The Boston Red Sox Wednesday, July 18, 2018

* The Boston Globe

Red Sox enjoy the All-Star Game as the AL outslugs the NL

Peter Abraham

WASHINGTON — J.D. Martinez walked into the visiting team clubhouse at Nationals Park on Tuesday afternoon and seemed surprised to find a dozen reporters waiting at his locker.

“You guys need me?” he asked.

Martinez is one of the best players in his sport, a studious hitter who leads the majors with 29 home runs and 80 RBIs. But, at heart, he’s a former Division 2 player who was drafted in the 20th round and released after three seasons in the majors. Celebrity doesn’t come naturally after you’ve been cast aside.

Yet there Martinez was, batting cleanup behind Mike Trout and ripping a single to center field off Max Scherzer in the first inning of the All-Star Game.

“Surreal,” said Martinez, who was long out of the game when the American League beat the National League, 8-6, in 10 innings. “It’s one of those moments where it’s really cool. It’s definitely been a dream of mine to be here.

“I wouldn’t change it for anything if I could go back in time. I’m glad I failed. I’m glad I’ve fallen on my face. I feel like it made me who I am today.”

Related: For Chris Sale, ‘a nice little tuneup’ and some fun in his All-Star appearance

Martinez finished 1 for 2 as the designated hitter. He struck out swinging in the third inning facing Jacob deGrom of the Mets.

In a game befitting how baseball is played in 2018, there were 10 home runs in the game, an All-Star record, and 25 strikeouts.

Chris Sale started for the American League and threw a scoreless inning. The Red Sox lefthander allowed a leadoff single by Javy Baez then retired Nolan Arenado on a fly ball to left field, struck out Paul Goldschmidt, and got Freddie Freeman on a fly ball to center. Sale hit 100.7 miles per hour with his fastball, the fastest he has thrown a pitch since at least 2010. Watching from the dugout, Martinez was impressed.

“I saw when he hit 101. I looked at him and he started laughing,” Martinez said. “Nasty, he’s been nasty. Any time you’re in this atmosphere at the All-Star Game amongst these kind of hitters and this crowd, you’re going to be pumped up. That didn’t surprise me at all.”

Sale has appeared in six of the seven All-Star Games he was selected to. He has allowed two runs on eight hits over eight innings with no walks and eight strikeouts.

Mookie Betts started in right field for the AL and was 0 for 3, striking out twice. He did manage to see 15 pitches at least.

“It was fun being around the guys and just taking it all in,” Betts said. “More relaxed, more fun for sure.”

Related: Mookie Betts ‘locked in’ on futures of Manny Machado and Bryce Harper

For Betts, the most notable moment came before the game when baseball honored a group of Medal of Honor recipients and the players formed a line to shake hands with the veterans.

“That was real cool. I have a lot of family that served,” Betts said. “It was great to see what it meant to people because it definitely meant something to me.”

Betts also made a sartorial statement, wearing a brick-hued double-breasted suit with light pink shoes to the game.

Mitch Moreland entered the game for the American League in the sixth inning. He finished 2 for 3. “Definitely a lot of fun,” Moreland said. “The whole couple of days, just experiencing all of it, the fans out there tonight, it was pretty cool.”

Of the five Red Sox players on the AL roster, only Craig Kimbrel did not get in the game. He appeared in four of the five games before the break and it was decided before the game he would pitch only if necessary.

Down 5-3, the NL tied the game in the bottom of the ninth on Scooter Gennett’s two-run homer off Edwin Diaz. The AL scored three runs in the 10th, the first two on home runs by Astros teammates Alex Bregman and George Springer off Ross Stripling of the Dodgers. Bregman won the Ted Williams Award as MVP.

Related: Trade talk is heating up for Orioles’ Manny Machado

Joey Votto led off the bottom of the 10th with a homer, but J.A. Happ finished the game.

The AL has won seven straight Midsummer Classics and 18 of 22. Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, and Jean Segura also homered for the AL. Trout has hit safely in all six All-Star Games he has played in at 7 of 15 with five extra-base hits and four RBIs.

Willson Contreras, Trevor Story, and Christian Yelich added homers for the NL.

Martinez and Moreland traveled back to Boston after the game. They’ll relax Wednesday, then head for Detroit later in the day Thursday. The Sox face the Tigers on Friday night.

“Hang out, enjoy the time off, and probably go get a little workout in,” Martinez said. “Start it back up again.”

Mookie Betts ‘locked in’ on futures of Manny Machado and Bryce Harper

Alex Speier

WASHINGTON — For a night at least, the Home Run Derby represented something more than a sheer display of raw power. In Nationals Park, as Bryce Harper drilled nine homers in 47 seconds with a stunning display that underscored his rare gift to send baseballs into orbit, the display served as a reminder of the relationship between an iconic player and his city, the idea of a connection in which affection flows both ways.

The crowd for the All-Star spectacle roared at every Harper homer, chanted his name over and over into the night. For his part, Harper reciprocated the warmth and love of his fan base not only by winning the Derby but by making clear his appreciation for what so many have meant to him over the eight years of his professional baseball life.

“This wasn’t only for me and my family and everybody like that but this is for, you know, the cook, the guy that works the front, and the people that work upstairs. I mean, this is the whole city of D.C.,” Harper beamed after the fact. “I was very fortunate to be able to bring this back to them and do it here.”

The emotions expressed by Harper came with a context that tinged his emotional sentiments with a hint of melancholy. Harper, now 25, stands on the cusp of a free-agent bidding war that promises to confer upon him incredible riches. Even in a decidedly down year in which he’s hitting .214 with a .365 OBP and .468 slugging mark, he’s expected to cash in to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars on the open market this winter.

And the fact that there are expected to be numerous bidders for his services makes Harper’s future in Washington entirely uncertain. It was hard not to imagine that Monday’s performance might have represented something of a parting gift to the city and organization where Harper has grown up.

Harper’s pending free agency carries considerable significance for the Red Sox. He was born on Oct. 16, 1992, nine days after one Markus Lynn Betts. And while Harper is going to arrive at free agency two years before the Red Sox’ superstar, the fact that Harper and Manny Machado (born on July 6, 1992) are preparing for open-market bonanzas is of both relevance and interest to Betts’s future in Boston.

Harper and Machado represent the first superstars whom Betts views as true contemporaries who will reach free agency, the first players with loud, screaming, franchise-altering tools who will go to the open market. With all due respect to Eric Hosmer and his eight-year, $144 million deal with the Padres, Betts — now amidst a second MVP-caliber campaign in three years — is in a different category.

The deals that Harper and Machado realize will reset the market in a way that has considerable bearing on Betts’s future. Amidst a season in which he has cemented his place as one of the inner-circle elites in the game, Betts is aware of the significance of the coming winter.

“I’m definitely really curious to see how that will play out. We’ll see the way it breaks. We all know what kind of player [Harper] is. I think that may affect some things going forward,” said Betts. “I think things are kind of coming full circle now. My peers are going through what is soon to come. Yeah, I’ll definitely be locked in to see what they get.”

He won’t be alone. Front offices likewise are eager to see where the market for young superstars ends up this winter, knowing that if they have their own prime-age star — if they have a Betts — then any future negotiations will be framed by what Harper and Machado get.

The Sox have made no secret of an interest in retaining Betts beyond his eligibility for free agency following the 2020 season. They’ve approached him about the possibility of extensions, though each time, even as Betts has noted his enjoyment of the Red Sox organization, he’s expressed a preference to negotiate his earnings on a year-to-year basis.

Meanwhile, Betts has also shown a consistent conviction in his worth, whether declining to agree to the Red Sox’ one-year contract tenure in 2017 (he was renewed, a rarity for a Red Sox player) or taking the team to an arbitration hearing and winning this winter. He’s not afraid to seek market value for his services.

With Harper and Machado representing the best middle-of-their-prime free-agent position players to hit the open market since, arguably, Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez in 2000-01, this coming winter will offer the Red Sox their best indication to date of what it will cost to retain Betts.

“Very few guys have been very receptive to [extensions]. Right now, most guys have been testing free agency,” Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, in a conversation about extensions in general rather than Betts in particular, said earlier this year. “Next winter is going to be a very interesting time period, not only for next winter but for where the future goes. You’ve got some big guys out there. There looks like there will be some clubs with some dollars to spend . . . big-market clubs that have been building for years. It will be interesting where some of those guys go with their dollars. That might influence some of these other guys with what their thought process is.”

As the baseball world watches to see where Manny Machado moves in the coming days and again where he’ll go in the winter, and as Harper’s future unfolds in a fashion that confronts Washington fans with the question of how many more nights like Monday there will be, Betts’s future will gain just a bit more definition. With that definition, perhaps, will come some slightly greater clarity about whether that future will be in Boston beyond 2020.

For Chris Sale, ‘a nice little tuneup’ and some fun in his All-Star appearance

Nick Cafardo

WASHINGTON — Chris Sale was throwing 99 and 100 miles per hour Tuesday night, a bit amped up in his start for the American League All-Star team. If this was a true competition between Sale and National League starter Max Scherzer, Sale probably won the inning since he surrendered a first-pitch single to leadoff hitter Javier Baez and then retired the next three batters with a pair of fly ball outs and a strikeout of Paul Goldschmidt.

Sale was humming for his one inning, while Scherzer pitched two innings in his home ballpark and gave up a run with four strikeouts. Sale pitched only one inning because AL manager A.J. Hinch was under strict orders from Red Sox manager Alex Cora. The All-Star appearance was like a warm-up inning for Sale, who will start the second half of his Red Sox season on Friday against the Detroit Tigers. Sale will have a couple days to rest before the start. The hope is that Sale will be super rested for the rest of the season. The Red Sox have tried to prepare for a fresher Sale in the second half of 2018 since he seemed to fade down the stretch in 2017.

The Red Sox delayed his first start in spring training, curtailed his side sessions, and restricted his pitch counts (90-something) in his first few starts for 2018. They have given him extra days’ rest when available. They have built in all the safeguards so Sale will be effective for the pennant — and playoff — run.

After all, that has not always been the case.

And when Sale was throwing those 100-m.p.h, pitches on Tuesday night and even topping out at 100.7 m.p.h. (the fastest pitch he has thrown since 2010, when he was a reliever with the White Sox), Cora was probably watching on TV and yelling, “Stop throwing so hard!” But like Sale has said over and over, the adrenaline takes over at All-Star events and he can’t help but throw hard, especially when he knows he’s only going one inning.

