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Can Rockies Sweep Sockies?

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Colorado Rockies hope left-hander Austin Gomber can improve on his recent form as they attempt to complete a three-game road sweep of the Boston Red Sox  tonight. Colorado earned 10-inning wins at Boston the past two nights, prevailing 4-3 on Monday and 7-6 on Tuesday.

The Rockies scored three runs in the top of the 10th on Tuesday, then held on despite Rafael Devers‘ second two-run homer of the night in the bottom of the frame to seal their third straight victory.

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“It was a good team win,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “A lot of guys in a lot of different spots helped out.”

The Red Sox have lost their past five home games, and they are just 4-11 in their past 15 games in Boston. They have dropped five of the past seven contests overall.

“Keep playing hard, clean up a few things and go from there,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said following the Tuesday defeat. “We just have to play well. That’s it. Two extra-inning games, kind of a flip of the coin, right? … From my end, it’s not deflating.”

Gomber (4-5, 7.57 ERA) allowed 15 runs on 25 hits in just 10 2/3 innings over his past three starts. He walked eight and struck out eight during that span.

Gomber took the loss in his latest outing after he surrendered 11 hits — including three home runs — and seven runs in four-plus innings during a 9-6 defeat against the San Diego Padres on Friday. All three home runs came on four-seam fastballs.

The 29-year-old Florida native, who is in his fifth major league season, has not pitched against the Red Sox.

Rockies reliever Daniel Bard earned the win in each of the first two games in the series. The Red Sox selected Bard with the 28th overall pick in the 2006 draft, and he pitched for Boston from 2009-13.

“We’re pushing Daniel a bit because we think things are coming together for him,” Rockies manager Bud Black said of Bard, who has a 0.87 ERA in 20 2/3 innings over 20 appearances this season.

The Rockies haven’t swept an opponent since they won three straight against the Milwaukee Brewers from May 2-4.

Right-hander Garrett Whitlock (3-2, 4.78 ERA) is scheduled to start on the mound for Boston, and unlike Gomber, he’s trending in a positive direction. He is a 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA in his past three starts.

Whitlock outdueled Gerrit Cole in his most recent outing, a 3-2 win against the New York Yankees on Friday. Whitlock yielded two runs (one earned) on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out six and issued one walk.

Whitlock replaced Corey Kluber in Boston’s rotation after Kluber, a two-time American League Cy Young Award winner, began the season with a 2-6 record and a 6.26 ERA in his first nine appearances. Whitlock has not faced Colorado during his career.

Despite Devers’ heroics on Tuesday, the Red Sox went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

The Wednesday game will be the third contest of a 10-game road trip for the Rockies, who will start a four-game series at Atlanta on Thursday before finishing the trip with three at Cincinnati.

The Red Sox are 0-2 to start a six-game homestand that concludes with a three-game visit from the New York Yankees this weekend.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox: Wet and Rocky Start to Series

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BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox received strong outings from three of their young starting pitchers against the New York Yankees over the weekend, and they will look for that trend to continue when they send 27-year-old Kutter Crawford to the mound Tuesday for the second game of a three-game series against the visiting Colorado Rockies.

Colorado took the rain-delayed series opener 4-3 in 10 innings on Monday.

Garrett Whitlock, Tanner Houck and Brayan Bello limited the Yankees to six runs (five earned) in 19 1/3 innings to help the Red Sox win two of their three games against New York. Whitlock, the oldest of the three, turned 27 Sunday. All three pitchers went at least six innings against the Yankees and allowed no more than two runs.

“To come here with those three kids and pitch the way they did, hopefully we can build off of this,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said following Boston’s 3-2 victory over New York on Sunday night. “That was really good by Whit, by Tanner and by Bello. That was impressive.

“Obviously we need to pitch to get back (into contention). The offense is going to be OK. It’s just a matter of time to get good at-bats and get people healthy.”

The growth of Boston’s young starters took on added importance after the Red Sox moved veteran left-hander Chris Sale to the 60-day injured list on Friday. Sale sustained a stress reaction in his left shoulder blade while pitching against the Cincinnati Reds on June 1.

Crawford (1-3, 3.68 ERA) took Sale’s spot in the rotation on Wednesday, when he threw three-plus innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits in a 5-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. Tuesday’s game will be the first time Crawford has pitched against Colorado during his career.

Right-hander Chase Anderson (0-0, 2.25 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Rockies. Colorado claimed Anderson off waivers after Tampa Bay designated him for assignment on May 10.

