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Not Close Enough

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Cincinnati’s Jose Barrero came off the bench to hit a grand slam and starting pitcher Ben Lively pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings to help the Reds pick up a 9-8 road victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.

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Barrero’s home run came against Red Sox reliever Joely Rodriguez and made it 8-0 in the seventh. Barrero wasn’t in Cincinnati’s starting lineup but was inserted in center field when TJ Friedl left the game with hamstring tightness.

Boston made it game with five runs in the ninth. After RBI singles by Raimel Tapia, Rafael Devers and Justin Turner made it 9-6, Masataka Yoshida doubled in a run and Turner scored on a fielder’s choice to pull the Red Sox within a run. But with the would-be tying run on third, Reds closer Alexis Diaz struck out Triston Casas to end the game and collect his 13th save.

Will Benson had three hits and scored three runs for the Reds, who have won five of their last six games.

Before giving up the grand slam to Barrero, Rodriguez walked Stuart Fairchild with the bases loaded in the seventh. That forced home Spencer Steer with Cincinnati’s fourth run.

Boston starting pitcher Brayan Bello (3-3) left the game after throwing 97 pitches in four innings. He gave up a run on five hits, walked two and struck out four.

Cincinnati opened the scoring in the second. Benson scored on Friedl’s fielder’s choice when the Red Sox were unable to turn a double play.

The Reds increased their lead to 2-0 in the fifth when Jonathan India singled and scored on Jake Fraley’s double. A throwing error by shortstop Enrique Hernandez — his second error of the game — allowed Benson to score from second and extended Cincinnati’s lead to 3-0 in the sixth.

After Barrero’s grand slam, Boston pushed across three runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Reese McGuire’s RBI double scored Valdez, Tapia’s triple scored McGuire, and a Devers single drove in Tapia to make it 8-3.

Tyler Stephenson tripled and raced home on Steer’s sacrifice fly to make it a 9-3 game in the eighth and give the Reds a critical final insurance run.

–Field Level Media

Reds Roll Into Town

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Report The visiting Cincinnati Reds can build on their momentum Tuesday night when they kick off a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox.

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The Reds enter the series with four wins in their last five games and are coming off a three-game road sweep of the Chicago Cubs. The Reds outscored the Cubs 25-10.

“Everyone is really proud of how we’re playing, and how hard we’re playing,” Cincinnati manager David Bell said. “I don’t see that changing ever with the guys we have. It’s a good feeling. We’ve got a long way to go. We’ve got a lot left yet to accomplish and ways we have to keep getting better. It’s a good feeling when guys feel this good about how they’re going about it.”

No Cincinnati player is hotter than rookie shortstop Matt McLain, who will carry a seven-game hitting streak into the game. McLain, 23, had four hits in Cincinnati’s 8-5 victory over Chicago on Sunday. He’s 15-for-31 during his seven-game hitting streak.

McLain, a first-round pick in 2021, is batting .380 with two home runs and eight RBIs since making his major league debut on May 15. He was 9-for-15 with two RBIs and scored four runs in the three victories over the Cubs.

“I just try to live in the present and no matter what happens, I’m going to be locked in the next step, next pitch, next ground ball,” McLain said. “I don’t look at my stats that much.”

The Red Sox return home after posting a 4-5 record during a road trip out west. Boston took two of three games at San Diego and Arizona but was swept in a three-game series with the Los Angeles Angels.

“We won two (against the Padres), the (series) in Anaheim the first two games we pitched great and we weren’t able to win the games,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “That was the hiccup of the whole trip. … We’ve got to figure out Sundays, that’s the next step.”

The Reds are expected to start right-hander Ben Lively (2-2, 2.65 ERA) on Tuesday night. Lively’s only career start against Boston came in 2017, when he pitched for the Phillies. He allowed three runs on eight hits in seven innings but wasn’t involved in the decision.

Brayan Bello (3-2, 4.08) is Boston’s probable starter. Bello pitched a career-high seven innings in a 4-0 loss to the Angels on Tuesday. He surrendered two runs on six hits and struck out six. It was the only time in his seven starts this season that he didn’t issue any walks.