And especially when he’s facing Baez, Nolan Arenado, Goldschmidt, and Freddie Freeman. How can you not go full throttle?

Cora was probably hoping Sale wouldn’t even pitch, but he was the logical choice since he has been the AL’s best and hottest pitcher. Luis Severino had slowed down a tad after his hot start. Ditto on Corey Kluber and the Houston staff of Gerrit Cole and Charlie Morton — not including Justin Verlander, who pitched Sunday.

Sale, who came out of Tuesday’s game healthy and happy, became the third pitcher to start three consecutive All-Star games. Sale loves that distinction. He has made seven All-Star game appearances, but now needs to strive for other accolades such as multiple Cy Young awards, which have eluded him, mostly because of the second-half dips he has suffered through the years.

Sale had some fun before, during, and after the game. He enjoyed the All-Star festivities, including the walk on the red carpet that his son is beginning to think is an annual event. Sale gave so much credit to his trainers and the clubhouse workers at National Park for making the experience so good. He said he had most of his family on hand including his wife, son, parents, and in-laws.

He also was amused by questions from a Chinese reporter who claimed Sale was a big hit in China. He asked him why he chews so much gum and Sale indicated he doesn’t chew gum at all but does moisten his fingers with saliva. He also quizzed Sale about why he doesn’t have a full-length beard and only a trimmed one. Sale answered that the trimmed version is all his wife will allow.

“This is awesome,” Sale said. “I really enjoy these events. Everyone sees the home run derby but nobody sees the work done by the city, the stadium, the clubhouse guys, trainers, and all the players.”

Sale said there were no nerves and “the only thing I was thinking about was getting after it and not messing up. It felt really good out there. One inning was a nice little tuneup. It was all good.”

Sale took time to thank a lot of people whom he said made the success of the first half possible.

“I think it’s a combination of a lot of things,” Sale said. “I have a lot of good people around me, an unbelievable training staff and two guys in the training room that do a great job. Plus I have a fan base that’s fantastic, that packs the ballpark every time. You guys have been to Fenway . . . it’s the best place to play in baseball. The adrenaline and having a lot of support really allows for me to have a great support staff.”

A lot of the second-half success of this team will depend on Sale, particularly now with injuries to the pitching staff. Eduardo Rodriguez has a sprained ankle, and Steven Wright an inflamed knee. Drew Pomeranz isn’t ready to return from the DL.

“This is what we signed up for,” Sale said. “We have to keep our foot on the gas pedal and hopefully keep winning games.”

And Sale needs to be as good in September as he was in April, May, and June.

If he is, this 2018 bunch may indeed be the greatest Red Sox team ever.

Rob Manfred won’t eliminate one-game sudden-death wild-card game

Nick Cafardo

WASHINGTON — Commissioner Rob Manfred knows he’s going to get some pushback if and when the Yankees or Red Sox have to play a one-game playoff and one of them loses after they’ve won more than 100 games. But for Manfred, it won’t mean he’ll redesign his playoff format. In fact, he will see it as a system that works. None of this two-out-of-three redux many of us have been proposing.

In fact, after hearing Manfred explain his thinking, I’m coming around to his side of it.

“Let me walk you through how I think about it,” Manfred said at a Baseball Writers of America Association luncheon a few hours ahead of Tuesday night’s All-Star Game. “When we went to a one-game wild card, we did it for two fundamental reasons. We wanted to make sure that we did everything possible that teams played hard through a 162-game season. We take great pride that our regular season is meaningful and we always want it to be meaningful. How does our current system stack up on that goal? It seems to me that if the standings finished as they are today under the old system, the Yankees and Red Sox wouldn’t care who won the American League East. In contrast, under the new system we are going to be treated to a pennant race that goes all the way through to the end of September and they’re going to do everything they can to avoid playing in that one-game wild card.

“The second thing that we wanted to do is we wanted to disadvantage the wild-card team. There’s sentiment out there that winning your division should get you some advantage. Seems to me we stack up pretty well on that one as well. If you have Mookie Betts and the Red Sox nose out the Yankees by a game as a result of playing hard all the way through 162, they should get an advantage over the Yankees. And that advantage would take the form of those Yankees having to play a one-game playoff. So I’m pretty good with how it looks. I would also point out, and let me say this loud and clear, nobody appreciates the Yankee/Red Sox rivalry more than I do in terms of how important it is to the game. But I would also suggest if it’s the Brewers and Reds and winning 100 games, the uproar would be less than the Red Sox- Yankees one. So I don’t think you should get into redesigning your system based on the outcome of a particular year. Particularly when you’re getting the fundamental dynamics you were looking for.”

OK, but it would still be unfair for that 105-win team to be that good and have to go home because they lose one game. That was my argument for making it two out of three. But I get the other side now. Manfred is right, you would have the Red Sox and Yankees fighting until the end much like the 1978 Red Sox and Yankees did in that 163rd game of the season that the Yankees won.

The Red Sox were a terrific team but they blew a big lead and then had to fight and claw to tie after 162 and then lose the final game. But it was dramatic then and it likely will be dramatic again. Of course it doesn’t mean that the Red Sox or Yankees will have to lose that one-game wild-card game. If they win, they move on to the divisional round and all of this is moot.

Listen, if the Yankees and Red Sox ever lost that one-game wild-card game, the fan base of either side would go absolutely crazy. They would rail against the system and demand a change in the format. But Manfred isn’t about to bend or change anything even if that should happen. These are the rules as we know them and Manfred is big on following the rules. He’s not going to melt under public pressure knowing that one side is going to be mad if this scenario occurs. The fact that the commissioner’s office is based in New York makes it tough, but as he said, he tried to create a system in which the wild-card team has some type of disadvantage and this would be it.

We all have to admit that the sudden-death game is unpredictable. It can be very exciting or it can be very boring. But there’s that sense of anticipation, nervousness, finality. So I get it more than I did before.

The other issue that interested me was whether the DH was getting to the point of being universal.

We had heard rumblings that National League owners were finally coming around to it. Tony Clark, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, said the players were gaining momentum toward a universal DH.

But it’s not up to the players and Manfred threw cold water on it by saying, “The most likely outcome remains the status quo. If you get rid of the DH in the National League, there is a brand of baseball that is done. I think there is going to be some hesitation with respect to that.”

Both Manfred and Clark spoke a lot about a need to have conversations about some of the onfield issues, among them the increasing number of strikeouts, the effect of shifts on some of the top hitters in the game, the pitch clock, the strike zone, and the possibility it could be automated.

Clark also brought up the slow market for last offseason’s free agents. Neither Clark nor Manfred got into the status of a grievance filed by Clark on teams not spending their revenue-sharing money the right way.

“What the players saw last offseason was that their free-agent rights were under attack,” Clark said. He said that if this “attack on what has been the bedrock of our system” continues, then the players “have some very difficult decisions to make.”

Manfred discussed the topic of marketing of a player — Mike Trout, in particular — and why there isn’t more of it.

“Player marketing requires one thing for sure: the player. He has to make a decision that he’s wanting to engage in that area. Mike’s a great, great player and a really good person. . . . If he wants to engage and be more active . . . I think we could help him make his brand be really big.”

Spoiler alert: Red Sox are still dogged by dismal postseason numbers

Dan Shaughnessy

So much winning.

I am reading that these 2018 Red Sox might be the best Red Sox team ever. I have been made aware that no team has ever won 68 games before the All-Star break. I know that of the 19 teams to win 68 of their first 98 games, 17 went on to win the pennant and 11 won the World Series.

The Red Sox are white-hot and they’re going to stay hot after the break. Starting Friday in Detroit, the Sox resume their season with series against the Tigers, Orioles, and Twins (aggregate 63 games under .500). Alex Cora’s men might be playing .700 baseball by the time they face another team with a winning record.

In this spirit, some Sox fans are planning to be at Fenway on Tuesday, Oct. 23, for the first game of the 2018 World Series.

Not me.

Not yet.

I’m still panning feverishly to separate the gold nuggets from the fool’s gold.

There’s a lot of baseball left to play and these Sox can’t prove themselves until October. And as we keep reminding you, the Red Sox roster is not peppered with Mr. Octobers. The only Red Sox players on the active roster who were part of the active roster when the Sox last won a playoff series (2013) are Xander Bogaerts and Brandon Workman. Thus far, the Sox have a lot of Mr. Junes and Mr. Julys.

This is not to spoil the fun, or cast doubt on the ultimate awesomeness of the 2018 Red Sox. They have done everything they could possibly do in these first 98 games and are “the best team in baseball” as we enjoy the midsummer break. But let’s remember that against the other five best teams in the American League (New York, Houston, Cleveland, Seattle, Oakland), the Sox are 12-14. And their playoff numbers are pathetic.

This is not to say that what we are witnessing is not fun. There’s no critiquing a team that won 12 of 13 leading into the break. The Sox’ final series vs. the Jays last weekend had enough thrills to make a highlight reel for most teams. Who will ever forget Mookie Betts’s epic at-bat which led to the grand slam on Thursday? Or Bogaerts’s walkoff salami Saturday at the Fens? The Red Sox are the feel-good movie of our summer and they still haven’t played their 100th game.

But they still have everything to prove and deserve every one of the suspicions of the vaunted Fellowship Of The Miserable.

In reality, what’s miserable is the postseason numbers these Red Sox men have compiled over the course of their careers. There’s not a David Ortiz in the bunch. My colleague Chris Gasper did a nice job reminding us of this in his Tuesday column.

The Sox’ postseason numbers read like the grade point averages Dean Wormer recited in “Animal House.’’

Mr. Porcello: 11 appearances, 0-3, 5.47 ERA. Congratulations, Porcello. You are at the top of the Red Sox playoff pledge class.

Chris Sale: 2 appearances, 0-2, 8.38 ERA.

Bogaerts: 64 plate appearances, .214 batting average. A fine example you set.

Jackie Bradley Jr: 26 plate appearances, 13 strikeouts, .160 batting average.

David Price: . . . zero point zero. That’s Price’s winning percentage (0-8) in nine postseason starts.

Related: Trade talk is heating up for Orioles’ Manny Machado

Baseball’s ancient junkyard is littered with the skeleton frames of “wagons” who assembled eye-popping regular-season records but utimately flopped.

These Red Sox thus far closely resemble the 1946 Sox who finished 104-50, then lost the World Series in seven games. Ted Williams hit .200 (all singles) with one RBI in his lone appearance in the postseason.

■ The 1978 Red Sox started 62-28 and led the Yankees by 14 games on July 20. That team didn’t even make it to the playoffs.

