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Red Sox Head to Space City

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HOUSTON – If the Boston Red Sox are smart, they’ll sign Bill “Spaceman” Lee to a contract today for a span of the next 10 days. The Sox and Houston – home of the Johnson Space Center – will play seven baseball games in 11 days, with four coming this week at Minute Maid Stadium in Texas, while three games between Boston and the Astros will be scheduled for June 8-10 at Fenway Park.

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Going into this afternoon’s game, the Red Sox (32-20) are four games ahead of Houston (28-24) for the AL Wild Card slot, as Boston trails Tampa (34-20) for first place in the AL East. Houston has won each of the last regular season series between the two clubs but 12 of the last 23 contests were decided by one run.

Boston will start lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (5-3, 5.06 ERA) against Houston’s Jose Urquidy, a righty with a (3-2) record and 3.32 ERA. Overall, Boston starters have thrown 5-or-more innings in 44 games this season, third best in the majors behind the Oakland A’s (46) and LA Dodgers (45). The Red Sox are 15-3 when their starter goes 6+ innings and that was an issue for Rodriguez his last time out when he pitched a season-low 4.o innings against Philadelphia on May 23.

Prior to that start, Rodriguez had a MLB high and career-best of 36 starts going at least 5+ innings.  Rodriguez has lost his last three consecutive outings but has received only one run of support in those three games combined.

The Red Sox begin 17 consecutive days of games at Houston this afternoon.

 

Sox Win Rain-Shortened Game vs Miami

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BOSTON – It was a wash-out. The Boston Red Sox defeated the Miami Marlins, 5-2, in a Friday night drench-fest, delayed following the top of the 6th inning at 9:19 p.m and finally called at 10:44 p.m. The win brought the Sox to a season-high-tying 11 games above .500 (31-20) after winning six of their last nine games.

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Red Sox starter Martin Perez pitched 5.0 innings, allowing five hits and only two runs while striking-out four Miami batters. Perez allowed three earned runs or fewer for the ninth time in 10 starts this season, including each of his last seven outings. Perez retired 12 of his 13 batters faced, including a double play, following a home run surrendered to Miami’s Jorge Alfaro in the 2nd inning.

Boston’s J.D. Martinez went 2-for-3, as he hit a two-run double in the 3rd inning, tying the score at 2-2. Martinez also singled in the 5th. The two-run double marked the 300th and 301st RBI of his Red Sox career.

Red Sox outfielder Hunter Renfroe went 2-for-2, with doubles and runs scored in the 3rd and 5th innings. Each of Renfroe’s last four hits have gone for extra bases (three 2B, one HR). In 22 games this month, is batting .286 with an .838 OPS, 11 extra-base hits, and 13 RBI.

Miami starter Cody Poteet went 4.1 innings, held the Sox scoreless through two while eventually allowing four hits, five runs, with two walks and six strike-outs. He threw a career-low in innings and took his first career loss. The Marlins have lost each of their last two games after winning four of their previous five.

Tough Stretch Ahead for Red Sox

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BOSTON – When the Boston Red Sox score seven (or more) runs, they’re 15-0. When they score four or more runs, they are an MLB best 26-3 (.897). Last night, they scored but one run and lost to the Atlanta Braves, 3-1, and have now dropped each of their last two games after winning four in a row and going 5-1-0 in their last six series match-ups.

The Sox pitching staff has been equally impressive. Red Sox pitchers have allowed an AL-best 0.74 HR/9.0 IP (35 HR), good enough for second-fewest in MLB, aside from the St. Louis Cardinals staff at 0.70.

Dating back to April 8, a lifetime ago to many, yesterday was the first day the Red Sox took to the field being out of first place in the AL East. They began 46 consecutive days from 4/9-5/24 with at least a share of the top spot, including 43 consecutive days in sole possession of first place from 4/11-5/23.

Starting Thursday, each of Boston’s next 19 games will be against teams that made the 2020 MLB Postseason, and that extends to 27 of the next 30 contests – the bulk of the very important stretch in mid-season (HOU-7, NYY-6, ATL-3, TOR-4, MIA-3, TB-3).

Tonight’s starting pitcher for the Red Sox will be Nick Pivetta. Since being acquired by the Red Sox, Pivetta is 7-0 with a 3.28 ERA in 11 starts (57.2 IP, 21 ER). The only other pitchers to go unbeaten in their first 11-plus starts with the Red Sox were Matt Clement (first 12 in 2005) and Mike Nagy (first 12 in 1969).

