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Rich Hill to the Rescue

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox are activating 44-year-old left-hander Rich Hill, multiple outlets reported. Hill signed a minor league deal on Aug. 15 and made one scoreless, two-inning appearance at Triple-A Worcester.

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Hill has played for 13 franchises since making his MLB debut in 2005, including three previous stints with his hometown Red Sox.

Once activated, Hill will surpass 41-year-old Justin Verlander as the oldest player in the majors.

Hill last played in the big leagues in 2023 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres, going 8-14 with a 5.41 ERA in 32 games (27 starts).

He is 90-73 with a 4.01 ERA in 382 games (248 starts) with the Chicago Cubs (2005-08), Baltimore Orioles (2009), Red Sox (2010-12, 2015, 2022), Cleveland (2013), Los Angeles Angels (2014), New York Yankees (2014), Oakland Athletics (2016), Los Angeles Dodgers (2016-19), Minnesota Twins (2020), Tampa Bay Rays (2021), New York Mets (2021), Pirates (2023) and Padres (2023).

The Red Sox optioned right-hander Josh Winckowski to Worcester on Tuesday morning. Winckowski, 26, is 4-1 with a 4.37 ERA in 30 games (six starts) this season for Boston.

–Field Level Media

Two for Two

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – With their American League playoff hopes continuing to fade like the lazy days of Summer turning to the chilly evenings of September, the Boston Red Sox will look to bounce back from a series-opening, day-night sweep when they continue a rare five-game set against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays tonight.

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Much-needed wins were not in the cards for the Red Sox on Monday, as 4-1 and 7-3 losses dropped them to 5 1/2 games back of Minnesota, which currently holds the third and final wild-card spot.

“It’s not happening right now, to be honest with you,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “It’s been going on for a while here, right? Most of (the players) haven’t been in this situation before, right? Every pitcher matters, every at-bat matters. We just gotta make sure we slow it down. … We’re better than this. We know that.”

Every team goes through such rough patches over the course of the 162-game season, but Boston’s four straight losses and six in eight games have come at a less-than-ideal time and immediately following a 4-2 stretch.

Center fielder Jarren Duran was a major bright spot for the Boston offense, hitting home runs in both Monday games while doubling twice in the nightcap.

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“It’s nice to come up with those productive days, but we didn’t get the wins,” Duran said. “I think we’ve just got to get back on the horse … and believe in ourselves again.”

Four errors were too much for the Red Sox to overcome, and Toronto’s five-hit showing with runners in scoring position was key to the latter Monday victory, its season-high fifth straight.

“We were ready to go, and that’s a testament to the leaders of the team,” Blue Jays shortstop Ernie Clement said.

Boston’s Cooper Criswell (5-4, 4.41 ERA) is due to make his second straight start after throwing 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball last Wednesday at Houston.

Criswell has a 3.88 ERA in 14 starts and a 7.30 ERA in six relief outings this season. He has a 5.68 ERA in two career appearances (one start) against Toronto.

The Blue Jays had an outfield star of their own on Monday in Connecticut native George Springer, who also homered in both Monday games and has four over his last six games.

“It’s been a weird year for George,” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “He’s been so consistent in the clubhouse, and he’s done such an amazing job to keep these young kids under wraps. It goes without saying, we need George to be George, and he’s been that for a good while now.”

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a two-hit game, giving him a .415 average since the All-Star break.

Yariel Rodriguez (1-5, 4.40) is slated to make Tuesday’s start for Toronto. The 27-year-old rookie has allowed nine runs in 9 1/3 innings across his last two starts, both no-decisions, against the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds.

Rodriguez has failed to finish five innings in three of his last five starts, including Wednesday against Cincinnati when he let a 5-0 lead slip with five runs allowed in 4 1/3 frames.

Rodriguez’s first and only career start against Boston was made official on Monday with the completion of a June 26 suspended game. He pitched a scoreless first inning before inclement weather halted play.

Boston’s Danny Jansen began that game as Rodriguez’s catcher, but was traded to the Red Sox last month. When play resumed Monday, Jansen became the first player in MLB history to appear for both teams in the same game.

–Field Level Media

D-Backs Make It Six in a Row

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – It was only one run, but when Boston’s DH Masataka Yoshida tried to stretch a stand-up double into a triple and was thrown out by seven feet, it stopped the Red Sox rally to be.

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Aside from the inexcusable Little League level mistake, the poor base-running with none out and a four run lead in the bottom of the fourth inning seemed harmless even when Sox catcher Connor Wong doubled immediately after the miscue. But, the damage was done, as Yoshida was the rally killer.

Two innings later, Arizona’s 3B Eugenio Suarez hit a three-run home run to help the visiting Diamondbacks take a 6-4 lead which led the Diamondbacks to complete a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox with a 7-5 victory Sunday. The win extended Arizona’s winning streak to seven.

