The Red Sox Monday, May 31, 2021

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After rainout Sunday, taking stock of Red Sox heading into crucial 17-day stretch

Julian McWilliams

Sunday’s Red Sox- contest at was postponed and rescheduled for Monday, June 7. This means the Red Sox will have to relinquish an off day and instead stare down a schedule that includes 17 straight games in as many days.

If you consider the opponents, this might be the Red Sox’ biggest test of the season. In that 17-day span, the Sox will face the Astros in a four-game series beginning Monday at , then the Yankees for a three-game series at New York. Boston will travel back to play the Marlins at Fenway, followed by the Astros at home for three, four home games vs. the Blue Jays, and finally, a pair against the Braves at Atlanta.

The Sox (32-20) currently stand a game back of the red-hot in the East. They have taken on the underdog approach this year, oftentimes noting that no one believed in them but themselves. However true that might be — which in some cases is a bit exaggerated — the team has, indeed, thrived so far this season. Despite the daunting schedule ahead, the Sox are in a good position heading into it. Here’s how they got here.

Starting pitching

Nick Pivetta wasn’t getting much of a chance to start with the Phillies last season. has always been known for his stuff but never quite recaptured it post-Tommy John surgery. So, when Pivetta was traded to the Red Sox last summer, and Richards signed as a free agent this offseason, each was expected to be a huge part of what the Red Sox did.

So far, they have lived up to that. In 54 , Richards has a 3.83 ERA. Even though Richards has power stuff, he’s never been a huge guy. He’s compiled just 7.9 per nine innings for his career and 7.8 this season. Nonetheless, Richards is figuring out ways to be successful for the Red Sox, thanks to a delivery that he’s able to repeat.

“We came up with something that would be simple for me to be able to repeat,” Richards said earlier this season. “And importantly, it gives me a chance to gather over the rubber, instead of just kind of rolling through it like I was. So just making an emphasis of getting a good gather over the rubber has really helped me.”

Keep in mind Richards’s ranked at the top of the league in spin. Richards has had success with that pitch whenever he employs it, with batters hitting just .143 against it this year.

As for Pivetta, he’s found his way by pounding the strike zone and learned how to pitch up in the zone, which has played a part in his 3.86 ERA in 53⅔ innings plus 59 strikeouts. Pivetta is 6-0 this season and has gone 8-0 in his last 12 starts dating back to last season.

He’s also successful at making adjustments when hitters are on to him. For example, in his last start, the Braves were aggressive on his , tagging him for two runs in the first. But after that Pivetta implemented more of his offspeed/breaking stuff in order to keep the Braves off balance.

Martín Pérez has been a key piece of the Red Sox rotation, too — if not the most important piece. He’s compiled a 3.55 ERA in 50⅔ innings in addition to 48 strikeouts.

The Red Sox still need more from Eduardo Rodriguez (5.06 ERA). Nate Eovaldi’s 4.01 ERA is consistent with what he’s been for his career. A key for Eovaldi is that he’s been healthy. As Rodriguez looks to get on track, however, the trio of Pivetta, Richards, and Pérez have been crucial to this team’s success.

Bullpen

The Red Sox are hoping to get back soon, and that should give them more depth at the back end of the bullpen. has been lights out in the closer’s spot, striking out 15.4 batters per nine innings, registering a league-leading 12 saves to go along with a 2.63 ERA. Barnes has gotten some help from , as well as as of late. Taylor has nine straight appearances under his belt (9 innings) without allowing a run. Ottavino, meanwhile, has given up just one run in his last 11⅓ innings. He has a 2.95 ERA on the year.

Offense

The Sox remain one of the best offenses in . Entering Sunday, they had a .768 OPS to lead the league. J.D. Martinez (second), (fourth), and (fifth) were all in the top five in the AL in OPS, all above .950. The Yankees’ Aaron Judge and Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. were the others in the top five. Devers led the majors in extra-base hits with 31 and was tied with Nolan Arenado of the Cardinals for the lead in doubles (17)

Martinez led the AL in hits (62) and multi-hit games (20).

“That’s why we signed him in ’18,” Cora said Sunday of Martinez. “To be that guy in the middle of the lineup to help everybody else. Drive in runs, get on base and right now he’s driving in runs and he’s scoring a lot of runs. He’s been amazing since Day 1.”

While those three players, plus , have carried the offense for much of the season, the Red Sox have gotten some production from . After hitting .167 with a .485 OPS in April, Renfroe has hit .307 with an .879 OPS in May, including 12 extra-base hits and 14 RBIs in 23 games.

“He’s doing a good job putting the ball and play going the other way, hitting with two strikes, staying on breaking balls.” Cora said. “He did that in . Obviously wasn’t a good start for him. But he’s a good player.”

What to watch

Verdugo is still nursing a hamstring injury. During this 17-game stretch in 17 days, it will be interesting to see how he responds to it and how the team uses him.

Christian Arroyo gives the team a boost in the infield, but in his last 39 plate appearances, he’s hit just .147

Kiké Hernández, while a solid outfielder, is probably not a leadoff hitter for this club. His on-base percentage dropped below .300 again (.299) and he’s hitting just .245 for the season.

Top Red Sox prospects , Tristan Casas named to Olympic qualifying team

Julian McWilliams

Top Red Sox prospects Triston Casas and Jarren Duran were officially named to the USA Baseball Olympic qualifying roster Sunday.

The 26-man roster has 14 and 12 position players.

The United States will start the Baseball Americas Qualifier on Monday against Nicaragua at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The US will play the Dominican Republic on Tuesday and on Wednesday.

Following group play, the top two finishers from each group will play two games in the Super Round, and the team with the best record (including group play) will be the winner and join Israel, Japan, Korea, and Mexico in the Olympics.

The second- and third-place teams will have a final shot at qualifying for the Olympics at a last-chance tournament in Mexico in late June.

Duran started the season in Triple-A Worcester. In 82 plate appearances, the outfielder is hitting .278/.366/.625 with seven homers. Duran, who is likely to make his MLB debut this season, said he’s elated to be a part of the USA squad.

“Having USA across my chest, I don’t know if anything ever compares to that,” Duran said in a text message Sunday afternoon. “I feel honored to represent this great country, and having the Red Sox back me up on that means a lot. I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity and I will forever be grateful to the Red Sox for letting me have this opportunity.”

Casas, a first baseman, began the season in Double-A Portland. In 75 plate appearances, the first baseman is hitting .328/.400/.552 with four homers.

Duran and Casas have been with Team USA teammates at a training camp

Darren Fenster, the Red Sox’ minor league outfield and baserunning coach, will serve as Team USA’s third base coach. Former MLB Mike Scioscia is the manager.

Several players named to the roster are major league veterans who are not on an MLB roster, including Matt Kemp, Todd Frazier, and pitchers Edwin Jackson and David Robertson.

Looking ahead to Houston

The Red Sox are set for a four-game series against the beginning Monday. The Sox starters for that series will be Eduardo Rodriguez, Garrett Richards, , and Martín Pérez.

Rodriguez enters with a 5.06 ERA through his first nine starts of the year, the highest mark of any Sox starter. Despite the numbers, manager believes the lefthander is turning the corner, pointing to the third and fourth innings in Rodriguez’s last start vs. the Phillies.

“He looked really good,” Cora said. “Rhythm was better. More locked in. His mechanics, the pitches, they had better action. I’m looking forward to him continuing to build off of that.”

When Rodriguez had his breakout season in 2019, his ERA after his ninth start was close to what it is now at 4.89. His ERA spiked to 5.43 in his next start and then dropped to 5.04 in his 11th start. Based on his slow start in 2019 — a year in which he tossed 203⅓ innings and tallied a 3.89 ERA — the Red Sox, and perhaps their fans, should be confident their ace has some of his best starts ahead of him.

Rodriguez’s fastball velocity (92.7 miles per hour) is a tick down from his 2019 average (93.1). Oftentimes, Rodriguez will have his velocity in the beginning only to see it decrease over the course of his outing. Yet Cora has dismissed that on a few occasions believing that Rodriguez’s cutter — against which opponents are hitting .429 this year — has been his problem this year.

