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Archives for April 20, 2024

Kutter Crawford Gets It Done for Sox

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PITTSBURGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston DH Masataka Yoshida collected three hits, including a two-run home run, to propel the visiting Red Sox to a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.

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Yoshida hit his second home run of the season to give Boston a 4-1 lead in the sixth inning. The home run came against Pittsburgh starting pitcher Mitch Keller and was Boston’s 29th homer in 22 games. Pablo Reyes, who drew a one-out walk, also scored on the play.

Yoshida also singled during Boston’s two-run first inning, and was credited with a double in the eighth on a ball that Pittsburgh left fielder appeared to lose in the sun.

Sox SP Kutter Crawford (1-0) limited the Pirates to one run on seven hits in six innings to collect the win. He struck out six and walked three. Crawford lowered his ERA to 0.66.

Kenley Jansen struck out the side in the ninth to earn his fifth save. Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton was ejected after Mchael A. Taylor struck out on a pitch clock violation with one out in the ninth.

Boston’s victory extended Pittsburgh’s losing streak to five games. The Red Sox improved their road record to 9-3.

Keller (2-2) pitched six innings. He gave up four runs on five hits, walked four and struck out four.

Connor Joe had a pinch-hit home run for the Pirates, who received three hits from Bryan Reynolds. Joe’s home run was his second of the season.

The Red Sox took an early 1-0 lead when Jarren Duran opened the game with a triple and scored on Wilyer Abreu’s infield single. Boston loaded the bases later in the inning and led 2-0 after Rob Refsnyder scored on Bobby Dalbec’s fielder’s choice.

Pittsburgh made it a 2-1 game in the bottom of the fourth. Ke’Bryan Hayes led off the inning with a double and scored on Jared Triolo’s two-out single.

The Pirates had the bases loaded with one out in the fifth, but failed to score. Then Yoshida’s homer with one out gave Boston a three-run lead in the next inning.

Joe’s home run cut Boston’s lead to 4-2 in the eighth.

–Field Level Media

Longballs Back Sox, Bello vs Pirates

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PITTSBURGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Wilyer Abreu went 3-for-5 and was one of three players to hit their first home runs of the season for the Red Sox in an 8-1 win over the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.

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Boston’s offense pounded out 12 hits en route to its second win in a three-game span.

Rob Refsnyder and Ceddanne Rafaela each drove in a pair with the help of their first homers of 2024, while Triston Casas also left the yard for the Red Sox. Enmanuel Valdez added a two-run double.

Refsnyder and Connor Wong were each 2-for-5.

Brayan Bello (3-1) earned his second consecutive win in dominant fashion, allowing only one hit — Jack Suwinski’s leadoff double to left in the second — and two walks while striking out seven over six innings.

Chase Anderson and Cam Booser worked in relief of Bello. Booser, who allowed Pittsburgh’s only run, was making his MLB debut.

The Red Sox jumped out to a quick lead against Pittsburgh starter Quinn Priester (0-1), socking a pair of first-inning solo homers before scoring another run in the second. The opening run came just one out into the game as Abreu’s 421-foot blast nearly left the ballpark in right.

Casas doubled the Boston lead two batters later with two outs, clearing the fences in left-center field.

After Bello worked around two baserunners in Pittsburgh’s half of the first, Ceddanne Rafaela’s RBI fielder’s choice upped Boston’s lead to 3-0. Bobby Dalbec crossed the plate following a leadoff double, his first hit of the season.

FedEx To Play NIL Game in Memphis

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MEMPHIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – FedEx is entering into a five-year, $25 million name, image and likeness commitment that will benefit student-athletes at Memphis, particularly in the Tigers’ football and men’s and women’s basketball programs, as well as additional women’s sports.

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The shipping giant, which launched its operations in Memphis in 1973, has annual revenues of $88 billion.

As part of the initiative, Memphis athletes receiving NIL funding will participate in FedEx initiatives via social media and in person around the city. The company supports events that include the FedEx/St. Jude Championships, the Southern Heritage Classic and the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, all in Memphis.

“We evaluated the evolving NIL landscape, exploring how we can best deliver positive impact to student-athletes and connect them to meaningful opportunities for both themselves and the community and made the decision to reallocate marketing funds to an NIL platform,” said Brian Philips, the executive vice president and chief marketing officer at FedEx, in a news release. “This gives us an opportunity to invest in bright, young athletes in our great hometown of Memphis, strengthening our connection to the next generation of leaders.”

 

HEAT Play Way Into NBA Playoffs

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MIAMI – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Miami’s Tyler Herro tallied a near triple-double of 24 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists and the host Heat punched their ticket to the 2024 NBA Playoffs with a convincing 112-91 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 21 points, six rebounds and six assists in the one-sided win in the final Eastern Conference play-in game.

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The Heat will face the top-seeded Boston Celtics on Sunday in the first round of the playoffs. Miami and Boston met in the two last East finals, with Boston prevailing in 2022 and the Heat winning last season.

Miami dominated Friday’s contest even with star Jimmy Butler sidelined with a ligament injury to his right knee. Butler was injured in Wednesday’s play-in loss against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Reserve bigman Kevin Love contributed 16 points and seven rebounds, and Bam Adebayo scored 13 points for the Heat.

DeMar DeRozan scored 22 points and Nikola Vucevic had 16 points, 14 rebounds and five assists for the Bulls. Coby White had just 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting after scoring 42 points against the Atlanta Hawks two nights earlier.

Javonte Green added 12 points off the bench, and Ayo Dosunmu had 10 on 3-of-15 shooting for Chicago.

Miami also defeated the Bulls last season in the battle for the final spot in the East. The Heat eventually lost to the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals.

Miami shot 46.3 percent from the field, including 14 of 33 from 3-point range.

The Bulls made 38 percent of their attempts and were 13 of 43 from behind the arc.

Chicago trailed 70-60 after a basket by Green with 3:15 left in the third quarter, and then Miami delivered the knockout punch.

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