The Boston Red Sox Monday, May 14, 2018
* The Boston Globe
The bullpen bailed out Drew Pomeranz, and the Red Sox won the series
Peter Abraham
TORONTO — Red Sox manager Alex Cora knew before Sunday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays that he would not have Craig Kimbrel and Carson Smith available out of the bullpen.
Kimbrel had pitched in three of the previous four games, Smith in five of the last six. And the Sox don’t have a scheduled day off until May 21.
What was a small problem became a big one when starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz couldn’t get an out in the fifth inning and was pulled after 103 extra-tedious pitches.
The Sox had a one-run lead and limited means to protect it.
“You find a way,” said Matt Barnes, one of the relievers who helped the Red Sox close out a 5-3 victory. “That’s really it. You find a way.”
Hector Velazquez, Barnes, Heath Hembree, and Joe Kelly combined for five shutout innings as the Sox finished 6-4 on their 11-day road trip, winning three of the last four.
For Cora, it was a game he will remember.
“Managing at the big league level, it’s not that easy, because there are certain days that there’s nothing you can do,” he said. “You want to match up, and you have to trust your guys.”
The Sox return home tied with the Yankees atop the division but well positioned to make a move.
Starting Monday, they play 19 of their next 26 games at Fenway Park. The Yankees play 19 of their next 25 on the road.
“I feel like we’re in a good spot,” said J.D. Martinez, who homered and drove in three runs. “We’ve had two long trips already, and we’re still right there.”
Righthander Joe Biagini started for Toronto in place of Marcus Stroman, who was placed on the disabled list on Friday with shoulder fatigue.
Biagini had allowed 12 earned runs on 16 hits over 8⅔ innings in two starts against the Red Sox last season. Sunday was more of the same, as he gave up four runs over 4⅔innings.
Andrew Benintendi got things started, singling in the first inning ahead of Martinez’s 10th home run. It was a typical Martinez homer in that he kept his hands inside a pitch on the inner half and took it the other way to right field.
Struggling Jackie Bradley Jr. contributed to the offense in the third inning when he drew a leadoff walk. Mookie Betts followed with a hit-and-run single to right field, sending Bradley to third.
Biagini then walked both Martinez and Mitch Moreland to force in a run. Moreland saw 10 pitches in his at-bat, earning the RBI.
Betts singled in the fifth inning, stole second, and scored on single by Martinez, also to right field.
Martinez has 33 RBIs with the season a quarter over. The Sox are getting what they paid for from him.
With a 4-0 lead, it should have been easy for Pomeranz to clean up what had been an erratic, slowly paced outing to that point. He had put six runners on base but avoided any runs scoring.
Teoscar Hernandez and Josh Donaldson led off the bottom of the fifth inning with singles. The Jays were 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position to that point, but Justin Smoak ended that frustration with a two-run double to right-center.
When Pomeranz walked Yangervis Solarte, he was done.
“Nothing felt good coming out of my hand,” said Pomeranz, who allowed five hits, walked five, and struck out six. “I felt like I wasn’t throwing anything where I wanted to.”
Pomeranz split the fingernail on the index finger of his left hand while pitching against the Yankees last week. He said that he cut down his usual throwing routine between starts, and that affected his command.
Velazquez cleaned up the mess pretty well. He struck out Kevin Pillar, gave up an RBI single to Russell Martin, and fielded a ball off the bat of Kendrys Morales to start a double play.
Velazquez got through the sixth inning with the 4-3 lead still intact. The Sox turned to Barnes in the seventh.
Pitching for the fourth time in five days, Barnes allowed a one-out single by Solarte. Then, with two outs, Martin drove a fastball down the line in left field.
Blue Jays third base coach Luis Rivera, looking for the game-tying run, waved Solarte home. But the Red Sox executed a perfect relay.
Benintendi dug the ball out of the corner and hit Xander Bogaerts, who calmly made a strong throw to the plate, where Christian Vazquez put the tag on Solarte.
“Nobody panicked,” Cora said. “Benny did an outstanding job of getting to the ball. Good throw to Xander. Sometimes as an infielder you want to rush yourself. He didn’t.”
Benintendi wasn’t quite as impressed.
“I bounced it to Xander, but it was perfect off the turf,” he said. “He made a great throw to the plate.”
Hembree worked around a leadoff single by Morales in the eighth inning.
In the ninth, Kelly got three outs on four pitches, retiring Donaldson, Smoak, and Solarte for his second save in 116 career relief appearances.
That made it a satisfying day for the bullpen.
“You look back, and those are some fun ones,” Kelly said. “Especially when you piece it together.”
Jackie Bradley Jr.’s confidence grows with progress at plate
Peter Abraham
TORONTO — Jackie Bradley Jr. was 1 for 3 with a walk, a run scored, and a stolen base in Sunday’s 5-3 victory against the Toronto Blue Jays. That represented a small step forward for the center fielder.
Bradley’s single in the ninth inning was his first hit since May 4. He entered the game with only five hits in his previous 54 at-bats and had struck out 26 times. That dropped his OPS to .510.
“Knowing what you need to do is not necessarily the same as doing it,” said Bradley, who was benched for three games before returning to the lineup on Saturday. “I feel good physically. I’ll continue to work.”
The hitting coaches have suggested adjustments that are centered on his hands and how he starts his swing. Manager Alex Cora sees it as having better rhythm at the plate.
“It’s always about minor adjustments,” Bradley said. “Mentally, it’s frustrating, to tell you the truth. But I know I put the work in, and I prepare.”
Bradley hit .255 with a .793 OPS, 53 home runs, and 193 RBIs over 363 games from 2015 to 2017, so the ability is there. But he has long been a streaky hitter prone to strikeouts, too.
Bradley was hitting .171 with a .519 OPS on May 12 last season. He hit .257 with a .761 OPS the rest of the way and finished fifth on the team in WAR.
“It doesn’t get any easier,” Bradley said. “But I’m confident in myself I can help the offense.”
Running on empty The Sox stole six bases in eight attempts during the series. But they were twice caught trying to steal third for no good reason.
It happened Saturday with Christian Vazquez and on Sunday with Brock Holt in the ninth inning, when he tried a delayed steal.
“We need to address that,” Cora said. “If we’re going to go, we better be safe. We better be safe. . . . We have to be 100 percent sure we’re going to make it.”
The Sox are second in the majors with 19 outs on the bases, a statistic that does not include the six times they have been caught stealing and two pickoffs.
Much like last season, the Sox are giving away too many outs.
“Little by little they understand the value of the out,” Cora said. “It’s worth more than just taking a gamble. Offensively, we’re good. It’s not like we have to get to second or we have to get to third to score. We have to be smarter than what we’ve shown so far.”
Quick call On Mother’s Day, Cora was asked what he remembered about telling his mom, Iris, that he had been named manager of the Sox.
It was last Oct. 20, just before Game 6 of the American League Championship Series game between the Astros and Yankees.
Cora, the Houston bench coach, was at Minute Maid Park when Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski called to tell him he had the job.
“What do I do?” Cora said. “Do I celebrate? We’re down, 3-2 [in the series]. So I had to do some work. So I called her. I don’t know what the reaction was. I was like, ‘Hey, this is happening,’ and I hung up.”
Cora’s mother has been an integral part of his baseball career.
“She means so much to us,” he said. “I lost my dad when I was 13. She became everything to us.”
Cora sometimes calls his mother a few times a week, other times not for a week or two. His brother Joey, the third base coach of the Pirates, has called every Sunday without fail since he was in college in the 1980s.
“The Pirates are playing well and us, too,” Cora said. “Hopefully it’s a great day for her, too. We’re trying to be good kids and behave the right way. She’s the one who runs the family.”
Moves to come Steven Wright’s 15-game suspension for violating baseball’s domestic abuse policy ended Sunday, and he will be added to the roster on Monday. No corresponding move was announced.
“Conversations are ongoing,” Cora said.
Righthander Hector Velazquez has minor league options and could be returned to Triple A Pawtucket to work as a starter. Or the Sox could choose another path, considering that Velazquez is 5-0 with a 2.10 earned run average in 10 appearances.
Wright will pitch in relief, although the idea has been kicked around to give the knuckleballer a start so the rest of the rotation can get an extra day off.
“We feel like he can give us nine outs in certain situations and reset the bullpen,” Cora said.
Wright, an All-Star in 2016, pitched in four games for Pawtucket, giving up seven earned runs on 20 hits over 14⅔ innings.
“When he’s good, he’s really good,” Cora said. “I’ve seen it from afar, and I’m looking forward to seeing him performing here with us.”
