Tag: mlb

Red Sox blow early lead, fall to Yankees, 6-5, in 11 innings on Opening Day

For the fourth time under manager Alex Cora, the Red Sox have lost on Opening Day. The Sox kicked off the 2022 season by falling to the Yankees, 6-5, in 11 innings at Yankee Stadium on Friday afternoon.

Right out of the gate, Boston jumped all over New York ace Gerrit Cole, who began his day by issuing a four-pitch, leadoff walk to Enrique Hernandez in the first inning.

Rafael Devers immediately made Cole pay for that by taking the right-hander deep to right field on a two-run blast that left his bat at 101.4 mph and travelled 382 feet. Devers’ first home run of the season gave the Red Sox an early 2-0 lead.

Xander Bogaerts followed Devers by lacing a 111.8 mph base hit to left field and scored his side’s third run on an RBI double off the bat of J.D. Martinez. And just like that, Boston had plated three runs before recording a single out.

A three-run first inning seemingly put Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi in a good spot heading into the bottom half of the frame. Making his third consecutive Opening Day start for Boston, Eovaldi instead ran into some trouble when he issued a one-out single to Aaron Judge and two-run home run to Anthony Rizzo shortly thereafter.

So the Red Sox’ early three-run cushion had been trimmed down to one run after just one inning of play. Eovaldi and Cole both settled in for a bit, but it was the former who fell victim to the long ball once more in the fourth.

There, the dangerous Giancarlo Stanton ripped a vintage Yankee Stadium home run to right field that had a launch angle of only 15 degrees. Still, Stanton’s 358-foot solo shot knotted things up at three runs apiece.

Eovaldi got through the rest of the fourth, then put two runners on via a single and hit batsman while recording the first two outs of the fifth. The veteran right-hander nearly saw the 3-3 tie come apart when he yielded a screaming fly ball to D.J. LeMahieu, but Alex Verdugo bailed him out by making an impressive diving catch in left field.

That is how Eovaldi’s first outing of the year came to a close. All told, the 32-year-old hurler allowed three runs (all earned) on five hits, one walk, one hit batsman, and seven strikeouts over five innings of work. He threw 76 pitches (56 strikes) and averaged 98.2 mph with his vaunted four-seam fastball.

Shortly after Eovaldi’s day ended, the Red Sox lineup picked things back up in their half of the sixth. With Yankees reliever Clay Holmes now in the game, Bogaerts led off with a double and immediately advanced to third base on a Martinez groundout.

Following a brief mound visit, Verdugo came through on the other side of the ball by easily plating Bogaerts on a run-scoring single through the right side of the infield.

After Holmes and fellow reliever Miguel Castro proceeded to load the bases with two outs, the Sox failed to add on to their newfound 4-3 lead as Christian Vazquez fanned on four pitches to extinguish the threat.

Former Yankees prospect Garrett Whitlock got the call from Cora to take over for Eovaldi beginning in the latter of the sixth. The hard-throwing righty breezed through the sixth and seventh by retiring six of the first seven batters he faced.

The eighth inning, however, was a different story. After giving up all of six home runs last season, Whitlock served up a game-tying solo blast to LeMahieu that pulled New York back even with Boston at 4-4.

Whitlock then made way for newcomer Matt Strahm, who worked his way around a walk to get through the rest of the eighth. A half-inning later, Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman made relatively quick work of Bobby Dalbec, Christian Arroyo (pinch-hitting for Jackie Bradley Jr.), and Vazquez to keep the stalemate intact.

In the bottom of the ninth, Hansel Robles — two days after making the team — was dispatched in a critical spot. The veteran reliever made just two appearances this spring after signing with Boston late and managed to strand the potential winning run at second base by fanning Stanton for the final out of the inning.

With Robles sending this one into extras, Jonathan Arauz became the automatic runner at second base to begin things in the 10th as he replaced Vazquez. Hernandez failed to advance Arauz, but Bogaerts did not.

