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Yoshi Back in Sox Lineup

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Masataka Yoshida is expected to be in the lineup when the Boston Red Sox try to complete a three-game sweep of the visiting Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.

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Before Boston’s 10-2 triumph over Colorado on Tuesday, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Yoshida will be reinstated from the 60-day injured list and in the lineup as the team’s designated hitter tonight.

Yoshida and Rob Refsnyder are expected to platoon in Boston’s designated hitter spot, with Yoshida starting against right-handed pitchers.

“Mostly DH, but it’s not like last year where he’s not going to play the outfield,” Cora said. “He’s healthy, he is throwing the ball well and we’ll use him for whatever we need that day.”

Yoshida, 31, has not played for Boston this season. He had offseason shoulder surgery and completed a five-game minor league rehab assignment Monday. He played the first two games with Triple-A Worcester and the next three games with Double-A Portland.

Yoshida’s return creates a logjam in an outfield that includes Jarren Duran, Ceddane Rafaela, Roman Anthony, Rob Refsnyder and Wilyer Abreu.

“I know (Cora) has a plan, and I trust him full tilt,” Duran said. “So whatever he needs me to do, I’m going to do. … He’s a good manager and he’s been doing it, and I trust him for whatever we need to do for the team.”

Boston will be looking to extend its winning streak to six games Wednesday. The Red Sox won Monday’s game against Colorado 9-3.

Colorado’s Kyle Freeland pitched five scoreless innings Tuesday before surrendering three runs in the sixth. The loss dropped his record to 1-10.

“I thought it was one of his better outings of the year,” Colorado manager Warren Schaeffer said. “All of his breaking stuff was working. He was putting the ball where he wanted to. He deserved to get through that sixth inning, I thought. There were two outs and he threw a good pitch to (Trevor Story), but he hit a jam shot out there.”

Boston right-hander Lucas Giolito (5-1, 3.66 ERA) is scheduled to start on the mound for Boston on Wednesday. Giolito is 0-1 with a 6.30 ERA in two career appearances against the Rockies, both starts. He has allowed 12 hits, including three home runs, in 10 innings against Colorado.

Giolito has pitched at least six innings in each of his last five starts. He’s 4-0 with a 0.83 ERA during that five-game stretch.

Boston also has a rested bullpen since Brayan Bello pitched a complete game Tuesday.

“He was on point,” Cora said. “Some swing and misses, was on top of hitters, got ahead, stayed ahead, buried them. He was really good.”

Righty Antonio Senzatela (3-12, 6.57 ERA) is listed as Colorado’s probable starter. It will be Senzatela’s first career appearance against the Red Sox.

Senzatela will be facing a Boston team that has scored 86 runs in its last 10 games. Tuesday’s victory was the 15th time the Red Sox have scored at least 10 runs in a game this season, the most of any team in the American League.

–Field Level Media

Red Hot Sox Beat Rox

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BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox are facing a light portion of their schedule and taking advantage of it.

Alex Cora’s club has scored 76 runs and hit 16 home runs in the past nine games and will try for a fifth win in a row when a three-game series against the visiting Colorado Rockies continues tonight.

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Boston’s recent offensive exploits include a three-hit game for rookie Roman Anthony, who kicked off the team’s three-homer night in the fifth inning. Ceddanne Rafaela and Romy Gonzalez both went deep in the eighth.

“It’s fun to win,” Anthony said.

And Anthony has been fun to watch, hitting .386 with six RBIs in his last 10 games. Six of his last nine have been multi-hit affairs.

“He’s a good player, a good hitter. That’s why he’s playing every day,” Cora said. “We’re going to push him out there, play the outfield … play the top of the lineup.”

The manager’s lineup soon will include reinforcements as the return of both Masataka Yoshida and All-Star Alex Bregman from the injured list is nearing.

Yoshida has been recovering from shoulder surgery all season and could be activated on Wednesday, while Bregman is potentially just days behind as he feels that he is “trending towards a return here really quickly.”

