Alex Verdugo and Jackie Bradley Jr. lead the way offensively as Red Sox bounce back with 7-1 win over Reds

The Red Sox ensured their flight to San Francisco would be a happy one as they defeated the Reds, 7-1, at Fenway Park on Wednesday night. With the win, Boston splits its two-game series with Cincinnati while improving to 24-27 on the season.

Matched up against Hunter Greene out of the gate, it took until the fourth inning for the Sox lineup to get to the Reds rookie right-hander. Rafael Devers led off with a wall-ball double and advanced to third base on a J.D. Martinez single. Xander Bogaerts drove in Devers to break the seal while Alex Verdugo followed by lacing a 106.8 mph two-run double to right-center field to score both Martinez and Bogaerts.

Those four consecutive hits gave Boston a 3-0 lead. Jackie Bradley Jr. tacked on one more by plating Verdugo on a two-out RBI single to center field. A four-run fourth inning proved to be beneficial for Garrett Whitlock.

Making his eighth start of the season for the Red Sox, Whitlock allowed just one unearned run on five hits, no walks, and no strikeouts over six innings of work. It was his first time since moving to the starting rotation that he did not strike out a single batter, though he did induce three double plays.

The lone run Whitlock gave up came in his sixth and final inning. There, the right-hander yielded a leadoff single to Aristedes Aquino, who proceeded to steal second base and advance to third on a Christian Vazquez throwing error. Aquino then scored from third on a Nick Senzel groundout, but he limited the damage to one by getting Brandon Drury to fly out to right field to retire the side.

Finishing with a final pitch count of 73 (49 strikes), the 25-year-old hurler lowered his ERA on the season down to 3.02 while earning his first career winning decision as a starting pitcher in the majors.

In relief of Whitlock, fellow righty Tanner Houck received the first call out of the Red Sox bullpen from Red Sox manager Alex Cora. He needed all of 12 pitches to sit down the side in order in the seventh before stranding one in a scoreless top of the eighth.

A half-inning later, Bradley Jr. provided some late insurance with a bases-clearing, three-run triple off Jeff Hoffman. Bradley Jr.’s first triple of the season gave the Sox a comfortable 7-1 lead. John Schreiber closed things out in the ninth with some defensive help from Trevor Story to secure a six-run victory.

All told, three different Red Sox pitchers (Whitlock, Houck, Schreiber) struck out just one of the 31 batters they collectively faced on Wednesday.

Next up: On to Oakland

The Red Sox will now board an overnight flight to San Francisco before enjoying an off day in the Bay Area on Thursday and opening a three-game weekend series against the 20-33 Athletics on Friday. It marks the start of a 10-game west coast road trip for the Sox.

Boston will turn to right-hander Nathan Eovaldi in the opener while Oakland will roll with fellow righty James Kaprielian. First pitch from Oakland Coliseum is scheduled for 9:40 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Alex Verdugo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Chaim Bloom explains why Matt Barnes landed on 15-day injured list

In case you missed it, the Red Sox somewhat surprisingly placed struggling reliever Matt Barnes on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation on Wednesday.

Barnes, who turns 32 later this month, has had an abysmal season to date. The right-hander has posted a 7.94 ERA and 5.32 FIP to go along with 14 strikeouts to 12 walks over 20 appearances spanning 17 innings of work.

In his last three outings alone (two of which came in blowouts), Barnes surrendered five runs in less than three innings. He served up a three-run home run to Anthony Santander in the ninth inning Monday’s 10-0 loss to the Orioles at Fenway Park.

According to Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, Barnes first felt his throwing shoulder flare up ahead of that appearance on Memorial Day.

“He came to us with this yesterday,” Bloom told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo). “He said when he was warming up for that last appearance, he felt it, worked through it, and it didn’t bother him during the game. Then, yesterday, his shoulder was bothering him. He tried to play a little light catch and was feeling it.

“We tried to get our arms around it and see how he came in today,” added Bloom. “It’s still bothering him today so the prudent thing to do here is just to back off here and make sure we can calm this down. We’ll go from there and get him built back up.”

While some may question the timing of Barnes’ placement on the injured list, this will give the former All-Star a chance to work on some things without taking up a spot on Boston’s major-league roster.

The Red Sox can activate Barnes from the injured list as soon as June 15 if so choose. At the same time, they could send the righty out on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester to give him even more time to reset.

If they were to take that route, Barnes could spend up to 30 days with the WooSox while rehabbing and working with pitching coach Paul Abbott at Polar Park.