You again The Red Sox open a three-game series against Oakland on Monday facing Sean Manaea. The lefthander threw a no-hitter against the Sox in Oakland on April 21. He has allowed 17 hits in 18⅔ innings since . . . Dustin Pedroia is scheduled to play six innings at second base for Pawtucket on Monday night against Buffalo at McCoy Stadium. That’s the first game of his rehab assignment. It is expected Pedroia will need 10 to 14 days in the minors as he returns from surgery on his left knee . . . The Sox are 4-2 against Toronto this season, with all six games on the road. The Sox have won 15 of their last 19 games at Rogers Centre . . . The roof was open at Rogers Centre for the second time this season. It was 59 degrees at first pitch . . . Sox pitchers have 53 strikeouts over 38 innings in the last four games . . . On Mother’s Day, all the players wore pink caps to help raise funds for breast cancer research. Most also wore cleats, T-shirts, and wristbands with pink accents, and the hitters had pink bats as well. Hanley Ramirez, who had the day off, wore pink catcher’s equipment in the dugout for a few innings.
Short start and short bullpen? Red Sox made it work
Nick Cafardo
TORONTO — The ratio between innings pitched by Red Sox starters and relievers has been pretty good this season. The starters have thrown 230⅔ innings and relievers 136⅔, in a baseball world where the gap between rotation and bullpen innings is narrowing by the year.
Sox relievers rank 24th in the majors in innings pitched, so the bullpen hasn’t been too taxed.
But be careful. When you have an underwater performance like Drew Pomeranz’s on Sunday — when relievers throw more innings than the starter — alarm bells should sound. If the Sox get too many of those, their bullpen will be in tatters by mid-June.
Pomeranz went only four-plus innings Sunday, walking five and throwing 103 pitches. Hector Velazquez, Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree, and Joe Kelly combined for five shutout innings on a day when manager Alex Cora didn’t have Carson Smith or Craig Kimbrel available. He needed Pomeranz to go deeper, but the Sox were lucky to get out of Toronto with a 5-3 win and series victory, thanks to the bullpen work and outstanding play from J.D. Martinez and Mookie Betts.
Pomeranz said after the game that he was unable to throw any curveballs between starts because of a split fingernail he sustained last Tuesday against the Yankees. So he had very little feel Sunday for the curveball, his signature pitch.
Pomeranz got out of some jams, but he wasn’t pleased with his overall performance.
“I was able to get through four without giving up that much, but then I couldn’t make pitches when I needed to,” he said. “It didn’t feel good. Nothing felt good coming out of my hand. I got some strikeouts, but they didn’t swing at some pitches, and I kind of got lucky. I wasn’t able to throw much in between [starts]. I didn’t have a normal throwing program in between, which is not an excuse, but it was frustrating. I still have to go find a way to win.”
Chris Sale gave the Sox nine innings Friday night in a game they lost in 12 innings. David Price went 5⅓ innings in Saturday’s win. Most teams need their starters to go six or seven innings.
Pomeranz, a 17-game winner last season, has always had to build up early in the season. The Sox took it easy with him in spring training as he recovered from a mild forearm strain. Maybe he’s not fully built up yet, and the split nail doesn’t help, as he throws his curveball with a knuckleball-type grip.
Entering Sunday, Pomeranz’s average fastball velocity this season was 88.6 miles per hour, down from 91.3 last season. But it had risen through his first four starts — from 87.7 to 88.7 to 88.9 to 89.3 — before coming in at 88.8 on Sunday with the cracked nail.
Pomeranz is nicknamed Big Smooth, but his outings have been anything but smooth. He wriggled out of every jam through the first four innings. There’s an art to that. Remember when Daisuke Matsuzaka would put all those batters on base and then somehow get out of it or limit the damage? Well, that’s Pomeranz.
Betts made a phenomenal diving catch toward the line in right for the final out of the fourth to leave a runner stranded at second base. If Betts misses the ball, it’s an inside-the-park homer.
Pomeranz allowed three straight hits to start the fifth, with Justin Smoak’s two-strike double to right over Betts’s head scoring a pair of runs. After he walked Yangervis Solarte, Cora had seen enough. Velazquez came on and allowed an RBI single by Russell Martin, the run charged to Pomeranz, but otherwise did a decent job in his two innings.
The Red Sox have been reliant on their relievers of late. The bullpen didn’t have a great series in New York. It has rebounded but is now getting overused.
“It seems like we’ve been resetting the bullpen a few times now,” Cora said.
Cora acknowledged that Pomeranz had command issues Sunday and said he stayed with him as long as he could.
“I was trying to get more outs because we knew how we were in the bullpen, but it reached the point where there was nothing I could do,” he said. “I had to go to the bullpen. We knew Hector was going to give us some outs, so we went right to him.
“Have to give credit to Hector, Barnsey, and Heath — it’s amazing what they did. Looking back, there are certain days where there’s nothing you can do. You want to match up and you can’t and you do the best you can. Our guys did the job today.”
There will be more days like this, but there can’t be too many. The fact that the Red Sox won Sunday under those circumstances feels as if they stole a win.
And they’ll take it.
* The Boston Herald
Red Sox notebook: Joe Kelly records quick save as temporary closer
Jason Mastrodonato
TORONTO — It wasn’t the first save of Joe Kelly’s career, but it was the quickest.
With Craig Kimbrel unavailable after pitching in three of the last four games (and warming up in the one game he didn’t pitch), Kelly was told yesterday morning he would be the Red Sox closer du jour.
On to protect a 5-3 lead against the Toronto Blue Jays in the ninth inning, Kelly got the first out on two pitches, then two straight one-pitch outs to end the game on four offerings.
It was the quickest inning of his career.
“I needed it,” he said. “That was good. Happy about that.”
Kelly had thrown at least 16 pitches in each of his five other outings on the 10-game road trip.
Not known for being the quickest pitcher — he gets into a lot of deep counts and has high strikeout and walk totals — he’s only completed an inning of work on fewer than 10 pitches five other times in his seven-year career.
It was the second save of his career; the first one was also this year. Manager Alex Cora has shown a lot of faith in Kelly.
“I was asked, how I felt. I said, ‘I felt good,’ ” Kelly said. “He said, ‘Can you close (yesterday)?’ I was like, ‘Yeah.’ It’s a little bit easier to get prepared for the game. You don’t have to read the situation in the eighth. They told me in the morning and I was ready for it.”
Kelly finished the road trip with 62⁄3 innings pitched and just one run allowed on four hits and three walks. He struck out nine.
A free agent after this season, he has a 2.33 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 191⁄3 innings this season.
So-so starters
Though the Sox bullpen took three losses in the last 10 games, it bailed out the starters after some poor performances, just like the one Drew Pomeranz submitted yesterday.
After including Pomeranz’ three runs allowed on five hits and five walks over four-plus innings, the Sox starters combined for a 4.55 ERA over 571⁄3 innings on the road trip.
The relievers had a 3.41 ERA over 312⁄3 innings.
Pomeranz said he had nothing working.
“Just kind of felt lost on everything, pretty much the whole time,” he said.
He was once again pitching with the cracked fingernail that bothered him in his last start. He said it limited him all week leading up to this start. He was able to throw only a couple curveballs in the days leading up to the start and had no feel for the pitch.
“It didn’t feel good, but nothing felt good,” he said. “Nothing felt good coming out of my hand. I wasn’t throwing anything where I wanted to. I was able to get some strikeouts but they didn’t swing at some pitches and kind of got lucky. But yeah, didn’t feel great.
“I wasn’t able to throw it much in between this and I didn’t really have a normal throwing program in between, which is frustrating. It’s not an excuse. I still have to go out there and find a way to win, but it’s part of it.”
He said he expects to be able to throw some curves in bullpen sessions leading into his next start.
Velazquez odd man out?
Hector Velazquez relieved Pomeranz and threw two scoreless innings. He has become a weapon out of the bullpen with a 2.10 ERA this season.
But since he has minor league options, there’s a chance he’ll be sent back to the minors when the Sox are expected to activate knuckleballer Steven Wright ahead of tonight’s game.
Wright has been serving a 15-game suspension related to domestic violence but needs to be activated today.
“Steven is healthy, we know he’s coming and the conversation is ongoing,” Cora said. “We don’t know yet (what the roster move will be), but obviously we have to make one. We’ll come up with a decision.”
Cora said he thinks all three catchers are capable of handling Wright, but he wasn’t sure how he planned on using him.
“We do feel in certain games it’s a change of pace and just like Hector and Brian Johnson, we can get nine outs in certain situations, we can reset the bullpen,” Cora said. “Not just throwing him out there in a blowout but in a game we’re up three or four. He can go out there and give us quality innings and finish the game. We’ll see.”