“It’s playing more like a bad since Texas,” Cora said. “Hopefully that pitch plays better.”

Despite losing to the and to Tommy John surgery, the Astros (28-24) still remain a threat. They are second in the behind the Oakland A’s. Their offense is still prolific, carrying a .754 OPS (third in the majors) and the best batting average (.264) in baseball. The Red Sox will miss Zack Greinke, who has a 3.67 ERA in 12 starts this year. The Astros sit in the middle of the pack in ERA (3.91), ranked 15th as of Sunday (the Sox ranked 12th).

This series will have another headline to it. It’s the first time Cora, who was a part of the Astros’ sign- stealing scandal in 2017 as the team’s bench coach, will make a trip back to Houston since he and the Red Sox parted ways after 2019.

Taylor in a groove

Lefthanded reliever Josh Taylor has been impressive of late, tallying nine straight scoreless appearances totaling nine innings of work dating back to the end of last month. This comes after Taylor yielded a whopping nine runs in 9⅓ innings to start the year.

“I just just try to take it a pitch at a time, Taylor said. “The beginning of the season kind of started off a little rough. You just got to try and take the good from it and not focus too much on the bad and just try and go out there and win every pitch.”

Taylor played a significant part in the Sox’ bullpen in 2019, registering a 3.04 ERA in 47⅓ innings, striking out 62 batters. Yet in 2020, Taylor was met with some ups and downs. He contracted COVID-19 ahead of summer camp, and then never found his rhythm, compiling a 9.82 ERA in just seven innings. He eventually landed on the at the end of the season.

* The

Sunday’s Red Sox-Marlins game postponed due to rain, rescheduled for June 7

Steve Hewitt

The Red Sox’ series finale against the Marlins scheduled for Sunday at Fenway Park was postponed due to sustained rain forecasted all afternoon in Boston, as a wet Memorial Day weekend in the city continued.

The game was rescheduled for June 7 at 5:10 p.m., when the Red Sox return from this week’s road trip. Tickets for Sunday’s game will be good for admission to the rescheduled game.

It’s been a slog for the Red Sox to try to play home games over the last week. On Wednesday, they endured a nearly three-hour rain delay in their win over the Braves. On Friday, they beat the Marlins in a rain- shortened game that was called on six innings. The rain continued into Saturday, when first pitch was delayed before the Red Sox won in Fenway Park’s return to full capacity.

The Red Sox now hit the road for a big seven-game trip, starting with a four-game series in Houston against the Astros before they head to New York next weekend to face the Yankees for the first time this season. Eduardo Rodriguez will start Monday in Houston, followed by Garrett Richards, Nick Pivetta and Martín Pérez.

Red Sox Notebook: Eduardo Rodriguez looks to stop recent struggles, Alex Cora cherishes ‘perfect day’

Steve Hewitt

When Eduardo Rodriguez tossed seven strong innings to lead the Red Sox over the Mariners on April 25, manager Alex Cora had no problem declaring how he felt about his left-hander.

“That’s what aces do,” Cora said.

It was tough to dispute then, but that feels like a long time ago now.

Rodriguez’s return this season after missing 2020 with myocarditis was never expected to go smoothly. It’s predictably been a roller coaster, which began with a dominant spring, then a dead arm that forced him to miss his start, a sizzling first four starts, and now, a streak of struggles.

In five starts since April 25, Rodriguez is going through one of the toughest stretches of his career, with a 6.48 ERA and one win in that span. He’s lost three consecutive starts for the first time in his career, and though he’s received little run support, the lefty has certainly seen better days. He lasted just four innings last Sunday in Philadelphia — which broke a streak of 36 starts in a row of at least five innings — and his ERA this season is now 5.06, by far the worst in the Red Sox’ starting rotation.

What’s been Rodriguez’s problem? Though his fastball velocity is slower than it was in 2019, opponents are hitting worse against that pitch than they were two years ago. The root of the issue seems to be with his cutter, which is getting crushed (.429) and Cora believes has looked like a “bad slider” since his start in Texas on May 1.

Sunday’s postponement allowed Rodriguez another day of work, but he’ll face a more imposing lineup in the Astros on Monday in Houston that’ll surely make him pay for his mistakes. But Cora hasn’t lost confidence in his ace, who he thinks isn’t far off from turning a corner. The manager saw some signs at the end of his start against the Phillies and is hopeful he can carry that momentum into Monday’s start.

“The rhythm was better,” Cora said of Rodriguez’s third and fourth innings in Philly. “More locked-in on his mechanics. The pitches, they had better action. Looking forward to him just keep building off of that. He made some adjustments throughout the game. It paid off. … What I saw that day for those two innings, I’m looking forward to this one because I do believe he’s that close.”

‘Perfect day’

Saturday was a memorable day for Cora, who left Boston to go home to Puerto Rico so he could attend his daughter Camila’s high school graduation ceremony.

“It was a perfect day,” Cora said. “We had a blast as a family. It was amazing. For the organization to let me go home, it was perfect. It was perfect.”

Bench coach took over to guide the Red Sox to a 3-1 win over the Marlins. Cora said he didn’t watch much of the game, but tuned in late and was impressed with how Venable managed the bullpen to close out the victory.

Taylor turns a corner

After a shaky start to the season in which he posted a 8.68 ERA in April, reliever Josh Taylor has been dominant. Saturday’s shutout marked his 12th consecutive appearance without allowing a run, a stretch in which he’s given up five hits, three walks and struck out 12 over nine innings.

Taylor said he hasn’t done much differently. His pitch mix is the same, he’s just locating them better now.

“I’m just executing now,” Taylor said. “I’m not throwing the one pitch way out of the zone that isn’t competitive, it doesn’t get a chance to get a swing. I’m just fine-tuning my pitches and making every one count.” …

Before Sunday’s postponement, J.D. Martinez was out of the lineup after he fouled a pitch off his foot on Saturday. Cora said he just wanted to give Martinez the day to get treatment, so it didn’t seem serious. …

Sunday’s game was rescheduled for June 7 with a 5:10 p.m. first pitch.

* MassLive.com

Boston Red Sox game postponed Sunday: Eduardo Rodriguez to pitch Monday in Houston vs. Astros

Christopher Smith

The and Miami Marlins’ series finale Sunday at Fenway Park has been postponed because of rain.

The game has been rescheduled for Monday, June 7, at 5:10 p.m. Tickets for Sunday’s game will be good for the makeup date.

Eduardo Rodriguez, who was scheduled to start for Boston on Sunday, will pitch Monday in Houston. The Red Sox will play four games against the Astros starting Monday.

Righty Garrett Richards will start Tuesday, righty Nick Pivetta will start Wednesday and lefty Martín Pérez will start Thursday.

It has been a rainy weekend in Boston. Friday’s game was called after six innings because of downpours. The start of Saturday’s game was delayed 15 minutes.

Boston won both Friday and Saturday vs. the Marlins. The Red Sox sit at 32-20 as they head to Houston. They then will play three games in New York against the Yankees on Friday, Saturday and Sunday before returning to Fenway Park.

Boston is in second place in the AL East, a half game behind the Tampa Bay Rays (33-20) and three games ahead of the third-place Yankees (29-23).

A Red Sox press release stated, “The postponement is due to rain in the Fenway area and a forecast that calls for a sustained period of rain throughout the remainder of the day.”

According to the National Weather Service, today’s forecast in the Fenway Park area is as follows: “Rain. Patchy fog. High near 51. Northeast wind around 16 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.”

Boston Red Sox rain delay: Sunday’s game vs. Marlins at Fenway Park delayed, no start time has been announced

Christopher Smith

Update: The Boston Red Sox and Miami Marlins’ series finale Sunday has been postponed. No makeup date has been scheduled yet.

The Marlins do not return to Boston for another series this year. So the two teams will need to find a shared off day.

Eduardo Rodriguez, who was scheduled to start for Boston on Sunday, will pitch Monday in Houston. The Red Sox will play four games against the Astros.

Garrett Richards will start Tuesday, Nick Pivetta on Wednesday and Martín Pérez on Thursday.

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The Boston Red Sox and Miami Marlins series finale Sunday at Fenway Park has been delayed because of rain.

