The Friday, May 14, 2021

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Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox bust out of hitting slump in rout of A’s

Julian McWilliams

The Red Sox were in an offensive funk heading into Thursday’s series finale against the A’s.

The Sox had dropped their last three games, beginning with a loss Monday in Baltimore against the Orioles. During that slide, the Sox hit just .141/.198./239 with a .437 OPS in 101 plate appearances and stranded 16 baserunners.

After starting the season on an offensive tear — especially from the heart of the order — the Sox were in a collective offensive rut. On Thursday, however, the Sox’ bats came alive again.

The Red Sox sent 17 hitters to the batter’s box against Oakland A’s starter Sean Manaea, who managed to retire just six of them.

The Red Sox chased Manaea after two , battering the lefthander for seven runs on 10 hits, including a pair of home runs, in an 8-1 win at , which helped the Sox avert a three-game sweep.

Boston’s 13-hit assault came on the heels of a pair of setbacks vs. the A’s during which the Red Sox had nine hits combined.

Michael Chavis led off the game with a scorching double that slipped underneath the glove of A’s center fielder Rámon Laureano, who appeared to make a bad read on the ball. Known for his accurate arm, even Laureano couldn’t nab the hustling Chavis, who safely reached after a head-first dive into second base.

“I knew it was going take a second for [Laureano] to get up,” Chavis said afterward. “So off the bat, I’m just trying to take a hard turn around first. Then it was just a read, where I was just waiting to see what was going to unfold.”

What unfolded afterward was a Red Sox offensive onslaught.

After J.D. Martinez’s single scored Chavis, (3 for 3 with a walk and 3 RBIs) took Manaea deep for a two-run homer to left, giving the Red Sox a quick 3-0 lead.

In the second frame, singled. came to the plate and ripped Manaea’s second offering, an 89.7 m.p.h. sinker, to straightaway center for a two-run homer that expanded Boston’s lead to 5-0. It was Dalbec’s third homer of the season.

Manaea, who threw a no-hitter against the Red Sox three years ago in Oakland, was working on his second career no-hitter in his previous outing against the Rays. Manaea surrendered a leadoff double in the eighth to .

Before the game, Red Sox manager knew the type of his team was facing in Manaea.

“He’s a good one,” Cora said. “We just got to make sure we get him up. Be very disciplined in the strikes zone, and if we do that we should be OK.”

The Red Sox proved to be more than OK.

Manaea appeared as if he was leaving the ball on a tee for the Red Sox, who registered seven hits with an exit velocity of 105-plus m.p.h. It was the hardest hits allowed by any pitcher since Jake Peavy gave up seven such hits in April of 2016.

“I think Michael set the tempo,” manager Alex Cora said. “J.D. got a hit, And then Xander, he was hunting a pitch in the zone. It just kept rolling. And it was cool to see them add on and give Garrett [Richards] a margin for error. We were able to do a lot of things today.”

Richards had his way with the A’s lineup, allowing five hits with four over six scoreless innings. It marked the third time in his last four outings Richards has given the Sox at least six innings. He went seven innings in his other two outings.

“We’ve done a lot of work the last month and we feel like we’re in a good place right now for me to repeat my delivery,” Richards said. “Tonight I wish I would have been able to eliminate some of the walks. It probably cost me a couple of innings. But that’s part of . There’s always stuff you can work on.”

In the sixth, with his club leading, 7-0, Richards walked to load the bases. It brought up A’s slugger, , who grounded into a double play to end the threat.

Garrett Whitlock took over for Richards in the seventh and picked up his first save of the season after allowing one run on three hits over three innings of relief.

The Red Sox (23-16) next host the Angels and Mike Trout for a three-game set beginning Friday. After a brief halt to an offense that has been the best in baseball through the quarter of this season, the Red Sox hitters regained their stride. One that was rooted in conviction.

“It was electric,” Chavis said.

Red Sox reliever aiming to elevate his game, zone delivery

Julian McWilliams

The Red Sox have stressed the importance of pitching up in the zone to Hirokazu Sawamura. In his one- appearance in a 6-2 win against the Orioles May 7, Sawamura yielded his fourth homer of the year.

“ is down in the zone,” manager Alex Cora said afterward. “That’s something that we have talked about.”

Sawamura heeded Cora’s words, intimating Thursday afternoon the importance of pounding the top of the zone with his fastball, and getting the fastball above the hitters’ swing paths. It’s part of the adjustment Sawamura said he’s learned to make since arriving from Japan.

“The hitters here, I think they’re good at scooping the low strike, the low fastball,” Sawamura said before the Sox’ 8-1 win vs. the A’s at Fenway Park. “That’s the pitch I’ve given the off. They have long reach.”

Sawamura made an adjustment in Tuesday’s outing, striking out four A’s hitters over two innings of no-hit work.

Sawamura could give the Red Sox’ struggling bullpen a big boost in high-leverage situations, provided he can can build on Tuesday’s outing during which he worked a season-high two innings, recording a career- high four strikeouts.

“If I’m asked to pitch in high-leverage situations or tough situations, as a pitcher that’s an honor,” Sawamura said. “I’m really honored to be able to pitch in those situations and I can make that sort of my motivation to go out there if [Cora] gives me the ball in a tough situation.”

Hernández, Arroyo close

Kiké Hernández (right hamstring strain) likely will go on a rehab assignment Saturday or Sunday, per Cora. (left hand contusion) hit for the first time Thursday.

“It seems like both of them are trending in the right direction” Cora said. Especially Enrique. And that’s good news for us.”

Hernández will DH on Saturday then play center on Sunday. The team will make a decision on what to do with Arroyo based on how he feels coming out of batting practice.

“We just have to wait and see,” Cora said. “But it seems like he’s feeling a lot better. The fact that he’s going to hit outside is a positive for us.”

Casas on a tear had an evening at the plate for the Double A in a 14-3 demolition of the host Hartford Yard Goats on Wednesday. The Red Sox top prospect and No. 1 pick (26th overall) in the 2018 MLB amateur draft went 4 for 6 with two homers, one double and six RBIs. Casas also scored three times.

In Thursday’s 6-5 win at Hartford, Casas was 2 for 4 with a 3-run homer. Casas is hitting .313/.371/.625 slugging with three homers in his first eight games.

“He’s a good hitter,” Cora said of Casas. “He hasn’t played much baseball since he signed, but it’s good to see him putting good swings [on the ball]. He knows the game. He knows his swing. He knows what to do with his swing.

“And here’s a guy whose future is bright the way we see it. He’s a very important piece of this organization.”

Sea Dogs to fill ‘em up

The Portland Sea Dogs announced they will go back to full capacity at Hadlock Field beginning in June. This falls in compliance with Maine’s updated COVID-19 protocol guidance for outdoor facilities.

Maine’s governor, Janet Mills, announced recently 70 percent of the state’s population age 18 and older received at least their first COVID-19 vaccination.

Masks won’t be required when fans are outside watching the game, but facial coverings will be mandated upon entry into the stadium. Masks also need to be worn when fans walk in public areas through the concourse or while in the bathroom.

“We have carefully followed the expert guidance of the state throughout the entire pandemic and feel confident with today’s announcement that we will be able to safely host fans in our traditional seating arrangement,” said Geoff Iacuessa, the Sea Dogs president and general manager.

Letting be himself is paying off big for Red Sox

Alex Speier

How on earth did Nick Pivetta transform from an outcast from Philly into an indispensable rotation contributor for the Red Sox in what feels like the blink of an eye?

The question looms large given Pivetta’s role in the Red Sox’ strong start to the 2021 season. As he enters his start against the Angels on Friday (following a one-day stint on the COVID-19 while recovering from his second shot), Pivetta is 5-0 with a 3.19 ERA this year.

He’s not overpowering opponents. His 23.3 percent rate is slightly above league average for starters. Rather, he’s been precise in his attack. Though he’s posted one of the highest walk rates in the big leagues (16.7 percent), he’s avoided the middle of the zone and garnered weak contact (.189 batting average, 0.5 homers per 9 innings, both in the top 10 in the AL) when he’s not missing bats.

Pivetta has performed well beyond his career standards — yet not in a way that surprises anyone. He’s always had a pitch mix — premium fastball velocity and a rare ability to spin breaking balls — that lit up scouts and analytics departments across the game.

Former Phillies GM Ruben Amaro recalled that when he landed Pivetta as a minor leaguer from the Nationals in exchange for in 2015, he had “scouts banging on the table” with suggestions of the righthander’s potential.

“The ceiling for me was a guy that could probably pitch somewhere in the middle of the rotation, up to a two,” said Amaro. “He has the physical attributes to be able to maybe even be better than that … It came down to whether he was able to hone it. It’s a fine line between being an also-ran and being a really good pitcher in the major leagues.”

Pivetta wobbled along that line in Philadelphia in a way that was comfortable for neither him nor the team.

He’d come through the minors being told to attack the bottom of the zone with his four-seam fastball/sinker// combination. Yet in a promising first full season in the big leagues in 2018 — though he went 7-14 with a 4.77 ERA, he struck out an impressive 10.3 batters per nine innings — it became clear that his four-seamer played better at the top of the zone than the bottom.

The Phillies asked him to ditch the sinker completely, locate the fastball at the top of the zone, then spin his breaking balls off it, believing such a plan of attack would have similarities to that of Justin Verlander. But a sensible strategy proved easier to design than implement.

“It was, ‘OK, we’re going to change you and you need to pitch up in the zone.’ There wasn’t a lot of tutelage for how to do that. It was more, ‘Just throw up,’” recalled Ryan Hamill, Pivetta’s agent. “You have to re-wire your body to throw up in the zone. You have to learn how to do it. The problem is, when you learn to throw up in the zone, you tend to miss in the middle of the zone. That’s what I think he really struggled with.”

Pivetta struggled to adapt in 2019 and received little latitude to acclimate. After four starts, he had an 8.35 ERA and was demoted to the minors. When he returned to the big leagues, he showed improvement in eight starts (4.73 ERA) but was shifted to the bullpen for the final two months of the year.

A pitcher who’d exuded confidence coming to the majors faced uncertainty. By the time the Phillies traded him and minor leaguer to the Sox for relievers and last summer, he seemed lost.

“You start wondering, ‘Am I a Four-A guy?’ You start changing the person you are. That’s kind of what happened,” said Hamill. “I think the best thing that ever happened for Nick was to get traded, get a clean slate. We had many conversations about this when he went over where we said, ‘Hey, I don’t want to say this is your last chance, but it’s your last chance. You need to go and show what you’re capable of doing … You can’t blame the organization anymore. You really have to go in and this is on your shoulders. Pitch how you want to pitch.’”

The Sox agreed. When Pivetta joined them, the team didn’t tell him how to pitch. Coaches and team officials asked for his input, starting with the mechanics with which he was comfortable.

Pivetta let them know that he wanted to spread the zone from top to bottom with his fastball. The team offered information about both what kind of results he got in different areas with his pitches — as well as how his sequences played. But they put the ball, quite literally, in his right hand.

“That’s the thing Nick keeps telling me,” said Hamill. “He’s like, ‘These guys are letting me be myself. They’re letting me pitch down in the zone. They’re not saying every fastball has to be letter-high.’”

Ironically, with that message, Pivetta has been working chiefly in the top third of the zone and above it with his four-seamer this year — his most effective location.

“We’ve worked hard on trying to build that trust of how it plays and where it plays and why it does. He’s done the work and buy-in for it,” said gameplan coordinator . “It hasn’t been easy for him. He’s getting there. He’s getting more and more confidence with it.”

He’s doing so with the sort of velocity (94.6 miles per hour) that he had coming up with the Phillies. With the realization that he can command his slider in the zone, he’s significantly increased his usage of it, roughly doubling it compared to his time in Philadelphia. With those two hard offerings, his curveball has locked up hitters — more of a strike-stealing change of speeds than a primary option.

