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Sox, Cubs: Rubber Game at Wrigley

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CHICAGO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Chicago Cubs host the Boston Red Sox on Sunday in the rubber match of both teams’ first series since the All-Star break.

Following an 8-3 loss on Friday in which five different Boston batters homered, Chicago evened the series on Saturday with a 10-4 romp.

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Cody Bellinger hit a third-inning grand slam that gave the Cubs a 6-0 lead. The gap never dipped below five runs the rest of the way.

“He’s been more than expected since he’s been here,” Chicago manager David Ross said of Bellinger. “He’s the total package, right? The defense, the clubhouse presence, the at-bat. And the power is showing up.”

Bellinger homered twice in Friday’s loss and is hitting .476 (20-for-42) in the month of July.

Every Chicago batter connected for at least one hit in Saturday’s win. Five drove in runs, led by Bellinger, who had the four RBIs thanks to his eighth career grand slam. Patrick Wisdom drove in two with a fourth-inning home run, and Nico Hoerner, Christopher Morel and Miguel Amaya each had one RBI.

Cubs All-Star left-hander Justin Steele (9-2, 2.56 ERA) looks to pitch Chicago to the series win on Sunday. Steele has won in each of his last three starts in which he earned a decision, though his most recent outing — a six-inning appearance on July 5 at National League Central rival Milwaukee — was a no-decision.

Steele gave up three earned runs and nine hits in that contest, a 4-3 Cubs win. Both were the most Steele has allowed since giving up 10 hits and five earned runs on May 26 against Cincinnati.

The appearance against Cincinnati was Steele’s most recent loss. Sunday marks Steele’s first time facing the Red Sox.

Right-hander Kutter Crawford (3-4, 4.11) will take the mound for Boston for his first career appearance against the Cubs.

Crawford last pitched on July 6, giving up three runs and seven hits over four innings in a no-decision against Texas.

The right-hander has struck out 58 over 61 1/3 innings on the season and recorded two of his three wins in 2023 over his last four starts prior to the All-Star break.

Boston aims to bounce back from its first loss since July 4. The Red Sox had won six straight games prior to Saturday’s setback.

“People make a big deal out of one game,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We’ll show up (Sunday) and play good baseball. We just didn’t make one play (Saturday), and that was it. We walked two, we hit one guy, we don’t make a play, they score six (runs).”

By scoring six runs in the third inning on Saturday, the Cubs matched the most runs scored by an opponent in a single game during Boston’s recent winning streak. The 10 total runs Chicago scored were just two fewer than Boston surrendered in its four previous games combined.

Though the Red Sox are five games above .500, Saturday’s loss dropped Boston to last place in the American League East.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Sign Jay Scrubb

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Boston Celtics signed reserve guard Jay Scrubb to a two-way contract. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Scrubb, 6-5/220, has appeared in 24 career NBA games (one start) with the Los Angeles Clippers (2020-22), and Orlando Magic (2022-23) and owns career averages of 4.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per game.

The Louisville, Kentucky native appeared in two games for the Magic last season and averaged 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.0 steals in 15.0 minutes per game. He also appeared in 28 games (25 starts) with the Lakeland Magic of the NBA G League, where he finished sixth in the league in total points scored (625) and ranked eighth in scoring with 22.3 points per game and averaged 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 31.0 minutes.

Scrubb was selected with the 55th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and became the first Junior College player selected in the NBA Draft since 2004. Scrubb earned First-Team NJCAA All-American honors in each of his two years at John A. Logan College and was named the 2019-20 National Junior College Athletic Association Player of the Year. He started in 55 of his 59 games played, and averaged 21.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists from 2018-20.

Power to the Red Sox

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CHICAGO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – When the Boston Red Sox signed left fielder Masataka Yoshida to a five-year, $90 million deal this offseason, few expected him to put his name on a list with Ted Williams.

But he did just that.