The game was scheduled to start at 1:10 p.m. A new start time has not been announced yet.

“It’s going to be another grind,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Sunday morning. “They tell us at what time and when, and we go and play. So we’ll see how it goes.”

According to the National Weather Service, today’s forecast in the Fenway Park area is as follows: “Rain. Patchy fog. High near 51. Northeast wind around 16 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.”

The precipitation potential percentage is 92% at 1 p.m., 93% at 2 p.m., 93% at 3 p.m., 93% at 4 p.m., 90% at 5 p.m., 89% at 6 p.m., 92% at 7 p.m. 94% at 8 p.m. and 95% at 9 p.m., per the National Weather Service.

Friday’s game between these two teams was shortened due to rain. The Red Sox won 5-2 in six innings. Saturday’s game was delayed by 15 minutes because of rain.

The Red Sox won both Friday and Saturday. They will try for the sweep Sunday weather permitting. J.D. Martinez will receive an off day after fouling a ball off his left foot Saturday. Alex Verdugo will serve as the DH. is in center field.

Boston flies to Houston tonight to play a four-game series against the Astros on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The team then will head to New York to play the Yankees on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Boston Red Sox weather: ‘It’s going to be another grind’ at Fenway Park on Sunday with rain in forecast

Christopher Smith

Update: The game will not start on time because of rain. Not start time has been announced.

It will be another rainy day at Fenway Park on Sunday.

The Miami Marlins and Boston Red Sox are scheduled to play their series finale at 1:10 p.m., weather permitting.

Friday’s game between these two teams was shortened due to rain. The Red Sox won 5-2 in six innings. Saturday’s game was delayed by 15 minutes because of rain.

“It’s going to be another grind,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Sunday morning. “They tell us at what time and when, and we go and play. So we’ll see how it goes.”

According to the National Weather Service, today’s forecast in the Fenway Park area is as follows: “Rain. Patchy fog. High near 51. Northeast wind around 16 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.”

The precipitation potential percentage is 92% at 1 p.m., 93% at 2 p.m., 93% at 3 p.m., 93% at 4 p.m., 90% at 5 p.m., 89% at 6 p.m., 92% at 7 p.m. 94% at 8 p.m. and 95% at 9 p.m., per the National Weather Service.

The Red Sox will fly to Houston after Sunday’s game to play a four-game series against the Astros on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Boston then will head to New York to play the Yankees on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

J.D. Martinez is not in the Red Sox’s lineup Sunday after fouling ball off his left foot Saturday. Alex Verdugo will serve as the DH. Danny Santana will play center field.

The Red Sox will face Miami righty Sandy Alcantara (2-4, 3.46 ERA). Lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (5-3, 5.06 ERA) will start for Boston.

Rodriguez went 5-0 with a 3.82 ERA in his first six starts this season. Since then, he’s 0-3 with a 7.80 ERA in three starts.

Boston Red Sox lineup: J.D. Martinez will have day off after fouling ball off foot; Alex Verdugo at DH, Danny Santana in center field

Christopher Smith

BOSTON — DH J.D. Martinez is not in the Boston Red Sox’s lineup Sunday against the Miami Marlins after he fouled a ball off his left foot Saturday, manager Alex Cora said.

A day off for Martinez also gives Verdugo a day off his feet in the outfield as Verdugo will serve as the DH.

“So deciding to take care of Alex as the DH, give J.D. a day to feel better, get some treatment and hopefully, we can stay away from him and get the other guys involved, ” Cora said. “I think it’s the smart play today.”

Danny Santana will play center field. Kiké Hernández is starting at second base.

The Red Sox will face righty Sandy Alcantara (2-4, 3.46 ERA).

Lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (5-3, 5.06 ERA) will start for Boston.

Rodriguez went 5-0 with a 3.82 ERA in his first six starts this season. Since then, he’s 0-3 with a 7.80 ERA in three starts.

Cora said Rodriguez pitched well in the third and fourth innings against Philadelphia in his last start.

“He looked really good. His rhythm was better,” Cora said. “More locked into his mechanics. The pitches had a better action. And looking forward to him to keep building off of that. He made some adjustments throughout the game. And I think it paid off. So I know we talk about velocity. We talk about location. I think his cutter is not where it usually is. It’s playing more like a bad slider since Texas. And hopefully that pitch plays better. But what I saw that day, those two innings, I’m looking forward to this one because I do believe he’s that close.”

Boston Red Sox lineup:

1. Kiké Hernández 2B

2. Alex Verdugo DH

3 Xander Bogaerts SS

4. Rafael Devers 3B

5. Danny Santana CF

6. Hunter Renfroe RF

7. Christian Vázquez C

8. Marwin Gonzalez LF

9. 1B

Pitching matchup: Red Sox LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (5-3, 5.06 ERA) vs. Marlins RHP Sandy Alcantara (2- 4, 3.46 ERA)

Boston Red Sox vs. Houston Astros preview: TV schedule, pitching probables, key stories (May 31- June 3)

Chris Cotillo

The Red Sox left rain-soaked Boston for Houston after Sunday’s game was postponed and arrived in Houston, where they will face the Astros for the first time this season. The trip to represents the first time Sox manager Alex Cora will return to face the Astros since being implicated as a key player in Houston’s electronic sign-stealing scandal.

Here’s a preview of the four-game series between the rivals:

Boston Red Sox (32-20) vs. Houston Astros (28-24) · Minute Maid Park · Houston, TX SERIES SCHEDULE (and TV information):

Mon. May 31, 4:10 p.m. ET -- NESN / ESPN

Tue. June 1, 8:10 p.m. ET -- NESN

Wed. June 2, 8:10 p.m. ET -- NESN / ESPN

Thu. June 3, 2:10 p.m. ET -- NESN

HOW TO WATCH:

Mon. May 31, 4:10 p.m. ET -- NESN / ESPN (Channel finder: Comcast Xfinity, Verizon Fios, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish, AT&T U verse, fuboTV and Sling) · Live stream: fuboTV, MLB.tv (out of market), ESPN+

Tue. June 1, 8:10 p.m. ET -- NESN (Channel finder: Comcast Xfinity, Verizon Fios, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish, AT&T U verse, fuboTV and Sling) · Live stream: FOX , fuboTV, MLB.tv (out of market)

Wed. June 2, 8:10 p.m. ET -- NESN / ESPN (Channel finder: Comcast Xfinity, Verizon Fios, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish, AT&T U verse, fuboTV and Sling) · Live stream: fuboTV, MLB.tv (out of market), ESPN+

Thu. June 3, 2:10 p.m. ET -- NESN (Channel finder: Comcast Xfinity, Verizon Fios, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish, AT&T U verse, fuboTV and Sling) · Live stream: fuboTV, MLB.tv (out of market), ESPN+

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT:

The Astros, in their second year under manager , are 1 ½ games back of the Athletics in a competitive American League West and are a half-game behind the Red Sox, who currently occupy one of the two wild card spots. Houston went 29-31 last season but seemed to click in the postseason, taking the Rays to seven games in the ALCS.

Houston lost outfielder George Springer but still committed more than $75 million in free agency, bringing back outfielder Michael Brantley while adding starter Jake Odorizzi, catcher Jason Castro and relievers Pedro Baez and Ryne Stanek. , and Roberto Osuna also left Houston.

Offensively, the Astros -- like the Red Sox -- have one of the best offenses in the major leagues, ranking first in batting average (.264) and third in OPS (.756). On the pitching side, Houston has the 15th-best ERA in the league (3.91) while ranking tied for ninth in opponent average (.224) and 14th in strikeouts (466).

The ‘Stros, of course, are without starter Justin Verlander, who underwent Tommy John surgery last summer, and starter Lance McCullers Jr. is also on the injured list along with Castro and Brantley. Houston is looking to extend its streak of postseason appearances to five; the club has missed the playoffs just once (2016) in the last six seasons.

