The Thursday, May 20, 2021

* The Boston Globe

Five- first helps Red Sox top Blue Jays, extend AL East lead

Peter Abraham

DUNEDIN, Fla. — The Red Sox learned to play the wind at a new course on Wednesday night.

A day after they were shut by the , many of the Sox hitters spent practice adjusting their swings trying to take advantage — or, in some cases, avoid — the gusty wind that blows from left to right at TD Ballpark.

With in Toronto unavailable because of coronavirus protocols, the Jays stayed at their ballpark for the first two months of the season. As is typical of smaller parks on the Gulf Coast of , the wind plays a major factor in the game.

The first-place Sox made it work for them by scoring five runs on six hits in the first inning. That led to a 7-3 victory.

Kiké Hernández led the game off with a low line-drive to left field. Then launched a that caught a gust and landed on the roof of the home clubhouse far beyond the fence in right.

Then J.D. Martinez homered the same way.

“It was a good approach,” Sox said. “Overall, offensively, it was a good night.

“You don’t make excuses, right? You’ve got to play where they tell you to play.”

The Sox finished with 13 hits, four of them home runs.

Garrett Richards pitched into the seventh inning for the win before a crowd of 1,581 that included many Sox fans.

For the first time since Aug. 7, 2005, the Sox opened the game with five consecutive hits.

It was Tony Graffanino, Edgar Renteria, , , and Kevin Millar in 2005 before the immortal Roberto Petagine finally made an out against Minnesota’s Joe Mays in a game the Sox went on to win, 11-7.

Cora started at third base in that game and was 0 for 4.

This time it was Hernández, Verdugo, Martinez, (single), and (RBI ) off .

Christian Vazquez then put the ball in play on an 0-and-2 , driving in Bogaerts from third with a groundout to second base.

“That was a big at-bat that people don’t realize how important it was” Cora said.

Bobby Dalbec added an RBI double as the Sox built a lead that held up. The six hits in the first were one more than the Sox had in the entire game on Tuesday, snapping a 13-inning scoreless streak.

The Sox sent nine men to the plate in the inning as Stripling threw 27 pitches.

Hernández then led off the second with a that sliced through the wind and easily cleared the fence in left field.

“Getting a five-run lead in the first inning makes things a little bit easier,” said Hernández, who finished 3 for 5 in his second game back from the .

Stripling (0-3) lasted only 3 2/3 .

The bountiful run support should have made it an easy night for Richards. He allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings, throwing a season-high 99 pitches. But it wasn’t that simple.

Richards allowed seven hits, walked four, and threw two wild pitches.

“Today wasn’t great in my eyes,” Richards said.

The Jays grounded into three double plays and were 1 for 8 with runners in with Richards on the mound.

Richards struck out the first two hitters in the seventh before Reese McGuire singled. replaced him and allowed a home run to that cut the lead to 6-3.

Richards (4-2) dropped his to 3.72. He is 4-0 with a 2.27 ERA over the last five starts following adjustments to improve his delivery.

The Sox got a run back when Vázquez homered to left center off in the eighth. It was his third of the season, the first since April 7.

The Sox are 13-6 on the road, the best record in the majors by percentage.

“We’ve got a very good team,” Richards said. “A lot of us have been saying that since the beginning, even in spring training when everybody kind of had us [written] off or, hey, we’re not going to be that good.

“Before I even signed here I looked at the roster. That was a no-brainer for me. This is a great team. We’ve jelled really well together.”

Once a roster doubt, has become the best arm in the Red Sox’ rotation

Peter Abraham

DUNEDIN, Fla. — The Red Sox will send their best starter to the mound on Thursday night in the final game of their against the Blue Jays.

It’s righthander Nick Pivetta, who had to earn a spot in spring training but has been a standout since.

The Sox are 7-1 in his starts with Pivetta going 5-0 with a 3.16 earned run average. He has worked at least five innings in all but one start and allowed three or fewer earned runs seven times.

The 28-year-old Pivetta was 2-0 in two starts at the end of last season. But he’s improved his mix of pitches this season, using his effectively.

“Obviously what he did last year was eye-opening. But the way he’s doing it this year is a lot different and his stuff is a lot better than last year,” manager Alex Cora said Wednesday.

Earlier this season, the Sox considered splitting up Nate Eovaldi and Eduardo Rodriguez to lessen the potential load on their relievers. But Pivetta and have pitched well enough to table that idea.

“Now it’s like, ‘OK, we’ll keep it like this.’ I think what Nick has done is give us balance. His stuff is a lot better than what I thought,” Cora said.

Pivetta was 19-30 with a 5.50 ERA over parts of four seasons with the Phillies. He’s 7-0 with a 2.91 ERA in 10 starts for the Sox.