After the Yankees elected to intentionally walk Devers with one out, Bogaerts delivered by lifting an RBI single to shallow left field. The ball only travelled 187 feet off Bogaerts’ bat, but it was deep enough to score Arauz from second base to give the Sox a 5-4 advantage.

Jake Diekman was tasked with protecting that lead in the latter half of the 10th. The left-hander plunked the first man he faced in LeMahieu then got Joey Gallo to ground out to second, though runners advanced to second and third for New York.

That sequence prompted the Red Sox to intentionally walk Aaron Hicks, thus loading the bases as Cora dipped back into the bullpen and handed things over to Ryan Brasier.

Brasier, inheriting a mess, gave up the tying run on a sacrifice fly from Gleyber Torres, but escaped any further damage by punching out Isiah Kiner-Filefa on 10 pitches.

After the Red Sox went down quietly in the top of the 11th, Kutter Crawford came on for Brasier in the bottom half. With Kiner-Filefa representing the go-ahead run at second base, Crawford surrendered the game-winning hit to Josh Donaldson.

Donaldson snuck a single through the middle of the infield, giving Kiner-Filefa more than enough time to score from second to walk it off for the Yankees. Crawford, despite throwing just three pitches, was charged with the loss.

Some notes from this 6-5 defeat:

On the injury front, Xander Bogaerts exited the game in the middle of the 10th inning after appearing to injure himself on his run-scoring single. He was replaced by Jonathan Arauz at shortstop.

Trevor Story, making his Red Sox debut on Friday, went 0-for-5 with a strikeout.

The Red Sox went 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left seven runners on base as a team.

Next up: Pivetta vs. Severino

The Red Sox will turn to Nick Pivetta on Saturday as they look for their first win of the young season. The Yankees will roll with fellow right-hander Luis Severino, who will be making his first start since 2019.

First pitch from Yankee Stadium on Saturday afternoon is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. eastern time. The game will be televised on NESN and FS1.

(Picture of Josh Donaldson: Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Red Sox still have high hopes for power-hitting prospect Hudson Potts, Brian Abraham says

After claiming right-hander Kyle Tyler of waivers from the Angels on March 22, the Red Sox needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster. They did so by designating infield prospect Hudson Potts for assignment.

Three days later, the Sox announced that Potts had cleared waivers and had been outrighted to the minor-leagues. He was officially reassigned to Double-A Portland this past Tuesday.

Potts, 23, was one two prospects (the other being Jeisson Rosario) the Red Sox acquired from the Padres in the trade that sent Mitch Moreland to San Diego in August 2020.

After closing out the COVID-compressed 2020 season at the alternate training site, Potts was added to Boston’s 40-man roster that November to receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft. He came into spring training last year ranked by Baseball America the No. 27 prospect in the Sox’ farm system.

Potts, a former first-round draft pick of the Padres in 2016, broke camp with Portland but missed the first month or so of the 2021 season due to an oblique injury.

Once healthy, Potts debuted for the Sea Dogs in June 10 but could never quite find his footing. The right-handed hitter struggled, particularly against righties, to the tune of a .217/.264/.399 slash line (76 wRC+) to go along with 18 doubles, 11 home runs, 47 RBIs, 33 runs scored, 16 walks, and 100 strikeouts over 78 games and 307 plate appearances. He put up those numbers while playing nothing but third base.

Considering how poorly he fared at the plate in 2021, it was not much of a surprise to see Potts lose his spot on the 40-man roster last month. That being said, the Red Sox are pleased with the fact that the corner infielder remains in the organization after clearing waivers.

Boston’s director of player development Brian Abraham expressed these feelings in a recent conversation with The Athletics’ Chad Jennings while noting that Potts still has plenty of potential.

“I think we’re excited to see what we have here,” Abraham said of Potts. “We see a guy who’s an athletic third baseman, he shows power, (and) we just want to see a little bit more consistency. Obviously, the player wants to be on the 40-man, and there are circumstances that took him off, but we’re excited to get the player back, and excited to maybe take some of the pressure off him.”

