The Monday, May 3, 2021

* The Boston Globe

Brock Holt hits back at Red Sox, who squander a strong Garrett Richards start in loss to Rangers

Peter Abraham

ARLINGTON, Texas — said Thursday that he’d always root for the Red Sox, except when he was playing against them. The seven seasons he spent in Boston were the most memorable of his career.

Holt had two hits against the Sox on Friday and at one point danced down the third base line like he intended to steal home, grinning the entire time.

Then Sunday, Holt stuck a dagger in his former team.

His two-out single off in the bottom of the eighth inning led to two runs as the Rangers came back to beat the Red Sox, 5-3.

“Obviously, the Red Sox thing, it’s cool. But it would have felt good regardless of who it was,” said Holt, who wore a Texas flag-themed cowboy hat to his postgame press conference. It went well with his handlebar mustache.

Holt had short stints with the Brewers and Nationals after the Red Sox let him walk as a free agent following the 2019 season.

The Rangers signed him to a minor league contract before this season and Holt has become the lefthanded side of a platoon at third base.

The hit Sunday was his biggest of the season. It left the Red Sox stunned.

“It stung, it stung. Especially coming from him,” said. “He’s a good player, man. I know definitely he wanted that at-bat and to be clutch in that situation.”

The Sox had a 3-2 lead going into the eighth inning with Adam Ottavino on the mound, the situation wanted.

But Ottavino walked lefthanded-hitting on five pitches to start the inning, missing badly four times.

“The leadoff walk, that’s the game,” Ottavino said. “A leadoff walk and your margin for error shrinks.”

Lowe then took a walking lead and easily stole second. Now the tying was in .

“I was surprised that he stole being that he’s not really a speed guy,” Ottavino said. “It didn’t really bother me.”

Ottavino has been easy to steal on in his career, something the Red Sox have worked with him to clean up.

“That’s something, we have to get better. We have to help him out,” Cora said.

Ottavino retired the next two batters and had a chance to end the inning before another lefty hitter, , singled to left field to drive in the tying run.

The meltdown continued when Isiah Kiner-Falefa walked on five pitches. Barnes was then called in from the bullpen.

Barnes struck Holt out on three pitches when he faced him for the first time last season. This time Holt lined a high fastball to center.

“He’s a championship-caliber player,” Cora said. “He’s done it before. He put a good swing on a fastball up and he found green.”

Dahl scored, as did Kiner-Falefa after Alex Verdugo overran the ball.

Rangers needed only five pitches in the ninth to dispose of the Red Sox. The last seven hitters went in order against the Texas bullpen.

Red Sox starter Garrett Richards allowed one run on four hits over five innings. He walked one and struck out seven.

Richards left the game with a 2-1 lead the bullpen didn’t hold.

Darwinzon Hernandez worked a scoreless sixth inning. With a 3-1 lead, the Sox turned to Garrett Whitlock.

The rookie allowed his first run of the season, a leadoff by Kiner-Falefa, before getting through the inning.

Bogaerts (3 for 4) scored the first two runs for the Sox. He singled in the second inning off , reaching on a popup the Texas infield lost in the sun. Bogaerts took third on a by Marwin Gonzalez and scored on a groundout by Hunter Renfroe.

Bogaerts led off the fifth inning with a solo homer to center, his fifth of the season.

The Sox manufactured a run in the seventh inning. Renfroe singled and took second on a sacrifice bunt by slumping Franchy Cordero. ’s groundout moved Renfroe to third ahead of a single by another slumping hitter, Kiké Hernández.

The bullpen was set up to send the Sox home with a series split but Holt was standing in the way as Texas took 3 of 4 in the series.

The 17-12 Sox, who return to Fenway Park for a three-game homestand against the beginning Tuesday, are 8-9 after a nine-game win streak that energized their season.

“We’re still a good team,” Cora said. “Nothing has changed. Like I told you guys when we started 0-3, we felt we had a good team. And after we won all those games, we still have a good team.”

Another strong start, but this time Garrett Richards and Red Sox come up short vs. Rangers

Peter Abraham

ARLINGTON, Texas — Garrett Richards pitched well again for the Red Sox on Sunday. But the righthander would have preferred to stay in the game for longer than what he called a “five and dive.”

The worked long at-bats and Richards came out after 93 pitches over five innings. What was a 2-1 lead turned into a 5-3 loss for the Sox.

After a worrisome first four starts, Richards has allowed two runs over 12 innings in his last two and struck out 17 with only one walk. His has dropped from 6.48 to 4.40.

“We’re moving in the right direction. There’s still work to be done,” Richards said.

Richards adjusted his mechanics, both from the windup and out of the stretch, two starts ago, staying more upright and improving his forward momentum.

His release point has been more consistent as a result and his slider much sharper.

“My mind has just gone into a different mode as far as my mechanics go,” Richards said. “This new delivery that me and [pitching Dave Bush] have come up with has really gotten me back in the zone. I’m throwing a ton of strikes now.”

Swing and a miss

Through Saturday, major league players had struck out in 24.3 percent of their plate appearances this season, up from 23.4 percent in 2020 and 22.9 percent in 2019.

Strikeouts rates have climbed for eight consecutive years, a combination of advances in pitching and an increasing number of hitters taking an all-or-nothing approach.

Manager Alex Cora has worked on making the Sox more of a contact-hitting team. That they are fourth in the majors with a .324 on-base percentage suggests it’s working.

“As a baseball fan, it’s not fun,” Cora said. “You sit there, and you see walks and and there’s no action, not too many balls put in play.”

Cora talked to J.D. Martinez a few days ago about how much the game has changed, particularly the quality of the pitching.

“The stuff they see on a daily basis is a lot better than the stuff we saw while I was playing,” Cora said. “The years that I played I never saw anything like this.

“There’s no 87-88 [miles per hour] anymore. The last guy on a staff either has a nasty secondary pitch or a plus fastball. The ball is doing stuff that I’ve never seen before . . . it’s a grind for hitters.”

Cora believes the root of the problem is with youth baseball and showcase events that reward players who hit home runs and throw as hard as they can at the expense of learning situational hitting or changing speeds as a .

“The game within the game is not played any more. It’s not,” Cora said. “I think we have to do a better job as an industry to promote contact and line drives.”

Brave new world

The four-game series at Globe Life Park drew 116,216 fans, including crowds of 35,129 on Saturday and 29,190 on Sunday.

“Good for them that they can do it,” Cora said. “The fans were into it.”

The retractable roof of the ballpark was closed for the first three games and while fans were encouraged to wear masks, only a small percentage did.

The state government in Texas lifted its COVID-19 restrictions in March.

“I hope they’re doing it right. I guess that’s the way you have to put it,” Cora said. “It’s just different here. If they feel that they’re OK doing it this way, good for them.

“Hopefully everybody can do it whenever the states and the people that know more about this virus and pandemic decide we can do that. That would be great.”

The Sox will move up to 25 percent of capacity at Fenway Park for their homestand starting May 11.

Good company

Xander Bogaerts’s home run in the fourth inning was his 118th as a . In team history, only Nomar Garciaparra (177) and Rico Petrocelli (127) have more . . . Franchy Cordero was 0 for 4 with a sacrifice. The is hitless in his last 24 at-bats and is 1 for 35 with 18 strikeouts in his last 13 games. He has a .406 OPS . . . After going 5 for 8 with two home runs, four walks and five RBIs in the first two games of the series, Martinez struck out twice and twice grounded into double plays with a runner on third . . . Texas native and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes attended the game wearing a jersey. Mahomes purchased a piece of the Royals in 2020. His father, Pat, pitched for the Red Sox from 1996-97 and for the Rangers in 2001 . . . In an awkward moment about two hours before the game, the sound system inside the park played “Hit Me Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears as some Red Sox players gathered in the dugout for a socially distanced chapel service.

Bentley University holds ‘double header’ commencement at Fenway Park

Breanne Kovatch

With pomp and pageantry befitting a Red Sox celebration, Bentley University on Saturday became the first Boston-area college to hold commencement exercises this year at Fenway Park.

The “double header” ceremony celebrated the class of 2021 and 2020, whose ceremony last year was forced to be held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A year later, with vaccinations on the rise and health restrictions easing in Massachusetts, some colleges and 16 Boston public high schools have opted to hold graduations at Fenway, but with strict protocols and limited attendance.

Under warm sunny skies, Bentley honored a total of about 2,000 undergraduates and 1,000 graduate students during ceremonies held in the morning and afternoon, according to the Waltham-based university.

The park was decked out for the celebrations, with the Jumbotron displaying professors congratulating the students and the scoreboard reading out, “CONGRATS BENTLEY.”

Former Bentley president Gloria Larson spoke at both celebrations, saying the “past year has forever changed our world.”

“We are lesser as a nation and lesser as a global community,” Larson told the class of 2021. “We’ve experienced an untold loss of human life, felt economic and financial hardship, experienced social unrest and a needed reckoning around race and social justice, and saw a deepening political and social divide at home and abroad.”

“But here today, in spite of or perhaps because of these challenges, we stand stronger,” she said. “Class of 2021, you are stronger.”

Graduates were also celebrated on the university’s Twitter account, with families and friends writing personalized messages for the graduating Falcons.

Next up for commencement at Fenway is Emerson College, which will hold dual celebrations for the Class of 2021 and the Class of 2020 on Sunday. Northeastern University will hold graduation for the Class of 2021 next Saturday at the ballpark.

On May 22 and 23, Suffolk University will hold ceremonies there for the classes of 2021 and 2020. In June, 16 Boston public high schools will hold graduation exercises at the storied ballpark throughout the month.

* The Boston Herald

Adam Ottavino blows late lead as Red Sox lose series to Rangers

Jason Mastrodonato

Adam Ottavino was brought to Boston not as a premier set-up guy, but as one who had stumbled and was sold by the Yankees in a salary dump this winter.

It’s been a rocky beginning for him with the Red Sox.

Ottavino entered with a one-run lead in the eighth inning Sunday, but allowed three runs as the Sox blew it late and took a 5-3 loss to the Texas Rangers.

It was the Red Sox’ third loss in four games against the Rangers as they lost a series for the first time since they were swept by the Orioles in the opening series of the season.

Ottavino struggled to start the year, but hadn’t allowed an earned run since April 15 until Sunday, when he entered with a 3-2 lead and walked the leadoff man. He recorded the next two outs, but after an RBI single by David Dahl tied the game and a walk to Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Ottavino was removed for closer Matt Barnes to keep the game tied.