Boston righty Brayan Bello (4-3, 3.42 ERA) is coming off a unique relief appearance in the Wednesday restart of a suspended game against the Cincinnati Reds. Bello threw five innings of one-hit ball with three strikeouts en route to a 5-3 Red Sox win.

Excluding his last outing, which came after Richard Fitts threw the first three innings the previous night, Bello has thrown five consecutive quality starts but lost back-to-back.

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The 26-year-old will be making his first career start against Colorado.

The Rockies have now lost three of four. For the season, their 70 losses in their first 91 games are the second-most all-time.

Colorado gives the ball to left-hander Kyle Freeland (1-9, 5.49 ERA), who will be making his third start since returning from the 15-day injured list on June 27. He follows Austin Gomber, who allowed four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings Monday.

“Overall, I thought he pitched well and gave us a chance to win,” Colorado manager Warren Schaefer said. “He was one or two pitches away from getting out of that (big three-run second) inning. Obviously it didn’t work out tonight, but it could have.”

Freeland last pitched on Thursday against the Houston Astros, allowing three runs — including two in the first inning — on six hits in six innings. It was his eighth quality start of the season, despite a meager win-loss record to show for it.

“When you start a game with weak hits, frustration starts to build immediately,” Freeland said. “He struck out two and walked two. “It’s all about how quickly you can wash it, forget about it, and get back to work. I was able to do that, as best I could.”

Freeland has made just one career appearance against Boston, throwing six innings in a May 14, 2019 start. He gave up three solo home runs and received a no-decision.

Ryan McMahon and Tyler Freeman both went 2-for-4 on Monday. Freeman has a 21-game on-base streak, the longest in the majors at present.

 

Buehler and Sox Prep for Nationals

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WASH DC – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston right-hander Walker Buehler looks to put a horrid six-start stretch behind him when the Red Sox play the middle game of a three-game series against the host Washington Nationals today

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.The Red Sox beat the Nationals 11-2 in Washington’s traditional Independence Day game.

Buehler (5-6, 6.45 ERA) is 1-4 with a 10.37 ERA in his past six outings. He allowed 38 hits and walked 19 batters while striking out 23 in 26 innings during that span. In his latest start, he allowed four runs on four hits — two of them home runs — in four innings during a 5-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.

On Saturday, Buehler could be pitching for his spot in the rotation.

“He’s scheduled to make his next (start),” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said earlier this week. “He’s healthy, eager to work and like I said … he feels like he’s getting close to finding it.”

Buehler is 2-1 with a 2.49 ERA in five career games (four starts) against Washington.

The Nationals will start Mitchell Parker (5-8, 4.63 ERA). The left-hander gave up three runs on six hits in five-plus innings of a no-decision against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday in his most recent start.

Parker has never faced the Red Sox.

Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story went 4-for-5 with a two-run homer, scored three runs and drove in four as Boston pounded out 16 hits on Friday for its fourth win in six games. The Red Sox snapped a five-game road losing streak.

Story tied his career high with four hits and extended his hitting streak to six games.

“Felt good. Kind of a tough 11 a.m. start, but just get the minimal routine (in) and just go compete,” Story said. “I think that was the main message. We have a chance to control our destiny here, so we got to set the tone here on the first game, and I think we did that today. Looking forward to the rest of the series.”

Boston’s Jarren Duran had two hits and three RBIs. Over his past five games, Duran is batting .300 (6-for-20) with a home run, four RBIs and five runs.

Washington trailed 2-0 entering the fifth, but Boston got to Nationals starter Michael Soroka and reliever Zach Brzykcy for seven runs. Soroka was lifted after Story’s base-loaded single made it 5-0.

“We had four guys down in our bullpen,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “We tried to stretch (Soroka) out as long as possible. We tried to have him get out of his own mess a little bit. But once he gave up that base hit with the bases loaded, I figured he was done.”