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Yoshida is Boston’s first left-handed hitter to string together eight straight multi-hit games since Williams accomplished the feat in 1940. He will try to keep the hits coming on Saturday when the Red Sox play the second game of a three-game set against the host Chicago Cubs.

During his impressive run, Yoshida has gone 17-for-34 (.500) with two homers, five RBIs and eight runs. He went 2-for-5 on Friday, helping the Red Sox pick up an 8-3 victory over Chicago in the series opener.

It wasn’t just Yoshida powering Boston to its sixth straight win, though, as the Red Sox clubbed a season-high six homers. Rafael Devers hit a pair of solo shots, while Adam Duvall, Triston Casas, Justin Turner and Yu Chang also went deep.

“We’re gonna hit, we know that. It’s just a matter of staying with an approach,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “We’re playing good baseball right now. It’s a good brand of baseball, it’s fun, and hopefully we can continue (Saturday).”

Left-hander James Paxton (5-1, 2.73 ERA) will hope the lineup can produce similar results on Saturday when he makes his 11th start of the season.

Paxton has been stellar over his past seven outings, going 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA.

In his most recent start, Paxton allowed two runs on six hits in six innings during a victory against the Oakland Athletics on July 8. He walked one and struck out three.

Paxton has never faced the Cubs.

Right-hander Marcus Stroman (9-6, 2.96 ERA) will get the nod for Chicago as he attempts to get back on track.

Through his first 16 starts this season, Stroman went 9-4 with a 2.28 ERA. In three outings since then, he is 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA, most recently surrendering four runs on four hits in five innings against the Milwaukee Brewers on July 6.

Due to his recent struggles, Stroman opted to sit out of Tuesday’s All-Star Game and focus on getting ready for the second half of the season.

“It’s been a huge process,” Stroman said. “I’m very thankful for everybody who’s helped me get to this point. I’m definitely looking forward to having a little bit of a break — kind of just reset my energy, clear my mind and have a good second half.”

Stroman will be presented with a good opportunity to find his early-season form on Saturday, as the right-hander is 6-4 with a 3.65 ERA in 15 career starts against the Red Sox.

Although the Cubs have alternated wins and losses over their past six games, center fielder Cody Bellinger has been a beacon of consistency. He has hit safely in 15 of his last 16 games, going 26-for-59 (.441) with four homers, nine RBIs and 15 runs during that span.

Bellinger accounted for most of Chicago’s offense during the loss on Friday, smacking two solo home runs.

–Field Level Media

Bello Starts-Off Sox Second Half

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CHICAGO – (Staff and Wire Service Report)Taking advantage of a starting pitching staff ravaged by injuries, Boston Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello is quickly starting to establish himself as an ace.

Bello has been rolling since late April and will look to continue dominating opposing lineups when the Red Sox open a three-game series against the host Chicago Cubs on Friday night to begin the second half of the season.

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After seeing left-hander Chris Sale hit the 60-day injured list due to a stress reaction in his shoulder blade, the Red Sox suddenly found themselves in more danger when right-handers Garrett Whitlock (elbow) and Tanner Houck (facial fracture) both landed on the 15-day IL.

But Bello (6-5, 3.04 ERA) has come to the rescue.

Over his last 12 starts, the 24-year-old has gone 6-4 with a 2.35 ERA. In addition to allowing no more than three earned runs in each of those 12 outings, Bello has worked at least five innings on 11 occasions during that stretch.

In his most recent start, Bello held the Texas Rangers’ high-octane offense at bay on July 5, surrendering two runs on eight hits in seven innings. He didn’t issue a walk while striking out three.

“The sinker is my best pitch and it always gets me out of trouble, and (July 5) was no exception,” Bello said through a translator. “(July 5) was a really good day for me, everything was working well, the changeup and sinker, and I was glad to be able to get quick outs after those first couple innings.”

Bello has never faced the Cubs.