PITCHING PROBABLES:

Monday, 4:10 p.m. ET -- LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (5-3, 5.06 ERA) vs. RHP José Urquidy (3-2, 3.22 ERA)

Tuesday, 8:10 p.m. ET -- RHP Garrett Richards (4-3, 3.83 ERA) vs. RHP Luis Garcia (3-3, 2.93 ERA)

Wednesday, 8:10 p.m. ET -- RHP Nick Pivetta (6-0, 3.86 ERA) vs. LHP Framber Valdez (0-0, 2.25 ERA)

Thursday, 2:10 p.m. ET -- LHP Martín Pérez (3-2, 3.55 ERA) vs. RHP Jake Odorizzi (0-2, 6.75 ERA)

THREE SOX TO WATCH:

Eduardo Rodriguez

Rodriguez has had a poor May, posting a 6.48 ERA (18 earned runs in 25 innings) while allowing 38 hits. The Red Sox are 1-4 in his five starts this month and the lefty’s ERA for the season is now 5.06. Rodriguez will look to close out the month with a strong outing Monday afternoon.

Adam Ottavino

Ottavino, on the other hand, has been excellent in May, allowing just three earned runs in 12 innings (2.25 ERA). The veteran has struck out 15 hitters over 13 appearances and has not allowed a run since May 9.

Marwin Gonzalez

Gonzalez, who played for the Astros from 2012-2018, started only one of the four games during the homestand but was in the lineup as the left fielder Sunday before the game was postponed. The utility man has had a brutal May, hitting just .211 with a .559 OPS in 21 games.

SERIES NOTES:

The Red Sox have won three straight games, are 7-2 in their last nine, and 15-8 in their last 23.

This is the 20th time the Red Sox have won at least 32 of their first 52 games. They reached the postseason in each of the last 4 instances (2007, 2013, 2016, 2018).

27 of the Red Sox’ 30 games from May 25 to June 27 will be against teams that made the 2020 Postseason (HOU-7, NYY-6, ATL-4, TOR-4, MIA-3, TB-3), including all 21 from May 25 to June 16.

The Sox last faced the Astros in 2019, winning two of six games between the clubs. Houston won two of three at Fenway Park from May 17-19 and then took two of three at Minute Maid Park a week later.

J.D. Martinez has played 399 games as a member of the Red Sox. He reached 300 RBI with the club on Friday and 200 XBH with the club Saturday. He is one of five players with 200+ extra-base hits and 300+ RBI through their first 400 games with the Red Sox.

The Red Sox are the only team in MLB featuring 7 players with 20+ RBI: Rafael Devers (43), J.D. Martinez (39), Xander Bogaerts (31), Christian Vázquez (23), Alex Verdugo (23), Bobby Dalbec (22), and Hunter Renfroe (22).

Boston enters its series with the Astros trailing the Rays by one game in the . Tampa Bay has won 15 of their last 16 games and will start a four-game series in the Bronx on Monday.

UP NEXT:

The Red Sox will fly to New York after Thursday’s series finale before facing the Yankees for the first time this season over the weekend in the Bronx. They’ll then return home for an eight-game homestand starting with the makeup of Sunday’s postponed game against the Marlins.

Fri. June 4 - Sun. June 6 -- @ Yankees (3)

Mon. June 7 -- vs. Marlins (1 -- makeup of 5/30 postponed game)

Tue. June 8 - Thurs. June 10 -- vs. Astros (3)

Fri. June 11 - Mon. June 14 -- vs. Blue Jays (4)

* The Worcester Telegram

WooSox honor veterans during every home game at Polar Park

Joe McDonald

WORCESTER — It was 76 years ago when Perry Sacco was in the midst of the Battle of the Bulge during World War II. He was 22 and served as an Army T-5 Two Stripe Corporal technician.

The lifelong Worcester native, now 98, recently stood on the field at Polar Park.

It was a bright, sunny day May 11, and while more than a few thousands fans were in attendance for the first-ever game, it was Sacco who received the loudest ovation for his service.

“Oh, my God. I was walking on air. It was like walking on water and air,” Sacco said. “It was great. I felt very elated. It was one of my best days of my life.”

As a lifelong Red Sox fan and a Bronze Star recipient, Sacco said it was such a great day because he never expected anything like that. Of all the “famous” people from Worcester and the surrounding areas, Sacco felt others could have deserved it more than him.

“It was a pleasant surprise,” he said. “One of the best surprises of my life. Words can’t express how I feel. It’s almost unbelievable.”

Sacco was honored as part of the WooSox’ “In Debt to a Vet” program, which recognizes military men and women every home game at Polar Park. During the team’s inaugural 12-game homestand, 12 veterans were honored including six from World War II.

Along with Sacco, Helge Nordstrom, Joseph Joel, Phil Christensen, Duilio Turilli and Al Dicamillo all served in World War II and were recognized and received thunderous applause.

“It was the thrill of a lifetime,” said Nordstrom, 96, an Army staff sergeant, who served in the Pacific Theatre. “I really enjoyed it and I’m thankful for everything that was said about me and all the folks who cheered for me. The thing I enjoyed most was the appreciation of my friends (fellow veterans) and my family. That was nice.”

Other veterans recognized

Christensen, 102, of Palmer was a fire control man, third class in the Navy, and joined Nordstrom on the field May 19 at Polar Park. Dicamillo, 95, of Hopedale, a Navy fireman, third class, who served on the USS Franklin, was recognized May 23.

“I’m incredibly proud of the program,” said Joe Bradlee, the WooSox’ vice president of baseball operations and community relations. “I’m incredibly proud of the organization. The one thing we’ve continually found from so many of these families is that they end up thanking us when in reality it’s really us who should be thanking them. We have to remind them how grateful we are for them and their service to our country.”

Without forgetting the team’s deep Rhode Island roots, the WooSox will continue to honor those who served from the Ocean State including Joel and Turilli.

Joel, 96, of Cranston, Rhode Island, who served in the Army’s 30th infantry division in France, Belgium and Germany, was honored May 16.

Turilli, 98, of Warwick, an Army Corps sergeant who was born in Italy, immigrated to the U.S. as a young boy and served in the 457th fighter squadron, was honored May 22.

“This is one of many community programs we’re using to still connect to Pawtucket and Rhode Island,” Bradlee said. “We want to continue to show Rhode Islanders that we’re welcoming them at Polar Park, and even though we’re playing only 45 minutes up the road, they’re still welcome and we still care about them.”

After graduating from Union College in 2014, Bradlee worked his first two years in community relations and public affairs for the Red Sox, that already had a program in place to honor veterans. When Red Sox president became principal owner of Boston’s Triple-A affiliate in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, he hired many Red Sox personnel to join him at McCoy Stadium.

Many of the Red Sox’ game day traditions continued in Pawtucket including the newly established “In Debt to a Vet” program.

“We did it for about four, five years in Pawtucket and it’s off to a great start in Worcester,” Bradlee said. “More importantly, we’re happy that we’re still able to salute so many local veterans that deserve to be recognized.”

Meeting Joe Torre

While Sacco participated in the Opening Day celebration at Polar Park, he was able to meet some of baseball’s biggest names including former manager Joe Torre. The two talked baseball, Italian food and took a picture together.

“He’s getting a little bald in the front, so he asked me: ‘Where did you get all that hair?’ That was the first thing he said to me,” Sacco said with a laugh. “Then we talked baseball. What a great guy.”

Sacco played baseball in the early 1940s at Commerce High School and can still remember the entire roster from that team. He remembers his days playing at East Park, Compton Park or Lake Park.

“The good memories you want to keep. The bad ones you want to discard,” Sacco said. “I can remember those days just like it was yesterday. Baseball, when it gets in your blood, there’s something about it that makes you feel good.”

When he was 13, Sacco remembers hitchhiking from Worcester to Boston to watch the Red Sox and Yankees play a at Fenway Park. Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Bill Dickey were in the lineup for New York, while Jimmie Foxx, , and a young Ted Williams, were playing for Boston.

“I will never forget that game,” Sacco said.

Only a few years later, Sacco was fighting for his country on the Western Front. When the war was over, Sacco was among his fellow troops who left Marseille, France en route back to the United States. The return trip took 10 days on the SS Cody Victory ship. It landed in Newport News, Virginia, before Sacco was sent to Fort Patrick Henry in Tennessee for debriefing. He was finally discharged two weeks later at Fort Devens.