Daylen Lile extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a ninth-inning RBI double for Washington, which had won three of four. Lile is hitting .326 (14-for-43) during his streak.

Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz went 1-for-3 in his return from the injured list. He had been sidelined since getting hit in the head with a foul ball in the dugout and sustaining a concussion on June 24.

Washington placed starting pitcher Trevor Williams on the 15-day injured list due to a right elbow strain. Williams allowed seven runs on nine hits in three innings in a loss to the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday.

–Field Level Media

Gio Gem

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WASH DC – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Trevor Story homered among four hits, Lucas Giolito pitched into the eighth inning, and the visiting Red Sox routed the Washington Nationals 11-2 in a morning start on the 4th of July in The District.

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Story added three singles, drove in four runs and scored three for Boston, which won for the third time in four games. Jarren Duran had two hits and three RBIs for the Red Sox, who collected four hits on the day.

Giolito (5-1), facing the team that drafted him in 2012 for the first time, allowed a run on four hits in 7 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked three in his first Nationals Park appearance since his rookie season in 2016.

Michael Soroka (3-6) was charged with seven runs on nine hits in four-plus innings for the Nationals.

Washington’s Daylen Lile extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a ninth-inning RBI double. Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz went 1-for-4 in his return from the injured list after he was hit in the head with a foul ball while in the dugout on June 24.

Boston opened the scoring in the second inning, starting with a leadoff single from Story, who promptly stole second. Then, with one out, Ceddanne Rafaela doubled to plate Story. Raffaela advanced to third on a groundout and scored on Duran’s single.

The Red Sox broke it open with a seven-run fifth, which began with a Roman Anthony doubl, an Abraham Toro walk and a Carlos Narvaez single to load the bases.

After walking Wilyer Abreu to force in a run, Story singled to center to score two runs and put an end to Soroka’s day. Marcelo Mayer singled off Zach Brzykcy to score Abreu, making it 6-0. Brzykcy retired the next two batters, but Duran doubled in two runs and Toro later added an RBI single to boost the lead to 9-0.

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Washington got on the board when CJ Abrams singled to open the sixth, stole second and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Luis Garcia Jr.

Story capped his day with a two-run home run, his 13th of the season, in the eighth inning to make it 11-1.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox “Stranded” in Nightcap

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s seventh-inning grand slam sparked a Cincinnati comeback as the visiting Reds defeated the Boston Red Sox 8-4 in the finale of a three-game series on Wednesday night.

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Encarnacion-Strand joined Tyler Stephenson, Gavin Lux and Matt McLain with multiple hits for the Reds, who erased a 3-0 deficit by scoring five in the seventh and three in the eighth. They remain the lone major league team that has not been swept this season.

Despite trailing for most of his outing, Cincinnati right-hander Nick Martinez (6-8) wound up working 6 2/3 innings in his second straight winning start. He allowed four runs on nine hits and no walks with two strikeouts.

Boston errors helped fuel both of the Reds’ big innings, which included seven of their 12 total hits. Stephenson led off both frames with singles.

In the seventh, Stephenson reached second on Red Sox third baseman Abraham Toro’s fielding error on a Rece Hinds fielder’s choice before Lux walked to load the bases. Encarnacion-Strand then crushed a 439-foot slam to deep center.

The Reds continued the inning against Red Sox reliever Greg Weissert (2-3) with a one-out double from TJ Friedl, who scored on Elly De La Cruz’s two-out single.

Trevor Story went 3-for-4, Ceddanne Rafaela had two hits and Wilyer Abreu (home run) and Romy Gonzalez each had two RBIs for Boston, which won the first two games of the series.

Back-to-back doubles by Marcelo Mayer and Gonzalez pulled the Red Sox within 5-4 in the seventh. Gonzalez, though, was thrown out trying to take third, as left fielder Austin Hays fielded the ball high off the Green Monster.

