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High Octane D-Backs Drub Sox

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Arizona Diamondbacks will attempt to extend their winning streak to five games Saturday afternoon when they face the host Boston Red Sox in the middle contest of a three-game series.

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Arizona entered the series having scored the most runs in the majors and showed why during a 12-2 triumph on Friday. The Diamondbacks collected 16 hits in the victory, including a grand slam by Eugenio Suarez that put Arizona in front 9-2 in the seventh inning.

It was the majors-best ninth grand slam hit by Arizona this season and the fifth that Suarez has belted during his 11-year major league career.

“Cutter in the middle of the zone,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “He’s a dead-pull hitter, and he’s gonna look to do damage with something close to him. He got a cutter in the middle, and he didn’t miss it.

“He’s one of these guys that you look at the numbers … average and all that stuff he’s not usually up there, but RBIs — that’s what he does. He got a good pitch to hit and drove it.”

Suarez and Josh Bell each had three hits in the win. Suarez also scored three times and had five RBIs.

Ryne Nelson pitched six innings to earn the win. This came hours after Arizona manager Torey Lovullo announced that Nelson would remain in the rotation and Jordan Montgomery would move to the bullpen.

Reds Sign Sox Castaway

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CINCINNATI – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Cincinnati Reds signed first baseman Dominic Smith to a major league contract, according to multiple media reports Thursday. Smith was released by the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, four days after he was designated for assignment. The former first-round draft pick became expendable when Boston reinstated first baseman Triston Casas from the 60-day injured list last week.

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The reported addition of Smith will help the Reds address the loss of versatile infielder Jeimer Candelario, who was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a fractured left big toe.

Candelario, 30, has made 53 starts at third base, 32 at designated hitter and 26 at first base this season.

Smith, 29, batted .237 with six home runs, 34 RBIs and a .706 OPS in 83 games for the Red Sox.

Boston signed Smith on May 1 after he opted out of a minor league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays, who had released him one day earlier.

The New York Mets selected Smith with the 11th overall pick of the 2013 MLB Draft. Smith played for New York from 2017-22, finishing 13th in the National League MVP voting in 2020 when he posted career bests by slashing .316/.377/.616.

Red Sox Take On Orioles

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BALTIMORE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Baltimore Orioles might have taken a big step toward establishing the momentum that has been lacking over the past few weeks.

The Boston Red Sox had a chance to do the same but were stymied.

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Those Wednesday finishes set up the teams for a meeting Thursday in Baltimore, where the American League East rivals will start a four-game series.

Baltimore snapped a two-game skid by defeating the visiting Washington Nationals 4-1 on Wednesday. Since the All-Star break, the Orioles are 13-12, with a two-steps-forward, two-steps-backward vibe surrounding them.

“It felt like a normal baseball game,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said about the win Wednesday. “We haven’t played many of them. I felt like, where we pitched really well, we were solid defensively. … That was more of what I’d like to see.”

The Red Sox were going for a three-game sweep of the visiting Texas Rangers on Wednesday but fell 9-7 in 10 innings after leading 7-4 in the ninth.

“We are still learning,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “We’re still growing as a group. That’s not an excuse because we’re better than that.”

Boston pitchers allowed four home runs to the Rangers on Wednesday.

“You can talk about sloppiness,” Cora said. “We have to keep the ball in the ballpark. We haven’t done that since the All-Star break.”

The Red Sox are 10-14 since then.

There were notables for the Orioles on Wednesday. Gunnar Henderson smashed his 30th home run of the season, and Coby Mayo recorded his first big-league hit — a single.

It was only Henderson’s second home run since the All-Star break, but he sensed he might have been getting it together before that.

“Just had a weird little run there, but like I said, I’m starting to feel good in the box and starting to get going,” Henderson said.

Mayo ended a 0-for-16 stretch since arriving in the major leagues.

“I was never too stressed about the hit,” Mayo said. “But then, it gets to you a little bit and you want it. You want it so bad because you’re so competitive.”