“Coming back was quiet. No fanfare — nothing,” Sacco remembers. “It was the old way of doing things. I think people appreciate it more now. It makes (veterans) feel much better.”

When Sacco returned there were no jobs available. After he landed a position as a machinist, it wasn’t long until the shop he was working in closed. That’s when he decided to open his own business. He bought Dino’s restaurant in Sept. 1962, and ran the family restaurant for 25 years, along with his wife, Rita.

“I took an awful chance because I could barely boil water,” Sacco said. “Good thing I had my wife with me. She was my right arm and an excellent cook. Without her I would’ve never made it.”

Dukakis, Yaz were regulars

The restaurant became a local staple with the likes of Gov. Michael Dukakis and Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski frequently dining at Dino’s. While his wife has passed, Sacco is still sharp and lives each day with a smile on his face.

When asked what’s the trick to living until 98, he said, “Drinking red wine and eating hot peppers. That’s the trick. And, think positive, keep smiling, be good to your neighbors and friends and surround yourself with good people. Live a good, clean life and that’s what it’s all about.”

When he learned the Triple-A team of the Red Sox would be relocating to his hometown, Sacco was thrilled.

“Oh, I was happy about that,” he said. “It’s going to really put Worcester on the map now. Worcester was a baseball town and it’s finally come to fruition now. It’s a baseball city — no doubt about it. The Red Sox are going to be very successful in Worcester.

“The ballpark is magnificent and they did a marvelous job. You feel like you’re in a major league ballpark. This team is going to do wonders for the city of Worcester.”

The Nordstrom family is expansive and many of his cousins attended the game to see the WooSox fans honor Helge. His daughter, Karen, explained it was like “seventh heaven” for her father to be recognized on the baseball diamond.

“In this day and age it’s more recognized than years ago,” Nordstrom said of being a veteran. “I really do appreciate it. I don’t feel I did anything exceptional. All of my buddies, in that age group, they were all on the same boat. I was no different than anybody else. I had my good days in the military. I saw parts of the world that I never would’ve seen in my lifetime.”

Born and raised in Worcester, Nordstrom has been married to his wife, Helen, for 74 years. Nordstrom played and coached baseball in the area and believes the WooSox will be a positive aspect of the city.

“Baseball is a big part of my life,” Nordstrom said. “It’s wonderful having the WooSox here. Not only because I’m selfish, because I can get (to Polar Park) in 10 minutes, but I think it’s wonderful.”

It’s easy to remember veterans on certain dates including Memorial Day, but a day shouldn’t go by without us honoring their sacrifice for our freedom.

The WooSox will make sure those men and women will get their due during every home game at Polar Park.

“It was a great day and you felt happy all day long,” Sacco said. “Overall, it was thrilling.”

* RedSox.com

MIA-BOS finale PPD, rescheduled for June 7

Ian Browne & Anthony Castrovince

Sunday wound up being a short day at Fenway Park for the Red Sox and Marlins.

The scheduled finale of the three-game series was postponed to Monday, June 7, at 5:10 p.m. ET.

The postponement is due to rain in the Boston area that wouldn’t let up on Sunday and was forecasted to continue for the remainder of the day. The decision to postpone the game was made within a half-hour of Sunday’s scheduled first pitch of 1:10 p.m.

Tickets for Sunday’s game will be good for admission to the rescheduled contest on June 7.

For the Red Sox, it simply means their next homestand starts one day earlier than originally planned.

Lefty Eduardo Rodriguez, who would have started on Sunday, will instead be on the mound when the Sox open a four-game series in Houston on Monday.

Garrett Richards, Nick Pivetta and Martín Pérez will pitch the other three games in that showdown between two of the top teams in the American League.

Nathan Eovaldi, who was originally scheduled to start the finale in Houston, will instead open up the first Red Sox-Yankees showdown of 2021 when he pitches Friday night in the Bronx.

For the Marlins, the reschedule date wasn’t quite as seamless.

Instead of getting a day of rest at home prior to their next homestand, the Fish will have to make a pit stop at Fenway to cap off the road swing that takes them from Boston to Buffalo to and -- now -- back to Boston.

“It was not a date that we really wanted,” Marlins manager said. “Obviously, it wasn’t in our control. ... But we’ll do what we need to do. We’ve got to fly back in and play, and we’ll be ready for that.”

Marlins Sunday starter Sandy Alcantara gets pushed to Tuesday’s series opener in Buffalo against the Blue Jays, and so Miami will no longer need a spot starter on this road trip.

* WEEI.com

The moment fans actually mattered again at Fenway Park

Rob Bradford

Everyone thought they knew exactly what was missing throughout this pandemic-induced stretch when it came to no (or very few) fans in the stands.

But in case there was any question, along came one moment early Saturday evening that allowed for a pretty powerful reminder.

For that, you can thank Adam Ottavino.

Prior to yesterday's 3-1 Red Sox win over the Marlins there had been plenty of hold-your-breath moments in those 111 games. Each had been accompanied by either the celebratory shouts from the Sox dugout, or perhaps simply more quiet in an already morbid setting.

Not this time.

With the Red Sox clinging to a 2-0 lead and bases loaded and the Marlins No. 3 and 4 hitters (Jesus Aguillar, Garrett Cooper) coming to bat, the buzz that had been gone for nearly 21 months returned.

First came the eruption from Aguillar wildly swinging and missing at an out-of-the-zone Ottavino 3-2 slider (resulting in the Marlins' slugger breaking his bat thanks to pretty prolific bat slam). And then there was the second strikeout.

The crowd -- seemingly all 25,089 of them -- went wild. And for a few seconds, the normally reserved Ottavino joined them.

If there was any doubt, Here was Ottavino after the game ...

“Yeah, I think the crowd was what made it a little different than it's been so, just a lot of energy in the moment, especially once I got to two strikes on the last guy so just kind of out of body experience there, glad I was able to make the pitch and just kind of blacked out.

“Yeah, I mean, not to get like fired up but to like show emotion, yeah probably a little bit unlike me. I usually like just keep my head down and make my pitches. I don't know. My wife always says, What are you looking at? And I'm always just like looking at the ground and the catcher and that’s it.

“Yeah, that was awesome. Like the crowd brought it today. That's what's been missing is those two-strike moments, you know, at home and I feel like that puts a lot of pressure on the hitter that didn't exist last year. It’s a great feeling to be the guy on the mound in that spot. You feel like you have the advantage you're about to just have a big release there.”

An inning later, followed suit, letting out a scream wild pounding his chest after an inning-ending strikeout of Jose Devers.

Laundry carts are well and good, but this was something different.

Starter pitched really well. Rafael Devers and Hunter Renfroe each had three hits. And the Red Sox won.

It was a win those who were there won't be forgetting any time soon.

“It was awesome," said Red Sox bench coach Will Venable, who was filling in for Alex Cora. "A lot of energy out there, a lot of excitement. I know the guys were really feeding off that. A couple guys came into the dugout and were just talking about how electric it was and I think it was a great experience for them and obviously some tense plays out there, some tense moments but the crowd was into it and I think everyone enjoyed it, for sure.”

First look at Blaze Jordan hitting a in a Red Sox uniform

Rob Bradford

We had witnessed plenty of examples of why the Red Sox were so enamored with first-round pick Nick Yorke, watching the infielder perform both at last summer's alternate site and then in the Grapefruit League this year.

But what about the Red Sox' next pick in last year's MLB Draft, another kid who hadn't even graduated high school at this time a year ago, Blaze Jordan.

While it isn't difficult to find images of Jordan hitting out of the park thanks to Home Run Derby YouTube clips, we hadn't seen him in action as a member of the Red Sox' organization.

While the rest of the Red Sox' 2020 draft class -- Yorke, Jeremy Wu-Yelland and Shane Drohan -- have been showing their stuff for SIngle-A Salem, Jordan's existence has been as the Red Sox' third baseman in extended spring training.

What that means is that Jordan -- like the other youngsters participating in the activities in Fort Myers, Fla. -- have spent these days playing against their counterparts from the Twins organization, either at an semi- empty JetBlue Park or semi-empty Hammond Stadium.