Baby steps for JBJ
Jackie Bradley Jr. singled in the ninth inning for his first hit since May 4. He’s in a 6-for-57 (.105) stretch with 27 strikeouts and no extra-base hits. …
Andrew Benintendi cut down the potential tying run at the plate in the seventh inning. It was the sixth time since the start of 2017 he’s thrown out a runner at home, and five of those six represented the tying or go- ahead runs. Benintendi is also riding a six-game hitting streak. …
Dustin Pedroia will start his rehab assignment with Triple-A Pawtucket tonight and is expected to play six innings at second base. He’ll start as the designated hitter in tomorrow’s game. “He wants big crowds,” Cora said.
J.D. Martinez home run helps Sox take series in Toronto
Jason Mastrodonato
TORONTO — To understand J.D. Martinez, it takes a little deep thinking.
And some patience.
Not even after his 2-for-3 performance in which he hit his 10th home run in his 38th game with the Red Sox, leading them to a 5-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday, did Martinez feel like he was comfortable with his swing.
“I know my capabilities,” he told the Herald after the game. “I know when a pitcher throws me pitches that I can handle, that I know I’ve handled before, and I’m not handling them. Then it’s kind of just, ‘OK, why am I missing these pitches?’
“I don’t feel bad at the plate. (Saturday) I did. (Saturday) I felt like crap and it showed. (Yesterday), I didn’t.”
Yesterday was another strong day, as he took the first pitch he saw from Jays starter Joe Biagini, pitching in place of the injured Marcus Stroman, and hammered it for a two-run jack to right-center field in the first inning.
Martinez added an RBI single to right in the fifth inning to give the Sox a 4-0 lead. And even after Drew Pomeranz gave three of those back in the bottom of the fifth, the bullpen held it together and the Sox left Toronto feeling good.
Six of Martinez’ 10 homers have been hit to the opposite field.
“That’s normal for me,” he said. “I don’t necessarily try to hit the ball that way. I just try to stay inside the best I can and that’s where it went.”
The Sox finished the 10-game road trip with six wins, and Martinez had a lot to do with that, finishing with 12 hits — four homers, three doubles — to go with four walks.
“I’ve been saying it the whole time, he’s not just a slugger,” manager Alex Cora said. “He can hit. He works at it and he’ll take his walks. He’ll go the other way. He’s a complete hitter.”
It would’ve been crazy for the Sox to sign Martinez to a five-year contract worth $110 million in February and expect him to perform the way he did last year with Arizona, where he was traded midseason, then hit .302 with 29 homers in 62 games for the Diamondbacks.
But his production with the Sox has been close.
The first 11 games, he struggled. He got a late start in spring training, said he didn’t like the way his swing felt and it showed early. He was pulling the ball, hitting everything on the ground and began the year hitting .227 with a .725 OPS through 11 games.
That was the end of his cold streak. Eleven games.
Since April 13, Martinez leads the majors with a .390 average and has hit a home run once every 15 trips to the plate.
“I don’t get caught up in the numbers,” he said. “I feel like my swing is right when I’m hitting the majority of my balls in the air and they’re carrying. Right now I feel like the home runs are just fence scrapers, as I like to say. They’re home runs and I love them and want all of them, but to me, it’s just grinding to feel it, to find it every day.
“Once I start really driving the ball and hitting the ball in the air, I should have a lot more doubles than I do, for as high as I’m hitting and how hard I’m hitting the ball. Right now my doubles are, even driving the baseball, they’re lower than what I’m used to.”
Not feeling his best and ever the perfectionist, Martinez will keep searching.
“That’s every day,” he said. “That’s what I’m trying to say. You can’t come in here and say, ‘I feel great, I feel locked in, my swing is the best it’s ever been.’ It doesn’t work like that. Because tomorrow you go 0- for and it’s like, what happened? There’s no point in saying that. That’s why I say you’re grinding and working every day, because that’s what this is. I might come in tomorrow and I don’t know what happened.
“It’s like a golfer. All of a sudden he swings and it’s like, what the hell? Hello. Because your body is constantly changing. Your body is never the same. That’s the difference.”
Baseball Notes: Eddie Romero Jr. rising in Red Sox front office
Michael Silverman
The 2018 Red Sox season has gone pretty much according to plan. True, nobody has stepped up yet to say they saw the David Price “Fortnite” carpal tunnel syndrome saga coming, but overall, there’s a fair amount of comfort level involved.
J.D. Martinez has been raking. The rest of the lineup has perked up, the starters have mostly pitched to their capabilities, the bullpen has been good enough, and the club’s overall record reflects the talent, payroll and expectations most of us had from our cushy, heated offseason perches.
So goes the front office, where the second full season of president Dave Dombrowski brought back a mostly familiar crew in order to execute a win-now game plan that’s been in the works for some time. And while a championship this season remains the prize, there is a long-term plan always running in the background that needs to be nurtured and maintained.
Eddie Romero, the senior vice president/assistant general manager, is as key as anyone not named Dombrowski to maximizing the returns not only on the 2018 Red Sox squad, but the teams on the near and more distant horizon.
That Romero himself looks to be well-positioned on the same inside track toward a leadership position, just as Theo Epstein, Ben Cherington and Mike Hazen once were, appears clear by now. Yet Romero is strictly focused on juggling his responsibilities for the team’s present and future.
To that end, he’s doing a lot of juggling.
Along with Brian O’Halloran, also a senior vice president/assistant GM, Romero is the most prominent holdover from the younger, never-a-GM generation of the Epstein-Cherington-Hazen era. Nearly all of the front office stayed intact when Dombrowski came aboard in August 2016. Since then, Romero’s responsibilities have expanded like a Tom Glavine strike zone.
Romero laughed when asked if he could describe what his job entails.
“That’s a really good question,” he said, before launching into a quick, partial rundown of what he does in between some impressively furious downing of sunflower seeds. “Before I was overseeing the international scouting department, and now I assist Dave on anything he needs: Making trips, being with the club, having a pulse on what’s going on here, medical information, any player movement, transactions. I’ll see affiliates, I still oversee international but I’ve had to delegate a lot of day to day responsibilities with that. When the team’s traveling and Dave’s on the trip, I’m usually scouting somewhere, the Dominican, Venezuela — wherever. That’s pretty much everything — kind of like a utility player, I guess.”
Last season was Romero’s first at the job. Much like the comfort level found with nearly everything surrounding the Red Sox this season, Romero has become more familiar with his job. He’s not only assisting Dombrowski, but he’s learning as much as possible, too.
It resembles job shadowing, but with real work and heavy lifting involved.
“Last year was a huge learning experience and Dave was great, just showing me day-to-day activities and what he does, how and when he speaks with the media, how and when he speaks with the players, how it’s super important to know how best and when to speak to your staff,” said Romero. “This year, I’ve kind of gotten a feel for the traveling and communication aspect of it, the importance of communication with coaching staff and medical staff. I think anybody who gets experience feels more comfortable with what they’re doing.”
Romero appreciates fully that he stands at the elbow of a 40-year baseball executive.
“Who better to learn from,” said Romero. “He’s been around for so long, with different organizations. He’s obviously very comfortable and it’s impressive to see how easily it comes to him.”
Last year was only the second full season with the Dombrowski team in place. A second straight early playoff exit left a taste more bitter than the sweetness of another AL East title, making this past offseason absolutely critical to the team’s outlook.
Even with October a long ways away, that plan is working.
“Once we set out the blueprint for this season, I think that we did implement it,” said Romero. “It was obvious we needed to boost our offense, and as Dave read the market well, we were able to get the target we wanted in J.D. (Martinez). We signed Mitch (Moreland) early in the season, we made sure Eduardo (Rodriguez) was healthy and those were a lot of our primary targets. Not every offseason works like that, but this year we were fortunate that it did.
“There were a couple of tweaks we made, injuries always pop up and other scenarios, but so far we’ve been competitive, and we’ve got Pedey (Dustin Pedroia) on the way back hopefully soon — I think that will be another source of energy, another proven player.
“It’s still early, but I think the early results are good.”
Key to the strong start has been the new coaching staff, led by manager Alex Cora. Again, there’s a comfort level for Romero — his father, Eddie Romero Sr., has known Cora’s older brother Joey “forever.” Romero himself has known Cora, along with coach Ramon Vazquez, since his late teens, when the two comprised the middle infield on one of Romero Sr.’s winter league teams.
Romero today sees the same authentic Cora he met 20 years ago.
“He is extremely prepared. He genuinely cares,” said the 38-year-old Romero. “His day is spent communicating, and he’s been very good at that. He’s not afraid to have conversations at the ballpark, away from the ballpark. I just think he’s extremely genuine. You can see that and that buys him a lot of respect and credibility. And he’s been handling the media, he’s been really good at that, which we know can be tough, especially for a first-time manager. I’ve been very happy with the way he’s handled things early.”
