Red Sox’ Angel Bastardo named South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox pitching prospect Angel Bastardo has been named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 15-21, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Bastardo made his seventh start of the season for High-A Greenville in its 3-2 loss to the Bowling Green Hot Rods at Fluor Field last Wednesday. Though he did not factor into the decision, the right-hander allowed just one hit on two walks and seven strikeouts over six scoreless innings. He finished with 80 pitches (50 strikes) and induced 11 swings-and-misses.

In seven starts for the Drive this season, Bastardo has posted a 5.03 ERA and 4.13 FIP with 47 strikeouts to 17 walks over 34 innings of work. The 20-year-old has impressed as of late by holding opposing hitters to a .170 batting average against in the month of May.

Among qualified pitchers in the South Atlantic League, Bastardo ranks second in strikeouts per nine innings (12.44), second in strikeout rate (32.9 percent), fifth in opponents’ batting average (.206), 13th in WHIP (1.26), first in swinging-strike rate (20.2 percent), 11th in FIP, and eighth in xFIP (3.88), per FanGraphs.

Bastardo, who turns 21 next month, is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 40 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 14th among pitchers in the organization. The native Venezuelan originally signed with the Red Sox for just $35,000 as an international free agent coming out of Moron in July 2018.

With a projectable 6-foot-1, 175-pound frame, Bastardo throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 93-95 mph fastball that tops out at 97 mph and shows sink, an 83-86 mph curveball that varies in shape, and an 84-88 mph changeup that can be inconsistent at times, according to his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Given that he has made just seven starts at the High-A level thus far and still has areas to improve in (i.e. command and control of the strike zone), it would not be surprising if Bastardo were to spend most of the 2023 season with Greenville before garnering consideration for a promotion to Double-A Portland.

With that being said, that timeline could accelerate if Bastardo continues to turn in impressive outings for the Drive as he has been doing. It is also worth mentioning that the righty can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft at the end of the year, though him being added to Boston’s 40-man roster in November seems unlikely at this point since he is still a ways away from sniffing the major-leagues.

(Picture of Angel Bastardo: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox officially release Ryan Brasier

The Red Sox have officially released veteran reliever Ryan Brasier, the club announced earlier Sunday afternoon.

Brasier was designated for assignment following last Sunday’s 9-1 loss to the Cardinals at Fenway Park in which he gave up three runs over a career-high 2 1/3 innings. The 35-year-old right-hander is now free to sign elsewhere as a free agent after clearing waivers while the Red Sox remain on the hook for the remainder of his $2 million salary this year.

In 20 relief appearances for the Red Sox this season, Brasier struggled to a 7.29 ERA and 4.40 FIP with 18 strikeouts to nine walks across 21 innings pitched. He lost his spot on Boston’s active roster when left-handed reliever Joely Rodriguez was reinstated from the injured list last Monday.

“Honestly, a new start might not be bad,” Brasier told reporters last Sunday night. “Obviously getting to play at Fenway every day is a dream come true. Two parks you want to play at growing up are Yankee Stadium and Fenway. And I got to do both a lot. So grateful. It sucks obviously but new start.”

Brasier first joined the Red Sox organization as a minor-league free agent shortly before the start of the 2018 season. After spending the previous year pitching for the Hiroshima Carp of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, the righty impressed in spring training and was called up by Boston for the first time that July.

Having gone nearly five years between big-league appearances, Brasier proved to be a major contributor out of the bullpen for the Red Sox during their historic World Series run. He compiled a 1.60 ERA in the regular season and allowed just one earned run over nine postseason outings (8 2/3 innings) in his first taste of October baseball.

After pitching to a 4.57 ERA from 2019-2020, Brasier dealt with a plethora of injuries in 2021 and did not make his season debut until early September. He was effective down the stretch and compiled a 1.50 ERA in 13 outings (12 innings), but that success did not carry over into the 2022 campaign.

Instead, Brasier posted a 5.78 ERA over a team-high 68 relief appearances (62 1/3 innings). Because he ended the season on a strong note, though, Brasier kept his roster spot through the winter and made his fourth career Opening Day roster this spring. While the Red Sox may have been optimistic about Brasier’s outlook heading into the 2023 season, things changed relatively quickly.

