Tag: Baseball

Red Sox get embarrassed by Blue Jays in lopsided 28-5 loss

The Red Sox were embarrassed by the Blue Jays at Fenway Park on Friday night. In its first game back from the All-Star break, Boston fell to Toronto by a final score of 28-5 to drop to 48-46 on the season.

Nathan Eovaldi, making his 14th start of the year, surrendered nine earned runs on eight hits and two walks to go along with three strikeouts over just 2 2/3 innings of work.

After striking out the very first batter he faced, Eovaldi ran into early trouble when he gave up a one-out double to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who moved up to third base and then scored on an RBI groundout off the bat of Bo Bichette. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. led off the second inning with a single, which was followed by a 421-foot two-run home run from Matt Chapman.

Taking a 3-0 lead into the third, the Blue Jays proceeded to go off for seven runs. Eovaldi loaded the bases with one out before yielding a two-run single to Gurriel Jr. Former Red Sox prospect Santiago Espinal followed with a run-scoring single of his own before No. 9 hitter Danny Jansen drew a four-pitch walk to fill the bases yet again with two outs.

Eovaldi’s night wound end there as Toronto’s lineup flipped back over. The 32-year-old finished with a final pitch count of 63 (42 strikes) but was only able to induce seven total swings-and-misses. His ERA on the season now sits at 4.30.

In relief of Eovaldi, Austin Davis received the first call out of the Boston bullpen from manager Alex Cora. Raimel Tapia greeted the left-hander by lifting a 384-foot fly ball to center field that Jarren Duran lost in the twilight. As a result of Duran’s miscue, Tapia cleared the bases and crossed home plate himself for a rare inside-the-park grand slam.

That made it a 10-0 game in favor of Toronto. It tacked on four more runs in the fourth when Davis served up a solo shot to Tesocar Hernandez and a three-run blast to Jansen. Boston was able to get three of those runs back in its half of the fourth, as Christian Vazquez took Kevin Gausman deep before Jackie Bradley Jr. clubbed a two-run homer off the Blue Jays starter.

Things only got worse from there, however. Kaleb Ort recorded the first two outs of the fifth, and then the Jays went off for 11 runs. Eight of those were charged to Ort, including one in which Matt Chapman hit a 38-foot pop-up that fell between Ort, Kevin Plawecki, and Rafael Devers. Darwinzon Hernandez came on for Ort and gave up five runs of his own — four of which were earned.

In the bottom of the sixth, Vazquez went deep for a second time to cut the deficit down to 23 runs at 27-4. Rob Refsnyder tattooed a 405-foot solo shot off Blue Jays reliever Jeremy Beasley in the seventh for his fourth big fly of the year.

After Jake Diekman and Hirokazu Sawamura each tossed scoreless frames of relief in the seventh and eighth innings, Yolmer Sanchez — a position player — was called upon for the ninth.

Sanchez, making his second career relief appearance, allowed one run on three hits. He threw 15 pitches (10 strikes) ranging from 40.5 mph to 82.8 mph, per Baseball Savant.

All told, seven different Red Sox pitchers combined to give up 28 runs (27 earned) on 29 hits. The 28 runs are the most the Blue Jays have ever scored in a single game and the most the Red Sox have ever given up in a single game. The Sox’ run differential coming into play on Friday was plus-18. It is now minus-5.

In addition to falling to 48-46 on the season, Boston also falls to 12-27 against divisional opponents and 5-13 in the month of July.

Next up: Manoah vs. Crawford

The Red Sox will look to put an end to a three-game losing streak that dates back to last weekend and bounce back against the Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon. Kutter Crawford is slated to get the start for Boston while fellow right-hander Alek Manoah is in line to do the same for Toronto.

First pitch from Fenway Park is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Green Monster scoreboard: Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)

J.D. Martinez scratched from Red Sox lineup due to back spasms

J.D. Martinez was originally batting third and starting at designated hitter for the Red Sox in their series opener against the Blue Jays at Fenway Park on Friday night.

But about 80 minutes before first pitch, Martinez was scratched from Boston’s lineup due to what the club described as back spasms. The veteran slugger was replaced by Rob Refsnyder, who swapped spots in the batting order with third baseman Rafael Devers.