Well, thanks to the alway excellent account Red Sox Stats we have evidence of Jordan's existence

* BostonSportsJournal.com

BSJ Live Coverage: Red Sox vs. Miami Marlins, 1:10 p.m. -- Postponed

Sean McAdam

WHO: Red Sox (32-20) vs. Miami Marlins (24-28) WHEN: 1:10 p.m. WHERE: Fenway Park SERIES TO DATE: BOS 2-0 STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (5-3, 5.06) vs. RHP Sandy Alcantara (2-4, 3.46) TV/RADIO: NESN, MLB Network: WEEI-FM 93.7

LINEUPS

MARLINS

Berti 3B S. Marte CF Aguilar DH Cooper 1B Dickerson LF Alfaro C Sierra RF Devers SS L. Marte 2B

RED SOX

Hernandez 2B Verdugo DH Bogaerts SS Devers 3B Santana CF Renfroe RF Vazquez C Gonzalez LF Dalbec 1B

WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox have won three straight games, are 7-2 in their last nine, and 15-8 in their last 23. The Sox are unbeaten in their last five series (4-0-1) and 6-1-1 in their last eight...At 32-20 (.615), the Sox are a season-high 12 games above .500...They own the AL’s second-best record and are tied with the Giants for third-best in MLB...The Sox are 11-6 (.647) against teams that entered today with at least a .500 winning percentage, the second-best such record behind the Brewers (17-9, .654)....The Red Sox are 16-13 at Fenway Park, the AL’s fifth-best home record, but are 16-10 at home since getting swept by Baltimore to begin the season. At 16-7 (.696), the Sox own the majors’ second-best record on the road....: The Red Sox lead the majors in doubles (115), extra-base hits (187), slugging percentage (.447), and OPS (.768) while ranking second in runs (267) and batting average (.261)....The Red Sox are 7-2 vs. NL teams...They are 270-182 (.597) all time against the NL, the highest Interleague winning percentage in the majors. The Sox are 30-13 all-time against the Marlins, including 15-3 in the last 18 meetings and 8-1 in the last nine....The Sox have won their last nine home games against the Marlins...They are 8-0-0 in their last eight series vs. MIA at Fenway Park, going 17-4 in games in that time....: Red Sox relievers are fifth in the AL and ninth in MLB in ERA (3.55), after posting a 5.79 ERA in 2020. Five Sox relievers have a sub-3.50 ERA: (1.85), Matt Barnes (2.63), Hirokazu Sawamura (2.75), Adam Ottavino (2.95), and Darwinzon Hernandez (3.38). Ottavino has a 1.53 ERA in 19 games since April 17, the Sox’ lowest ERA in that time....Among relievers with 20.0 IP, Barnes leads the AL in WHIP (0.67) and is tied for the AL lead in saves (12).... Josh Taylor has made 12 consecutive scoreless appearances since April 30, lowering his season ERA from 9.72 to 4.67....Red Sox starters have thrown five or more innings 44 times, including 29 of the last 31 games, tied with the Dodgers for second-most in the majors behind the A’s, who have 45...Offensively, the Red Sox are the only team in MLB featuring seven players with 20+ RBI: Devers (43), Martinez (39), Bogaerts (31), Vázquez (23), Verdugo (23), Dalbec (22), and Renfroe (22)....Eduardo Rodriguez saw his career-long streak of 36 consecutive starts with at least five innings pitched snapped in his last start, which had been the longest active streak in the majors. Rodriguez has lost three consecutive starts for the first time in his career...He's gotten a total of one run of support in those three games combined....Xander Bogaerts is 0-for-11 and Kike Hernandez is 0-for-13...Rafael Devers has a 1.163 OPS in his last 12 games.... Renfroe has seven hits in his last three games.

NOTES:

* J.D. Martinez, who fouled a ball of his left foot in Saturday's win, is being given Sunday off to rest and get treatment. Alex Cora said the Red Sox hoped to stay away from Martinez on Sunday afternoon. With Martinez sidelined, Cora had Alex Verdugo serve as the team's DH. Verdugo has been battling a strained hamstring for the past week and a day off from outfield responsibilities will be welcome.

* Cora detailed what he'd like to see from Eduardo Rodriguez, who has struggled over his last three outings. "I think his cutter is not where it usually is,'' Cora said. "It's playing more like a bad slider and hopefully, that pitch plays better.''

* Cora saluted outfielder Hunter Renfroe for a strong May after experiencing a slow start. "He's a good athlete and he's made some adjustments,'' Cora said. "He's doing a good job putting the ball in play, going the other way, hitting with two strikes, staying on breaking balls.''

* The manager was encouraged by the work of both Hirokazu Sawamura and Darwinzon Hernandez in Saturday's win. "For us to be able to stay healthy and rested, those guys have to step up,'' said Cora. "It can't be (Adam) Ottavino, (Josh Taylor) and (Matt Barnes) all the time. Darwinzon has to throw the ball well; Sawamura, too. (Matt) Andriese, (), all those guys out there have to, at one point, pitch in high-leverage situations.''

Red Sox Notebook: Taylor rebounds from poor first month; Sox off to Houston

Sean McAdam

The 2020 season was not a good one for reliever Josh Taylor, and based on the first month, it didn't look like 2021 was going to be much better.

But following an April that saw him rack up an 8.68 ERA over 10 appearances, during which opposing batters hit .400 against him, Taylor has turned things completely around.

Since then, Taylor has made 11 appearances in May and hasn't allowed a run in that span. In that stretch, Taylor limited batters to just four hits in 27 at-bats (.148). And three of those hits came in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Miami Marlins.

Even those hits were gifts. One was an off-the-end-bat roller down the third-base line that, with the shift in place, resulted in the softest double you're likely to see. Two more "hits'' followed -- a dribbler to third baseman Rafael Devers, who was positioned too far back to make the play, and a swinging bunt comebacker to the mound. Of the three hits, the hardest-hit one was all of 62 mph in exit velocity.

Before Saturday, the last hit he allowed had come back on May 6.

So what turned it all around? Not even Taylor is sure.

"I just try to take it a pitch at a time,'' he said. "The beginning of the season started out a little rough. You've just got to try and take the good from it and not focus too much on the bad. It's a feel thing -- when things are going right, you kind of just ride the wave. (Having confidence shown by manager Alex Cora) helps me be better. It helps me trust myself. To be able to execute pitches, having that confidence from the dugout can drive you to get through an inning.''

The Sox held Taylor out of action for nearly a week after he struggled at the end of April, during which time he made some small adjustments. They were as much mental as they were physical in nature.

"I've been using the same pitch mix,'' he explained, "but I'm executing now. I'm not throwing a pitch way out of the zone, that isn't competitive or doesn't get (swung at). I'm just fine-tuning my pitches and making every one count. You get to the point where things aren't working and you've got to do something to change it. This game is hard; it's not going to be handed to you. You've got to look at what's been working and what's not been working. I had a couple of outings early on where I don't feel like I pitched too bad --I just had bad results.

"You've just got to take the good and (forget) about the bad. This game is based off energy and momentum. You can't feed off the bad stuff. You've got to look at what you're doing well and just ride that and trust the process.''

As a whole, the Red Sox bullpen's performance has improved across the board. The team's collective bullpen ERA is at 3.55, good for fifth-best in the American League and ninth-best in all of MLB. It also reflects a huge improvement -- more than two whole runs -- over last season.

"We're clicking down there,'' said Taylor. "Everyone's confident and every time that phone rings, everyone's ready to go. Everyone's locked into the game. We're just waiting for our turn. I can't tell you about one person down there who isn't ready to take the mound once that phone rings.''

Closer Matt Barnes (12-of-13 in save chances) has been among the most dominant relievers in the game and the remainder of the Sox relievers see their job as building a bridge to him for the ninth inning.

"We're very confident that if we get to the ninth inning with a lead, we're going to come away with a win,'' he said. "So our job, as set-up guys, is, from the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth inning, is to (get out) the inning with the lead and get the ball to Barnesy.'' ______

The Red Sox-Marlins game set for Sunday at 1:10 p.m. was postponed about 20 minutes after the scheduled first pitch, with rain expected through the afternoon.