Right-hander Kyle Hendricks (3-3, 3.04) will oppose Bello and try to bounce back from a rough outing against the New York Yankees on Sunday.

Hendricks was tagged for four runs on 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings, but he escaped with a no-decision after Chicago scored six unanswered runs en route to a 7-4 win.

“That’s a really nice team win, something I think we needed going into the break,” Cubs manager David Ross said. “These guys have fought really hard. The way we’ve come back here lately has been really impressive.”

Chicago has won four of its last six games after going 1-7 over its previous eight. The Cubs have received a boost from right fielder Seiya Suzuki, who is 9-for-22 (.409) with a home run, two RBIs and three runs in his last six games.

Suzuki would be the hottest hitter heading into Friday’s matchup had it not been for Japanese countryman and Boston left fielder Masataka Yoshida, who is on a historic run.

Yoshida has logged seven consecutive multi-hit games, becoming the first rookie in Red Sox franchise history to accomplish the feat since Johnny Pesky did so in 1942. He is batting .517 (15-for-29) with two homers, five RBIs and seven runs during his streak.

If Hendricks wants to contain Yoshida and the rest of Boston’s lineup, he will need to replicate his only previous performance against the Red Sox. On April 30, 2017, Hendricks limited Boston to two runs on three hits across six innings while walking three and striking out six.

The Red Sox and Cubs last met in July 2022, when Chicago took two games of a three-game set at home. Prior to that, the clubs hadn’t faced each other since 2017.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox Draft Teel, Zanetello

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The Boston Red Sox selected catcher Kyle Teel out of the University of Virginia with their first-round pick (14th overall) in the 2023 MLB First-Year Player Draft. The club also selected shortstop Nazzan Zanetello out of Christian Brothers College High School (MO) in the second round (50th overall). Red Sox Director of Amateur Scouting Devin Pearson made the announcement.

Teel, 21, was ranked among the top 10 prospects available in this year’s draft by MLB.com (No. 7) and Baseball America (No. 10). Named the 2023 Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year and a consensus First Team All-American, the left-handed hitter batted .407 (105-for-258) with a 1.130 OPS, 25 doubles, 13 home runs, and 69 RBI while starting as the catcher in all 65 of the Cavaliers’ games as a junior this season. He threw out 15 of 24 runners attempting to steal while managing Virginia’s pitching staff to the fourth-lowest ERA in Division 1 (3.81), earning honors as the Buster Posey Collegiate Catcher of the Year and Top NCAA Male Baseball Catcher as part of the Johnny Bench Awards.

The New Jersey native is a graduate of Mahwah High School (NJ), where he was named the 2020 New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year and the No. 1 overall player in the state according to Perfect Game. He played eight games for the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2022 and was selected to play on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team in both 2021 and 2022. His brother, Aidan, played alongside him on the University of Virginia baseball team. Their father, Garett, was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 12thround of the 1989 MLB Draft (316th overall) and spent five years with the organization as a player and catching coach.

Zanetello, 18, was a 2023 First Team All-State selection in Missouri, batting .421 (45-for-107) with nine doubles, three triples, nine home runs, 33 RBI, and 21 stolen bases in 38 games during his senior season. In 2022, the right-handed hitter was a Perfect Game All-American and participated in their National Showcase, while also being named MVP of the Breakthrough Series and playing for Team USA in an 18-and-under World Cup qualifying tournament, during which he led the team in hitting (.429). The Missouri native had committed to play for the University of Arkansas.

Less than two weeks after helping LSU win the College World Series, right-hander Paul Skenes and outfielder Dylan Crews were not done making history. Skenes was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the No. 1 overall pick and the Washington Nationals followed by taking Crews at No. 2 at the 2023 MLB Draft in Seattle on Sunday night. It marked the first time in MLB draft history that a pair of teammates were taken with the top two picks.