Abraham told Jennings that the plan is to give Potts everyday at-bats with Portland. Third base will be his primary position, though he is likely to see some playing time at first base as well for the first time since 2018.

Potts, who does not turn 24 until October, may have lost his status as one of the top 30 or so prospects in the Red Sox farm system in 2022, but there is still plenty to like about his game when you take into account the raw power he offers from the right side of the plate.

On that note, Potts will be batting eighth and starting at first base for the Sea Dogs in their series opener against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Hadlock Field on Friday night.

(Picture of Hudson Potts: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

What the Red Sox saw in Ryan Fitzgerald before signing him out independent ball in 2018

Ryan Fitzgerald is off to a blazing hot start with the Worcester Red Sox. After homering on Opening Day, the versatile prospect went deep twice as part of 2-for-showing in Jacksonville on Thursday night.

Through his first three games of the Triple-A season, Fitzgerald is batting .636 (7-for-11)/.667/1.455 with three homers, five RBIs, four runs scored, one walk, and four strikeouts over 12 trips to the plate.

This comes on the heels of a spring training in which Fitzgerald was one of the Sox’ standouts in Fort Myers. While making a strong case to make Boston’s Opening Day roster, the left-handed hitter clubbed a team-leading four home runs and posted a 1.513 OPS across 11 Grapefruit League contests.

Although the Red Sox sent Fitzgerald down to Triple-A Worcester on March 27, there is no doubt the 27-year-old could be on the verge of a big-league call-up sooner rather than later.

A native of Illinois, Fitzgerald played four seasons at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. but went undrafted. Rather than take his talents to affiliated ball right away like other amateur prospects, Fitzgerald signed with the Gary SouthShore RailCats of the independent American Association in 2017.

It was Gary, Ind. where Fitzgerald was first seen by Red Sox pro scout David Scrivines. Scrivines, who has been with the team since 2008, initially took note of Fitzgerald’s plate discipline and ability to move around the infield.

“He seemed like someone who had real quality at-bats and knew the strike zone well,” Scrivines told BloggingtheRedSox.com. “Knowing the ballpark in Gary is a pitcher-friendly ballpark, players don’t put up power numbers in that park.  So I wasn’t sure how the power would project in the future. We saw someone with a steady glove and arm and athleticism.”

In his first season with the RailCats in 2017, Fitzgerald slashed .239/.301/.395 with seven home runs and 20 RBIs over 84 games while seeing playing time at every infield position besides first base. He was also well-liked by his teammates and coaches, including manager Greg Tagert.

“Former Gary manager Greg Tagert raved about his makeup,” said Scrivines. “So we knew he’s a top-notch person and teammate.”

The following spring, Fitzgerald signed with the Sox as an undrafted free agent and debuted with the Greenville Drive in June. He made it as far as High-A before the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the minor-league season in 2020.

Last year, Fitzgerald broke camp with Double-A Portland and made it up to Worcester for a spell over the summer. The 6-foot, 185 pounder also made his pro debut as an outfielder in 2021.

So far this season, Fitzgerald — who turns 28 in June — has made starts at second base, third base, and shortstop. Combine what he has done at the plate with his versatility, and it has been an impressive start to the 2022 campaign for the utility man.

“It’s great to see him get off to such a good start this spring – both offensively and moving around the field on the defensive end – and watching his progress the past four years,” Scrivines said.

(Picture of Ryan Fitzgerald: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox designate Eduard Bazardo for assignment: ‘It was a tough decision toward the end,’ Alex Cora says

The Red Sox made a surprising decision on Thursday when they elected to designate right-hander Eduard Bazardo for assignment. Boston needed to clear two 40-man roster spots in order to add Hansel Robles and Travis Shaw to the major-league roster. They did so by designating Bazardo and fellow righty Ralph Garza Jr.

While Garza Jr. has already been claimed off waivers by the Rays, Bazardo remains in limbo for the time being.

Originally signed out of Venezuela for just $8,000 in 2014, Bazardo rose to relevance in 2020 when he showed improved velocity on his fastball during fall instructs. The Sox added Bazardo to their 40-man roster that November in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft.