The total package has been that of a pitcher who, at 28, seems to be defining himself as a key contributor on a first-place team.

Jarren Duran is crushing the ball in Worcester ... but don’t expect him to be called up to the Red Sox soon

Alex Speier

Last summer, offered hope to the Red Sox in a dismal, pandemic-compressed season. While the big league team struggled to a last-place finish, Duran put on a show at McCoy Stadium.

In 2019, he hit .303/.367/.408 with 46 steals in High-A and Double-A. But while he showed incredible athleticism and speed, along with an all-fields line drive stroke to hit for average, he displayed little power, hitting just five homers in 578 plate appearances.

But at the Alt Site last summer, Duran tapped into new reservoirs of power thanks to a swing adjustment. He delivered the farewell fireworks at McCoy, launching eight homers in a couple months of intrasquad games.

But it was unclear how to evaluate the performance. Would his newfound power — the product of a change he made after 2019 to lower his hands in order to create a cleaner path to the ball — translate into games when he wasn’t just facing his own teammates?

Nine games into the inaugural season of the Triple-A , Duran has provided a compelling start of an answer. In 40 plate appearances, he’s crushed four homers, including two in the opening of Polar Park on Tuesday, and a 440-foot smash off a 95 MPH fastball on Wednesday. The most recent blast was precisely the type that would have been almost impossible in 2019.

“I just think I’m able to get to that pitch now,” said Duran. “Before, it was kind of a struggle for me to get to the inside pitch. Now I have a different path. It’s more clean and fluid to get to those pitches.”

Through nine games, Duran is hitting .314/.400/.686 with those four homers. He also stole his first base of the season on Thursday. After an 0-for-11 start in the season’s first three games, he’s 11-for-24 with a .458/.536/1.000 line in his most recent six games.

His performance since last summer has put him very much on the prospect map, a status with which the 24- year-old — an unheralded seventh-rounder in the 2018 draft — admitted some discomfort.

“I kind of like being a non-prospect. People don’t expect a lot out of you,” said Duran. “Not being a prospect to start, you just work your butt off as much as you can and then things come your way with hard work. I just worked hard, did the right things, play hard, do what I need to do, and things go your way.”

As much as Duran’s performance is generating excitement and anticipation, it seems unlikely that a callup is imminent — even with the Sox outfield having struggled to this point in the season.

He still has work to do defensively, as his outfield play has been uneven. Moreover, the Sox want Duran not just to show he can handle Triple-A pitching but to demonstrate that he can sustain his performance when facing the level for a second and perhaps third time — requiring him to adapt and adjust his approach as attack him in different ways.

That approach, they hope, will position him not just to reach the big leagues as a fill-in but to stay up whenever he is promoted to the big leagues. It shouldn’t be considered a shock if he remains in the minors past this year’s trade deadline. (In the last decade, the Sox waited until roughly the deadline or after to call up Xander Bogaerts and , while calling up and Bobby Dalbec just before it.)

Nonetheless, the talent is undeniable. Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has said that Duran will tell the Sox when he’s ready for the big leagues. Duran seems happy to let his play make that statement.

“You don’t have to go out and try to show you’re a well-rounded hitter,” said Duran. “If you just keep playing the game the way you know how, it’ll show itself.

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Red Sox’ ‘electric’ offense breaks out against Sean Manaea to avoid sweep from A’s

Steve Hewitt

It was a little more than three years ago when the Red Sox’ dominant start to the 2018 season was quieted for a night, as Sean Manaea no-hit them in Oakland.

So, it was only right that the Red Sox’ dominant offense broke out of its brief funk against Manaea.

A three-game cold spell at the plate was put to bed early Thursday, as the Red Sox were relentless against Manaea and cruised to an 8-1 victory at Fenway Park. They recorded 13 hits, matching what they produced in their previous three games combined, including a home run each from Xander Bogaerts and Bobby Dalbec to avoid getting swept by the A’s.

“Electric,” simply said of the outburst.

It was Chavis, who’s playing like someone who doesn’t want to go back down to Worcester, who set the table. For a third consecutive night, Alex Cora started Chavis, and the infielder rewarded his manager’s faith by starting the first with a hustle double, as he perfectly read a dive from A’s center fielder Ramon Laureano to charge into second.

That ignited the offense, as J.D. Martinez scored him on an RBI single before Bogaerts hit the first pitch he saw from Manaea for a two-run blast off the foul pole in left to make it 3-0 within the first eight pitches they saw.

“I think Michael set the tempo,” Cora said of Chavis, who added another hustle double in what was a lopsided game in the fifth. “Three games in a row we didn’t do too much, and right away he hits a missile and he just kept running. He saw Laureano didn’t come up clean with it and he kept going and just set the tempo for the whole night.”

The Red Sox clearly weren’t worried about how the week had gone up to Thursday. Martinez said all great offenses go through these stretches. Cora instilled confidence in what he described as a great offense, but he knew the entire lineup — not just the top of the order that has been carrying the offense for most of the season — needed to pick up the slack.

They seemed to take it to heart. Dalbec, who sat for the first two games of the A’s series as he continued to slump, returned with a bang, crushing a two-run shot that went 432 feet to dead center. That started another three-spot in the second inning. Bogaerts, who took a night off from shortstop to be the , capped it with an RBI double as he rebounded well from a frustrating performance on Wednesday with a 3- for-3 game.

“I’m trying to convince him to DH tomorrow again but he wants to play short,” Cora said. “It was good to see him hunting the first pitch and putting a good swing on it. Then he keeps adding on.”

Manaea’s night wasn’t long after that. He surrendered three consecutive singles to begin the third before he was mercifully pulled to finish another maddening night for him against the Red Sox. He was charged with seven earned runs on 10 hits, as Fenway Park continued to be his personal house of horrors. In four starts in Boston, he’s lasted a total of 14 1/3 innings with 39 hits and 25 earned runs allowed, for a disastrous 15.96 ERA.

Other takeaways from Thursday’s win:

— The A’s apparently didn’t learn not to run on Hunter Renfroe. A night after his amazing throw from center hosed down Matt Chapman at third base, he started another highlight-reel play on Thursday.

With at first and two outs, hit a double to right, and Murphy tried hustling home. But from deep in right, Renfroe made a perfect throw to cutoff man Jonathan Arauz, who relayed it with a strike to the plate as Christian Vazquez swiped him out for the inning-ending play to preserve what was still a shutout.

“Not too many outfielders go after that ball in a game like that, right?” Cora said of Renfroe. “And he’s hustling all the way. The last play was amazing. He’s playing right field and it’s pretty amazing, it’s eye- opening.”

— had another stellar outing, pitching six scoreless innings and striking out four. The only real jam came in the fifth, when he loaded the bases with one out. But he escaped it as he induced Chapman into an inning-ending double play. In his last four starts, Richards is 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA.

Red Sox Notebook: Kiké Hernandez to begin rehab assignment, Triston Casas impresses

Steve Hewitt

After a week in which their lack of bench depth has been glaring, some needed reinforcements seem to be well on their way for the Red Sox.

Kiké Hernandez (hamstring) and Christian Arroyo (hand) are on target to come off the injured list next week. Hernandez, who would be eligible to return next Tuesday against the Blue Jays, is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester this weekend. The plan is for him to play as the designated hitter on Saturday and second base on Sunday.

Arroyo was expected to hit prior to Thursday’s game, an encouraging sign for his left hand contusion, which had been hit by a pitch twice recently.

“It seems that both of them are trending in the right direction, especially Enrique,” manager Alex Cora said. “That’s good news. … With Christian, like I said, we just have to wait and see, but it seems like it’s feeling a lot better. The fact that he’s going to hit outside is a big positive for us.

Opening up

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask in most settings, the Portland Sea Dogs on Wednesday announced they would return to full capacity for home games in June. The team said that masks will not need to be worn while outside watching the game, but will still be required for entry into the ballpark and while indoors on the concourse and in the restrooms.

Tickets for all Sea Dogs home games will go on sale May 19 at 9 a.m.

“We have carefully followed the expert guidance of the state throughout the entire pandemic and feel confident with today’s announcement that we will be able to safely host fans in our traditional seating arrangement,” Sea Dogs president and general manager Geoff Iacuessa said in a statement.

Fenway Park increased to 25% capacity this week, and Red Sox president Sam Kennedy is optimistic that full capacity will come this summer.

“We are hearing all good news,” Kennedy said Thursday on WEEI’s ‘The Greg Hill Show.’ “Things are getting much, much better. People at the state and the city tell us they’re hopeful that we’re on track to opening to 100 percent capacity at some point this summer. No specific dates, of course. We’re hoping that August 1st would be the latest. We’ve got concerts scheduled and Zac Brown just added a date, so we’re hoping to be at full capacity as soon as possible. And gosh, just to go to 25 percent was great, 10,000 people last night, it really makes a huge difference.”

Looking for a spark

Bobby Dalbec was back in Thursday’s lineup after sitting the previous two games in which Cora had opted for Michael Chavis at first base. The manager explained that he’s looking for ways to get the most out of a lineup that’s mostly struggled outside of their top hitters, and Chavis had been putting up better at-bats than the slumping Dalbec.

“I know that he’s (Dalbec) working hard, but at the end, we’ve got to go with the lineup that we feel is going to produce that day,” Cora said. “(Thursday), we’ve got a bunch of righties out there against a lefty. That’s something we do. Obviously we’re not giving up on the players. We know they’re good and they can contribute, but at the same time, we need to start putting up runs, too. We need to start getting contributions from other people.

“That’s where we’re at right now. I know they’re working hard and all that, but at the end, with the lineup, we’re trying to maximize everybody’s talent and where they’re at right now. That’s where we’re at.”

Casas breaks out

Triston Casas, the Red Sox’ top prospect, produced a monster performance for Portland in the Sea Dogs’ 14-3 win on Wednesday, going 4-for-6 with two homers and six RBI. The 21-year-old Casas struggled in his first six Double-A games but Wednesday provided a reminder of the promising future for the Red Sox’ 2018 first-round pick.

“He’s a good hitter,” Cora said. “He hasn’t played much baseball since he signed, but it’s good to see him putting good swings. He knows the game. He knows his swing, he knows what to do with his swing, and this is a guy that the future’s bright the way we see it and he’s a very important piece of this organization.” …

Pitcher Nick Pivetta was reinstated from the COVID-19-related injured list a day after being placed on it due to side effects from the second dose of his vaccination. He’s in line to start Friday night’s opener against the Angels. , who pitched two scoreless innings in Wednesday’s loss, was sent back to Worcester.

Michael Chavis’ success with Red Sox puts pressure on struggling Bobby Dalbec

Jason Mastrodonato

Michael Chavis remembers what it’s like to be the new guy.

It’s isolating, a bit scary and made worse when the results aren’t there.

So when Chavis was asked to describe the dynamic between him and Bobby Dalbec, a pair of young and unproven Red Sox prospects who are currently competing for playing time and, eventually, a roster spot, he remembered that feeling.

“It is a competition, but it’s not,” Chavis said after the Sox’ 8-1 win over the A’s on Thursday night. “He doesn’t care about the competition aspect. He cares about me as a person, I care about him as a person, and at the end of the day, we are just absolutely pulling for each other. And one of the beautiful things about this team is that you don’t really feel that kind of fighting atmosphere. There’s always going to be guys competing for spots and competing for positions, but everybody’s pulling for each other.”

Less than a week since being recalled to the big leagues, Chavis has made his presence felt.

Hitting leadoff Thursday night, he started the game with a hustle double and ended the night 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles and some solid defense at second base.

One could already argue that Chavis has done as much to impact the Red Sox’ record in five games than Dalbec has done in 31.

But Dalbec looked like a fire was lit under him on Thursday. He hit a majestic home run that bounced somewhere off the back wall in center field just to the right of the . It was measured at 432 feet, though it looked even farther than that. He also hit a single the other way to raise his average back to .200.