But Barnes threw a second-pitch fastball to former teammate Brock Holt, who has always been a great fastball hitter, and Holt whacked it into right-center for a single. Two runs scored on the play as Alex Verdugo mishandled the ball and the Sox threw it around trying to get it home.

It was a painful loss for the Sox, who had played an otherwise tight ballgame until that point.

A few other takeaways:

1. Alex Cora has rarely been one to call for a bunt, but with a 2-1 lead entering the seventh, Hunter Renfroe hit a leadoff single and Franchy Cordero was up against a left-handed pitcher. With three right-handed hitters on his bench, Cora could have opted to use one instead of letting Cordero, a lefty, hit for himself. Instead, Cora had Cordero drop down a sacrifice bunt. It was a successful move, and Renfroe later came around to score what seemed like an important insurance run at the time after a single by Kiké Hernandez.

2. Barnes hasn’t had any trouble getting outs this year, but it’s no surprise Holt got him on a fastball. Holt has always been a premier fastball hitter, having left the Red Sox with a career .294 hitter against pitches 98 mph and harder. Barnes threw him two straight fastballs, the second one up over the plate, and Holt made it look easy as he drove in the go-ahead run with a hard-hit single.

3. Garrett Richards was good once again, marking his second straight positive outing after starting the year with four ugly ones. He wasn’t locating his pitches as well as he had in his last game against the Mets, but the Rangers bit on his breaking ball enough to allow him to utilize his fastball upstairs. He went just five innings, but only allowed one run while striking out seven.

Brock Holt delivers the dagger in Red Sox’ loss to Rangers: ‘That kind of hurt’

Jason Mastrodonato

Everybody knows Brock Holt is a great fastball hitter.

He was great at it while at Rice University, where former Owls coach Wayne Graham said there wasn’t a fastball he’d seen that could get by him.

And Holt did it well over seven years with the Red Sox, when he hit .294 off fastballs 98 mph or harder.

But with the former Red Sox’ All-Star at the plate facing Sox closer Matt Barnes and the game tied in the eighth inning on Sunday, Barnes threw Holt nothing but heaters. The second one, a 97-mph fastball at the top of the zone, was roped into right-field for a single that scored two runs and led the Rangers to a 5-3 win.

Asked afterward if the hit felt extra special given his history with the Sox, Holt shrugged it off.

“No, I mean, it was cool,” said Holt, who is hitting .250 on the year. “It would’ve been cool regardless in that situation to get a hit, to put your team on top going into the ninth inning. … Obviously the Red Sox thing, it’s cool, but it would’ve felt good regardless of who it was.”

Holt had always been a great clutch hitter, too, leaving the Red Sox having hit .279 with runners in scoring position.

“He’s a championship caliber player and he’s done it before,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “He put a good swing on a fastball up and he found green. He’s a good player.”

Xander Bogaerts said of Holt’s clutch hit to sink the Sox: “That kind of hurt.”

“Obviously we know how much we love him,” Bogaerts said. “Obviously an ex-teammate. I talked to him a couple times in the series. It was great seeing him. You always kind of root for someone like that, a guy you’re pretty close with and you have nothing but good things to say about him. You wish he doesn’t do as good against us. It stung. It stung, especially coming from him. But he’s a good player, man. I know definitely he probably wanted that at-bat and to be clutch in that situation. He put a good swing on it.”

The Red Sox strangely never made Holt a contract offer after he was eligible to hit free agency following the 2019 season, which he finished with a .297 average while playing every position but and center field. Instead they signed Jose Peraza, who struggled and was later designated for assignment.

Last August, Holt said he was surprised the Sox never reached out.

“I didn’t really hear from the Red Sox this year, which was a little strange to me,” he said. “It was one of those things, first time through free agency, didn’t really know what to expect. Figured I would get a phone call or something. They called a couple times just checking in, but it was never even really close to offering. I think early on in the process I knew it was probably the end.”

Holt signed with the Brewers for $2.5 million in 2020 but was let go and picked up by the Nationals. He signed a minor league deal with the Rangers this year and made the team out of .

The Rangers have appreciated Holt’s experience and clubhouse presence.

“I think it’s just the belief that you can win, the attitude that even if you’re down late, you can do what you need to do to win the game,” Holt said. “You saw that today, we faced their best arms and ended up putting some runs.”

Red Sox reliever Darwinzon Hernandez records nine consecutive outs via

Jason Mastrodonato

Darwinzon Hernandez is knocking on the door of the eighth inning.

Adam Ottavino’s rocky season continued on Sunday, when he gave up three runs in the eighth to blow the lea as the Red Sox took a 5-3 loss to the Rangers.

Ottavino has been the primary eighth-inning guy this year, but Hernandez seems poised for the job if it ever falls to him.

The 24-year-old left-hander struck out the first two batters he faced in the sixth inning Sunday, then closed it out with a groundout. The groundout ended his streak of nine consecutive outs recorded via the strikeout over four appearances.

He has a 3.60 ERA having struck out 15 batters in 10 innings this year and looks ready for late-game situations.

“Obviously whatever the team needs me to do I’m one to go out there and try and perform,” he said. “It doesn’t matter the situation.”

Hernandez throws a fastball in the upper-90s with a hard slider that has led to a ridiculous strikeout rate of 15.7 batters per nine innings over his three-year career thus far. He’s also adding a new pitch.

“I’ve just been working on my curveball,” he said. “That’s a pitch coming up I did have, but I stopped utilizing it. Now that I’m up here and needing another pitch to get guys out, that’s something I’ve been working on. I’ve been throwing it in some games recently too and I’ve had some success with it.”

Garrett Whitlock pitched the seventh between Hernandez and Ottavino on Sunday and he finally allowed a run, the first of his major league career. He had gone 13-1/3 innings without allowing a run to start his career until he left a changeup over the plate to Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who hammered it for a solo home run. Whitlock finished the inning with his 19th strikeout of the season.

“He’s only human, man,” manager Alex Cora said. “The fact he gave up the home run and the next pitch was 96 mph right down the middle tells you a lot about him. We’ll keep running hm out there and he should be OK.”

Red Sox play in front of their largest crowd of the season with 35,000-plus in Texas

Jason Mastrodonato

Without social distancing rules in Texas, the Red Sox have been playing in front of crowds they haven’t seen in two years.

Saturday night’s crowd of 35,129 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, was the largest the Sox have played in front of since 2019. It was the third-largest crowd in MLB this season. The Rangers also hosted 38,238 fans on their home , and 35,856 on a Saturday game against the Padres.

“It got loud last night,” manager Alex Cora said before Sunday’s series finale vs. the Rangers. “Good for them that they can do it. The fans were into it. I think for the people who were here last year, it’s a lot different. The last time I was in the dugout we had a packed house in Fenway watching Eddie (Rodriguez) trying to win 20 games in 2019. But it felt different. It’s been feeling different. They were very loud throughout the game.

“I hope they’re doing it right, that’s the way you have to put it. It’s just different compared to where we were in New York, being in Boston. It’s just different here. They feel they’re OK doing it this way, good for them. Hopefully everybody can do it whenever the states and people that know more about this virus and pandemic decide we can do that. That’ll be great.”

The Red Sox have been limited to about 4,700 fans at Fenway Park as Massachusetts attempts to limit the spread of the coronavirus. But the capacity will increase to about 9,400 starting with their next homestand on Tuesday.

“It’s been fun, when the weather is good,” Cora said. “The three games we had with good weather, the fans have been into it. I think 10,000 people will be good. I don’t know how they’re going to spread them out. It seems like there are certain ballparks where they keep the fans close to it. That’ll be good…

“I think 10,000 people is good enough for us. Little by little, we’re going to keep adding and I can’t wait for Fenway to be packed. Everybody knows the atmosphere, everybody knows what it means, not only for our players but for baseball, to have Yankee Stadium packed, Dodger Stadium, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field. So, hopefully we can do that sooner rather than later.”

* The Providence Journal

Political Scene: As WooSox prepare to open Polar Park on May 11, opinions remain split in RI

Patrick Anderson

The day many Rhode Islanders dreaded is fast approaching. Opening day in the Worcester, Massachusetts, home of the wandering, smiley-face-logoed WooSox, is scheduled for May 11.

Slater Mill felt like a mortuary three years ago when Rhode Island politicians who had fought to keep the gathered there in memoriam a day after team officials announced they were skipping town.

This summer, there will be a PawSox-shaped hole at their former home in McCoy Stadium, which spent the winter as a COVID-19 testing site.

Over the last couple of years in Worcester, Rhode Islanders have seen glimpses of the alternate timeline under which Pawtucket kept the team and consummated the ballpark construction plan that roiled the State House on and off for four years.

If Worcester's experience is any guide, it may not have been all peanuts and cracker jack.

After a series of cost overruns, Worcester's Polar Park is now the most expensive minor league ballpark in the world, clocking in at around $157 million so far.

Fans will enter the stadium for the first time amid a pandemic with three-quarters of the new seats empty because of public health restrictions. (You can order a cardboard cutout of yourself placed in the stands for $50.)

And while COVID is in its final innings, the virus' impact on the commercial real estate market and the development being relied on to pay for the ballpark, could be long-lasting.

Already the hotel and apartment projects planned around the stadium have been scaled down and delayed.

Maybe things would have turned out better in Pawtucket. Maybe not.

Three years after the Apex department store site was picked as the preferred location to build a new PawSox ballpark, the city still hasn't been able to acquire the property and its owner last month filed a lawsuit to block an eminent domain taking.

When the PawSox turned down the proposed stadium deal in 2018, opinions in Rhode Island were split between those who wanted it to happen and others relieved that it had fallen apart.

And neither time, the pandemic, an action-packed election cycle nor Worcester's experience seem to have changed many minds among those closest to the plan.

"I miss the Pawtucket Red Sox — I just think that we let them get away," Senate President Dominick Ruggerio, one of the most vocal supporters of a new stadium, said after a recent Senate session. "It was terrible. I look to see what they are doing up there. I think they will be very successful and I think we had a chance to keep them here and we failed."

The Senate approved a Pawtucket stadium financing package before Worcester began courting the team, but that deal died in the House, where former Speaker Nicholas Mattiello was seeking greater taxpayer protections. The offer that passed a year later was less generous despite the heightened competition.

