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Red Sox Avoid Sweep vs. A’s

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BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox snapped a three-game losing streak and avoided a three-game series sweep with their 8-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics Thursday night at Fenway Park. The win boosted Boston’s record to 11-8 at home since being swept and starting the season 0-3 vs. the Baltimore Orioles.

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Sox starter Garrett Richards went 6.0 innings, and allowed five hits, three walks while striking out four A’s. He reduced his ERA to 3.89 this season (18 ER/41.2 IP), and ranks as the second-lowest among Red Sox starters. Richards is 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA (6 ER/25.0 IP) in his last four starts.

Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts broke out a mini-slump and went 3-for-3, with a run scored, a home run, double and three RBI. Bogaerts hit a two-run HR in the 1st inning, an RBI double in the 2nd, and singled in the 4th inning and now leads the majors in hits (49).

Boston 1B Bobby Dalbec went 2-for-4, with a home run as he hit a two-run blast to center field off Athletics’ starter Sean Manaea in the 2nd inning. Dalbec is batting .351 with an .990 OPS vs. lefties in 2021 (13-for-37, 2 2B, 3B, 2 HR, BB).

Manaea went only 2.0 innings, allowed 10 hits and seven runs, with three runs in the 1st and 2nd innings. The game marked the first time Manaea allowed three or more  runs in multiple innings of a start as he set season-lows with 2.0 innings pitched and season highs in runs (7) and hits (10).

Sports Biz: Bruins Extend Radio Deal

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BOSTON – (Source: Official News Release) – Greater Boston-area radio station – 98.5 The Sports Hub – and the Boston Bruins announced today a new multi-year extension to their partnership. As the flagship station of the Boston Bruins and the Boston Bruins Radio Network, the station is proud to broadcast all Bruins games for years to come.

In addition to broadcasting all Bruins games, 98.5 The Sports Hub will continue to air 30-minute pre- and post-game shows along with the two-hour weekly program, “The Hockey Show” which airs on Saturday from 9am-11am during season.

“The Sports Hub consistently delivers quality game broadcasts and comprehensive hockey coverage for our fans, and they have been crucial in joining our efforts to grow the game of hockey throughout New England,” said Bruins team president Cam Neely.

“We are thrilled to continue our longstanding partnership with the Boston Bruins and to be able to share our passion for the Bruins with our loyal New England fans,” said Mary Menna, VP & Market Manager, Beasley Media Boston.

“When the Sports Hub launched in 2009, we were committed to bringing our Bruins programming to another level,” said Sports Hub program director Rick Radzik. “Now, 12 years into our relationship, we’ve both achieved some great successes. I’m very pleased that we will continue to provide listeners with the excellent Bruins coverage they’ve come to expect.”

98.5 The Sports Hub, the country’s top sports station and the #1 station in Boston with men and adults.

NFL: Patriots 2021 Schedule

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FOXBORO – (Courtesy New England Patriots/NFLcom) – The New England Patriots announced their full 2021 season schedule tonight, in a 17-game regular season format for the first time. The slate features three scheduled nationally televised games, including a home Sunday Night Football game against the defending Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In addition to three primetime games, the Patriots will be featured in the marquee matchup of two games that will air as the second game of a double-header, with kickoffs scheduled at 4:25 p.m. ET.

The AFC was determined to be the home conference for the 17th game in 2021 and the Patriots will host the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 17 at 4:25 p.m. By hosting the 17th game in 2021, the AFC teams will host nine regular season games and one preseason game, while the NFC will have eight regular season games and two preseason home games.

In addition to hosting Tampa Bay on Sunday Night Football on Oct. 3, the Patriots will be on the road for two other primetime games – a Thursday Night Football game at Atlanta on Nov. 18 and a Monday Night Football game at Buffalo on Dec. 6. The game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium against the Falcons will be New England’s first regular season game at that venue and second appearance overall. New England defeated the Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta. The Patriots will play Buffalo on Monday night for the third straight season and for the second time in three seasons at Buffalo.