Skenes is the sixth No. 1 draft selection in Pirates franchise history, joining third baseman Jeff King (1986), catcher Henry Davis (2021) and right-handers Kris Benson (1996), Bryan Bullington (2002) and Gerrit Cole (2011).

“It’s cool,” Skenes told ESPN, referring to his feelings about being the top pick. “But I think the biggest part is that my college career is over now (and) I get to keep playing baseball and hopefully do it for a long time.

“So I’m just super grateful for that.”

After spending the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Air Force, Skenes shined during his time with the Tigers, going 12-2 with a 1.69 ERA in 19 starts in 2023. He was named National Player of the Year and National Pitcher of the Year before helping LSU prevail at the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., where he earned CWS Most Outstanding Player honors.

In addition to his time with the Tigers and Falcons, Skenes also played for the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League in the summer of 2021.

Crews hit .380 with 58 homers and 184 RBIs across three seasons with the Tigers. He put up video-game numbers in 2023, recording the third-best batting average in the nation (.426) while ripping 18 home runs and racking up 70 RBIs.

In addition to being named Southeastern Conference Player of the Year this past season, Crews won the Golden Spikes Award as the top amateur baseball player in the country.

Red Sox Streak Into MLB Break

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BOSTON –  (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Masataka Yoshida went 2-for-4 with a go-ahead home run in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Boston Red Sox rallied to sweep the visiting Oakland Athletics with a 4-3 win on Sunday afternoon.

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After dropping the first two games of the series, Oakland scored first and held a 3-1 lead through six innings.

Boston tied the game on Adam Duvall‘s solo homer and Christian Arroyo’s RBI double in the sixth inning before Yoshida’s solo shot into the Green Monster seats two innings later, extending its winning streak to five games entering the All-Star break.

Duvall finished with a pair of RBIs, while Yoshida also scored two runs.

Chris Martin (3-1) earned the win.

Brent Rooker went 3-for-3 with a solo homer for Oakland, which held an 11-6 advantage in the hit column but committed three errors in the field. Jace Peterson and Manny Pina both had two hits.

Ken Waldichuk (2-6) allowed the winning run over 1 1/3 innings after Paul Blackburn, who had been scheduled to start Saturday before an illness scratch, pitched in relief of starter JP Sears.

The A’s got out to a first-inning lead as Ryan Noda hit a one-out double before advancing on a wild pitch and scoring on Red Sox catcher Jorge Alfaro’s subsequent throwing error.

Red Sox opener Tayler Scott got out of the first inning, allowing just the one unearned run.

Rob Refsnyder drew a leadoff walk and scored a tying run on Duvall’s sacrifice fly in the Boston half of the opening frame.

Oakland took the lead when Noda drew a bases-loaded, two-out walk against Boston reliever Chris Murphy in the second. Murphy worked three innings in relief of Scott, striking out four, walking four and yielding two hits.

Rooker added to the A’s lead with a one-out solo shot to left in the fifth.

–Field Level Media

As MLB Breaks, It’s All Hot-Sox

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) –  The Boston Red Sox have clicked on all cylinders over their first two games against the Oakland Athletics this weekend. Entering today’s series and unofficial first-half finale, Boston has won four straight games and seven out of eight, while scoring 27 runs in just the last three games.

The Red Sox have put together seven consecutive games with at least 10 hits after pounding out 15 in Saturday’s 10-3 triumph.

Jarren Duran went 3-for-5 with a double, home run, three RBIs and three runs to lead the way. It was his sixth three-hit game of the season and extended his hitting streak to five games.

“Man, he’s on fire,” James Paxton, Saturday’s starting pitcher for the Red Sox, said of Duran. “It’s fun to watch. You know, he’s such an athletic guy, and so many tools on the field. He’s an exciting player, and I’m glad he’s on our team.”

Boston’s recent success has hardly been a one-man effort. Justin Turner has also been on a hot streak with at least one RBI in eight straight games.