This is not the first time this season that Martinez has dealt with back issues. The 34-year-old was also a late scratch against the Mariners back on May 22 for the very same reason. He previously missed seven of a possible nine games in late April because of left adductor tightness.

Fresh off being named an All-Star for the fifth time in his career, Martinez is batting .302/.368/.481 with 30 doubles, nine home runs, 38 RBIs, 51 runs scored, 31 walks, and 84 strikeouts over 81 games (356 plate appearances) so far this season.

It remains to be seen if Martinez will be able to return to action against Toronto on Saturday.

(Picture of J.D. Martinez: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox place Chris Sale on 15-day injured list, option Connor Wong to Triple-A Worcester; Brayan Bello, Yolmer Sánchez called up

Before opening a three-game weekend series against the Blue Jays at Fenway Park on Friday night, the Red Sox made a series of roster moves.

First off, left-hander Chris Sale was placed on the 15-day injured list with a left fifth finger fracture, retroactive to July 19. To take Sale’s place on the active roster, right-hander Brayan Bello was recalled from Triple-A Worcester.

Additionally, catcher Connor Wong was optioned to Worcester on Thursday. To take Wong’s place on the active roster, veteran infielder Yolmer Sanchez was selected to the 40-man roster from Worcester.

Sale, in the first inning of his second start of the season against the Yankees on Sunday, was struck in the hand by a 106.7 mph line drive off the bat of Aaron Hicks. The 33-year-old southpaw was immediately removed from the game and was later diagnosed with a broken left pinky. He underwent surgery — or an open reduction and internal fixation of a left fifth finger proximal phalanx fracture — in Wellesley, Mass. on Monday. The Red Sox are optimistic that he will pitch again this season.

Bello, meanwhile, is up with the Sox for the second time this season. The 23-year-old prospect made two starts against the Rays (one at home, one on the road) earlier this month and allowed a total of nine runs on 13 hits, six walks, and seven strikeouts over eight combined innings of work. He is expected to start Sunday’s series finale against Toronto.

On the position player side of things, Wong was optioned back down to Worcester so that the Red Sox could add another infielder (Sanchez) to their roster in place of the injured Trevor Story.

Wong took the place of Story on the major-league roster when the second baseman was placed on the 10-day injured list on Saturday. He appeared in two games during last weekend’s series in the Bronx and went 1-for-1 with a single.

Sanchez, meanwhile, made a brief cameo for Boston as a COVID-19 substitute back in June. Filling in for the then-unvaccinated Jarren Duran in Toronto on June 28, Sanchez went 0-for-1 with a walk and sacrifice bunt.

With the WooSox this season, the switch-hitting 30-year-old has batted .247/.378/.413 with 12 doubles, one triple, nine home runs, 33 RBIs, 43 runs scored, six stolen bases, 50 walks, and 67 strikeouts over 78 games (303 plate appearances) while seeing playing time at every infield position besides first base.

The Red Sox did not not need to create an opening on their 40-man roster for Sanchez since rookie right-hander Josh Winckowski is currently on the COVID-19 related injured list. Boston’s 40-man roster is now at full capacity.

(Picture of Yolmer Sanchez: Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

Red Sox appear to have signed North Carolina State commit Bryant Zayas

UPDATE: The Red Sox have officially signed Zayas, per the club’s transactions log.

The Red Sox appear to have signed undrafted free-agent shortstop Bryant Zayas to a minor-league contract. That is based on Zayas’ recent Instagram activity and this post from one of his coaches, Ricardo Sosa of Team Sosa Baseball in Hialeah, Fla.

Zayas, 18, went undrafted out of Miami Christian School earlier this week despite being ranked nationally by Perfect Game USA as the No. 214 prospect in this year’s high school class. The Miami-area native was committed to play college baseball at North Carolina State University.

As a senior at Miami Christian, the right-handed hitting Zayas batted .323/.405/.548 with five doubles, three triples, four home runs, 19 RBIs, 30 runs scored, 15 stolen bases, 13 walks, and 25 strikeouts over 31 games (111 plate appearances) for the Victors, per MaxPreps.

Listed at 6-foot and 178 pounds, Zayas possesses quality bat speed and hits solid line drives when he is on time. On the other side of the ball, the quick infielder has “excellent actions at shortstop with a good combination of high level footwork and soft hands.” According to Perfect Game USA, the defense is what stands out.