As for whether Romero’s job is a grooming process to one day be a GM?
“I don’t know that answer, and I don’t care to answer — I have a job right now, I want to do the best I can for that job and that stuff takes care of itself,” he said. “My job is now to assist Dave with whatever he needs, give our staff whatever they need. Our players, when they have requests. Trying to do what we can to give them the tools that they need, and from the scouting side, to continue to sign some good players.”
Romero continues to grow into a job where he has already gained comfort and has a voice. That’s enough.
“The biggest thing for me is to be in a position where you can have influence, where your opinion matters,” he said. “If it’s in the position as GM, that is irrelevant. I’m sure everyone at one point would at least like to challenge themselves with an opportunity like that, but I love what I do, I’m blessed to do it, so it’s not something that is career defining by any means.”
And his boss is plenty pleased.
“Eddie has done a fine job assisting me in every area of the baseball operations while continuing to direct our program in Latin America,” Dombrowski said in an email. “He continues to grow in knowledge as he is exposed to more and more. He has a very bright future in the game.”
Moving comments
Longtime Ray and new Giant Evan Longoria issued some blunt opinions about the viability of the Rays staying at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, which is closing on 30 years old.
“Honestly, and this is maybe not something I should say, but my gut tells me that the best decision might be to move the team,” he told the Tampa Bay Times. “I say that only because I look at the example of the Miami Marlins, and (a new stadium) didn’t really solve their attendance issues. So from purely an attendance standpoint, somewhere else might be better.
“It pains me to say that, but players want to play in a place where you have consistent support. It’s a selfish thing to say probably as a player, but I don’t know. Does anyone really want to play in front of 10,000 a night?
“There are a lot of dedicated Rays fans . . . and obviously it would be a shame for those people to lose the team. But you just hope there is consistent fan support, and it historically hasn’t been there. I don’t know that it’s the easiest case to lobby to build a new stadium in the area. It’s not a slam dunk.”
The Rays announced plans for a new stadium across the bay in downtown Tampa, but figuring out who will pay for it remains unresolved.
Who’s the G.O.A.T. again?
A part of the Mariners front office for at least the rest of this season, Ichiro Suzuki got a glowing treatment from Peter Gammons in The Athletic. Within it, Gammons relayed a funny anecdote of local note.
One morning in spring training last year, the now 44-year-old Ichiro was in the coaches’ room looking at his text messages. Ichiro told the coaches about one he had just received from a number he didn’t recognize. The guy said he’d gotten Ichiro’s number from Alex Rodriguez, and that he wanted to come meet him and study his stretching system.
Asked who sent it to him, Ichiro scrolled to the end of the text.
“Some guy named Tom Brady. Who the (expletive) is Tom Brady?”
* The Providence Journal
Red Sox Journal: In the heat of the battle, mothers are remembered
Bill Koch
TORONTO — Red Sox manager Alex Cora started his Sunday morning with a call to his mother, Iris.
It’s not a regularly scheduled occurrence. Cora said they speak sporadically while his older brother, Joey, has called her every weekend since his college days at Vanderbilt in the 1980s.
But there’s no doubting the depth of their relationship, one that strengthened after the death of Cora’s father, Jose, when he was just 13.
“We’re trying to be good kids and behave the right way and she’s the one that runs the family,” Cora said. “She’s the one.”
Cora’s mother was one of his first phone calls when he was hired by Boston. It was prior to Game Six of the American League Championship Series, and Cora’s Astros were trailing, 3-2, against the Yankees. The bench coach for A.J. Hinch was understandably focused on more pressing issues when he received the good news from Red Sox executive director of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski.
“They just swept us in New York,” Cora said. “There’s a lot of stuff going on in the clubhouse. Between trying to beat the Yankees and everyone knowing what was going on with me, it was awkward honestly.”
Iris Cora was in attendance for April’s home opener at Fenway Park, making the trip from her native Puerto Rico. Alex Cora was about to make history as the franchise’s first manager of color, a proud moment for his family and what he affectionately refers to as his island. He did so with a championship ring in his back pocket, as Houston outlasted New York in seven games and downed the Dodgers in the World Series.
“She decided she wanted to be there for the introductions,” Cora said. “It means so much to her.”
Mother’s Day reminders were everywhere at Rogers Centre for the finale of the three-game set between Boston and the Blue Jays. Players from each team wore pink hats and undershirts, and several opted for pink bats and cleats. Toronto outfielder Kevin Pillar caught the game’s ceremonial first pitch from his mother, Wendy.
Roster moves coming
Steven Wright could be activated as soon as Monday, a roster move that could start the dominoes falling for some residents of the Red Sox clubhouse.
The knuckleballing right-hander is eligible to return from his suspension after serving his 15 days for a domestic assault arrest during the offseason. Wright has made appearances both starting and out of the bullpen for Pawtucket, and he’s expected to contribute as a reliever upon his return to Boston.
“We know he’s coming,” Cora said. “Conversations are ongoing. We don’t know yet, but obviously we have to make one.”
Among potential bullpen casualties, Brian Johnson and Heath Hembree are both out of options and would have to pass through waivers before joining the PawSox. Joe Kelly and Tyler Thornburg — who also looks to be activated soon — have reverse splits against left-handed hitters, reducing the role for a left-handed specialist like Johnson in relief. Hembree has allowed at least one earned run in four of his last five appearances.
“As you guys know, when (Wright is) good, he’s really good,” Cora said. “I’ve seen it from afar. I’m looking forward to seeing him performing here with us.”
Around the bases
Dustin Pedroia (left knee) is expected to play six innings at second base for Pawtucket on Monday and serve as the designated hitter on Tuesday. Thornburg (right shoulder) is also scheduled to work in both games. ... J.D. Martinez became just the seventh Red Sox player with at least 10 homers and 50 hits through the first 40 games of a season thanks to his two-run shot in the first inning on Sunday. He joins Manny Ramirez (2001), Mo Vaughn (1994, 1996, 1998), Dwight Evans (1981), Jim Rice (1978), Ted Williams (1948, 1957) and Jimmie Foxx (1938, 1940). ... Boston plays 13 of its next 16 at home, hosting Oakland on Monday night. Only a three-game series at Tampa Bay from May 22-24 breaks up the extended stay at Fenway Park.
Mookie Betts continues to lead the way for Red Sox
Bill Koch
TORONTO — His slash line isn’t of much concern to Mookie Betts.
The Red Sox outfielder leads the big leagues in slugging and OPS, but Betts is more focused on hard numbers as Boston’s leadoff man, an approach that’s paying significant dividends to this point in the season.
“The RBI, runs — those are the most important things to me,” Betts said after Saturday’s 5-2 win over the Blue Jays. “Those are things that obviously help the team win.”
Betts tends to do a lot of those things. He entered Sunday’s series finale at Rogers Centre first in the big leagues in runs scored (41), extra-base hits (29) and total bases (103). His 39 runs through 38 games were the most in franchise history, passing the likes of Ted Williams (1942) and Tris Speaker (1912) with 38 apiece.
“I don’t think I’ve seen a player do so many things so well,” Boston right-hander Rick Porcello said. “The best right fielder, one of the best baserunners, he hits for average, he hits for power, he doesn’t strike out — what more could you ask for in a ballplayer?”
Betts also tends to do these things when they matter, as illustrated by his performances in Boston’s last two victories. The Red Sox prevented a series sweep against the Yankees in the Bronx, maintaining a share of first place in the American League East, and rebounded from a 12-inning loss against Toronto on Friday with a win the following night. Betts was the catalyst in each victory, helping stake Boston to 3-0 leads in each game.
“As the leadoff guy, that’s kind of what I’m supposed to do,” Betts said. “Get on base and try to do whatever I can to affect the game with my legs. Try to do everything I can to score.”
Betts opened the final night at Yankee Stadium with a ground-rule double to right and scored on an infield groundout by Hanley Ramirez in the top of the first. He singled to center in the third and came around again thanks to Ramirez, who legged out an infield single.
“It’s funny because in batting practice he was saying how awful he feels,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said on Thursday. “He didn’t feel right today. He goes up there and gets three hits or whatever. He put a good at-bat in the first one to set the tempo.”
It was more of the same against the Blue Jays on Saturday. Betts doubled to left leading off the top of the third, the first in a string of three straight extra-base hits. He doubled to left again in the ninth, plating a key insurance run that prevented the Blue Jays from having any hopes of tying things up with a walk and a two- run homer.
“If you focus on things that can change throughout the season you’ll be worried about it the whole time,” Betts said. “If you focus on the things that can only go up, I think you’ll kind of clear your mind and worry about less.”
Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 3: Boston closes road trip in winning fashion
Bill Koch
TORONTO — Consider the longest Red Sox road trip of the season to date a success.