“We’re going to keep pushing him and keep grinding,” manager Alex Cora said. “There’s a lot of work to do and he’s put in the work. It’s something that we’re trying to put the best lineup out there on a daily basis and I just thought the last two days were good for him to reset again and give Michael a chance to go out and play.

“The two were really good today. Solid every day for everybody.”

For the previous two games, Dalbec was forced to watch from the bench as Chavis started twice in a row at first base, Dalbec’s position all year. Cora had been supportive of Dalbec throughout his season-long slump, but said Thursday that it was time to perform.

“The other kid came in and hit a home run right away,” Cora said of Chavis. “We’ve got 26 guys and we’ve got to maximize them. One guy is struggling, the other is putting good at-bats … I know that (Dalbec) is working hard, but at the end, we’ve got to go with the lineup that we feel is going to produce that day.”

If watching from the bench was difficult for Dalbec, imagine the pain for Chavis, who had to watch Red Sox games from home as he was stuck in Triple-A Worcester, despite an impressive in which he hit .250 with six homers, one shy of Dalbec’s Grapefruit League-leading seven home runs.

Chavis didn’t hold back when asked if the last month-plus in Triple-A helped him.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “I feel like while I was down there, it was difficult to get work in. I wasn’t able to get my routine going just because we weren’t playing legitimate games, we didn’t have umpires, and the one thing I was told to do down there was focus on zone recognition. It’s really complicated and tough to do when you don’t have an umpire.

“So while I was down there, I did my best to stay ready, and that was kind of the approach that I took. I wasn’t so worried about finding that difference or finding anything like that. Because I felt amazing in spring, I felt like I performed very well, I felt like I took care of business, and I was proud of myself. I was proud of the shape that I came in, I was proud of how I performed, I was proud of how I took care of my business in the clubhouse and the weight room, on the field, off the field. And that’s about it, honestly.”

Now he’s back in the big leagues and looking like a spark in the Red Sox lineup.

With Kiké Hernandez and Christian Arroyo both eligible to return May 17, it looks like one of either Chavis or Dalbec will be heading back to Worcester.

“Competition is always good,” Cora said. “We always talk about it. I know they both want to be in the big leagues, they want to contribute. The one that benefits from all that is the team. So if that’s the case, so be it.”

If Chavis keeps adding a spark to the lineup, the pressure’s on Dalbec.

Red Sox prospect Jarren Duran produces more excitement with 440-foot homer

Steve Hewitt

At the dawn of the minor league season last week, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said that top outfield prospect Jarren Duran would show him how soon he could be ready for a major-league call-up by how well he performed over the course of the Triple-A season.

It’s just nine games in, but Duran is already starting to knock on the door with some exciting performances in Worcester that certainly have to be garnering Bloom’s attention.

Two days after homering twice in front of Bloom in the WooSox’ opener at Polar Park, Duran continued his power surge with a moonshot in Worcester’s 7-4 win over Syracuse on Thursday night, a 440-foot blast over the right-field wall that the center fielder took a moment to admire before rounding the bases.

“Felt pretty good,” Duran said modestly afterward.

That might be understating how he’s performed over the last week. After starting his Triple-A career hitless in his first three games, Duran is 11-for-24 with four homers in his last six, a product he said of not doing too much at the plate.

Whatever it is, the results are coming. And he’s showing that the newfound power he showcased at the alternate site in Pawtucket last year, when the minor league season was cancelled due to COVID-19, is no fluke, as he’s translated it loudly into real competition.

Thursday’s blast was a sign of how far he’s come with his power, as he turned on an inside 95 mph fastball for the no-doubt homer.

“I just think that I’m able to get to that pitch now, because before it was kind of like a struggle for me to get to the inside pitch and now I have a different path,” Duran said. “So it’s more clean and fluid to get to those pitches. …

“It still feels like I’m working. Some days I feel good on the inside, some days I don’t feel good. It’s a daily battle. It’s just baseball, working on your swing every day. But yeah, it does feel better.”

Though fans may clamor for a call-up sooner than later, Bloom will be practicing patience with the 24- year-old Duran as he continues to put in that work. Though his highlight-reel homers will certainly generate excitement, the Red Sox don’t want to overreact. And they want to see him continue developing with his outfield defense.

“I think we’re gonna learn a lot,” Bloom said on May 4. “We want to make sure we don’t try to learn too much from a really small sample but just having him go through the ups and downs of the season and playing every day and doing it with the various ways that we have to track his performance. We’re gonna learn a lot pretty quickly but at the end of the day, it’s up to the player. Every confidence that Jarren is going to go out there and knock that door down but he’ll tell us when he’s ready.”

Duran’s time is certainly coming. The spotlight is firmly on him, even if the 2018 seventh-round pick who has blossomed into one of the Red Sox’ top prospects isn’t totally comfortable with the attention yet.

“I kind of like being a non-prospect, because people don’t expect a lot out of you,” Duran said. “Not being a prospect to start, you just work your butt off as much as you can and then things come your way with hard work. I just worked hard, did the right things, played hard, do what I need to do and things go your way.”

* The Providence Journal

Pivetta returns from COVID list, in line for Friday start

Bill Koch

It certainly appears as though Nick Pivetta will make his next start as scheduled for the Red Sox on Friday night.

The right-hander was removed from the COVID-19 list Thursday afternoon. Boston placed Pivetta there Wednesday after he experienced side effects from his latest shot inoculating him from the virus.

Right-hander Eduard Bazardo was optioned to Triple-A Worcester after pitching a pair of scoreless innings in a Wednesday loss to the Athletics. Pivetta has been generally superb in his nine starts with the Red Sox since his trade from the Phillies in August. He’s 7-0 overall and holds a 3.19 ERA in 2021.

Garrett Whitlock and were mentioned as possible starters if Pivetta couldn’t take the ball against the Angels. Whitlock hasn’t made a start above the Double-A level with Trenton in 2019 while Andriese has made just one start over his past three seasons. The pair of right-handers have served as long men out of the Boston bullpen to date in 2021.

Whitlock compiled a 2.41 ERA as a minor leaguer, starting in all but four of his 42 appearances. His last start was made against Boston’s Double-A affiliate in Portland, as he allowed nine runs — just three earned — in July 2019. Whitlock had Tommy John surgery soon afterward and missed the whole of the 2020 season.

Andriese had enjoyed marginally better success as a reliever — a 4.39 ERA out of the bullpen as opposed to a 4.76 ERA taking the ball to begin a game. His last start occurred July 31 against Houston, and he lasted just 1⅔ innings. Andriese’s previous appearance occurred after Shohei Ohtani failed to record an out for the Angels — Los Angeles visits the Red Sox this weekend.

More fans in seats soon

Fenway Park is operating at 25% capacity as of this series against the Athletics, and it could be expanding soon.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has announced outdoor venues will expand to full capacity beginning Aug. 1, and Boston believes that day could arrive even sooner. Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy confirmed as much in a Thursday morning appearance on "The Greg Hill Show."

“People with the state and the city tell us they’re hopeful we’re on track for opening to 100% capacity at some point this summer,” Kennedy said. “No specific dates, of course — we're hoping that Aug. 1 would be the latest.”

Kennedy was appearing on WEEI, which is the flagship radio station of the team. Boston has moved aggressively in recent weeks based on the possible loosening on COVID-19 restrictions, booking additional concert dates for the Zac Brown Band in early August.

Casas impressed Cora

Count Red Sox manager Alex Cora among those impressed by the performance of the club’s top prospect Wednesday night.

Triston Casas closed 4-for-6 with a pair of home runs at Double-A Portland. The left-handed hitter belted a pair of tape-measure shots to deep right against Hartford.

Casas added a double and a single in his plate appearances. He was a first-round draft pick in 2018, and Boston signed him for full slot value to prevent him from honoring a verbal commitment to play college baseball at Miami. Casas spent a considerable amount of time last summer at the alternate site, which was based at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket.

Help on the way

The Red Sox are hopeful to have some injury reinforcements soon.

Cora said Kiké Hernandez (right hamstring) could begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Worcester as soon as this weekend. He’s hopeful Christian Arroyo (left hand contusion) could join him in the coming days as well.

Hernandez suffered his injury while doubling off the Green Monster in a home series against the Tigers. Arroyo was shut down after he was hit by a pair of pitches on the back of his left hand.

Boston is also monitoring the progress of pitchers (left elbow), (sore flexor muscle) and Connor Seabold (right elbow inflammation). Sale and Seabold are working out in Fort Myers at the club’s spring training home. Houck is improving but has yet to progress to the point where he might be scheduled in a game anytime soon.

Sawamura learning to 'blend in' with Sox mates

Bill Koch

Hirokazu Sawamura is borrowing from a piece of Red Sox history to build relationships with his teammates.

It was former Boston reliever Junichi Tazawa who introduced Hi-Chew to the clubhouse nearly a decade ago. The fruit-flavored candy originating in Japan has made its return in 2021.

Sawamura is the chief distributor and it has given him an inroad to becoming better acquainted with his fellow members of the bullpen. Puchao, a competing variety featuring flavors such as grape, mango, strawberry and melon, has also been an instant hit.

“Hi-Chew is the key for good communication,” Sawamura said through translator Yutaro Yamaguchi. “Extremely popular.”

Sawamura went into Thursday’s series finale with the Athletics just 38 games into his career. This is all still a bit new for someone who has been a professional since debuting with the Yomiuri Giants in 2011. New country, new city, new primary language — his off-field adjustments have been more significant than attempting to consistently retire the best hitters in the world.

“I try to ask a lot of questions, even though I really don’t speak English,” Sawamura said. “I try to learn it and speak it. In that way, I’ve kind of been able to blend in with my teammates.”

Sawamura allowed just one hit through his first five outings, covering 5⅓ innings. He found the going a bit tougher over his next eight appearances, surrendering four home runs and pitching to a 6.00 ERA. Sawamura got back on track Tuesday against Oakland, striking out four in two scoreless frames.

“He’s a rookie at this level regardless of the age,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “He’s done a good job with us.”

MLB has trended toward the three true outcomes at the plate — home runs, walks and strikeouts — in recent seasons. Approaches at the plate tend to be more contact-based in Nippon . Sawamura allowed just 22 home runs over his final 262 appearances.

“They’re good at scooping the low strike zone — the low fastball,” Sawamura said. “That’s the pitch I’ve given up home runs off. They’ve got a long reach.”

The Red Sox would like to see Sawamura work more vertically in the strike zone — at the top, split-fingered fastballs at the bottom. His average four-seam velocity of 95.6 mph is enough to live up by the hands. Opposing hitters swing and miss at Sawamura’s splitter 44.4% of the time.

“He’s had some swings and misses,” Cora said. “I think he’s been really good against lefties. He struggles with command sometimes, but overall he’s been really good.”

Matt Barnes has established himself as the closer, but Cora acknowledged this week that Boston was still “searching” for the right structure to set him up. Darwinzon Hernandez and have received the bulk of the chances thus far, but neither has been reliable enough to lock down the seventh or eighth inning all to himself. Sawamura could emerge as an option over the course of the season — it would be no different than the paths traveled by Hideki Okajima, Tazawa and Koji Uehara to the back end of the Red Sox bullpen.

“If I’m asked to pitch in a high-leverage situation, a tough situation, as a pitcher, that’s an honor,” Sawamura said. “I’m really honored to be able to pitch in those situations. I can make that sort of my motivation to go out there if [Cora] gives me the ball in that situation.”

Okajima was a breakout star with the champions, pitching to a 2.22 ERA and emerging as one of the top options ahead of Jonathan Papelbon. Tazawa debuted in August 2009, was the winning pitcher in of the 2013 Championship Series and set up Uehara against the Cardinals in the Fall Classic. Joel Hanrahan and Andrew Bailey were preferred in the ninth inning prior to Uehara taking the job midseason and never letting go.