In the meantime, the Red Sox currently have Ryan Brasier, Tyler Danish, Austin Davis, Jake Diekman, Tanner Houck, Hirokazu Sawamura, John Schreiber, Matt Strahm, and Phillips Valdez available out of the bullpen.

Like Barnes, fellow righty Hansel Robles (back spasms) is on the 15-day injured list and has been since May 28. He is eligible to return as soon as June 9, at which point the Red Sox will be in Anaheim taking on the Angels.

(Picture of Matt Barnes: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox activate Matt Strahm from COVID-19 related injured list, place Matt Barnes on 15-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation

Before wrapping up their two-game interleague series against the Cincinnati Reds at Fenway Park on Wednesday, the Red Sox activated left-hander Matt Strahm from the COVID-19 related injured list.

In order to make room for Strahm on the active roster, right-hander Matt Barnes was placed on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation, the team announced.

Strahm’s stay on the COVID-related IL lasted all of 48 hours after he was placed on it before Monday night’s 10-0 loss to the Orioles. The 30-year-old southpaw has been one of Alex Cora’s most trusted relievers this season, posting a 3.68 ERA and 1.77 FIP with 16 strikeouts to just three walks over 18 appearances spanning 14 2/3 innings of work.

Barnes, meanwhile, is in the midst of his worst season as a big-leaguer. The 31-year-old has posted a dismal 7.94 ERA and 5.32 FIP with 14 strikeouts to 12 walks across 20 outings and 17 innings pitched in 2022.

That Barnes has struggled as much as he has this year can be attributed to the difficulties he also endured during the second half of last season. Since signing a two-year, $18.75 million extension with the Sox in July, the former first-round draft pick has pitched to a 7.01 ERA and 5.49 FIP over his last 34 2/3 innings.

Since Barnes’ stint on the injured list is retroactive to May 31, the hard-throwing righty would be eligible to return to action as soon as June 15, when the Red Sox host the Oakland Athletics in Boston.

On the flip side of that, though, the Sox could elect to send Barnes out on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester to have him work on things there with WooSox pitching coach Paul Abbott. As noted by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, any rehab assignment can last up to 30 days, ” so the Red Sox can keep Barnes off their roster for a significant amount of time if they so choose.”

Following Wednesday’s transaction, the Red Sox now have Strahm, Ryan Brasier, Tyler Danish, Austin Davis, Jake Diekman, Tanner Houck, Hirokazu Sawamura, John Schreiber, and Phillips Valdez in their active bullpen.

Hansel Robles, who was placed on the 15-day injured list because of back spasms on Saturday, could be activated during Boston’s upcoming west coast road trip, Cora told reporters (including Cotillo) on Tuesday.

(Picture of Matt Strahm: Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

Franchy Cordero batting leadoff for Red Sox in series finale against Reds

For the first time this season, Franchy Cordero will bat leadoff for the Red Sox as they go up against the Cincinnati Reds at Fenway Park on Wednesday night.

Boston has scored just one run over its last two games, both losses, so it would appear as though manager Alex Cora is shaking things up by having Cordero lead the charge offensively.

In addition to serving as the Sox’ leadoff hitter, Cordero will also start in right field on Wednesday. Since re-joining the big-league club in late April, the left-handed hitter has picked things up at the plate as of late. He is slashing a stout .314/.342/.600 with two doubles, one triple, two home runs, nine RBIs, eight runs scored, two walks, and 10 strikeouts over his last 12 games (38 plate appearances) dating back to May 20.

Cordero and the rest of Boston’s lineup will be opposed by rookie right-hander Hunter Greene to close out this quick two-game interleague series. Greene, the second overall pick in the 2017 draft, has posted a 5.89 ERA and 6.70 FIP with 56 strikeouts to 24 walks over nine starts (44 1/3 innings) since debuting for Cincinnati on April 10. He has also given up a league-leading 15 home runs.

Against right-handed pitching this season, Cordero is batting .246/.317/.406 with one homer and 10 RBIs. For his career, the 27-year-old owns a lifetime 1.126 OPS across 36 plate appearances when hitting first. He has not started a game as a leadoff hitter since he was a member of the Padres in 2018.

Regardless, the Red Sox find themselves in need of an offensive spark before they head out to the west coast for one of their longest road trips of the season. Cordero will look to provide that spark ahead of Rafael Devers, J.D. Martinez, Xander Bogaerts, Alex Verdugo, Trevor Story, Christian Vazquez, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Bobby Dalbec.