Last season, Bazardo made his major-league debut in April but missed significant time on the 60-day injured list because of a right lat strain suffered with Triple-A Worcester in May.

The 26-year-old spent more time with Worcester than he did in Boston in 2021, but there was no reason to believe he could not compete for a spot in the Red Sox’ Opening Day bullpen this spring.

Instead, Bazardo appeared in just one Grapefruit League game before being optioned to Worcester on April 2. He did not appear in either of the WooSox’ first two games and wound up losing his spot on the 40-man roster five days after getting sent down.

When speaking with reporters at Yankee Stadium on Thursday afternoon, Red Sox manager Alex Cora was asked why Bazardo was designated for assignment. His response?

“That decision goes above me,” Cora said. “He was healthy and he pitched on the backfields. He only pitched in one game but everything went fine. Our roster is becoming harder and harder, especially the last two years. That’s a good problem to have, right? Because you have good pitchers, good players. It was a tough decision toward the end. There were a few guys that we talk about it.”

Now that he has been designated, the Sox have the next seven days to either trade, release, or place Bazardo on outright waivers. Given the fact he does not turn 27 until September and still has two minor-league option years remaining, it seems likely the 6-foot, 187 pound hurler could land elsewhere via a waiver claim.

With that being said, though, Cora is understandably hopeful that Bazardo will clear waivers and remain with the Red Sox organization as a non-40-man roster player.

“In a selfish way, hopefully he’s with us whenever the process ends,” said Cora. “If not, I know he’s a good one. He grew up a lot two years ago and he’s still developing. Let’s see how the process goes.”

(Picture of Eduard Bazardo: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox lose Ralph Garza Jr. on waivers to Rays

Less than two hours after designating him for assignment, the Red Sox have lost right-hander Ralph Garza Jr. on waivers to the Rays, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin.

Garza Jr., who celebrated his 28th birthday on Wednesday, was originally claimed off waivers by the Sox on March 24 after being designated for assignment by the Twins two days prior.

Boston immediately optioned Garza Jr. to Triple-A Worcester upon acquiring him from Minnesota. The righty travelled with the WooSox for their first series of the season against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp this week, though he did not appear in a game for the affiliate.

All told, Garza Jr. spent just two weeks with the Red Sox, as he and fellow reliever Eduard Bazardo lost their respective spots on the 40-man roster on Thursday so the club could add the likes of Hansel Robles and Travis Shaw to their Opening Day squad.

(Picture of Ralph Garza Jr.: Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

Red Sox finalize 2022 Opening Day roster: Travis Shaw, Hansel Robles make cut

The Red Sox have finalized their Opening Day roster for the start of the 2022 season, and they made some interesting moves in order to do so.

First off, infielder Travis Shaw and right-hander Hansel Robles were both selected to the major-league roster, while righty Tyler Danish was optioned to Triple-A Worcester.

In order to make room for Shaw and Robles on the 40-man roster, right-handers Eduard Bazardo and Ralph Garza Jr. were both designated for assignment.

Additionally, left-hander Josh Taylor was placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 4) due to a low back strain, the club announced on Thursday afternoon.

Following Thursday’s series of transactions, the Red Sox ensure that they will be carrying 15 pitchers and 13 position players on their Opening Day roster ahead of Friday’s season opener against the Yankees in the Bronx.

Red Sox roster

Pitchers (15): Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier, Kutter Crawford, Austin Davis, Jake Diekman, Nathan Eovaldi, Rich Hill, Tanner Houck, Nick Pivetta, Hansel Robles, Hirokazu Sawamura, Matt Strahm, Phillips Valdez, Michael Wacha, Garrett Whitlock

Catchers (2): Kevin Plawecki, Christian Vázquez

Infielders (6): Jonathan Araúz, Xander Bogaerts, Bobby Dalbec, Rafael Devers, Travis Shaw, Trevor Story

Outfielders (3): Jackie Bradley Jr., J.D. Martinez, Alex Verdugo

Infielder/Outfielders (2): Christian Arroyo, Kiké Hernández

—

Joining Taylor on the injured list to begin the season are fellow southpaws James Paxton and Chris Sale.