"Since I came to MLB, it’s been a wonderful experience," Sawamura said. "It’s been really fun. I’m glad the team is in a good position right now."

* MassLive.com

Xander Bogaerts, Bobby Dalbec homer as Boston Red Sox rout Athletics, 8-1; Garrett Richards tosses 6 shutout innings

Chris Cotillo

BOSTON -- More than three years after Sean Manaea no-hit the Red Sox in Oakland, Boston got its revenge in a big way.

The Sox tagged Manaea for seven runs and 10 hits in 2+ innings Thursday night and routed the Athletics, 8-1. Boston snapped a three-game losing streak and avoided being swept by Oakland, improving to 23-16 this season.

Three of Boston’s first four batters of the game scored, as J.D. Martinez followed an impressive Michael Chavis “hustle double” with an RBI single before Xander Bogaerts crushed a two-run homer down the left field line. The Red Sox then doubled their lead in the second, as Bobby Dalbec hit a two-run homer and Bogaerts added an RBI double to make it 6-0. Christian Vázquez scored on a double play in the third to put the Sox up, 7-0.

Red Sox starter Garrett Richards cruised through six shutout innings, allowing five hits and striking out four batters while issuing three walks. In his last four starts, Richards has a 2.16 ERA; he now holds the second-best ERA in the Sox’ rotation (3.89), trailing only Nick Pivetta.

The Sox added their eighth run on a error in the sixth; the A’s avoided a shutout when scored on an Olson RBI groundout in the eighth. Garrett Whitlock pitched the final three innings for the Red Sox, recording the first save of his major-league career.

After mustering five or fewer hits in their last three games, the Sox had 13 on Thursday night. Martinez and Bogaerts each had three while Chavis, Dalbec and Hunter Renfroe had two apiece.

Angels up next

After avoiding the sweep with Thursday’s win, the Red Sox will welcome the Angels to town for a three- game set starting Friday. Here are the pitching probables:

Friday, 7:10 p.m. — RHP Nick Pivetta (5-0, 3.19 ERA) vs. RHP Griffin Canning (3-2, 5.19 ERA)

Saturday, 4:10 p.m. — LHP Martín Pérez (0-2, 4.01 ERA) vs. RHP Dylan Bundy (0-4, 5.03 ERA)

Sunday, 1:10 p.m. — RHP (4-2, 4.20 ERA) vs. LHP José Quintana (0-3, 9.00) ERA

Boston Red Sox notebook: Fenway Park likely will be at full capacity this summer, Hirokazu Sawamura using Hi-Chew candy to make friends in clubhouse

Chris Cotillo

BOSTON -- Fenway Park might not be limited to 25% capacity for long.

Appearing on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” on Thursday morning, Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy hinted that the ballpark might be back to full capacity much sooner than many would have expected. At the latest, he said, Fenway will be 100% filled by Aug. 1, barring any setbacks with the pandemic.

“We are hearing all good news,” Kennedy said. “Things are getting much, much better. People at the state and the city tell us they’re hopeful we’re on track for opening to 100% capacity at some point this summer. No specific dates, of course. We’re hoping that Aug. 1 would be the latest. We’ve got concerts scheduled and Zac Brown (Band) just added a date. We’re hoping to be at full capacity as soon as possible.”

The Red Sox played their first 19 home games in front of a 12% filled crowd before the state of upped the capacity limit to 25% earlier this week. Boston’s series against the Angels this weekend will be played with a 25% capacity but it’s possible the limit could be increased before the club comes back home for its next homestand from May 25-30.

Sawamura making friends with Hi-Chew candy

Reliever Hirokazu Sawamura, who came to the Red Sox in February after spending the first 10 years of his professional career in Japan, has found a fun way to make friends in the clubhouse. The 33-year-old has been giving out Hi-Chew, a popular Japanese candy, and has found many fans among his teammates.

“Obviously, language is an issue for me, but despite that, I try to go into the circle of conversation and ask a lot of questions even though I really don’t speak English,” Sawamura said through interpreter Yutaro Yamaguchi. “I try to learn it and speak it so I think that way, I’ve been able to kind of blend in with my teammates. Recently, the Hi-Chew is really popular in the clubhouse, bullpen and dugout and everything. Hi-Chew is the key for good communication. Extremely popular.”

Former Red Sox reliever Junichi Tazawa was the first one to introduce the club to the candy back in 2012, as Tim Healey laid out in this story for the Sun-Sentinel back in Sept. 2017.

Bogaerts, Dalbec homer; Chavis-Dalbec a competition?

The Red Sox were the beneficiaries of a pair of two-run homers in the first two innings of Thursday’s 8-1 rout over the A’s, as Xander Bogaerts and Bobby Dalbec each left the yard early against lefty Sean Manaea. Bogaerts’ eighth home run of the year narrowly stayed fair down the left-field line while Dalbec’s shot cleared the wall in center.

Bogaerts -- making a rare appearance as the designated hitter -- ended up 3-for-3 and a triple short of the cycle. In his final plate appearance, he worked a walk.

“I’m trying to convince him to DH tomorrow again,” Cora joked. “He said no. He wants to play short again. It was good to see him hunting the first pitch and put a good swing on it. And then he just kept adding on. I think the walk tells you who he is. If it was somebody else, he’d try to hit the ball in the corner and see what happens, go for the cycle. But he took his walk and it was a solid night for him.”

Dalbec was out of the lineup for the first two games of the series while Michael Chavis started at first. Dalbec has been Boston’s primary first baseman all season but Chavis could push for playing time if he significantly outplays Dalbec during his time with the big-league club.

“It is a competition but it’s not,” Chavis said. “He doesn’t care about the competition aspect. He cares about me as a person and I care about him as a person. At the end of the day, we’re absolutely just pulling for each other.”

Cora was happy to see Dalbec play well after sitting for two days in a row. Chavis had two doubles in the game as well.

“We’re trying to put the best lineup out there on a daily basis and I just felt the last two days, it was good for him to reset again and give Michael a chance to go out there and play,” Cora said. “The two were really good today.”

Whitlock stretched out, gets first save

Rookie righty Garrett Whitlock tossed three innings to close out Thursday’s win, recording his first big- league save in the process. He allowed one run on three hits while striking out two.

It’s clear Cora is trying to stretch out both Whitlock and Matt Andriese in case a spot starter is needed in the coming weeks. With Tanner Houck (sore flexor muscle) and Connor Seabold (elbow inflammation) both shut down and Bryan Mata (Tommy John surgery) out for the year, the Sox are suddenly light on potential depth starters if one of their main five rotation arms were to go down.

“In a perfect world, (we’d stretch out) just one, but we don’t live in a perfect world,” Cora said. “When they go, like I’ve been saying all along, it’s good for them to go multiple innings.”

Whitlock will likely be unavailable for all three games of the Angels series after throwing 52 pitches against Oakland.

“After two innings, there’s no way he pitches against the Angels, so push him one more inning and hopefully he’ll be ready for Toronto,” Cora said.

Cora complimentary of A’s

Red Sox manager Alex Cora was impressed with what he saw from the Athletics this week at Fenway. Oakland is in sole possession of first place in the American League West, leading the division by 1 ½ games over Houston.

Cora said he was hoping to avoid the A’s in the 2018 playoffs. He got his wish when the Yankees defeated Oakland in the wild card game that year.

“There’s something about their roster construction that it’s tough to match up with them,” Cora said. “It’s no only about platoon advantage. It’s their bullpen. They do an outstanding job maximizing their roster. Bob is one of those managers — he has been around for a long, long time and he knows how they do things. We always talk about their offense and they hit the ball in the air and they control the strike zone. Although this year, it’s a little bit different defensively. Numbers-wise, it’s not as good as years past, but they always have good defenders, they always have good catchers and they always have good relievers. Whatever they do, it works.”

Cora spoke with former Red Sox first baseman about his early impressions of A’s manager , who has won the American League Manager of the Year award three times (2007, 2012 and 2018).

“They know how to play the game,” Cora said. “They do a good job. Talking to Mitch a little bit about (Melvin), it’s refreshing to hear Mitch talk about Bob and how they do things and how they approach the game. They’re always prepared and it’s a testament to who he is.”

Angels up next

After avoiding the sweep with Thursday’s win, the Red Sox will welcome the Angels to town for a three- game set starting Friday. Here are the pitching probables:

Friday, 7:10 p.m. — RHP Nick Pivetta (5-0, 3.19 ERA) vs. RHP Griffin Canning (3-2, 5.19 ERA)

Saturday, 4:10 p.m. — LHP Martín Pérez (0-2, 4.01 ERA) vs. RHP Dylan Bundy (0-4, 5.03 ERA)

Sunday, 1:10 p.m. — RHP Nathan Eovaldi (4-2, 4.20 ERA) vs. LHP José Quintana (0-3, 9.00) ERA

Michael Chavis ‘set the tempo’ for Boston Red Sox with hustle double to lead off rout over A’s: ‘I’m just trying to earn a spot,’ he says

By Chris Cotillo

BOSTON -- After totaling just 13 hits in the last three games, the Red Sox were looking for an offensive spark against Athletics lefty Sean Manaea early in Thursday’s series finale. Leadoff hitter Michael Chavis provided one instantly in the first inning.

Chavis smoked a Manaea pitch toward A’s center fielder Ramón Laureano, but Laureano missed a diving catch by a few inches and gathered the ball on one knee. Laureano didn’t show much urgency in getting up, so Chavis kept sprinting and slid into second for a “hustle double.”

The Red Sox went on to score three runs in the inning and plate eight runs on 13 hits in an 8-1 rout. Manager Alex Cora credited Chavis with getting the lineup going.

“Three games in a row, we didn’t do too much, and right away, he hits a missile and just kept running,” Cora said. “He saw Laureano — he didn’t come up clean with it — and he kept going. Just set the tempo for the whole night.”

Chavis, who was called up from Triple-A on Friday when Kiké Hernández (right hamstring strain) was placed on the injured list, credited his offseason workouts for the successful play. The former first-round pick focused on getting leaner and more athletic this winter and has been faster on the basepaths as a result.

“When I saw him dive, I knew he was going to take a second to get up so off the bat, I’m just trying to take a hard turn around first,” Chavis said. “Then it’s just a read where I’m just waiting to see what happens and seeing it unfold. He didn’t hop up quite as quick as I anticipated, so once I saw that, I thought I had a chance.

“I’m a little bit more willing to take those riskier plays and know that I have a good shot at making it,” he added. “That’s potentially one of those risks I’m not sure I’d take in 2020.”

J.D. Martinez followed Chavis’ double with an RBI double to drive him in, then Xander Bogaerts put the Sox up 3-0 with a two-run homer two batters later. Boston doubled its lead in the second -- plating two runs on a Bobby Dalbec homer -- and chased Manaea before he recorded an out in the third.

After not making the team out of spring training, Chavis is trying to show the Red Sox that he belongs back in the majors. He had two doubles in Thursday’s victory.

“I’m just trying to earn a spot,” he said. “Every day that I get a chance to play, I’m trying to make the most of it. Just trying to make an impact, honestly.

“It’s sure as hell easier to play as hard as I do when I have a Red Sox jersey on,” he said.

Boston Red Sox’s Garrett Richards has 2.16 ERA in last 4 starts, credits pitching coach for fixing mechanics

Chris Cotillo

BOSTON -- Somewhat quietly, Red Sox right-hander Garrett Richards has been dominant for the last three weeks.

Richards tossed six scoreless innings in Thursday’s 8-1 win over the Athletics, allowing five hits and walking three batters while recording four strikeouts. He now owns a 2.16 ERA (six earned runs in 25 innings) in his last four outings and owns the second-best ERA in Boston’s rotation (3.89) this season, trailing only Nick Pivetta (3.19).