On the other side of things, right-hander Garrett Whitlock will make his eighth start of the season for Boston opposite Greene. First pitch from Fenway Park is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Franchy Cordero: Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

Red Sox pitching prospect Connor Seabold resumes throwing off mound after suffering pectoral strain last month

Red Sox pitching prospect Connor Seabold could soon be nearing a return to action. After suffering a pectoral strain last month, the right-hander has resumed throwing off a mound, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Seabold, 26, was scratched from his start with the WooSox on May 20 and was later diagnosed with a pectoral strain. He was placed on the 7-day injured list because of it two days later and was shut down for a brief period.

Prior to suffering the injury, Seabold was putting together an impressive season for Worcester. In his first seven starts of the year, the righty posted a 2.45 ERA and 2.86 FIP to go along with 37 strikeouts to 10 walks over 36 2/3 innings of work.

Among International League pitchers with at least 30 innings under their belt this season, Seabold ranks 15th in strikeout rate (25.2%), 21st in swinging strike rate (12.5%), 15th in walk rate (6.8%), sixth in batting average against (.179), fourth in WHIP (0.93), eighth in ERA, and third in FIP, per FanGraphs.

Originally acquired from the Phillies in August 2020, Seabold is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 21 prospect in the Red Sox’ farm system, which ranks 10th among pitchers in the organization.

The 6-foot-3, 200 pound hurler is already on Boston’s 40-man roster and made his major-league debut against the White Sox last September. With that, he could be called upon again to help the big-league club later this season as a spot starter or perhaps even as a reliever.

(Picture of Connor Seabold: Katie Morrison/MassLive)

Red Sox top prospect Triston Casas has yet to swing a bat since suffering ankle sprain on May 17

Top Red Sox prospect Triston Casas is not expected to be back in Triple-A Worcester’s lineup anytime soon, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Casas suffered a high right ankle sprain at Polar Park on May 17 after tweaking that particular ankle on at least two separate occasions. He was placed on the 7-day injured list five days later and has yet to swing a bat since then.

As noted by Speier, Casas hits from the left side of the plate, which means he “transfers most of his weight onto his right foot on his swing.” This is the primary reason why the first baseman has not been able hit in any capacity over the last two-plus weeks.

Originally selected by the Red Sox with the 26th overall pick in the 2018 draft out of American Heritage High School (Plantation, Fla.), Casas is currently regarded by Baseball America as the second-ranked prospect in Boston’s farm system.

Prior to injuring his ankle, the 22-year-old was batting .248/.359/.457 with nine doubles, six home runs, 22 RBIs, 22 runs scored, 23 walks, and 35 strikeouts through his first 36 games (156 plate appearances) of the season with the WooSox.

Given his standing as one of the top prospects in the organization, it is easy to see why the Red Sox are in no hurry to rush Casas back to action in Worcester. Speier reports that Casas is unlikely to return for the WooSox’ series against the Syracuse Mets this week. But perhaps things will change by this time next week when the WooSox are in Buffalo.

(Picture of Triston Casas: John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers commit costly errors as Red Sox squander late scoring chances in 2-1 loss to Reds

The Red Sox closed out their month of June by nearly getting shut out for the second straight night. They instead fell to the Cincinnati Reds by a final score of 2-1 to kick off a two-game interleague series at Fenway Park on Tuesday.

With the loss, Boston finishes the month having gone 14-14 and comes into June sporting a record of 23-27 on the season.

Michael Wacha, making his eighth start of the year for the Sox, allowed one unearned run on three hits and no walks to go along with three strikeouts over 5 2/3 solid innings of work.

The veteran right-hander retired each of the first 12 batters he faced, taking a bid for a perfect game into the fifth inning before giving up a leadoff double to Joey Votto that nearly left the yard. He then stranded Votto at third base, but ran into additional trouble in the sixth by yielding back-to-back singles to Albert Almora Jr. and Matt Reynolds.

Those two hits put runners at the corners with no outs for Aristedes Aquino, who grounded into a fielder’s choice that resulted in Almora getting tagged out between third and home. After retiring Brandon Drury, Wacha was just one out away from getting through sixth scoreless frames. He got Nick Senzel to hit a groundball to Rafael Devers at third, but Devers’ throw to Franchy Cordero was wide of the mark and allowed Reynolds to score all the way from second to give Cincinnati a 1-0 lead.