The Orioles have won five of six meetings this year with the Red Sox, though the teams haven’t met since late May.

The Orioles have right-hander Zach Eflin (8-7, 3.83 ERA) lined up as their starting pitcher for the series opener. He’s 3-0 since he was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays last month.

Eflin’s most recent outing came Friday night, and he shut out his former team on four hits across seven innings to earn the win.

With the Rays, Eflin picked up a victory at Boston in May by limiting the Red Sox to three runs in five innings despite registering a season-low two strikeouts in that stint. He’s 2-0 with a 6.00 ERA in five career starts against Boston.

The Red Sox will turn to right-hander Nick Pivetta (5-7, 4.44), who has gotten through five innings in only one of his past three outings.

In 12 career starts vs. Baltimore, Pivetta is 8-2 with a 3.18 ERA. The eight wins match his most against any single opponent, with the Atlanta Braves the other team he’s topped that many times.

The Red Sox have won four of their past six road games, but they’re just 5-7 away from home since the All-Star break.

–Field Level Media

 

Red Sox Run Amok, Lose to Texas 9-7

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – When Boston left fielder Jarren Duran came to the plate to face Texas Rangers’ reliever David Robertson in the bottom of the 8th inning with the score tied 4-4, he had struck out twice and popped up to third base.

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Earlier this week, Duran served a two-game suspension after using a homophobic slur towards a fan and the young outfielder was firmly reprimanded by the Red Sox organization before the issue rose to the attention of Major League Baseball. Upon his introduction for his lead-off at bat in the Red Sox half of the first, Duran received a warm hand from the Fenway crowd which displayed a willingness to provide penance but not total forgiveness.

In Boston, forgiveness is in the eyes of a performer. Duran would have his chance.

He delivered a lead-off hit but fell victim soon after to a double play when Wilyer Abreu struck-out but Duran saw the ball slip away for a split second and thought he’d grab a free ride to second base. Texas catcher Jonah Heim would have no part of the forgiveness-fest and promptly tossed Duran out at second base.

It was the second worst base-running blunder of the night, following a 6th inning Rafael Devers brain-fog waltz from first to third base when reserve Romy Gonzalez flew the ball to center field with only one out in the books. Devers was doubled-up immediately.

Fool me once, or fools twice?

The Red Sox manufactured a two-out rally despite the poor base running and scored three runs in the bottom of the 8th to take what seemed to be a convincing 7-4 lead, benefitting from a double by DH Masataka Yoshida, an intentional walk to Devers and an RBI base hit by newly acquired catcher Danny Jansen. That sequence set the table for a hard hit double by Gonzalez, scoring Devers and Jensen.

Instant Karma’s always gonna get you, though, especially after poor base running and idiotic slurring of the paying customer.

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Along came the Texas 9th inning and Rangers’ left fielder Wyatt Langford homered with two men on to tie the score at 7-all.

After a scoreless home ninth, the ghosts of MLB placed a runner (Ezequiel Duran) on second base and Heim blasted a leadoff home run over the famed Green Monster of Fenway to spot Texas a 9-7 lead in the first (and only) extra inning.

Rangers’ closer Kirby Yates dispatched the Sox in the bottom of the 10th to secure the 9-7 win, as Boston dropped to (63-56) on the season while Texas climbed to (56-65). Boston squandered yet another game because of mental errors, notably poor base-running, a fielding and a throwing error.

The Fenway faithful might not be as forgiving when their club returns on August 23 to face the defending American League champion Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Red Sox immediate matter at hand will be their seven-game road trip, with four games at Camden Yards against the AL East-leading Baltimore Orioles and three at Houston where the AL West-leading Astros play the best there is at Minute Maid Park.

Red Sox Shoot for Rare Sweep

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox will attempt to complete their first sweep in more than a month when they conclude a three-game series against the visiting Texas Rangers on Wednesday.