Since April 27, when he struck out 10 Mets in seven innings, Richards has been very good. He credits pitching coach Dave Bush with fixing his mechanics. Bush and Richards simplified the righty’s delivery before his start in New York, and the results have spoken for themselves.

“There was too much going on so we just tried to eliminate the first step and put myself in a good position to throw the baseball,” Richards said. “For me, now I just worry about getting my leg up, keeping my weight over my backside, and from there, just throwing the baseball downhill.”

Richards had never worked with Bush before this season, as he signed with the Red Sox as a free agent in February. Throughout spring training and the first month of the regular season, the two men worked to fix Richards’ inconsistent motion. At times, the veteran was way out of whack, causing erratic command in a few outings.

It’s clear that Bush and Richards have grown close in their short time together.

“It’s one thing to be able to be a smart pitching coach, but to be able to give me that information in a way that I can apply it is kind of the next step,” Richards said. “There’s plenty of people that know a lot about pitching, but as far as translating the information in a way that a player can apply it and understand it, it’s huge.”

After walking six Blue Jays hitters in 4 ⅔ innings on April 21, Richards had an inflated 6.48 ERA and had imploded in two of his first five starts with Boston. Since, he has been a calming presence in a rotation that has faced a bit of inconsistency from stalwarts Nathan Eovaldi and Eduardo Rodriguez.

“He simplified his wind-up,” said manager Alex Cora. “He’s more direct to the plate. He’s making more competitive pitches and good things happen when you do that.”

Six weeks into the season, Richards feels he has found something that can help him for the long haul.

“We’ve done a lot of work the last month and we feel like we’re in a good place right now,” he said.

Boston Red Sox lineup: Xander Bogaerts at DH in finale vs. A’s; Jonathan Araúz at shortstop, making first start of 2021

Chris Cotillo

BOSTON -- Xander Bogaerts is the designated hitter and J.D. Martinez is starting in right field for the Red Sox on Thursday night as they try to avoid being swept by the Athletics at Fenway Park.

Michael Chavis is leading off and playing second base and Jonathan Araúz is the shortstop in his first start of the season. and Marwin Gonzalez are both out of the lineup against A’s lefty Sean Manaea, who no-hit the Red Sox in 2018.

“We’re trying to keep our shortstop off his feet today. He has been playing a lot,” said manager Alex Cora. “We’ve got J.D. playing left field. He doesn’t care, he loves playing the outfield. So it’s a good opportunity against a lefty to try to take care of some players.”

Araúz, who hit .250 with a home run and a .644 OPS in 25 games as a rookie (and Rule 5 pick) in 2020 was called up to the majors Sunday, when Christian Arroyo went on the injured list. He was used as a pinch- hitter Wednesday night and struck out in his lone plate appearance.

“In spring training, he was a little bit erratic defensively,” Cora said. “But he’s a cool customer. I saw him play a lot last year. He put some good swings in spring training.”

Garrett Richards, who owns a 2.84 ERA in his last three starts, is on the mound for the Red Sox. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.

Oakland Athletics (23-15) vs. Boston Red Sox (22-16) · Fenway Park · Boston, MA FIRST PITCH: 7:10 p.m. ET

TV CHANNEL: NESN / MLB Network (out of market)

LIVE STREAM: NESN | fuboTV - If you have cable and live in the TV market, you can use your login credentials to watch via NESN on mobile and WiFi-enabled devices. If you don’t have cable, you can watch the game via fuboTV, in New England | MLB.tv (subscription required)

RADIO: WEEI 93.7 FM

PITCHING PROBABLES: LHP Sean Manaea (3-1, 3.07 ERA) vs. RHP Garrett Richards (2-2, 4.54 ERA)

RED SOX LINEUP:

1. 2B Michael Chavis

2. CF

3. LF J.D. Martinez

4. DH Xander Bogaerts

5. 3B Rafael Devers

6. C Christian Vázquez

7. RF Hunter Renfroe

8. 1B Bobby Dalbec

9. SS Jonathan Araúz

ATHLETICS LINEUP:

1. LF Mark Canha

2. DH Mitch Moreland

3. CF Ramón Laureano

4. 1B Matt Olson

5. 2B Jed Lowrie

6. 3B Matt Chapman

7. RF

8. C Sean Murphy

9. SS

Boston Red Sox activate Nick Pivetta, who will likely start Friday; reliever Eduard Bazardo sent back to WooSox

Chris Cotillo

BOSTON -- The Red Sox activated starter Nick Pivetta from the COVID-19 injured list and optioned reliever Eduard Bazardo to Triple-A Worcester, the club announced before Thursday’s game. On Wednesday, Boston placed Pivetta on the IL because he was experiencing side effects after receiving his second vaccine shot and called up Bazardo.

Pivetta is slated to pitch Friday night in Boston’s series opener against the Angels. Manager Alex Cora said the club is hopeful he will make that start and it appears exceedingly likely that he will; the Red Sox listed Pivetta as their Friday starter in Thursday’s game notes.

“This is kind of how people react to the shot and he’s feeling better,” Cora said. “The hope, obviously, is for him to start tomorrow.”

Bazardo, who is ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 19 prospect in the Sox’ organization, tossed two scoreless innings in Wednesday’s loss, striking out two batters while walking one. The 25-year-old has now pitched three big-league innings, allowing just the one hit in that span.

Bazardo will almost certainly rejoin the major-league bullpen later this season, as he is on the 40-man roster and can be optioned back and forth from Worcester whenever the Red Sox choose. He could be a long-term replacement for a struggling bullpen arm like Austin Brice.

Boston Red Sox injuries: Kiké Hernández will rehab with WooSox this weekend, Christian Arroyo could join him; Tanner Houck feeling better

Chris Cotillo

BOSTON -- Before Thursday’s series finale between the Red Sox and Athletics, Sox manager Alex Cora provided a slew of updates on the club’s injured players:

Hernández will spend weekend in Worcester, could be joined by Arroyo

Infielder/outfielder Kiké Hernández (right hamstring strain) will rehab in Worcester for two days this weekend, Cora said. The plan is for Hernández to be the WooSox’ designated hitter Saturday and play center field on Sunday. He’s eligible to return Tuesday when the Red Sox start a three-game series against the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla.

Second baseman Christian Arroyo (left hand contusion) took batting practice on the field before Thursday’s game and is expected to rehab in Worcester as well, though the club hasn’t mapped out his exact schedule. He’s eligible to return Wednesday against the Jays and the expectation is that he’ll be ready at that point.

“It seems like both of them are trending in the right direction — especially Enrique,” Cora said.

Seabold at ; Houck progressing

Two of Boston’s top pitching prospects -- Connor Seabold and Tanner Houck -- are both currently shut down due to injuries. Seabold has elbow inflammation and Houck is dealing sore flexor muscle.

Cora didn’t offer much on either other than to reveal Seabold is working out at the club’s spring training facility in Fort Myers, Fla.

“Seabold is in Florida right now just going through his rehab,” Cora said. “Tanner is actually feeling better. But that’s about it.”

Brasier being taken slow

Reliever (left calf strain) threw a bullpen session three days ago, Cora said. On Monday, Cora said Brasier threw a 20-25 pitch session at the Fenway South complex.

The club still doesn’t have a timetable for Brasier’s return. The 33-year-old also dealt with a broken pinky finger during the winter and is being taken along slowly after injuring his calf during the last week of spring training.

“Nothing as far as rehab yet,” Cora said. “Obviously, we’ve got to be smart about it. We went through this before with him. We don’t want to rush him. We know how important he is and obviously, with a calf, the mechanics and all that stuff, we’ve got to get him right. Not only physically but also mechanics-wise. When he gets there, then we’re ready to make the next move.

Sale in good spirits

Cora spoke with left-hander Chris Sale (recovering from Tommy John surgery) earlier this week and said Sale was in good spirits. He continues to work out at Fenway South and threw off the mound for the first time last Tuesday.

Cora didn’t disclose what the next steps are for Sale but did note he is throwing aggressive flat ground sessions in preparation for longer bullpens.

“He’s feeling good about it,” Cora said.

Triston Casas, Boston Red Sox top prospect, hits 2 homers, drives in 6 runs in monster night for Double-A Portland

Chris Cotillo

Red Sox top prospect Triston Casas had one of the best games of his young professional career Wednesday night, going 4-for-6 with two homers, a double and six RBIs as Double-A Portland beat Hartford, 14-3.

Casas is making his Double-A debut this season after spending almost all of 2019 (the last year there was affiliated ) at Single-A. He struggled in his first six games but broke out in a big way Wednesday.

Casas started out with a single in the first before flying out in the second and then hitting his first Double-A home run -- a solo shot -- off of former Rockies third-round pick Will Gaddis in the fourth. In his next at- bat in the sixth inning, he laced a three-run homer off righty Nate Harris to put Portland up, 8-1. He added a two-run double an inning later before grounding out in his final at-bat in the ninth.

“I’m feeling really good physically and mentally,” Casas told reporters (including MLB.com). “Tonight I just shortened up my approach, didn’t go out of the [strike zone] and had some success. Hopefully I’ll keep riding this as long as I can, but I’m really happy to be back out there. I feel good.”

Casas, who was selected by Boston with the 26th overall pick in the 2018 draft, has always been known for his prodigious power. He hit 20 homers and drove in 81 runs in 120 games (118 at Single-A, 2 at High-A) in 2019 before impressing during a stint at the club’s alternate training site in Pawtucket last summer and again in major-league spring training before the start of the season.

“He’s a good hitter,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “He hasn’t played much baseball since he signed but it’s good to see him putting good swings. He knows the game, he knows his swing and he knows what to do with his swing. This is a guy — the future is bright, the way we see it, and he’s a very important piece of this organization.”

Triston Casas, Boston Red Sox top prospect, homers again; Jeisson Rosario (from Mitch Moreland trade) has .452 OBP

Christopher Smith

Red Sox top prospect Triston Casas homered again Thursday. It was his third blast in two days.

Casas went 2-for-4 with three RBIs to help lead Double-A Portland 6-5 over Hartford.

The 21-year-old left-handed hitter, who Boston selected in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft, is 6-for- 10 with three home runs, one double and nine RBIs in his past two games.

“He’s a good hitter,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora on Thursday. “He hasn’t played much baseball since he signed but it’s good to see him putting good swings. He knows the game, he knows his swing and he knows what to do with his swing. This is a guy — the future is bright, the way we see it, and he’s a very important piece of this organization.”

Hernandez homers

Ronaldo Hernandez — the 23-year-old catcher who Boston acquired from the Rays in February for pitchers Chris Mazza and Jeffrey Springs — blasted his first home run of the 2021 season in Portland’s win Thursday.

Hernandez, who is on Boston’s 40-man roster, has legit power. He crushed 21 homers in 109 games at Low-A during 2018.

He went 2-for-4 on Thursday. He is 7-for-21 (.304) with a .360 on-base percentage in six games.

Rosario has .452 OBP

Center field prospect Jeisson Rosario, one of the prospects Boston acquired from the Padres for Mitch Moreland last season, is 9-for-26 (.346) with a .452 on-base percentage, two doubles, four RBIs and seven runs at Portland’s leadoff hitter.

Rosario will be 21 for the entire 2021 season.

Murphy throws 5.1 scoreless innings

Chris Murphy, a Red Sox 2019 sixth-round draft pick, pitched 5 ⅓ scoreless innings for High-A Greenville on Thursday. The Drive won 8-2 over Brooklyn. He allowed three hits and three walks while striking out seven.

The 22-year-old lefty has a 1.93 ERA in two starts.

Cannon has six extra-base hits so far

Cameron Cannon, a second-round pick in 2019 (No. 43 overall), went 3-for-5 with a home run and double Thursday in High-A Greenville’s 8-2 win over Brooklyn.

The 23-year-old shortstop is 9-for-31 (.290) with a .371 on-base percentage, .613 , two home runs and four doubles in nine games.