At that point, Wacha was given the hook from Red Sox manager Alex Cora in favor of Austin Davis. The 30-year-old hurler finished with a final pitch count of 72 (53 strikes) and lowered his ERA on the season to 2.43. Davis, meanwhile, got himself in and out of a bases-loaded jam before recording the first two outs of the seventh. He then made way for Tyler Danish, who ended things in the inning and gave up a 398-foot double to Votto in an otherwise clean top half of the eighth.

After Danish got the first out of the ninth, Cora turned to another left-hander in Jake Diekman. Diekman surrendered a one-out single to Mike Moustakas, who was pinch-ran for by Alejo Lopez. Lopez advanced to second on an Almora groundout. Diekman then got Almora to ground out, meaning he was one out away from keeping the Reds at one run.

That did not happen, though, as Diekman was able to get Reynolds to hit a grounder to Xander Bogaerts. Bogaerts fielded the ball cleanly, but made a throw that Cordero was unable to come up with at first base. Bogaerts’ throwing error allowed Lopez to score from second to make it a 2-0 game in favor of the Reds.

Going into the latter half of the ninth, the Red Sox lineup had been thoroughly held in check by Cincinnati’s pitching staff. Luis Castillo led the way by striking out 10 over six dominant and scoreless innings.

After yielding a one-out single to Devers in the first, Castillo proceeded to sit down 14 of the next 15 batters he faced. In the bottom of the sixth, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Enrique Hernandez led off the frame by drawing back-to-back walks. Following what would turn out to be a well-timed mound visit, Devers grounded into a 4-6-3 double play and J.D. Martinez fanned on six pitches to extinguish the threat.

Fast forward to the ninth, the Sox were now matched up against Reds reliever Tony Santillan. A Hernandez single and Devers double to lead off the inning put runners at second and third with no outs. Martinez and Bogaerts were unable to push across a run, but Alex Verdugo came through with a two-out RBI single on a 101.7 mph grounder that got the best of Votto.

Devers advanced to third on the play. Santillan, however, rebounded by getting Trevor Story to strike out on three pitches and end the game with a final score of 2-1.

All told, the Red Sox went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left five runners on base as a team. They are now 2-4 on their seven-game homestand that ends on Wednesday.

Next up: Greene vs. Whitlock

On that note, the Red Sox will wrap up their quick two-game series against the Reds on Wednesday night. Boston will turn to righty Garrett Whitlock in the finale while Cincinnati will roll with rookie right-hander Hunter Greene.

First pitch from Fenway Park is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Rafael Devers: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox catching prospect Ronaldo Hernández heating up at the plate with Triple-A Worcester

It was a slow start to the season for Ronaldo Hernandez, but the Red Sox catching prospect has picked things up as of late for Triple-A Worcester.

In the WooSox’ most-recent series against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in Allentown, Pa., Hernandez went a ridiculous 13-for-22 (.591) at the plate with three doubles, two home runs, seven RBIs, six runs scored, one walk, and two strikeouts over five games and 24 plate appearances.

Hernandez very well could have been named International League Player of the Week were it not for the efforts of Royals prospect Vinnie Pasquantino, who had quite the week himself for the Omaha Storm Chasers.

Regardless of that, Hernandez has seen his stock rise lately for good reason. After struggling to the tune of a .132/.132/.245 slash line (-9 wRC+) in April, the right-handed hitting 24-year-old comes into the final day of May batting a stout .309/.367/.491 (131 wRC+) with six extra-base hits, eight RBIs, eight runs scored, four walks, and 17 strikeouts across his last 15 games and 62 trips to the plate.

This is Hernandez’s first full season with Worcester after he was promoted there from Double-A Portland last September. One of four catchers on the WooSox’ active roster, the 6-foot-1, 247 pound backstop has logged 189 innings behind the plate thus far while throwing out five of the 28 base runners who have attempted to steal off him.

The Red Sox originally acquired Hernandez and fellow prospect Nick Sogard from the Rays last February in exchange for pitchers Chris Mazza and Jeffrey Springs. Since then, the native Colombian has been regarded by publications such as Baseball America as one of the top two catching prospects in Boston’s farm system alongside Connor Wong.

While Wong has appeared in eight games for the Sox over the last two seasons, Hernandez has not gotten that same opportunity. Hernandez spent one day on Boston’s major-league roster last month, but he did not get into a game and was quickly optioned back down to Worcester when Christian Vazquez returned from the COVID-19 related injured list.