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A 9-4 win against Texas on Tuesday put Boston on the verge of sweeping a series for the first time since July 2-4 at Miami. The back-to-back victories to begin the current series followed four straight losses, including a three-game sweep by the Houston Astros last weekend.

Kutter Crawford’s starting pitching effort was crucial to Boston’s win Tuesday, as the right-hander opened with 5 1/3 perfect innings. However, Red Sox manager Alex Cora aggressively dipped into his bullpen to attempt to get out of the Rangers’ four-run sixth inning.

“We’re going to use everybody and we’re going to try to get 27 outs however we can to win games,” Cora said. “We’re in the middle of a playoff chase, or whatever you want to call it. If I feel like that’s the moment of the game, that’s the moment of the game.”

The Red Sox got another key moment from Rob Refsnyder on Tuesday. The outfielder has been a key contributor with three hits in the series, driving in two runs on Tuesday after hitting a walk-off single in the 10th inning of the series opener on Monday.

Refsnyder, who has reached base in 43 of his 49 starts this season, also serves as a key leader for a young offense that includes Ceddanne Rafaela and Jarren Duran.

“We’ve been playing our best baseball when our young guys have been pretty electric on the basepaths, playing uber-aggressive,” Refsnyder said this week. “I think that’s our identity this year.”

The past two nights, Duran served a team-issued, two-game suspension for uttering a homophobic slur at a fan on Sunday. He is eligible to return on Wednesday.

The Red Sox will look to keep rolling in the series finale behind Tanner Houck (8-8, 3.02 ERA), who is winless in his past four starts.

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The right-hander pitched six innings on Friday against Houston, allowing just one run on four hits before Boston’s bullpen faltered in an 8-4 loss.

“It was a great game to look back and learn from, and continue to grow,” Houck said.

The quality start followed his lone outing against Texas this year, when he permitted eight hits and six runs while striking out seven in five-plus innings during a 7-4 road loss on Aug. 3.

In three career matchups against the Rangers (two starts), Houck is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA.

A year after winning the World Series, Texas is 10 games below .500 for the first time since the end of the 2022 season.

It was a difficult Tuesday for the Rangers, who were no-hit for five innings by Crawford and scored all four runs in one inning. Leody Taveras went 2-for-4 with a double and a run.

“Yeah, I mean, I guess you could call it pressing,” Texas rookie outfielder Wyatt Langford said. “It’s just tough. We can’t seem to get it figured out on the offensive side.”

The Rangers’ lineup featured Marcus Semien, Corey Seager, Josh Smith and Adolis Garcia at the top for the second straight game. Previously, Smith had led off and Semien hit third of late.

“It brought back good memories, seeing those guys in their normal place in the batting order,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said before the Tuesday game. “The hope is they see that, and it does the same for them.”

The plan was largely unsuccessful, as the top four in the order went a combined 2-for-14, though the two hits each drove in a run.

The Rangers had not announced a starting pitcher for Wednesday as of late Tuesday night.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox Re-shuffle for Refsnyder

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) -After ending a busy day of roster transactions with a series-opening victory, the Boston Red Sox will look to continue their winning ways against the visiting Texas Rangers on Tuesday night at Fenway Park.

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Sox outfielder Rob Refsnyder hit a walk-off single to lift the Red Sox to a 5-4, 10-inning win over Texas on Monday. A pinch-hit walk by Mickey Gasper in his major league debut set up the opportunity for the deciding RBI.

Gasper, a 28-year-old New Hampshire native, was promoted from Triple-A Worcester alongside pitchers Bailey Horn and Chase Shugart earlier in the day.

“Hats off to the team giving me that opportunity … to be a part of (a win). I’m speechless,” the catcher/infielder said. “A lot of hard work and a lot of belief (got me here).”

A roster spot opened for Gasper when outfielder Jarren Duran was issued an unpaid, two-game suspension by the club and Major League Baseball after the All-Star directed a homophobic slur toward a fan on Sunday.