Bello allowed eight earned runs in his first two starts this season but hasn’t given up more than two runs in any of his five starts since then. He earned the win in his only career start against the Reds, which came last year. He allowed a run on eight hits in five innings of Boston’s 5-3 victory. Bello struck out five and walked two.

Boston’s Rafael Devers went hitless in five at-bats Sunday after missing the previous two games with a calf injury.

–Field Level Media

D-Backs Stifle Red Sox, 4-2

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PHOENIX – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Arizona’s starting pitcher Merrill Kelly struck out a season high-tying 10 batters over 6 1/3 innings and Corbin Carroll belted a two-run homer to lift the host Diamondbacks to a 4-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.

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Kelly (6-3) allowed one run on four hits and walked two batters to improve to 5-0 in his last six starts. He also fanned 10 batters over seven innings in the Diamondbacks’ 3-1 win over the Washington Nationals on May 5.

Arizona’s Geraldo Perdomo homered to lead off the second and Josh Rojas added an RBI single as part of a three-run first inning.

Ketel Marte had a pair of singles to extend his career-best on-base streak to 27 games for the Diamondbacks, who snapped a three-game losing skid.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. also had two singles in his first contest after seeing his career-high 17-game hitting streak come to a halt.

Boston’s Justin Turner homered to lead off the eighth inning and Alex Verdugo had an RBI single for the Red Sox, who struck out 15 times en route to losing for the fifth time in their last seven games. Red Sox 3B Rafael Devers went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts in his return to the lineup following a two-game absence due to an ailing calf.

Andrew Chafin relieved Kelly and promptly walked Rob Refsnyder to load the bases in the seventh inning. Verdugo sliced an RBI single to left field to trim Arizona’s lead to 4-1 before Chafin struck out Devers to end the threat.

Kyle Nelson served up Turner’s sixth homer of the season before Jose Ruiz bridged the gap to Miguel Castro, who fanned two batters in the ninth inning to secure his fifth save of the season.

Arizona set the tone early as Carroll followed Marte’s one-out single in the first inning by depositing a 1-1 fastball from Tanner Houck (3-4) over the wall in left-center field. Carroll’s homer was his eighth of the season and third in his last 10 games.

Perdomo gave Arizona a 4-0 lead after sending a 3-1 fastball from Houck over the right-center field wall for his fifth homer of the season.

Houck fell to 0-4 in his last six outings after permitting four runs on six hits in four innings.

The Red Sox returned home to Boston and are idle on Memorial Day.

–Field Level Media

Reds Sox Rally for Whitlock

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PHOENIX – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Garrett Whitlock tossed five strong innings in his return from a near-five-week absence due to an elbow injury, lifting the Red Sox to a 2-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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Boston’s Enrique Hernandez had an RBI single and the Sox catcher, Reese McGuire, drove in a run with a sacrifice bunt during the fourth inning. Boston outfielders Masataka Yoshida and Jarren Duran each had two of the six hits for the Red Sox, who have won the first two contests of this series after being outscored 20-4 during a four-game skid.

Arizona’s Ketel Marte belted a solo homer in the first inning to extend his career-best on-base streak to 26 games. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. went 0-for-3 to see his 17-game hitting streak come to a halt for the Diamondbacks, who mustered just three hits en route to losing their third straight game.

Whitlock (2-2) picked up the win after allowing one run on three hits while striking out four without walking a batter. He retired 13 of the last 14 batters he faced.

Red Sox reliever Kutter Crawford struck out three over 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Set-up man Chris Martin bridged the gap to Kenley Jansen, who retired the side in order in the ninth to secure his 11th save of the season and 402nd of his career.

Marte opened the scoring in the first inning after depositing an 0-2 offering from Whitlock just inside the right field foul pole. Marte’s homer was his seventh of the season.

Boston responded in the fourth inning as Yoshida and Triston Casas each recorded a single before Hernandez’s base hit off Zach Davies (0-1) forged a 1-1 tie. That spelled the end of the evening for Davies, who had just returned from the 15-day injured list due to an ailing left oblique.

Kyle Nelson relieved Davies and promptly loaded the bases before McGuire’s bunt left him with no option other than to get the out at first base. That run was charged to Davies, who allowed two runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox Sale Past Padres

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SAN DIEGO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s left-hander Chris Sale held the Padres to two solo homers over seven innings and Enmanuel Valdez gave Sale a quick 3-0 lead with a three-run, second-inning homer as the visiting Red Sox scored a 4-2 victory in San Diego.