As a member of the Red Sox’ 40-man roster, Hernandez can easily be shuttled between Boston and Worcester this season when the need arises. That being said, it definitely seems as though Hernandez is squarely behind Wong (also on the 40-man) as far as the big-league club’s catching depth is concerned.

Hernandez, who does not turn 25 until November, has just one minor-league option remaining. So, if he remains in the organization throughout the off-season and into the spring, he will need to make the Sox’ 2023 Opening Day roster or will otherwise lose his 40-man spot since he will then be out of options.

With that, the 2022 season obviously holds some significance for Hernandez, who is represented by CAA Sports. On top of that, both Vazquez and Kevin Plawecki can become free-agents at the end of the year.

In short, Hernandez has but a few months to show he has what it takes to stick in the major-leagues. Offense has always been his calling card, so he will need to continue to hone his skills as a defender if he intends to stay behind the plate for the long haul.

(Picture of Ronaldo Hernandez: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Rich Hill gets rocked for 6 runs as Red Sox muster just 4 hits in 10-0 loss to Orioles

The Red Sox were blown out by the Orioles at Fenway Park on Monday night. Playing in front of 24,809 to close out Memorial Day, Boston fell to Baltimore by a final score of 10-0 to drop to 23-26 on the season.

Rich Hill, making his ninth start of the year for the Sox, got roughed up for six earned runs on seven hits, two walks, and one hit batsman to go along with five strikeouts over four-plus innings of work.

The veteran left-hander plunked the very first batter he faced — Austin Hays — in the first inning before giving up an RBI triple to Trey Mancini. Ryan Mountcastle followed by crushing a solo shot to left-center field that gave the O’s an early 2-0 lead.

Fast forward to the third, Hill yielded a one-out single to Mountcastle and a two-run home run to Ramon Urias two batters later. In the fifth, Hill allowed both Mancini and Mountcastle to reach base on a walk and ground-rule double, which put runners at second and third for Anthony Santander.

At that moment, Red Sox manager Alex Cora gave Hill the hook in favor of Hirokazu Sawamura. The 42-year-old southpaw wound up throwing 92 pitches (59 strikes) while seeing his ERA on the season inflate to 4.85. Sawamura, meanwhile, allowed both runners he inherited to score in the fifth before retiring the side in order in the sixth.

Already up six runs, the Orioles added a seventh in their half of the seventh off Ryan Brasier when Hays scored on a Mountcastle double play. Brasier then stranded two base runners in the eighth to make way in the ninth for Matt Barnes, who served up a booming three-run homer to Santander that gave Baltimore a commanding 10-0 lead.

On the other side of things, the Sox lineup was held in check by Orioles starter Tyler Wells. Trevor Story and Xander Bogaerts were the only two who managed hits off the right-hander. Otherwise, Boston mustered a total of four hits while going 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and leaving five runners on base as a team.

With the loss, the Red Sox have dropped four of their last seven games since winning six straight. They have lost a series for the first time May 11 and are now 7-14 when playing American League East opponents.

Next up: Reds vs. Red Sox

The Red Sox will welcome the Reds into town for the first time in eight years for a quick two-game interleague series that begins Tuesday night. In the opener, it will be right-hander Michael Wacha getting the ball for Boston and fellow righty Luis Castillo doing the same for Cincinnati.

First pitch from Fenway Park is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Rich Hill: Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)

Top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer doubles in return to Low-A Salem’s lineup

Top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer returned to Low-A Salem’s lineup on Monday after spending the last 10 days on the injured list due to a right wrist sprain.

Batting third and starting at shortstop, Mayer went 1-for-3 with one double, walk, one strikeout, one RBI, and two runs scored in Salem’s 6-2 win over the Columbia Fireflies at Carillion Clinic Field.

Monday marked the first time Mayer had played in a game since May 19 and just the fifth time he had done so since April 23. The 19-year-old had been dealing with nagging soreness in his right wrist since late April. He traveled to Boston to undergo further testing on that wrist last weekend and an MRI revealed that there was no significant damage.

Following Monday’s performance, the right-handed hitting Mayer is now batting .333/.391/.513 on the season with 11 doubles, one home run, 14 RBIs, 11 runs scored, four stolen bases, eight walks, and 24 strikeouts over 18 games spanning 87 plate appearances.

The Red Sox originally selected Mayer with the fourth overall pick in last year’s amateur draft out Eastlake High School in Chula Vista, Calif. The California native is currently regarded by Baseball America as the top prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 12 prospect in all of baseball.

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)