To go along with a 7.29 ERA in 21 innings pitched this year, Brasier was also hit hard. According to Baseball Savant, the 6-foot, 227-pound hurler currently ranks in the fifth percentile in average exit velocity, the second percentile in hard hit rate and the eighth percentile in expected batting average.

Even with those discouraging peripherals in mind, it would not be surprising if Brasier were to land with a new team in need of experienced bullpen depth in the coming days or weeks. If Brasier were to sign elsewhere, his new team would only be responsible for a prorated portion of the league minimum salary.

“A couple tweaks, maybe somebody sees something that they think they can build on,” Brasier said of potential suitors. “That’s all you can really ask for.”

Brasier, who turns 36 in August, forged a 4.55 ERA and 3.79 FIP with 211 strikeouts to 65 walks in 222 career appearances (one start) spanning 209 2/3 innings of work in a Red Sox uniform. He ranks 37th on the club’s all-time list for appearances.

With Brasier’s release, Chris Sale and Rafael Devers are now the only two players remaining from Boston’s 2018 championship team.

(Picture of Ryan Brasier: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox make minor trade with Yankees by sending outfielder Greg Allen to New York

The Red Sox have traded Triple-A outfielder Greg Allen to the Yankees for minor-league right-hander Diego Hernandez and cash considerations, the club announced on Friday.

Allen, 30, joined the Red Sox organization as a minor-league free agent in mid-January. The speedy switch-hitter spent the first seven weeks of the 2023 season with the WooSox, batting .250/.407/.388 with eight doubles, one triple, two home runs, 15 RBIs, 25 runs scored, 21 walks, and 29 in strikeouts in 37 games (151 plate appearances). He also went a perfect 23-for-23 on stolen base attempts while seeing playing time in left and center field.

Per SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield, Allen had an upward mobility clause in his contract. He triggered that clause earlier this week, meaning he will more than likely be added to New York’s major-league roster in the coming days. Boston addressed Allen’s departure by signing fellow outfielder Bradley Zimmer to a minors pact and assigning him to Worcester on Friday.

In similar fashion to Zimmer, Allen was originally selected by the Guardians in the sixth round of the 2014 amateur draft out of San Diego State. The California native first broke in at the big-league level with Cleveland in 2017 and has since played for four different teams.

On that note, this will not be Allen’s first go-around with the Yankees, as he spent the entirety of the 2021 season in the organization. He appeared in 73 games for the club’s Triple-A affiliate and got into 15 major-league contests, going 10-for-37 (.270) at the plate with four doubles, one triple, two RBIs, nine runs scored, five stolen bases, five walks, and 13 strikeouts.

All told, Allen is a lifetime .232/.299/.366 hitter with 10 homers, 67 RBIs, and 45 stolen bases across 282 games (800 plate appearances) with the Guardians, Padres, Yankees, and Pirates. He is looking to get into at least one big-league game for the seventh consecutive season.

Hernandez, meanwhile, is an 18-year-old righty from Mexico who signed with the Yankees for $25,000 as an international free agent in January 2022. In 12 outings (five starts) in the Dominican Summer League last season, the Puebla native posted a 2.10 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 48 strikeouts to 14 walks over 34 1/3 innings in which he held opposing hitters to a .188 batting average against.

(Picture of Greg Allen: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox sign veteran outfielder Bradley Zimmer to minor-league deal

The Red Sox have signed free agent outfielder Bradley Zimmer to a minor-league contract, as was first reported by Beyond the Monster’s Chris Henrique and confirmed by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.

Zimmer, 30, was released by the Dodgers on Thursday after originally signing a minors pact with Los Angeles back in December. In 31 games with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City, the left-handed hitter batted .219/.322/.343 with four doubles, three home runs, 14 RBIs, 18 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 13 walks, and 46 strikeouts over 121 plate appearances.