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Sale allowed three hits and a walk with eight strikeouts. He threw 111 pitches (73 strikes) to improve to 4-2. Kenley Jansen, who blew his last two save opportunities, retired Brandon Dixon on a game-ending pop out to third after putting the tying runs on base with walks. It was Jansen’s 10th save.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox scored four runs on six hits, a walk and a hit batter against Padres starter Joe Musgrove, who had six strikeouts in five innings. Musgrove fell to 1-2.

Raimel Tapia triggered the Red Sox second-inning rally with a one-out single and moved to second when Musgrove hit Enrique Hernandez with a pitch. With Valdez at the plate, Tapia and Hernandez ran on a double steal. Tapia was originally called out at third for the second out in the inning. But Boston manager Alex Cora appealed and Tapia was ruled safe.

Valdez then launched a high, 374-foot drive to right on Musgrove’s third pitch for his third homer of the season.

Boston’s second successful appeal led to its fourth run in the fourth. Hernandez doubled leading off the inning, although he was originally called out on a throw by Jose Azocar. But the Red Sox appealed and Hernandez was ruled safe at second. He moved to third on a single by Connor Wong and scored on Alex Verdugo’s one-out single.

Juan Soto reduced Boston’s lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the second on his eighth homer of the season — a 409-foot drive to right center.

Fernando Tatis Jr. again reduced the Padres’ deficit to two runs with his seventh homer of the season on a full-count, 440-foot drive to left center in the sixth. Tatis’ homer was the ninth straight solo homer by the Padres.

Ha-Seong Kim followed the Tatis homer with a double — the Padres’ third and final hit.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox Score Early and Often to Take Series vs Seattle Mariners

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston shortstop Pablo Reyes hit a pair of two-run doubles as the Red Sox piled up nine runs over the first two innings en route to a 12-3 win over the visiting Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.

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Boston tied its season high with 16 hits, including six in a six-run second inning. Justin Turner went 3-for-4 with his second homer in as many games during the big frame.

Rob Refsnyder, Rafael Devers, Enrique Hernandez and Jarren Duran each added multiple hits to the total. Refsnyder and Turner also scored three runs apiece.

Brayan Bello (3-1) worked around three hits and five walks during his five-inning outing, ultimately earning his third straight win for the Red Sox.

Julio Rodriguez and Jose Caballero each had an RBI for Seattle, which was held to just five hits.

Seattle starter Marco Gonzales (3-1) lasted just 1 2/3 innings, allowing eight runs on eight hits.

 

Red Sox Put One in the “W” Column

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BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox took the middle game of a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners, 9-4, scoring runs in bunches at Fenway since an 11-run barrage against the Toronto Blue Jays on May the Fourth. Tuesday night, the Sox scored four runs to take a 4-0 lead in the first and then followed with a three-run fifth. Both scoring binges were the result of homers, triples, doubles and base hits – the “club cycle” that’s not a qualifier for free furniture.

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The rubber game of this three game set will be played Wednesday night at 7:10, giving Sox fans one hour and twenty minutes of baseball before they tune-in to see the hometown Celtics play host to the Miami Heat in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Finals.