After Stephenson’s single in the eighth, a fielder’s choice, a walk and an Encarnacion-Strand single loaded the bases ahead of Santiago Espinal’s RBI hit to right. Friedl then reached on shortstop Story’s error, turning a fielder’s choice into two runs.

Rafaela gave Boston a lead in the second, doubling to deep center field and reaching third on Friedl’s fielding error before scoring on a Gonzalez sacrifice fly.

Red Sox opener Brennan Bernardino (1 2/3 innings) and the duo of Jorge Alcala (1 1/3 innings) and Chris Murphy (2 2/3 innings) allowed Boston’s lead to stand up through two-thirds of a bullpen game. The trio allowed three hits and no runs through the first 5 2/3 innings.

Right fielder Hinds took a likely extra-base hit away from Duran to end the fifth, but he just missed grabbing Abreu’s two-out, two-run homer into the first row of the corner seats in the sixth. Story’s third hit of the game set the table as Boston’s lead increased to three.

Encarnacion-Strand was a late lineup addition after the Reds scratched Spencer Steer, whose right hand was swollen from getting hit by a pitch Wednesday afternoon during the completion of a game suspended Tuesday night.

–Field Level Media

Sox Rally in 9th to Beat Reds

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Wilyer Abreu and Trevor Story drove in runs in the eighth inning to lift the Red Sox to a 5-3 win over the visiting Cincinnati Reds in a suspended game that was completed on Wednesday afternoon.

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The first three innings were completed on Tuesday night before heavy rain halted play.

In Boston’s eighth, Abraham Toro hit a one-out single to left before pinch runner Nate Eaton swiped second. Carlos Narvaez’s 4-3 groundball out moved Eaton to third, and Abreu then knocked an RBI single through the right side.

Story followed with a two-out RBI double but got tagged out while slipping around the second base bag.

The two-run cushion was plenty for Aroldis Chapman, who tossed a 1-2-3 ninth inning to make a winner out of Brayan Bello (4-3). It was Chapman’s 14th save.

Bello took the mound when play resumed, as starter Richard Fitts was knocked out with the rain. Bello tossed five innings of one-run ball, allowing only a two-run homer to Spencer Steer in the fourth inning that gave Cincinnati a 3-2 lead.

Toro and Abreu each had two hits while Narvaez had two RBIs for Boston, which will go for the three-game series sweep in the nightcap.

The Red Sox had an 8-3 advantage in hits.

Lyon Richardson (0-3) took the loss for the Reds after Scott Barlow blew a save. Sam Moll had struck out four and did not allow a hit across Wednesday’s first two innings, following up three innings of starting work by Brady Singer.

Before the rains came on Tuesday night, the Red Sox held a 2-1 lead after scoring a pair of first-inning runs off Singer.

Jarren Duran and Roman Anthony hit back-to-back doubles, with Anthony’s liner into the left-field corner driving in the first Boston run. After Anthony tagged up on Toro’s fly ball, Narvaez made it 2-0 on a single through the right side.

Fitts retired six straight batters after issuing a leadoff walk, but the visitors halved their deficit in the third. Will Benson and Christian Encarnacion-Strand began the inning with consecutive singles, and Benson worked his way home thanks to TJ Friedl’s sacrifice bunt and a Matt McLain RBI groundout.

When play resumed, Steer swung for the fences against Bello, who had been the scheduled Red Sox starter for Wednesday night. The reigning National League Player of the Week knocked his 10th homer to left in the fourth, bringing in Gavin Lux following a walk.

–Field Level Media

Rain Stops Sox Game in 4th Inning

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Continuing rain in the Boston area suspended Tuesday’s game between the Boston Red Sox and visiting Cincinnati Reds in the top of the fourth inning. The Red Sox held a 2-1 lead on the strength of a pair of first-inning runs.

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The game will resume at 2:30 p.m. ET Wednesday before the regularly scheduled series finale at 7:10.