However, Gasper earned his promotion. And his contribution was key to Boston curbing a four-game losing streak.

He was hitting a whopping .401 with a 1.017 OPS in 40 games since being promoted from Double-A Portland to Worcester on June 4.

“It gets to a point that he keeps doing this thing over and over and over again” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “A month, a month and a half, two months. And you’re like, ‘The at-bats are good.’ So we got to this point obviously and we felt like he made sense for the roster.”

Boston will hope the momentum continues on Tuesday behind Kutter Crawford (7-9, 4.11 ERA). The right-hander has allowed at least five runs in four consecutive starts, but his lone win during that span came against the Rangers on Aug. 2 in Arlington, Texas. Four of the six hits he allowed in a 5 1/3-inning, five-run start were home runs, though the Red Sox went on to post an 11-6 victory.

Crawford was then charged with six runs in 3 2/3 innings in his most recent start, on Wednesday at Kansas City.

In four career games (three starts) vs. the Rangers, Crawford is 1-0 with a 5.19 ERA.

Texas will counter with right-hander Jose Urena (3-7, 3.74), whom Crawford got the better of in the teams’ series opener earlier this month. The Red Sox tagged Urena for seven runs on eight hits in four-plus innings during that outing, giving him an 0-2 record and a 5.56 ERA in four career starts vs. Boston.

Urena also took the loss in his latest start, when he worked four innings of two-run ball against the Houston Astros on Wednesday.

The Rangers likely will need a big start from Urena after the late innings on Monday went to rookies Gerson Garabito and Walter Pennington, the last two of seven Texas pitchers to take the mound.

“Well, we had arms out there,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said.

Following the loss, the Rangers are a season-worst nine games below .500, and they are 1-5 in their past six contests.

Even Corey Seager’s sixth home run in a 10-game span — tying the game at 3-3 in the seventh inning — was not enough. The team’s lineup was also adjusted, with Marcus Semien leading off and Adolis Garcia hitting cleanup.

“(We’re) just kind of getting the old band back together, to their roles where they normally are,” Bochy said before the series began. “See if we can get things going there.”

Semien went 1-for-5 with an RBI on Monday, and Garcia also finished 1-for-5.

Field Level Media

Astros Conduct Batting Clinic in Boston; Sunday at 1:35pm

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – The Houston Astros have a relatively new, gorgeous, multi-purpose ballpark in the Space City and it’s served the team well. But, the ‘Stros might trade places with the Boston Red Sox on a Minute Maid moment. Consider the facts and the stats.

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Coming into the series finale on Sunday at Fenway Park, the Astros were riding a four-game winning streak, the prior two victories coming at the expense of the hometown Sox to the tune of 8-4 on Friday night and 5-4 on Saturday afternoon for the FS-1 tv crowd. But, consider: Houston left fielder Jordan Alvarez was batting a sizzling .463 (25-for-54) at Fenway over his 14 career games at America’s Most Beloved Ballpark.

Alvarez had seven homers, 19 RBI and a .963 slugging percentage. His batting average, slugging and OPS (1.517) were all tops amongst active MLB batters. The next closest Sox opponent was 78 points behind Alvarez.

By the way, coming into today’s game, Alvarez leads all of MLB with his road numbers of .357 batting average, 1.134 OPS. .695 slugging, and .439 on base percentage.  All the number improved!

On Sunday, as the Astros conducted a clinic in pitching, fielding and batting at the expense of the Sox, Alvarez reached base his four at bats, including a towering home run in the top of the fifth inning when Houston did five runs of damage and take a 6-0 lead in the game. Alvarez hit his solo HR immediately after 3B Alex Bregman took out some car headlights in the parking garage across Lansdowne Street outside of the left field Green Monster.

In the sixth inning, it was more of the same, as Bregman doubled and scored, Alvarez was intentionally walked and scored and SS Jeremy Pena had the honors to place another ball on the pavement outside of the House of Blues on Lansdowne.