Anderson has made six career appearances (five starts) against Boston and is 1-0 with a 6.35 ERA. He will be facing a Red Sox team that has failed to put more than three runs in nine of its past 10 games. Boston has a 3-7 record in that span.

The Red Sox made two errors in the Monday night loss, each of which allowed the Rockies to score a run.

“Not a good game, we made two errors and the (10th-inning, bases-loaded) walk,” Cora said. “Frustrating. We don’t make plays and they score runs.”

Colorado will be seeking its third straight victory. The Rockies ended a six-game losing streak by beating the San Diego Padres 5-4 on Sunday, then scored the tying run in the eighth inning on Monday against the Red Sox before prevailing in the 10th.

Rockies reliever Daniel Bard earned the win in his first game back at Boston since he pitched for the Red Sox from 2009-13.

“There were a lot more good memories than negative, so that’s where my mind is at — just enjoying it,” Bard said, according to MLB.com.

Tuesday’s contest will be the second game of a 10-game road trip for the Rockies. Boston opened a six-game home stand on Monday.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox Return Home for Rockies

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – In search of more offense, the Boston Red Sox return home to open a three-game home stand against the Colorado Rockies on Monday night.

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Although Boston won two of three games against the New York Yankees over the weekend, the Red Sox were held to seven runs in the series. Boston has scored three runs or fewer in eight of its last nine games and has a 3-6 record over that span.

“We have traffic,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of the Red Sox’s ability to get on base following Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the Yankees. “We’re working the counts, but obviously we’re not scoring runs. We’re not finishing anything. The two-out hits … they’re always important in this game and we’ve just got to find a way to get it going, finish the at-bats.”

Monday’s contest will be the start of a 10-game road trip for Colorado, which ended a six-game losing streak by beating San Diego 5-4 Sunday. That victory also ended the team’s five-game losing streak at home.

Ryan McMahon hit a game-tying home run in the ninth inning for the Rockies, and, after a 1-hour, 25-minute rain delay, Nolan Jones hit a game-winning home run later in the ninth.

Colorado also got a home run from second baseman Coco Montes in his major league debut.

Left-hander James Paxton (2-1, 3.81 ERA) is scheduled to start on the mound for the Red Sox on Monday. He’s 1-3 with a 4.82 ERA in four career starts against the Rockies.

Paxton struck out nine and gave up two runs in seven innings during his last start to help the Red Sox defeat Cleveland 5-4 last Tuesday.

“We feel really confident whenever Paxton is taking the bump right now,” Red Sox outfielder Rob Refsnyder said. “He’s got pretty special stuff as you see. A high 90s fastball, kind of just bearing in. He gives us ace-caliber stuff.”

The Rockies will be looking for another strong start from right-hander Connor Seabold, who took a no-hitter into the sixth inning of Wednesday’s 5-4 loss to San Francisco. The no-hit bid ended when LaMonte Wade singled with one out in the sixth.

Seabold (1-2, 5.10) limited the Giants to two runs on two hits in six innings before departing in and ultimately receiving a no-decision. He struck out four and walked two.

“That’s the version that you’d like to see out of Connor and his stuff,” Colorado manager Bud Black said following that game. “Four pitches — fastball command to both sides of the plate, good changeup, slider, a couple of curveballs. A mix of pitches, changing speeds, disrupting timing of the hitters, crowding some guys on their hands.”

Before facing the Giants, Seabold allowed one run on three hits in 5 1/3 innings against Arizona on June 1. He struck out five and walked two in that game — also a 5-4 loss in which he did not get a decision.

The Rockies acquired Seabold from the Red Sox in January. He spent most of the 2022 season with Triple-A Worcester, where he went 8-2 with a 3.32 ERA. Seabold has never pitched against the Red Sox.

Colorado catcher Elias Diaz was not in the lineup Sunday after he was hit in the mask by a foul ball during Saturday’s game. Catcher Brian Serven was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque for Sunday’s game against San Diego, though he did not play.

–Field Level Media

Yankees’ Home Runs Sink Red Sox

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BRONX, NY – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – New York’s SP Domingo German allowed only a home run to Boston’s 3B Rafael Devers in six solid innings as the host New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 3-1 Saturday.

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New York’s duo of Gleyber Torres homered in the fourth and Willie Calhoun hit a tie-breaking homer in the sixth as the Yankees defeated the Red Sox for the seventh time in the past eight home meetings. Kyle Higashioka of the Yanks added an RBI single in the seventh.