Boston ended the 11-day, 10-game, three-city swing with a winning record and retained a share of first place alongside the Yankees in the American League East.
Five scoreless innings from the bullpen and more thunder from J.D. Martinez added up to a 5-3 victory over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, with the roof open and the sun shining brightly on the Mother’s Day crowd.
Hector Velazquez, Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree and Joe Kelly limited Toronto to five hits and didn’t issue a walk to close this one out, picking up the slack after an abbreviated start from Drew Pomeranz. Martinez quickly turned the page after seeing his 12-game hitting streak snapped on Saturday night, reaching base safely in each of his first three trips and driving in three.
“To come out of a road trip like that, it’s something we should be proud of,” said Kelly, as Boston won a pair of series and finished 6-4 overall. “We’ll get ready to go back home and get some rest.”
With Carson Smith and Craig Kimbrel each unavailable due to their recent workloads, Kelly and his mates were forced to dig deep after Pomeranz ran into trouble in the bottom of the fifth. Justin Smoak’s two-run double to right center and the fifth walk of the day issued by the left-hander forced Red Sox manager Alex Cora to the mound. Velazquez was brought in and allowed an RBI single from Russell Martin to make it a three-run Toronto rally. What was once a 4-0 Boston lead hung by a thread until Velazquez induced Kendrys Morales to bounce into an inning-ending 1-6-3 double play.
“There are certain days where there’s nothing you can do,” Cora said. “You want to match up and you have to trust your guys. We did today and we won.”
The Blue Jays threatened to tie it again in the seventh, as Barnes gave up a one-out single to Yangervis Solarte and Martin lined a two-out rope to the corner in left. Andrew Benintendi dug the ball out, Xander Bogaerts fired the relay to the plate and Christian Vazquez applied the tag to retire Solarte by a couple of feet and preserve the lead.
″(Benintendi) did an outstanding job getting to the ball,” Cora said. “Good throw to Xander. Sometimes as an infielder you rush yourself, and he didn’t. Great pace, and Christian did a good job.”
Bogaerts knocked in an insurance run on an infield out in the eighth, setting up Hembree and Kelly to retire six of the last seven Toronto hitters. It was Kelly’s second career save, one that required just four pitches.
“Everyone did a great job in the bullpen trying to keep us right there,” Kelly said. “Those are the games, those wins, you look back and those are some fun ones.”
Boston needed just three batters to jump ahead in the first, pouncing on Joe Biagini and the 8.10 earned-run average he dragged into a spot start in place of Marcus Stroman (right shoulder). Benintendi singled to left and Martinez whacked a two-run homer to the visiting bullpen in right.
“The moment you think you have it all figured out, the game will humble you real quick,” Martinez said. “It’s one of those things where I’m always kind of just grinding.”
Mitch Moreland drew a 10-pitch walk to force in another run in the third, making it 3-0, but Biagini escaped when Bogaerts grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.
The end finally came for the right-hander in the fifth. John Axford came on to face Martinez, and Martinez greeted him with an RBI single, scoring Mookie Betts from second.
“He’s not just a slugger,” Cora said of Martinez. “He can hit. He works at it. He’ll take his walks. He goes the other way. He’s a complete hitter.”
Betts, who had two singles and two stolen bases, ended the fourth by sliding into foul territory down the right-field line to catch Richard Urena’s sinking liner.
* MassLive.com
J.D. Martinez homers, Boston Red Sox bullpen hurls 5 scoreless innings in win over Blue Jays
Christopher Smith
J.D. Martinez delivered an opposite field two-run homer in the first inning and an RBI single to right field during the fifth inning.
Martinez and the Red Sox bullpen led to a 5-3 win over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
Drew Pomeranz lasted only 4-plus innings. But relievers Hector Velazquez, Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree and Joe Kelly combined for 5 scoreless innings.
Hector Velazquez, who took over for Pomeranz and pitched 2 scoreless frames, earned the victory.
The Red Sox went 6-4 on the road trip through Texas (3-1), New York (1-2) and Toronto (2-1).
They begin a seven-game homestand tomorrow with the first of three games vs. the Athletics.
Hector Velazquez, Boston Red Sox RHP: My grandmother 'cried' before debut in Oakland. She 'dreamed' of me being in majors Hector Velazquez, Boston Red Sox RHP: My grandmother 'cried' before debut in Oakland. She 'dreamed' of me being in majors
Red Sox pitcher Hector Velazquez's biggest fan is his 84-year-old grandmother Emilia who he talks with on the phone two or three times a week during the season.
J.D. with another opposite-field homer
J.D. Martinez crushed a 386-foot, 104.5 mph homer to the opposite field to give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
The slugger connected on a 93.6 mph fastball from Blue Jays starter Joe Biagini to right field for his 10th homer.
The right-handed hitting Martinez has hit nine of his 10 homers to center or right field.
7-6-2 relay keeps it tied
Russell Martin doubled down the left field line with two outs in the seventh inning. Yangervis Solarte tried to score the tying run from first base.
Andrew Benintendi fired to shortstop Xander Bogaerts who caught Benintendi's throw on one bounce. Bogaerts fired a perfect strike to Christian Vazquez who tagged out Solarte.
That kept the score 4-3. The Red Sox added an insurance run in the top of the eighth.
Pomeranz struggles
Drew Pomeranz pitched 4-plus innings, allowing three hits, all earned, five hits and five walks while striking out six.
He struggled with his control throughout but he was able to spot some fastballs when he needed strikeouts.
He topped out at 90.7 mph. His four-seamer and two-seamer sat at 88 mph.
Betts' amazing catch
Mookie Betts sprinted toward the foul line and made a tremendous diving catch on a ball hit by Blue Jays' Richard Urena.
Kendrys Morales was at second base. So Betts saved a run by recording the final out of the fourth inning.
He went 88 feet in 4.6 seconds, per Statcast, which also had the grab at a 17 percent catch probability.
Mookie Betts catch: Boston Red Sox RF robs Blue Jays of run with tremendous diving grab
Christopher Smith
Mookie Betts again reminded everyone why he has won a Gold Glove each of the past two seasons.
The right fielder sprinted toward the foul line and made a tremendous diving catch on a ball hit by Blue Jays' Richard Urena.
Kendrys Morales was at second base. So Betts saved a run and recorded the final out of the fourth inning.
He went 88 feet in 4.6 seconds, per Statcast, which also had the grab at a 17 percent catch probability.
Betts entered today tied for fifth among right fielders with three defensive runs saved, per Fangraphs.com.
The Red Sox lead 4-2 in the fifth inning. Betts is 2-for-3 this game to increase his batting average to .363.
J.D. Martinez has hit a two-run homer and RBI single.
* RedSox.com
J.D. rakes, Sox take series over Jays
Keegan Matheson
TORONTO -- J.D. Martinez is leaving Toronto on a high note after driving in three runs to give the Red Sox a 5-3 win -- and a series victory -- in the finale against the Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon at Rogers Centre.
Martinez opened the scoring in the first inning with his 10th home run of the season, a towering two-run shot to the opposite field. The 386-foot big fly left Martinez's bat with a loud crack at 104.5 mph, according to Statcast™, to give Martinez his 31st and 32nd RBIs.
Later in the game, Martinez drove in the game-winning run for the Red Sox with an RBI single to right field that scored Jackie Bradley Jr.
"He's not just a slugger," manager Alex Cora said after the win. "He can hit. He works at it. He'll take his walks, he goes the other way and he's just a good hitter."
Drew Pomeranz walked a tightrope through the first four innings, but he still managed to keep the Blue Jays scoreless. That all changed in the fifth, though, when Pomeranz allowed two runs and was pulled with a runner on second before recording an out.
"I was just trying to get more outs, because I know how we were in the bullpen," Cora said, "but at that point, there was nothing we could do. We knew Hector [Velazquez] was going to give us plenty of outs."
Control was a challenge for Pomeranz throughout, as he threw 103 pitches but just 57 strikes. He finished his outing after four innings, yielding three runs on five hits and five walks with six strikeouts.
"He made some good pitches," Cora said. "He used the changeup at one point, but I think command was an issue."
Pomeranz had some help from the defense. Mookie Betts made a tremendous diving catch in the bottom of the fourth inning on what would have been a Richard Urena RBI double. The catch ended the inning and kept the Blue Jays off the board.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Bradley tried multiple times to steal off Russell Martin in the third inning, which finally resulted in a well- timed hit and run with Betts that opened up a hole in the infield for a single. This avoided a likely double play, which eventually kept the inning alive for the Red Sox to add a third run on a bases-loaded walk.
Defense kept the Red Sox ahead in the seventh with an excellent relay to home in time to get a sliding Yangervis Solarte for the third out. Andrew Benintendi picked up Martin's double to the corner and fired to shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who threw home to Christian Vazquez for the tag.