The Red Sox are 10-1 in Pivetta’s starts. The Sox have never won as many as 11 of a pitcher’s first 12 starts with the club.

The Sox will play their 50th game of the season this evening. They have won at least 30 of their first 50 games 27 times, reaching MLB’s Postseason in each of the last five instances (2007, ‘08, ‘13, ‘16, ‘18).

J.D. Martinez Goes Long Ball for Win

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DUNEDIN – Boston’s designated hitter J.D. Martinez hit a two-run home run with two outs in the ninth inning, lifting the Red Sox to an 8-7 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at the Jays’ spring training and temporary home field in Florida.

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It was the 33-year-old Martinez’s 250th career homer and 12th this season. Bobby Dalbec hit a three-run homer for Boston, and Alex Verdugo had an RBI groundout in the ninth off Rafael Dolis (1-1) before Martinez’s long ball.

Phillips Valdez (2-0) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win, and Matt Barnes struck out three in the ninth for his 10th save.

Bo Bichette had three hits for Toronto. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 2-for-5 with two runs, and Randal Grichuk had two hits and two RBIs.

The Jays continue to play in Florida but will soon move north to play in Buffalo, NY as COVID-19 restrictions do not allow for regular travel from the USA to Canada.

 

Red Sox Come From Behind vs LAA

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BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox won their second straight game, following a 3-game losing streak, and are now 12-8 at home, 12-5 since being swept by Baltimore to open the season. With their 4-3 victory over the LA Angels, the Red Sox earned their MLB-best 16th come-from-behind win.

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Trailing 3-2 entering the bottom of the 7th inning, Boston rallied behind a single by RF Hunter Renfroe and 1B Bobby Dalbec‘s subsequent two-run home run. Renfroe had hit a two-run homer of his own in the Red Sox half of the 2nd inning to open the scoring. In Dalbec’s last six games (beginning 5/7), he is batting 7-for-21 (.333) with three home runs and nine RBI.

Shonhei Ohtani hit his American League co-leading 11th homer of the 2021 season for the Angels, who lost their third straight.

Boston reliever Matt Andriese (2-2) was credited with the win despite allowing José Iglesias’ two-run double in the seventh, and closer Matt Barnes struck out the side in the ninth for his ninth save of the year. Boston starter Nick Pivetta went 6.0 innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out seven. Pivetta, who earlier in the week was put on COVID-19+ protocol due to his reaction to his second vaccine, held LA scoreless before Ohtani’s two-out homer in the 6th.

 

Pivetta to COVID-19 Injured List

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BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox placed right-handed pitcher Nick Pivetta on the COVID-19 Related Injured List (side effects from vaccination). To fill Pivetta’s spot on the active roster, the club recalled right-handed pitcher Eduard Bazardo from Triple-A Worcester. Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom made the announcement.

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Pivetta, 28, last started on May 9 in Baltimore, where he limited the Orioles to two runs over 6.0 innings in the Red Sox’ 4-3 win. The right-hander is 5-0 with a team-leading 3.19 ERA (13 ER/36.2 IP) and .190 opponent batting average over seven starts this season, tossing at least 5.0 innings in six of them. Pivetta is tied for the American League lead in wins and ranks among league leaders hits per nine innings (5th, 5.89) and home runs per nine innings (5th, 0.49).

Red Sox Drop 3-2 Decision to A’s

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BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox lost for just the second time when their starter lasted at least 6.0 innings and last night that designation went to Nathan Eovaldi  who allowed only one run over 6.0 innings for the second time in his last three starts but the Oakland A’s outlasted Boston 3-2 at Fenway Park.

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The Athletics are 22-9 over their last 31 games, after starting the year 0-6. A’s starter Chris Bassitt went 7.0 innings, and allowed two runs on three hits. Bassitt recorded his third career game with 10+ strike-outs and his second with 10+ strike-outs and no walks.

A’s 3B slugger Matt Chapman went 1-for-3, and hit an RBI single in the 7th inning to put the A’s ahead, 2-1. Chapman has reached base safely in five of his last seven plate appearances. A’s SS Elvis Andrus added an RBI single in the seventh to extend the A’s lead to 3-1. Andrus has a hit in four straight games after going hitless in seven of his previous 10 outings.

