Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

Boston Sports

Frozen Four: BC vs Denver for Title

by

SAINT PAUL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – A pair of storied programs, Boston College and Denver, face off for the NCAA men’s hockey championship Saturday evening in Minnesota. Boston College (34-5-1) is the top overall seed and is seeking its first title since 2012. Denver (31-9-3) is going for its second title in three years and its record 10th title overall.

Embed from Getty Images

The stakes could not be higher, and players on both sides could not be more determined.

“Anytime someone commits to Boston College, it’s to win championships,” Eagles forward Cutter Gauthier said. “And we have an opportunity for that on Saturday.”

The same is true for Denver, which has won three straight games by a single goal.

“We’re just extremely confident,” Pioneers goaltender Matt Davis said, “and feel battle-tested.”

Boston College is coming off a dominant 4-0 win over Michigan in the NCAA Frozen Four on Thursday night. Will Smith scored two goals, Gauthier added another goal and Gabe Perreault finished the scoring to send the Eagles to the title game.

Gauthier leads the nation with 38 goals, which also is tied for the most in a single season in Boston College history. David Emma (1989-90) and Scott Harlow (1985-86) also enjoyed 38-goal seasons for the Eagles, and Gauthier has a chance to break the record Saturday.

Smith has 25 goals after his two-goal performance Thursday. The Massachusetts native watched the Eagles’ 2012 title run as a child and now has a chance to bring another championship trophy to Chestnut Hill, Mass.

“(If you had) told me as a kid, this would be kind of crazy,” Smith said. “I remember the days I was watching Johnny Gaudreau in the same Frozen Four. So it’s a dream come true. It would be unbelievable to get that trophy just like he did.”

Denver is coming off three consecutive 2-1 victories, two of which required overtime. The Pioneers outlasted Boston University for a 2-1 overtime win on Thursday in the first Frozen Four matchup.

Davis turned aside 33 of 34 shots for Denver, and Tristan Broz provided the winning goal with 8:51 remaining in the extra session.

Broz said he and his teammates never lost their cool in high-pressure situations.

“Just like Coach (David) Carle said, these 2-1 games can go either way,” Broz said. “There’s bounces that happen throughout the game, and you just have to stick with it and keep playing because those bounces happen. But you’re still in a tight hockey game.”

Both teams enter the final matchup on a hot streak.

Boston College is riding a 15-game winning streak. Its last loss took place Feb. 5 against Boston University in the city’s famous “Beanpot” tournament.

Meanwhile, Denver is 13-1-1 in its past 15 games.

The teams met Oct. 21, when Denver notched a 4-3 road win over Boston College. Carter King scored a power-play goal in the third period to lift the Pioneers.

“That was a long time ago,” Boston College coach Greg Brown said. “We’ve improved a lot. But that was a really fun hockey game.

“It was back and forth. It was two good teams both making a lot of plays.”

–Field Level Media

E-Sox Drop Another

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Angels outfielder Taylor Ward highlighted his three-RBI night with a home run while Reid Detmers threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings to lead the visiting Los Angeles  to a 7-0 win over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.

Embed from Getty Images

Ward became the last Los Angeles batter to record one of the team’s 12 hits when he socked a two-run shot in the sixth inning.

Anthony Rendon, Nolan Schanuel and Aaron Hicks were all repeat hitters for the Angels, supporting Detmers (3-0) who struck out seven while allowing just three hits — none after the third inning — and two walks in his start.

Boston’s defensive miscues behind starting pitcher Tanner Houck (2-1) helped the visitors to take immediate control, never looking back after turning in a three-run first inning.

After Anthony Rendon sent a single into right and Nolan Schanuel was hit by a pitch to begin the Angels’ at-bats, Mike Trout reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases as Red Sox shortstop David Hamilton bobbled a potential double play turn.

Another double play that wasn’t finished allowed Ward to reach and Rendon to score the first Angels run before Hicks’ line single to center in the next at-bat doubled the lead. After a wild pitch, Brandon Drury’s grounder made it 3-0.

Schanuel led off the Los Angeles half of the third with a ground ball single to second and scored the fourth Angels run on Boston center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela’s relay throwing error following the second of consecutive hits by Hicks and Drury.

The Red Sox had chances to break through against Detmers, recording hits in each of the first three innings including a Jarren Duran double in the third. Double play balls extinguished two of those opportunities.

A run of three straight one-out hits in the fourth ended with Schanuel roping a fly ball double to deep center, scoring Zach Neto to extend the Angels’ lead to 5-0.

In the sixth, Ward’s two-out, two-run homer over the Green Monster and everything in left-center field followed a Mike Trout single. Houck’s day ended there after 5 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs (four earned) on 12 hits while striking out just two.