Zayas, who turns 19 in October, would become the second undrafted free-agent to sign with the Red Sox this week, joining University of Connecticut catcher Matt Donlan. Clubs can sign undrafted players for up to $125,000 without dipping into their bonus pool.

(Picture of Bryant Zayas: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox top prospect Triston Casas set to rejoin Triple-A Worcester this weekend

Top Red Sox prospect Triston Casas is expected to return to Triple-A Worcester’s lineup for its series against the Syracuse Mets at Polar Park this weekend, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Casas, 22, has spent the last two months on Worcester’s injured list after suffering a high right ankle sprain while running the basepaths in a game on May 17.

At that time, the Red Sox were optimistic that Casas would not be sidelined for long and would be able to return to action in a matter of weeks. But due to the nature of his injury, the 6-foot-4, 252-pound left-handed hitter struggled to put weight on his landing foot.

It was only just recently that Casas was able to once again swing a bat pain-free while working out at the Sox’ spring training complex in Fort Myers. The Miami-area native then began a rehab assignment with the club’s Florida Complex League affiliate last Tuesday.

In four games — the last of which came on Saturday — with the FCL Red Sox, Casas went 6-for-14 (.429) with three doubles, one home run, three RBIs, three runs scored, three walks, and two strikeouts. As noted by Speier, he tested his ankle by playing three straight days.

With the WooSox this season, Casas is batting .248/.359/.457 (115 wRC+) to go along with nine doubles, six homers, 22 RBIs, 22 runs scored, 23 walks, and 25 strikeouts over 36 games and 156 plate appearances. Beyond those numbers, he was hitting the ball hard and playing solid defense at first base.

Were it not for his ankle injury, the hulking first baseman very well could have been on the verge of making his major-league debut right about now. Instead, his two-month absence has all but certainly pushed back his call-up window.

That being said, the Red Sox have struggled to find consistent production from their first basemen throughout the 2022 season. In the month of July alone, Franchy Cordero has posted a .446 OPS in his last 15 games while Bobby Dalbec has an OPS of .689 in his last 13 contests.

Per MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, Boston is going to look for upgrades at first base ahead of the August 2 trade deadline. While trade candidates such as Washington’s Josh Bell or Kansas City’s Hunter Dozier are possibilities, Casas could emerge as a possible solution for the Sox’ first-base woes now that he is healthy.

(Picture of Triston Casas: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox outfield prospect Miguel Bleis catching fire in Florida Complex League

Like right-hander Luis Perales, Red Sox outfield prospect Miguel Bleis has also been opening eyes and turning heads in the Florida Complex League this summer.

Last week, Bleis appeared in four games for Boston’s rookie-level affiliate and went 8-for-17 (.471) at the plate with two doubles, two home runs, four RBIs, three runs scored, four stolen bases, zero walks, and four strikeouts. Both of those homers came in the same game against the FCL Rays in Port Charlotte on July 11.

As a result of all that production, Bleis was included in Baseball America’s latest Hot Sheet — which highlights the game’s 20 hottest prospects from the previous week — on Tuesday.

“One of the top young talents in Boston’s system, Bleis started a little slow out of the gate this season but has been on fire in July,” Baseball America’s Geoff Pontes wrote. “He’s a speedy center fielder with a knack for the barrel and solid plate approach considering his age and level. His in-game power is starting to show, with strong exit velocity numbers that would compare well against a majority of major-league hitters.”

After batting just .156 through the first two weeks of the FCL season, the right-handed-hitting 18-year-old has since turned things around and is now slashing .298/.337/.511 (124 wRC+) with seven doubles, two triples, three homers, 15 RBIs, 15 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, five walks, and 25 strikeouts over 24 games spanning 101 trips to the plate.

Among qualified FCL hitters, Bleis ranks 13th in batting average, 10th in slugging percentage, 12th in OPS (.847), ninth in isolated power (.213), fourth in speed score (9.2), fifth in line-drive rate (29.2%), and 18th in wRC+, per FanGraphs.

Defensively, the 6-foot-3, 170-pounder has seen all of his playing time come at center field so far this season. He has logged 195 1/3 innings at the position and has yet to record an error while also registering a team-high of four outfield assists.

