-2 hole, and they would go on to lose by that score on Saturday evening.

Perez’s poor start

Martin Perez made his 18th start of the season for Boston on Saturday, and he did not end the first half of his season on much of a positive note.

That being the case because in just 3 2/3 innings of work, the left-hander surrendered three runs — all of which were earned — on six hits and two walks to go along four strikeouts and two home runs on the afternoon.

Right out of the gate, Perez fell victim to the long ball, as he served a leadoff home run to Jean Segura in the top of the first to put his side in an early hole.

An inning later, Perez again dealt with some early trouble, this time walking leadoff man Rhys Hoskins before giving up a booming two-run shot to Alec Bohm, making it a 3-0 game in favor of Philadelphia.

The Red Sox lineup was able to counter off Phillies starter Matt Moore by pushing across two runs of their own on a Xander Bogaerts solo homer (his 14th of the year) in the second and a pickoff error that allowed Christian Vazquez to score from second base in the third, cutting the deficit down to one run at 3-2.

Perez, however, saw his day come to a close sooner than he probably expected in the top half of the fourth, when he gave up a two-out single and walk to Ronald Torreyes and Andrew Knapp, making way for Hirokazu Sawamura to take over.

Finishing with a final pitch count of 73 (47 strikes), the 30-year-old hurler wraps up the first half of his 2021 campaign with a 7-5 record and an ERA of 4.04.

Red Sox bullpen takes over

In relief of Perez, Sawamura took over in the fourth, recorded the final out of the frame, and tossed a scoreless top half of the fifth as well.

From there, Garrett Whitlock retired three of the four hitters he faced in the sixth and got the first two outs of the seventh while also giving up a single to Jean Segura.

With the left-handed hitting Bryce Harper due up next for the Phils, Cora turned to the left-handed throwing Taylor, and while the southpaw got out of the inning without facing Harper thanks to a successful pickoff of Segura, that matchup is where things took a turn for the worse for the Sox.

Taylor’s scoreless streak snapped

By surrendering two runs on two hits, a walk, and a hit batsman in the eighth inning on Saturday, Josh Taylor’s impressive run of 26 consecutive scoreless appearances was snapped.

Prior to Saturday, the last time the lefty had given up a run came on April 24, meaning he went 77 days without seeing his ERA increase.

Taylor’s streak of 26 consecutive scoreless appearances goes down as the second-longest such run in Red Sox history, trailing only Koji Uehara’s 27 straight scoreless outings during the 2013 season.

Slow day for the Red Sox lineup

While the Red Sox bats were able to get to Matt Moore for two runs early on Saturday, they were unable to get anything going offensively the rest of the way.

From the middle of the fourth inning on, Moore and the Phillies bullpen (Hector Neris, Bailey Falter, J.D. Hammer, Connor Brogdon) put nothing but zeroes on the board for their side to contribute to the victory.

All in all, Boston went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position on Saturday while leaving seven men on base as a team.

Rays closing gap in division

With the 11-2 defeat, the Red Sox fall to 55-35 on the season. They have dropped three of their last four, resulting in the Rays trimming Boston’s hold of first place in the American League East down to 1/2 games.

Next up: Nola vs. Pivetta

The Red Sox will look to close out the first half of their 2021 season with a series victory over the Phillies on Sunday afternoon.

Philadelphia will send right-hander Aaron Nola to the hill in the rubber game, while Boston will dispatch fellow righty and former Phillies hurler Nick Pivetta, who will be making his first career start against his old team in the finale of this three-game series.

First pitch Sunday is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

Red Sox place Matt Andriese on 10-day injured list with right hamstring tendinitis, select Austin Brice from Triple-A Worcester

Before taking on the Phillies at Fenway Park on Saturday, the Red Sox placed right-hander Matt Andriese on the 10-day injured list with right hamstring tendinitis.

In a corresponding move, fellow right-hander Austin Brice was selected to the major-league roster from Triple-A Worcester, the team announced earlier Saturday afternoon.

According to Red Sox manager Alex Cora, Andriese suffered the hamstring injury during the seventh inning of Friday night’s 11-5 win over Philadelphia, as he came off the field limping after recording the final out of the frame.

“On the last pitch, if you go to the video, he comes out limping. I noticed it right away,” Cora told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Matt Vautour) Saturday morning. “He was going to go out for a second inning, but I took him off. We brought in Darwinzon (Hernandez), who we usually don’t use in those situations.

“We talked a little bit. He talked to the medical staff and we decided this is the best thing we can do. Get him right. He needs that,” added Cora. “Mechanics-wise that was not helping him. He’s been grinding. Just to unplug him and get him right, I think is the best course of action.”

Andriese — who the Red Sox signed to a one-year, $2.1 million deal in December with the idea of being a hybrid sort of pitcher who can provide length out of the bullpen while also starting when needed — allowed two runs on two hits and a walk in the seventh inning of Friday’s contest, marking yet another shaky outing for the righty.

After posting a 1.42 ERA in the month of April, Andriese has mostly struggled since then, as the veteran hurler has put up an unsightly 8.39 ERA and 1.032 OPS against over his last 13 relief appearances (24 2/3 innings pitched) dating back to May 1.

On the 2021 campaign as a whole, the 31-year-old hurler owns an ERA of 6.03 and FIP of 4.70 to go along with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 38:11 in 26 outings spanning 37 1/3 total innings of work.

Because he was placed on the IL on July 10, the soonest Andriese could be activated would be July 20, though it remains to be seen if he will miss more than the minimum 10 days.

Brice, meanwhile, returns to the Sox’ major-league roster after being designated for assignment on May 21 in order to make room on the 40-man for utility man Danny Santana.

Prior to that happening, Brice had gotten his 2021 season off to a rough start with Boston, as he posted a 6.94 ERA and .867 OPS over 12 appearances and 11 2/3 innings before being designated.

After clearing waivers on May 25, however, the 29-year-old was outrighted to Triple-A Worcester, where he had a much better time of things.

That being the case because, leading up to his call-up on Saturday, Brice had allowed just two earned runs on seven hits, eight walks, and 17 strikeouts in 12 outings (one start) and 15 innings pitched with the WooSox.

The Red Sox had an open spot on their 40-man roster after placing right-hander Eduard Bazardo on the 60-day injured list earlier this week, so they were able to add Brice back to the big-league squad without having to make a corresponding move in that regard.

And while Brice is back with Boston for the time being, the lanky righty remains out of minor-league options, meaning the Sox would have to expose him to waivers again if they wanted to send him down to Worcester once more.

(Picture of Matt Andriese: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)