The stadium debate coincided with two, tough, home-district reelection fights for Mattiello against one of the most vocal opponents of a new stadium deal.

That former opponent, Steven Frias, says Worcester's experience and status as the most expensive minor league ballpark shows that Rhode Islanders were right to be wary of a stadium deal.

"Supporters of taxpayer-subsidized stadiums always say a new stadium will pay for itself. It never does," Frias wrote in an email. "Economists have repeatedly shown they don't. For the first few years, the WooSox stadium will attract a lot of fans, but over time, interest in it will go down. ... Over the years, fewer people will be complaining about the PawSox's departure and more people will be saying we avoided a boondoggle."

Mattiello declined comment.

As a purely financial matter, team owners would have been silly to choose Rhode Island's stadium offer over the much more generous offer they got from Worcester and Massachusetts.

Rhode Island expected the team to pay $45 million, slightly less than half of the cost of an $83-million stadium, plus $10 million to buy the Apex property. The state would have picked up $32 million and the city $15 million.

Worcester originally expected the team to pay $36 million and the city $70 million to build a $86- to $90- million stadium, buy the land for it and cover borrowing costs.

On top of that, Massachusetts agreed to spend $35 million on a parking garage, road work and other infrastructure. (At the time, Rhode Island officials maintained that a new Pawtucket stadium would not need new infrastructure, although some people were skeptical.)

After a number of design changes, unexpected problems preparing the site, supply chain issues and a seven-week COVID shutdown, the cost of the Worcester ballpark itself swelled to more than $117 million. Land acquisition, relocating businesses and other costs pushed the total price tag to more than $157 million — and none of that includes the state-funded infrastructure work around the ballpark, including the $23- million parking garage.

The team and city have shared the bill for the overruns, with the team covering the rising price of the stadium itself and the city the surrounding site work.

Backers of the Pawtucket stadium proposal were quick to note language in the deal requiring the team to pick up all cost overruns.

But whether those protections would have meant much if costs started climbing — especially with land acquisition or site work — and the team threatened to halt construction is debatable.

The state's general treasurer, Seth Magaziner, acknowledges that there is no way to know for sure whether Rhode Island would have had to pay more than anticipated to finish a PawSox stadium, but even so, estimates that it would have been less than Worcester.

"I still feel that Rhode Island would have benefited to have them stay in Pawtucket," Magaziner, who supported the Rhode Island plan, said in a phone interview. "The deal that was negotiated was a much more taxpayer-friendly deal to what Worcester agreed to. The team would have picked up a larger share of cost and cover the cost of any cost overruns for construction."

Victor Matheson, a sports economist at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, is skeptical that the new tax revenue created by the stadium will exceed the cost.

"Our stadium is now significantly more expensive and the revenues used to pay for it have been curtailed; and no one is out front about how big a deal this is," Matheson said.

He noted that, in contrast to Rhode Island's at-times painfully public debate about a PawSox deal, Worcester's stadium plan was drawn up mostly behind closed doors and swiftly approved.

“I think a bunch of the cost overruns were because the city was trying to keep things secret for so long," Matheson said. "One of the huge new expenses was the grading of the site, which was slightly on a hill and not vetted.

“I think they thought any bad news was news they didn’t want to hear because it would torpedo the bill.”

With the PawSox departure, Pawtucket has turned to professional soccer and a $284-million, residential- commercial-stadium development to fill the gap.

Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien, who put as much effort into keeping the PawSox as anyone, said the spiraling costs at Polar Park are more evidence Worcester officials "sold their soul" to get the team.

One thing that Grebien said he regretted back in 2018 was that he couldn't get the PawSox interested in the kind of commercial development attached to the stadium promised in Worcester or in Fortuitous Partners' soccer project.

As for what should happen with McCoy Stadium without the PawSox, Grebien said he is no closer to determining whether baseball in some form should continue there or the property should be redeveloped as a school, public safety complex, housing or anything else.

It's only 40 miles

All that said, tickets at Fenway aren't cheap and the Worcester is only 40 miles away. Will some Rhode Islanders make the trip, even out of curiosity?

Ruggerio: "I would go up there just to see the facility, out of curiosity and to see the layout, but I won't be a frequent flyer there."

Magaziner: "Not for the foreseeable future. ... There are still plenty of places to watch baseball in Rhode Island, like the Newport Gulls."

Grebien: "No. The wound's still healing. Maybe a couple of years down the line, but at this point, I wouldn't sit there."

* MassLive.com

Brock Holt leads comeback win over Boston Red Sox who blow lead in eighth after Adam Ottavino walks leadoff batter on five pitches

Christopher Smith

ARLINGTON, Texas — Walks typically come back to haunt you. Especially leadoff walks.

Adam Ottavino threw a five-pitch walk to Nate Lowe to begin the eighth inning.

David Dahl’s two-out RBI single to left field tied it 3-3. Brock Holt then stroked an RBI single to center field to put Texas ahead. A second run scored on the play when center fielder Alex Verdugo bobbled the ball.

The Rangers won 5-3 over the Red Sox here at Globe Life Field. Texas won the series, 3-1.

Ottavino walked two batters in the eighth. Matt Barnes replaced Ottavino with two runners on base and gave up the go-ahead hit to Holt.

The Red Sox finished their six-game road trip 3-3.

Richards gets 14 swings-and-misses

Red Sox starter Garrett Richards allowed just one run, four hits and one walk while striking out seven in 5 innings.

He threw 45 four-seam fastballs, averaging 94.6 mph and topping out at 96.4 mph, per Baseball Savant. He mixed in 28 sliders and 20 curveballs.

He got 14 swings-and-misses.

He has allowed two runs in 12 innings over his past two starts and his ERA has dropped to 4.40.

Red Sox offense

Hunter Renfroe’s RBI groundout made it 1-0 in the second inning.

Xander Bogaerts launched a 435-foot home run to center field to put the Red Sox ahead 2-0 in the fourth inning.

Kiké Hernández’s two-out single in the seventh extended Boston’s lead to 3-1.

Whitlock finally allows a run

Rule 5 Draft pick Garrett Whitlock began his major league career by tossing 13 ⅓ scoreless innings. But that streak ended when Isiah Kiner-Falefa crushed a 422-foot homer off him to begin the bottom of the seventh. That cut Boston’s lead to 3-2.

The home run came on a changeup down the middle. It also was the first hit against Whitlock’s changeup this year. Opponents previously were 0-for-12 against it.

Whitlock had excellent velocity, averaging 97.4 mph and topping out at 98.1 mph with his sinker, per Baseball Savant.

Martinez ends two rallies with double plays

J.D. Martinez went 5-for-7 with two homers Friday and Saturday combined. But he grounded into two double plays Sunday.

He grounded into a 6-4-3 double play with runners at first and second base to end the third inning. He then grounded into a 5-4-3 double play with runners at first and third base to end the fifth inning.

Martinez has grounded into a major league-leading eight double plays.

Boston Red Sox notebook: Xander Bogaerts homers; Darwinzon Hernandez working on curveball; Garrett Richards’ new delivery working

Christopher Smith

ARLINGTON, Texas — Darwinzon Hernandez tossed a scoreless sixth inning and struck out two with a one-run lead Sunday.

The Red Sox ended up losing 5-3 to the Texas Rangers but the left-handed Hernandez looked sharp again. He has struck out eight in 3 scoreless innings in his past three outings.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora pointed to the three-run homer Hernandez allowed to Seattle’s in the 10th inning April 22 as a turning point.

“I do believe that home run he gave up against Seattle, it was a good learning experience,” Cora said. “It was a reminder that his fastball plays in certain areas and he should attack there. He’s done a good job. He’s made some adjustments with ... his offspeed pitches. Right now, he’s in a good spot. He’s getting a lot of swings-and-misses in the strike zone, which we believe his fastball can do that. ... We feel very confident that he can help us, getting big outs late in games.”

Hernandez threw 12 four-seam fastballs, averaging 94.4 mph and topping out at 95.6 mph, per Baseball Savant. He also threw three sliders and one curveball.

“I just been working on my curveball,” Hernandez said through translator Bryan Almonte. “That’s a pitch coming up I did have it but I stopped utilizing it. But now that I’m here and needing another pitch to be able to get out guys, that’s what I’ve been working on. And I’ve been throwing it in some games recently, too. And I’ve had some success with it.”

Richards: ‘I’m throwing a ton of strikes now’

Red Sox starter Garrett Richards allowed just one run, four hits and one walk while striking out seven in 5 innings.

He threw 45 four-seam fastballs, averaging 94.6 mph and topping out at 96.4 mph, per Baseball Savant. He mixed in 28 sliders and 20 curveballs.

He got 14 swings-and-misses.

He has allowed two runs in 12 innings over his past two starts and his ERA has dropped to 4.40.

“Ever since we changed my delivery from the windup and the stretch, my mind has just gone into a different mode as far as my mechanics go,” Richards said. “This new delivery that me and Bushy (pitching coach Dave Bush) have come up with has really gotten me back in the zone. I’m throwing a ton of strikes now, attacking guys. It’s just overall helped everything. ... I know I have good stuff. So if I can consistently throw strikes and get ahead in the count, I think everything will take care of itself.”

Bogaerts’ in-game adjustment

Xander Bogaerts singled in his first at-bat Sunday but he didn’t feel right.

“I’ve been battling these last couple of days with my swing,” Bogaerts said. “Haven’t been feeling as consistent.”

After his first at-bat Sunday, Bogaerts told hitting coaches and Peter Fatse he felt something wrong with his swing.

“For the most part, I can actually tell them what I’m doing wrong,” Bogaerts said. “Most of the time I can fix it. But with this one, I had no idea what I was doing wrong and either what was causing it. I talked to the hitting coaches and they found some stuff. That kind of paid off in my next at-bat. I hit a homer. So it’s always nice to get rewarded right away.”

Bogaerts launched a 435-foot home run to center field to put the Red Sox ahead 2-0 in the fourth inning.

Renfroe: ‘I take a lot of risk’

Hunter Renfroe has 3 Defensive Runs Saved in right field so far.

“I take a lot of risk out there,” Renfroe said. “Sometimes it might look idiotic if I miss a ball or something like that. But It take a lot of risk and most times it pays off.”