The Red Sox originally signed Bleis as an international free-agent out of the Dominican Republic last January. Boston gave the San Pedro de Macoris native a lucrative $1.5 million bonus, making him the highest-paid member of its 2021 signing class.

Since then, Bleis — who does not turn 19 until next March — has played in both the Dominican Summer and Florida Complex Leagues and is currently ranked by Baseball America as the No. 16 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

Bleis is best described by SoxProspects.com as having “the highest upside of any Latin American prospect in the system,” and it’s easy to see why. Between the athleticism, the potential, and the talent, Bleis will more than likely emerge as a top-100 prospect in baseball sooner rather than later.

In the near-term, Bleis could very well earn a promotion to Low-A Salem before long if he continues to impress down in Fort Myers. That would certainly be an exciting development within the Red Sox organization.

(Picture of Miguel Bleis: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox pitching prospect Luis Perales opening eyes in Florida Complex League

Red Sox pitching prospect Luis Perales was recently recognized by Minor League Baseball as the Florida Complex League Pitcher of the Week for the week of July 11-17.

In two outings against the FCL Rays and FCL Twins last week, Perales allowed just one hit and no walks to go along with 11 strikeouts over six scoreless, nearly-perfect innings of work.

On the 2022 campaign as a whole, the right-hander has posted a 1.38 ERA and 1.93 FIP with 19 punchouts to just three walks over five appearances (three starts) spanning 13 innings pitched for Boston’s rookie-level affiliate in Fort Myers.

Among the 175 pitchers in the FCL who have thrown at least 10 innings so far this season, Perales ranks 19th in strikeouts per nine innings (13.15), 36th in walks per nine innings (2.08), eighth in strikeout rate (38.8%), 30th in swinging strike rate (35.7%), 39th in walk rate (6.1%), 25th in batting average against (.156), 10th in WHIP (0.77), 21st in ERA, fifth in FIP, and 17th in xFIP (2.98), per FanGraphs.

Perales, 19, originally signed with the Red Sox for $75,000 as an international free-agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019. He did not make his professional debut until last year in the Dominican Summer League, but was limited to just one start due to injury.

Despite any concerns there, the Red Sox still moved Perales up to the FCL for the start of the 2022 season and he has made the most of his opportunity so far. The 6-foot-1, 160-pound righty has proven to be effective thanks to a pitch mix that consists of a mid-90s fastball that tops out at 98 mph, an advanced curveball that sits in the mid-70s, and a developing changeup.

Perales, who does not turn 20 until next April, still has plenty of room to grow from both a physical and developmental point of view. He is currently ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 52 prospect in Boston’s farm system and should continue to climb those rankings, especially if he can work his way up to Low-A Salem before the end of the minor-league season.

(Picture of JetBlue Park: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox pitching prospect Stiwar Adames making strides in Dominican Summer League

Red Sox pitching prospect Stiwar Adames was recently recognized by Minor League Baseball as the Dominican Summer League Pitcher of the Week for the week of July 11-17.

In two outings for the Dominican Summer League Red Sox Blue affiliate last week, Adames tossed six scoreless, one-hit innings in which he struck out six while only yielding two walks to the 21 batters he faced.

On the 2022 season as a whole, the left-hander has posted a 2.08 ERA and 3.27 FIP to go along with 22 strikeouts to nine walks over nine appearances spanning 21 2/3 innings of work.

Among 177 DSL pitchers who have thrown at least 20 innings to this point in the season, Adames most notably ranks 39th in batting average against (.184), 47th in WHIP (1.06), 48th in ERA, 60th in FIP, 69th in swinging strike rate (36%), and 74th in groundball rate (45.3%), per FanGraphs.

Adames, who turns 20 next month, originally signed with the Red Sox for $50,000 as an international free-agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in February 2020. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound southpaw made his professional debut in the DSL last July and has since pitched to a 2.22 ERA (3.86 FIP) across 44 2/3 total innings at that level.

Compared to last year, Adames has been able to cut down on his walks (13.1% to 10.5%) while also striking out more hitters (13.1% to 25.6%). Considering that he turns 20 in just a few weeks and is a bit older for his level at the DSL, one has to wonder if Adames could soon make his way to the United States by earning a promotion to the rookie-level Florida Complex League.