“I don’t want to say he’s on a mission or trying to prove people wrong. But he wants to show that he belongs,” Cora said.

Cora got a feel for how emotional Pivetta can be when he came off the field during a spring training game pumped up about a .

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” the manager said. “You work hard to get to this point. He cares about winning. He cares about giving us a chance to win. He’s into it.”

Santana soon?

The Sox appear likely to add utility player to the roster in the next day or two. The 30-year- old played in his eighth minor league game on Wednesday, starting at DH for A Worcester and going 2 for 4.

Santana is 12 of 30 with six extra-base hits in the minors and is physically ready to return — he had shoulder surgery last year and was sidelined with an infected right foot in spring training after being signed to a minor league contract.

With three interleague games coming up in Philadelphia, Santana would be particularly useful given his defensive versatility. He has played first, second, third, short, center, and left while in the minors this season.

“He’s done a good job and we can’t hide that,” Cora said. “He’s a guy that we’ve liked.”

Santana’s addition would require both a 26-man roster and 40-man roster move.

As Santana moves closer to the roster, took batting practice with Worcester and is getting close to starting a rehab assignment.

Arroyo has not played since May 6 when he was on the left hand by a pitch for the second time in 12 days and came away with a deep bruise that left him unable to grip the bat.

“He’s in a good place,” said Cora, who texted with Arroyo on Wednesday. “He feels good right now.”

Lat strain for Bazardo

Righthanded reliever , who has pitched in two games for the Sox, left Tuesday’s game at Worcester with what the team is calling a lat strain.

Bazardo entered the game in the ninth inning and threw five pitches before coming out. The Sox are still working to determine the severity of the injury.

As one of three WooSox relievers on the 40-man roster [along with righthanders Colten Brewer and Brandon Brennan], Bazardo was a primary source of depth, given the quality of his pitch mix and the team’s ability to shuttle him between Triple A and the majors.

Also on Tuesday, Double A righthander Thaddeus Ward, who was ranked the No. 10 Red Sox prospect by entering this season, was placed on the seven-day injured list with a right elbow strain. As with Bazardo, the Sox are still working to determine the extent of his injury.

Two Triple A starters — righthanders (sore flexor muscle) and (elbow inflammation) — remain on the injured list. Both are now throwing as they continue to rehab what were considered relatively minor injuries.

Hope springs eternal

Eduardo Rodriguez and Martín Pérez were on the field working on their before batting practice. Pérez is the scheduled starter in Philadelphia on Friday and Rodriguez on Sunday, which means they will have to hit. Pérez is 1 for 23 with 19 in his career and Rodriguez 0 for 20 with 10 strikeouts. Perez jokingly practiced the team ritual of waving at the from second base after a double while Rodriguez determinedly chugged from second to the plate … The Sox promoted lefthander Rio Gomez to Double A Portland. The former 36th round pick had 10 strikeouts without a walk for Single A Greenville over 7 2/3 innings and allowed four earned runs. Rio is the son of ESPN’s Pedro Gomez, who passed away in February … , , and Red Sox assistant hitting Pete Fatse spent some time together before batting practice. They were teammates at the University of Connecticut in 2009. Springer has played only four games for the Jays since signing a six-year, $150 million deal because of a strained right quad.

In yet another example of his stunning turnaround, Garrett Richards overcomes a shaky start with a solid finish vs. the Blue Jays

Alex Speier

Even with a 5-0 advantage before he stepped on the mound in the bottom of the first, it took just four batters and 17 pitches for Garrett Richards to immerse himself in trouble against the Blue Jays.

The righthander opened the first by walking Marcus Semien, then gave up resounding doubles to (on which Semien took too wide a turn past third, resulting in a gifted out) and Vlad Guerrero Jr., before issuing another walk to Teoscar Hernández. Richards had given back one run but seemed in danger of yielding plenty more.

Pitching coach jogged out of the dugout, and after a quick conversation, Richards caught his breath. In six pitches, he was out of the inning with a fielder’s choice and strikeout.

“I just needed to take a deep breath,” said Richards. “[The meeting] was just about making pitches, stay out of the danger zone, and just try to get ahead of guys.”

From there, Richards settled into what has become typically strong form in a 7-3 Red Sox win over the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Fla. He made it through 6⅔ innings while allowing just one more run, continuing what has been a drastic early-season about-face.

Richards had a 6.48 ERA with 13 walks and 12 strikeouts through four starts, averaging just over four innings. He needed to be better. He and Bush dove into his woes.

Richards adjusted his windup after his four rough starts, both creating less movement at the start of it and taking more time to gather over the rubber to sync his arm with his stride — a change that allowed him to attack the more reliably.

“That changed his career, making the windup shorter,” said Christian Vázquez. “He didn’t know where the ball was going. Now, it’s good control, quiet. Attack the zone.”