The Diamondbacks trailed 4-3 until Suarez hit his 20th home run of the season in the sixth against Boston starter Tanner Houck. Suarez, who had four hits Sunday, collected eight hits and 10 RBIs in the series.

The Diamondbacks also received a solo home run from Geraldo Perdomo (No. 3 of the year) in the ninth as the victory stretched Arizona’s winning streak to six games. All six victories have come on the road.

Houck (8-9) allowed six runs on seven hits in six innings. He walked four and struck out two. Boston is winless in Houck’s last seven starts.

Triston Casas, Rafael Devers and Tyler O’Neill each homered for Boston, which led 4-0 after four innings.

Casas, who struck out four times in Saturday’s 4-1 loss to Arizona, hit a solo home run in the first inning, Devers hit a three-run homer in the fourth and O’Neill struck for a solo home run against Justin Martinez in the ninth. Devers’ home run was the 200th of his major league career.

After allowing the home run to O’Neill, Martinez retired the next three batters to collect his sixth save.

Arizona starter Merrill Kelly (4-0) earned the win despite allowing Boston’s first two home runs. He gave up four runs on seven hits in six innings and recorded five strikeouts.

The homers by Casas (No. 8) and Devers (No. 28) handed Boston a 4-0 lead, but Arizona scored three times in the fifth. Adrian Del Castillo scored on Perdomo’s bases-loaded groundout, Suarez scored on Corbin Carroll’s sacrifice fly and then Jake McCarthy’s RBI single drove in Luis Guillorme to make it a 4-3 game.

Pavin Smith singled and Del Castillo walked before Suarez belted the three-run homer that put the Diamondbacks in front 6-4. Perdomo’s home run extended the lead to 7-4 before O’Neill’s 23rd homer capped the scoring.

Boston, now on a three-game losing skid, slipped to 29-35 at home.

–Field Level Media

Diamondbacks Ride Win Streak

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The visiting Arizona Diamondbacks can complete a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox with a victory Sunday. Arizona won the opener, 12-2, on Friday night and posted a 4-1 victory on Saturday. The Diamondbacks enter Sunday’s matchup on a five-game winning streak, all on the road.

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Saturday’s win gave the Diamondbacks their 11th series victory in the last 12 tries. The only exception came last weekend, when Tampa Bay swept a three-game series as Arizona began its nine-game trip. The Diamondbacks are 25-8 since the All-Star break.

Arizona’s starting pitchers — Ryne Nelson on Friday and Zac Gallen on Saturday — combined to allow two runs on seven hits in 12 innings.

“Those guys (the Diamondbacks) are really good,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “What they do is not just against us — it’s against everybody. It’s a different type of pitching, too. Different angles, they change speeds, they don’t give in. You have to be very stubborn in the zone.

“They’re really good at what they do. They’re probably one of the best teams in the big leagues right now. They’re athletic, they run the bases well, they put good at-bats — it’s a complete team.”

Arizona’s Eugenio Suarez has four hits and seven RBIs in the series. He collected five RBIs — including a grand slam — on Friday and had a two-run double in Saturday’s win.

Boston’s pitchers walked six on Saturday, including four in the seventh when Arizona scored two runs without getting a hit.

“When the pitcher has good stuff or he’s attacking and we’re not getting hits, I think our patience will pay off,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “We’re going to get some baserunners and create some run-scoring opportunities. That’s what we did today.”

A walk forced in the first run in the seventh, and the second scored on a wild pitch by Brennan Bernardino.

“At this level we cannot do that, obviously,” Cora said. “We had the right matchups. It just didn’t work out.”

 

 

Sunday’s pitching matchup has Arizona right-hander Merrill Kelly (3-0, 3.63 ERA) facing Boston righty Tanner Houck (8-8, 3.01).

Kelly has made two starts since returning from the 60-day injured list with a shoulder injury. He gave up two runs in five innings to beat the Phillies in the first start, then allowed six runs and eight hits in five innings during an 8-7 loss to Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg on Aug. 18.

Kelly has faced the Red Sox twice in his career and has a 1-1 record with a 1.26 ERA. He has 19 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings against Boston, and struck out 10 in 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball against the Red Sox last season.

Houck has made three straight quality starts, and gave up three runs (two earned) in six innings of a 5-4 loss to Houston on Monday. He made his only career start against Arizona last season — opposing Kelly in that 10-strikeout game — and took a loss after surrendering four runs on six hits in four innings. Arizona’s Corbin Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo each homered against Houck.

The Red Sox are expecting outfielder Tyler O’Neill to play Sunday after he missed the last three games because of a swollen finger on his left hand.

“He should be in the lineup,” Cora said.

–Field Level Media

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