(Picture of Travis Shaw and Xander Bogaerts: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox, Rafael Devers remain ‘very far off’ in contract extension talks, per report

The Red Sox and star third baseman Rafael Devers apparently remain far apart in contract extension talks as Opening Day nears.

Earlier Wednesday evening, Hector Gomez of Z Deportes, a Dominican-based news outlet, tweeted that the Red Sox made Devers an extension offer but Devers rejected it” because it was lower than he is willing to consider.”

Shortly thereafter, MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo confirmed Gomez’s report, writing that the Sox recently made an extension offer to Devers, but the two sides are currently “very far off in negotiations.”

This news comes two days after Devers told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier that although he and his camp have discussed a long-term deal with the Sox this spring, he did not expect an agreement to come together before Opening Day.

“We had a conversation with the team,” Devers said to Speier (through translator Carlos Villoria-Benítez). “We didn’t get to anything. But I still have one more year. I have this one and the next year. And I’m ready to play with Boston, with the Red Sox. We’re not going to talk about it [more] this spring. Let’s see how this season goes.”

Devers is set to earn $11.2 million in 2022 after agreeing to a one-year deal to avoid salary arbitration last month. The 25-year-old All-Star remains under club control for two more years and is eligible to become a free-agent at the conclusion of the 2023 season.

A client of Rep 1 Baseball, the left-handed hitting Devers just put the finishing touches on an impressive spring in which he clubbed six home runs, collected 12 RBIs, and posted a 1.512 OPS over 12 games (32 plate appearances) in the Grapefruit League.

It would seem as though Devers is on the verge of another productive year at the plate, as Gomez also reports that the Silver Slugger Award winner has shifted his focus to the 2022 season as he looks “to further increase his market value.”

Along those same lines, Cotillo writes that Devers and the Red Sox are unlikely to engage further in extension talks prior to Opening Day on Friday, noting that the former does not want to “talk about a long-term deal once the regular season begins.”

Considering that Devers is not eligible for free agency for another two seasons, there is obviously still plenty of time for the Red Sox to get a deal done. As noted by Cotillo, these recent developments may suggest that Boston is indeed serious about locking up Devers long-term.

Although the two sides may be far apart in negotiations at the moment, Sox officials — including chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom — have made it very clear that they would like players such as Devers and Xander Bogaerts (who can opt out of his deal and become a free agent this winter) to stay in Boston for the foreseeable future.

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

New Podding the Red Sox episode: MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo joins the show to preview the 2022 season

On this week’s installment of Podding the Red Sox: A BloggingtheRedSox.com Podcast, I am joined by MassLive.com’s Red Sox beat writer Chris Cotillo to preview the 2022 season.

Chris and I discuss the key moves Chaim Bloom and the Red Sox made this off-season, including the acquisitions of Trevor Story, Jake Diekman, and Matt Strahm via free agency. We also delve into how the Sox’ starting rotation is stacked up to begin the season with Chris Sale on the 60-day injured list due to a broken rib.

Other topics covered include Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts contract extension talks, the makeup of the bullpen with Matt Barnes as the likely closer, the state of Boston’s 40-man roster, injured players (like Sale, James Paxton, and Josh Taylor) who could make an impact when healthy, prospects and other players who could make their Red Sox debuts this year, the importance of Alex Cora, the toughness of the American League East, and much more!

The episode is available to listen to on iTunes and Spotify, among other platforms.

My thanks to Chris for once again taking some time out of his busy schedule to have a fun conversation with yours truly. You can follow Chris on Twitter (@ChrisCotillo) by clicking here and read his work for MassLive.com by clicking here.

Thank you for listening and we will see you next time! Please make sure to subscribe and leave a five-star review if you can!

(Picture of Trevor Story: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox-Yankees Opening Day game postponed until Friday due to inclement weather

Thursday’s Opening Day contest between the Red Sox and Yankees has been postponed until Friday due to forecasted inclement weather, the team announced earlier Wednesday morning.