A former first-round draft selection of the Guardians out of the University of San Francisco in 2014, Zimmer was once regarded as one of the top prospects in baseball. The California native broke in with Cleveland in 2017 and spent the first five years of his career there despite never being able to establish himself as a big-league regular.

In parts of five seasons with the Guardians, Zimmer compiled a .226/.310/.348 slash line with 29 doubles, three triples, 19 home runs, 86 RBIs, 103 runs scored, 39 stolen bases, 71 walks, and 285 strikeouts over 263 total games (858 plate appearances). He appeared in just 34 games in 2018 and nine games in 2019 after recovering from arthroscopic right shoulder surgery.

Though Zimmer made the Guardians’ Opening Day roster out of spring training last year, he was traded to the Blue Jays for right-hander Anthony Castro on April 8. He then spent the next four months with Toronto before being designated for assignment and claimed off waivers by the Phillies on August 18.

After just nine days with Philadelphia, though, Zimmer was once again designated for assignment and returned to Toronto via waiver claim on Aug. 29. Between the two clubs, Zimmer went 13-for-105 (.124) at the plate with five doubles, two homers, five RBIs, 18 runs scored, three stolen bases, five walks, and 45 strikeouts across a career-high 109 games. He was removed from the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster in November and elected free agency after clearing waivers.

Zimmer, who does not turn 31 until November, figures to provide the Red Sox with experienced outfield depth at Triple-A Worcester. He has already reported to the WooSox and was spotted taking batting practice at Polar Park earlier Friday afternoon.

As things stand now, the Red Sox already have four left-handed hitting outfielders on their major-league roster in Jarren Duran, Raimel Tapia, Alex Verdugo, and Masataka Yoshida. With that, it may be tough for Zimmer to make his way to Boston, especially when you consider the fact that he is out of minor-league options.

That being said, there is still a lot to like about Zimmer’s game even if the offensive production is lacking. Last year, for instance, the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder logged 369 2/3 innings between center and right field and was worth six defensive runs saved. He also has past experience in left field and still possesses quality speed.

With Oklahoma City, Zimmer made one start in left, eight starts in center, and 16 starts in right field. He will now join the likes of Wilyer Abreu, Greg Allen, Narciso Crook, Marcus Wilson, Ryan Fitzgerald, and Nick Sogard in making up Worcester’s outfield mix.

Zimmer is the latest depth addition Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has made through either a trade, a waiver claim, or minor-league free agency in recent weeks. Zack Littell and Pablo Reyes (acquired in separate trades) and Brennan Bernardino (claimed off waivers from the Mariners) have all appeared in big-league games for Boston this season.

(Picture of Bradley Zimmer: Christian Peterson/Getty Images)

Red Sox pitching prospect Grant Gambrell shines in debut for Double-A Portland

Red Sox pitching prospect Grant Gambrell shined in his debut for Double-A Portland on Thursday night.

Though the Sea Dogs fell to the Hartford Yard Goats by a final score of 4-3 in 12 innings, Gambrell was on point on a cool evening at Dunkin’ Park. The right-hander allowed just one earned run on two hits and zero walks to go along with eight strikeouts over six strong innings of work.

Gambrell retired the first 15 batters he faced and took a bid for a perfect game into the sixth inning before giving up a first-pitch leadoff home run to Drew Romo. He also surrendered a one-out triple to Bret Boswell, but he prevented a second run from crossing the plate by getting Bladimir Restituyo to ground out and striking out top Rockies prospect Zac Veen.

All told, Gambrell needed just 64 pitches (47 strikes) to get through six efficient frames. He induced 10 swings-and-misses and did not factor into the decision after Niko Kavadas hit a then-game-tying home run with one out in the top of the ninth.

With Shane Drohan making the jump and debuting for Triple-A Worcester on Thursday, the Red Sox needed someone to take the left-hander’s place in Portland’s starting rotation. They achieved that by officially promoting Gambrell from High-A Greenville hours before his Sea Dogs debut.

After missing the entirety of the 2022 season with a significant ankle injury, Gambrell broke camp with Greenville earlier this spring. The 25-year-old hurler did not get off to the best of starts, posting a 6.87 ERA and 6.61 FIP with 21 strikeouts to nine walks in four April outings spanning 18 1/3 innings.