New England will square off against six playoff teams from 2020, with games against Buffalo, Cleveland, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Tampa Bay and Tennessee. In addition, the Patriots will play Houston for the seventh straight season despite not being in the same division. That mark is tied for the second-longest streak of games against a non-division opponent for New England. The Patriots faced Indianapolis for 10 straight seasons (2003-12) and Denver for seven straight seasons (2011-17). The only other non-division teams to meet at least seven consecutive seasons since 2002 were Buffalo and Kansas City, who played eight straight seasons from 2008-15.

In addition to playing each AFC East opponent twice, the Patriots will play one game against each AFC South and NFC South clubs. As the third-place finisher in the AFC East in 2020, the Patriots will also play the third-place team of the AFC North (Cleveland) and AFC West (Los Angles Chargers).

New England begins the 2021 season when they host the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Sept. 12, at 4:25 p.m. It will mark the fifth straight season that the Patriots open at home and the second straight year opening against the Dolphins after a 21-11 win in Week 1 of the 2020 season. It is the first time in team history that the Patriots will open the season in the same location against the same opponent in consecutive years.

Overall, it is the ninth time the Patriots will open the year against Miami and the sixth time they will open at against the Dolphins at home. The Patriots will open the season with two division games, traveling to the Jets in Week 2 on Sept. 19. It is the fourth time since the NFL realigned the divisions in 2002 that the Patriots will open the year with two division opponents (2006, 09, and 13).

The Patriots will return to the confines of Gillette Stadium when they host back-to-back NFC South teams with a 1 p.m. game against New Orleans on Sept. 26, followed by the Sunday night game against the Buccaneers on Oct. 3. The Patriots will then play consecutive games against the Texas teams, traveling to Houston for the third straight season on Oct 10, followed by a home game against Dallas on Oct. 17.

After a home game against the Jets on Oct. 24, the Patriots will have their only back-to-back road contests, traveling to the Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 31, followed by a road game at Carolina on Nov. 7. In 2020, the Patriots had one set of back-to-back road games and a three-game road trip. Carolina (3-2) and Seattle (3-2) are the only teams that have winning regular season records against the Patriots since 2001.

The Patriots will play at home against the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 14 and will have two primetime games in a three-week stretch with the Thursday game at Atlanta on Nov. 18, a home game against Tennessee on Nov. 28 and a Monday night game at Buffalo on Dec. 6.

Following the Monday game at Buffalo, the Patriots will have their bye week. The Week 14 bye is the latest since a Week 16 bye in 2001.

The date for the Patriots Week 15 game at Indianapolis will be either on Saturday Dec. 18 or Sunday Dec. 19. The date and time of that game will be determined later in the season. After back-to-back home games against Buffalo on Dec. 26 and Jacksonville on Jan. 2, the Patriots will close out the regular season for the 12th straight year against a division foe when they play at Miami on Jan. 9. It will mark the sixth time in team history that the Patriots will open and close the season against the same opponent. It also happened in 2003 and 2013 against Buffalo, 1987 against Miami, 1981 against the Baltimore Colts and in 1974 against Miami.

The 2021 season will mark the first time in team history that the Patriots will finish the regular season with two games in January. Also, it is the first time the Patriots will close out the year on the road since the 2016 season when they finished the regular season on the road against Miami. The Patriots will also end a seven-year streak of closing the regular season with consecutive division opponents.

Complete New England Patriots 2021 schedule:

DATE OPPONENT TIME AFFILIATE NETWORK
Sunday, Sept. 12 Miami Dolphins 4:25 p.m. WBZ CBS
Sunday, Sept. 19 at New York Jets 1:00 p.m. WBZ CBS
Sunday, Sept. 26 New Orleans Saints 1:00 p.m. WFXT FOX
Sunday, Oct. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers + 8:20 p.m. NBC/Bos NBC
Sunday, Oct. 10 at Houston Texans 1:00 p.m. WBZ CBS*
Sunday, Oct. 17 Dallas Cowboys 4:25 p.m. WBZ CBS*
Sunday, Oct. 24 New York Jets 1:00 p.m. WBZ CBS*
Sunday, Oct. 31 at Los Angeles Chargers 4:05 p.m. WBZ CBS*
Sunday, Nov. 7 at Carolina Panthers 1:00 p.m. WBZ CBS*
Sunday, Nov. 14 Cleveland Browns 1:00 p.m. WBZ CBS*
Thursday, Nov. 18 at Atlanta Falcons + 8:20 p.m. WFXT FOX /NFL/ AMAZON
Sunday, Nov. 28 Tennessee Titans 1:00 p.m. WBZ CBS*
Monday, Dec. 6 at Buffalo Bills + 8:15 p.m. WCVB ESPN
TBD (Dec. 18 or Dec. 19) at Indianapolis Colts TBD TBD TBD
Sunday, Dec. 26 Buffalo Bills 1:00 p.m. WBZ CBS*
Sunday, Jan. 2 Jacksonville Jaguars 1:00 p.m. WBZ CBS*
Sunday, Jan. 9 at Miami Dolphins 1:00 p.m. WBZ CBS*

*-Game time and network subject to possible flexible scheduling adjustment.

Pivetta to COVID-19 Injured List

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BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox placed right-handed pitcher Nick Pivetta on the COVID-19 Related Injured List (side effects from vaccination). To fill Pivetta’s spot on the active roster, the club recalled right-handed pitcher Eduard Bazardo from Triple-A Worcester. Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom made the announcement.

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Pivetta, 28, last started on May 9 in Baltimore, where he limited the Orioles to two runs over 6.0 innings in the Red Sox’ 4-3 win. The right-hander is 5-0 with a team-leading 3.19 ERA (13 ER/36.2 IP) and .190 opponent batting average over seven starts this season, tossing at least 5.0 innings in six of them. Pivetta is tied for the American League lead in wins and ranks among league leaders hits per nine innings (5th, 5.89) and home runs per nine innings (5th, 0.49).

Bruins Close Season with Loss at DC

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WASH DC – Capitals forward Michael Raffl scored with 1.8 seconds remaining as host Washington defeated the shorthanded Boston Bruins, 2-1, Tuesday night in the regular-season finale for both teams.

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The NHL clubs will meet in the opening round of the NHL’s East Division Stanley Cup playoffs.

Carl Hagelin also scored for the Capitals (36-15-5, 77 points), who finished second in the division. Goaltender Vitek Vanecek made 24 saves. Curtis Lazar scored for third-place Boston (33-16-7, 73 points), and reserve goalkeeper Jeremy Swayman stopped 30 of 32 shots for the Bruins.

The teams, who were already locked into their playoff positions, took much different lineup approaches in the warmup act before Game 1 on Saturday in Washington. The Capitals played most of their regulars, including forward Alex Ovechkin, who had missed seven of the previous eight games with a lower-body injury and needed some ice time.

The Bruins, locked to the No. 3 playoff slot, employed a lineup that would’ve been more likely to play at their American Hockey League affiliate in Providence. Eight of Boston’s top nine forwards didn’t make the trip, nor did its top six defensemen and starting goaltender Tuukka Rask.

On the winning goal, Raffl took a pass from Justin Schultz and drove to the goal line on the left wing before firing a sharp-angle shot that sailed just behind Swayman’s head and into the top far corner of the net.

The Bruins and Capitals begin their NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series on Saturday night in Washington.

 

 

Red Sox Drop 3-2 Decision to A’s

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BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox lost for just the second time when their starter lasted at least 6.0 innings and last night that designation went to Nathan Eovaldi  who allowed only one run over 6.0 innings for the second time in his last three starts but the Oakland A’s outlasted Boston 3-2 at Fenway Park.

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The Athletics are 22-9 over their last 31 games, after starting the year 0-6. A’s starter Chris Bassitt went 7.0 innings, and allowed two runs on three hits. Bassitt recorded his third career game with 10+ strike-outs and his second with 10+ strike-outs and no walks.