For Boston, SP Nick Pivetta went 5.1 innings and allowed four earned runs on six hits. He walked four and struck-out six Seattle batters. Pivetta allowed one home run as he threw 98 pitches with 58 strikes before giving way to RP Ryan Sherriff, the newly recalled lefty from Triple A Worcester.
Pivetta squandered the 4-0 lead but saw some run support after he headed to the showers. Ultimately, he was credited with the win and is now (3-3) on the 2023 season.
In the home half of the fifth inning, Alex Verdugo led-off with a 2B to left field and Masatka Yoshida followed with an RBI ground rule double that hopped over the low fence in fight field and Verdugo scored the go-ahead run, making it 5-4 Boston. After being moved over to third by a long fly ball to right by Justin Turner, a Luis Castillo wild pitch allowed Yoshida to score standing up. Sox CF Jarren Duran followed with a solo home run, a 4`7-foot blast to right center field to give Boston a 7-4 lead heading into the sixth inning.
Trailing 4-0, Seattle battled its way back to a tie game, 4-4 in the fourth, when Eugenio Suarez singled to left, C Cal Raleigh walked before RF Teoscar Hernandez tripled to center field. Red Sox centerfielder, Darren Duran, attempted to make a diving catch in short center, but missed and the ball rolled all the way back to the 420 mark in Fenways quirky center field. The triple scored both Suarez and Raleigh to make it, 4-3. Seconds later, Seattle DH Taylor Trammell cracked a two-run homer to right field, tying the game at the end of four innings.
The Red Sox started the game with an offensive outbreak. Boston RF Alex Verdugo beat out a bobbled ground ball to Seattle 2B Kolten Wong to lead-off the first inning. Masatake Yoshida crushed a bullet to center field which bounced off the outfield wall and rolled back towards the infield, allowing the Sox left fielder to show off his speed and dive into 3B as the throw trickled in from an errant cut-off. DH Justin Turner, batting in the third position then knocked in Yoshida with a towering 389-foot home run over Fenway’s Green Monster left field wall. With the Red Sox taking the three-run lead, 1B Triston Casas hit a 373-foot drive to clear the short right field and spot the Sox a 4-0 lead at the end of one.
Seattle’s Luis Castillo took the loss after pitching 5.0 innings and allowing seven runs (five earned) on six hits and two walks. Castillo is now 2-2 on the season.
GAME NOTES:  The Red Sox have now won 9 of their last 11 games against Seattle. … After going 16-6 in a 22 game stretch (4/14 to 5/6), the Red Sox are now 2-6 over their last eight games. … Boston leads the Majors in two-base hits, now tallying 96. Verdugo and Yoshida carding doubles tonight. … Fenway Park fans were treated to one of the better renditions of the USA national anthem when nearby Suffolk University and its Performing Arts division brought it home in the pregame ceremonies…. It’s been a little over a month since Red Sox OF Adam Duvall broke his wrist (left distal radius fracture on 4/10). Duvall did not undergo surgery but will require at least six weeks of rehabilitation once the bone is set and healed. In the meantime, Duvall is running and throwing to stay in shape. It will take time before he can swing a bat and he was off to a very strong start, batting .454 with 15 hits, 14 RBI in his first eight games of the season, before suffering the broken wrist.

St. Louis Hammers Red Sox for Sweep

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) St. Louis’ Paul DeJong, Andrew Knizner and Nolan Arenado each homered as the visiting St. Louis Cardinals beat the Boston Red Sox 9-1 on Sunday night to complete a three-game sweep.

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DeJong hit a solo home run before Knizner and Arenado each added two-run homers. Arenado homered in each game of the series.

St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas (2-1) pitched six strong innings to earn the win. He limited Boston to a run on four hits. Genesis Cabrera, Jordan Hicks and Chris Stratton each tossed a scoreless inning of relief.

Boston’s Corey Kluber (2-5) surrendered four runs on seven hits in five innings. He struck out five and walked three.

Lars Nootbaar had three hits (two doubles, single) for the Cardinals, who have won six of their last seven games. Arenado, Knizner, Paul Goldschmidt and Alec Burleson each added two hits for St. Louis. Arenado also drove in four runs.

The Cardinals beat the Red Sox 8-6 on Friday night, and 4-3 on Saturday.

The Red Sox received two hits from Rafael Devers, who drove in Boston’s only run.

Boston Blows Another Game, Save

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report with Field Level Media) – Boston closer Kenley Jansen allowed three runs in the ninth inning for the second consecutive game as the visiting St. Louis Cardinals came from behind to beat the Red Sox 4-3 Saturday.

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Jansen walked three (one intentionally) and committed three pitch-clock violations in the ninth.

Willson Contreras tied the game by scoring from third when Alec Burleson grounded into a fielder’s choice, and the Cardinals took a 4-3 lead on a throwing error by Enrique Hernandez as he was attempting to complete a double play. The error allowed Nolan Gorman to score.

Gorman’s double earlier in the inning drove in Paul Goldschmidt to cut Boston’s lead to 3-2.

Jansen (1-2) also allowed three runs in the ninth inning of Friday night’s 8-6 loss to St. Louis.