"Pretty solid and under control. Nobody panicked," Cora said. "Benintendi did an outstanding job getting to the ball. Good throw to Xander. Sometimes as an infielder, you rush yourself, and he didn't. He had great pace."
SOUND SMART The Red Sox have scored 5 or more runs 25 times this season, more than any team in Major League Baseball. They are 20-5 in those games.
HE SAID IT "These are the days when I look back at managing at the big league level. It's not that easy. There's certain days that there's nothing you can do. You want to match up, but you have to trust your guys." -- Cora, on managing his bullpen in the final game of the series
UP NEXT Rick Porcello will open the series against the Athletics when the Red Sox return to Boston on Monday at 7:10 p.m. ET. They'll be facing Sean Manaea (4-4, 2.11 ERA), who no-hit Boston when he last faced him at Oakland Coliseum on April 21. The Red Sox have an 11-4 record at Fenway Park so far this season.
Mookie makes amazing 5-star diving catch
Keegan Matheson
TORONTO -- Mookie Betts kept the Blue Jays off the board with a brilliant diving catch at Rogers Centre on Sunday afternoon to rob shortstop Richard Urena of extra bases in the Red Sox's 5-3 win.
Urena hit a fly ball down the right-field line with a runner on second and two outs in the fourth inning, but Betts raced toward the foul line and made the play just shy of the wall.
"It doesn't surprise me, honestly," said manager Alex Cora after the game. "What he did today, he didn't hit the ball out of the ballpark, but he goes the other way, he steals a few bases, he makes that play."
Statcast™ measured the play as a five-star catch, which is Betts' second of the season. That ties him with seven other players for the most five-star catches in baseball this season.
"He's becoming a force," Cora added. "Not only on the field but in the clubhouse, in the dugout, he's becoming a leader. It's fun to watch. On a daily basis, you're expecting something great, and he'll do it."
Betts covered 88 feet with a 29.9 feet-per-second speed, which puts him just shy of "elite" speed, according to Statcast™. The ball had just a 17 percent catch probability.
* WEEI.com
Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 3: After tough week vs. Yankees, bullpen gets it done over weekend
Ryan Hannable
When the Red Sox got to Toronto early Friday morning, their bullpen was a mess.
It had blown a 6-5 lead against the Yankees in the eighth inning on Wednesday and then nearly blew a 4-0 lead in the seventh inning on Thursday, but with the way the final two games of the series went against the Blue Jays, the bullpen appears to be gaining some confidence back.
Led by five scoreless innings from the bullpen, the Red Sox beat the Jays 5-3 Sunday afternoon to win the rubber game of the three-game set. Including Saturday, the Red Sox bullpen has thrown 8 2/3 scoreless frames and didn't walk a single batter.
Red Sox starter Drew Pomeranz didn't have his best stuff on Sunday, as he couldn't record an out in the fifth inning. The left-hander went four innings, allowing three runs on four hits, but walked four and stuck out six. His control certainly was the biggest issue, needing 103 pitches in just four-plus innings.
Hector Velazquez went two innings and allowed just two hits, Matt Barnes tossed a scoreless seventh, Heath Hembree a scoreless eighth, and Joe Kelly threw a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up the save. This came following Carson Smith, Velazquez, Kelly and Craig Kimbrel combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings the day before in relief of David Price.
"That’s what you like," manager Alex Cora told reporters. "People don’t understand sometimes how short you are in the bullpen and people think it’s just bring this guy in and it doesn’t work that way. You’ve got to give credit to Barnesy and Heath and hector obviously. That was amazing what they did. These are the days when look back, managing at the big league level, it’s not the easy because there are certain days where there’s nothing you can do. You want to match up and you have to trust your guys and we did today and we won."
The bullpen will have a slightly different look on Monday as it seems very likely Steven Wright is added into the mix, as he returns following his 15-game suspension. With no options remaing, he must be added to the major league roster. This means the team will need to make a roster move and by all accounts it will be sending Velazquez back to the minors.
For all the struggles that the Red Sox bullpen had in New York, it's also worth noting almost every other bullpen in the league has had its fair share of issues against the Yankees this year. Maybe most of the issues had to do with the Yankees lineup just being very good, opposed to being totally on the Red Sox relievers.
Going into the weekend, if it had been known the Red Sox starters would only go 9 1/3 innings combined on Saturday and Sunday, many would have suspected the team would have been in a lot of trouble given the state of the bullpen, but the group proved them wrong in what was a solid finish to a long road trip.
Right-handed starters are 1-17 with a 7.08 ERA in 31 starts against the Red Sox this season.
* The Boston Sports Journal
Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 3 — Pen mightier again, helping Boston beat Toronto
Sean McAdam
Some of Boston’s bullpen issues that arose in the recent series with the Yankees — and, for that matter, Friday night, too, in the series opener — receded the last few days against the Jays.
On Saturday, the Boston bullpen had to get the final 11 outs in relief of David Price, and did so, without allowing any walks.
On Sunday, the load was even heavier when Drew Pomeranz was lifted before he could record an out. That left 15 outs to nail down, which the bullpen did with great efficiency.
Hector Velazquez, who’s been the unsung hero among Boston relievers this season, contributed two scoreless innings, while Matt Barnes and Heath Hembree each pitched in with an inning each. Finally, with Craig Kimbrel having pitched in three of the four previous games and unavailable, Joe Kelly handled the closing duties and earned a save, retiring the Jays on just four pitches.
Over the last two days, Boston relievers have combined to account for nearly a complete game: 8.2 innings with seven hits, no runs allowed, zero walks and 11 strikeouts.
HEADLINES
Pomeranz can’t control strike zone: Starter Drew Pomeranz walked a tightrope for the first four innings, keeping the Jays scoreless despite having some difficulty with command, issuing four walks. In the fifth, however, Pomeranz couldn’t wiggle out of any more jams. The Jays teed off on him with three hits and a walk for two runs, cutting the Red Sox lead in half from 4-0 to 4-2. He also left a mess for Velazquez to clean up — two on and nobody out. “He made some good pitches, but I think command was an issue,” said Alex Cora of his lefty. “I just kind of felt lost with everything, pretty much the whole time,” added Pomeranz. “Nothing really felt good coming out of my hand. I wasn’t able to throw anything where I wanted to.”
Defense carries the day: Both Pomeranz and the bullpen benefited from some outstanding plays in the field. In the fourth inning, with a baserunner in scoring position and two out, Mookie Betts made a diving catch to take extra bases away from Richard Urena. Betts fully extended toward the foul line, making the run- saving catch and stopping inches before the padded wall. Then, in the seventh, the Sox turned in their second perfectly executed relay of the series. With Barnes on the mound and Yangervis Solarte on first with a single, Russell Martin yanked a line drive into the left field corner. Andrew Benintendi fielded the ball quickly, fired to relay man Xander Bogaerts, and Bogaerts wheeled and fired a strike to the plate, nabbing Solarte for the final out of the inning.
Martinez’s hot stretch continues: J.D. Martinez continued to flash opposite field power, driving a low fastball from Toronto starter Joe Biagini over the wall in right, scoring Andrew Benintendi and giving the Sox a quick 2-0 lead just three batters into the game. In the fifth, it was more of the same, as Martinez lined a single to right off reliever John Axford, pushing the Sox lead to 4-0 at the time. For the 10-game road trip, Martinez hit .341 with three doubles, four homers, nine RBI and six runs scored. “I’ve been saying it the whole time — he’s not just a slugger,” said Cora of Martinez. “He can hit. He works at it. He’ll take his walks, go the other way. He’s a complete hitter.”
SECOND GUESS
In general on Sunday, the Red Sox were aggressive on the bases and ran them smartly, successfully stealing their first five stolen base attempts. But in the ninth inning, with the Sox leading by two and looking to add some insurance, Brock Holt broke from second with one out and was out at third.
TWO UP
Mookie Betts: What can’t Betts do? Don’t ask the Jays, as they won’t have an answer. Betts had two hits at the top of the lineup plus a walk, reaching base three times in five plate appearances. He scored two runs, stole two bases and made the spectacular diving grab in the fourth inning to save a run. “On a daily basis, you’re expecting something great (from him),” said Cora.
Hector Velazquez: Once again, Velazquez proved himself invaluable, coming in with two on and no out in the fifth. He allowed one inherited runner to score, but shut down the Jays for the rest of that inning while stranding a runner after starting an inning-ending double play. He also tossed a scoreless sixth inning and picked up the win, improving to 5-0 while watching his ERA drop to 2.10.