The Red Sox needed just two batters to take the lead against Cincinnati’s Brady Singer. Jarren Duran and Roman Anthony cracked back-to-back doubles for the first run. After Anthony moved to third on Abraham Toro’s fly ball, Narvaez made it 2-0 with an RBI single through the right side.

Boston starter Richard Fitts worked around a leadoff walk to retire the next six Reds he faced before the visitors halved their deficit. Will Benson and Christian Encarnacion-Strand began the third with consecutive singles, then Benson worked his way home on TJ Friedl’s sacrifice bunt Matt McLain’s RBI groundout.

After allowing two runs and three hits in the first, Singer threw two hitless innings and finished with four strikeouts and two walks to show for his three innings of work.

Fitts did not allow a hit outside of Cincinnati’s run-scoring frame. He posted one strikeout and one walk in three innings.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox Ride Abreu vs Reds

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox have to like what they have seen from Wilyer Abreu at the plate lately.

Abreu, who has hit three home runs in his past three games, will look to remain hot Tuesday when the Red Sox face the visiting Cincinnati Reds in the second contest of a three-game series.

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Abreu hit an inside-the-park home run and a grand slam during Boston’s 13-6 victory over Cincinnati on Monday. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Abreu became the first Boston player with those two varieties of homers in the same game since 1939 (Jim Tabor).

Jocko Fields, Everett Scott, Charlie Gehringer and Roger Maris are the other MLB players who have hit a grand slam and an inside-the-park home run in the same game. Maris did it most recently, in 1958.

Abreu also belted a three-run home run during a 15-1 win against Toronto on Saturday.

After hitting 15 home runs in 132 games last year, Abreu has 16 homers in 74 games this season.

“So far, it’s been an outstanding season for him,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “It’s been great.

“He got a fastball he could handle down in the zone for the grand slam, and that’s something we’ve been talking about with him. He gets a lot of pitches –especially fastballs — and he fouls them straight back. … There’s a lot of communication lately about who you are as a hitter and what (pitches) we need to attack. It’s getting to that point in the season where tendencies are out there and they know who you are.”

It was just the kind of game the Red Sox needed after going 1-7 in the previous eight games.

Cincinnati’s Chase Burns made his second MLB start, but exited the mound with one out in the first inning. Burns, the No. 2 selection in last year’s MLB draft, surrendered seven runs (five earned) on five hits.

Given how relentless the Red Sox were, Cincinnati manager Terry Francona wondered if Burns was tipping his pitches.

“(Tipping) is something you probably always need to check,” he said. “There were pitches that caught the plate. They were definitely hit hard. Those are always things you try to check for. Cora is one of the best at that. They were certainly ready.”

“We don’t play this game for a good showing, but I was proud of our guys,” Francona added. “We kept the energy up. We kept fighting. … There were some quirky things that happened tonight, but they battled. We’re OK.”

Jordan Hicks, a hard-throwing reliever the Red Sox received from the San Francisco Giants in the Rafael Devers trade, made his Boston debut and pitched a one-two-three eighth inning. One of his pitches was clocked at 100.5 mph.

Right-hander Brady Singer (7-6, 4.31 ERA) is scheduled to start on the mound for Cincinnati on Tuesday. Singer is 2-2 with a 4.71 ERA in four career appearances (all starts) against Boston. He’s allowed 28 hits in 21 innings against the Red Sox.

Righty Richard Fitts (0-3, 4.68) is Boston’s probable starter. It will be his first career appearance against the Reds.

Fitts allowed two runs on four hits in four innings during his last start, Wednesday’s 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, though he took a no-decision. He struck out six and walked one.

–Field Level Media

Sox Drop Series to Blue Jays

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – If Major League Baseball would determine series wins by cumulative score, the Boston Red Sox would’ve defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, 18-15. That’s not the way it works.