Relievers Luis Garcia, Jose Cisnero and Hunter Strickland preserved the shutout over the final 2 2/3 perfect frames.

–Field Level Media

Bruins Face Penguins in Key Game

by

PITTSBURGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Pittsburgh Penguins are on some kind of roll yet are guaranteed nothing as they get ready to host one of the top teams in the NHL today, the Boston Bruins.

Embed from Getty Images

Seemingly out of the hunt for a playoff spot late last month, the Penguins (37-30-12) have stacked together a 10-game points streak (7-0-3). Thursday, they beat Detroit 6-5 in overtime to move into the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

That means if they win their final three games, they are guaranteed a spot in the postseason.

Not that that will be easy for Pittsburgh, just as this stretch hasn’t been easy. Many of the bugaboos that have plagued them all season — blowing leads is at the top of the list — are still there. The Penguins have just been able to overcome them lately.

“For some reason, we like to challenge ourselves a little bit more than maybe we should,” said Pittsburgh goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic, who has stolen the net from prescribed No. 1 Tristan Jarry and has started every game during the 10-game point streak.

In the critical game against the Red Wings — the teams were tied in points going into the game — the Penguins blew a two-goal, third-period lead before Erik Karlsson’s overtime winner.

Assisting on Karlsson’s goal was team captain Sidney Crosby, who has been the catalyst for Pittsburgh’s surge.

He has eight goals, 20 points in the 10 games. Thursday, his goal and two assists lifted him into 10th place all-time in the NHL with 1,591 points and gave him 1,000 career assists.

“He’s a special player; he’s an even more special person,” Crosby’s linemate, Bryan Rust, said. “He’s just leading this team right now. We’re just all getting in line behind him and doing everything we can.”

Boston (46-18-15) long ago established itself as a top team and Stanley Cup contender this season, but there is still work to be done over the final three games.

The Bruins have not locked up the Atlantic Division title, and still have a shot at the Eastern Conference championship and even the Presidents’ Trophy.

That’s a lot of home-ice advantage on the line in addition to bragging rights.

Boston also wants to fine-tune its game heading into the playoffs. The team has been off since Tuesday when its four-game winning streak was snapped in a 4-1 loss to Carolina.

“I feel good” about the team, defenseman Charlie McAvoy said. “(Tuesday) was just one game.

“I think we’ve displayed how we can play. … I think we’ve been working toward our game.”

The Bruins also could settle on a go-to goalie, Linus Ullmark or Jeremy Swayman, for the playoffs, or could continue with a rotation of the two.

“Why are we talking about two weeks from now?” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery asked coyly.

In the game in Pittsburgh, there seems to be a good chance that veteran forward Pat Maroon will make his Bruins debut. He was acquired from Minnesota at the trade deadline but has been recovering from back surgery.

Montgomery put the odds of Maroon playing at 75 percent.

Maroon could replace James van Riemsdyk, who has just one point in the past 19 games.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Sit Six, But Rout Hornets

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston guard Payton Pritchard scored a career-high 31 points and had 11 assists to help the Celtics end a two-game losing streak with a 131-98 rout of the visiting Charlotte Hornets on Friday.

Neither team was near full strength.

Boston (63-18) was without the top six players in its rotation, as Jaylen Brown (hand), Jayson Tatum (knee), Jrue Holiday (knee), Al Horford (toe), Kristaps Porzingis (hamstring) and Derrick White (ankle) were downgraded from questionable to out.

Nick Richards (foot) and Grant Williams (ankle) didn’t play for the Hornets, who received 19 points and eight assists from Tre Mann plus 15 points from Nick Smith Jr.

Pritchard made 14 of his 22 field-goal attempts. He didn’t play in the fourth quarter.

Luke Kornet added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who are locked into the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and will have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. Boston will wrap up the regular season Sunday with a home game against the Washington Wizards.

Charlotte (20-61) will end its season on Sunday at Cleveland.

Sam Hauser (16), Neemias Queta (career-high 16) and Jaden Springer (season-high 11) were the other Celtics who scored in double figures.

Charlotte committed 20 turnovers and was out-rebounded 53-33. Boston had a 32-2 advantage in points off turnovers.

The Celtics led 30-24 after the first quarter and pulled away in the second. Boston led by three early in the quarter, but went on a 31-6 run and had a 69-41 lead after a Hauser 3-pointer with 34.1 seconds remaining in the half.

Charlotte committed a total of 12 turnovers in the first two quarters and trailed 69-43 at the break.

Pritchard had 23 points and nine assists in the opening half.