■ I guess it’s a buzz kill to remind everyone of the 2001 Seattle Mariners who won 116 games, then were broomed out of the playoffs in a five-game ALCS vs. the Yankees.

Another reason to slow down the train is the fact that the 2018 Yankees and Astros are capable of being just as good as the Red Sox (both were better last year). The nightmare scenario in our baseball town would be to see these Red Sox win 100-plus games, compile the second-best record in baseball, then go home after either losing a wild-card game, or a best-of-five against the Yankees.

Despite their gaudy record, we all know these Sox have holes. The starting rotation is suspect, especially now that Eduardo Rodriguez (11-3) might be done for the year after his weekend collision at first base. I’m not counting on any late-season help from Messrs. Rodriguez, Drew Pomeranz, and Steven Wright. And no one can feel good about a playoff rotation of Sale, Porcello, Price, and Pray For Rain. Meanwhile the eighth inning is still a problem.

There. I said it. Again.

What we are seeing is impressive. And fun. But let’s hold off on “historic” and “greatest ever” until they actually win a playoff series — something they have done in only one of the last 10 years.

How Craig Kimbrel stacks up against the best Red Sox closers

Mark Dunphy

When Craig Kimbrel blew a 98-mile-per-hour fastball past Texas Rangers first baseman Ronald Guzmán on May 5, he picked up the 27th out of the game and the 300th save of his career. He became the fastest pitcher to reach that mark (in just his 330th save opportunity) and let out his trademark roar.

Kimbrel’s in the middle of another impressive season for the Red Sox. He hasn’t quite matched the absurd stats he put up last year (16.0 strikeouts per nine innings), but the closer is still doing what he does better than most anyone in baseball. As the Sox head into the All-Star break — with the best record in the majors in hand — Kimbrel has 30 saves and a 1.77 ERA to his name.

It won’t be much of a break for Kimbrel. He’ll be in Washington D.C. as a member of the American League side, his third straight selection in Boston and seventh in the past eight seasons. Included in that timeline is the five-year stretch from 2011-15 that compares favorably to the heights achieved by Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman at their peaks. Decent company, considering the awards for the AL and NL top relievers are named after those two save-artists.

Kimbrel wrapped up Boston’s last game before the All-Star break in his normal fashion. Three Blue Jays made their way to home plate in the ninth inning. The first managed to fly out to center. The second struck out swinging. And the third took Kimbrel to a full count, then watched a four-seam fastball land safely in Sandy Leon’s mitt for strike three.

With that performance in recent memory, here’s how Kimbrel stacks up against the best closers in Red Sox history:

Jonathan Papelbon

In seven years in Boston, Jonathan Papelbon became the team’s all-time leader in saves (219) — as well as an honorary member of the Dropkick Murphys. He made the All-Star team every year from 2006-09, striking out 312 batters over that stretch as the Red Sox won a World Series and he picked up a Delivery Man of the Year award.

During the World Series in 2007, Papelbon showed up and showed the Colorado lineup out. He appeared in three games, earning a save in each, and did not allow a run as the Sox swept the Rockies. His 2.33 ERA in Boston falls short of Kimbrel’s 2.16 mark with the Sox, as does his strikeouts per nine rate (10.7 vs. 15.0), but Papelbon walked batters less frequently.

Papelbon moved on to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2011, where he again topped the organization’s all-time saves leaderboard, and Washington Nationals, with whom he had a tumultuous tenure that ended in 2016.

Beyond the comparisons, there’s a mutual respect between the pair. When Kimbrel joined the Sox, Papelbon described him as “a younger version of me” — a comparison Kimbrel surely appreciated, given that he has studied Papelbon and tried to replicate his aggressiveness.

“He’s always been a guy who’s going to go after you, and you’ve got to respect that,” Kimbrel said in 2016.

Bob Stanley

Before there was Bill Buckner — like, minutes before — there was Bob Stanley. The Red Sox reliever gave up the tying run on a wild pitch (catcher Rich Gedman reached for the ball, “but not far enough”) in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, then Buckner’s error brought the winner home for the New York Mets. However, that moment shouldn’t overshadow a 13-year career in Boston that landed him in the Red Sox Hall of Fame.

Stanley held the top spot on the Sox’ saves chart for two decades until Papelbon came along. While that record fell, he still stands alone for most games played (637) and finished (377). Stanley was as versatile as they come on the mound and became one of the few pitchers to ever hit triple-digits in both wins and saves.

The “Stanley Steamer” made two All-Star games, first as a starter with a 16-12 record in 1979 and again in 1983 as a reliever after finishing the season with 30 saves. Although the comparison isn’t perfect, due to their different usage, Stanley did not put batters away at the same rate as Kimbrel does. He struck out 3.7 per nine innings, while Kimbrel is averaging 15.0 K’s in that time.

Koji Uehara

Before Koji Uehara came to the U.S., he twice won the Sawamura Award — Japan’s version of the Cy Young. He made the move to the states when he was 34 years old and his major-league career started slowly. Uehara would wait seven years for a season that truly matched his heights in Japan. But when it came, what a year it was.

Uehara didn’t start the 2013 season as the Red Sox’ closer, but he finished it a World Series champion and the ALCS MVP. At one point during the regular season, he retired 37 straight hitters. Uehara entered the playoffs with a 1.09 ERA, 101 strikeouts, and just nine walks. Once the postseason kicked off, he posted 16 strikeouts and zero walks in 13 2/3 innings.

The righthander continued that success the next season, earning an All-Star nod with 29 saves and an 11.2 SO/9 rate to his name. Over the course of his four years in Boston, he had a 0.81 WHIP — a few ticks better than Kimbrel’s .87 mark in a Red Sox uniform. Uehara comes within a whisker of Kimbrel’s ERA (2.19 vs. 2.16) and gets the nod in the walks per nine category, while Kimbrel has picked up more saves and the better strikeout rate.

Keith Foulke

If Stanley is going to get some of the blame for Buckner’s error, than Keith Foulke deserves credit for making Curt Schilling’s famous bloody sock game possible.

Foulke carried the Sox in Games 4 through 6 of the ALCS against the Yankees, firing 100 combined pitches on three consecutive nights. In Game 4 alone, he threw 50 pitches over 2 2/3 innings as the Sox launched their comeback. Then, in the World Series, Foulke closed out every game. He earned the victory in the opener and a save in the decider, finishing the series with eight strikeouts over five innings.

If Chad Finn could send any Red Sox closer out to the mound with the game on the line, Foulke is getting the call.

“He got arguably the biggest outs in contemporary Red Sox history, over the final four games of the 2004 ALCS and the four-game sweep in the World Series,” Finn wrote. “He was utterly fearless and should have been the ’04 World Series MVP. With everything on the line, I want the ball in his hand.”

In 53 games for the Red Sox over three seasons, Foulke earned 47 games. His 3.73 ERA and 7.5 strike outs per nine rate in Boston don’t touch Kimbrel statisically, but he proved himself equal to the most demanding of moments.

Dick Radatz

Fifteen wins is an impressive total for a starting pitcher. Dick Radatz, aka “The Monster,” did so twice — as a reliever. From 1962 to 1964, Radatz was an absolute force out of the Sox bullpen. His 1964 mark for strikeouts in a season (181) still stands as the most recorded by a reliever in the major leagues.

Radatz checked in at 6-feet-6 and 230 pounds. He spent the first four years of his career in Boston, averaging two innings per appearance as part of an outrageous workload. By the time he left the Sox in 1966, Radatz had won two All-Star awards — and faced 2,208 batters. He never reached those heights again and his career was over four years later.

However, before the orbit came back to earth, Radatz overpowered hitters. He was the first pitcher in MLB history to post consecutive 25-save seasons — beginning with his rookie year — which prompted Yankees manager Ralph Houk to say, “For two seasons, I’ve never seen a better pitcher.”

Tom Gordon

Tom Gordon was the Red Sox’ starter on Opening Day in 1997. By the end of the following season, “Flash” had set the club’s single-season record for saves (46). Forty-three of those saves came in consecutive appearances, a streak he would carry over into 1999 and extend to 54 saves in a row.

The righthander’s conversion from starter to reliever in Boston was an enormously fruitful one as he helped Pedro Martinez lay claim to 42 wins across 1998-99. Gordon spent four of his 21 major-league seasons with the Red Sox. Between his various roles, he concluded his career with 138 wins and 158 saves to his name.

While he had success at other points for eight different clubs, that 1998 season was the highlight of his time as a closer. He had a 2.72 ERA on top of those 46 saves, along with 8.8 strike-outs per nine — good enough for his first of three All-Star awards. His teammate on that 92-win squad, Dennis Eckersley, provided a scouting report on Gordon.

“You want to know why he’s been good?” said Eckersley at the time. “Two reasons: a 95-mile-per-hour fastball and a hook from hell.”

* The Boston Herald

Sale, Judge have some fun before teams reheat rivalry

Steve Buckley

WASHINGTON — He had jumped all over an 0-1 pitch from hometown hero Max Scherzer and socked it deep to left field for a second-inning home run, and now Aaron Judge was being mobbed by his American League teammates in the third-base dugout at Nationals Park.

But one teammate was not on the steps to greet the New York Yankees’ slugging outfielder: Chris Sale.

“I was inside (the clubhouse),” said the Red Sox left-hander, who pitched a scoreless first inning, including one pitch that hit 100.7 mph on the radar gun, as the starting AL pitcher in the 89th All-Star Game last night. “I’m trying to get all my stuff done so I can bet back out there and watch.”

To pitch a shutout inning, stage an in-game hallway press conference and then return to the dugout is an example of what the Midsummer Classic is all about: Everyone wants to make a dent in history, as Sale did when he joined Hall of Famers Lefty Gomez and Robin Roberts as the only pitchers to start three straight All-Star Games, but they also want to have some fun.

This isn’t like the old days, when it was said that St. Louis Cardinals ace Bob Gibson would have next to nothing to say to his National League teammates. All-Star Game or no All-Star Game, Gibson viewed Willie Mays, Pete Rose, Roberto Clemente and those other guys as his opponents.

So, yes, of course, Sale would want to return to the dugout and hang out with his boys, even if some of those boys included three members of the Yankees — Judge and pitchers Luis Severino and Aroldis Chapman.

They were all friends, if only for a night. The Red Sox’ J.D. Martinez was in the dugout to greet Judge, saying later, “Justin Verlander called (the home run), so we were all teasing him. We were all pumped up for him.”