Once the calendar flipped from April to May, though, Gambrell appeared to have flipped a switch. After yielding two unearned runs and striking out eight over six innings on May 6, the righty gave up three runs and struck out seven over a season-high seven innings last Saturday.

With back-to-back impressive showings, Gambrell became a logical candidate for a promotion. As noted by SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield, the Drive already have a crowded starting rotation and have more reinforcements coming in Hayden Mullins, Bradley Blalock, and Jeremy Wu-Yelland, who are all currently on the injured list.

Boston originally acquired Gambrell and fellow righty Luis De La Rosa from the Royals in June 2021 to complete one part of the three-team trade that sent Andrew Benintendi to Kansas City four months prior. Coming into the 2023 campaign, Gambrell had appeared in just eight games as a member of the Red Sox organization.

A former third-round draft selection of the Royals out of Oregon State in 2019, Gambrell stands at a burly 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds. The California native throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of a 92-95 mph four-seam fastball, a 79-81 mph breaking ball, and an 83-86 mph curveball, per his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Gambrell, who does not turn 26 until November, figures to spend the rest of the season with Portland. There could be some challenges as he adjusts to more advanced competition at a new level, but he certainly got off to an encouraging start on Thursday.

(Picture of Grant Gambrell: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox option Ryan Sherriff to Triple-A Worcester ahead of Kutter Crawford’s return from injured list

The Red Sox optioned left-handed reliever Ryan Sherriff to Triple-A Worcester following Wednesday night’s 12-3 win over the Mariners, the club announced earlier Thursday afternoon.

By optioning Sherriff, the Red Sox have created a roster spot for right-hander Kutter Crawford, who will be activated from the 15-day injured list ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Padres in San Diego, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.

Crawford has been sidelined since May 4 due to a left hamstring strain. The 27-year-old made one rehab appearance for the WooSox at Polar Park on Tuesday, allowing one run on three hits, zero walks, and four strikeouts over three innings of work.

In seven appearances (two starts) for Boston this season, Crawford has posted a 3.51 ERA and 4.32 FIP with 24 strikeouts to just three walks across 25 2/3 innings. When working out of the bullpen, the righty has pitched to a 1.08 ERA (3.60 FIP) with 12 punchouts to one walk in 16 2/3 frames.

As noted by Cotillo, Crawford will return to the multi-inning relief role he has thrived in to this point alongside the likes of Josh Winckowski and Nick Pivetta, who was removed from Boston’s starting rotation and subsequently demoted to the bullpen on Wednesday night.

Sherriff, meanwhile, had his contract selected from Worcester on Tuesday and tossed a scoreless inning in each of the last two games against Seattle. The lefty gave up one hit and one walk while recording one strikeout in his first major-league action since September 2021.

Sherriff, who turns 33 next week, signed a minor-league contract with the Red Sox back in January. Prior to Tuesday’s call-up, the veteran southpaw had forged a 3.00 ERA (2.94 FIP) with 16 strikeouts to eight walks in 15 outings (15 innings) for the WooSox.

In 46 career appearances between the Cardinals (2017-2018), Rays (2020-2021), and Red Sox (2023), Sherriff now owns a lifetime 3.50 ERA over 46 1/3 innings at the big-league level.

(Picture of Ryan Sherriff: Nick Grace/Getty Images)

Red Sox pound out 16 hits, take series from Mariners with 12-3 win

The Red Sox capped off a six-game homestand by scoring early and often in a series-clinching win over the Mariners on Wednesday night. Boston throttled Seattle by a final score of 12-3 at Fenway Park to improve to 24-20 on the season.

Nine of the 12 runs the Red Sox scored came within the first two innings of Wednesday’s contest. With Marco Gonzales starting for the Mariners, Justin Turner and Rob Refsnyder hit back-to-back one-out singles in the bottom of the first. Rafael Devers then opened the scoring by driving in Turner with a base hit of his own.