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Boston relievers, Brennan Bernardino (four earned runs) and Luis Garcia (five earned runs) took the brunt of the Astros’ in-game BP.

Boston’s relievers were sent to work early when starter and LHP James Paxton suffered a strained calf in the first inning and had to be removed from the game. Long reliever and RHP Lucas Sims came on in relief and pitched two serviceable innings, allowing only one run.

The Red Sox managed to score two runs in the home sixth, avoiding the 10-run rule type outing in what finished as a 10-2 rout with Sox first baseman Dom Smith pitching the top of the ninth inning for Manager Alex Cora in the all-out laugher.

Smith did receive a warm ovation from the Fenway faithful who withstood another Texan-sized shellacking as the Sox were swept for the second time since the MLB All-Star break (LA Dodgers took three, July 19-21).

Boston will be forced to do another Texas “two-step” when the Rangers visit Fenway for three games this Monday through Wednesday. Boston dropped to 61-55 on the season and three games back of the Kansas City Royals in the race for the final wild car slot, while Houston improved to 62-55.

For the agate column lovers, Sims took the loss for Boston and is (1 – 6) while Houston’s starter Hunter Brown improved to (10-7) on the year.

Sox: Astros Break Out of Slump

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BOSTON – The Houston Astros will look to extend their winning streak to four on Saturday when they face the Boston Red Sox for the second matchup of a three-game series at Fenway Park. The Astros seem to have broken out of an offensive slump that plagued them in early August.

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After collecting 13 hits in a 6-4 victory over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday, Houston posted a 16-hit attack in an 8-4 triumph over Boston on Friday night. Seven of those hits came in a four-run seventh inning that included a two-run home run by Jose Altuve.

Altuve’s shot tied the game at three-all, and Houston scored twice more in the frame.

“Obviously, trying to get a run in, we were down by two,” Altuve said. “Basically, just put a ball in play. … I’ve been working on trying to drive the ball again and (have) been getting on base, hitting for power.”

Yainer Diaz hit a two-run home run for the Astros in a three-run ninth. Prior to the Wednesday win, Houston was held to 19 runs in the previous eight games — six of them losses.

The Astros scored seven runs on 12 hits in three innings against Boston’s bullpen.

“We’re getting healthy and we have arms,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “It didn’t happen today. I always say that’s a fastbreak offense. When they get going, they get going. … It happens quick. They do a good job putting the ball in play, hitting the ball hard early in counts. They’re very aggressive and today we didn’t do the job.”

The Red Sox were 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 runners.

Astros rookie right-hander Spencer Arrighetti (4-10, 5.33 ERA) is scheduled to start on Saturday. Arrighetti struck out a career-high 12 in his latest outing, a 1-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. It was the most strikeouts in a game by an Astros pitcher this year.

Arrighetti allowed five hits and walked two in six innings. The only run he permitted came on doubles by Dylan Carlson and Brandon Lowe in the third inning. He threw 100 pitches, 67 for strikes.

Houston has lost six consecutive games started by Arrighetti, but he compiled a 3.41 ERA over the past five of those outings as the Astros scored a total of five runs.

Arrighetti will be facing Boston for the first time in his career.

Right-hander Cooper Criswell was scheduled to start Saturday’s game for Boston, but he was placed on the COVID-related injured list on Friday. Right-hander Josh Winckowski (2-1, 3.44 ERA) will get the ball instead.

In 24 games with Boston this season, Winckowski has made five starts, the most recent coming July 6 against the New York Yankees. In that contest, he allowed three runs in 3 2/3 innings. Against the Astros in his career, Winckowski has a 2.25 ERA and one save in three relief appearances, all of them last year.

The Friday loss dropped Boston’s home record to 27-29. The Red Sox have a 3.85 ERA in 58 road games and a 4.28 ERA in 56 home games.

Boston’s Nick Sogard had two hits in the series opener. He has reached base in all six games he has played since he was called up from Triple-A Worcester last week, compiling a .318 batting average and a .423 on-base percentage.