The Hornets outscored the Celtics 33-25 in the third, but Boston had a comfortable 94-76 lead entering the fourth. Charlotte never drew closer than 18 points in the final quarter.

–Field Level Media

Knicks Put Celtics in Place

by

BOSTON – (Wire Service and Staff Report) – Jalen Brunson tossed in a game-high 39 points to help the visiting New York Knicks extend their winning streak to three games by beating the Boston Celtics 118-109 Thursday.

Brunson scored six points in the first quarter, 12 in the second and had 21 in the third. He made 15 of his 23 field goal attempts, including 6-of-11 3-point shots from behind the 3-point arc.

New York (48-32) remained in third place in the Eastern Conference standings, one game behind the Milwaukee Bucks (49-31). The Celtics (62-18), who have lost two straight, had previously secured the No. 1 seed in the East.

Donte DiVincenzo added 17 for the Knicks, who got 16 points and 16 rebounds from Josh Hart. Isaiah Hartenstein finished with 11 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.

Jayson Tatum led Boston with 18 points and seven assists. Boston received 15 points from Jaylen Brown and 14 points and eight rebounds from Kristaps Porzingis.

It was the fifth and final regular-season meeting this season. Boston won the first four.

The Knicks led 32-29 after one quarter and outscored the Celtics 37-19 in the second to take a 69-48 halftime lead. Boston trailed 47-45, but New York took control with a 17-0 run and was up 64-45 following a Brunson 3-pointer with 2:18 remaining in the half. The Knicks scored 25 of the final 30 points in the first half.

New York had a 32-17 rebounding advantage through the first two quarters, including a 12-3 edge at the offensive end. Brunson, who has scored at least 30 points in each of his last six games, led all scorers with 18 points in the half.

The Knicks were up 90-71 after the third quarter and had a 31-point lead in the fourth. Boston rested its starters in the final quarter.

New York held a 52-36 edge in rebounds.

–Field Level Media

Orioles Pound Sox in 10th Inning

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson and Colton Cowser each homered during the six-run 10th inning that lifted the Orioles to a 9-4 win over the host Boston Red Sox on Thursday night.

Embed from Getty Images

Cowser went 3-for-5 with two homers, a double, four RBIs and two runs scored. The Orioles hit four homers during their nine-hit attack. He drove in 10 runs in the three-game series sweep.

Henderson and Anthony Santander also drove in two runs apiece.

Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu each had two hits and an RBI for the Red Sox.

In the eighth inning with Boston clinging to a 2-1 lead, Red Sox shortstop David Hamilton missed touching second on a would-be double-play grounder by Adley Rutschman. The Orioles took advantage of the miscue as Santander hit a two-run, go-ahead homer down the right-field line.

Pinch-hitter Connor Wong hit a game-tying, two-out homer to deep left-center off Danny Coulombe in the bottom of the eighth.

Boston closer Kenley Jansen retired the final two batters in the ninth and Baltimore counterpart Craig Kimbrel (2-0) threw a scoreless ninth to force extra innings.

Henderson hit a two-run shot off Red Sox reliever Isaiah Campbell (0-1) to give the Orioles a 5-3 lead. Campbell retired the next two batters, but Ryan O’Hearn hit a double and Ryan Mountcastle walked. Cedric Mullins followed with an RBI single to center and Cowser cleared the bases with a three-run shot to center to give Baltimore a 9-3 lead.

Duran got Boston a run back on a leadoff double in the last of the 10th.

–Field Level Media

Orioles Come From Behind, Beat Sox 7-5

by

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jordan Westburg hit a 432-foot drive to center field to cap a four-run seventh inning and give the O’s a 7-5 come-from-behind victory over the Red Sox. Boston led 5-0 after the fifth inning but fell victim to a poor bullpen performances which cost the Red Sox the game.

Embed from Getty Images

RHP Chris Martin allowed the Westburg homer after walking a batter, throwing a wild pitch and falling victim to a catcher’s interference call on Connor Wong.

After providing Boston with the 5-0 lead, Baltimore cut down the lead by striking back with three runs in the visiting half of the six. Boston’s right-hander Isaiah Campbell relieved starter Kutter Crawford after Crawford pitched an impressive two-hitter with six strike-outs in five innings. Crawford left after throwing 86 pitches (50 strikes).

Boston made it 3-0 in the home half of the fourth inning when Wong stroked an opposite field base hit to right, scoring Tristan Casas from third and Romy Gonzalez from second base. Each player had singled to start the rally.

Crawford pitched himself into another jam in the fifth inning, hitting lead-off batter Westburg, walking Gunnar Henderson and allowing slugger Anthony Santander to reach base on an infield hit. Crawford retired DH Ryan O’Hearn on a ground out to first and the Orioles left three men on base for the second straight inning.