German (4-3) allowed one run on six hits for his third career win over the Red Sox and first since Aug. 3, 2019.

Devers homered for the second straight night after ending a 16-game home run drought Friday. It was Devers’ 21st career homer against the Yankees since making his debut in 2017.

Before the homer, German retired Devers twice with a runner on base. In the first, German stranded Justin Turner at first by fanning Devers. Two innings later, Turner was stranded at third when left fielder Jake Bauers made a leaping catch of a Devers drive while crashing into the left-field fence.

Nuggets Back in Control of NBA Finals

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MIAMI – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Denver Nuggets stand two victories away from their first NBA title and their top two players are coming off historic performances. But the Nuggets remember their Game 2 home loss and know they will need to deliver a supreme effort on Friday night when they face the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

Denver holds a 2-1 edge in the best-of-seven series and are setting out to win back-to-back games in Miami. The Nuggets controlled the second half during a 109-94 win on Wednesday night and re-gained the crucial home-court advantage which makes Miami need to win a game at the Mile High city.

“Good win for us,” said Nuggets coach Michael Malone, “but we did not come down here to get one win.”

What Denver did get was history-making outings from two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.

Jokic produced a stat line of 32 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists and became the first player ever to log at least 30 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in an NBA Finals game. It was just the fifth such contest in NBA playoff history — three coming from Jokic and one each from Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Murray scored a game-high 34 points to go with 10 rebounds and 10 assists. It represents the first game in which two players on the same team scored at least 30 points during a triple-double in NBA history.

“They played amazing,” veteran forward Jeff Green said. “They took what the defense gave them. Jokic has been doing it all year. Both of them, Jamal as well. We feed off of those guys. They make the game easy for us and we try to do the same for them.”

Denver also dominated the interior. The Nuggets had a 58-33 rebounding advantage and a 60-34 edge in points in the paint.

The Heat appear to be losing steam during a playoff run that began with them claiming a berth through the play-in round and then upsetting the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the first round.

Miami took a 3-0 lead over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals. Since then, the Heat have dropped five of seven games.

And if Miami falls behind 3-1, two of the final three games of the series are scheduled for Denver. The Nuggets’ loss in Game 2 was their first in 10 home games this postseason.

Heat center Bam Adebayo said the squad has faced challenging situations before.

“You trust one another to do their job, and you let the chips fall where they may,” said Adebayo, who had 22 points and 17 rebounds in Game 3. “You trust 1 through 5, 1 through 15. You trust the staff. Everybody has a belief that you can get that job done.

“If everybody has that belief and everybody comes with the right mindset, that is how you can get it done.”

Jimmy Butler scored 28 points on Wednesday. The Miami star is averaging 20.7 points and shooting 42.1 percent in the series.

“I continue to be who I am,” Butler said of his Finals performance. “We will continue to be who we are as a group, as a team. We’re going to go out here and compete together. We’re going to win together.”

Meanwhile, limiting the damage from Jokic and Murray will be part of the focus. Jokic is averaging 33.3 points, 14 rebounds and 9.3 assists, while Murray is contributing 26 points, 10 assists and 6.7 rebounds.

“I think this is the time where the players show what they’ve got,” Jokic said one day after posting his 10th triple-double of the postseason.

Miami guard Tyler Herro will again sit out, coach Erik Spoelstra said Thursday. Herro broke the hand on April 16 in Game 1 of the first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks and underwent surgery on April 21.

–Field Level Media

Sox-A-Pa-Loser

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CLEVELAND – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The errors keep piling up for the Boston Red Sox, who face the host Cleveland Guardians in the rubber match of a three-game series on Thursday. Boston matched its season high with three miscues in a 5-2 loss on Wednesday and leads the American League with 43 errors. The Red Sox committed all three errors in the fourth inning on Wednesday, leading to a pair of Cleveland runs.

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“It’s frustrating because we’re working,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “It’s not lack of effort, it’s not lack of work. It is who we are right now. At some point, you have to slow the game down … they’re trying; right now it’s just not happening for us.”

Boston has lost four of its last five games, while Cleveland has won six of its last 10. Guardians designated hitter Josh Bell has driven in a run in six straight games.

“It’s frustrating because we’re working,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “It’s not lack of effort, it’s not lack of work. It is who we are right now. At some point, you have to slow the game down … they’re trying; right now it’s just not happening for us.”