This is the part where we need to point out that these good feelings between the Yankees and Red Sox will come to a close on Friday when the two teams resume the Steel Cage Match that is the AL East. But you knew that. What you may not have known is that this year’s All-Star Game festivities have actually revealed just how serious this year’s Red Sox-Yankees rivalry has become.

Enter commissioner Rob Manfred, who did not say yesterday that any city not named Boston or New York is a two-mule, Podunk town with sidewalks that get rolled up at midnight.

It just sounded that way.

The subject was baseball’s playoff system, which includes two wild card entrants from each league that square off in a one-and-done showdown.

Manfred loves the wild card format, which makes him a very smart man. Fear of being relegated to the wild card game forces good teams to take winning the division seriously, and it allows so-so teams to at least contemplate making a run for October.

Yes, it’s also going to force either the Red Sox or Yankees to face a harsh reality: Whereas both teams are trending toward winning 100-plus games, one of ’em will have its entire season determined by a winner- take-all game against, say, the Seattle Mariners or Oakland A’s.

There’s some pearl-clutching going on by people who see it as unfair that a team could win 100-plus games and yet suffer the indignity of having its fate determined by a one-game playoff.

These are called “dumb” people. They don’t get it, don’t see the big picture, don’t see any picture.

Kudos to the commissioner for sticking up for the wild card.

Kudos to the commissioner for saying what everyone is thinking: It’s a much bigger deal this year because two iconic, big-market teams who’ve been beating each other’s brains in for a century are now competing to avoid being that 100-win wild card.

“If it was, oh, pick two teams, the Brewers and the Reds that might be winning 100 games, the uproar would probably be a little less than the Yankees-Red Sox one,” he said. “So I don’t think you should get into redesigning your system based on the outcome in a particular year, particularly when you’re getting the fundamental dynamics that you wanted in the first place.”

To repeat, Manfred was not dismissing Milwaukee and Cincinnati as a couple of sleepy midwestern towns where, if the Brewers and Reds were hurtling toward 100-plus wins in the NL Central, nobody else would care.

What he was saying is that because it’s New York, because it’s Boston, because it’s the Yankees, because it’s the Red Sox, that’s the game-changer. Even if, for one of those teams, it might be just one game come October.

To nobody’s surprise, there was nothing in the way of contentiousness in the American League clubhouse as the All-Star delegations from the Red Sox (Sale, Martinez, Mookie Betts, Mitch Moreland, Craig Kimbrel) shared living space.

Was there any lighthearted banter between the two delegations?

“No, not really,” said Moreland. “Just been saying hi, things like that. We’ve mainly been signing, if ya’ll can see all that. That’s kind of what we’ve been up to. We haven’t really gotten into the race or anything. Just having some fun.”

Moreland gestured toward the two rows of tables running through the middle of the clubhouse, both of them overflowing with shirts, baseballs, caps and the players’ identification placards from Monday’s media day. Each player is expected to sign all this stuff.

Just across Kimbrel’s dressing stall one of his own shirts was laid out on the table . . . just below a Judge shirt.

“Yeah, we just put ’em out and sign ’em,” said Kimbrel. “I signed his jersey, I’m sure he signed mine. I like Judge. He’s a really nice guy. Easy guy to talk to.”

Just wondering if Bob Gibson spoke those words about Pete Rose when they were All-Star teammates.

But the 2018 All-Star Game is history, and so is the cordiality. The Sox and Yankees still have 10 games remaining against each other, and the outcome of those games may well determine which team captures the AL East and which team gets the consolation-prize wild card game.

Whatever happens, we’re looking at two 100-win teams.

One from New York, one from Boston.

That’s what makes it crazy.

* The Providence Journal

Red Sox Journal: All-Star Game was a proud moment for Moreland

Bill Koch

WASHINGTON --- Mitch Moreland didn’t need Tuesday night to validate his career.

By almost any measure in baseball, spending nine years in the big leagues is more than successful. And the 32-year-old Red Sox first baseman still appears to have plenty left to offer considering the strong numbers he posted into his first All-Star Game.

That said, Moreland was the most popular choice in the Boston clubhouse among the five Red Sox who enjoyed the festivities at Nationals Park. Chris Sale and Craig Kimbrel each made a seventh appearance, Mookie Betts was selected for the third straight time and J.D. Martinez was elected by the fans to start as the designated hitter in his second trip. Moreland went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles in a 8-6, 10-inning American League win, including a liner to left field in the eighth in a tough left-left matchup with Milwaukee’s Josh Hader.

“All of them are telling me that they’re proud of me — I’m supposed to be saying this to y’all,” Moreland said. “Mookie’s over there like, ‘Hey, I know you’re older than me, but I’m proud of you.’ I’m like, ‘Shut up, Mookie.’ ”

“We have a little group chat going making sure Mitch doesn’t get lost,” Martinez joked during Monday’s media availability.

Moreland began the season splitting at-bats with Hanley Ramirez and has grown into his role as Boston’s everyday first baseman. The .500 slugging percentage and .853 OPS he’s compiled through 77 games would both be career bests if he’s able to carry them through to October.

“It was huge, especially being a players’ selection,” Moreland said. “I thought that was cool. It’s something that I take pride in.”

Easy night for Sale

Sale was his usual dominant self while making his third straight All-Star Game start for the American League.

The left-hander required just nine pitches to work the first inning, the only inning he pitched. Javier Baez lined a first-pitch single to center leading off before Sale set down the next three batters.

“I always really enjoy these events,” Sale said. “Everyone sees the game and the Home Run Derby, but there are a lot of things that go on otherwise.”

Sale threw six fastballs in his outing, all clocked at 99.1 mph or better. Monday would have been his normal day to start with the Red Sox, and he appeared fresh and ready to take the ball with an extra day of rest.

“I felt really good,” Sale said. “Take a little time off, get an extra day, plus I’m only throwing one inning. Nice little tuneup. I felt good.”

Sale, Boston manager Alex Cora and A.L. manager A.J. Hinch all agreed it would be a brief stint in this one. Cora has been cautious with Sale throughout his first 20 starts, limiting him to 12 1/3 fewer innings and 171 less pitches than at this point in 2017.

“I think it’s a combination of a lot of things,” Sale said. “I say it a lot, but I’ve got a lot of good guys in my corner.”

Good company

Betts went 0-for-3 while becoming just the third three-time starter in team history. Ted Williams had three such stints (1940-42, 1949-51, 1955-57), David Ortiz posted a pair (2005-07, 2011-13) and Wade Boggs (1986-92) had the longest Boston spell in the starting lineup. Williams was the first Red Sox player to accomplish the feat. Frank Malzone (1958-60), Carl Yastrzemski (1970-72) and Fred Lynn (1978-80) round out the list.

The Red Sox right fielder struck out looking in the first, flew to deep center in the third and struck out swinging in the fifth. Betts faced three different pitchers, making solid contact against Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom and fanning against Washington’s Max Scherzer and Philadelphia’s Aaron Nola.

Betts also became the seventh player in franchise history to bat leadoff, the first since Johnny Damon in 2005. Betts and Damon are the only two Boston players to top the A.L. lineup since Pete Runnels earned the honor in 1959. Dom DiMaggio (1946, 1949, 1951, 1952) posted an .801 OPS and received Most Valuable Player votes five times during his seven-year span dominating the top spot.

Doc Cramer (1939), Bobby Doerr (1941) and Billy Goodman (1953) have also batted leadoff in an All-Star Game for the Red Sox.

A hit for Martinez

Martinez recorded the game’s first hit in the opening inning, grounding a first-pitch fastball from Scherzer up the middle for a single. The Red Sox outfielder/designated hitter became the eighth A.L. cleanup hitter for Boston and the second in three years, joining Ortiz (2016).

Three Red Sox players have had multiple appearances in that spot, including Williams (1941, 1950, 1951), Jim Rice (1979, 1983) and Manny Ramirez (2004, 2005). Jimmie Foxx (1938), Malzone (1963) and Yastrzemski (1977) also batted fourth while playing for the Red Sox.

Martinez struck out swinging against deGrom in the third and was done for the night, replaced by Nelson Cruz in the sixth.

Alex Cora’s positive impact goes beyond victories

Bill Koch

WASHINGTON — The team with baseball’s best record at the All-Star break features a rookie manager who was a World Series champion a season ago.

The Red Sox are on a roll under Alex Cora, the bench coach for the Astros in 2017 and a purveyor of their winning culture. There has been a noticeable, positive shift in the home clubhouse attitude at Fenway Park this year, a fact that came as no surprise to the Houston contingent at the All-Star Game.

“He kind of enjoys every day,” Astros outfielder George Springer said during Monday’s media availability at Nationals Park. “He made it a thing of his to come see how we were every day, to come check in on our families, and that’s a great quality to have. I can understand why those guys are in that position now because of him.”

Cora has been a more visible presence among the Boston rank and file than his predecessor, John Farrell, particularly on the road. Open spaces and lounge areas for the players instead of their cramped quarters at home lend themselves to relaxation. Cora is generally quick to escape the confinement of his office in favor of interaction, trash talking during card games or rifling off a quick greeting to the roster’s Spanish- speaking players.

“He’s definitely brought a comfort to our clubhouse,” Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel said. “He’s an easy guy to talk to. He’s very relatable.”

The coaching staff assembled by Cora — one that includes six first-year hires from outside the organization — has the Red Sox in control of several statistical categories. Boston’s offense leads the big leagues in runs scored, hits, doubles, total bases, batting average and OPS. The pitching staff is fifth in earned-run average, fourth in opposing OPS, second in strikeouts and sixth in strikeout-to-walk ratio.

“I keep saying I’m proud of them,” Cora said following a 4-2 victory over the Rangers last Wednesday. “They show up every day and they trust the information that is given. They’re working at their craft. They’re becoming great teammates. I keep saying the baseball talk is getting louder and louder, and good teams do that.”

Cora’s 14-year playing career with six different organizations, including four years with Boston from 2005- 08, gives him instant credibility. What he’s done from that starting point is mesh the game’s old and new, treating his players like professionals while feeding them statistical research he feels could be relevant to their performance. Mookie Betts swinging more frequently, Xander Bogaerts focusing on production over batting average and Chris Sale throwing fewer pitches with an eye toward October have all been key developments in the first half.

“He was one of the most prepared people I’ve ever seen in my life,” Houston third baseman Alex Bregman said. “He knows baseball. He’s a baseball rat. For the rest of us in the game that are baseball rats and love the game more than breathing or eating or sleeping, we love being around guys like that.”