Adam Ottavino after Boston Red Sox loss: ‘Obviously the leadoff walk, that’s the game. I’m not trying to do that. Pretty disappointed that I did'

Christopher Smith

ARLINGTON, Texas — Adam Ottavino walked the in the eighth inning on five pitches. A 3- 2 Red Sox lead soon became a 5-3 loss to the Rangers here at Globe Life Field on Sunday.

“The leadoff walk, that’s the game,” Ottavino said. “I’m not trying to do that. Pretty disappointed that I did. And then after that, I got to the spot where I could have gotten out of it. But I made a bad pitch and gave up the hit there. It’s that simple. Leadoff walk and your margin for error really shrinks.”

Ottavino has allowed the first batter to reach in five of his 12 appearances. He has allowed a hit to the leadoff hitter twice and walked the leadoff hitter three times.

“I felt like early on in the year, I was a little off,” Ottavino said. “Not the way I wanted to come out of the gate. And I feel like I was in a little better rhythm the last few outings. Hard to explain this one today. I tried to throw a curveball first pitch. Missed pretty bad. And then missed with the four-seam. And then I was behind 2-0 to a and I tried to stay in the count there but I just lost one with the 3-1 count. That’s not what I’m trying to do. I understand first-pitch strikes. And right now, for me, I just can’t beat myself.”

Ottavino walked Nate Lowe, who then stole second. The righty retired on a groundout to shortstop and Adolis Garcia on a flyout to right field.

But David Dahl connected on a 96.1 mph sinker from Ottavino and placed it the opposite way to left field for a game-tying single.

Ottavino then walked Isiah Kiner-Falefa before being replaced by Matt Barnes.

“When I did give up the hit and Dahl was on first, I tried to be a little quicker and it threw me off a little bit there and I ended up walking that last guy,” Ottavino said.

Barnes allowed the go-ahead single to Brock Holt. A second run scored on the play when Alex Verdugo mishandled the ball in center field.

Ottavino has struggled against lefties and that trend continued Sunday. Both Lowe and Dahl are left-handed batters. He has given up eight hits this year — seven to left-handed batters and just one to a right-handed batter.

“Overall, you try to play the process,” Ottavino said. “For me, I know that that is all about first-pitch strikes and trusting my breaking ball and going right at guys. Stuff I’ve been doing the last two weeks. Today, kind of had a bump in the road there.”

Brock Holt on beating Boston Red Sox with game-winning hit: “It was cool. It would have been cool regardless in that situation’

Christopher Smith

ARLINGTON, Texas — Opponents were just 4-for-28 (.143 average) against Red Sox closer Matt Barnes’ four-seam fastball entering Sunday.

But Barnes’ former teammate, Brock Holt, connected on a 96.7 mph heater high in the zone. Holt’s single to center field scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. Another run also scored on the hit when center fielder Alex Verdugo mishandled the ball.

Holt and the Rangers beat the Red Sox 5-3 here Sunday at Globe Life Park.

“It was cool,” Holt said. “It would have been cool regardless in that situation to get a hit to put your team on top going into the ninth inning with the way (closer) Ian (Kennedy) has been throwing the ball. We feel like if we have a lead and he comes in, it’s pretty much game over. Obviously the Red Sox thing, it’s cool. But it would have felt good regardless of who it was.”

Holt batted .270 with a .340 on-base percentage in 615 games for the Red Sox from 2013-19. He batted .297 with a .369 on-base percentage, .402 slugging percentage, .771 OPS, 14 doubles, two triples, three homers and 31 RBIs in 87 games (295 plate appearances) in 2019, his final season with the club.

“He’s a championship caliber player,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “He’s done it before. So he put a good swing on a fastball up and he found green. He’s a good player.”

Holt said Thursday he might shave his mustache. But he was asked if he now will keep it after stroking the game-winning hit.

“I think I’m just going to keep it more trimmed,” Holt said. “I let it go a little too much there for a while. It was getting in my lips. So I might just keep it a little bit more manicured. So we’ll see. You may still see it around. It maybe he shaved. I don’t know. It’s going to be a game-time decision.”

Boston Red Sox lineup: Bobby Dalbec will receive a day off; Kiké Hernández leading off against Rangers

Christopher Smith

ARLINGTON, Texas — Bobby Dalbec will not start Sunday against the Texas Rangers. Marwin Gonzalez will play first base instead.

The Red Sox and Rangers will play at 2:35 p.m. here at Globe Life Field. The game is on NESN.

Dalbec homered against the Mets on Tuesday, but he has gone 0-for-16 with seven strikeouts since then.

Kiké Hernández is back in the starting lineup after beginning Friday and Saturday’s games on the bench. Hernández, who will bat leadoff, was a little banged up the past couple days after running into the center field wall on Thursday.

The Red Sox will try to split this four-game series in Texas and finish the six-game road trip with a 4-2 record.

Garrett Richards (1-2, 4.94), who allowed just one run in 7 innings to beat the Mets on Tuesday, will start for Boston opposite Rangers righty Mike Foltynewicz (1-3, 4.61).

Hunter Renfroe is 3-for-5 with a homer in his career against Foltynewicz. Hernández and Alex Verdugo also have homered against the right-handed starter.

Boston Red Sox lineup:

1. Kiké Hernández 2B

2. Alex Verdugo CF

3. J.D. Martinez DH

4. Xander Bogaerts SS

5. 3B

6. Marwin Gonzalez 1B

7. Hunter Renfroe RF,

8. Franchy Cordero LF

9. Kevin Plawecki C

Starting : RHP Garrett Richards (1-2, 4.94) vs. RHP Mike Foltynewicz (1-3, 4.61)

Globe Life Field at 100% capacity: Boston Red Sox’s Alex Cora says, ‘If they feel they’re OK doing it this way, good for them’

Christopher Smith

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Red Sox played in front of 35,129 fans at the Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Field on Saturday night.

This is the only major league ballpark in the United States allowing 100% capacity during COVID. Globe Life Field opened in 2020.

“It got loud last night,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said before Sunday’s game. “Good for them that they can do it. The fans were into it. I think for the people (players and coaches) that were here last year, it’s a lot different. The last time I was in the dugout, we had a packed house at Fenway watching Eddie (Rodriguez) try to win 20 games in 2019. It felt different. It’s been feeling different. They were very loud throughout the game. I hope they’re doing it right. I guess that’s the way you have to put it. It’s just different compared to where we were in New York (vs. the Mets) and (have) been in Boston. It’s just different here.”

The Red Sox have been at 12% capacity at Fenway Park. The Mets’ Citi Field is at 20% capacity.

“If they feel they’re OK doing it this way, good for them,” Cora said. “Hopefully, everybody can do it whenever the states and the people that know more about this virus and pandemic, they’ve decided that we can do that, that will be great. It’s a great atmosphere. It’s a lot different. It got really loud last night.”

The Red Sox will be allowed to increase from 12% capacity to 25% starting May 10. So Fenway Park will be able to hold roughly 9,400 fans for games beginning May 11 against the Athletics.

“The 4,900 that we get, they’ve been into it,” Cora said. “It’s been fun when the weather is good — the three games that we’ve had with good weather. But they’ve been into it. So I think 10,000 people will be good. I don’t know how they’re going to spread them out. ... I think 10,000 fans is good enough for us. Little by little, we’re going to keep adding hopefully. And I can’t wait for Fenway to be packed. Everybody knows the atmosphere. Everybody knows what it means not only for our players but for baseball to have Yankee Stadium packed and Dodgers Stadium and Fenway Park, Wrigley Field. So hopefully we can do that sooner rather than later.”

J.D. Martinez destroying fastballs again for Boston Red Sox; ‘It’s not that his bat speed is miraculously faster,’ Peter Fatse says

Christopher Smith

ARLINGTON, Texas — J.D. Martinez especially struggled to hit fastballs during his disappointing 2020 season. He went just 20-for-112 (.179 batting average) with a .366 slugging percentage against heaters.

But he’s back to destroying them this year. And it’s not about bat speed. It’s about timing and mechanics. He’s 17-for-44 (.386 batting average) with a .591 slugging percentage against fastballs so far in 2021.

Martinez ripped a 97.4 mph four-seam fastball from Rangers’ for an RBI single during the fifth inning Saturday. At the time, it put the Red Sox ahead 4-3.

Boston ended up losing 8-6 here at Globe Life Field.

“Simplest thing, I would say he’s getting to the ground better,” Red Sox assistant hitting coach Peter Fatse said. “He’s under control when he’s landing. And that’s really helped him I think with his bat path. Last year, he got a little flat and lost his bat at the top and that caused for a little bit longer of a swing.

“But I think he’s really found the ground this year and that’s enabled him to be more consistent with his bat path,” Fatse added. “It’s not that his bat speed is miraculously faster or anything. I think he’s just more direct. He’s able to be more direct this year.”

Fatse, Hampden native, and Martinez are students of hitting. They also are just 18 days apart in age. Fatse was born Aug. 3, 1987. Martinez was born Aug. 21, 1987

“J.D. and I spend a ton of time together every day,” Fatse said. “We do a lot of work before the game, during the game. We’re always talking hitting.”

Martinez began fixing his swing almost immediately after the shortened 2020 season. As he said back in February, “I remember one week we were in the cage from like 9 a.m. or 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for like a week straight right when I started hitting. Like, “OK, let’s start off right away and let’s eliminate everything and get to the source.”

Fatse said Martinez is meticulous with his preparation.

“How he tries to line up his thoughts and tries to line up his approach with the opposition,” Fatse said. “He’s very meticulous with how he works. He’s very detail oriented. I think that’s a huge separator for him. He doesn’t leave one stone unturned. He’s constantly looking to refine himself and make for the best version of himself. It’s really impressive to see.

“For me, it’s more about understanding how he works and just watching that process unfold,” Fatse added. “Last year was really tough for multiple different reasons. I’ve started to really see how he looks at his swing, how he approaches certain guys. We’ve definitely been able to get on the same page from day one this year, which is really nice.”

‘The Great’ Manny Ramirez mentioned by Boston Red Sox’s Alex Cora when discussing Bobby Dalbec’s recent slump

Christopher Smith

ARLINGTON, Texas — Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora mentioned “The Great Manny Ramirez” when asked about Bobby Dalbec’s recent slump.

Dalbec will not start Sunday against the Rangers here at Globe Life Field. Marwin Gonzalez is at first base instead.