After Masataka Yoshida drew a five-pitch walk off Gonzales to fill the bases, newcomer Pablo Reyes came up to the plate with two outs and extended Boston’s lead to 3-0 by plating both Refsnyder and Devers on a two-run double off the Green Monster.

An inning later, Alex Verdugo reached base on a one-out double and Turner followed by crushing a 358-foot two-run shot over the Green Monster for his fifth home run of the season and his second in as many nights. Refsynder then drew a walk and advanced to third on a two-out single from Yoshida that was aided by a J.P. Crawford throwing error. Enrique Hernandez kept the line moving and knocked Gonzales out of the game by ripping an RBI single through the right side of the infield.

Following a Seattle pitching change that saw Trevor Gott take over for Gonzales, Reyes greeted the new reliever with his second two-run double of the night. Jarren Duran capped off the six-run frame by singling in Reyes, thus giving Boston a commanding 9-0 advantage.

Brayan Bello, meanwhile, was in the midst of his sixth start of the season for the Red Sox. Celebrating his 24th birthday on Wednesday, the right-hander surrendered just one earned run on three hits and five walks to go along with seven strikeouts over five innings of work.

Though command was somewhat of an issue, Bello took a no-hit bid into the fourth inning before giving up a leadoff double to Cal Raleigh. He retired the next two batters he faced, but allowed Raleigh to score on a two-out single off the bat of Jose Caballero. In the fifth, he escaped a bases-loaded jam to end his night on a positive note.

Finishing with a career-high 107 pitches (67 strikes), Bello induced 19 swings-and-misses, tying Braves ace Spencer Strider for the most in baseball on Wednesday. The young righty picked up the winning decision to improve to 3-1 and also lowered his ERA on the year to 4.45.

Shortly after Bello faced his final batter, the Red Sox lineup got back to work in the latter half of the fifth. With Turner and Refsnyder both singling off Gabe Speier, Devers drove in the former with an RBI double. Yoshida then plated Refsnyder on an RBI groundout before Hernandez pushed across Devers with a sacrifice fly to make it a 12-1 game.

The Mariners got two of those runs back off Joely Rodriguez in the top of the sixth. Rodriguez, making his Red Sox debut after missing the first seven weeks of the season due to a right oblique strain, filled the bases on two walks and a single with one out. The lefty then got Julio Rodriguez to hit a groundball to Hernandez at shortstop.

In an attempt to start an inning-ending double play, Hernandez made an underhanded flip to get the force out at second, but Reyes’ throw to Turner at first bounced in the dirt and went out of play, allowing two runs to score. Rodriguez, though, was only charged with one of those runs as Seattle cut the deficit to nine at 12-3.

From there, Chris Martin, Ryan Sherriff, and Justin Garza combined for three scoreless innings of relief to put the finishing touches on a rather convincing victory.

All told, the Red Sox tallied 16 hits as a team to tie a season-high in that category. Turner led the way with three hits while Refsnyder, Devers, Hernandez, and Reyes each had two.

Verdugo exits with groin tightness

Verdugo, who went 1-for-2 out of the leadoff spot, came out of the game in the third inning and was replaced in right field by Raimel Tapia. The Red Sox later described Verdugo’s departure “as a precaution due to left groin tightness.” He is expected to be available when they next play.

Next up: A long road trip out west

Coming off a 2-4 home swing, the Red Sox will enjoy an off day on Thursday before embarking upon a three-city, nine-game West Coast road trip that includes stops in San Diego, Anaheim, and Phoenix.

After Thursday’s off day, the Sox will open a three-game weekend set against Xander Bogaerts’ Padres on Friday night. James Paxton is slated to get the start for Boston in the series opener. San Diego will counter with fellow left-hander Blake Snell.

First pitch from Petco Park on Friday is scheduled for 9:40 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Pablo Reyes: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Adam Duvall hoping to return from wrist injury as soon as he is eligible to

Red Sox outfielder Adam Duvall could soon be nearing a return from the injured list after fracturing left wrist in early April.

Though the club has yet to lay out a specific timetable for him, Duvall told MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo on Wednesday that his target date to return is Friday, June 9. That is when he is first eligible to come off the 60-day injured list and the Red Sox open a three-game series against the Yankees in the Bronx.