The Red Sox and Astros faced off in a four-game series May 31-June 3, with Boston dropping the first two games and winning the last two to earn a split. Houston looked to have complete command after defeating Sale in the second game, 7-3, but the Red Sox battled back behind some slugging from Andrew Benintendi and two quality starts from David Price and Rick Porcello. Notice was served that weekend at Minute Maid Park that it could well be Boston and the Astros meeting again for second straight postseason.

“They do a lot of the same things, and that stems from Alex,” Springer said. “He wants them to play hard. He demands that they play hard. I think you’re starting to see that.”

Cora’s press briefings to date in Boston have been dotted with casual mentions of his former Houston players, all of the first-name variety. Jose (Altuve), George (Springer), (Alex) Bregman, (Justin) Verlander and Yuli (Gurriel) are staples, spoken with the familiarity that eight months together and a mutual goal tends to foster. That was a deliberate focus of Astros executive Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch.

“I think A.J. kind of trusted us,” Houston pitcher Charlie Morton said. “I think the front office trusted us. We would take care of the clubhouse, and we would take care of each other because we care about each other a lot.

“I think that’s what makes us a great team. It’s not just the names on the paper. It’s the relationships that we have with each other. We can wear the fatigue because of that. We can avoid a lot of the volatility because of that.”

Three games marks the longest losing streak for the Red Sox this season. Boston has followed consecutive defeats with at least back-to-back victories on five of eight occasions. And, more specifically, Cora has resisted any public outcry to act impulsively when it comes to players like Jackie Bradley Jr., Joe Kelly or Rafael Devers.

“He’s not afraid to talk to you about what you think about in a situation in the game or what you think about anything,” Kimbrel said. “It’s great. He’s a great manager. He’s been a great friend to a lot of the guys in our clubhouse this year. We’re very lucky to have him on our side.”

* MassLive.com

MLB All-Star Game 2018: Strong performances from rivals Aaron Judge, Alex Bregman remind Boston Red Sox of tall task to come

Chris Cotillo

WASHINGTON -- While the All-Star Game served as both a welcome break and deserved honor for the Red Sox' five representatives Tuesday night, it also served as a reminder of the tall task that awaits them.

Chris Sale (scoreless inning), J.D. Martinez (single) and Mitch Moreland (two hits) all made contributions in an 8-6 American League win, but the real stars of the night were players the Red Sox are likely to see again in October.

Houston's Alex Bregman was named All-Star Game MVP after a 10th-inning homer that gave the A.L. a lead. His teammate George Springer, Mariners infielder Jean Segura and Yankees slugger Aaron Judge all had homers, as well.

11 of the 13 hits by the AL on Tuesday came from members of the five teams currently projected to be playoff clubs-- the Red Sox, Indians, Astros, Yankees and Mariners. Four pitchers from those clubs (Sale, Luis Severino, Charlie Morton and Edwin Diaz, who got the win) appeared in the 10-inning game.

A staggering 25 of the A.L.'s 37 representatives came from the five projected playoff teams, while just 12 represented the 10 clubs who are not currently in playoff spots. Houston and Cleveland each had six representatives, Boston brought five players and New York and Seattle each had four.

Boston hasn't seen much legitimate talent in recent series, sweeping the struggling Nationals, Royals and Rangers before taking three out of four from the Blue Jays before the break. Next up are the Tigers, Orioles and Twins, who are all out of the contention at the break.

At 68-30, the Sox have done an excellent job of taking care of business against inferior opponents and beating who the schedule puts in front of them. But being on pace for a historic record doesn't guarantee anything, especially for a club that spoke all week about having their main goal being the last club standing.

For the five Red Sox in D.C. on Tuesday, being reminded of how good their A.L. counterparts are might be a good thing. Seeing Springer and Bregman perform again on a big stage brings back memories of last October. Being beneficiaries of Judge's power and Severino's nastiness, if only for one night, could make Boston appreciate its competition.

In the polarized American League, taking care of the non-contenders should be a layup for teams like the Red Sox, even more so now that talent like future Dodger Manny Machado is being shipped out. So it might have served the Red Sox representatives well to take a look around the A.L. clubhouse Tuesday night and realize that the biggest challenges are yet to come.

Mitch Moreland strokes 2 hits at 2018 MLB All-Star Game, says experience 'blurs together'

Christopher Smith

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Red Sox first baseman Mitch Moreland played in his first All-Star Game at age 32 and after 999 major league games.

He made the most of his experience. He went 2-for-3 with two singles to help the American League win 8- 6 in 10 innings.

"The (Home Run) Derby was fun with my son, which was kind of the big thing I was looking forward to," Moreland said when asked his favorite part. "You know, getting the kids out there and them getting to experience it. It kind of all blurs together. Ask me in a couple days and I'll might be able to answer it better. But it was a lot of fun."

He took a moment in the 10th inning to take it all in.

"It was the last inning, it kind of slowed down," Moreland said. "After I threw the ball to the fans right before the inning started, I just kind of looked around. Made sure I tried to take it in a little bit."

Moreland is batting .278 with a .353 on-base percentage, .500 slugging percentage, .853 OPS, 11 homers, 15 doubles, four triples and 46 RBIs in 77 games (286 plate appearances) for the Red Sox this season.

"It was definitely a lot of fun," Moreland said. "Just the whole couple days. Experiencing all of it. The fans out there tonight. It was pretty cool seeing some of the best out there swing it and throwing it. It was a fun game.

"The opening ceremony was great with those medal of honor recipients and the way they kind of honored that, I thought that was pretty special," Moreland added. "Almost bigger than the game itself. To be a part of that was special."

MLB All-Star Game 2018: How did the Boston Red Sox representatives perform Tuesday night?

Chris Cotillo

The Red Sox have five players representing the American League in this year's All-Star Game. Here's a look at how all of them performed.

Sale pitched a scoreless first inning, allowing a leadoff single to Javier Baez and striking out Paul Goldschmidt. He hit 100 mph on the radar gun multiple times.

Betts had an uncharacteristically bad night at the plate, going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. He K'd against Max Scherzer and Aaron Nola and flew out in his other at-bat.

Martinez hit a first-inning single off Max Scherzer before striking out against Jacob deGrom in the third.

Moreland entered as a defensive sub in the sixth inning, striking out in his first at-bat before hitting singles off Josh Hader and Ross Stripling.

Kimbrel was one of three players who did not appear for the AL, joining Cleveland's Trevor Bauer and Houston's Gerrit Cole.

MLB All-Star Game 2018: Craig Kimbrel doesn't pitch after heavy recent workload

Chris Cotillo

WASHINGTON -- Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel did not pitch in Tuesday's All-Star Game, citing a recent heavy workload as the reason.

Kimbrel said after the game that the American League team was trying to stay away from using him after he had pitched in four of Boston's last five games before the break. Not entering the game guaranteed Kimbrel receive a full four days off before the second half starts Friday in Detroit.

AL manager A.J. Hinch called upon Mariners closer Edwin Diaz for a save situation in the ninth, only to have Diaz give up a a two-run home run to Scooter Gennett that tied the game, 5-5. Blue Jays starter J.A. Happ then entered for the 10th inning, prompting some to start a #FreeKimbrel campaign before the end of an 8-6 American League win in 10 innings.

Kimbrel was the only Red Sox representative to not appear in Tuesday's game.

* RedSox.com

At ASG, Sale reaches speed unseen since '10

Blake Richardson

With one pitch, American League starter Chris Sale made it pretty clear he was excited for the All-Star Game presented by Mastercard, won by the AL, 8-6, in 10 innings.

With a man on second and two outs in the first inning, the lanky lefty induced a flyout to center field from Freddie Freeman on a fastball clocked at 100.7 mph -- the fastest pitch he's thrown since 2010.

In fact, Sale hit 101 mph and 100.7 mph back in 2010, when he was exclusively a reliever for the White Sox.

"He throws hard," said Cubs second baseman Javier Baez, the National League's leadoff hitter, on facing Sale. "Just got to hit the fastball. Let's see what I got on his fastball."

After allowing a leadoff double to Baez, Sale retired the next three hitters and finished his night with one hit, one strikeout and no walks on just nine pitches thrown. Sale is only the third pitcher to start in three straight All-Star Games, joining Hall of Famers Lefty Gomez (AL, 1933-35) and Robin Roberts (NL, 1953-55) as the only members of this distinguished club.

"I felt pretty good," Sale said. "I'll take a little time off, get an extra day. Plus I'm only throwing one inning. Nice little tuneup."

Sale had plenty of family to support him -- his sister, his brother-in-law and his three nephews. And best of all, as Sale took to the red carpet, he brought along his son.

"He had a blast," Sale said. "The whole red carpet event, he loves coming to the Home Run Derby. He's really starting to figure out names of guys, their stats, what positions they play and all of that."

Last year, at the All-Star Game in Miami, Sale threw two scoreless innings, and the year before that, in San Diego, he allowed one run in one inning.

Craig Kimbrel represented the Red Sox in the bullpen, though he did not close for the AL. Kimbrel said the plan was to rest him, since he had pitched four out of five days leading up to the game.

Sale's NL counterpart Tuesday night was Max Scherzer, who was also his opponent in last year's Midsummer Classic. They are the first two pitchers to face off as starters in consecutive All-Star Games since Red Ruffing (Yankees) and Paul Derringer (Reds) did it in 1939-40.

Sale is the eighth Red Sox pitcher to start the All-Star Game -- and the first to do it multiple times.

But as Sale stepped on the mound, he did not think about historical weight tethered to this start.

"The only thing I was thinking about out there was getting outs and not messing up," he said.

For J.D. Martinez and Mookie Betts, the All-Star Game posed a special kind of challenge: a new elite pitcher every inning. That meant no easy at-bats.

"You're facing power pitchers right now," Martinez said. "So that's kind of what you expect -- hit or miss -- with these guys. They're just tough, they're not going to give up two, three hits in a row."

Betts was the leadoff hitter for the AL, but he didn't reach base in his third Midsummer Classic, with two strikeouts against Scherzer and the Braves' Mike Foltynewicz and a flyout against the Mets' Jacob deGrom.

Martinez recorded his first hit in an All-Star Game in the first inning, when he drilled a grounder to center field against Scherzer, sending the Angels' Mike Trout to third. Martinez ended his second All-Star Game 1-for-2.

At the game, Martinez got to catch up with Jose Altuve, his former Greenville Astros teammate. He told Aaron Judge, "Ver called it" after Justin Verlander predicted Judge's second-inning home run.