(Picture of Stiwar Adames via his Instagram)

Red Sox at the All-Star Game: Rafael Devers draws a walk in American League’s ninth straight win

The American League defeated the National League by a final score of 3-2 in the 92nd MLB All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night, marking their ninth straight Midsummer Classic victory.

Yankees left fielder Giancarlo Stanton was named the game’s Most Valuable Player after crushing a game-tying, two-run home run in the top of the third inning that was immediately followed by a solo shot off the bat of Twins center fielder Byron Buxton. Stanton’s blast had an exit velocity of 11.7 mph and traveled 457 feet to left field while Buxton’s had an exit velocity of 107.7 mph and traveled 425 feet to left field as well.

Dodgers right-hander Tony Gonsolin took the loss, as the first time All-Star was the one who gave up all three of those runs. Astros righty Framber Valdez, also a first-time All-Star, earned the winning decision by tossing a scoreless third inning.

As far as those who represented the Red Sox were concerned, it was a quiet night for the trio of Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez. Devers, the AL’s starting third baseman, drew a seven-pitch walk off National League starter Clayton Kershaw in his lone trip to the plate.

Bogaerts entered the game as a defensive replacement for the White Sox’ Tim Anderson in the fourth inning. He went 0-for-1 with a strikeout at the hands of Diamondbacks reliever Joe Mantiply before being lifted for the Rangers’ Corey Seager in the middle of the seventh.

Martinez, meanwhile, pinch-hit for former teammate Miguel Cabrera in the top half of the seventh. Unlike Bogaerts and Devers, Martinez received two at-bats, though he, too, failed to record a hit.

So, between the three of them, the Sox’ contingent combined to go 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a walk. Let’s check in on how some of their former teammates did.

Mookie Betts, starting in center field for the National League, went 1-for-1 with a first-inning RBI single off American League starter Shane McClanahan. Kyle Schwarber, representing the Phillies as a reserve, went 0-for-2 with a strikeout. The same can be said for Andrew Benintendi, who was representing the Royals as a first-time All-Star. Martin Perez, also a first-time All-Star, tossed a 1-2-3 fifth inning for the AL.

Santiago Espinal, who Boston traded to Toronto for Steve Pearce in July 2018, went 0-for-1 with a walk in his first All-Star experience as a member of the Blue Jays.

All told, the American and National League lineups combined for just five runs on 13 hits. Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase picked up the save by striking out the side on 10 pitches in the bottom of the ninth, thus securing win for the junior circuit.

With this installment of the All-Star Game in the books, the likes of Bogaerts, Devers, Martinez will head back to Boston from Los Angeles before the second half of the regular season begins.

The Red Sox open the second half with a three-game weekend series against the Blue Jays at Fenway Park. They will then host the Guardians and Brewers to conclude a 10-game homestand that will take them right into August.

(Picture of Rafael Devers: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox sign University of Connecticut catcher Matt Donlan

The Red Sox have agreed to terms with undrafted University of Connecticut catcher Matt Donlan, the school announced following the conclusion of Tuesday’s draft.

Donlan, 22, was not regarded as one of the top catching prospects in this year’s draft class. As a non-drafted free-agent, the Connecticut native can sign with Boston for up to $125,000.

After beginning his collegiate career at Stonehill College in Easton, Mass., Donlan transferred to UCONN, but was not eligible to play in 2021. So, in his one season with the Huskies, the right-handed hitter batted .260/.375/.489 with 14 doubles, 12 home runs, 60 RBIs, 47 runs scored, three stolen bases, 27 walks, and 55 strikeouts over 61 games spanning 265 plate appearances.

From behind the plate, Donlan — equipped with a strong arm — threw out 22 of the 42 base runners who attempted to steal off him this spring. In terms of accolades, the 6-foot-3, 213-pound backstop earned First Team All-Big East and College Park Regional Most Outstanding Player honors for his performance in both the regular and postseason.

Donlan, who turns 23 in November, will likely begin his pro career in the rookie-level Florida Complex League upon officially putting pen to paper. Other Red Sox catching prospects who are currently down in Fort Myers include Enderso Lira, Daniel McElveny, and Diego Viloria, among others.

(Picture of Matt Donlan: University of Connecticut Athletics)