He’s also attacking the zone not just with his and slider but also increasingly with a power that is emerging as one of baseball’s best. The results have been dazzling. In his last five starts, Richards is 4-0 with a 2.20 ERA while averaging more than six innings.

“It’s been great to see, and not just because it’s helped us win games,” said Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. “We know that when somebody comes in who’s new to the organization, new to us, everybody’s intentions are going to be great, but it’s going to take some time not just to build the person-to- person relationships but to understand how to get the results we all want.

“To see everyone, including Garrett, really work at that, work together to find something that could help him be more effective, and then to have it happen, take it out there on the mound and get results quickly with it is such a good feeling for everyone involved.”

Richards is not alone in his evolution since joining the Red Sox. Nick Pivetta likewise has consistently elevated his fastball at the top of the strike zone — where it’s most effective — and turned his slider from an afterthought into a primary weapon.

“His best pitch,” said Vázquez. “I’ll call that slider anytime.”

Martín Pérez, too, has been a different in his two seasons with the Sox than he was before joining them, scaling back his sinker and increasing the use of his and cutter.

Those changes reflect behind-the-scenes work between the rotation members, Bush, bullpen coach , and gameplanning coordinator . The group’s combined efforts have played a huge role in the Sox’ sustained run atop the East.

A group of starters that entered the year with modest expectations has exceeded them. The rotation has a solid 3.96 ERA, sixth best in the A.L., while delivering a major league-high 37 starts of at least five innings.

Members of the team credit the communication of the pitching braintrust as critical to that performance. Successful coaches have to distill the terabytes of available information about how to help perform at their best into a few digestible morsels.

Moreover, they have to earn the trust of their pitchers not by telling them how to pitch but by listening to their feedback and jointly setting a course. Whereas Pivetta, for instance, sometimes was at odds with the Phillies when they tried to tweak his approach, he’s bought into the messaging of the Red Sox to find a path to early-season success.

“This is not an easy staff,” said manager Alex Cora, noting the disparate plans of attack of the five rotation members. “[Bush has] been really good about simplifying stuff . . . It’s not that complicated as far as gameplanning, mechanics, and all that. I’m very happy with the way he has [communicated]. The chemistry they have is pretty solid.”

That chemistry has contributed to the team’s strong start. So, too, has the health of the rotation — whose members have remained on turn since Eduardo Rodriguez was activated for the seventh game of the season.

Of course, there will be struggles ahead — and there are concerns about the team’s depth. Primary rotation depth option Tanner Houck (flexor muscle) is throwing on flat ground but not yet off a mound. There is promise with , who has thrown off the mound “several times with increasing intensity,” according to Bloom, though the lefthander still has yet to face hitters in live batting practice.

Still, while both struggles and depth tests are inevitable, for the Red Sox, the promise of the early season has been not just in the team’s record but also in the evidence that the team’s starters and coaches can work together to identify ways of fixing what goes awry while trying to unlock new levels of success.

“I’m kind of growing into a complete pitcher I guess you would say,” said Richards. “I’m just excited about coming out every day, trying to learn something new, trying to figure out something in my delivery that is going to make me better. Bushy has a lot to do with it. We’re gelling well right now, a lot of information out there, a lot of good communication . . . I’m excited about being able to get to that next level.”

Peter Abraham of the Globe staff contributed from Dunedin, Fla.

Sox prospect Eduard Bazardo suffers apparent arm injury as farm system pitching depth shrinks quickly

Alex Speier

Red Sox pitchers have enjoyed a striking run of good health so far this season. The same cannot be said of the organization’s minor league arms.

On Tuesday, righthander Eduard Bazardo left his outing for Triple A Worcester with an apparent arm injury. Bazardo, who has pitched three scoreless innings in the majors this season, has been diagnosed with a right lat strain, with the Red Sox still working to determine the severity of the injury.

As one of three WooSox relievers on the 40-man roster (along with righthanders Colten Brewer and Brandon Brennan), Bazardo was a primary source of bullpen depth, given the quality of his pitch mix and the team’s ability to shuttle him between Triple A and the majors.

Meanwhile, the starting pitching depth remains depleted. Righthanders Tanner Houck (sore flexor muscle) and Connor Seabold (elbow inflammation) — the only two WooSox starters on the 40-man roster — remain on the injured list. However, both are now throwing as they continue to rehab what were considered relatively minor injuries.

Also on Tuesday, Double A righthander Thaddeus Ward, who was ranked the No. 10 Red Sox prospect by Baseball America entering this year, was placed on the seven-day injured list with a right elbow strain. As with Bazardo, the Sox are still working to determine the extent of his injury.

The team has already lost top pitching prospect Bryan Mata for the year to Tommy John surgery.