Dalbec belted his first home run of the season Tuesday in New York against the Mets. But he has gone 0- for-16 with seven strikeouts since then.

“We talk a little bit yesterday and timing-wise, he’s just a little bit off,” Cora said. “We can talk about swing path and your back leg and your back hip. Like The Great Manny Ramirez used to say, if you don’t see the ball and you’re not on time, you’re not going to give yourself a chance. For how great of a hitter Manny was or is — when I see him on Instagram swinging at bat he still looks good — but he was always on time. His timing was perfect. He got that foot down and he was able to recognize pitches. And it seems like he was able to slow everything down before he made a decision — his swing decision. And we’ve been talking about that.

“All these guys, they are great, they’re good offensive hitters,” Cora added. “But when they go into ruts like this, it’s just timing. If you have to start earlier, so be it. You’re going to be able to see the ball. And I’m not saying that’s exactly what’s going on with him but I do feel like timing-wise, he’s just a little bit off.”

The recent slump has dropped Dalbec’s slash line to .200/.259/.320/.579 in 81 plate appearances in 23 games.

The bottom three spots of the have struggled this season. Those three spots are 52-for-285 (.182 batting average) with 18 extra-base hits, 96 strikeouts and 19 walks. The Nos. 7-9 spots have a 31% strikeout percentage.

* The Worcester Telegram

'I’m so proud to say that I’m from here.' WooSox' Rich Gedman bursting with Worcester pride

Joe McDonald

WORCESTER — Rich Gedman is just a kid from the neighborhood.

So, don’t be surprised when you’re driving down Madison Street and you see him standing in front of Polar Park, gazing out and reminiscing about his childhood. He walked these streets as a kid and now he’s enjoying being back home as the hitting coach for the Worcester Red Sox in their inaugural season.

“I’m so proud to say that I’m from here and I never thought in my lifetime that we would ever see this,” he said about Polar Park and the new home of the Red Sox -A team.

Gedman left home at 17, but his heart has always been in Worcester, even during his 13 seasons in the big leagues, including 11 with the Red Sox. When he learned the Triple-A affiliate was relocating from Pawtucket, Rhode Island to Worcester, Gedman was thrilled. He understands the deep history and passion this area has for the game of baseball.

His perspective is different than most when he stands on the field at Polar Park. When he looks out from the home plate entrance he can see his grammar school, and the two-decker he grew up in on Lafayette Street is only a hit-and-run away from the new ballpark. He would walk up and down Madison on his way to The Boys Club on Ionic Avenue.

“It’s really incredible in my mind that this ballpark sits in Worcester, Massachusetts,” he said.

Gedman understands the politics involved behind this project and he also knows there are people who didn’t want this to happen. Well, if you’re a baseball fan, the kid from the neighborhood has a message for you.

“When you look at this place, and if you have a problem, there’s something wrong with you. This has a chance to be someplace special,” he said.

“When this pandemic is over and we get to see the stadium full and watch how many people come from all over the country to see this place, that’s what makes it pretty special. That’s what the people who brought this team here have done. It’s absolutely incredible. I can’t believe this stadium is here.”

The WooSox begin their season Tuesday against the Buffalo Bisons in Trenton, New Jersey. After a six- game road trip, the WooSox return home to christen Polar Park. Fortunately, due to the increased capacity limit of 25%, 2,377 fans will get to enjoy the new facility May 11.

“There’s something about a new place. It’s exciting to be in a new place with a new season,” Gedman said. “These guys should be excited. It will take a little while before they get the flavor of what Worcester is really like and the passion they have for baseball here.”

Since the 2020 minor league season was cancelled due to COVID-19, this will be the first time many of these players have played in a real game in a year and a half. Sure, they had spring training and alternate site scrimmage games, but their adrenaline hasn’t reached its peak in some time. Gedman understands this should be a special season for the team on and off the field.

“It feels a little scary at the moment,” he said with a laugh. “I can’t believe it’s upon us. It feels like we’ve been waiting for this for two years. It’s coming fast, but it’s way overdue and it’s neat that these guys will be able to play a real game here soon.

“We’re in first place and undefeated. That’s the way it is at the beginning of every year. You get excited about what’s ahead of you and you (about) think the work you put in, and the guys that you have could have a chance to do something special. We have a pretty good team, but I don’t know if we have a great team, yet.”

The arrival of the WooSox couldn’t have come at a better time for the city and its fans. The new ballpark is the jewel of the Canal District and it’s special for Red Sox fans to have an affiliate in Worcester.

“This is our home team and it’s special that it's here,” Gedman said.

UMass epidemiologist: Fans can safely cheer WooSox at Polar Park if they take precautions

Jennifer Toland

WORCESTER — The Worcester Red Sox obviously wanted to pack Polar Park for the team’s historic 2021 opener May 11.

Of course, that won’t be possible due to current COVID-19 restrictions, but the WooSox and their fans did get some good news last week when the state announced increased capacity limits for stadiums and arenas.

Beginning May 10 — shout-out to the baseball gods on the timing — large sports venues in Massachusetts can boost capacity from the current 12% to 25%. Polar Park seats 9,508, and to open the season, capacity will be capped at 2,377.

The WooSox have a number of other COVID-19 protocols in place for fans, including mask requirements, distancing measures, self-screening assessments and the distribution of tickets electronically via email.

As more people are vaccinated — as of last Wednesday, 31% of the Massachusetts’ population was fully vaccinated — Dr. Richard Ellison, an epidemiologist at UMass Memorial Health Care, believes fans can safely cheer on the WooSox from the stands this spring and summer if they continue taking precautions, especially considering there are COVID-19 variants, and following the protocols the team has established.

“We’re in an exciting time that we have a lot of good vaccines, a lot of people are getting vaccinated, and we’re beginning to get to the summer weather where everyone is outside in a safer environment than before,” Ellison said. “So I think that going into summer we will be able to look forward to be in the stands and enjoy the game and enjoy the new ballpark.

“I feel a lot better about outdoor games,” Ellison added, “and I would like to be in the stands where things are well spaced apart.”

Fans at Polar Park will be seated in pods of no more than six, and with at least 6 feet of social distance between all pods. This will apply to the seating bowl, DCU Club, Hanover Deck, Shaw’s Visitors Bullpen, Shaw’s WooSox Bullpen and FLEXcon Landing.

Also, there will be a 12-foot buffer zone around the dugouts and bullpens and all other areas when players congregate.

As of March 22, stadiums and arenas in Massachusetts were allowed to reopen and host fans at up to 12% capacity. For Red Sox Opening Day April 2 at Fenway Park, there were 4,452 fans in attendance.

On the other hand, Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers, reopened at full capacity (about 40,000), and a crowd of 38,238 was in attendance for the Rangers’ home opener April 5. Some wore masks and some did not, according to reports, and large groups gathered in long lines at the stadium’s entrance.

“I find it very frightening,” Ellison said, “looking at pictures of people at Texas Rangers games. You see people sitting so close — 70 people within 5 or 6 feet of each other and not wearing masks. There’s a real risk you can get exposed.”

Fans will be required to wear a mask at Polar Park.

“There’s no place people should be going without having a mask with them,” Ellison said. “They should be taking their mask with them to the park and be wearing it.”

Fans will be assigned specific gates to enter Polar Park based on where their seats are, and there will be directional signage throughout the park to assist fans in finding their seating location.

With the increase in capacity, Ellison recommended planning trips to the concession stands and restrooms thoughtfully.

“Go when you think it will be less crowded,” he said. “You may want (to) look at, ‘How can I avoid standing in line or standing near a lot of other people? How can I keep socially distanced as much as possible?’”

In March, the NFL announced it expects to have full capacity at its stadiums for the 2021 season, and it is possible Polar Park will be allowed to have full capacity by August.

“I begin to worry more about full capacity,” Ellison said. “It means you’re going to be very close to other people, so I get more concerned about that kind of situation.”

Gov. Charlie Baker announced last week that Aug. 1 is the target date to remove all restrictions on capacity at large venues, subject to health and vaccination data.

“It’s really a numbers game,” Ellison said. ‘“What is the percent of the population that has gotten vaccinated?’ which means, ‘How close are we to herd immunity?’ If you’re in a ballpark where everyone has been vaccinated, your risk of being exposed is much less. If only 20% of the people in the ballpark are vaccinated, 80% of people are at risk, and there’s a higher risk they could actually have it, and we worry about these variants.

“I do think people need to be cautious,” Ellison said.

For games at Polar Park, fans will receive via email and need to submit a “Terms of Attendance” self- screening assessment before each game they attend. Fans will be asked to show confirmation of submission. Also, only clearly marked medical bags and clear bags will be permitted inside Polar Park.

* RedSox.com

‘Pen unable to slam door; Sox bats cool

Ian Browne

It has been a grind, these last few days for the Red Sox. That said, they were just four outs away from a victory that would have made for a winning road trip.

But that’s when the grind turned into sheer frustration and, ultimately, a 5-3 loss to the Rangers.

Entrusted with a one-run lead in the bottom of the eighth, veteran Adam Ottavino got his day off to an inauspicious start by walking Nate Lowe. Things got worse when Lowe put himself into scoring position with nobody out by stealing second.

Then it seemed like Ottavino was going to right himself, as he retired the next two batters and was ahead of David Dahl, 0-1. However, Ottavino’s second pitch was a 96.1-mph sinker that was about as center-cut as could be, and Dahl smashed into left for a game-tying single.

“I mean, obviously the leadoff walk. I mean that's the game,” said Ottavino. “I'm not trying to do that, but [I’m] pretty disappointed that I did. And, you know, after that, I mean I got to the spot where I could have gotten out of it, but I made a bad pitch and I gave up a hit there and, yeah, it’s that simple. A leadoff walk and your margin for error really shrinks.”

That was the first part of the deflation.

But it was Brock Holt who stuck the pin in the balloon for his former teammates when he greeted closer Matt Barnes with an RBI single that included an insurance run scoring on an error by Alex Verdugo.

“He’s a championship-caliber player, and he’s done it before,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora of Holt. “He put a good swing on a fastball up, and he found green. He’s a good player.”

“We’re still a good team. Nothing has changed. Like I told you guys when we started 0-3, we felt like we had a good team, and after we won all those games, we still have a good team so we split the road trip,” said Cora. “We hate to lose a series. This is the first series we’ve lost since the first one [of the season], I guess. So we reset tomorrow [for an off-day], enjoy the family and hopefully it’s a sunny day in Boston, we can enjoy it and be ready for Tuesday.”