But Martinez's favorite part?

"I think talking hitting with the guys, you know?" Martinez said. "In the cage and on the field, talking shop, that's what I like to do."

There were other highlights: the pregame ceremony honoring the military, which reminded Betts of his family members who served, and the smile on Mitch Moreland's face as he took to the field for his first All- Star Game. Moreland lined a single in the eighth inning, a liner to left field against the Brewers' Josh Hader, then singled again in the 10th off the Dodgers' Ross Stripling.

But before all that, during batting practice, the three Red Sox batters -- Martinez, Betts and Moreland -- found each other on the field. They stood aside from the other All-Stars, sharing a moment in Nationals Park.

"Yeah, just soaking in the experience," Betts said. "It's not like we're all veterans here. I've got the most and I've only got three, so just soaking it all in."

* WEEI.com

Red Sox All-Stars play supporting role as AL wins a record-setting homer-fest

John Tomase

Updates on the Red Sox All-Stars, who were largely bit players in the American League's 8-6 victory, in a game that featured a record 10 home runs, which accounted for all but one run. Astros teammates Alex Bregman and George Springer went back-to-back in the 10th to win it.

-- Left-hander Chris Sale started and went one inning. He allowed a leadoff single to Chicago's Javier Baez before sandwiching flyouts by Nolan Arenado and Freddie Freeman around a strikeout of Paul Goldschmidt.

-- Right fielder Mookie Betts led off the game with a strikeout as part of an 0-for-3 night. He struck out twice. The highlight of his evening was likely a selfie in the outfield with New York's Aaron Judge, taken by Angels MVP Mike Trout, during the third inning.

-- DH J.D. Martinez batted cleanup and went 1-for-2. He singled in the first off of Nationals starter Max Scherzer to put runners on first and third, but the rally stalled. He then struck out against Mets flamethrower Jacob DeGrom.

-- First baseman Mitch Moreland entered the game in the sixth as a defensive replacement, subbing for starter Jose Abreu of the White Sox. He then singled off Brewers reliever Josh Hader during a three-run eighth and singled again off of Dodgers right-hander Ross Stripling during a two-run 10th.

-- One year after earning the win in the 2017 All-Star Game, closer Craig Kimbrel did not appear. Toronto's J.A. Happ pitched the 10th for his first save, though he allowed a mammoth home run to Cincinnati's Joey Votto.

With Red Sox, Dombrowski has been shrewd at trade deadline

Alex Reimer

Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has made lots of big moves since joining the organization nearly three years ago. He’s signed David Price to a record-setting $217 million contract, traded for Chris Sale and inked J.D. Martinez to the best big-money free agent contract since Manny Ramirez. In the winter months, Dombrowski has lived up to his “Dealin’ Dave” monicker.

It’s been a slightly different story at the trade deadline, however. With the Red Sox making major splashes every offseason, Dombrowski opts to tinker with the roster over the summer. Despite some columnists calling for Dombrowski to act recklessly this month, he’ll likely follow a similar path in the coming weeks. At 68-30, the Red Sox don’t have any glaring needs. With one exception, Dombrowski's deadline modus operandi in Boston has been to act shrewdly. He looks for undervalued veteran pieces to complete the roster, because he’s already acquired the superstars to headline it.

With the trade deadline 14 days away, it’s useful to look back at Dombrowski’s history. It’s an indication of how he might improve this year’s team, which owns a rare opportunity to clinch the best record in the American League.

Veteran relief help

July 31, 2017: Red Sox send prospects Stephen Nogosek Gerson Bautista and Jamie Callahan to Mets for Addison Reed.

July 9, 2016: Red Sox send prospects Jose Almonte and Luis Alejandro Basabe to Diamondbacks for Brad Ziegler.

In both of these instances, the Red Sox traded prospects of modest value for veteran right-handed arms. Ziegler and Reed each pitched high-stress innings for the Red Sox, alleviating some pressure from their less experienced teammates. Ziegler emerged as one of John Farrell’s favorite options in 2016, sporting a 1.52 ERA in 29.2 innings. Reed, meanwhile, only allowed four runs over his last 19 outings.

Once again, it looks like the Red Sox are searching for an additional reliever to help Joe Kelly and Matt Barnes get to Craig Kimbrel. WEEI’s Rob Bradford pegs Padres lefty Brad Hand as a name to look out for.

Versatile veterans to round out lineup

June 29, 2018: Red Sox send prospect Santiago Espinal to Blue Jays for Steve Pearce.

July 26, 2017: Red Sox send prospects Shaun Anderson and Gregory Santos to Giants for Eduardo Nunez

July 7, 2016: Red Sox send prospects Wendell Rijo and Aaron Wilkerson to Brewers for Aaron Hill.

The move to acquire Pearce’s right-handed bat is already paying dividends. In Pearce’s first game with the Red Sox, he collected two hits against nemesis C.C. Sabathia, including a double in his first at-bat. The Red Sox acquired Pearce for his prowess against left-handed pitching (.851 career OPS), but he’s been an all- around force so far. He’s hitting .423/.500/.692 in 32 plate appearances, positioning himself as an ideal compliment to Mitch Moreland.

Nunez got off to a similarly torrid start last season, filling in for Dustin Pedroia at second base and also handling DH duties. The veteran infielder hit .321/.353/.539 with eight home runs in Boston. It’s hard to believe now, but Nunez was one of the Red Sox’ best hitters for a stretch last summer. He was an integral part of their playoff run.

Hill wasn’t nearly as good in 2016, splitting his time at various infield positions and only collecting a .577 OPS.

Though Dombrowski signed Brandon Phillips to a minor-league deal, he could be in the market for an additional infielder to help replace Dustin Pedroia. Kansas City’s Whit Merrifield, who’s batting .307/.378/.434 and played 62 games at second base, could be an option in a similar mold to Hill and Nunez.

The outlier

July 14, 2016: Red Sox send prospect Anderson Espinoza to Padres for Drew Pomeranz.

In this deal, Dombrowski sent one of the Red Sox’ best prospects, an electric 19-year-old right-hander, to the Padres for a starter who had one good half season under his belt. In other words, Dombrowski lived up to his caricature.

The trade hasn’t worked out. Pomeranz, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, won 17 games in 2017. But that’s where the good news ends. He’s been far less impressive this season, as he’s currently on the DL with a 6.81 ERA. In the second half of 2016, Pomeranz carried a 4.59 ERA in 13 starts.

While Espinoza is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery, he wasn’t traded for good value. It would be the equivalent of trading Michael Chavis for Jordan Zimmermann.

Dombrowski’s deadline history says he *probably* won’t do something like that. He’s more sly in the summer heat.

Jon Lester: David Price will 'figure out the Yankees at some point'

Rob Bradford

WASHINGTON, D.C. — During the regular season, Detroit has Jon Lester’s number. For his career, the lefty is just 2-6 against the Tigers with a 6.05 ERA in 11 starts.

So when Lester speaks to David Price’s struggles against the Yankees, there is some valuable experience behind the words.

Talking in the home clubhouse at Nationals Park prior to Tuesday night’s All-Star Game, Lester offered some advice to Price when it comes to turning things around against the team that has become his nemesis, New York.

“I haven’t seen enough of David Price’s games to know what’s going on. Obviously, I’m a baseball fan and I enjoy watching baseball. It’s easy to hear some stuff that’s going up there with everything,” Lester said. “But I think the biggest thing is sometimes when you have trouble against teams, we all have trouble against teams. We all have that one team that kicks our ass and for whatever reason you can’t figure it out. Sometimes it’s better to go out there and say, ‘Screw it, I’m not grinding this one. I’m going to try and execute one pitch at a time.’ A lot of times when that happens you look up you’re like, ‘Oh man, I threw the ball pretty well tonight.’ I think when you struggle against a team it’s kind of like, OK, when is it going to happen. I got through the first is it going to happen in the second? I got through the second, OK, is it now going to happen in the third? Then all of a sudden base hit to right, damn. Is this the inning? Walk. Oh man, Yankee Stadium, got a righty up. Boom. Three-run homer. There it is. You look up and you’ve given up six. Whereas if you’re just kind of plotting along and you’re not worried about that I think … It doesn’t always go well, but I think mentally that’s the way to kind of approach it sometimes.

“Sometimes you have teams you throw your hat and glove out there and you breeze through them. And you have teams no matter what you do, you can throw knuckleballs or whatever, and you’re still going to get your ass kicked. It’s just part of the game.”

Some might suggest Price needs to adjust his thinking against a Yankees team that has put up 12 runs in just 4 1/3 innings against the Red Sox starter this season. Lester doesn’t think so.

“No, I don’t think David Price needs to reinvent himself,” the Cubs pitcher explained. “He’s a pretty darn good pitcher and he’s been one for a while. I’m sure from what I’ve heard about him as far as work ethic and how he goes about his craft he will figure out the Yankees at some point.”

And in case you were wondering, Lester’s mark against the Yankees is 13-6 with a 3.68 ERA.

* The Athletic

Our beyond-the-obvious look at Red Sox first-half award winners

Chad Jennings

The All-Star break is an obvious opportunity to present some first-half awards, but the Red Sox have made the traditional awards a little too easy. MVP? Mookie Betts. Cy Young? Chris Sale. Reliever of the Year? Craig Kimbrel.

Duh. Obviously. Of course.

Where’s the fun in that?

Here at The Athletic, we’ve dreamed up a few new awards to better put some of the Red Sox first-half performers and issues into a better context. The Red Sox might have sent five players to Tuesday’s All-Star Game, but these are the awards that really matter.

The Keyser Soze award for suspense and payoff

The award goes to … Mookie Betts’ 13-pitch at-bat

Just like the climactic finale of The Usual Suspects, Betts’ fourth-inning at-bat last Thursday was edge-of- your-seat, must-see excitement. And the reward after 13-pitches was a go-ahead grand slam that left Betts – calm, cool, understated Betts – absolutely losing his mind, and his footing, as he rounded the bases. It was not the most important moment of the season, but it was a pure thrill with a shake-the-stadium payoff. The fact the Red Sox’ best player was at the center of the action made it even better. Certainly one of the most memorable moments of the year, and by Betts’ own admission, one of the most exciting moments of his career. And if we want to go bigger picture with this: We’re also seeing Betts take another step forward in his career, the kind of payoff that’s been bubbling ever since his arrival in 2014.

