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Archives for March 27, 2024

Red Sox Open at Seattle

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SEATTLE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – For two teams trying to get back to the postseason, the Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners didn’t make any earth-shattering moves this offseason. Neither got more than a fleeting mention when it came to prized free agent Shohei Ohtani or trade candidate Juan Soto.

Does either team have enough to compete in 2024?

That will be one of the top questions when they meet Thursday night in the season opener in Seattle.

The Mariners finished 88-74 last season, a game back of Toronto for the American League’s third and final wild-card berth.

Strikeout-prone sluggers Eugenio Suarez and Teoscar Hernandez are gone, via a trade and free agency, respectively. Suarez netted right-hander Carlos Vargas and backup catcher Seby Zavala from Arizona.

The Mariners sent injured left-hander Robbie Ray to San Francisco for outfielder Mitch Haniger and right-hander Anthony DeSclafani. Then they flipped DeSclafani, right-handed reliever Justin Topa and a pair of minor-leaguers to Minnesota for second baseman Jorge Polanco.

“This group is just hungry,” said Haniger, who spent one injury-prone season with the Giants following five productive years in Seattle.

“The guys in here want to win. Ultimately, being a loser is not fun. It’s really motivating just to try to get back into the playoffs and win a World Series — the No. 1 goal. It’s win the division first and get in the playoffs, and then make a run and win that last game of the season.”

The Mariners also sent right-handed reliever Isaiah Campbell to Boston for third baseman Luis Urias, and ditched the contracts of pitcher Marco Gonzales, first baseman Evan White and outfielder Jarred Kelenic to Atlanta for a pair of pitchers who won’t be available this season because of injuries.

Boston’s moves might have been even more underwhelming.

The Red Sox traded outfielder Alex Verdugo to the New York Yankees for three pitching prospects, acquired outfielder Tyler O’Neill from St. Louis, sent former ace left-hander Chris Sale to Atlanta for shortstop Marquis Grissom, and signed former All-Star closer Liam Hendriks, who is coming back from a cancer battle and Tommy John surgery.

Boston signed free agent right-hander Lucas Giolito to anchor its rotation, but he’ll miss the season with elbow surgery.

“It’s different compared to previous years,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of his youthful lineup. “This team is going to be fun to manage. We’re gonna do a lot of stuff that is probably different than in the past. We know what people think about us, but athleticism and youth helped (the Orioles) make it to the playoffs last year.

“So hopefully we can accomplish that. We’re not shying away from our goals. We just have to keep going. It’s been fun. It’s refreshing. It’s good to see good athletes out there making plays and moving around and adjusting to everything that we’re throwing at them. And I think it’s been solid so far.”

Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo (14-9, 3.34 ERA last season) is scheduled to make his fourth Opening Day start and second with Seattle. Castillo is 1-1 with a 4.09 ERA in two previous starts against Boston.

The Red Sox will counter with right-hander Brayan Bello (12-11, 4.24), who will be making his first Opening Day start. Bello is 2-0 with a 4.09 ERA in two previous starts against Seattle.

–Field Level Media

Bruins Rally Past Florida, 4-3

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SUNRISE – Pavel Zacha’s go-ahead goal with 2:21 left in the third period helped the Boston Bruins rally past the Florida Panthers 4-3 on Tuesday night in Florida. Zacha’s goal went in off his right skate as teammate David Pastrnak fired the puck toward the net. Florida led 3-2 until Trent Frederic tied the game at 15:38 of the third period with the Bruins on a power play.

Charlie McAvoy, Zacha and Pastrnak each had a goal and an assist for Boston. Pastrnak’s goal was his 45th of the season as he reached the 100-point mark for the second season in a row. His assist on the game-winner gave him 101 points.

Jeremy Swayman recorded the win, making 18 saves. He also earned his first assist of the season on Frederic’s goal.

Boston (42-16-15, 99 points) moved past Florida (46-21-5, 97 points) for first place in the Atlantic Division.

The Bruins, who are 3-0-0 against the Panthers this season, snapped a two-game losing streak.

Florida’s Carter Verhaeghe scored at 9:53 of the third, giving the Panthers a 3-2 lead. Of Verhaeghe’s 33 goals this season, 19 have come in the third period.

Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 17 shots in a losing effort.

Evan Rodrigues and Sam Reinhart also scored for the Panthers. Reinhart’s goal was his 51st of the season. Reinhart and Pastrnak are two of the top five goal-scorers in the NHL this season.

The Panthers got two key players back in the lineup, center Aleksander Barkov and defenseman Gustav Forsling, but it wasn’t enough.

Still, Florida needed just 27 seconds to open the scoring. Barkov earned the primary assist on his bad-angle shot that looked as if it were going in anyway before it was tapped home by Rodrigues.

Boston tied the score at 17:43 of the first as McAvoy ended a 15-game goal drought with his blast from the right circle. With most of Florida’s defenders scrapping for the puck on the left side, Matt Grzelcyk passed to McAvoy on the right to set up the goal.

Florida took a 2-1 lead at 18:56 of the first as Reinhart tapped in the puck. Eetu Luostarinen earned the primary assist.

Boston tied the score 2-2 at 15:59 of the second as McAvoy’s centering pass found Pastrnak alone in front of the net. Pastrnak did the rest, lifting the puck over a sprawled Bobrovsky.

Verhaeghe’s goal gave Florida a 3-2 lead as his shot from the left circle went between the legs of Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo.

However, Boston’s two goals in the final five minutes were too much for Florida to overcome.

–Field Level Media

Bad Back: Clark Intending to Play

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HOUSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Wyndham Clark is optimistic that he will be able to compete in the Texas Children’s Houston Open after sustaining a back injury earlier this week. The tournament starts Thursday at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston.

Clark, the fourth-ranked golfer in the world and reigning U.S. Open champion, said Wednesday that he was injured while lifting weights on Monday.

“I was in Scottsdale, I was working out,” Clark said. “Body’s been really healthy and I just got caught in an awkward spot doing a lift and back went. It’s not something that happens regularly, but it happened and you live and you learn. I’m trending in the right direction, I’m hitting it or feeling stronger and more mobile every day.”

Clark, 30, acknowledged that his team of therapists has helped in his recovery, so much so that he was able to play in a nine-hole pro-am on Wednesday.

“I was in pretty bad shape (Tuesday), but fortunately I have a great team that has gotten me to be able to swing and hit,” Clark said. “I was only really able to chip and putt, then I did a bunch of rehab and I was able to hit balls today. So just in a short time I’ve improved a ton and I think I’ll be ready for tomorrow.”

Clark acknowledged that he’d like to play in this tournament with The Masters approximately two weeks away. That said, he’ll let his back ultimately make that decision.

“I’m going to give it my best effort (Thursday), and hopefully I can play and compete,” he said. “If not, I’ve got to get ready for tournaments to come after this.”

–Field Level Media