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Longballs Back Sox, Bello vs Pirates

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PITTSBURGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Wilyer Abreu went 3-for-5 and was one of three players to hit their first home runs of the season for the Red Sox in an 8-1 win over the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.

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Boston’s offense pounded out 12 hits en route to its second win in a three-game span.

Rob Refsnyder and Ceddanne Rafaela each drove in a pair with the help of their first homers of 2024, while Triston Casas also left the yard for the Red Sox. Enmanuel Valdez added a two-run double.

Refsnyder and Connor Wong were each 2-for-5.

Brayan Bello (3-1) earned his second consecutive win in dominant fashion, allowing only one hit — Jack Suwinski’s leadoff double to left in the second — and two walks while striking out seven over six innings.

Chase Anderson and Cam Booser worked in relief of Bello. Booser, who allowed Pittsburgh’s only run, was making his MLB debut.

The Red Sox jumped out to a quick lead against Pittsburgh starter Quinn Priester (0-1), socking a pair of first-inning solo homers before scoring another run in the second. The opening run came just one out into the game as Abreu’s 421-foot blast nearly left the ballpark in right.

Casas doubled the Boston lead two batters later with two outs, clearing the fences in left-center field.

After Bello worked around two baserunners in Pittsburgh’s half of the first, Ceddanne Rafaela’s RBI fielder’s choice upped Boston’s lead to 3-0. Bobby Dalbec crossed the plate following a leadoff double, his first hit of the season.

Red Sox McCarty, Dead at 54

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OAKLAND – (Staff and Wire Service Report from Official Club News Release) – Dave McCarty, a first baseman and outfielder on the Boston Red Sox 2004 team that won the World Series, died Friday in California. He was 54.

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The Red Sox announced his death and said it was caused by a “cardiac event.”

McCarty was among the members of the 2004 team who gathered April 9 at Fenway Park to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the World Series and honor Tim Wakefield and his wife, Stacy, both of whom died of cancer in the past six months.

Kevin Youkilis, McCarty’s Red Sox teammate, paid tribute to him on social media.

“You never know when it’s the last time you will see someone. Grateful to share an amazing ’04 Reunion and a flight back home to the Bay Area with Dave McCarty,” he wrote. “A great father, husband, teammate, and friend. Thank you Big Mac for teaching me how to be a Big Leaguer!”

Guardians Ruin Red Sox Holiday

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – Cleveland pinch hitter Will Brennan pulled an 87 mph slider straight down the right field line at Fenway Park and it travelled 387 feet for a two out, two run homer. It was Brennan’s first of the season and gave the Guardians a 2-0 lead in the seventh inning of today’s 11:13am Patriots’ Day matinee. It was all they’d need as Cleveland went on to win 6-0 shut-out victory.

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The annual early game, drawing 33,008 fans, coincides each year with the running of the Boston Marathon and comes on a holiday in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Cleveland scored two insurance runs in the top of the eighth inning when Jose Ramirez hit a riccochet grounder, deflected by Sox 1B Tristan Casas and dribbling past 2B Emmanuel Valdez. The grounder made its way to right field, scoring Guardians’ SS Brayan Rocchio from third.

Sox RF Wilyer Abreu misfielded and forced a misguided throw which scored LF Steven Kwan. The play was judged an error and Rocchio’s run was earned but Kwan’s run scored was deemed unearned.

The Guardians continued to score runs in pairs, tallying two more insurance runs in the visiting ninth. The key hits were a double by Cleveland  No. 8 hitter in 3B Gabriel Arias to score Brennan and an RBI single by No. 9 hitter Rocchio to score Arias who had previously stolen third base.

The first five innings of the game produced quite a pitcher’s duel as Cleveland’s SP Xzavion Curry threw a two hitter with one walk and a strike-out while Boston starter Kutter Crawford tossed 5.2 innings of shut-out ball, allowing only two hits and no walks. He struck out six Guardians while throwing 92 pitches and 63 strikes.