The Moon Landing Award for drama and conspiracy

The award goes to … David Price vs. the Yankees

With Price, there’s always drama. Some of it is goofy (OMG! A child of the ’80s is playing video games, and he’s sometimes sarcastic!) and some of it is serious (last year’s elbow issues, this year’s hand numbness and carpal tunnel diagnosis) but there’s nothing that brings out the conspiracy theories quite like his trouble against the Yankees. Never mind that some of the best starts of his career have come against them, ever since Price joined the Red Sox, he’s had trouble with the rivals in New York. He opened this season with two scoreless starts, then had the numbness issue against the Yankees and lasted only one inning. He rolled through a terrific month of June, then gave up 8 runs against the Yankees on July 1. In between, he skipped one start because of the wrist injury, and it was against the Yankees. With three Yankees series still to come, Price should have an opportunity to prove his head-to-head woes are coincidence, or give credence to the idea he just can’t handle New York.

The Maximus Decimus Meridius “Are You Not Entertained?” Award

The award goes to … Chris Sale

For about two months, it seemed Sale wasn’t quite as good as last season. He got off to a brilliant start, then he strung together nine starts with a 3.66 ERA. For some pitchers, that would be a high point, but for Sale, it was a brush with mortality. The Red Sox actually lost five of those nine games. Beginning on June 8, though, Sale reasserted himself as a truly dominant force in the American League. In the past seven starts, he’s pitched to a 0.94 ERA with 78 strikeouts, 10 walks and five runs allowed. He leads the league in ERA, FIP and strikeouts, and his season numbers – ERA, WHIP, strikeouts per nine – are now better than last season. If he can come close to maintaining this pace, this could be a career year, which is really saying something for a guy with Sale’s resume.

The 2004 ALCS Memorial Award for best comeback

The award goes to … Brock Holt

Three years removed from his own All-Star selection, and following two years of concussion, vertigo and other injury issues, Holt came to spring training without a guaranteed spot on the roster. He had options remaining, which meant it was entirely possible the Red Sox would send him to Triple-A and keep someone else as their utility infielder. But Holt was terrific this spring, he earned his keep, and he’s since earned more playing time with a slash line reminiscent of his first half of 2015. He’s played five positions (and could have played a sixth if the Red Sox hadn’t preferred Eduardo Nunez as the backup third baseman). He’s also brought an energy that he was clearly lacking through the frustration of last season.

Robin Leach’s Best Big-Ticket Item

Robin Leach spent years bringing us into the homes of people who had much, much smaller salaries than J.D. Martinez | Photo by Boris Spremo/Toronto Star via Getty Images The award goes to … J.D. Martinez

Because we’re focused on the here-and-now, there seems to be only one candidate for this award, but really, there are several. The Red Sox have not been shy about spending money, and committed millions upon millions to sign David Price, Hanley Ramirez, Pablo Sandoval and Rusney Castillo, all of whom the Red Sox are still paying, even though only one is still on the big league roster. Given the recent sense of buyer’s remorse, this winter’s splurge on Martinez has been something of a steal. For the low-low price of $50 million over this year and next – before opt-out opportunities kick in – the Red Sox have gotten even more than they bargained for. He leads the majors in home runs and RBIs, and he’s second to Betts in slugging percentage. He’s also brought a blue collar work ethic to the clubhouse, and a chip-on-his- shoulder personality that’s well-suited to the Boston spotlight. Money well spent, indeed.

The Local Pub’s Favorite Two-For-One Special

The award goes to … Hector Velazquez and Brian Johnson

Did anyone know what to expect from these guys coming into spring training? Velazquez had been pitching in the Mexican League two years earlier, and Johnson was an out-of-options lefty without much of a big league track record. What they’ve become is a two-man force that fills one vital role: they’re glue, used to hold the pitching staff together. Both Velazquez and Johnson have plugged rotation gaps as needed, while otherwise serving as multi-inning specialists in a bullpen that often feels short-handed. And they’ve each pitched pretty well. They’re nowhere near the standouts on this roster, but their performance and versatility have been key to making the whole thing work.

The George Harrison Award for understated, underrated performance

George Harrison, finally getting the respect he deserves | Photo by Express/Express/Getty Images The award goes to … Matt Barnes

This is Craig Kimbrel’s bullpen, and everyone knows it. And as far as second fiddles go, Joe Kelly’s over- the-top personality, brawl-inducing fastball, and absurdly good first two months stole most of the remaining spotlight. But Kelly’s faded significantly, and Kimbrel can’t do it all on his own, so it’s actually Barnes who’s quietly emerged as a dominant setup man. According to FanGraphs, Barnes actually has the same WAR as Kimbrel, and he has an opponents’ batting average better than Dellin Betances, Blake Treinen and Cody Allen. Barnes also ranks sixth among American League relievers in strikeouts per nine innings. In the past month, he’s also gotten his walks under control, at least temporarily solving his greatest weakness. Barnes has quietly gotten better and better, year after year, and this year he’s been even better than many have realized.

The Humpty Dumpty Memorial Award for lost causes

The award goes to … Hanley Ramirez

Say this for Red Sox ownership: They’re willing to cut their losses. Rusney Castillo continues to toil in the minor leagues, Pablo Sandoval has been released to play in San Francisco, and on May 25 the Red Sox decided they’d seen enough of Ramirez. There was no putting him back together again. Manager Alex Cora certainly tried. He gave Ramirez two months of everyday at-bats behind Betts and Andrew Benintendi, and in front of Martinez. There were runners on the bases, and protection on deck, and Ramirez couldn’t maintain his strong first month. Coupled with the rise of Mitch Moreland, the Red Sox decided they could move on with the fairly stunning decision to cut bait and let Ramirez go. He’s since stayed at home without signing with a new team, and without the Red Sox missing him in the lineup.

The Bill Gates Award for inevitable fortune

The award goes to … Xander Bogaerts

With his manager in his ear, telling him he belongs among the best shortstops in the game, Bogaerts has responded with a career year. He’s already exceeded last season’s home run and RBI totals, and he’s on pace for the highest OPS of his career (with a slugging percentage nearly 100 points higher than ever before). Although he didn’t make the All-Star team, his WAR ranks 15th in the American League, just slightly below Manny Machado and higher than Carlos Correa. And what timing! Bogaerts has one more year of arbitration eligibility before he hits the open market as a just-turned 27-year-old in 2020. With this sort of breakout season so close to free agency, Bogaerts is putting the pressure on the Red Sox to lock him into a long-term contract sooner rather than later.

The Rafael-Devers-Doesn’t-Count Rookie of the Year

The award goes to … Alex Cora, Tim Hyers, Dana LeVangie

The Red Sox have a 21-year-old kid at third base, but that doesn’t mean they have a real Rookie of the Year candidate. Devers actually exceeded rookie limits in 2017, so he’s not eligible, which means the Red Sox’ top rookie has been, who? Johnson? Bobby Poyner? Tzu-Wei Lin? No, no, no. The best first-year guys in the Red Sox clubhouse are the manager, hitting coach and pitching coach. Cora, Hyers and LeVangie had never held those titles before this season (except for Hyers’ stint as interim hitting coach for a few months in 2014). Those three have led a deep coaching staff filled with good communicators who come from a variety of backgrounds, and they’ve helped mold this organization into a more forward- thinking group that integrates analytics alongside an emotional, aggressive style of play. So far, so good.

For Dana LeVangie, an unlikely journey from local kid to Red Sox mainstay

Joe McDonald

Tommy Tanous remembers how it felt the first time he thought he broke his hand catching a baseball, and exactly who made it feel that way.

It was almost 30 years ago, and Tanous was a junior shortstop at American International College in Springfield, Mass., when his teammate, Dana LeVangie, exploded out of his catcher’s crouch and unleashed a rocket throw toward second base. The ball was humming a few feet off the ground when Tanous received it.

“It hurt,” Tanous recalls. “You had to make sure you got to the bag quickly, otherwise the ball was by you and in the outfield.”

Now the vice president of international and amateur scouting for the New York Mets, it’s Tanous’ job to identify, draft and sign talent. When scouting catching prospects, an impressive throw from the plate to second is 2.0 seconds. Tanous believes LeVangie’s time in 1991 would have been 1.8 seconds.

“It was as good [an] arm as you could get,” Tanous said. “It was something I had not seen before.”

While his numbers in college were impressive, it was LeVangie’s baseball knowledge and dedication to the game that really set him apart. A native of Whitman, Mass., he was drafted by the Red Sox in the 14th round in 1991, and played six seasons in the team’s minor league system.

He gained a reputation along the way as a dedicated, quiet and knowledgeable baseball mind, and that’s why he’s still with the club today, marking his 28th season in the organization, and first as the pitching coach for the Red Sox.

LeVangie is now in his 28th year with the Red Sox. | Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images Along the way, he’s been a bullpen catcher, a pro scout, an advance scout, a bullpen coach and now the pitching coach shepherding one of the best pitching staffs in baseball. At the All-Star break, the Red Sox’ pitching staff ranks fifth in the league with a 3.59 ERA, second in saves (33), second in strikeouts (955) and seventh in average against (.233). At this point last season, the Red Sox were fourth in ERA (3.83), sixth in saves (25), fifth in strikeout (830) and 11th in average against (.251).

His ascension to pitching coach is the incredible culmination of an unlikely three-decade baseball journey, one that still hasn’t fully sunk in for a kid from Whitman who grew up idolizing players like Jim Rice and Wade Boggs — and now works alongside them.

“No. No it hasn’t,” LeVangie said. “It really hasn’t. My locker was next to Johnny Pesky for a long time, and God love him, what a great man. There’s so many guys I’ve run across along the way, and have become friends with, it’s pretty special.”

LeVangie has earned his place alongside those more famous names. Many current and former Red Sox personnel involved in the 2007 World Series championship credit LeVangie’s advance scouting as a key factor helping guide Boston to success.

“He’s the best kept secret in the game, or the best kept secret for the Boston Red Sox,” Tanous said. “Everybody you talk to in the inner circle of baseball is impressed with Dana.”

Growing up in Whitman, sports was the main topic of conversation in the LeVangie household. Dana’s father, Alan, was a Red Sox fan, and Dana had two older brothers and one younger brother.

“There was sports constantly in the household,” LeVangie said. “My dad, the way he worked and the way he loved baseball, I learned from him more than anyone.”

After graduating high school in 1987, Levangie attended Cape Cod Community College for two years before playing baseball at AIC. He hit .473 with 13 home runs and 87 RBI his senior year and was named the 1991 Division II Northeast Player of the Year. He also played in the New England College All-Star game that year at Fenway Park.