Boston wasted a strong start by Chris Sale, who recorded nine strikeouts in eight innings. Sale limited the Cardinals to a run on three hits and walked one.

Rob Refsnyder had three hits and two RBIs for Boston.

Nolan Arenado hit a solo home run for St. Louis. It was his second homer in as many days, and his fifth home run in his last seven games at Fenway Park.

Andre Pallante (2-0) earned the win for tossing a scoreless eighth inning, and Giovanny Gallegos pitched a scoreless ninth to record his third save.

St. Louis starting pitcher Steven Matz went 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on eight hits. He struck out four and walked one.

Boston opened the scoring when Justin Turner doubled and scored on a two-out single by Rafael Devers in the bottom of the first.

Boston’s lead grew to 3-0 after Refsnyder’s two-out double drove in Pablo Reyes and Alex Verdugo in the third. Nolan Arenado’s fifth home run sliced Boston’s lead to 3-1 in the seventh.

The Red Sox acquired Reyes in a trade with the Oakland A’s on Friday. He didn’t play for the A’s this season but has appeared in 157 major league games with Pittsburgh and Milwaukee.

Reyes, 29, started at second base Saturday and had two hits. To make room for Reyes, the Red Sox optioned Bobby Dalbec to Triple-A Worcester.

Sox are Sweeper, Not Sweepee

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – A month ago, the Boston Red Sox were being swept in a three-games series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The three losses at Fenway Park dropped the Sox record to 2-4 and they plummeted from second to last place in the American League East.

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This week, Boston won four consecutive games against a talented Toronto Blue Jays team to sweep their series and improve their record to 19-14 and are five games over the .500 mark and they are 7-3 in series play, including 5-1 at home. Boston owns the AL’s longest active winning streak and are tied with the LA Dodgers for the longest win-streak in the majors.

It is far better to be the sweeper of a series, rather than the sweepee.

Boston’s Masataka Yoshida went 3-for-5 with a first-inning home run, three RBIs and three runs while Rafael Devers also went deep to help the Boston Red Sox complete the sweep of the visiting Blue Jays with an 11-5 win Thursday evening (6:10pm start).

Boston led 6-0 and 8-1 through two and four innings, respectively, en route to its sixth straight win.

The Red Sox put up a series-high 16 hits — delivering one more hit in each successive game of their series after 13 hits Monday. Justin Turner, Devers and Jarren Duran added three apiece as the Nos. 2 through 5 spots in Boston’s lineup went a combined 12-for-20 with nine RBIs.

Devers had four RBIs, including hitting his 150th career homer and American League-leading 11th this season to highlight the team’s three-run eighth. Raimel Tapia and Yoshida each scored three runs.

Winning pitcher Brayan Bello (1-1) struck out five and walked one while allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits over five innings.

Toronto SS Bo Bichette, first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (double, home run, two RBIs) and OF Daulton Varsho had two hits apiece for Toronto.

The Red Sox teed off on Toronto starter Kevin Gausman (2-3), who was charged with eight runs on 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings. The right-hander had pitched seven scoreless innings in his each of his previous two outings with 24 strikeouts in 14 innings.

Yoshida opened the scoring with a one-out solo shot into the center-field bullpen in the first.

Boston blew the game open with a five-run, six-hit second inning that moved Gausman over the 60-pitch mark. Catcher Reese McGuire’s one-out RBI single started the barrage to make it 2-0. After Tapia reached on a run-scoring fielder’s choice, he stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Yoshida’s sharp single to right. A Turner single moved Yoshida to third and Devers scored both on a double that was inches shy of clearing the fence in deep right.

In the fourth, the visitors got on the board on a Guerrero homer to center, but Boston made it 8-1 after Yoshida and Duran each hit RBI singles with Gausman exiting in between.

Toronto cut its deficit to 8-4 in the fifth. Bichette grounded a hit to right before Guerrero’s ground-rule double over Tapia’s head plated another run. Varsho capped the three-batter scoring span with a sacrifice fly to left.

In the eighth, an RBI single by Turner preceded the Devers bomb to right.

The Jays got a run back on George Springer’s one-out single in the final frame.

Toronto reliever Zach Pop exited with two outs in the eighth due to an apparent leg injury.

–Field Level Media