Jimenez has .415 OBP

Red Sox prospect Gilberto Jimenez went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs for for Low-A Salem on Thursday.

Salem won 10-2 over Lynchburg.

The 20-year-old is 13-for-37 (.351) with a .415 on-base percentage, three doubles, eight runs and five RBIs as Salem’s leadoff hitter.

“He has a more contact-orientated approach,” Red Sox hitting coach said. “In an era where strikeouts are going up, to see a guy come in and that’s his priority, it’s exciting. I think he could be really special with the more baseball he plays.”

* RedSox.com

Chavis, Bogaerts, Dalbec halt Red Sox's skid

Ian Browne

BOSTON -- A three-game offensive slump -- which turns into a three-game losing streak -- can send into a state of panic.

But slumps are going to happen for any team, and the good ones make sure they don't last very long.

By all indications so far, these 23-16 Red Sox are a good team, and they broke out their big bats and proved it in Thursday's 8-1 victory over the Athletics at Fenway Park that contained, quite fittingly, three signature hits.

Signature hit No. 1: In the bottom of the first, Michael Chavis belted a sinking liner to center. Ramón Laureano, a superb defender, came racing in to try to make a diving catch and nearly did. But the ball glanced off his glove. Chavis took advantage of the fact that the strong-armed outfielder was on the ground and he motored into second headfirst as the crowd roared with approval.

"I knew it was going to take him a second to get up," Chavis said. "So off the bat, I'm just trying to take a hard turn around first. And then it was kind of just a read where I was waiting to see what happens, seeing it unfold and he didn't hop up quite as quick as I anticipated. So once I saw that, I thought I had a chance. There's no kidding, he does have an incredible arm, so that was something to take into account. But good thing it turned out well."

It is the type of play that can spark a team when it works, and it did.

"I think Michael set the tempo, hit the ball hard, got to second," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora.

Chavis, who was recently recalled from Triple-A Worcester, is noticeably leaner this season. It's doubtful he would have even attempted the double on that hit in previous years.

"I'd say it helps a lot in regards to the performance, obviously it helps because I'm definitely faster, able to be a little more athletic," Chavis said. "But for the mentality, I'm also a little bit more willing to take those riskier plays and know that I have a good shot of making it. And that's potentially one of those plays I'm not sure if I take or one of those risks I'm not sure I take in 2020."

Signature hit No. 2: Still in that first inning, Xander Bogaerts stepped to the plate. And the steady shortstop was at the forefront of the team's recent slump, going 1-for-12 in his previous four games. Rather than being tentative, Bogaerts was aggressive, attacking the first pitch he saw from A's lefty Sean Manaea and hooking it just fair down the left-field line, where it glanced off the foul pole for a homer. Bogaerts didn't do any demonstrative, Carlton Fisk-type of body language as the ball soared in the air, but he did stand sideways and watch it, hoping it would stay fair, and the Sox had an early 3-0 lead.

It was an ideal night for Bogaerts, because he mainly stayed off his feet by being the designated hitter.

"I'm trying to convince him to DH tomorrow again, but he wants to play short," said Cora. "It was good to see him hunting the first pitch and putting a good swing on it. Then he keeps adding on. The walk tells you who he is. If he was somebody else, he'd try to hit the ball in the corner and see what happens to go for the cycle. But he took his walk and it was a solid night for him."

Signature hit No. 3: Bobby Dalbec, who was out of the lineup the previous two nights so the Red Sox could get a more extended look at Chavis, was back in there on Thursday. And in his first at-bat, he hammered an 0-1, 89.7 mph sinker to center field at an exit velocity of 110 mph and a projected distance of 432 feet for a two-run homer. The only thing stopping that baseball was the back wall to the left of the flagpole.

It was the third homer of the season for , who is trying to gain more consistent footing. His blast fueled the Red Sox to their second straight three-run inning and starting pitcher Garrett Richards, who was solid all night (six scoreless innings), had a 6-0 lead.

"We're going to keep pushing him and keep grinding," said Cora. "There's a lot of work to do, and he's put in the work. It's something that we're trying to put the best lineup out there on a daily basis, and I just thought the last two days was good for him to reset again and give Michael a chance to go out and play. The two were really good today. It was a solid day for everybody."

Hi-Chew bridges cultural gap; injury updates

Ian Browne

BOSTON -- As Hirokazu Sawamura tries to take on added responsibility in the bullpen, he is also learning to bridge cultural gaps with his teammates through candy.

"Obviously language is an issue for me, but despite that, I try to go into the circle of a conversation, try to ask a lot of questions even though I don't really speak English," Sawamura said through an interpreter on Thursday. "I try to learn it, speak it. That way I've been able to kind of blend in with my teammates. Recently, the Hi-Chew is really popular in the clubhouse and the bullpen and the dugout and everything. Hi-Chew is the key to good communication."

Hi-Chew is a fruit candy made in Japan that was very prevalent around the Boston clubhouse when Junichi Tazawa was with the Red Sox.

Apparently, Sawamura has brought the Hi-Chews back to Boston with him.

Of course, Sawamura is also learning a lot when it comes to pitching in the compared with Japan, where he pitched professionally for the last decade.

One thing that has become clear to the righty is that Major Leaguers have a lot more power than their NPB counterparts.

While Sawamura used to be able to throw his fastball low in the strike zone, that pitch is often crushed by MLB hitters.

"The hitters here, I think they're good at scooping the low strike zone, the low fastball," Sawamura said. "That's the pitch I've given up home runs off, and they've got the long reach, so they're really good at making the hard swing low in the strike zone. I've been able to use the high strike zone and low strike zone with the vertical movement that I've been emphasizing. I think I've been doing a pretty good job of that, and I think I'll keep up with that."

With Darwinzon Hernandez and Adam Ottavino both struggling in high-leverage situations as the bridge to closer , there's an opportunity for Sawamura to be tested more with the game on the line in the coming days.

"Obviously if I'm asked to pitch in a high-leverage situation and a tough situation, as a pitcher, that's an honor," Sawamura. "I'm really honored to be able to pitch in those situations, and I can make that my motivation, if [manager Alex Cora] gives me the ball in the tough situations."

Pivetta reinstated, will start Friday

The Red Sox took righty Nick Pivetta off the roster for Wednesday's game and put him on the COVID-19- related injured list because he was experiencing side effects from getting vaccinated.

Fortunately, he was well enough to return to the roster on Thursday and will make his scheduled start on Friday night against the Angels.

Pivetta is 5-0 with a 3.19 ERA this season.

"As you guys know, this is kind of like how people react to the shot. He's feeling better," said Cora.

Kiké could return Tuesday

The way things are trending, Kiké Hernández (strained right hamstring) could be back as soon as he is eligible -- which would be Tuesday in Dunedin, Fla., against the Blue Jays.

"I think that the way things are moving with Enrique especially, most likely he'll go on a rehab assignment Saturday and Sunday," Cora said, adding that Hernández will DH on Saturday and play center field on Sunday.

Christian Arroyo (left wrist contusion) is also eligible to come back Tuesday, but Cora isn't sure yet if he's ready.

"Christian is going to hit today. Let's see how he feels about it, then we'll make a decision with him," said Cora. "Like I said, it seems that both of them are trending in the right direction, especially Enrique. That's good news. With Christian, like I said, we just have to wait and see, but it seems like it's feeling a lot better. The fact that he's going to hit outside is a big positive for us."

Brasier update

One reliever the Red Sox could really use is righty Ryan Brasier, who has missed the entire season thus far due to a left calf strain he suffered at the end of last season.

Brasier is still in Fort Myers, Fla., trying to rehab his way back into pitching shape.

"He threw [a] bullpen [session], what, three days ago? That's the last thing I heard from him, but he's feeling better," said Cora. "He's feeling a lot better. Nothing as far as rehab yet. Obviously we've got to be smart about it. We've been through this before with him. We don't want to rush it. We know how important he is, and obviously with a calf, the mechanics, all that stuff, we've got to get him right, not only physically but also mechanic-wise. When he gets there, then we're ready to make the next move."

* WEEI.com

Hunter Renfroe's defensive excellence is leaving quite an impression

Rob Bradford

Before we go to the highlights, let's get the reaction. It's what will truly paint the picture.

Here is Michael Chavis after the Red Sox' 8-1 win over the A's Thursday night when asked about Hunter Renfroe's ability to throw a baseball from right field ...

Chavis isn't alone in his admiration.

The latest wave of adulation came courtesy the last two games. There were two pretty striking throws from an outfielder who is fitting Fenway Park's right field quite well. And, to top it off, there was a well above- average, over-the-shoulder catch to finish things off Thursday night.

Coming into Thursday night's game, Renfroe's numbers matched up nicely with the eye test. The Sox outfielder led all American League outfielders in runs saved (7), ranking ninth among AL outfielders in zone rating.

It's a package that is becoming more and more appreciated with each passing day, with Thursday offering the latest spotlight.

"Not too many outfielders go after that ball in a game like that, right? And he's hustling all the way. The last play was amazing," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "He's playing right field and it's pretty amazing, it's eye-opening. I saw the stat about defensive runs saved already in right field. We've seen some good ones play here, but this guy, he puts work. You've got to see him in batting practice, he's always shagging, creating angles, pretty similar to Jackie when he was here, in center field. He was all out, trying to see the angles and what he can do -- 'Do I catch it like this or like that?' -- he does some crazy stuff, too, but he enjoys playing right field, and it's a pleasure to watch him."

Michael Chavis has proven he is part of the solution

Rob Bradford

Michael Chavis has done his part. Now it's the Red Sox' turn to do theirs.

Keeping Chavis on the 26-man roster is the right thing to do.

Prior to the 25-year-old's reintroduction into the major leagues, Chavis represented a kind of square-peg-in- a-round-hole dynamic for the big league roster.

They had a right-handed-hitting first baseman (Bobby Dalbec). They had viable players at second base (Christian Arroyo, Enrique Hernandez). They had a utilityman who could play top-notch defense at multiple positions (Marwin Gonzalez). And they had enough outfielders who swung from the right side.

But sometimes you have to overlook the perfect fit and prioritize the right one. That's what we have with Chavis and this current group of Red Sox.

Sure, this could be perceived as a reactionary tone considering Chavis is coming off a two-hit night during the Red Sox' 8-1 win over the A's, with images of the infielder flying around the bases still fresh in our minds. But this is more than that.

Chavis was one of, if not the best Red Sox' players in spring training. He represented a different player than what was witnessed in 2020, noticeably becoming more athletic, allowing for better across-the-board defense. It just so happens to be the same portrait painted more than a month later in these games that actually count.

He weathered the storm of disappointment and has emerged as someone who seemingly deserves another chance.

"I feel like while I was down there, it was difficult to get work in," said Chavis of the alternate site. "I wasn’t able to get my routine going just because we weren’t playing legitimate games, we didn’t have umpires, and the one thing I was told to do down there was focus on zone recognition and it’s really complicated and tough to do when you don’t have an umpire. So while I was down there, I did my best to stay ready, and that was kind of the approach that I took. I wasn’t so worried about finding that difference or finding anything like that. Because I felt amazing in spring, I felt like I performed very well, I felt like I took care of business, and I was proud of myself. I was proud of the shape that I came in, I was proud of how I performed, I was proud of how I took care of my business in the clubhouse and the weight room, on the field, off the field, and that’s about it, honestly.”

So, what is the fit?

There is a very real possibility the Red Sox send Chavis back down to Worcester, prioritizing 's versatility and ability to play the outfield when Franchy Cordero decision day arrives. (And it sure seems like it is coming.) Chavis is not a left-handed hitter and hasn't been playing outfield. That works against him.

OK. But the question has to be asked: Which player would be more viable for this team right now, Chavis or Phillips Valdez? I think we know the answer.

The Red Sox have prioritized having the extra pitcher for fear of being caught short, which is understandable. But it sure feels as though things have been uncomfortable position-player-wise just as much as anything involving the pitching.