Before that Boston sunshine (hopefully) comes into play on Monday, here is a look at a couple of other takeaways from the road trip.

Offense isn’t clicking

Sure, it was a tough day for Ottavino and the bullpen. But the reason they were left with no margin for error is because the offense hasn’t been clicking of late.

After failing to score with the bases loaded and nobody out on Saturday with a 5-3 lead and then eventually losing, the Red Sox didn’t get more than one run in any inning on Sunday. Only Xander Bogaerts had much of a day, belting three hits, including a homer. Boston was 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

In particular, the bottom third of the order has been spotty on the road trip.

“I just feel like we’ve been leaving a lot of guys on base and not capitalizing when we can this whole series,” said Bogaerts. “I don’t think against the Mets we had trouble, but this series I did it a couple times. It was just a base hit away from opening the gates, adding on a bigger lead. We just couldn’t get it.”

Richards bookends trip with strong starts

By far, the best development of the road trip was Garrett Richards breaking out of his early- season funk with two strong outings.

Richards was in line for the win on Sunday after allowing four hits and a run while walking one and striking out seven over five innings. He left with a 2-1 lead, the same score he won by behind seven dominant innings at Citi Field on Tuesday.

What is keying the resurgence for Richards? A significant mechanical adjustment he made with pitching coach Dave Bush.

“Ever since we’ve changed my delivery from the windup and the stretch, my mind has just gone into a different mode as far as my mechanics go,” said Richards. “This new delivery that me and Bushy have come up with has really gotten me back in the zone. I'm throwing a ton of strikes now. I’m attacking guys. It's overall just helped everything.”

The adjustment has led to the return of his most important pitch -- the slider. Richards tossed 28 of them on Sunday, generating 18 strikes, including seven swings and misses.

Richards also brought the heat, topping out at 96.4 mph and averaging 94.6 mph on his four-seamer.

High-leverage Hernandez; Dalbec's timing

Ian Browne

For the Red Sox to have the bullpen they want, lefty Darwinzon Hernandez needs to prove he can be a high-leverage reliever. In particular, manager Alex Cora would really like Hernandez to take control of the seventh inning and provide a sturdy bridge to Adam Ottavino and Matt Barnes for the last two innings.

After a significant bump in the road on April 22, when Hernandez gave up three runs in the 10th inning against the Mariners, the power reliever has bounced back nicely to strike out the side in each of his past two outings.

Is Hernandez ready for high leverage?

“Yeah, we think he can perform in high-leverage situations,” said Cora. “He threw the ball exceptionally well the last two. It’s one of those, how you attack guys.”

Though the loss on April 22 -- in which Mitch Haniger hit a three-run homer against Hernandez -- was painful at the time, it might have taught Hernandez some valuable lessons.

“I do believe that home run he gave up against Seattle, it was a good learning experience,” Cora said. “It’s not that he’s not attacking the right guys, but it was a reminder that his fastball plays in certain areas and he should attack there, and he's done a good job. He's made some adjustments with [bullpen coach Kevin Walker] and [pitching coach Dave Bush] with his offspeed pitches, and right now, he's in a good spot.

“He's getting a lot of swings and misses in the strike zone, which we believe his fastball can do that. We’re excited to see where this is going to go, but we feel very confident that he can help us [by] getting big outs late in games.”

Hernandez, who came up through the Minors as a starter, is still getting adjusted to the rhythm of being a reliever.

“The whole mindset,” said Hernandez. “Always, us pitchers want to improve our control. That’s really what I have been focusing on. Really making sure my body is right and not trying to do too much and not [speeding] my delivery up. That’s what I had been working on leading up to these past couple outings.”

Hernandez has also been working on improving his breaking ball so hitters can’t sit on his heat.

“I’ve just been working on my curveball. That’s a pitch coming up [through the Minors] I did have, but I stopped utilizing it,” Hernandez said. “Now that I’m up here and needing another pitch to get guys out, that’s something I’ve been working on. I’ve been throwing it in some games recently too, and I’ve had some success with it.”

Dalbec’s timing is off

Rookie Bobby Dalbec came into this season with big expectations but has mostly struggled thus far to the tune of a .200/.259/.320 line with one homer. He was out of the lineup on Sunday.

What is Dalbec’s biggest area of emphasis to get back on track?

“We talked a little bit yesterday. Timing-wise, he's just a little bit off,” said Cora. “We can talk about swing path and your back leg and your back hip. But like the great Manny Ramirez used to say, ‘If you don't see the ball, and you're not on time, you're not going to give yourself a chance.’ For how great of a hitter Manny was or is -- when I see him on Instagram swinging the bat, he still looks good -- he was always on time.

“His timing was perfect, he got that foot down, he was able to recognize pitches, and it seems like he was able to slow everything down before he made a swing decision.”

Crowd noise

Globe Life Field is the first venue the Red Sox have played at since 2019 that is allowing full capacity in the stands.

“It got loud last night,” said Cora. “Good for them that they can do it. The fans were into it. It’s been feeling different. They were very loud throughout the game. I hope they’re doing it right, that’s the way you have to put it. It’s just different compared to where we were in New York [or] being in Boston. It’s just different here.

“They feel they’re OK doing it this way, good for them. Hopefully everybody can do it whenever the states and people that know more about this virus and pandemic decide we can do that. That’ll be great. But it’s a great atmosphere, it’s a lot different and it got really loud last night.”

The Red Sox, who have been at 12 percent capacity for home games this season, will increase to 25 percent on May 11.

* WEEI.com

It's time to explore exactly what this Red Sox team is

Rob Bradford

The 2021 Red Sox have left their fans in a glass case of emotions.

Three straight losses. Nine straight wins. Since then? There have been some momentous wins, such as the triumph over Jacob deGrom in New York. But there have also been some daggers, perhaps the worst of the bunch coming Sunday when Brock Holt completed the Rangers' come-from-behind win against the Sox' bullpen.

All in all, the Red Sox are now 8-9 since that nine-gamer and are now bunched in with the rest of the supremely-flawed participants in the American League East.

What does it all mean? Probably that this isn't going to be all sunshine and rainbows as it once appeared to be the case for Alex Cora's crew.

So, as we sit there with the Red Sox sitting at 17-12 -- 1 1/2 games ahead of second-place Toronto and 3 1/2 over last-place Baltimore -- it would seem to be a good opportunity to take stock of what we're dealing with ...

- The starters: The best news of the bunch for the Red Sox to date is undoubtedly how their starting pitching has come out of the first 29 games.

Garrett Richards made a strong statement when it came to convincing folks that game in New York wasn't a fluke, giving up just one run over five innings while striking out seven Rangers. It's easy to buy into the notion that the adjustments made by the righty will actually allow for the well-publicized upside to be an actual reality going forward.

Nick Pivetta has pretty much only been good since putting on a Red Sox uniform, and Martin Perez reclaimed some positive vibes after his last start. Eduardo Rodriguez and ? For the most part, they have both given off the much-needed vibes of top-of-the-rotation participants.

The Red Sox have gone 4-4 in their last eight games, but the mediocrity can't be pinned on the starters. That group has a 3.12 ERA during the stretch, while, perhaps most importantly, striking out 52 and walking only eight.

- The relievers: This is probably not the best time to analyze what the Red Sox have here considering the mess that the bullpen delivered over the weekend. Matt Andriese. Garrett Whitlock. Matt Barnes. They all had their issues. But to suggest any of the bunch isn't far more part of the solution than part of any problem doesn't seem realistic.

Now, the results from perceived high-leverage guys Adam Ottavino and Hirokazu Sawamura, that's another matter. It appeared as though Ottavino had put his inconsistency in the past until Sunday afternoon's melt- down, resurfacing doubts if this is truly an eighth-inning answer. And after a strong start from Sawamura, he has now allowed at runs in each of his last two appearances (and 4 of his last 6), and at least one hit in each of his last six. Both of these pitchers have to show better consistency in order for Cora's plan to work.

Now, the good news: Darwinzon Hernandez. The lefty, who couldn't throw strikes or find swings and misses throughout spring training and most of the first couple of weeks, has developed into a legitimate weapon of late. After his rough outing against Seattle at Fenway Park, the lefty has gone on to strikeout eight hitters in his last three innings, allowing just a pair of hits and not a single walk.

Also ... Has anyone noticed it has been 10 days since Phillips Valdez last pitched?

- The lineup: This is pretty simple. The foundational guys -- Alex Verdugo, J.D. Martinez, Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers -- are all doing their thing. The rest? Not so much.

The Red Sox stand as the only team in with four qualified hitters possessing an OPS of .850 or better. That has saved them, because the other part of the lineup puzzle is still searching for pieces that fit.

The four players who routinely make up the bottom third of the batting order -- Marwin Gonzalez, Bobby Dalbec, Hunter Renfroe and Franchy Cordero -- are hitting a combined .188 with 92 strikeouts in 271 at- bats.

This is a team that has the fourth-worst OPS in MLB out of the No. 9 spot, which, of course, means that you have a myriad of pitcher-hitting National League clubs doing better at the spot. The Sox' No. 7 position? The absolute worst collective OPS in baseball.

So, where do they go from here?

Gonzalez is going to continue to be leaned on because of his versatility, intangibles and palatable on-base percentage (.315). Renfroe's defense and propensity to pop one out will leave him as the right field options when left-handers on the mound. And the team was more than prepared to ride the Dalbec wave at least through the first few months of the season. Cordero is another matter.

The player that we have seen since mid-April is simply not a major league hitter. Since the end of the Red Sox nine-game win streak, Cordero is 1-for-32 with 15 strikeouts and still is looking for his first barreled ball. (As a quick aside, this trade has a long way to go, but, boy, Andrew Bentinendi -- he of the six-game -- would look good in this lineup right now.)

As far as solutions, Danny Santana would seem a logical fit, but he is just starting his minor-league rehab in Greenville Tuesday and would seem to be at least a week away. Michael Chavis hits from the right side and would be somewhat of a square peg in a round hole when it comes to playing outfield. And Jarren Duran -- the fans' preference to get the next shot -- still hasn't played an inning in Triple-A.

It's a start the Red Sox will absolutely take. But, make no mistake about it, there is a lot of work to be done. And doesn't seem somewhat ironic that the player who most recently delivered the reminder was Brock Holt.