“He has a pretty good idea of what to swing at,” Cora said. “He doesn’t chase. He gets to the fastball. So far it’s been good.”

–Field Level Media

Witt is It

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KANSAS CITY – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. homered twice and drove in four runs on Wednesday, leading the Kansas City Royals past the visiting Boston Red Sox 8-4 to salvage the finale of a three-game series.

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Cole Ragans (9-7) allowed four runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks over 6 1/3 innings for Kansas City. The left-hander struck out seven and collected his fourth win over his last five starts.

Boston starter Kutter Crawford (7-9) tossed 3 2/3 innings, allowing six runs on five hits and four walks with three strikeouts. He allowed Witt’s first home run, a one-out solo shot in the first to open the scoring.

Crawford has surrendered 13 homers in his last four starts and leads the majors with 27 home runs allowed.

Witt and Vinnie Pasquantino, who are tied for third in the American League with 84 RBIs, both supplied two in the Royals’ five-run fourth inning.

MJ Melendez drew an 11-pitch walk to open the frame and scored on Crawford’s wild pitch with one out to pull Kansas City within 4-3.

Witt put the Royals ahead with a two-out, two-run double into the right field corner on an 0-2 pitch, which chased Crawford from the game.

Pasquantino promptly hit reliever Brennan Bernardino’s second pitch into the right field bullpen for a two-run homer and a 7-4 lead.

Witt closed the scoring in the sixth inning with his second solo shot of the night and 22nd of the season.

With the win, the Royals increased their lead to 1 1/2 games over Boston for the AL’s final wild-card spot.

Michael Massey’s RBI single put Kansas City up 2-0 in the second inning before his throwing error helped the Red Sox rally in the third.

Massey’s mistake put two runners on with none out, and Romy González eventually connected for a two-out, three-run homer, his fourth this season.

Boston boosted its lead to 4-2 on Danny Jansen’s homer to lead off the fourth.

Red Sox right-hander Chris Martin was activated from the injured list and struck out three in a scoreless eighth.

–Field Level Media

Sox: On Again After Off Again

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KANSAS CITY – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Masataka Yoshida homered and drove in three runs as the Boston Red Sox rallied past the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Tuesday evening.

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Yoshida, who had four hits in Monday’s 9-5 win for Boston, hit a solo homer in the third inning on Tuesday — his sixth blast of the season. He then singled in two runs to cap a three-run sixth inning.

Opening the sixth, Dominic Smith doubled and was later ruled out trying to score on Seth Lugo’s wild pitch, but the call was overturned after the Red Sox challenged it, breaking the 3-3 tie.

After Kansas City took a 1-0 lead in the first, Boston answered quickly, taking advantage of second baseman Michael Massey’s first error of the season. David Hamilton’s RBI double and Ceddanne Rafaela’s run-scoring grounder gave the Red Sox a 2-1 lead.

Kansas City tied the game with two out in the fifth on Massey’s 10th homer and Vinnie Pasquantino’s RBI double. After a walk to Salvador Perez, Boston starter Brayan Bello was pulled in favor of Brennan Bernardino (4-3), who the final out got and picked up the win with his only pitch of the game.

In 4 2/3 innings, Bello allowed three runs on five hits and three walks. He struck out six.

MJ Melendez’s two-run double in the eighth cut the Royals’ deficit to one, but closer Kenley Jansen struck the final batter of that inning and two of three he faced in the ninth to earn his 21st save.

Boston has won six of eight games and three straight series.

The Red Sox won four of five games against the Royals this year and 27 of 38 since the start of 2018.

Lugo (13-6) pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing six runs — four earned — on six hits and four walks. He struck out four. He has lost four of his last six starts.

Pasquantino had three of Kansas City’s eight hits with two RBIs, and he leads the Royals with 82 RBIs.

The Royals have lost six of their last seven home games.

–Field Level Media