Valdez has been fine. But he has also pitched just three times since April 24, with none of the appearances serving any kind of importance.

It's time to find out what the Red Sox truly have it in Chavis. Maybe it's still the player who chases way too many high fastballs falls into yet another major-league-pitching-induced rut. But maybe, just maybe, the player we witnessed Thursday night is the reality.

That player -- that Michael Chavis -- is worth keeping around.

“My chances of staying with the team? Um, yes, sir, I absolutely want to stay around the team as long as absolutely possible," he said. "I’ve been taking the same approach that I took in spring training, I’m just trying to earn a spot every chance I get to play, I’m trying to make the most of it. just trying to make an impact, honestly. It’s been amazing being up here and being back with the guys, I love being up here and I love wearing Red Sox on my chest and it’s sure as hell easier to play as hard as I do when I have a Red Sox jersey on, I can tell you that.”

Jarren Duran, Triston Casas feed hype with a few more homers

Rob Bradford

While the Red Sox might want to keep pumping the brakes on all the hype surrounding prospects Jarren Duran and Triston Casas, the pair aren't making such a slow-play easy.

Thursday night, both Duran and Casas went deep ... again.

Their numbers to start the young season ...

Duran: The outfielder is hitting .314 (11-for-35) with four homers and a 1.086 OPS with Triple-A Worcester.

Casas: Playing first base for Double-A Portland, he is hitting .313 (10-for-32) with three home runs and a .996 OPS.

Examining potential true centerpiece of the Andrew Benintendi deal

Rob Bradford

There is no doubt Andrew Benintendi would look good in the Red Sox' lineup right now.

While Benintendi isn't going to be perceived as the kind of middle-of-the-order threat the likes of J.D. Martinez, Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers represent, he would certainly be an upgrade over what the Red Sox are currently delivering in the second tier of their lineup.

After a slow start, Benintendi has emerged as one of a struggling Royals team's most consistent hitters, hitting .349 with an .895 OPS in May.

Juxtapose the KC outfielder against what we are witnessing with the player who partially replaced Benintendi -- Franchy Cordero -- and the Red Sox envy should be very real.

That is the here and the now. And for those yearning for better at the bottom of the Red Sox' batting order, that undoubtedly stings.

But in the long-term, the key the trade might very well not be Cordero, or even Benintendi. And, no, we're not going down the road of propping up one of the three players-to-be-named-later.

Of all the names involved, Josh Winckowski might be the one you should be paying the closest attention.

Winckowski is the 22-year-old pitcher who came from the Mets in the three-way trade involving Benintendi. The Red Sox weren't alone in targeting the tall righty, who had been dealt from Toronto the New York in the Steven Matz trade just a couple of weeks before heading to the Sox.

Wednesday night, Winckowski made his second start in the Red Sox' minor-league system. Pitching for Double-A Portland, he allowed just one run on two hits over six innings, striking out four and walking one.

There is a ways to go before Winckowski can truly defined, with the last week representing his first introduction to level as high as Double-A. As one scout in attendance in Hartford wrote in a text, "Winckowski is an interesting kid. Strong-armed with a feel for his slider. Needs to develop and tighten-up command and control."

In other words, he is a pitcher who has a lot of potential but still has work to do. This we do know: Winckowski should absolutely one player Red Sox fans will want to check back in on.

Dennis Eckersley wasn't pleased with Garrett Richards' headhunting: 'You can't be Johnny Tough Guy'

Alex Reimer

Dennis Eckersley is honest in the broadcast booth — just ask David Price. While Eckersley unabashedly pulls for the Red Sox, he isn’t afraid to criticize members of the hometown nine when they play poorly or recklessly.

When Garrett Richards went headhunting Thursday, Eck let him hear it.

For the most part, Eckersley liked what he saw from Richards. The veteran right-hander shut out the A’s for six innings, fanning four batters and scattering just five hits in Boston’s 7-0 victory. At one point, Eckersley even likened Richards with Mariano Rivera, after he had struck out Mitch Moreland with a devastating cut fastball. (Richards has a 2.16 ERA in four starts since he revealed he’s never packed a jacket for a baseball season before.)

The only hiccup for Richards Thursday came in the top of the fifth inning, with outfielder Mark Canha at the plate and two runners on base. To start off the at-bat, Canha leaned into a on the inner half, clearly trying to get plunked so he could head to first. Understandably, Richards wasn’t pleased, tossing an apparent f-bomb in Canha’s direction.

Eck backed him up.

“It didn’t hit (Canha), but he wanted it to hit him,” Eckersley said.

But in a laudable display of objectivity, Eckersley didn’t take Richards’ side in his next dispute with Canha, which came on the next pitch. As apparent retribution, Richards sailed a 94 mph fastball high and inside on the seven-year vet. Eckersley wasn’t having it.

“Oh my goodness! That is not good,” Eckersley said. “The timing of that is really bad. That’s head high. You can’t do that. That is wrong.”

The Hall of Famer continued.

“You can’t be Johnny Tough Guy,” Eckersley said. “That’s wrong.”

Interestingly, the A’s broadcast team didn’t seem nearly as moved by the incident, courtesy of @RedSoxStats.

NESN employed a three-man booth for the series, with Ellis Burks joining Dave O’Brien and Eckersley. The three enjoy a breezy chemistry, and it’s a joy to hear Burks and Eckersley swap stories from their playing days, such as when Eck reminded Burks how many times he took him yard (three).

Most of all, Burks seemed to enjoy himself in the booth, and even dished his own shade — albeit in light- hearted fashion. When Xander Bogaerts took a called strike down the middle of the plate in the sixth inning, Burks let the viewers know he would’ve swung at the meatball offering, and sent the ball a long way.

“Gotta be ready for that,” Burks said. “If I was at the plate, 8-0.”

So far, the O’Brien-Eck-Burks three-man booth is 3-0. Three games, three great broadcasts.

* NBC Sports Boston

Better than Betts? Why Renfroe is MLB's best defensive RF

John Tomase

Maybe it's because he's known as a burly home run hitter. Maybe it's because he rose to prominence on the West Coast in the . Or maybe it's because he shares a name with a football player. Whatever the reason, it's OK to admit you had no idea Hunter Renfroe was such a good outfielder.

Six weeks into this surprising Boston Red Sox season, it's possible no development is more unexpected than Renfroe channeling Mookie Betts, Dwight Evans, and Harry Freaking Hooper while playing a flawless right field.

We shouldn't be shocked, because Renfroe was a National League Gold Glove finalist in 2019 when he was credited with 19 defensive runs saved. But knowing that fact and watching him on a nightly basis are two different animals, and man is he making some plays.

On Wednesday night, Renfroe uncorked one of the best throws you'll ever see after backing up Alex Verdugo in center -- itself a great, heads-up play -- and gunning down Matt Chapman on what looked like a sure triple. It had shades of Mookie's signature heave in Tampa a couple of years ago.

He followed that up in Thursday's 8-1 victory over Oakland by starting a 9-6-2 putout from the right field fence with a relay that hit shortstop Jonathan Arauz in the chest and allowed him to cut down the lumbering Sean Murphy at the plate.

For good measure, he also unleashed a laser to home that froze Mitch Moreland wisely at third base, and then he chased down Mark Canha's drive with an over-the-shoulder grab for the game's final out that resembled vintage Dewey.

Those plays only added to Renfroe's resume. He entered the game easily leading all right fielders in defensive runs saved with seven, and he probably preserved three more runs on Thursday night. He has never won a Gold Glove, but at this pace, that's going to change.

"I saw the stat about defensive runs saved already in right field," said manager Alex Cora. "We've seen some good ones play here, but this guy, he puts in work. You've got to see him in batting practice, he's always shagging, creating angles, pretty similar to Jackie when he was here, in center field. He was all out, trying to see the angles and what he can do -- 'Do I catch it like this or like that?' -- he does some crazy stuff, too, but he enjoys playing right field, and it's a pleasure to watch him."

"Jackie" would be Jackie Bradley Jr., one of the most gifted outfielders ever to wear a Red Sox uniform. Bradley made it look easy in ways that don't apply to Renfroe -- the 230-pounder is built like an H-back and rumbles around the outfield like John Riggins -- but the fact that Cora would make that comparison in the first place is telling.

It's also worth noting that Renfroe has statistically outplayed Betts this season, and Red Sox fans probably didn't see that coming. Betts has played a dozen games in center field for the , so the comparison isn't exactly apples to apples, but he has been credited with just two defensive runs saved.

Renfroe's throw on Wednesday had teammates recalling one that Betts made in Tampa in 2019, when he nailed Avisail Garcia at third from the right field corner, a chuck of over 300 feet.

"That was awesome, man," said Xander Bogaerts. "I think Mookie made one in Tampa a couple of years back, it kind of reminded me a little of that throw, from how far and how accurate. Obviously JBJ made some great players out there, but that was pretty much one that Mookie came into my mind when I saw that play."

Second baseman Michael Chavis has been amazed at Renfroe's accuracy. His relay to Arauz needed to be on the money to cut down Murphy, and it was.

"There's a decent amount of guys that have really good arms like that, but I haven't seen him really miss," Chavis said. "I feel like every single time he lets the ball go, you just have to close your eyes and stick a glove up. The dude is unbelievable."

Renfroe went 2 for 4 on Thursday to raise his average to .229 with four homers and 17 RBIs, so he hasn't done a ton yet offensively. But his defense is making a difference, and that fits the mold of this overachieving club, which will take winning plays wherever it can find them.

Case in point: Thursday's final out. The Red Sox weren't in danger of losing, and Renfroe could've easily fielded Canha's two-out blast off the wall for a double. Instead he tore back like Evans robbing Joe Morgan in the , corralling the ball with his back to home plate to ice the victory.

"Not too many outfielders go after that ball in a game like that, right?" Cora said. "And he's hustling all the way. The last play was amazing. He's playing right field and it's pretty amazing. It's eye-opening."

A look back at Ted Williams' service in the U.S. military

Justin Leger

Ted Williams is remembered as one of the greatest athletes in Boston sports history. The Red Sox legend was a 19-time All-Star, two-time MVP, and six-time batting champion.

Those accomplishments paled in comparison to his service off the field.

"Teddy Ballgame" left baseball in 1942, after earning the Major League Baseball Triple Crown, to join the United States Navy Reserve during World War II. He went on active duty in 1943, then was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps as a Naval Aviator in 1944.

Williams returned to baseball in 1946 and picked up right where he left off, earning the American League MVP award. He won the Triple Crown again in 1947, then earned his second MVP award in 1949.

Fourteen months after being promoted to captain in the Marine Corps in 1952, Williams was called back to the military to serve during the Korean War. Williams flew 39 missions with the Third Marine Air Wing, 223rd Squadron with his first combat mission taking place on Feb. 16, 1953.

Capt. Williams was hit by North Korean forces during the mission and safely crash landed, walking away with only a sprained ankle. The next day, he flew again and took enemy fire over Chinnampo. Thirty-seven missions later, a bout with pneumonia and an inner ear problem led to Williams leaving the Marines in 1953.

During his time as captain of the Marine Corps, Williams earned a number of prestigious awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, three Air Medals for Aerial Flight Operations, Navy Unit commendation, American and Asian Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and more.

After returning from the Korean War, Williams went on to enjoy seven more seasons in the majors and was an All-Star for each of them. He holds the all-time record for career on-base percentage (.452) to this day, and no one else has been able to hit .400 or above since he hit .406 in 1941.

Williams was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966 and his iconic No. 9 was retired by the Red Sox in 1984. During the 1999 MLB All-Star Game at Fenway Park, Williams made one of his most memorable public appearances when he was escorted to the pitcher's mound in a golf cart as the Boston crowd roared. Players from both teams surrounded Williams on the mound to show their respect for the legend's inspiring career, both on and off the field.