Nonetheless, Red Sox manager Alex Cora knows how crucial Duran’s surge has been.

“We know about Alex (Verdugo). We know about (Masataka) Yoshida. We know about the power of (Adam) Duvall,” Cora said. “But when we talk about Jarren, give credit to the front office. They stuck with the kid, and we have found ways to play him. He’s been very dynamic.”

Cora is expected to use Tayler Scott (0-0, 7.71 ERA) as an opener less than a week after his Red Sox debut. He was acquired from the Dodgers in a trade late last month. While with the Seattle Mariners in 2019, Scott made one relief appearance against the Athletics, surrendering two unearned runs over two innings.

Left-hander JP Sears (1-6, 4.09) is scheduled to make his team-leading 18th start for the Athletics, making him their only pitcher to remain in the rotation all season.

“One of the goals was just to be available every fifth day — give my team 30 starts by the end of the year,” Sears said. “Hopefully, I can just keep it up. Stay on top of my routine and stay healthy so we can be there by the end of the year.”

Sears has allowed two or fewer runs in six of his last eight starts, including Tuesday in Detroit. He worked 7 1/3 shutout innings and allowed just five hits while striking out four in Oakland’s 1-0 win. It was the longest start of his career in the majors.

“Probably the best start of the year for us by a starter,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said, calling that outing “the definition of how to pitch. He used his weapons. Kept the ball out of the middle of the plate.”

In his first career start against Boston, Sears will look to break the A’s out of a 6-16 drought. They allowed nine extra-base hits Saturday and have won just four road series all season.

Brent Rooker and Manny Pina homered Saturday against Paxton.

–Field Level Media

Sox Reinstate Rodriguez, Drop Garza

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BOSTON – Before Saturday’s game, the Red Sox reinstated left-handed pitcher Joely Rodriguez from the 15-Day Injured List. To make room for Rodriguez on the active Major League roster, the club optioned right-handed pitcher Justin Garza to Triple-A Worcester following Friday night’s game against the Oakland Athletics. Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom made the announcement.

Rodriguez, 31, was placed on the Injured List on June 4 due to left shoulder inflammation. The left-handed made five rehab appearances with Worcester (three games) and Double-A Portland (two), posting a 4.15 ERA (2 ER/4.1 IP) with six strikeouts. Signed by Boston as a free agent on November 23, 2022, Rodriguez has allowed eight runs in 4.0 innings pitched over five outings with the Red Sox this season, and owns a 4.92 ERA (82 ER/150.0 IP) in 162 career games with the Philadelphia Phillies (2016-17), Texas Rangers (2020-21), New York Yankees (2021), New York Mets (2022), and Red Sox (2023).

Garza, 29, has pitched in 16 games (one start) for the Red Sox this season, posting a 6.11 ERA (12 ER/17.2 IP). The right-hander also owns a 3.38 ERA (2 ER/5.1 IP) in four appearances for Worcester. Claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels on April 28, Garza has pitched to a 5.24 ERA (27 ER/46.1 IP) in 37 career Major League games (one start) with the Cleveland Guardians (2021) and Red Sox (2023).

Red Sox Defeat Lowly A’s

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BOSTON – A five-run second inning gave the surging Red Sox all the offense they needed en route to a 7-3 win over the visiting Oakland Athletics on Friday night.

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Jarren Duran, Justin Turner and Alex Verdugo all went 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead Boston, while recently activated SS Yu Chang drove in two runs.

Boston’s Nick Pivetta (5-5) allowed two earned runs in five innings to earn the win following a strong starting effort of opener Brennan Bernardino.

Seth Brown homered and scored twice for Oakland in the losing effort.

The Red Sox offense rallied for its second big inning in as many nights, scoring five runs while batting around in the bottom of the second.

After Verdugo and Enrique Hernandez singled and Triston Casas walked to load the bases, A’s opener Sam Long (0-1) was pulled in favor of Luis Medina, who allowed three straight one-out singles that produced the opening runs.

