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Archives for June 5, 2023

Tampa Bay Rays Befuddle Red Sox

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Shane McClanahan pitched six innings of one-run ball and three players went 2-for-4 as the Tampa Bay Rays posted a 4-1 win over the host Boston Red Sox on Monday afternoon – the make-up date for last Friday’s wash-out.

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McClanahan (9-1) struck out five and allowed just five hits and two walks, bouncing back from his first loss of the season. Justin Turner’s solo home run in the sixth inning was the lone blemish for the Tampa Bay ace.

Yandy Diaz, Wander Franco and Francisco Mejia all had two hits for the Rays, who used a three-run fifth inning to post their third straight win to finish the four-game series.

Rafael Devers was 2-for-4 and Christian Arroyo doubled for Boston.

Red Sox righty Brayan Bello (3-4) struck out the side in the opening inning and allowed just two baserunners over the first four frames, but a five-hit fifth helped the Rays jump out to a 3-0 lead.

Luke Raley hit a leadoff double to center and a Manuel Margot chopper through the left side plated the first Tampa Bay run. Margot moved to second on the throw and scored on Mejia’s ground-ball single to center two batters later.

Diaz and Franco followed with back-to-back hits to load the bases before Josh Lowe made it 3-0 on a fielder’s choice grounder.

Bello struck out five and allowed three runs on six hits across six innings.

Boston could not muster a run against McClanahan until the sixth as Turner ripped a solo homer into the Green Monster seats. It was his seventh blast of the season.

The Rays added to their lead as reliever Nick Pivetta issued a bases-loaded walk to Taylor Walls in the seventh. Pivetta also allowed a double to Franco and issued two other walks before Diaz scored the insurance run.

After making two costly errors in Sunday’s loss, the Red Sox defense came to play in the early innings to temporarily keep the game scoreless.

Center fielder Enrique Hernandez robbed Raley of a potential home run by making a catch at the wall near the triangle in center in the second inning. Alex Verdugo’s turn for a web gem in right came when he robbed Mejia of a homer near Pesky’s Pole an inning later.

Boston manager Alex Cora was ejected after the eighth after arguing a called third strike on Devers that led to an inning-ending, strike ‘em out-throw ‘em out double play.

–Field Level Media

 

Pujols Named Special Assistant at MLB

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Retired St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols was named a special assistant to Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred.

Pujols will consult with MLB on a range of topics, including player relations and issues regarding his home country, the Dominican Republic. He will also work as an on-air analyst for MLB Network.

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“Beyond his long list of accomplishments on the field, Albert is a highly respected figure who represents the game extraordinarily well. He cares greatly about making a difference in our communities,” Manfred said in a news release. “We are excited for Albert to join other former players who are doing important work for our sport, and we will welcome his perspective across our efforts.”

Pujols, 43, retired after the 2022 season with 3,384 hits and 703 home runs. The three-time MVP and 11-time All-Star played 12 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, 10 with the Los Angeles Angels and one with the Dodgers.

“I couldn’t be more excited for this next chapter of my career,” Pujols said. “Commissioner Manfred and I share the same passion for growing the game in the Dominican Republic and I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together. I’m also grateful for the opportunity to join the MLB Network family. I’ve been a huge fan since the very beginning and can’t wait to get started.”

Pujols made his MLB Network debut on Tuesday morning. He will contribute to the network’s on-site coverage of MLB’s London Series on June 23 between the Cardinals and Chicago Cubs.

Pujols joins a group of former players working in various capacities for MLB that includes Ken Griffey Jr., Cal Ripken Jr., CC Sabathia and Joe Torre.

–Field Level Media

NBA Finals: Heat Love to Compete

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DENVER – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Miami Heat benefited from a late finishing kick against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday to send the NBA Finals back to South Florida all square at one victory apiece.

Miami erased an eight-point deficit entering the fourth quarter and overcame a 41-point, 11-rebound performance from Nikola Jokic to record a 111-108 victory in Game 2 in Denver.

Miami’s Gabe Vincent made 8 of 12 shot attempts from the floor — including 4 of 6 from 3-point range — as the Heat outscored the Nuggets by a 36-25 margin in the fourth quarter.

Vincent was asked on NBA TV’s postgame show if his teammates are upset about a perceived lack of respect in the series against Denver.

(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

“I speak for my whole team when I say we don’t give a damn. We just want to get four wins,” Vincent said.

Bam Adebayo collected 21 points and nine rebounds and Jimmy Butler added 21 points and nine assists for Miami, which hosts Game 3 of the best-of-seven series on Wednesday.

“Our guys love to compete. They love to put themselves out there in those moments of truth,” said Miami coach Erik Spoelstra.

Denver’s Jamal Murray added 18 points and 10 assists, however, he saw his 3-point attempt with 1.9 seconds remaining hit the iron.

Aaron Gordon scored 12 points and Bruce Brown added 11 off the bench for the Nuggets, who fell to 9-1 at home in the playoffs.

“We didn’t want it to happen of course, but it happened, so we have to live with it,” Jokic said. “We’re going to Miami to play another game.”

While Jokic is looking ahead, Denver coach Michael Malone took issue with what he’s seen in the first two games of this series.

“Let’s talk about effort. I mean, this is the NBA Finals and we’re talking about effort. That’s a huge concern of mine,” Malone said. “… This is not the preseason or the regular season. This is the NBA Finals. And that to me is really, really perplexing, disappointing.”

Denver held an 83-75 lead through three quarters before Miami erupted for a 32-12 run over the first eight-plus minutes of the fourth. Duncan Robinson made a pair of treys and two layups and Butler converted a three-point play and 3-pointer to highlight the surge.

“Our defense has to be a helluva lot better,” Malone said. “That’s two games now where our fourth-quarter defense has been nonexistent.”

Denver led 57-51 at the halftime break.

–Field Level Media

Celtics, Cassell Agree to Coaching Deal

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BOSTON – Former Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Sam Cassell who once played for the Celtics after a journeyman career as an NBA guard has agreed to join the Boston Celtics’ coaching staff under Joe Mazzulla, according to multiple media reports Sunday night.

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Cassell spent the last three seasons with the 76ers after also serving as an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers (2014-15 to 2019-20) and Washington Wizards (2009-10 to 2013-14).

Following the Celtics’ loss to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals last Monday, the Boston Globe reported that three assistant coaches on Boston’s staff were expected to head to Houston to work under disgraced coach Ime Udoka.

Udoka served as the Celtics’ head coach for the 2021-22 season and led Boston to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games. He was then suspended by the team during the offseason for “multiple violations of team policies” that centered around an inappropriate relationship with a woman within the organization.

Ben Sullivan, Mike Moser and Garrett Jackson are reportedly the three assistants that plan to join the Rockets, according to USA Today Sports. That report also indicated that Houston, along with a handful of other teams, is also interested in Aaron Miles, another Celtics assistant coach.

Cassell, 53, will be making his return to Boston, where he won a title in his lone season with the Celtics (2007-08). He averaged 7.6 points and 2.1 assists in 17 games (one start) for Boston after appearing in 38 games (33 starts) for the Los Angeles Clippers earlier that season.

Cassell was also a member of the 1994 NBA champion Houston Rockets.

In 15 NBA seasons, Cassell posted career averages of 15.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 993 games (690 starts) with eight teams, including the Milwaukee Bucks (1998-99 to 2002-03). He was an All-Star in 2003-04.

–Field Level Media