The 2018 season ... the gift that keeps on giving.

* BostonSportsJournal.com

Final: Rangers 5, Red Sox 3

Sean McAdam

The Red Sox bullpen took a torch to two-run lead over the final few innings, resulting in a 5-3 loss to the Texas Rangers.

The defeat handed the series to the Rangers, three games to one, and represents the first series loss for the Red Sox since being swept by Baltimore on the opening weekend of the series.

Garrett Whitlock allowed the Rangers to cut the lead to one when he allowed a homer to Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the seventh, the first run he’s allowed this season. It got worse in the eighth as Adam Ottavino issued a leadoff walk which resulting in the tying run. Brock Holt’s two-run single — with some help from an error by Alex Verdugo — put the Rangers ahead for good.

WHO: Red Sox (17-11) vs. Texas Rangers (12-16) WHEN: 2:35 p.m. WHERE: Globe Life Field SERIES TO DATE: Texas 2-1 STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Garrett Richards (1-2, 4.94) vs. RHP Mike Foltynewicz (1-3, 4.61) TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM

LINEUPS

RED SOX

Hernandez 2B Verdugo CF Martinez DH Bogaerts SS Devers 3B Gonzalez 1B Renfroe RF Cordero LF Plawecki C

RANGERS

Calhoun DH Solak 2B Lowe 1B Gallo RF Garcia CF Dahl LF Kiner-Falefa SS Holt 3B Heim C

IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:

B8: Brutal inning all around as Matt Barnes takes over from Ottavino and allows a line drive single to center to former teammate Brock Holt. Alex Verdugo bobbles the ball in center, and two runs score.

B8: Leadoff walk allowed by Adam Ottavino proves costly as a two-out single by David Dahl scores the tying run. That’s the third blown save for Ottavino this season.

B7: Garrett Whitlock wasn’t going to keep his 0.00 ERA forever, and it ends when he grooves a changeup to Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who hits it out to left, cutting the Sox’ lead back to a single run.

T7: Finally, some productive outs and good situational hitting from the Red Sox. After a leadoff single by Hunter Renfroe, a bunt from Franchy Cordero and a groundout from Kevin Plawecki moves Renfroe to third, from where he scores on an opposite-field single by Kike Hernandez.

B6: Darwinzon Hernandez continues to impress. Works around a two-out infield single; eight of his last nine outs have been by strikeout.

B5: That’s 93 pitches for Richards through five, and that’s probably it. With an off-day Monday, Sox can be aggressive with their bullpen use.

T5: More squandering by the Red Sox. First-and-third with one out, but J.D. Martinez hits into an inning- ending double play. Four straight innings end with runners left in scoring position, including a man on third in three of those.

T5: Red Sox get lucky there as it certainly seemed as if Texas catcher dropped the ball on the transfer.

T4: Sox cling to a 2-0 lead, but like last night, are missing out some early chances to add on. In each of the last three innings, the Sox have left a baserunner in scoring position, including one at third base twice.

T4: Bogaerts get a fat four-seamer over the heart of the plate and drove it out to center for his second homer of the series and fifth of the season.

B3: Richards has been in and out of the strike zone at times — effectively wild, you might say — but has registered six strikeouts through three scoreless innings.

T2: Not anything hard-hit by Hunter Renfroe there, but in making contact, he at least succeeded in scoring Xander Bogaerts from third and moving Marwin Gonzalez over. That’s what Alex Cora has been preaching for the lower part of the order — have productive at-bats, especially when there are runners at third with less than two outs.

T2: Any concern about the condition of Rafael Devers’ right shoulder should now be gone as he lines a shot to RF, caught by .

B1: Early on, Garrett Richards displaying some of the wildness that marked his outing two starts ago at home against Toronto.

PRE-GAME STATS: The Red Sox’ .607 winning percentage is third best in MLB behind Kansas City (.640, 16-9) and Milwaukee (.630, 17-10)…The Sox are tied with MIL for the most wins in MLB… The Red Sox are unbeaten in their last 7 series (4-0-3)… They have won four of their last six games, five of their last eight, and 17 of their last 25. The Sox’ +22 run differential ranks 4th in the majors…On the road, the Red Sox are 9-3 for a .750 winning percentage, tying them with Milwaukee…Saturday’s loss was the first this season when scoring four or more runs. The Sox are now 14-1 in such games…Over the last six games, the Sox have an ERA of 2.60 while holding opponents to a .217 batting average. Overall, the Red Sox rank 5th in the AL in ERA (3.73). …Sox relievers rank sixth in the AL and seventh in the majors in ERA (3.35). Last season, they were 27th in the majors with a 5.79 ERA…The Sox have gotten five or more innings from their starters in 22 games, tying them with Oakland for most in the AL…In five of the last six games, Red Sox starters have allowed three earned runs or fewer.. That’s also happened in eight of the last 11, and in 21 of 28 games this season. The Sox have a streak of getting five or more innings from their starters over the last seven games, during which they’ve posted a 3.10 ERA, with 45-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio…The Sox lead the majors in doubles (63) and in OPS (.762)…They lead the AL in runs (135), are second in slugging (.437), third in AVG (.260), and second in OBP (.324)….J.D. Martinez, with five RBI in the last two games, leads the majors in that category with 26….He also leads in extra-base hits (19), and total bases (72), and is tied for the lead in HR (nine), hits (35), and doubles (10)…Rafael Devers is tied for the MLB lead in barrels (16) and is fourth in highest % of batted balls that have been barreled (21.9)….The Red Sox are the only team in the majors with as many as four qualified players with an OPS of at least .850: Martinez (1.189), Devers (.956), Xander Bogaerts (.919), and Alex Verdugo (.854)….Brock Holt is 1-for-11 in his career against Garrett Richards while Joey Gallo is 2-for-8 with a homer…Against Mike Foltynewicz, Hunter Renfroe is 3-for-5 with a homer and Verdugo is 1-for-5 with a homer…Franchy Cordero is 0-for-20 and Kike Hernandez is 0-for-10…

NOTES:

Both Kike Hernandez and Marwin Gonzalez returned to the lineup after being out the previous two games, with Hernandez at second and Gonzalez at first. Meanwhile, Rafael Devers was back in the lineup after experiencing some soreness in his right shoulder in an at-bat late in Saturday’s game.

Alex Cora said it’s been a different experience playing in front of crowds as large as 35,000 Saturday night in Arlington. “It felt different compared to where we were in New York and in Boston,” said Cora. “They were loud throughout the game. Hopefully, everybody can do it whenever the states and the people who know more about this virus (decide it’s safe). It’s a a great atmosphere.” Cora said the crowds of 4,500 or so at Fenway have already helped and he looks forward to an increased capacity later this month. “Little by little, we’re going to keep adding,” he said. “I can’t wait for Fenway to be packed. Everybody knows what it means (to have fans back). Hopefully, we can do that sooner rather than later.”

Cora said the Sox have had some discussions about changing the roster composition from the current 14 pitchers and 12 position players to 13-13, but nothing is imminent. A lot depends, Cora said, on the starters consistently going deep into games, limiting the workload for the bullpen. “As of now,” he said, “I think it makes sense to stay this way.”

Darwinzon Hernandez said he’s made an effort to better control his emotions on the mound, which has helped him. Over his last two outings, Hernandez has faced seven hitters and faced six. “I try not to pitch too fast or too slow,” he said. “Just trying to stay level-headed and go out there and do my job.” Cora said Hernandez had a habit of losing focus when he didn’t get a call on a certain pitch. “He wasn’t staying in the moment,” said Cora. “He’s slowing the game down and being able to do that will benefit him.” Hernandez added that he’s recently begun to incorporate a curveball to go with his fastball and slider.

BSJ Game Report: Rangers 5, Red Sox 3 – Bullpen trips up as Sox lose game, series

Sean McAdam

All you need to know about the Red Sox’ loss to the Rangers, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:

HEADLINES

Bullpen can’t nail it down: The Red Sox increased their lead by a run to 3-1 in the top of the seventh, though rookie Garrett Whitlock, revealing himself to be human after all, gave it back when he yielded a solo homer to Isiah Kiner-Falefa, the first run Whitlock has allowed in seven appearances. That was bad, but it would soon get worse. Up 3-2, the Sox turned to Adam Ottavino in the eighth, and he proceeded to implode, allowing two walks and a game-tying single. And when Matt Barnes attempted to keep the game tied, he was greeted by a single from former teammate Brock Holt. Starter Garrett Richards had limited the Rangers to a single run over the first five innings and Darwinzon Hernandez continue his hot run with a scoreless sixth. But over the next two innings, three Red Sox relievers combined to allow four runs on four hits and two walks. And instead of a face-saving sweep and a winning road trip, the Red Sox left Texas with neither.

Missed chances in early innings prove costly: A familiar pattern re-emerged for the Red Sox. After grabbing the early lead, they once against forfeited opportunities to provide themselves with some breathing room. In the second, third, fourth and fifth, the Sox ended each inning by stranding at least one baserunner in scoring position, including three times leaving a runner at third base. Twice, the culprit was J.D. Martinez, who hit into rally-killing, inning ending double plays in both the third and fifth. In between, it was the bottom of the lineup — where offense goes to die — that was to blame. A walk by Rafael Devers and a wild pitch which sent him to second gave the Sox a golden chance but Texas starter Mike Foltynewicz set down Marwin Gonzalez, Hunter Renfroe and Franchy Cordero in order to keep the game in hand for the Rangers.

Richards makes more progress: It wasn’t quite the exclamation point that his 10-strikeout game Tuesday night in New York was, but Richards was plenty good enough over five innings, allowing just one run. Unlike Tuesday, when he used his curveball as his primary weapon, Richards had to rely more on his slider Sunday. But the main thing is, he’s overcome the wildness that plagued him in a few poor starts in April. Whatever adjustments he’s made with his delivery/mechanics/release point, it’s clear that they’ve been incorporated and Richards is — literally and figuratively — headed in the right direction.

TURNING POINT

With the Sox leading by a run in the eighth, reliever Adam Ottavino opened the door for the Rangers by issuing a leadoff walk. Bad things happened after that, with the baserunner, Nate Lowe, coming around to score the tying run. It got worse from there, with two more runs added on, but it all began when Ottavino gave Lowe the free pass. “Obviously, the leadoff walk…I mean, that’s the game,” Ottavino said. “I’m not trying to do that, but I’m pretty disappointed that I did. It’s that simple — a leadoff walk and your margin for error really shrinks.”