For the Sox, Eovaldi threw a season-high 102 pitches and has tossed at least 6.0 innings in four of his eight starts, the most by a Red Sox pitcher this season. Eovaldi has not allowed a home run in his last 58.0 innings, MLB’s longest active streak.

Sox 3B Rafael Devers hit a solo home run in the seventh inning.

Bassitt was credited with the win and relieve Jake Diekman earned the save.

Both clubs are (22-15) on the year. The Red Sox are 10-10 at Fenway Park.

 

 

Sox, E-Rod Get the Best of Baltimore

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BALTIMORE – With the aid of his teammates and retired Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, Boston 1B Bobby Dalbec snapped an 0-for-27 batting slump with a single and a three-run homer, powering the Boston Red Sox to a 6-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night at Orioles Park at Camden Yards.

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Sox starter and team ace Eduardo Rodriguez (5-0) allowed one run on seven hits while striking out two batters over five innings to help the Red Sox improve to a the MLB-best record of 20-13. Boston won the last nine games Rodriguez has started against Baltimore, where he originally signed as a free agent in 2010 before he was traded to the Sox for reliever Andrew Miller.

The Red Sox lead the majors in runs (166), batting average (.267), slugging (.444), on-base+slugging (.776), doubles (72), and extra base hits (113). In their last 5 games, the Sox are batting .311 with an .856 (on-base+slugging) with (7.4 runs per game).

Tonight, Boston’s righty, Garrett Richards,  (1-2, 4.40 ERA) will make his third start against the Orioles this season. In the previous two games, he’s 0-1, allowing eight runs and 10 hits with six strikeouts and five walks over seven innings.

Sox Come From Behind to Win Again

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BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox trailed, 7-5 ,entering the bottom of the 6th inning and were behind, 9-8, entering the bottom of the 8th but infielder Christian Arroyo scored the decisive run in the 8th inning on a fielding error by the Detroit 3rd baseman Jeimer Candelario and Boston OF Alex Verdugo singled in two insurance runs to give Boston a 12-9 victory. It marked an MLB best of 13 come-from-behind victories for the Red Sox this season.

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Boston starter Nathan Eovaldi allowed six runs on seven hits in a season-low 4.1 innings pitched. Relieve Matt Andreise was credited with the win while Detroit’s Alex Lange took the loss in a game that can best be described as “sloppy,” as the teams combined for six errors, three wild pitches, two hit batsmen, a passed ball and a balk.

Boston 3B Rafael Devers went 2-for-5, with three RBI, including an RBI single in the 3rd inning and a go-ahead, two-run single with the bases loaded in the 6th inning. Devers stands 14-for-35 (.400) with Runs in Scoring Position this season and leads MLB since the start of 2019 with 63 game-tying or go-ahead RBI. Ten of Devers’ 23 RBI this season have tied the score of given the Red Sox the lead. Devers did make two fielding errors in the game.

After going 10-6 in their last 16 home games, the Red Sox will next visit Baltimore Friday for the first of four games. LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (4-0) will face righty Matt Harvey (3-1).

 

 

 

Tigers Upset Sox in 10 Innings

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BOSTON – Boston starter Martin Perez tossed a season high 5.2 innings for the second time, allowed six hits, three runs, (only two earned, walked two and struck-out six but it was not enough to get the Red Sox a victory as the Detroit Tigers upset the Sox 6-5 at Fenway Park Wednesday night. The series with Detroit is now tied 1-1.

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The Tigers snapped their season-long seven-game losing streak and are now 2-0 in extra-inning games this season and 3-1 in extras since the start of 2020. Detroit 3B Jeimer Candelario went 3-foro-5, including his three-run home run in the 10th off Boston’s highly-touted reliever Garrett Whitlock.

Detroit’s pitcher Casey Mize  threw 6.0 innings, allowed a season-low three hits, but a career-high three walks over a career-high-tying 95 pitches. He held the Red Sox hitless through three frames. Mize allowed his only run to score in the 2nd inning, after starting the inning with two walks. His game-changing efforts came when he worked around a bases-loaded jam in the 6th.

Sox DH J.D. Martinez hit his 10th homer of the season. He is tied with Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. for the major league lead in home runs and leads the majors in RBI (29) and total bases (78), while leading the American League in extra-base hits with 20.

After Boston allowed three runs in the top of the 10th, they rallied for two runs in the home half of the inning but fell short.

Whitlock (0-1) took the loss for Boston.