Though avoided the injured list after taking a liner off the shin in his May 11 start, his return to the mound for High A Greenville Sunday — three innings, four runs (three earned), on three hits and a walk with four strikeouts — continued his early-season struggles. In three starts, Groome has allowed 13 runs (12 earned) in 7⅓ innings. He has struck out 11 and walked six.

The Jonas Brothers are coming to Fenway

Natachi Onwuamaegbu

The Jonas Brothers have announced a tour that will bring the boy band to on Oct. 1.

The show is the ninth concert scheduled at Fenway this summer and fall, a further sign of a return to normalcy following last summer’s cancellations. The Fenway shows also include Guns N’ Roses (Aug. 3), Billy Joel (Aug. 4), Green Day (Aug. 5), New Kids on the Block (Aug. 6), Lady Gaga (Aug. 7), Zac Brown Band (Aug. 8), Maroon 5 (Sept. 12), and Aerosmith (Sept. 14). A pair of previously scheduled Def Leppard/Motley Crüe shows have been postponed until 2022.

The Jonas Brothers announced their “Remember This Tour” of 44 outdoor shows on Wednesday. Country music star Kelsea Ballerini will open for the trio. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on May 27 at jonasbrothers.com/tour.

* The Boston Herald

Red Sox start fast, blast four home runs in win over Blue Jays

Steve Hewitt

The Red Sox’ league-leading offense has proven to be mortal several times this season, but they continue to show that it’s almost impossible to slow them down for long.

A night after being shut out for just the second time this season, the Red Sox returned with a vengeance Wednesday night. They jumped on Blue Jays starter Ross Stripling in a hurry, scoring six runs in the first two innings on their way to a 7-3 victory over the Jays at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla. The Red Sox blasted four homers on the night as they held their lead in the .

Before Tuesday’s series opener, Alex Cora talked about how the ball flew at TD Ballpark, the Jays’ spring training home that resembles a minor league stadium, with a wind tunnel that shoots out to right-center. But it took the Red Sox a night to figure it out for themselves.

“You don’t make excuses,” Cora said of the unique environment. “You’ve got to play where they tell you to play and this is a big-league game. A big-league win is a big-league win. …

“There are some adjustments. The guys today, they saw what happened last night, they adjusted, and they came out swinging today.”

The Red Sox created a nightmare for Stripling right away. A night after recording five hits in their 8-0 loss, they strung together five consecutive hits to open the game for the first time since 2005, when Tony Graffanino, Edgar Renteria, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Kevin Millar did it.

This time, it was Kiké Hernandez who started the game with a single before Alex Verdugo and J.D. Martinez followed with back-to-back homers. Xander Bogaerts’ single and Rafael Devers’ double down the left-field line finished the streak before Christian Vazquez finally recorded the first out with a groundout that scored a run, which made it 4-0.

Bobby Dalbec’s RBI double gave the Red Sox a 5-0 first-inning lead before Garrett Richards even stepped on the mound.

Hernandez continued his recent power surge with a moonshot. Two days after belting two homers in his final rehab game with Triple-A Worcester — including the first in WooSox history — he destroyed a pitch from Stripling that looked like it left the park entirely to make it 6-1 in the second. The center fielder went 3-for-5, and came a triple shy of , as he’s returned from the injured list with, for lack of a better term, a bang.

“I like bangs,” Hernandez said. “I like to bang. It was really nice, for sure.”

The Red Sox chased Stripling early and were mostly quiet before Vazquez’s solo homer in the eighth, his first since April 7. Every Red Sox hitter besides Marwin Gonzalez recorded at least one hit as they bounced back in a big way, which has been a common theme throughout a surprising start that’s seen them stay in sole possession of the AL East lead since April 10.

“That’s part of our mindset as far as win today,” Richards said. “Worry about today, today, and we’ll get tomorrow, tomorrow. The guys are just really locked in individually and as a whole. It’s really fun to be a part of to be honest with you. We could get blown out last night and show up today and everybody thinks we’re going to win by 10. It’s a mindset. It’s an attitude. I think we’re in a good place right now.”

Other takeaways from Wednesday’s win:

— Richards wasn’t at his best, but still went 6 2/3 innings and allowed two runs, one after he left the game when Garrett Whitlock gave up a two-run homer. He started the game by giving up a walk, two doubles, and another walk, but after a quick mound visit from pitching coach Dave Bush, he seemed to settle down. The right-hander allowed seven hits and four walks, but limited the damage with the help of inducing three double plays.

“Today wasn’t great in my eyes,” Richards said. “I’d still like to limit the walks and throw more strikes and go a little bit deeper into the game, but it was a good battle day. I didn’t necessarily feel like I had my best stuff, but I was able to make it work.”