“He was the most self-motivated player I ever saw,” Tanous said. “During the offseason, no one worked harder in the weight room. During the season, he was so prepared for every game. He was the leader of the team, but an extremely quiet leader. He was ready. He played hurt. He was always prepared. He was the best player on the team, and the most intelligent too.”

LeVangie was drafted in June 1991 and began his pro career soon after with Short-A Elmira in the New York-Penn League. In 1992, he was playing instructional league in Winter Haven, Fla., when he learned that his father had a week to live. Dana returned home to be with his family when his dad passed away from cancer. He was 49. Dana was 22.

“I’m sure, in a lot of ways, Dana would like to have his father see what he’s doing now, being a New England kid, and I’m sure that breaks his heart a little bit,” Tanous said.

After losing his father, LeVangie continued his minor league career, and worked his way up the ranks, reaching Triple-A. He suffered a broken hamate bone in his left hand during the 1996 season, which became his last as a player. Despite the injury, he played the entire season.

Buddy Bailey has been a minor league manager for 30 years and he managed LeVangie with the Pawtucket Red Sox in ’96. LeVangie’s knowledge of the game stood out even then,

“He was always a team guy who put the team first and tried to absorb everything he could. He was a pro,” said Bailey. “He was always disciplined and had all the qualities to be a coach. Obviously, being a catcher always helps because who talks to the pitching coach more during a game? The catcher. The pitching coach and manager talk to the catcher more than anybody else, so they get more input than any other player. Basically, your catcher is your second manager and second pitching coach on the field. That’s why many former catchers stay in the game and move on and have success. He’s a student of the game and always paying attention to detail.”

After completing the season at Pawtucket, LeVangie called the Sox’ farm director at the time, Bob Schaefer, to figure out his next move.

“He was a really good catch-and-throw guy with some brains, but he couldn’t hit too good,” Schaefer said. “In this day and age, he’d probably be in the big leagues with the way backup catchers are.”

Schaefer called then-Sox GM Dan Duquette to recommend LeVangie’s services for the vacant bullpen catcher’s job in Boston, but the original offer wasn’t enough to support the family LeVangie hoped to build. LeVangie and his wife, Traci, now have a son, Liam, 17, and a daughter, Avery, 14.

Schaefer pushed for Duquette to make the position a full-time gig because Schaefer knew how valuable LeVangie could be for the club.

That discussion gave LeVangie the vision to stay in the game, and only a week later Schafer called and offered LeVangie the bullpen catching job. When he was told it was a full-time position, and he would be traveling with the team, he accepted immediately. He spent the next eight seasons in that role.

“It was all a big learning curve leading me up to this position, which I never thought would happen,” LeVangie said. “My first job as the bullpen guy, just learning how players dealt with things, how they reacted, how they learned and how they went about their business was really important. It also allowed me to prepare and learn the league a little bit along the way.”

Joe Kerrigan was the pitching coach at the time, and he allowed LeVangie to watch video with the coaching staff during his days as the bullpen catcher.

“It was a huge stepping stone, leading up to where I’m at now,” Levangie said.

He served one season as a pro scout — a role where he focused on which opposing players might someday be good acquisitions for the Red Sox — which helped him when he became an advance scout, where he scouted opposing teams in order to help the Sox defeat them. That one season as a pro scout taught LeVangie the importance of being disciplined with his work while watching the opposition.

“That was really the true transition leading into the bullpen coach and now being the pitching coach,” he explained.

He served as an advance scout until he transitioned in the Sox’ bullpen coach in 2013, a season that concluded with another World Series title. When Red Sox manager John Farrell was fired after the 2017 season, LeVangie figured his Sox career would be over.

That’s not the way Alex Cora felt.

“He got my attention when I was here as a player,” Cora said. “He was an advance scout and he did an outstanding job in ’07 to prepare us throughout the playoffs. He caught my eye and I thought if something happens down the road he’s going to be a guy I’m going to call and I did call him. He’s as prepared as anybody. He pays attention to detail, which is something that I ask of my coaching staff. He’s very passionate, not only for the game, but for the franchise, which is very important.”

There’s so much turnover in professional sports, especially baseball, that spending 28 seasons with the same franchise in all different capacities is an impressive feat in its own right. Ownership has changed. General managers have changed. Mangers have changed. Players have come and gone. LeVangie has become a fixture for the franchise.

“Everybody he comes in contact with when a team transitions, he impresses them and they have respect for him,” Tanous said. “The only way you can do that is somebody says, ‘we can’t get rid of this guy because he’s too valuable.’”

Even after all these years, it’s obvious that LeVangie is still, at heart, that local kid who grew up a Sox fan — idolizing Rice, Boggs and Roger Clemens. When asked if he ever caught Clemens, LeVangie quickly responds with a big smile: “Yes I did. I got a chance to play some long toss with him and catch a bullpen, which was pretty special.”

Along the way, LeVangie has been a member of three World Series teams and progressed through the organization because it valued his baseball intelligence. He was not a traditional choice to be the team’s pitching coach. The Red Sox went with him anyway, and so far the results have been there, to the delight of many of those who have followed his journey through the game.

“I root for him every day,” Schaefer said. “He was one of my favorite guys [with the Red Sox] because he made himself what he is and he never complained about where he was, or what he was doing. I’m happy that it’s worked out for him.”

It doesn’t surprise those who knew him as a player that LeVangie had a bright future in the game. It’s lasted for 28 years, with no end in sight. Until that day comes, LeVangie will show up to the ballpark each afternoon with a smile on his face, ready to work, ready to help his Red Sox win.

“It’s everything I ever thought it would be, everything I dreamed growing up as a kid,” he said. “Everybody wants to be a professional athlete, or involved with a professional team — it’s everything I thought it would be and more.”

* Associated Press

Record 10 homers as AL wins All-Star Game 8-6 in 10 innings

WASHINGTON — A record 10 home runs. A slew of strikeouts.

The all-or-nothing All-Star Game mirrored what baseball has become.

Astros teammates Alex Bregman and George Springer homered on consecutive pitches to begin the 10th inning, and the American League beat the National League 8-6 Tuesday night for its sixth straight win.

"Standard operation nowadays, right?" said AL manager A.J. Hinch of Houston. "We're going to homer and punch out as an industry."

"There's a great love affair with both results. I mean, to kind of empty your tank and hit homers tonight at this event is probably the best thing imaginable," he said. "Just to have that kind of emotion that comes with the home run, especially when the big boys hit it and especially when the Astros hit it."

Mike Trout , Aaron Judge and Jean Segura also connected for the AL in a game where every run except one scored on a homer.

Scooter Gennett hit a tying two-run shot off Seattle closer Edwin Diaz in the bottom of the ninth. Joey Votto , Willson Contreras , Trevor Story , Christian Yelich also homered for the NL.

There had never been more than six homers in an All-Star Game since Babe Ruth hit the very first one in 1933.

One of the homers came off Milwaukee's Josh Hader. After the game, the 24-year-old reliever took responsibility for racist and homophobic tweets that resurfaced while he was pitching.

Hader said he was immature at age 17 when several of the tweets were posted. Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem said he had spoken to Hader, and the league would have no comment before Wednesday.

"There's no excuse for what was said," Hader said. "I'm deeply sorry for what I've said and what's been going on. It doesn't reflect any of my beliefs going on now."

While several sluggers went deep, not everything went their way. Starters Max Scherzer and Chris Sale and the relievers combined to fan 15 in the first 4 1/2 innings, and there were 25 strikeouts overall.

Fitting, because this season is on pace to become the first with more strikeouts than hits, a year after a record number of home runs.

"You're facing power pitchers right now, so that's kind of what you expect: hit-or-miss with these guys," Boston's J.D. Martinez said.

Martinez, who leads the majors in homers and RBIs, singled and struck out in his two at-bats.

Orioles shortstop Manny Machado had fun, pulling out a camera to snap a selfie at second base after Matt Kemp doubled. By Wednesday, they could be teammates — Baltimore seems ready to trade Machado, with the Dodgers and Phillies in the mix.

"I'm just trying to enjoy this moment with the American League guys," Machado told FOX in the dugout. "If this is the last time (in a Baltimore uniform), hopefully I treated them well and did everything I can for the organization."

Major League Baseball, meanwhile, seemed to take a selfie of itself, with all the homers and strikeouts. This was MLB 2.018, an update that's not appealing to everyone.

"Some of us are going to get them and they're going to get us. It's just how it goes," Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman said.

Declining attendance is a concern, and the sport's owners worry that slower games with less action on the bases are taking a toll.

A day after hometown star Bryce Harper electrified the crowd by winning the Home Run Derby, it was eerily quiet for most of the evening at Nationals Park. Harper didn't excite the fans, either, fanning in his two at-bats.

The popular Presidents Race drew the biggest cheer in the middle innings, with the big-headed George Washington character prevailing.

The only thing missing was a bevy of defensive shifts. Overloaded infields are the norm now, Hinch and NL manager Dave Roberts of the Dodgers pretty much played things straight up.

Bregman and Springer homered off losing pitcher Ross Stripling of the Dodgers — that's kind of how last year ended, too, with Houston battering Los Angeles pitchers in the World Series.

Bregman smiled all around the bases and earned MVP honors. He's familiar with this city, his grandfather having been the general counsel for the old Washington Senators.

"My dad grew up on Ted Williams' lap. So to see Ted Williams Most Valuable Player on this trophy is pretty special," Bregman said.

Segura's three-run homer in the eighth landed in the bullpen and broke a 2-all tie. The Seattle infielder popped up the previous pitch, but Votto, Cincinnati's reliable first baseman, dropped it for an error as he approached the dugout railing. Segura then connected off Hader.

Judge homered in the second off Scherzer, the Nationals ace who became the first reigning Cy Young Award winner to start an All-Star Game in his home park. There was another judge at the park besides the Yankees slugger — Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee.

"It's tough to barrel up some balls when you've got some of the best pitchers in the game throwing against you and you don't really have a scouting report. You're just going up there swinging," Judge said.

Trout kept up his All-Star excellence, tagging Mets righty Jacob deGrom. A two-time MVP in his event, Trout is 7 for 15 with five extra-base hits and three walks in these games.

Diaz wound up with the win and Toronto's J.A. Happ got his first pro save after giving up Votto's homer.

So-so All-Star Game at home for Nationals' Scherzer, Harper The AL won for the 18th time in 21 games played to a decision, and leads the series 44-43-2. Not since the early 1960s has the AL been ahead.