Boston was held to three hits on the day while Cleveland knocked the Sox bullpen around and recorded nine hits.

Cleveland reliever Tim Herrin earned the win (1-0) while Boston’s Brennan Bernadino (0-1) was charged with the loss.

 

 

Red Sox Take Series vs LA Angels

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BOSTON – (Staff Report) – Boston DH Masataka Yoshida hit a two-run home run, his first of the season, to give the Red Sox a 5-2 lead in the sixth inning as starting pitcher Brayan Bello threw a strong 5.1 innings of two-run ball to lead Boston to a x-x win over the Los Angeles Angels. It was Boston’s third series win (3-1-1) of the season.

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Bello limited the Angels to two runs and only six hits while striking out eight against two walks. Bello threw 107 pitches with 72 strikes in his 5.1 innings. RHP Justin Slater came on in relief of Bello in the sixth inning and threw 2.2 innings of one-run baseball.

The Red Sox started the scoring in the home half of the first as Tyler O’Neill and Triston Casas went back-to-back with solo homers. It was the third time Boston hit back-to-backs this season. It was O’Neill’s seventh homer of the season and it gave him both the AL and MLB lead in HRs.

LA first baseman Brandon Drury hit a solo homer in the second inning and the Angles scored another run in the third after a lead-off walk to No. 9 hitter Zach Neto, a base hit by Anthony Rendon and a grounder into a run-scoring fielder’s choice by second baseman Luis Rengifo.

All-Star centerfielder Mike Trout opened the eighth inning with a bullet, stand-up triple to center field and scored on a ground ball by Angeles’ left fielder Taylor Ward to make the score 5-3. It was Trout’s 54th career triple, second only to Jim Fregosi in Angels’ career triples.

Closer Kenley Jansen pitched the top of the ninth inning for Boston and allowed the Angeles to come within a run after loading the bases by hitting lead-off hitter Logan O’Hoppe with an 89 mph cutter, allowing a bloop hit by pinch hitter Mickey Moniak and walking Neto.

Rendon hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring O’Hoppe and advancing Moniak and Neto to second and third base.

Jansen struck-out Rengifo and then had to face the Angeles (and one of MLB’s) best hitter in Trout. Jansen turned up the heat on Trout and threw six pitches in the mid-90s, including a 96 mph sinker to get Trout to swing and miss to end the game.

Bello earned the win and is (2-1) while Jansen earned his fourth save of the season and his 424th save of his career.

 

 

 

 

E-Sox Drop Another

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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.

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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

Feds Throw the Book at Mizuhara

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LOS ANGELES – Former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara surrendered to federal authorities in Los Angeles on Friday to face a charge of bank fraud for allegedly stealing more than $16 million from Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani.

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Mizuhara, 39, is scheduled to appear in court at 1 p.m. PT, after which he is expected to be released on bond, according to multiple reports.

Prosecutors filed an affidavit Thursday alleging that Mizuhara siphoned funds from Ohtani’s bank accounts to cover his gambling debts with an illegal sportsbook.

The federal bank fraud charge is a felony offense that carries a maximum penalty of up to 30 years in prison and/or a $1 million fine.

The Dodgers fired Mizuhara last month after the allegations surfaced. He had been working with Ohtani since the Japanese two-way star debuted with the Los Angeles Angels in 2017.

From December 2021 through January 2024, authorities allege Mizuhara placed about 19,000 bets with an average wager of $12,800 and total net losses of nearly $40.7 million.

Records seized during the investigation showed no betting on baseball games, however, and authorities said Ohtani was not aware of the alleged theft.

The New York Times reported earlier this week that Mizuhara’s attorney is negotiating a plea deal with prosecutors.

Ohtani, 29, signed a record-setting 10-year, $700 million with the Dodgers in December after batting .304 with an American League-leading 44 homers and 95 RBIs in 2023, when he earned his second unanimous AL MVP.

–Field Level Media

Orioles Pound Sox in 10th Inning

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.