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In the rubber game of their three game series played under bright sunshine at Fenway Park on Sunday, Toronto beat Boston, 5-3. Red Sox starter Walker Buehler took his sixth loss of the season, largely because he let up back-to-back home runs in the top of the first inning.

Blue Jays right fielder Addison Barger, batting second, took Buehler long with a liner to right field to make it 1-0. Batting third, slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. plopped a long drive into the second row of fans in the Green Monster seats in left field to make it 2-0, Toronto.

In the second inning, Boston was able to fight back and tie the game, utilizing a solo home run by catcher Carlos Narvaez and a double by centerfielder Ceddanne Rafaela who knocked in shortstop Trevor Story. Story had singled and then stole second base.

The Jays doomed Buehler in the visitor’s fourth inning, as the Boston starter allowed three walks sprinkled through an infield hit by centerfielder Nathan Lukes and a run-scoring single to right field by second baseman Andres Gimenez which scored Lukes.

Buehler was relieved in the fifth inning, but reliever Zack Kelly allowed a Lukes singled to score veteran shortstop Bo Bichette who had doubled off Kelly to lead off the inning.

The series had a very strange vibe, as Toronto opened the three-game set with a 9-0 victory on Friday night only to lose 15-1 on Saturday afternoon.

On Sunday, Jays reliever Yariel Rodriguez (2-0) earned the victory while Buehler’s record dropped to (5-6). Toronto closer Jeff Hoffman earned his 18th save of the season.

Boston fell to 13-13-1 in season series, 6-6-1 at home. Boston has allowed 5+ runs for the seventh time in the last 11 games, dating back to June 17. Boston has lost seven of their last eight , dating back to June 21. Previously, they won 10 of 12 games.

For the Red Sox, it’s on to Cincinnati as the Reds visit Fenway for a three-game set where the Sox will memorialize their 1975 American League title, but World Series loss to the Reds in one of the great Fall classics of our time.

Notes:

  • Reliever Zack Kelly left the game after facing only one batter in the sixth inning, suffering from right oblique tightness.
  • Toronto’s back-to-back HRs today marked the third time they hit back-to-backs this season.
  • Toronto is 29-18 (.617) since May 8, trailing only AL clubs Tampa Bay and Houston during that span.

Red Sox Have Their Way with Blue Jays

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Wilyer Abreu hit a three-run home run and SP Lucas Giolito pitched seven strong innings as the Red Sox ended a six-game losing streak by routing the visiting Toronto Blue Jays 15-1 Saturday.

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Abreu’s home run came against Toronto starting pitcher Chris Bassitt in the bottom of the first inning. It was his 14th home run of the season.

Giolito (4-1) gave up one run (unearned) on six hits in seven innings. He struck out five.

Ceddanne Rafaela and Romy Gonzalez contributed two-run home runs for the Red Sox, who collected 18 hits in the victory.

Boston rookie Roman Anthony had the first three-hit game of his MLB career. Two of his three hits were doubles. Gonzalez also had three hits.

Abreu added an RBI double in the second inning, when Boston scored three times to take a 6-0 lead. The Red Sox also received a two-run single from Trevor Story in the inning.

Toronto scored in the third, when Addison Barger’s single drove in Myles Straw and cut Boston’s lead to 6-1.

The Red Sox tacked on three runs in their half of the third to increase their advantage to 9-1. The inning featured a bases-loaded walk to Abraham Toro, a sacrifice fly from Carlos Narvaez and a throwing error on catcher Alejandro Kirk that allowed Anthony to score.

Bassitt (7-4) allowed nine runs (eight earned) on eight hits in two innings.

After Nick Sogard’s RBI single drove in Story in the sixth, Rafaela’s ninth home run increased Boston’s lead to 12-1. Gonzalez produced his third homer of the season in the seventh, when Boston stretched its lead to 14-1.

The Red Sox wrapped up the scoring in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Toro that drove in Jarren Duran.

Boston entered Saturday’s matchup having scored four runs in its last three games.

–Field Level Media