As noted by Cotillo, it remains to be seen if the Red Sox agree with that timeline. Nonetheless, Duvall has made great progress in rehabbing the distal radius fracture he suffered while diving for a fly ball in Detroit on April 9. The 34-year-old did not require surgery and is no longer wearing a cast or splint on his wrist.

While he continues to build up strength, Duvall has been doing both offensive and defensive drills on the field, as was the case on Wednesday. The left-handed hitter will need to go out on a rehab assignment and get into a few minor-league games before being activated.

“I’m taking ground balls, taking fly balls,” said Duvall. “Starting to hit the ball off the Tee. I think we’ll just continue to try to push it and see where we’re at. We’ll take some swings and then see where we’re at the next morning. Did you go too far? Do you need to do more? Right now, it has been responding really well. We’re just going to keep taking those next steps.”

Signed to a one-year, $7 million deal in January, Duvall had been one of the hottest hitters in all of baseball to begin the 2023 season. In his first eight games with Boston, the veteran slugger batted .455/.514/1.030 with five doubles, one triple, four home runs, 14 RBIs, 11 runs scored, three walks, and five strikeouts over 37 plate appearances.

(Picture of Adam Duvall: Nick Grace/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Garrett Whitlock, Kutter Crawford impress in rehab outings for Triple-A Worcester

Two prominent members of the Red Sox pitching staff looked sharp in their respective rehab outings for Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday night.

Garrett Whitlock got the start and Kutter Crawford came out of the bullpen for the WooSox in their series opener against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Polar Park. Whitlock allowed just on earned run on five hits and zero walks to go along with four strikeouts over four innings of work.

After stranding a runner at third base in the top of the first, the right-hander retired the side in order in the second and then gave up a solo home run to Jake Cave with two outs in the third. He ended his outing by working his way around a two-out double in a scoreless fourth inning.

Finishing with 49 pitches (35 strikes), Whitlock induced eight swings-and-misses. The 26-year-old hurler also sat between 92-95 mph with his sinker, 80-84 mph with his changeup, and 76-80 mph with his slider, per Baseball Savant.

“It was good,” Whitlock told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Katie Morrison-O’Day). “I’m happy with the outing and everything, throwing a lot of strikes, no walks, so I’m happy about that.”

Whitlock was placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow ulnar neuritis on April 25, just three days after he first felt his arm going numb from the elbow down “a couple of times” during his start against the Brewers in Milwaukee.

“For me it was when I got to full extension, everything kind of just went numb, that’s probably the best way to kind of describe it,” he explained on Tuesday. “But the nerves have calmed down, so we’re all good now. Everything felt normal tonight.”

Whitlock, who turns 26 next month, is on the injured list for the second time this season already. The righty began the year on the shelf as he continued to work his way back from right hip surgery last September. He is slated to make one more rehab start for the WooSox in their series finale against the IronPigs on Sunday.

Crawford, who is rehabbing a left hamstring strain he sustained on May 3, took over for Whitlock in the top of the fifth. Much like Whitlock, the right-hander yielded one earned run on three hits and zero walks with four strikeouts over three innings of relief.

After sitting down the first five batters he faced, Crawford served up a solo shot to Jordan Qsar with two outs in the sixth. He then maneuvered his way around a pair of hits in an otherwise clean seventh inning to ultimately pick up the winning decision in the WooSox’ 9-4 victory.

Crawford needed 41 pitches (26 strikes) to get through three innings of one-run ball. The 27-year-old induced eight whiffs while featuring a 92-96 mph four-seam fastball, an 86-88 mph cutter, an 81-84 mph slider, an 82-83 mph changeup, and a 78-81 mph curveball.

“Both had some balls that were hit good, but the wind was blowing out pretty firmly,” WooSox manager Chad Tracy said. “I thought Whitlock looked great, landed his breaking ball for strikes, got ahead in the count. Fastball was good. Kutter was the same way they, both looked really good.”