ONE DOWN
Rafael Devers: On the plus side, Devers didn’t commit an error in the field. But he also went 0-for-4 with a strikeout at the plate and stranded a baserunner.
QUOTE OF NOTE
“That was amazing what they did. There are certain days where there’s nothing you can do. You want to match up, but you have to trust your guys. We did today and we won.” – Cora, on winning with a depleted bullpen.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
The Red Sox improved to 12-1 in series finales, and have won their last six in a row. Beginning Monday, 19 of their next 26 games are at Fenway. The Sox have homered in 12 of their last 13 games. Opposing righty starters are now 1-17 against Boston this season. Boston was 5-for-6 in stolen-base attempts
UP NEXT
After a long, 10-game, 11-day, three-city road trip, the Red Sox are back in town for a homestand, hosting the Oakland A’s Monday in the first of three. RHP Rick Porcello (5-0, 2.79) faces LHP Sean Manaea (4-4, 2.11). Last month, of course, Manaea no-hit the Red Sox in Oakland, becoming the first opposing starter to do so in 25 years.
* The Athletic
At quarter-season mark, Red Sox are riding high atop MLB
Jen McCaffrey
TORONTO – The Red Sox have reached the quarter mark of the season. After 40 games, Boston sits tied with New York atop the American League East and shares the best record in baseball (28-12) with the Yankees.
Entering the season, a divisional dogfight between the two teams seemed likely and now it’s playing out in real time.
A torrid 17-2 start through the first three weeks under first-year manager Alex Cora provided a good storyline for the Red Sox, but wasn’t going to be sustainable. Boston came back to earth over the last three weeks with an 11-10 stretch.
Nevertheless, the Red Sox have been tied or in sole possession of first place in the division for all but one day since March 31.
The small sample sizes of the first few weeks are not so small anymore.
During the first week of the season, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told The Athletic he usually waits until the quarter-mark of the season to make evaluations on what the team may need or how certain players are performing.
“I’ve always tried to let it play out for a while no matter what,” Dombrowski said. “I’ve always had that Sparky Anderson-40-games-into-the-season (mindset). But that doesn’t mean you’re not always looking. If somebody is not performing well it doesn’t mean you’re not paying attention to it. I think the one thing you’re very always hopeful for is health. You just hope that your health ends up where you’re not coming back where you get something catastrophic for you at this time of the year.”
So with the season well underway, here are some things we’ve learned about the 2018 Red Sox:
This is the lineup they hoped for
The Red Sox waited until late February before finally reaching a deal with free agent slugger J.D. Martinez. The wait paid off. Martinez has already collected 51 hits and 10 homers in the first 40 games. Manny Ramirez was the last Red Sox player to accomplish such a feat back in 2001. Dombrowski reiterated all offseason the desire to add a power bat and Martinez has undoubtedly strengthened the lineup.
Meanwhile, Mookie Betts’ renewed approach at the plate has him near the top of several offensive categories in the league, including runs, (42), homers (13), average (.360) and OPS (1.212). He’s been one of the most productive hitters in baseball this season and has set the tone for the Red Sox at the top of the lineup just as Cora envisioned in the offseason.
The Betts-Martinez duo has helped the offense become one of the best in the majors at or near the top of the league in doubles (97), homers (54), average (.267) and OPS (.783).
Last year through 40 games, the Red Sox averaged a similar .266 clip, but had fewer homers (35) and often were lacking the clutch hit. Of the first 28 wins this year, 14 have been of the come-from-behind variety.
Along those same lines, in 2017 Boston was 22-18 in one-run games, but this year they’re already 11-4 in games decided by one run.
The Red Sox lineup has already registered five games with 10 runs or more, something the club did twice through 40 games last season.
Perhaps the most telling statistic of the lineup’s power potential is the six grand slams they have hit after not hitting one all of last year. The team record of 11 set from 2005 appears well within reach.
Though neither Christian Vazquez or Sandy Leon has produced much at the catcher position, there’s some leeway given the production of the rest of the lineup. The same can be said for Jackie Bradley Jr. Though Bradley has struggled mightily through the first six weeks, his defense continues to be important to the team. Cora has stuck with Bradley as the center fielder tries to work out of his slump, but has acknowledged the need to get Bradley going.
There has also been a team-wide issue with running into outs on the bases. The aggressive approach has cost the Sox on multiple occasions. They lead the majors running into 20 outs so far.
Rotation needs to be better
Collectively, the rotation has been a mixed bag.
The starters rank seventh in the majors with a 3.55 ERA, but that won’t be good enough as the season rolls on.
Chris Sale and Rick Porcello have anchored the staff in the early going. Sale hasn’t been quite as overpowering as his debut season with the Red Sox last year, but a 2.17 ERA and 78 strikeouts through nine starts ranks him among the top five starters in the American League.
Porcello’s hard work this spring has paid dividends as he’s posted a 2.79 ERA and a 5-0 record in eight starts. After allowing a league-worst 38 homers last year, Porcello’s 0.35 homers per nine innings is fifth- best in the majors this year.
But David Price, Eduardo Rodriguez and Drew Pomeranz have been inconsistent at best. Coming off a dominant postseason in the bullpen, the bar was set high for Price this year and he has yet to reach it. Price’s first two outings were lights out, but the past month has seen more downs than ups. He pitched one inning against New York after experiencing hand numbness in his hand in early April and then missed a start in New York last week after being diagnosed with a mild form of carpal tunnel syndrome. Price returned to the mound this weekend and was largely effective despite just 5 1/3 innings, but the Red Sox need more for him.
Pomeranz missed much of spring training with a forearm flexor strain and still appears to be figuring things out. To his credit, he’s kept the Red Sox in games, limiting opponents to three runs or fewer in four of his five starts.
Rodriguez has been on par with past seasons throwing a handful of great starts mixed in amidst mediocrity.
The Sox need Price, Rodriguez and Pomeranz to keep up with Sale and Porcello so that they can keep pace with the Yankees.
The bullpen needs help, particularly in the eighth inning
Perhaps the biggest hole for Boston through the first quarter of the season is the lack of a true eighth-inning setup man in front of closer Craig Kimbrel. Several relievers have filtered through the role, namely Joe Kelly, Carson Smith and Matt Barnes, but another arm would help. Tyler Thornburg is nearing a return from surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, yet it remains to be seen how effective he will be, having not pitched competitively since 2016.
Steven Wright is expected to return from his suspension for violating the domestic abuse policy, but his innings will mainly come in long relief or middle innings.
Hector Velazquez has been the bullpen’s most valuable piece with a 5-0 record and a 2.10 ERA while Kelly has done yeoman’s work with a 2.33 ERA in 18 appearances. Kelly, Barnes and Kimbrel are tied with the most appearances out of the pen at 18 while Smith is at 17 so it’s clear which arms Cora is relying upon. He just has to be careful not to wear them out too early.
Cora has done well so far
Through the first six weeks of his tenure as manager, it’s hard to complain about much Cora has done considering his team has the best record in baseball.
He’s stuck with his plan to rest regulars with an eye toward the long season and he’s been candid about most of his decisions, good and bad.
The one strange situation, which isn’t entirely his fault, is the lack of play for Blake Swihart. Cora hasn’t had much of an answer for how to mix in the catcher/outfielder/man without a position. The comfort Christian Vazquez and Sandy Leon provide the pitching staff has been Cora’s main factor in not playing Swihart. But in the midst of 52 games in 55 days, it seems as though there would be a handful of games Swihart could catch. It’s been an odd situation and one that has to come to head at some point.
* The Toronto Star
The losses keep coming for Biagini the starter as Jays fall to Red Sox
Rosie DiManno
The numbers, even to an analytics heretic, strongly suggest what Joe Biagini ought to be in his baseball life.
Joe the bullpen guy: 5-4 with an ERA of 3.44 in 99 1/3 inches pitched.
Joe the starter: 3-14 with an ERA of 5.97 in 98 innings pitched.
Those were his major-league stats before he took the mound and took another loss, 5-3 against Boston on Sunday, as the Blue Jays dropped their fourth consecutive series and more space opened up between Toronto and the American League leaders.
The brain trust is clearly of two minds when it comes to the existential question: Is Biagini a starter or a reliever?
So back and forth he goes, up and down he goes, in a transition now into its second year.
Recall the halcyon days of 2016 when Biagini was such a strong option and workhorse coming out of the bullpen for manager John Gibbons. Then someone got it into their head that the useful Rule 5 acquisition would look good in the starting rotation.
At this point, one might wonder if Biagini will be given even one more start to convince, with the rotation still in injury flux and, well, rather crummy.
At this point, one might wonder if Biagini would be a better fit restored to the ’pen rather than Buffalo for further adjustment to the starter role, which appears evermore quixotic.