For his third consecutive start, Richards received healthy run support. The Red Sox have backed him for 25 runs over his last three, all wins. Richards is now 4-0 with a 2.35 ERA over his last five starts.

— Devers is still among the league leaders in errors by third basemen this season, but he had one of his finest nights at the hot corner in Wednesday’s win. He was a vacuum at third, with his best play coming on a run-saving scoop in the first on a sharp grounder from that would have gone for extra bases had it got by him.

Red Sox OF takes great pride in defense, wants to win Gold Glove

Steve Hewitt

Hunter Renfroe’s incredible throw from deep center field to third base last week against the A’s that hosed down Matt Chapman may have caught some by surprise, but it was the latest — and most impressive — example of the Red Sox right fielder’s underrated defense.

Renfroe has been more well known over the course of his career for his raw power at the plate, a significant reason the Red Sox signed him in the winter. But since the first day of spring training, manager Alex Cora has been talking up Renfroe’s defense, which is among the best in baseball.

That’s not hyperbole. Renfroe has garnered deserved attention with some of his highlight-reel plays and he’s as reliable as they come in right field. Heading into Wednesday, he was tied for the American League lead in assists with five, and his seven ranked second in the AL.

“I take a lot of pride in my defense,” Renfroe said. “Always have. Always look forward to getting better.”

Renfroe credited former teammates for helping him get better defensively over the years. Notably, , who’s in his first year as bench coach with the Red Sox, was one of them when they were teammates with the Padres.

“I played with him and was able to see him work every day in the outfield and better himself,” Renfroe said. “I wanted to be out there and I wanted to do what I can. My first year as a rookie, I did not do really well in the big leagues as far as defensively, and I went into the exit meeting just talking about my defensive abilities and what I could do, and I took that to heart.

“I really wanted to go out there and prove to everybody that I’m a plus-plus defender. I keep working at it.”

It seems to have worked. Renfroe called his throw last week against Oakland probably one of the best two or three of his career. Now in Boston instead of smaller markets like San Diego or Tampa Bay, Renfroe hopes he starts getting more attention for his defense. And he hopes that can help him achieve a longtime goal of his to win a Gold Glove.

Why new OF Hunter Renfroe thinks Red Sox will bounce back from ‘unprecedented’ struggles Fenway Park to return to full capacity on May 29, Red Sox ‘excited see Boston’s vibrancy restored’ “I told people, I think it was in 18 or 19, I told them I’d much rather win a Gold Glove than a ,” Renfroe said. “Obviously both of them would be great, but one of my things is, I feel like a Gold Glove is helping your teammates a lot more than that Silver Slugger is as far as pitching-wise. I think pitchers really tip their hat to us if we’re making great plays for them.”

Venable impresses Renfroe

Renfroe already thought highly of Venable from their days together with the Padres, so it’s no surprise to him about how well he’s doing as a first-year bench coach with the Red Sox. His thinks Venable has a bright future of managing ahead of him.

“I knew that he knew a lot about the game, and obviously he had a really good career. And I knew that he’d be a good coach some day. I think he’s stepped into the coaching role and absolutely is killing it. I think he’s doing an incredible job. …

“I think he’s done a phenomenal job … and I think one day he’s going to be the of a team.”

Arroyo on the mend

Christian Arroyo’s first live batting practice went well on Tuesday, and he was expected to take another round of BP on Wednesday. A rehab assignment is likely to come next.

“If everything goes well, there’s a good chance he starts a rehab assignment soon,” Cora said. “He’s in a good place. I actually texted with him this morning. He feels good about where he’s at right now. We’ll do the same thing (Wednesday) batting practice-wise on the field, and from there we’ll make decisions.”

Why Red Sox starter Garrett Richards believes he’s finally becoming a complete pitcher

Steve Hewitt

Garrett Richards was gifted a five-run first inning lead before he even stepped on the mound Wednesday night, but quickly, he was already putting it in some jeopardy.

The Red Sox starter allowed a leadoff walk, two consecutive doubles, and another walk to begin his outing, and the only reason two runs weren’t on the board for the Blue Jays was because of a baserunning by Marcus Semien. Pitching coach Dave Bush paid him a quick mound visit.

“It was just a period of time where I just needed to take a deep breath, I guess,” Richards said.

Whatever was said during that meeting seemed to work. Richards wasn’t perfect by any means the rest of the night, but settled down to pitch yet another strong start. He was one pitch away from going seven innings and ultimately allowed two runs as he helped the Red Sox to a 7-3 victory.

A month ago, the opening sequence that Richards experienced Wednesday night may have snowballed on him. He struggled mightily in the first four starts of his Red Sox career, compounded by a loss to the Blue Jays on April 21 in which he allowed six walks. But after making a season-changing adjustment with his delivery following that outing, Richards is a different pitcher than he was then, and his response Wednesday in his latest start against the Jays brought it full circle.