Chang hit a ground ball single into center field to bring in the first two runs. After Medina uncorked a wild pitch, Duran and Turner laced back-to-back base hits to increase the Boston lead to 4-0. Rafael Devers finished the scoring in the inning with an RBI fielder’s choice.

Oakland got on the board with Tony Kemp’s two-out single in the fifth. Kemp was able to advance on a subsequent throwing error by Devers, but Pivetta got out of the jam with a popup.

Brown added to the Oakland offense with a one-out homer to right-center following Shea Langeliers’ double in the seventh

Yu Chang, Paxton Re-Join Red Sox

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The Boston Red Sox today announced the following roster moves:

  • Reinstated left-handed pitcher James Paxton from the Paternity Leave List.
  • Reinstated infielder Yu Chang from the 60-Day Injured List.
  • Placed right-handed pitcher Kaleb Ort on the 15-Day Injured List (retroactive to July 5) with right elbow inflammation.
  • Optioned infielder David Hamilton to Triple-A Worcester following last night’s game against the Texas Rangers.
  • Designated left-handed pitcher Ryan Sherriff for assignment.

Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom made the announcement.

Paxton, 34, was named the American League Pitcher of the Month for June, going 3-0 with a 1.74 ERA (6 ER/31.0 IP) and .165 opponent batting average (18-for-109) during the month. He last started on June 30 in Toronto, tossing a season-high 7.2 scoreless innings with three hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts. Signed by Boston as a free agent on December 1, 2021, the left-hander is 4-1 with a 2.70 ERA (15 ER/50.0 IP) in nine starts this season and has posted a 3.53 ERA (316 ER/804.2 IP) in 146 career starts with the Seattle Mariners (2013-18, 2021), New York Yankees (2019-20), and the Red Sox (2023).

Chang, 27, was placed on the Injured List on April 25 with a left hamate fracture. The right-handed hitter has played in 17 games with the Red Sox this season, making 11 starts at shortstop and two at second base. Signed by Boston on February 16, Chang has appeared in 213 Major League games with the Cleveland Guardians (2019-22), Pittsburgh Pirates (2022), Tampa Bay Rays (2022), and Red Sox (2022-23), third most among players born in Taiwan behind Wei-Yin Chen (219) and Hung-Chih Kuo (218).

Ort, 31, allowed two runs in 0.2 innings on Tuesday against Texas. The right-hander has posted a 6.26 ERA (16 ER/23.0 IP) with 24 strikeouts in 21 games (two starts) for Boston this season, while also recording a 1.86 ERA (2 ER/9.2 IP) in 10 games with Worcester. Selected from the New York Yankees in the Triple-A phase of the 2020 Rule 5 Draft, Ort owns a 6.27 ERA (36 ER/51.2 IP) in 47 career Major League games (two starts) with the Red Sox (2021-23).

Hamilton, 25, has played in 13 games for the Red Sox, making 10 starts at shortstop. The left-handed hitter has gone 4-for-29 with two doubles and five walks while going 2-for-3 in stolen base attempts. Acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in a four-player trade on December 1, 2021, Hamilton has also hit .255 with an .825 OPS and 27 stolen bases in 52 games for Worcester this season, going 53-for-208 with nine doubles, three triples, 11 home runs, 39 runs, and 25 RBI.

Sherriff, 33, has posted a 2.70 ERA (2 ER/6.2 IP) in five games for the Red Sox this season, most recently pitching in both games of the doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays on June 3. The left-hander also owns a 2.82 ERA (7 ER/22.1 IP) in 21 appearances for Worcester this season. Signed by Boston as a minor league free agent on January 21, Sherriff has recorded a 3.53 ERA (20 ER/51.0 IP) in 49 career games for the St. Louis Cardinals (2017-18), Tampa Bay Rays (2020-21), and Red Sox (2023).