The game was re-scheduled for June 7 at 5:10 p.m.

The Red Sox left for Houston after the rainout, where they'll begin a big seven-game road trip -- four with the Astros and three with Yankees in New York next weekend.

The Red Sox pitchers in Houston, adjusted for Sunday's rainout, will be:

Monday: Eduardo Rodriguez Tuesday: Garrett Richards Wednesday: Nick Pivetta Thursday: Nathan Eovaldi

*

Red Sox offensive power rankings: Whom can Alex Cora trust beyond his Big 4?

Chad Jennings

Here’s a question I heard in the Fenway Park press box this weekend: If there were power rankings of the current Red Sox hitters, who would rank fifth?

The top three are obvious (though we can probably disagree on their exact order). No. 4 also seems pretty clear (though we can debate whether he’s hitting in the correct spot in the lineup). But the search for a fifth reliable, go-to, offensive threat has been ongoing this season. It was Christian Vázquez for a few weeks, but he faded. made a surprising run at it, but that shouldn’t be his job. Before Sunday’s game was rained out — makeup date: 5:10 p.m. June 7 — Alex Cora’s lineup revealed his current thinking. He had Danny Santana batting fifth behind Rafael Devers, and lately that’s been the norm. After the heart of the order, Cora’s gone with Santana against right-handed pitchers and Hunter Renfroe against lefties.

That’s one guy who’s spent barely a week in the big leagues this season, and another who had a .485 OPS in the first month. Given the inconsistency of every alternative, though, it’s hard to argue with those choices. Cora’s trying to find a reliable option — or at least a hot hand — to provide production beyond his three potential MVP candidates.

So, if there were a power rankings of the current Red Sox hitters, who would rank fifth? Well, let’s try it to find out. Before the Red Sox begin a big four-game series against the Astros, let’s attempt some Red Sox offensive power rankings (not rankings of power, but power rankings of importance and impact). The gap between the top third and bottom two-thirds is significant. The top of the list is impressive, but there’s been little consistency beyond that.

1. Rafael Devers — Over the past 15 days, Devers leads the Red Sox in just about everything, and his season slugging percentage is now higher than the next two guys on the list. Plus, his expected stats are basically the same as his actual stats, which means the quality of his contact matches the quality of his results. His rate of barrels per is fourth best in the majors.

2. J.D. Martinez — He ranks seventh in the majors in wRC+ (which is just slightly better than the next guy on this list, who ranks ninth). If we’re judging only season stats, Martinez would be at the top of this list, but Devers has been both really good and really hot.

3. Xander Bogaerts — Without checking numbers, I might have put Bogaerts in the top spot, but he’s hit just .216 in his past 10 games, and he had just one hit in this brief homestand. Clearly the Red Sox lineup is built around these top three hitters, and right now, Bogaerts is the weakest among them. But if he has 10 hits in Houston, would anyone be shocked?

4. Alex Verdugo — The Red Sox have either a Big 3 or a Big 4, depending on whether you lump Verdugo with Devers, Martinez and Bogaerts. One thing to note is Verdugo’s surprising splits. The lefty hitter has an .889 OPS against righties but only a .628 against lefties, much more dramatic than his career splits to this point. That vLHP split is basically identical to Marwin Gonzalez.

5. Hunter Renfroe — For several weeks, Renfroe might have been next to last on this list, but in the past month he’s outhit Martinez (.879 OPS vs. .800 OPS), and he hasn’t been simply feasting on lefties. Four of his five homers this month came against right-handers.

6. Danny Santana — Since being called up last weekend, Santana has been treated as a player this high in the pecking order. He’d hit leadoff. He’s hit second. Sunday should have been his second appearance in the five hole. Problem is, since homering in his first two games, he’s 1-for-8 with five strikeouts. But with no one else make a strong case for big at-bats, Santana’s getting a shot.

7. Kiké Hernández — Cora is sticking with Hernandez in the leadoff spot, in part because it maximizes the impact of the Big 4 and lengthens the lineup. But of the 27 major-league hitters with at least 100 plate appearances in the leadoff spot, Hernandez ranks 20th in on-base percentage (.314) and 18th in wRC+ (105). He was red-hot in his first few games back from injury, but in the past week and a half, he’s hit just .167 with two walks and no extra-base hits.

8. Bobby Dalbec — His barrel percentage is still really good — top 6 percent in the league — but Dalbec just hasn’t broken out of his feast-or-famine pattern of production. He had one excellent two-week stretch this month (four homers, 1.103 OPS) bookended by a pair of hitless, strikeout-heavy four-game stretches.

9. Christian Vázquez — A 1.333 OPS in the first seven games moved Vázquez up in the order, but he’s hit just .211 with one home run since then. He’s had some good stretches — including a .300 average across three weeks earlier this month — but the impact has been less than hoped.

10. — Actually, Plawecki’s been pretty good at the plate, all things considered. He’s had a hit in 10 of his 14 starts, including five of his past six. He and Hernández have the same OPS, and only the Big 4 have a higher batting average. He’s lately hit eighth more than he’s hit ninth, which is … something.

11. Christian Arroyo — Three weeks into the season, Arroyo was tied for the third-most doubles in the majors. He had one more than Ronald Acuña Jr., two more than and three more than . He was hitting .364. But he hasn’t doubled since and has just four singles in his past 32 at-bats.

12. Marwin Gonzalez — From May 1 to May 14, he had six doubles and a .756 OPS. From May 15 to May 30, he was down to a .220 OPS with just two hits in 26 at-bats. And that’s after he hit just .186 in April. He’s a switch hitter, but his OPS is almost 100 points higher against lefties than it is against righties.

*

Marlins-Red Sox game postponed by rain at Fenway Park

BOSTON (AP) — The Miami Marlins started a lengthy road trip in rainy, chilly Boston.

Now, they’ll close it back here and get another shot at the Red Sox in Fenway Park after Sunday’s game was rained out.

It was called after about a 20-minute delay. The makeup is scheduled for Monday, June 7 at 5:10 p.m.

Miami lost the first two games of what was supposed to be a nine-game, 10-day trip, dealing with weather both days against the Red Sox.

“It’s been a frustrating series with the rain and how things have gone,” Miami manager Don Mattingly said.

As for the makeup date and extending it to an 11-day trip now, he said: “It was not a date that we really wanted, but obviously it was out of our control.”

Being an interleague game, the Marlins make only one trip to Boston this season, so the teams had to look for a mutual day off.

Miami will be heading back to Boston after a scheduled afternoon game on June 6 in Pittsburgh, and the Red Sox will be returning home following a Sunday night matchup against their longtime rival New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

On Friday, the Red Sox won 5-2 in a game that was called after 5 1/2 innings due to heavy rain. Boston also won Saturday’s game, 3-1, in chilly and sometimes drizzly conditions.

Saturday’s game marked the first time that the Red Sox were allowed full capacity after the state removed limits on crowd sizes during the pandemic. There was a paid attendance of 25,089 with the ballpark about half full because of the weather.

Boston has won the past nine games in Fenway between the teams and is 18-6 lifetime against the Marlins.

The forecast for Sunday afternoon called for steady rain late into the night and wasn’t expected to subside until early Monday morning.

Boston manager Alex Cora, who returned to the team after missing Saturday’s win to be home in Puerto Rico to attend the high school graduation of his daughter Camila, figured that if they played that could have been a lot like Friday night.

“It’s going to be another grind,” he said, about three hours before it was called.

Mattingly wasn’t looking forward to another game that could get started and stopped. He said the team even had a discussion about whom to start, with the possibly of not burning out a starter.

“Really the forecast was: You’re probably not playing nine,” Mattingly said.

“The off day will be good for us,” Mattingly said of Monday. “With things opening up, guys can go out for dinner.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins: Mattingly thinks SS Jazz Chisholm, who was not in Sunday’s posted lineup and has missed the past four games with a sprained right ankle, could be ready on Tuesday.

Red Sox: OF/DH J.D. Martinez was not going to start Sunday after he fouled a ball off his left foot on Saturday.