Meanwhile, as Biagini struggled through a fitful third inning yesterday, call-up Deck McGuire was up and loosening in the bullpen. The right-hander was up and throwing again later in the game, though he was never summoned to the mound.
Is McGuire — the first draft pick of former GM Alex Anthopoulos, first round 2010, who was subsequently traded and took a meandering road to the majors — a short-term addition to the relief cadre or competing with Biagini for that job?
Don’t ask the skipper for clarification, or if they Jays are committed to giving Biagini another start to make his bones.
“Don’t worry about that now, will ya?” was Gibbons’ response to the latter query.
Though he sounded quite firm about the former. “No, we brought Deck up because we’re banged up down in that bullpen. They’ve been used a lot. If something happens, we need some guys, starter type, that can throw some length. Having said that, Deck’s been throwing very well down there in Triple-A and he’ll get his shot. I don’t know what’s going to happen but nobody’s competing against each other like that. No.”
And of course there’s bullpen mate Sam Gaviglio, who was promoted from Buffalo last week and earned the win in his Blue Jays debut against Boston on Friday. Might he be a stopgap starter until Marcus Stroman returns from his 10-day rehab for shoulder fatigue?
“That’s just another way of asking … (the same) question,” Gibbons snorted. “What do you think, I’m stupid? Probably. But I’m not dumb.”
Frankly, an overtaxed relief corps isn’t the crucial problem. It’s been the wonky starters.
So, we’re back to the beginning and Biagini’s X factor on this roster. Gibbons claimed to mostly have liked what he saw from the leaner righty on Sunday. “I thought he had some good stuff today. He battled, you know. But we’re having to play catch up definitely too much. And that makes it tough on a team.”
Toronto plunged into a 2-0 hole in the first inning on a single and a J.D. Martinez home run, then slipped back 3-0 in the third frame on a Jackie Bradley Jr. walk, a Mookie Betts single and steal, a Martinez walk, a Mitch Moreland walk — boos raining down from the Rogers Centre crowd on Mother’s Day with that run walked in, bases loaded — all before Biagini induced a double-play ball from Xander Bogaerts. Biagini threw 41 pitches in that inning, which is absurd, even though he held the Red Sox to just one run amidst the mess. In the fifth, it was Biagini’s runner – again, Betts, who really might be the best player in baseball right now – who singled and stole another base en route to making it 4-0 for the visitors, with John Axford taking over on the bump and Martinez stroking a single to left.
The Jays closed the gap to 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth, on singles from Teoscar Hernandez and Josh Donaldson and a smashing double off the bat of Justin Smoak. Russell Martin’s single off Hector Velazquez, in relief of starter Drew Pomeranz, brought home Smoak with the third run but that rally was snuffed by Kendrys Morales hitting into a double-play. Of course.
Afterward, an enquiring mind wondered aloud if Biagini has perhaps been ill-served by the Jays’ executive think tank Hamlet-ing over how the big lug can be best utilized.
“Um, I don’t think so,” Biagini responded. “Any chance to play at this level is really good, whether it’s bullpen or starter or both. A lot of guys have done that and made good careers out of it. There’s a lot of things that I learned from last year, going back and forth. There were things that got exposed from transitioning in the middle of the year. Not only changing roles but using the windup and putting that back into the equation.”
Still, Biagini has now lost seven consecutive decisions, dating back to last season.
“They have been nothing but fair to me,” he insisted. “I can’t say that some of the things that I wasn’t doing well was a result of changing my roles. It was honestly a good challenge and a good opportunity for me to learn a lot. The timing of it all coming together takes more or less time for different people. I feel nothing but gratitude for the opportunity to do it.”
Adding, sotte voce in the scrum: “I’d appreciate it if you never asked that question again.”
Uh, that would be a no.
To be fair, Biagini didn’t get much support from Toronto’s sputtering offence. Until the point where Jays batters put together four hits in the fifth, they’d struck out 36 times in the weekend series with the Red Sox. On a brighter note, Donaldson struck for his 100th double as a Blue Jay in his first at-bat. And Martin went 3-for-4 with a double, his three hits matching a season high.
The Jays were a disappointing 2-4 on the homestand, with a day off before a two-set against the Mets in New York.
Perhaps the start/relief quandary will be clearer by then. You think?
For his part, McGuire, primarily a starter in his career, is just appreciative of the chance to make an impression maybe. “I think of it as a second chance. You don’t get a lot of them in this game.”
To make room for McGuire on the 40-man roster, right-hander Carlos Ramirez was designated for assignment while infielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was optioned to Buffalo.
We miss his hair already.
* Associated Press
Sox end trip on up note
TORONTO (AP) -- J.D. Martinez and the Boston Red Sox wrapped up their longest road trip of the season so far the same way they've finished off almost every series: with a win.
Martinez homered and had three RBIs, Mookie Betts had two hits and made a sensational diving catch, and the Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-3, on Sunday.
Boston is 12-1 in series finales this season, winning its past six. The Red Sox went 6-4 on a trip to Texas and AL East rivals New York and Toronto.
"Overall, I think we had a really good road trip," Martinez said.
Boston also assured it will keep at least a share of the best record in the majors with the Yankees.
"To come out of a road trip like that is definitely something to be proud of," said reliever Joe Kelly, who needed four pitches to record his second save in three opportunities.
Boston, which has already had two three-city trips, plays 13 of its next 16 and 19 of its next 26 at Fenway Park.
"It's nice to go home, play in front of our own fans and sleep in our own beds," Martinez said.
Martinez's 10th homer was a two-run shot in the first inning off right-hander Joe Biagini (0-2). John Axford came on to face Martinez in the fifth, and Martinez greeted him with an RBI single, scoring Betts.
Betts, who had two singles and two stolen bases, ended the fourth by sliding into foul territory down the right-field line to catch Richard Urena's sinking liner.
"He's becoming a force, not only the field but in the clubhouse, in the dugout," manager Alex Cora said. "He's becoming a leader. It's fun to watch. On a daily basis you're expecting something great and he'll do it."
Russell Martin had three hits for the Blue Jays, who lost for the eighth time in 11 home games. Toronto is 11-11 at Rogers Centre.
The Blue Jays chased left-hander Drew Pomeranz during a three-run fifth. Justin Smoak hit a two-run double and Yangervis Solarte walked before Hector Velazquez replaced Pomeranz. One out later, Martin added an RBI single to get Toronto within 4-3.
Pomeranz allowed three runs and five hits in four-plus innings, failing to complete six innings for the first time in three starts.
"Nothing felt good coming out of my hand," Pomeranz said.
Velazquez (5-0) worked two scoreless innings. Barnes and Heath Hembree each pitched one inning, and Kelly finished.
"They did an outstanding job," said Cora, who was without closer Craig Kimbrel and setup man Carson Smith, both of whom needed a day off.
Solarte singled off Matt Barnes in the seventh and tried to score from first on Martin's two-out double, but was thrown out at home plate to end the inning. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts fielded the throw from left fielder Andrew Benintendi and fired it to catcher Christian Vazquez, who tagged Solarte to preserve Boston's narrow lead.
"Pretty solid," Cora said. "Under control. Nobody panicked."
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said he had no problem with third base coach Luis Rivera's decision to send Solarte.
"When the team's struggling, you try to score some runs," Gibbons said. "Those kind of things happen."
Making his third start of the season and pitching in place of the injured Marcus Stroman, Biagini allowed four runs and four hits in 4 2/3 innings.
RUNNING WILD
Boston's Brock Holt was thrown out trying to steal third in the ninth, the second Red Sox player in as many days to be caught stealing at third. Cora said it's something he'll talk to the team about.
"We need to address that," Cora said. "If we're going to go, we'd better be safe. When we make decisions like that, it can't be a gamble. We have to be 100 percent sure we make it."
LEISURELY DAY
At 3 hours, 42 minutes, this was Toronto's longest nine-inning game of the season by 15 minutes.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Blue Jays: Toronto selected RHP Deck McGuire from Triple-A Buffalo and optioned INF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to Triple-A. Minor league RHP Carlos Ramirez was designated for assignment to make room for McGuire on the 40-man roster. ... Following the game, the Blue Jays optioned OF Anthony Alford to Triple-A. A corresponding move will be made before Toronto's next game, Tuesday at New York against the Mets.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: Boston returns home Monday to begin a three-game series against Oakland. RHP Rick Porcello (5-0, 2.79) starts for the Red Sox. LHP Sean Manaea (4-4, 2.11) starts for the Athletics. Manaea threw a no-hitter against Boston on April 21.
Blue Jays: Toronto is off Monday before beginning a two-game road series against the Mets on Tuesday night. LHP Jaime Garcia (2-2, 5.40) starts for the Blue Jays against RHP Noah Syndergaard (2-1, 3.09).