“I didn’t start the season off the way I wanted to or anybody wanted me to,” Richards said. “Just getting back to a simple delivery that would allow me to throw strikes and just stay aggressive in the zone I think kind of simplified things for me, not only physically but mentally. I’m very much locked in on one pitch at a time right now, controlling the running game.

“I just think I’m kind of growing into a complete pitcher, I guess you would say. Be able to compete on the days you don’t have the best stuff, recognizing situations, recognizing counts, reading swings. These are some things that they take reps and they take you getting burned a few times before you kind of realize it. It’s been a learning period of time and I think we’re trending in the right direction, so I’m stoked about that, but you’re always learning. You’re always making adjustments. I think I’m in a good place mentally, physically, so I’m just going to take it one day at a time and keep rolling.”

When the Red Sox were looking for a new starting pitcher in free agency, one of their first targets was Corey Kluber. But after he signed with the Yankees, the Red Sox chose Richards. On the same night Kluber pitched a no-hitter and Richards continued his superb run, the Red Sox aren’t complaining about how that turned out.

Since making that adjustment, Richards hasn’t lost. He’s 4-0 with a 2.35 over his last five starts, and he’s gone at least six innings in four of them.

On Wednesday, the 32-year-old Richards said he’s in a different place than he’s ever been in his 11-year career. He’s throwing more , elevating more often and throwing an arm-side cutter. It’s all clicking. Part of that is thanks to the guidance of Bush, and another is that he’s finally fully healthy after he had made just 41 starts since the start of the 2016 season due to various injuries.

“I’m doing some things this year that I never really opened up as far as my arsenal or how I go about pitching,” Richards said. “Which kind of sucks, but at the same time, I’m excited about kind of moving it into that next level. Being hurt over the last several years didn’t help, either. I didn’t have a lot of time to develop. I was kind of stuck in rehab mode for most of that time. Just thankful that I’m healthy and I’m able to go out there and work on my craft every single day.

“I’ve always had the stuff, but as far as the developmental side of it, injuries have kind of hampered me in that area. I’m just excited about coming out every day, trying to learn something new, trying to figure out something in my delivery that’s going to make me that much better.”

Richards has seemed to figured it out and is quickly becoming one of Chaim Bloom’s best finds, a rock of the Red Sox’ starting rotation that has propelled them to a surprising first-place start. It didn’t look pretty at the beginning, but the Red Sox are glad he’s with them.

“We identified a few pitchers throughout the offseason, he was on top of the list,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We know the stuff. Obviously last year it seems like he was finding himself, coming from the surgery. It was just a matter of time. We felt that way. You’ve got to give credit to the front office, the scouting department, and the medical department. We trusted the player. We decided to move on, and now he’s here and he’s doing an outstanding job.”

Red Sox manager Alex Cora reacts to White Sox’ controversy, would handle situation differently

Steve Hewitt

The controversy that’s taken over the baseball world this week is an interesting one for Alex Cora to process, and maybe even a little awkward.

It started on Monday, when White Sox Yermin Mercedes swung at a 3-0 pitch and homered off a Twins position player in a blowout game, which sparked yet another controversy about the unwritten rules of the game. It continued Tuesday, when Mercedes was thrown at by the Twins, and White Sox manager , who had already criticized Mercedes’ actions on Monday, inexplicably did not come to the defense of his own player.

“I wasn’t that suspicious,” La Russa said on if he thought the pitch thrown at Mercedes was intentional. “I’m suspicious when someone throws at someone’s head. I didn’t have a problem with how the Twins handled that.”

Cora has a strong relationship with La Russa, who was a special assistant with the Red Sox in 2018 and 2019. But even he knew there was a problem with La Russa’s comments when asked about him Wednesday on WEEI’s “Ordway, Merloni & Fauria.”

“To be honest with you, no. I wouldn’t say that,” Cora said. “It’s a tough one. … With all due respect, because I love Tony and he is amazing, he was amazing to me here, I think that was a mistake.”

The Red Sox, ironically, were in a similar situation during their Patriots Day’ rout of the White Sox, when they led by six runs in the seventh and Mercedes was pitching for Chicago. Cora said it was a difficult spot because the White Sox had just scored a run in the top of the inning.

“We were like, how do we go about this?” Cora said on WEEI. “You’re trying to win the game but we have to stop playing. I don’t know, man. …

“They just played the game in the top of the seventh. Do we have to stop playing because we’re up (six)?”

Cora had an idea for what should happen when a team decides to have a position player pitch in a lopsided game.

“I always said, if you bring in a position player to pitch, it’s kind of like waving the white flag,” Cora said on WEEI. “The team that brings the position player, when they’re on offense, they don’t swing the bats. You just throw fastballs and 1-2-3, you don’t have a chance to win the game, you know what I’m saying?”

