Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

Archives for September 13, 2024

Can Red Sox Stop Yankees’ Streak

by

BRONX – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The New York Yankees have not relied on a prolific offense of late, but rather are doing just enough to eke out wins and widen their lead in the American League East. After game-ending hits by Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Juan Soto, the Yankees seek a third straight win when they host the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.

Embed from Getty Images

The Yankees (85-62) are 5-2 in their past seven games after dropping six of their previous nine against the Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals. Four of those wins are by three runs or fewer and the Yankees have scored more than four runs only once in those contests.

Chisholm got the game-winning single in the 11th inning in Wednesday’s 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals and Soto gave the Yankees a 2-1 win over the Red Sox with a single in the 10th on Thursday. The Yankees are two games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East, equaling their largest lead since regaining the division lead Aug. 21.

“Guys are playing really well,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “We haven’t had a lot of offense in us there the last few nights but (we’re) doing enough. I thought we had some good at-bats tonight.

The Yankees earned their last two wins despite going 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranding 17. Before Soto’s game-winner, New York left the bases loaded in the fourth and sixth.

New York is getting these wins despite Aaron Judge being stuck on 51 homers. Since hitting two homers against the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 25, Judge is homerless in a career-high 16 straight games and is hitting .207 (12-for-58).

Boston (74-73) has lost three straight to New York and is 4 1/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins for the third and final AL wild card.

Danny Jansen hit a tying homer in the fifth but the Red Sox were held to four hits and struck out 14 times. The Red Sox have stuck out 50 times in their past four games and at least 10 times in 14 games since Aug. 18.

Rafael Devers was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts Thursday and is homerless in 14 games. Since his last homer on Aug. 25, Devers is 9-for-54 (.167).

“I’m not going through my best moments right now but that’s part of baseball,” Devers said through an interpreter. “There are some times when you’re going to go through this stretch and that’s what’s happening to me right now. I’m not perfect and that’s just baseball.”

New York’s Clarke Schmidt (5-3, 2.34 ERA) will make his second start since returning from a lengthy injured list stint. Schmidt missed 86 games due to a strained right lat and pitched 4 2/3 innings of four-hit ball in Saturday’s 2-0 win over the host Chicago Cubs, marking his third scoreless start this season.

Schmidt is 0-1 with a 4.23 ERA in eight career appearances (four starts) against the Red Sox. He last faced them Sept. 14 of last season, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings of a no-decision in Boston.

Tanner Houck (8-10, 3.24), who was scratched from his last scheduled start due to a shoulder ailment on Sunday, will pitch for the first time since allowing four runs on five hits in an 8-3 loss on Sept. 4 to the host New York Mets.

Houck is 0-4 with a 4.78 ERA in nine starts since the All-Star break after scattering two hits in six innings against the Oakland Athletics on July 11 in his final start before the break.

Houck is 3-3 with a 2.38 ERA in 14 career appearances (nine starts) against the Yankees.

–Field Level Media

 

BC to be Tested at Mizzou

by

COLUMBIA – No. 6 Missouri reached rarified air this week. The Tigers, after all, haven’t been ranked this high in the Associated Press poll since 2013.

And the Tigers (2-0) will have a chance to validate that standing when they host No. 24 Boston College (2-0) on Saturday in Missouri.

Meanwhile, the Eagles upset then-No. 10 Florida State 28-13 on the road in head coach Bill O’Brien’s Boston College debut. Then they handled Duquesne 56-0 at home, which vaulted them into the AP Top 25 for the first time since the 2018 season.

“I think it’s great for BC, but really that’s not our focus at all,” O’Brien said. “It’s really about one day at time, really trying to get better.”

Missouri has rolled up 1,007 yards in its blowout victories while emptying the bench in both games.

Quarterback Brady Cook is 48-of-67 passing for 456 yards and a touchdown, and he has rushed for 84 yards and three touchdowns. Missouri alternates running backs Nate Noel (121 yards, two touchdowns on 23 carries) and Marcus Carroll (97 yards, one touchdown, 18 carries).

Preseason all-America wide receiver Luther Burden III has been quiet, catching seven passes for 64 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 21 yards and a TD in two games. He was limited by illness against Buffalo.

Wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. became Cook’s main target while catching 13 passes for 149 yards against the Bulls.

“Quarterback Brady Cook — very, very good player, can throw and run, two really good running backs and very, very good at wide receiver,” O’Brien said of the upcoming opponent. “At least three or four of them can play in the NFL. So we have a big challenge ahead of us, big, big challenge.”

While Missouri was unable to connect on deep passes during the first two weeks, coach Eli Drinkwitz wasn’t concerned.

“You’d rather be on ‘SportsCenter’ for that rather than for three yards and a cloud of dust or five-yard hitches,” he said. “But the reality of what we’re figuring out is that teams don’t really want to give up explosive plays versus our wide receiver corps. So, we have to be willing to make them defend us in a different manner.”

The Tigers could once again be without tight end Brett Norfleet, who suffered a shoulder injury in the opener and sat out Week 2. Guard Cam’Ron Johnson could return after sitting out the Buffalo game following an injury in practice.

Drinkwitz also wants to see his offense cut down on the offensive penalties. The Tigers had 17 in two games.

“Alignment penalties are embarrassing and that’s on me as head coach,” Drinkwitz said. “The holding penalties. We’ve got to learn to let go. When the ball is out-leveraged, just when a defender is broken away, we cannot continue to engage with the jersey of the defender. There were three of those that were clear calls, easy calls that are something that we have to correct.”

Boston College’s dual-threat quarterback Thomas Castellanos has completed 19 of his 26 pass attempts for 340 yards and six touchdowns. He has run for 81 yards and a TD.

The Eagles have rushed for 569 yards and five touchdowns in two games, led by Treshaun Ward (132 yards on 20 carries), Kyle Robichaux (112 yards, 25 carries) and Turbo Richard (102 yards on 19 carries).

Offensive tackle Logan Taylor returned to action after missing the first game and helped the unit dominate against Duquesne.

“Great to have him back,” O’Brien said. “Tough guy, big guy, athletic guy, very important to have him back. He’s my type of guy.”

–Field Level Media