UP NEXT

Marlins: Off Monday before opening a two-game series in Buffalo against Toronto. RHP Sandy Alcantara (2-4, 3.46 ERA) was pushed from Sunday to Tuesday.

Red Sox: They open a three-game series in Houston on Memorial Day. LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (5-3, 5.06) is scheduled to start for Boston.

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Baseball Is Returning to the Olympics, With or Without the U.S.

James Wagner

Baseball is known as America’s national pastime. The has long been a cultural touchstone in the United States, serving as a marker of seasons and influencing the national vocabulary. The largest organization in the world, , is based here. Many of the best players in the world hail from the United States.

Despite that, the United States has won only one gold medal at the Olympics, in 2000. The national team won bronze twice, in 1996 and 2008; failed to earn a medal in 1992; and didn’t even qualify for the Olympics in 2004.

After the sport was voted out of the Olympics by the International Olympic Committee in 2005, with criticisms that it wasn’t global enough and that its best players didn’t participate in the Summer Games, baseball is returning to the Games — temporarily — thanks to the host country Japan’s fervent love of the game.

Two other baseball hotbeds, South Korea and Mexico, have already qualified to compete against Japan in the Olympics. So has Israel, where the sport is slowly growing. And the United States? The team has yet to earn a berth, and has just two opportunities left, beginning with the Americas Qualifier, an eight-team tournament in Florida that starts on Monday.

“It is important for the United States to be in the Olympics,” said Tony Reagins, M.L.B.’s chief development officer, who has a hand in helping U.S.A. Baseball build the Olympic roster. “We believe we have the best players in the world, so we’ve got to go out and compete.”

How the United States arrived at this point, less than two months from the start of the Olympics without a guaranteed spot despite being ranked No. 2 in the world, underscores the many competing interests involved.

First and foremost, M.L.B.’s season has always conflicted with the Summer Games. The opening round of baseball at the Tokyo Olympics is slated for July 28, during the heart of the M.L.B. season. And unlike other notable professional baseball leagues (such as those in Japan or South Korea) or those in other sports (the N.B.A., the W.N.B.A. and the N.H.L.), M.L.B. doesn’t halt or adjust its season for the Olympics.

In addition, active M.L.B. players cannot compete in the Olympics, which international sports officials raised concerns about as they discussed eliminating baseball in 2005.

At least one major league star has said he would like to see that policy changed.

“It is such a travesty to me — I’m not saying this as disrespect to minor-leaguers — the 2020 Olympics are in Tokyo, and you’re not sending big-league guys?” outfielder Bryce Harper said on a podcast last year. “Are you kidding me? You want to grow the game as much as possible, and you’re not going to let us play in the Olympics because you don’t want to cut out on money for a two-week period?”

There was some progress in March 2020, when the global governing body for the sport, the World Baseball Softball Confederation, announced that it had reached an agreement with M.L.B. and the M.L.B. players’ union that would allow players on 40-man rosters, but not those on the active 26-man roster, to participate in the Olympics and the qualifiers.

But the coronavirus pandemic suspended the 2020 season, and the agreement allowing players on 40-man rosters to participate lapsed because M.L.B. clubs need more reserve players in the event of virus outbreaks.

“I respect and I can understand the needs of the professional” leagues, Riccardo Fraccari, the president of the W.B.S.C., said in a video interview. “But in my opinion, there is space for everybody. And if we’re able to cooperate both in a good way, we can have the professionals developing good baseball, and we can for sure achieve the goal to be a really big sport.”

The rules certainly hamper the United States roster because it cannot feature American stars like Mike Trout, Jacob deGrom or Mookie Betts. But neither can Japan with Shohei Ohtani or Yu Darvish, nor the Dominican Republic with Fernando Tatis Jr. or Juan Soto, because they are all also M.L.B. players. The difference is, though, that professional leagues in Japan and South Korea, for example, take time off to allow the top players there to play in the Olympics.

“There’s clearly a disadvantage to the U.S. and other countries that are using major league organizational players,” said Sandy Alderson, the president of the Mets, who in his previous role with M.L.B.’s central office had lobbied to keep baseball in the Olympics.

Fraccari said he had never asked M.L.B. to pause its season but simply to allow the use some of its best players, perhaps for one week — not unlike the annual All-Star Week in July — but only once every four years.

M.L.B. and its players, though, are already invested in another international event every four years: the , which started in 2006, on the heels of the sport’s being booted from the Olympics. The W.B.C. schedule is easier to accommodate — it is held during M.L.B. spring training — and more major league players participate.

(The United States has also won that event just once, in 2017, with Japan, currently ranked No. 1 in the world, having won the first two, in 2006 and 2009. The 2021 W.B.C. was tentatively postponed to 2023 because of the pandemic.)

“I can’t imagine a situation where we would take the kind of break that would be necessary to have our best players in the Olympics,” , M.L.B.’s commissioner, said in 2017. “As a result of that, we feel the W.B.C. is crucial as a substitute, a premier international tournament that allows our players to play for their countries.”

But for many, nothing can match the global appeal of the Games, the funding that comes with being an official Olympic sport and the allure of winning a gold medal.

For the 2000 Olympics, Alderson helped construct a U.S. roster that had a mix of veterans near the pinnacles of their careers, like catcher Pat Borders and outfielder Ernie Young, and up-and-coming prospects, such as first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz and pitchers Roy Oswalt and Ben Sheets. The Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda led the squad.

In the final, known as the Miracle on Grass, the United States upset powerhouse Cuba, winner of the two previous gold medals, an achievement Alderson has said ranked as high as winning a in 1989 as the general manager of the .

“It was an incredible experience, from the qualifier to winning the gold medal in Sydney,” Alderson said last year, adding later, “For a lot of the players who participated in that Olympics, it was the highlight of their career, because not many of them went on to be great major league players.”

Alderson has pondered several ideas for getting more participation from major leaguers. He has suggested playing the qualifying tournaments in M.L.B.’s off-season and condensing the Olympic Games to a week. Another idea: If major league players weren’t used, then the season could at least be paused for one day as a good-will gesture during the gold medal game so that the baseball world’s attention could focus on the Olympics.

“If we’re not going to send the best players, then let it be their day,” he said.

In building the U.S. player pool for the Americas Qualifier, Reagins said, challenges included players’ availability being affected by the pandemic, along with the volatility of not knowing if a player would be called up to the majors. Clubs also put various limitations, such as pitch counts, on their prospects.

Although others said there was some reluctance to loan prospects in the past, Reagins said M.L.B. clubs had been “very supportive,” as had the commissioner’s office. (Manfred said M.L.B. was excited when baseball and softball were announced as sports for the Tokyo Games.)

“Obviously the timing is not ideal for major league players, but we feel we put together really strong clubs that could compete for gold,” said Reagins, a former general manager, who recommended that Mike Scioscia, the former Angels manager, be hired to lead Team U.S.A.

On Monday night, Scioscia will lead the United States against Nicaragua in Port St. Lucie. Over the following two days, the United States will also play two baseball strongholds: the Dominican Republic, whose roster includes the former All-Stars Jose Bautista and Melky Cabrera and the top outfield prospect Julio Rodriguez of the Mariners, and Puerto Rico.

Team U.S.A.’s roster has the most major-league experience in the tournament, with past All-Stars such as third baseman Todd Frazier, David Robertson and outfielder Matt Kemp — all in their mid-30s and unemployed. Among the prospects on the squad: pitchers Simeon Woods Richardson, 20, and Matthew Liberatore, 21.

The top national club to emerge from the tournament will earn an Olympic berth. The second- and third- place teams will advance to the final qualifier, originally scheduled for mid-June in Taiwan but recently shifted to Mexico because of rising virus cases and travel restrictions.

Baseball will be absent again at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris before its expected return in 2028 in Los Angeles. Perhaps M.L.B. and its players will want to play then, which could send a message that they want baseball as a permanent Olympic sport. But not having the United States in Tokyo this summer, when its national pastime is back for the first time since 2008, might undermine that mission.

“I can’t even fathom that our game is not represented in the Olympics,” the former star Yankees Willie Randolph, who has been a coach for the national team, said last year. “That, to me, would be — I’m sorry — embarrassing.”