While that may be up to debate, Cora would have certainly handled the situation differently than La Russa, who made the situation worse with his public comments.

“One thing for sure, we’ll keep it in the clubhouse,” Cora said. “That’s the most important thing and I don’t think it’s about respecting the game or disrespecting the game, I think the game is in a different stage right now. We see so many position players pitching compared to a few years ago. We’ve seen position players pitching the seventh inning. It’s just unfortunate that it’s a topic and it’s what I’ve been talking about the last few days, so we’ll leave it at that.”

Red Sox minor league pitchers Eduard Bazardo, Thaddeus Ward suffer injuries

Steve Hewitt

The hits keep on coming for the Red Sox’ minor-league pitching depth.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom confirmed reports Wednesday that Eduard Bazardo has been diagnosed with a right lat strain that forced the relief pitcher out of his outing with Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday night. Double-A pitcher Thaddeus Ward, ranked as one of the Red Sox’ top pitching prospects, was also put on the injured list with a right forearm strain. The severity of both injuries is still being determined.

The Globe was the first to report details of both Bazardo and Ward’s injuries.

Bazardo, who is on the Red Sox’ 40-man roster, has been used as a depth piece in the major-league bullpen. He’s pitched three innings over two appearances for the Red Sox this season.

They were just the latest injuries to occur to Red Sox minor league pitchers this season. Bryan Mata has already been lost for the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Tanner Houck (sore flexor muscle) and Connor Seabold (elbow inflammation) are both out, and Jay Groome had a scare this month when he took a liner off his shin.

Houck and Seabold are both progressing well, Bloom said. Both pitchers have begun their throwing programs and are in the process of building back up.

* The Providence Journal

Red Sox earn latest chance to prove they're on track

Bill Koch

It took the Red Sox all of five batters to serve notice Wednesday night.

This was going to be a different evening. Boston would pull even in this series atop the American League East and leave what’s usually a Grapefruit League stop with its place atop the standings secured.

Single. Home run. Home run. Single. Double. Each one landed like a right hook to Blue Jays starter Ross Stripling, who lasted just 3 2/3 innings. The Red Sox did enough early damage to secure a 7-3 victory at TD Ballpark and can win this three-game set with another victory Thursday night.

Boston managed a total of five hits while dropping Tuesday’s opener and rebounded with a blistering 7-for- 10 start at the plate. Garrett Richards enjoyed a 6-1 cushion before he recorded his fourth out of the night. Kiké Hernandez was a triple shy of the cycle in the fourth inning.

“It’s a mindset,” Richards said. “It’s an attitude. I think we’re in a good place right now.

“There are quite a few guys on this team who have won a within the last couple years. I think that goes a long way. I’ve played on talented teams, but teams that have never won anything. That takes you to the next level.”

Hernandez celebrated his first ring with the Dodgers in 2020 before leaving as a free agent. His pair of home runs during a Sunday rehab game with Triple-A Worcester touched off a power surge that continued into his matchup with an old teammate. Hernandez ripped Stripling for a quick single to left, a solo homer to left and a finishing double off the glove of Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in left.

“Sometimes you’ve got to tip your cap,” Hernandez said. “Hyun Jin (Ryu, another former starter) did a great job last night.”

Alex Verdugo cracked a two-run homer to deep right and J.D. Martinez followed with a solo shot to right- center. Xander Bogaerts singled to left and Rafael Devers doubled to left before Christian Vazquez followed with an unselfish at-bat, sending a two-strike grounder to second for an RBI that made it 4-0.

“It was a good approach,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “Loved the fact Raffy went the other way a few times. That’s important. Bobby (Dalbec) did the same thing.”

The waited on a from Stripling and sent a bullet to the gap in right-center for an RBI double. Dalbec’s key hit made it 5-0 and Richards was able to weather a couple rocky moments in the bottom of the first. Marcus Semien being caught rounding third base on a double by Bo Bichette was an instant rally killer.

“It’s a heads up play by Marwin (Gonzalez),” Cora said of his , who took the relay throw in shallow right field. “He didn’t commit, he saw it and he threw behind.”

Richards was aided by three double plays and worked around four walks. He fell one pitch shy of completing seven innings, allowing a two-out single to center by Reese McGuire. The right-hander has allowed just 12 earned runs over his last 45 1/3 innings.

“I’m kind of growing into a complete pitcher I guess you would say,” Richards said. “Being able to compete on days where I don’t have my best stuff. Recognizing situations, recognizing counts, reading swings.

“These are things that take repetitions and take getting burned a few times before you realize it. It’s been a learning period of time. I think we’re trending in the right direction.”