Williams passed away on July 5, 2002.

* The Athletic

Michael Chavis makes an impact and makes his case to stick with the Red Sox

Chad Jennings

A player in the best shape of his life is such a cliche, it’s become a joke. Literally, a joke. So, when Michael Chavis arrived in spring training clearly leaner than the year before, it was noticeable but perhaps not notable. He would have to perform for that conditioning to mean anything.

And it meant something Thursday. The question is, will it still mean anything Tuesday?

The Red Sox offense had been flat for three days before Chavis led off with a single to center field, which he turned into a double with a good read, improved speed and a lot of guts.

“One of those risks I’m not sure I’d take in 2020,” he said.

It paid off, and his hustle double against the strong arm of Ramón Laureano set the tone for an offensive revival in the Red Sox series finale against Oakland. Nine pitches into the game, they’d already scored three runs on their way to an 8-1 win that snapped a three-game losing streak and moved them back into a tie for the most wins in baseball.

“Three games in a row we didn’t do too much,” manager Alex Cora said. “And right away, (Chavis) hits a missile and he just kept running. He saw Laureano didn’t come up clean with it, and he kept going and just set the tempo for the whole night.”

It was only the fourth big-league start for Chavis this season, but he hit leadoff and added another double later in the game, again betting on himself to beat an outfield throw on a close play. He’s given the Red Sox a boost with a .278 average and a home run since coming up after Kiké Hernández strained his hamstring a week ago.

But Hernández is scheduled to start a rehab assignment Saturday and could be back with the team Tuesday. Christian Arroyo, who’s out with a bruised hand, could be on the same timetable. When they both return, the Red Sox will have to make a choice: Do they send Chavis back to Triple A, or do they send down one of their struggling bottom-of-the-order hitters, either Franchy Cordero or Bobby Dalbec? Or do they get rid of an extra reliever and make room for Chavis on a four-man bench?

“I’m just trying to earn a spot every chance I get to play,” Chavis said. “I’m trying to make the most of it. Just trying to make an impact, honestly.”

He made an impact in spring training, too, slugging .600 and finishing second to Dalbec with six home runs, but that wasn’t enough to earn a spot on the team. He walked only twice and was told to work on strike zone recognition at the alternate site. There’s been little opportunity to show the fruits of that effort. But Chavis has moved relatively well at second base, and that leadoff double, he said — from the physical ability to execute it, to the willingness to even attempt it — was a reminder that he’s a different player from the guy who hit just .212 last season.

“I’m definitely faster,” he said. “Able to be a little more athletic, but for the mentality I’m also a little bit more willing to take those riskier plays and know that I have a good shot of making it. And that’s potentially one of those plays I’m not sure if I take (in previous seasons).”

But what would the Red Sox do with Chavis given a full roster? Hernández has been the regular center fielder, and Arroyo has played a good second base while contributing on offense. Marwin Gonzalez can also play second. Cordero has been the worst performer of the bunch, but he’s also the only true outfielder. The Red Sox had Chavis play left field last season under Ron Roenicke, but not this year under Cora. Chavis could be an alternative to Dalbec at first base, but Dalbec homered Thursday as part of a two-hit night.

“Competition is always good,” Cora said. “We always talk about it. I know they both want to be in the big leagues. They want to contribute. The one that benefits from all that is the team. So, if that’s the case, so be it. It’s good to have competition.”

This was the most competitive the Red Sox lineup had been since Sunday in Baltimore. At that point, they were making a case as the best team in baseball, but Monday through Wednesday they had just 13 hits, scored just four runs, struck out 32 times and hit only one ball harder than 108 mph.

They hit three times that many rockets in the second inning alone Thursday, then hit another one that hard in the third inning. Of the Red Sox seven hardest-hit balls in the past four days, six were hit in this game, including a 114.7 mph single by Hunter Renfroe that is now the hardest-hit ball by a Red Sox player this season. A’s starter Sean Manaea’s ERA jumped from 3.07 to 4.40. Xander Bogaerts and Martinez finished with three hits apiece. Bogaerts was a triple short of the cycle. Garrett Richards went six scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 3.89, which is now the second lowest in the Red Sox rotation behind Friday’s scheduled starter Nick Pivetta.

It was a good day for the Red Sox, and they needed it. Up next are the Angels for a weekend series, then an off day Monday, and then perhaps a difficult roster decision Tuesday.

“I absolutely want to stay around the team as long as absolutely possible,” Chavis said. “I’ve been taking the same approach that I took in spring training. … It’s sure as hell easier to play as hard as I do when I have a Red Sox jersey on, I can tell you that.”

Union’s $500 million grievance against MLB gives both sides new forms of leverage in CBA talks

Evan Drellich

With a little more than six months before the expiration of baseball’s collective bargaining agreement, negotiations have a new but not unexpected wrinkle: a grievance worth roughly half a billion dollars.

About two weeks ago, the Major League Baseball Players Association filed a grievance worth an estimated $500 million alleging MLB did not act in good faith when it set a schedule for the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, people with knowledge of the grievances said. The union believes the league chose to play fewer games than it could have and thereby unduly reduced player salaries. In a one-off arrangement, the league and the union agreed to tie player salaries during 2020 to the number of games played.

MLB met that grievance with a counter-claim arguing, in part, that the final number of games, 60, was a necessary maximum for health and safety reasons. The union’s grievance does not specify an exact number of games it believes the league should have played, a source said, but the $500 million amounts to somewhere in the vicinity of 20 days of league-wide pay at an estimated clip of $25 million per day.

Both the league and the union declined to comment. It was well known that the union was planning to file the grievance, but the grievance’s formal submission was not publicly known until a New York Post report Thursday.

The manner in which the grievances will be resolved, their full substance and the timing of the process is, for now, unclear.

MLB has asked the union to expedite the grievances so that they can be resolved as soon as possible in advance of the CBA’s expiration on Dec. 1. The union might be amenable to moving quickly, but also could be leery of a process that does not include sufficient discovery or production of relevant information. The case, particularly if it goes to a hearing, could be lengthy and complicated. Players might also want the case to be fast-tracked if it means they could see additional cash.

But a hearing isn’t the only way to resolve the issues. The parties could mutually agree to settle during collective bargaining, where both parties now have new forms of leverage. The union could dangle a willingness to drop the claim as an incentive for MLB to meet certain demands for the next CBA — an outcome that has the potential to be more valuable to the players than a straight cash award. The union likely would take issue with a suggestion that the grievance is merely a bargaining tactic, however.

The league, meanwhile, could point to the grievance as a reason why it cannot make certain concessions or changes during bargaining, seeing it as a cloud, and a large dollar figure, hanging over the process. But that cloud won’t necessarily disappear once the grievance does. If the case is heard quickly and owners lose hundreds of millions, those same owners likely would not let the players or the public forget it.

Grievances over “bad faith” in other areas of the sport can be difficult to win, such as in attempts to prove clubs have manipulated service time by holding a player in the minor leagues. But the nature of this dispute is different than typical baseball matters, and the union’s grievance likely centers on specific wording in the agreement MLB and the MLBPA made in March 2020, the deal known as “the March agreement.”

The league and union debated their interpretation of the March agreement publicly and bitterly last summer. Importantly, they did not ultimately come to an agreement on how many games were to be played in 2020. The March agreement called for the commissioner’s office to use “best efforts to play as many games as possible.”

“The March 26 Agreement contemplates a discussion of playing regular season games in October and calls for the league to use ‘best efforts to play as many games as possible,’” MLBPA senior director of collective bargaining and legal Bruce Meyer wrote in a June 2020 letter to MLB deputy commissioner Dan Halem. “The league’s excuses for not doing so have no validity.”

“We are uncomfortable from a public health perspective extending the regular season into October,” Halem wrote in prior correspondence. “In addition, your proposal ignores the realities of the weather in many parts of the country during the second half of October. If we schedule a full slate of games in late October, we will be plagued by cancellations.”

If the grievances go to a hearing, arbitrator Martin Scheinman would be the decision-maker. Technically, the panel of arbitrators has three people, but the others are representatives from the league and the union, respectively. Scheinman replaced arbitrator Mark Irvings, whom sources said was fired by MLB last year. Either side can remove an arbitrator as it chooses. Scheinman has been a full-time arbitrator and mediator since 1979, per his website, and sits on the Cornell University Board of Trustees. He has mediated more than 1,000 business and employment disputes worth nearly $10 billion.

— The Athletic‘s Ken Rosenthal contributed to this story

* Associated Press

Bogaerts, Dalbec homer, Red Sox roll to 8-1 win over A’s

BOSTON (AP) — Red Sox manager Alex Cora has been searching for contributions from the rest of his lineup with Boston’s biggest bats struggling to produce during a sudden scoring slump.

He got that and a lot more to finally slow down the red-hot Athletics.

Xander Bogaerts and Bobby Dalbec each hit a two-run home run, and Boston avoided a sweep with an 8-1 win over Oakland on Thursday night.

The Red Sox jumped on A’s left-hander Sean Manaea, pounding out 10 hits and seven runs in the first three innings on the way to snapping a three-game skid. Boston finished with 13 hits on the night.

“It was good to see them that on and give (starter Garrett Richards) margin for error,” Cora said. “We were able to do a lot of things today.”

Richards (3-2) took advantage of the early support and allowed no runs and five hits, striking out four over six innings. He’s won three of his last four starts. Garrett Whitlock gave up one run over three innings to get his first career save.

Richards credited pitching coach Dave Bush for helping him get back on track this season after struggling through a rash of injuries during multiple stops over the past five years.

“We’ve been able to sit down and kind of figure out what’s going to make me get back in the strike zone and make my stuff play in the zone,” Richards said. “We feel like I’m in a good place right now.”

Bogaerts had three hits after going 1 for 12 in his previous four games.

Boston’s offensive onslaught came after it totaled just three runs in the first two games of the series.

Manaea (3-2) took the loss after failing to get an out in the third inning and getting pulled.

“They were just aggressive early in the count, whether it was his fastball or not,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “Probably just didn’t locate (his pitches) the way we’ve seen him locate here.”

Michael Chavis led off the game by hitting a sharp line drive into shallow center field. Ramón Laureano made a diving attempt to snare it, but it popped out of his glove. Chavis took advantage, hustling in for a double.

Alex Verdugo lined out, but J.D. Martinez brought Chavis in with a single to center. Bogaerts then cleared the bases, jumping on a first-pitch, 91 mph sinker from Manaea and roping a hard shot down the left-field line for his eighth homer of the season.

Dalbec increased the lead to 5-0 with his two-run blast to straightaway center the following inning.

“I think we actually set the tone on both ends today, which is a dangerous thing for a team to be able to do,” Chavis said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Athletics: Melvin said the team is close to reaching 85% vaccination for their Tier 1 personnel. He estimated they were at around 80%. ... INF , who has been on the injured list for 34 games with a sprained left knee, will likely rejoin the team during its three-game road trip in Minnesota, Melvin said

Red Sox: RHP Nick Pivetta was reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list Thursday after experiencing side effects from his recent vaccination. He will start Boston’s series opener against the Angels.

HE’S OUT

Trailing 8-0, Oakland’s Sean Murphy was on first with two out in the seventh when Mark Canha doubled off the right-field fence. But Jonathan Araúz took the relay throw from right fielder Hunter Renfroe and fired a strike to catcher Christian Vázquez, who tagged out Murphy at the plate.

UP NEXT

Athletics: Right-hander (4-2, 5.50 ERA) will make his eighth start when Oakland opens at Minnesota on Friday. He is 2-0 with a 3.97 ERA in two starts this month, after going 2-2 with a 6.20 ERA in five starts in April.

Red Sox: Pivetta (5-0, 3.19) last started May 9 in Baltimore, limiting the Orioles to two runs over six innings in the Red Sox’ 4-3 win. He has gone at least five innings in six of his seven starts this season.