Boston has lost four of its last five games, while Cleveland has won six of its last 10. Guardians designated hitter Josh Bell has driven in a run in six straight games.

Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor committed a costly error in Wednesday’s victory, but finished with three hits, including a run-scoring single. Naylor has 34 RBIs in his last 32 games.

“Josh was pretty locked in after that error,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said after the win. “You could tell he wanted to get some payback. He had a pretty eventful night. There wasn’t much that went on out there that he wasn’t a part of.”

Cleveland will send right-hander Aaron Civale (1-1, 2.04 ERA) to the mound in the series finale. He returned from the injured list after missing 48 games with a strained left oblique and tossed five scoreless innings against the Minnesota Twins last Friday.

Civale, 27, was pleased with his performance after missing large gaps of time due to various injuries over the past two years.

Boston-Based Rithmm Raises $2 Million

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official News Release) –  Rithmm, Inc., a Boston-based start-up specializing in AI-driven sports betting technology, closed on a $2 million seed funding round.

The funding round was led by prominent investors, including Boston Seed Capital, Counterview Capital, Oyster Ventures, Correlation Ventures, Service Provider Capital, and Permit Ventures. This significant capital infusion will propel the company’s expansion and enable the launch of its NFL product, while further enhancing the platform’s capabilities and empowering sports bettors worldwide.

Rithmm developed an innovative sports betting platform that leverages the power of advanced analytics with an intuitive user interface, enabling sports bettors to build custom analytical models easily and use them to make smarter and more informed betting decisions.

The platform eliminates the complexity and barriers associated with traditional sports betting analytics, making it accessible to users of all skill levels.

“This timely infusion of capital will play a pivotal role in propelling our technology forward, enabling us to broaden our reach with an eagerly awaited NFL product and providing our users with an unparalleled sports betting experience,” said Megan Lanham, CEO of Rithmm.

“We believe that Rithmm is poised to disrupt the industry by providing users with advanced analytics and insights previously reserved for professional sports bettors,” said Peter Blacklow, Managing Director at Boston Seed Capital. “Their AI-driven platform has the potential to level the playing field and transform the way sports bettors approach strategy. We are thrilled to support Rithmm in their mission to redefine the sports betting experience.”

Red Sox Face Guardians

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CLEVELAND – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Cleveland Guardians outfielder Will Brennan boasts an unremarkable track record, but the 25-year-old Colorado native may hold the key to the team’s search for offensive consistency.

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Brennan will look to continue his hot streak when the Guardians open a three-game series against the visiting Boston Red Sox tonight. Cleveland has won two straight, while Boston is beginning a six-game road trip after losing the final three games of a four-game set against the Tampa Bay Rays.

After batting .204 in April and struggling for most of May, Brennan is 11-for-21 (.524) in his past six games. He made his major league debut last year, appearing in 11 late-season games.

“I’m just growing up every single game up here,” Brennan said. “You have to take a step back and look at what’s going on. It’s pretty awesome to see what you’re doing every day. You’re playing in the big leagues. Struggle comes along with that.”

Cleveland also received a much-needed boost last week from first baseman Josh Naylor and second baseman Andres Gimenez, who were a combined 20-for-50 (.400) as the Guardians went 4-3 on a road trip to Baltimore and Minnesota last week.

Cleveland’s biggest need is more production at the bottom of the order. Brennan could help address that issue with his continued development.

“This might sound dramatic,” Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan said, “but he might be one of our best players once he gets going. He has contact, power, he can run and has a great arm. If he gets going, I think we can be in a really good position.”

The Guardians are beginning a six-game homestand with the series against Boston, which is 30-30. The Red Sox have scored a total of five runs during their three-game skid.

“I don’t want to sound pessimistic or negative, but we have to do it,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “We can talk all the talk. We can say that we’re better than this and all that. But at the end, we have to be better. We have to go out there and perform.”

The Red Sox will send left-hander James Paxton (1-1, 4.26 ERA) to the mound in the series opener. He allowed one run and struck out eight over five innings in a no-decision against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday.

Paxton pitched a total of 21 2/3 innings over the previous three seasons due to a number of injuries. He has allowed two or fewer runs in three of his first four outings this season, logging 27 strikeouts in 19 innings.

“I really didn’t know what to expect,” Paxton said. “Coming back through the minor leagues, I think I was topping out at 96, 97 (mph with the fastball). But it’s just not the same atmosphere as pitching in the big leagues. I’m just going out there and letting it rip and it’s feeling good coming out.”

Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez is 2-for-14 against Paxton, who is 1-3 with a 5.47 ERA in five career starts against the Guardians.

Cleveland will counter with right-hander Shane Bieber (4-3, 3.72 ERA), who allowed seven runs over four innings against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday.

Bieber has gone 3-3 with a 5.50 ERA in six career games (five starts) vs. Boston. He yielded two runs over seven frames in a 5-2 road victory over the Red Sox on April 28.

Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers is 3-for-13 (.231) against Bieber with two home runs.

–Field Level Media

Tampa Bay Rays Befuddle Red Sox

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Shane McClanahan pitched six innings of one-run ball and three players went 2-for-4 as the Tampa Bay Rays posted a 4-1 win over the host Boston Red Sox on Monday afternoon – the make-up date for last Friday’s wash-out.

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McClanahan (9-1) struck out five and allowed just five hits and two walks, bouncing back from his first loss of the season. Justin Turner’s solo home run in the sixth inning was the lone blemish for the Tampa Bay ace.

Yandy Diaz, Wander Franco and Francisco Mejia all had two hits for the Rays, who used a three-run fifth inning to post their third straight win to finish the four-game series.

Rafael Devers was 2-for-4 and Christian Arroyo doubled for Boston.

Red Sox righty Brayan Bello (3-4) struck out the side in the opening inning and allowed just two baserunners over the first four frames, but a five-hit fifth helped the Rays jump out to a 3-0 lead.

Luke Raley hit a leadoff double to center and a Manuel Margot chopper through the left side plated the first Tampa Bay run. Margot moved to second on the throw and scored on Mejia’s ground-ball single to center two batters later.

Diaz and Franco followed with back-to-back hits to load the bases before Josh Lowe made it 3-0 on a fielder’s choice grounder.

Bello struck out five and allowed three runs on six hits across six innings.

Boston could not muster a run against McClanahan until the sixth as Turner ripped a solo homer into the Green Monster seats. It was his seventh blast of the season.

The Rays added to their lead as reliever Nick Pivetta issued a bases-loaded walk to Taylor Walls in the seventh. Pivetta also allowed a double to Franco and issued two other walks before Diaz scored the insurance run.

After making two costly errors in Sunday’s loss, the Red Sox defense came to play in the early innings to temporarily keep the game scoreless.

Center fielder Enrique Hernandez robbed Raley of a potential home run by making a catch at the wall near the triangle in center in the second inning. Alex Verdugo’s turn for a web gem in right came when he robbed Mejia of a homer near Pesky’s Pole an inning later.

Boston manager Alex Cora was ejected after the eighth after arguing a called third strike on Devers that led to an inning-ending, strike ‘em out-throw ‘em out double play.

–Field Level Media

 

Celtics, Cassell Agree to Coaching Deal

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BOSTON – Former Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Sam Cassell who once played for the Celtics after a journeyman career as an NBA guard has agreed to join the Boston Celtics’ coaching staff under Joe Mazzulla, according to multiple media reports Sunday night.

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Cassell spent the last three seasons with the 76ers after also serving as an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers (2014-15 to 2019-20) and Washington Wizards (2009-10 to 2013-14).

Following the Celtics’ loss to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals last Monday, the Boston Globe reported that three assistant coaches on Boston’s staff were expected to head to Houston to work under disgraced coach Ime Udoka.

Udoka served as the Celtics’ head coach for the 2021-22 season and led Boston to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games. He was then suspended by the team during the offseason for “multiple violations of team policies” that centered around an inappropriate relationship with a woman within the organization.

Ben Sullivan, Mike Moser and Garrett Jackson are reportedly the three assistants that plan to join the Rockets, according to USA Today Sports. That report also indicated that Houston, along with a handful of other teams, is also interested in Aaron Miles, another Celtics assistant coach.

Cassell, 53, will be making his return to Boston, where he won a title in his lone season with the Celtics (2007-08). He averaged 7.6 points and 2.1 assists in 17 games (one start) for Boston after appearing in 38 games (33 starts) for the Los Angeles Clippers earlier that season.

Cassell was also a member of the 1994 NBA champion Houston Rockets.

In 15 NBA seasons, Cassell posted career averages of 15.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 993 games (690 starts) with eight teams, including the Milwaukee Bucks (1998-99 to 2002-03). He was an All-Star in 2003-04.

–Field Level Media