Casas had hit an opposite field two-run home run into the second row of the left field Green Monster seats at Fenway Park to open-up a five run lead for Boston in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Sox proceeded to let up seven unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh innings.

Earlier, Baltimore was able to load the bases  on two Crawford walks in the fourth inning, but a well thrown, off speed splitter to hot-hitting Baltimore LF Colton Cowser ended the fourth inning with the score 1-0, Boston.

Starting pitchers Cole Irvin of Baltimore and Crawford of Boston breezed through their first two innings, Irvin benefitting from two double plays executed nicely by the Orioles infield. The Red Sox, however, scratched out a run in the home half of the third inning when Tyler O’Neill’s bloop single landed safely over Baltimore rookie Jackson Holliday‘s outstretched glove in right-center field, scoring Sox speedy lead-off man  Jarren Duran all the way from first base.

Baltimore’s closer, former Red Sox bullpen star, Craig Kimbrel struck-out two Sox pinch hitters in the bottom of the ninth to secure the win for Baltimore with his second save of the young season.

The final game of the three-game of the series will be played Thursday night.

Injury Just Another Story

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story will undergo season-ending surgery on his left shoulder, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Tuesday.

Story initially was diagnosed with a dislocated left shoulder in an 8-6 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday after he dove to make a play.

Embed from Getty Images

Story was seen Monday by Dr. Evan O’Donnell, a shoulder specialist, in Boston, and manager Alex Cora said Tuesday before his team’s home opener against the Baltimore Orioles that the news wasn’t positive. He said there was “concern with the bone structure.”

Breslow told reporters Story had been diagnosed with a fractured glenoid in his left shoulder and would need surgery, with a recovery time of six months.

Also Tuesday, the Red Sox placed right-hander Nick Pivetta (right elbow flexor strain) on the 15-day injured list.

In 745 games with the Rockies, he hit .272 with 158 home runs, 450 RBIs and 100 stolen bases.

Pivetta’s placement on the injured list was retroactive to Saturday. He most recently pitched Wednesday against the Oakland Athletics, throwing five scoreless innings and getting the win. Pivetta, 31, is 1-1 with a 0.82 ERA.

In his career with the Philadelphia Phillies (2017-20) and Red Sox, Pivetta is 51-60 with a 4.81 ERA in 198 games (154 starts).

The Red Sox recalled left-hander Brennan Bernardino from Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding move.

Bernardino, 32, is 2-2 with a 3.23 ERA in 57 major league games (six starts) with the Seattle Mariners (2022) and Red Sox (2023).

–Field Level Media

Orioles Spoil Sox Home Opener

by

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – The usual joy of Opening Day at Fenway Park took on a somber mood this year as the club paid tribute to fan favorite Tim Wakefield and his wife, Stacy, along with longtime baseball man and former Red Sox team president and Chief Executive Officer Larry Lucchino – all who passed away in the MLB off-season.

Embed from Getty Images

Instead of upbeat music and crowd pleasing engagement to pay tribute to the 2004 “Reverse the Curse” World Champion Red Sox, the Sox opted for an well-edited video cut to the epically long Don MacLean hit of the 1971 song, “American Pie.”

Spirits were lifted when Wakefield’s 19 year old daughter, Brianna, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to 2004 catcher Jason Varitek, a close friend of her father.

There was barely a dry eye in the house, but it was time for baseball in Boston and the sellout crowd of 36,093 rallied on a 57-degree , sunny, gorgeous New England day. but one when the Red Sox bats could not be ignited.

Baltimore ace Corbin Burnes pitched 7.0 innings, allowing only one run on two hits. He struck out six Boston batters and walked only two, tossing 90 pitches and 58 strikes. Burnes earned his second win of the season against no losses.

The Red Sox moved the ancient Green Monster scoreboard keepers first when the second-most popular O’Neill in town, newly acquired Tyler, hit a 2-2 pitch 413-feet to record his sixth home run of the young MLB season and spot the home team a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Only former Speaker of the House, Tip O’Neill, had a better start to his career in Boston. (O’Neill won the Congressional seat vacated by John F. Kennedy upon his election to be President of the United States).

The baseball-playing O’Neill came into the day as the American League leader in Home Runs, On Base Percentage, Slugging, OPS, and Runs scored. He was third in the AL in Batting Average with a .357 mark.