ONE UP

Xander Bogaerts: The shortstop collected three hits, including his fifth homer in the last 12 games after failing to hit any in his first 15 games.

TWO DOWN

Red Sox defense: The Sox committed two errors. An errant throw from Kevin Plawecki on a attempt didn’t factor in the outcome, but when Alex Verdugo bobbled the go-ahead single by Brock Holt, it enabled a second run to cross the plate.

J.D. Martinez: Martinez has, of course, been the team’s most important hitter in the first month, but he had a highly forgettable game with two strikeouts and two GIDPs.

QUOTE OF NOTE

“They put pressure on us the last two games. They kept coming at us and we weren’t able to slow them down and they got the W’s.” Alex Cora on the Rangers.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

Franchy Cordero was again hitless (0-for-3) and is now 0-for-23.

The series win was the first for the Rangers at home against the Red Sox since 2016.

The solo homer by Xander Bogaerts moved him ahead of Vern Stephens into third place for most homers (123) by a Red Sox shortstop. Only Nomar Garciaparra (178) and Rico Petrocelli (210) have more .

The homer against Garrett Whitlock was the first one he’s allowed in the big leagues.

UP NEXT: Following an off-day Monday, the Red Sox begin a mini-homestand with the first of three with Detroit. It will be RHP Nick Pivetta (3-0, 2.81) vs. TBA for the Tigers at 7:10 p.m.

Red Sox end road trip – and week – on a down note

Sean McAdam

In the unlikely event that you needed a reminder of how quickly things can change in the game of baseball, consider the plight of the Red Sox in the past week.

When they won two hard-fought, low-scoring, well-pitched games in New York earlier, the wins seemed to provide the team with the stamp of early-season legitimacy. In the span of just over 24 hours in Queens, the Sox appeared to fix their biggest rotation worry and also demonstrated that they could beat the best starting pitcher in the sport.

Four days later, some of the shine has come off. Dropping three out of four games to the last-place Texas Rangers can do that to a club.

For as disciplined and tough as the Sox had looked at Citi Field, they came off as sloppy and ill-equipped to win close games late at Globe Light Field. Sunday’s 5-3 loss was typical in that regard, resulting in the Sox coming home with their first series loss since their infamous sweep by Baltimore in the first three games of the season, and instead of a winning trip, which had seemed all-but-assured after New York, ended up with a .500 (3-3) trek.

If nothing else, Sunday’s setback served a humbling reminder to the Sox that, for all the goodwill they’ve established, are not without their shortcomings and areas that need attention.

A familiar bugaboo raised its head in the early innings and there was the unmistakable impression that it would prove costly later. It did.

Even as they raced to a 2-0 lead by the fourth, the Red Sox were leaving a trail of baserunners in their wake, unable to add on. In the second, third, fourth and fifth, each inning ended with at least Red Sox runner in scoring position; on three occasions, adding to the level of frustration, they left runners on third.

(This same problem plagued them in their two other losses in the series, too, and while it’s been mostly the abyss that is the bottom of their order that’s been most guilty, Sunday’s culprit came in the unlikely person of J.D. Martinez. The RBI leader in MLB, Martinez twice hit into demoralizing double plays).

Sure enough, some of those runs left on the table would have come in handy later, as the Rangers clawed back — first with a homer off rookie Garrett Whitlock to pull within a run in the seventh, but mostly in the eighth, when the whole thing collapsed thanks to the bullpen.

Adam Ottavino, who had mostly righted himself with just one run allowed over his last six appearances, reverted to a familiar issue when he walked leadoff man Nate Lowe. It represented the fifth time in 11 appearances that Ottavino had allowed the leadoff man to reach base against him, surely not a recipe for success for a high-leverage reliever.

“It’s that simple — a leadoff walk and your margin for error really shrinks,” Ottavino acknowledged.

Indeed, a stolen base and a single produced the tying run. Another walk left two inherited runners for Matt Barnes, who quickly allowed a sharp single to center to former teammate Brock Holt. A bobble in center by Alex Verdugo allowed the second run to score, but by then, the Sox’ fate had already been established.

While it’s easy to write off a poor showing from the bullpen as the kind of semi-regular occurrence that befalls even the best teams, the futility at the bottom of the lineup would seem more problematic.

A month is not the smallest of sample sizes, and other than a few hints over the last few days that Hunter Renfroe is slowly beginning to stir, the offensive ineptitude is striking. When the Sox bunch Renfroe, Marwin Gonzalez and the, for now, inept Franchy Cordero (0-for-22, 1-for-32) together at the bottom of the order, they’re featuring three consecutive hitters together with sub-.200 batting averages.

It spoke volumes that Cora had Cordero — listed at 6-3, 230 pounds — sacrifice in the seventh inning. Then again, when the ninth inning rolled around and Texas closer Ian Kennedy repelled that same trio in just five pitches total, you could fully understand Cora’s thinking.

What can be done in the short-term? Assigning Kike Hernandez to center field on a daily basis would be a start, since that means either Renfroe or Cordero can sit while Christian Arroyo mans second base. But Bobby Dalbec isn’t any more of a threat than Gonzalez currently and that still leaves the Sox with a feeble grouping at the bottom of their lineup on a daily basis.

Problems arise throughout a season. A .500 trip isn’t cause to send up emergency flares.

But after flying high at the end of April, the Sox limped home Sunday night having been shot down in early May. If nothing else, it was a reminder that they’re not without faults — something we all suspected, naturally, but never more so than after losing three of four to a Texas team that is no one’s idea of a contender.

* The Athletic

Garrett Richards, thanks to new delivery, trending in right direction for Red Sox

Jen McCaffrey

Less than two weeks ago, Garrett Richards seemingly bottomed out in a start against the Blue Jays at home.

Six walks, four runs, four hits in 4 2/3 innings. It was just his fourth start of the season, but patience was wearing thin among a fan base pining for Tanner Houck.

Manager Alex Cora has often shown patience with struggling players. Sometimes he’s rewarded, sometimes not, but he wasn’t about to relegate Richards to the bullpen after less than one month with his new team.

“He can work on it in between starts,” Cora said after that 6-3 loss on April 21. “He’s an established big leaguer with a track record.”

So Richards got to work with pitching coach Dave Bush on tightening up his delivery and timing with his cross-body throwing motion.

“It’s more of a mindset to be honest,” Richards said. “I’m still stepping in the same place as I was before, still doing some similar things as I was before. But for whatever reason, it keeps me more upright and through the target. I have everything coming towards the plate instead of working left initially, then working back right, and trying to find it down the slope at the very end. We just cleaned up a couple things and made my delivery super simple where I can repeat it.

“When I do overthrow a baseball, or short (hop) a breaking ball, it’s easy for me to make an adjustment within a pitch or two. That’s all this game is about, making adjustments.”

The focused work on a tighter, more upright delivery has been eye-opening.

A one-run, 10-strikeout performance over seven innings in New York, albeit against a hapless Mets lineup last week, could have been an aberration. But on Sunday against the Rangers, Richards tried to prove otherwise.

He allowed one run on four hits and a walk over five innings with seven more strikeouts. Rather than letting things spiral out of control in the first, with two on and one out, he struck out the final two batters of the frame en route to striking out six of the first 12 batters he faced.

“Ever since we’ve changed my delivery from the windup and the stretch, my mind has just gone into a different mode as far as my mechanics go,” Richard said. “This new delivery that me and Bushy have come up with has really gotten me back in the zone. I’m throwing a ton of strikes now. I’m attacking guys. It’s overall just helped everything.”

So which version of Richards can the Red Sox expect going forward? The 32-year-old clearly has the potential to be a solid, backend starter, but ensuring he can maintain this new form is key.

In his first four starts, Richards allowed 13 walks while striking out 12 in 16 2/3 innings. In his two starts since the delivery adjustments, he’s walked one and struck out 17 in 12 innings.

“He’s long and lanky and throws across his body a little bit,” Bush said. “And that’s why he cuts the ball, naturally. That’s why his fastball is really good when he throws strikes; he has a lot of velo and natural cut to it. It also helps him shape his slider and breaking ball. So (his delivery is a) blessing and a curse. When he’s on, it’s really good. But he fights his delivery quite a bit, so that’s been the biggest focus recently.”

Richards’ outing wasn’t perfect by any means. He’d thrown 93 pitches by the end of the fifth and Cora turned to the bullpen, but it failed to secure the win. Garrett Whitlock surrendered his first run of the season on a solo homer, an inevitability after 13 1/3 scoreless innings to start his career. A leadoff walk and stolen base off Adam Ottavino in the bottom of the eighth allowed Brock Holt to burn the Red Sox, who suffered their third loss in four games against the Rangers.

It marked first series loss for the Red Sox since the Orioles’ season-opening sweep. Since their nine-game winning streak following the 0-3 start, the Red Sox have gone 8-9. The offense has been sluggish the last 10 days, the defense has had lapses and the bullpen has sprung leaks.

Richards, however, is someone who seems much more on track than a month ago.

“A nice little building block outing,” he said. “The last one (against the Mets) was good. This one was decent. We’re moving in the right direction. You know there’s still work to be done, but I’m starting to feel some familiar stuff of when I’m going good.”

* Associated Press

Texas Rangers rally for 5-3 victory over Boston Red Sox

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — David Dahl and Brock Holt hit RBI singles in Texas’ three-run eighth, and the Rangers took advantage of a costly error on Alex Verdugo, topping the Boston Red Sox 5-3 on Sunday.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa homered to help Texas take three of four games against the AL East leaders and win consecutive games for the first time since April 18-19. (3-1) got three outs for the win, and Ian Kennedy worked the ninth for his seventh save in seven opportunities.

Xander Bogaerts had three hits for Boston, including his fifth homer. Verdugo finished with two hits.

The Red Sox built a 3-1 lead with runs in the second, fourth and seventh innings.

Bogaerts scored the game’s first run after he reached on a towering popup that lost in the sun. He advanced to third on Marwin Gonzalez’s double and scampered home on Hunter Renfroe’s grounder to Solak.

Bogaerts connected in the fourth against Mike Foltynewicz. But the Rangers got one back in the seventh on Kiner-Falefa’s homer and went ahead to stay in the eighth.