A’s 3B slugger Matt Chapman went 1-for-3, and hit an RBI single in the 7th inning to put the A’s ahead, 2-1. Chapman has reached base safely in five of his last seven plate appearances. A’s SS Elvis Andrus added an RBI single in the seventh to extend the A’s lead to 3-1. Andrus has a hit in four straight games after going hitless in seven of his previous 10 outings.

For the Sox, Eovaldi threw a season-high 102 pitches and has tossed at least 6.0 innings in four of his eight starts, the most by a Red Sox pitcher this season. Eovaldi has not allowed a home run in his last 58.0 innings, MLB’s longest active streak.

Sox 3B Rafael Devers hit a solo home run in the seventh inning.

Bassitt was credited with the win and relieve Jake Diekman earned the save.

Both clubs are (22-15) on the year. The Red Sox are 10-10 at Fenway Park.

 

 

Patriots Open at Home vs Dolphins

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FOXBORO – The NFL trickled out just a few of their 2021 schedule and among the items released were each team’s season opening games. Just as they did a year ago, the New England Patriots will play the Miami Dolphins in Foxboro for each team’s first game of the 2021 NFL regular season.

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Kickoff for the Patriots vs Miami game at Gillette Stadium is scheduled or 4:25 EDT on Sunday, September 12 and will be broadcast by CBS. The game marks the fourth time in the past 10 years that the division rival Patriots-Dolphins will meet in the regular season opener.  A year ago, New England opened their season with a 21-11 victory over Miami at Gillette Stadium.

Jalen Brown Out for Season, Playoffs

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BOSTON – Celtics forward Jaylen Brown was diagnosed with a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist. Brown is expected to have the torn ligament surgically repaired this week, and will be out for the remainder of the 2020-21 regular season and playoffs.

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Brown had recently been sidelined with a sprained ankle.

Further updates will be provided as appropriate.

Bruins Lose to NY Rangers

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BOSTON – After winning four straight and clinching a spot in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Boston Bruins have now lost two-of-three to drop to 6-3-1 over their last 10 games. The Bruins have two games remaining in the regular season, Monday against the New York Islanders, at home and Tuesday at Washington.

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On Saturday, Mika Zibanejad scored two of New York’s four third-period goals, and the Rangers finished their 2021 season with a 5-4 victory over Boston. The Rangers ended on a high note and broke a five-game losing streak.

For Boston, forward David Pastrnak scored his 200th career goal, Brad Marchand put in his team-leading 28th, and Patrice Bergeron and Nick Ritchie also scored for the Bruins, who had earned at least a point in their previous six games (5-0-1). Bruins goalkeeper Tuukka Rask stopped 18 shots but allowed the four third period goals.

The Rangers ended a tumultuous week as team owner James Dolan unexpectedly fired team president John Davidson and General Manager Jeff Gorton on Wednesday.

 

Sox, E-Rod Get the Best of Baltimore

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BALTIMORE – With the aid of his teammates and retired Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, Boston 1B Bobby Dalbec snapped an 0-for-27 batting slump with a single and a three-run homer, powering the Boston Red Sox to a 6-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night at Orioles Park at Camden Yards.

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Sox starter and team ace Eduardo Rodriguez (5-0) allowed one run on seven hits while striking out two batters over five innings to help the Red Sox improve to a the MLB-best record of 20-13. Boston won the last nine games Rodriguez has started against Baltimore, where he originally signed as a free agent in 2010 before he was traded to the Sox for reliever Andrew Miller.

The Red Sox lead the majors in runs (166), batting average (.267), slugging (.444), on-base+slugging (.776), doubles (72), and extra base hits (113). In their last 5 games, the Sox are batting .311 with an .856 (on-base+slugging) with (7.4 runs per game).

Tonight, Boston’s righty, Garrett Richards,  (1-2, 4.40 ERA) will make his third start against the Orioles this season. In the previous two games, he’s 0-1, allowing eight runs and 10 hits with six strikeouts and five walks over seven innings.