Because Crawford’s stint on the 15-day injured list was backdated to May 4, he is eligible to come off the injured list this Friday, when the Red Sox open a three-game weekend series against the Padres in San Diego. Barring a surprise, Crawford is expected to travel and be with the club for the start of their nine-game West Coast road trip.

(Picture of Garrett Whitlock: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Justin Turner, Triston Casas, and Jarren Duran all homer as Red Sox snap four-game losing streak with 9-4 win over Mariners

The Red Sox put an end to their four-game losing streak with a series-evening victory over the Mariners on Tuesday night. Behind a four-run first inning, Boston defeated Seattle by a final score of 9-4 at Fenway Park to improve to 23-20 on the season.

With one of the most talented pitchers in baseball in Luis Castillo starting for the Mariners, the Sox drew first blood right away in the first inning. After leadoff man Alex Verdugo reached on a fielding error, Masataka Yoshida drove him in all the way from first with a line-drive triple off the center field wall. Justin Turner then gave Boston a 3-0 lead by depositing a 389-foot solo shot over the Green Monster for his fourth home run of the year.

Rafael Devers and Jarren Duran were both retired by Castillo, but Triston Casas extended the inning and his side’s lead by lacing a 373-foot solo homer into the right field seats. Casas’ sixth big fly of the season left his bat at 110.7 mph and provided Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta with a four-run cushion out of the gate.

Pivetta, making his eighth start of the year for Boston, cruised through the first three innings of Tuesday’s contest before running into some trouble in the top of the fourth. After giving up a two-out single to Eugenio Suarez and issuing a five-pitch walk to Cal Raleigh, the right-hander got Teoscar Hernandez to loft a 281-foot fly ball to center field.

Duran attempted to make a head-first diving catch, but he could not come up with the ball cleanly and it instead rolled all the way into the right-center field triangle. As a result, Hernandez plated both Suarez and Raleigh on a two-run triple to cut Seattle’s deficit in half. Moments after Hernandez reached third base safely, Taylor Trammell evened the score by crushing a game-tying, two-run home run to deep right field.

Though the Mariners had just come back to knot things up at four runs apiece, the stalemate did not last particularly long. That being the case because the Verdugo-Yoshida combination struck again in the latter half of the the fifth. The pair hit back-to-back doubles off Castillo to lead off the frame and put the Sox back up by one. Yoshida then advanced to third and scored on a wild pitch before Duran made up for his previous blunder by clubbing a first-pitch slider 417 feet over Boston’s bullpen to make it a three-run game at 7-4.

Castillo’s night came to a close after the fifth. The 30-year-old was charged with a season-high seven runs (five earned) on six hits. Pivetta, meanwhile, came back out for the top of the sixth and retired the final batter he faced in Hernandez.

Finishing with 98 pitches (58 strikes) Pivetta wound up allowing four earned runs on six hits and four walks to go along with six strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings of work. The 30-year-old hurler picked up his third winning decision of the season, though his ERA did rise from 6.23 to 6.30.

In relief of Pivetta, Ryan Sherriff received the first call out of the Red Sox bullpen from manager Alex Cora. Making his club debut, the left-hander sat down all three batters he faced before making way for Josh Winckowski, who scattered two hits over 1 1/2 scoreless frames.

While Sherriff and Winckowski were putting up zeroes, the Sox tacked on a pair of insurance runs with a Duran RBI single in the seventh and a Yoshida run-scoring groundout in the eighth. Justin Garza — who, like Sherriff was making his club debut — then put the finishing touches on a 9-4 win by making quick work of the Mariners in a 1-2-3 ninth.

All told, the Red Sox had 11 hits as a team on Tuesday. Seven of the nine hitters recorded at least one hit while Verdugo (2-for-4), Yoshida (2-for-5), Turner (2-for-5), and Duran (2-for-4) all registered multi-hit games.

Next up: Bello vs. Gonzales in rubber match

The Red Sox will send right-hander Brayan Bello to the mound on Wednesday night as they look to close out the homestand by taking this series from the Mariners, who will counter with left-hander Marco Gonzales.

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

(Picture of Justin Turner: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)