Rather than kick off the 2022 season at Yankee Stadium on Thursday afternoon, the Red Sox and Yankees will instead play their first regular season game of the year on Friday.

Gates will open at 11:00 a.m. eastern time and pregame festivities will begin at approximately 12:30 p.m. ET. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on NESN, YES Network, and MLB Network.

Nathan Eovaldi is slated to make his third consecutive Opening Day start for Boston. He will be opposed by fellow right-hander Gerrit Cole for New York. The forecast in the Bronx looks more promising on Friday than it does on Wednesday and Thursday.

Friday was originally supposed to be an off-day for the Red Sox, but they will now play three games in three days to begin their season. Following the conclusion of Sunday’s series finale against the Yankees, the Sox will head to Detroit for a three-game set against the Tigers at Comerica Park.

Next Thursday represents another scheduled off-day for the Red Sox. They will then host the Twins in their home opener at Fenway Park on Friday, April 15 to kick off Patriots’ Day weekend.

(Picture of Yankee Stadium: Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

Red Sox infield prospect Ahbram Liendo drives in 3 runs in Grapefruit League debut

Red Sox infield prospect Ahbram Liendo certainly made the most of his Grapefruit League debut on Tuesday afternoon.

With the majority of Red Sox minor-leaguers leaving Fort Myers for the start of the 2022 season with their respective affiliate, Liendo was one of eight players Boston added to its roster ahead of Tuesday’s spring finale against the Twins at JetBlue Park.

After replacing Trevor Story at second base at the onset of the fifth inning, Liendo got his first crack at the plate in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs in the frame and runners at second and third, Liendo kept things going by ripping a line-drive, two-run single off Twins reliever Griffin Jax. He scored from third base himself later in the inning.

Fast forward to the seventh, and Liendo again came to the plate with two outs and runners on base. This time around, he drove in Jonathan Arauz on an RBI groundout to second. That gave Boston a 9-6 lead in what would turn out to be a 10-6 victory over Minnesota.

All told, Liendo went 1-for-2 off the bench with his single, one run scored, and a team-leading three RBIs in the Sox’ final exhibition game of the spring.

Liendo, 18, was originally signed by the Red Sox as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela last January. The Maracay native received a signing bonus of $450,000, making him one of the more notable additions from the 2021 class.

Upon going pro last winter, Liendo had to wait a bit to make his organizational debut. In July, the Sox assigned Liendo to their Dominican Summer League Red affiliate and he debuted for the team on July 13.

Over the next two-plus months, the switch-hitting infielder slashed .251/.349/.353 (102 wRC+) with six doubles, four triples, one home run, 21 RBIs, 26 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 25 walks, and 30 strikeouts across 46 games spanning 195 plate appearances.

Among the 90 DSL hitters who made at least 190 trips to the plate last season, Liendo ranked 45th in stolen bases, 43rd in walk percentage (12.8%), 33rd in strikeout percentage (15.4%), and 28th in speed score (7.6), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Liendo saw the majority of his playing time come at second base last year and logged 338 1/3 innings at the position. But the 5-foot-8, 170 pounder also made two appearances (17 innings) at third base and one appearance (7 innings) at shortstop while recording six errors and turning 23 total double plays.

At the time of his signing, Baseball America’s Ben Badler noted that Liendo was “a baseball rat with an outstanding arm. He’s a headsy player who could move all around the field — some scouts thought about him as a catching conversion candidate — and an average runner. He’s a switch-hitter with gap power who is more advanced from the right side of the plate.”

Liendo, who just turned 18 in February, is not currently regarded by any major publication, including Baseball America, as one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system. That is understandable given his age and lack of experience.

With that being said, though, Liendo still has plenty of room to grow physically and developmentally on the field. He is projected by SoxProspects.com to begin the 2022 season in the rookie-level Florida Complex League and could be an intriguing player to watch once the FCL gets underway in June.

(Picture of Ahbram Liendo via his Instagram)