Baltimore struck back in the top of the second inning when LF Colton Cowser doubled-in CF Cedric Mullins after Mullins reached on a Bello issued walk and then stole second base. Baltimore made it 3-1 in the visiting half of the fourth inning when 1B Ryan Mountcastle singled, Mullins reached second base on an error by Boston LF Jarren Duran (ball lost in the sun), and Cowser doubled to left-center field to score both runners on unearned runs.

Boston starter, Brayan Bello, was lifted in the sixth inning after his 5.1 innings of work, tossing 89 pitches and 58 strikes. He let up only four hits but they resulted in three runs with only one earned. Bello is (1-1) on the year.

The Orioles added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning when SS Gunnar Henderson rifled a line drive down the right field line for a double. Henderson stole third base and scored on a C Adley Rutchman single up the middle off Boston reliever Josh Winckowski.

The score went to 5-1 in the top half of the eighth When Cowser hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Ryan O’Hearn. The O’s added two more in the top of the ninth when they had the bases loaded with no outs as they sent eight batters to the plate with Henderson and Rutschman scoring additional insurance runs.

The Sox went down in the ninth without an effort. Rafael Devers, hitless on the day fouled out to third, while O’Neill struck out swinging and Triston Casas grounded out to Jacob Webb who came in for relief in a non-save situation.

 

The Sun Shines Again at Fenway

by

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Last season, they finished with four road games, a 2-2 split with the AL East champion Baltimore Orioles. At Fenway, the Red Sox lost their last four games of the season. They finished 78-84 and in last place in the Orioles’ division. It wasn’t pretty.

This year, a challenging 10-game road trip with four at Seattle, three at Oakland and three at the LA Angels of Anaheim put doubt in the minds of the Fenway faithful. Might they head home with a record 2-8 or 3-7 and be back in the basement?

No.

The Boston Red Sox play their home opener today boasting a 7-3 record, including a split at Seattle, a sweep at (lowly/sad) Oakland and a series-winning 2-games-to-1 edge over the Angels in the outfield. That’s good enough for second place in the early-season ladder, but 1.5 behind a New York Yankees team built for October.

It is ridiculous to expect this Red Sox team to stay at a .700 percent win rate. The pace would translate to 113.4 wins in the 162-game season. Of course, the schedule would need to place the Oakland A’s as the Sox opponent for three of every 10 games, and the Sox’ 50-24 (+26) run differential would be required to win at such a clip.

What’s a more reasonable expectation (prediction) for the 2024 Boston Red Sox?

Let’s concentrate on the whopping 35 games to measure the gap between a 78-win last place finish and an absurd 113-game season. If the Red Sox can go .500 in those 35 games, they’d finish the season with 95 wins.

Last season, the Toronto Blue Jays qualified for the last AL Wild card spot with 89 victories while the Tampa Bay Rays topped the Wild Card race with 99 wins. In the NL, Arizona’s 84 wins were enough to punch a ticket to the Wild Card and that berth led them to the 2023 World Series when they lost to the Texas Rangers in six games.

As Celtics’ great Kevin Garnett might predict, “If you can make it to the Wild Card, ‘ANYTHING is POSSIBLE.'”

What will it take for a team – more often than not – picked to finish in the AL East cellar to win some 90-plus games?

Pitching.

And, staying healthy.

On the pitching: Heading into the home opener, Boston leads the Majors with a 1.49 ERA (15 ER/90.1 IP), the club’s lowest mark through 10 games in the Live-Ball Era (since 1920). The Red Sox are the 11th team in the Live-Ball Era to post an ERA below 1.50 through their first 10 games, and the first since the star-studded 2005 Florida Marlins.

That’s pretty good.

On the injury front: Not so great. The Red Sox lost starting shortstop Trevor Story, their No. 3 hitter, to an injured shoulder. Diagnosed as a dislocated shoulder some 24 hours after the injury, which occurred when Story dove for a Mike Trout ground ball towards center field, the Boston-area medical staff has not determined the prognosis for the long term. While the Sox placed Story on the 10-game injured list, there’s a chance he’s out for the year, according to the Boston Globe.

Aside from the devastating news on Story, the Sox are also missing outfielder Rob Refsnyder (toe) and infielder and highly regarded prospect, Vaughn Grissom (hamstring/groin injury).

Injuries are a part of the game, but the 2024 MLB season seems to be taking that fact to a new high. Dozens of top-notch players – league wide – are already banged up, including All-Star/Cy Young award candidates like Spencer Strider of the Atlanta Braves or Cleveland Guardians ace Shane Bieber who will miss the entire 2024 season as he plans to undergo Tommy John surgery.

Those are the issues that make judging an entire season somewhat useless after only 10 games. But, let’s compare notes after the Red Sox open under a bright blue sky today and start a 10-game homestand. Might they be 14-6?

Or better?

Or worse?