Richards faced the same questions posed to his teammates – frankly, the entire Red Sox organization – after a couple tough stars. Could we trust this would be a different year? Would the modest signings and non-blockbuster trades executed to bolster a 24-36 team make enough of a difference?

Thus far, the answer is yes. Boston earning a chance to take two of three from Toronto and continue looking down at its fellow AL East members is the latest example.

Red Sox Journal: Boston might add position player to roster

Bill Koch

The Red Sox will be facing some roster questions soon.

Chief among them — whether or not Boston might drop to 13 pitchers for the first time this season. A longer bench for interleague play and two scheduled off days could prompt the Red Sox to add an extra position player from Triple-A Worcester.

Christian Arroyo (left hand contusion) has yet to begin a rehab assignment while Danny Santana (right foot) is excelling at the outset of his. Both could be candidates to arrive in Boston at a date sooner than anticipated. The Red Sox will play three games at Philadelphia from Friday through Sunday and take the field just five times during an upcoming homestand with Atlanta and .

“Those conversations are going right now,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “Philly for interleague play, Monday and Thursday off — we'll talk about it.

“We feel very comfortable having that extra pitcher because of the rotation, but the way they’ve been going, it gets that conversation rolling.”

Arroyo was scheduled to take batting practice for the second straight afternoon on Wednesday. Santana homered yet again Tuesday night at Polar Park and started in left field for the WooSox on Wednesday. The veteran utility man has an opt-out clause in his contract if he is not activated by a certain date — a 40-man roster move would be required to add Santana.

“He’s doing a good job,” Cora said. “We can’t hide that. He’s a guy we liked from the get-go and he’s doing an amazing job.

“He’s healthy. We’ll see where it takes us.”

Richards trending up

Garrett Richards made his ninth start for Boston on Wednesday and a clear line could be drawn between the first four and last four.

The right-hander made a mechanical adjustment prior to his April 27 outing at the Mets. Richards simplified his windup and worked on being more streamlined going down the mound toward the plate. His improvement has been obvious for all to see.

Richards posted a 6.48 ERA through his first four starts and just a 2.16 ERA through his last four. He went from 13 walks and 12 strikeouts to five walks and 26 strikeouts. Cora credited Richards and pitching coach Dave Bush with finding a solution to the early troubles.

“I think it’s more about simplifying stuff,” Cora said. “It’s not that complicated as far as game planning and mechanics. I’ve very happy with the chemistry they have.”

Richards was scoreless for the first time against Oakland, an 8-1 victory on Thursday. He scattered five hits and struck out four in six innings, throwing 91 pitches. The Red Sox are 3-1 behind Richards since that 2-1 victory against New York at .

Renfroe solid in RF

Hunter Renfroe could be on his way to a first career Gold Glove.

Boston’s right fielder leads his position with seven defensive runs saved per FanGraphs. That’s three more than Houston’s Kyle Tucker, who is the current runner-up. Renfroe has alternated between the solid and the spectacular in 289⅓ innings at the position for the Red Sox entering Wednesday.

“Obviously, both of them would be great, but I feel like a Gold Glove is helping your teammates a lot more than a Silver Slugger is,” Renfroe said. “I feel like pitchers really tip their hats to us if we make a great play for them.”

Renfroe’s outfield to retire Oakland’s Matt Chapman at third base was an example of the spectacular last week. He backed up in deep center at Fenway Park on a double off the wall and fired a laser to third base. Chapman was stunned to be out by a mile on a play he thought was an easy triple.

“If you have a good arm and you’re accurate with it, you can throw out a lot of guys,” Renfroe said. “I hope they keep running.”

Renfroe debuted with the Padres in 2016. Two veterans who helped guide him were Jon Jay and his current Boston bench coach, Will Venable. Renfroe was in the minor leagues while Venable spent 2008-15 with San Diego, the bulk of his nine-year playing career.

For Alex Cora, standing by his players comes first

Bill Koch

Alex Cora would have backed Yermin Mercedes.

As he sees it, baseball's unwritten rules and their enforcement shouldn’t divide managers and the players in their respective clubhouses. Any member of the Red Sox who happens to swing at a 3-and-0 pitch in a blowout would have Cora’s public support, regardless of the eventual fallout.

Mercedes didn’t enjoy that with the White Sox this week. Tony La Russa, Chicago's first-year manager and a former special assistant to Boston president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, chided Mercedes for homering against the Twins. La Russa expressed no displeasure when Minnesota threw behind the American League’s leading hitter the following night.

“At the end of the day, these are my players — the Red Sox,” Cora said Wednesday on his weekly segment on WEEI’s "Ordway, Merloni & Fauria" show. “You have to take care of them. Not only on the field but also through the eyes of the fan base and in the media.

“With all due respect — because I love Tony, he’s amazing, he was amazing to be here — I think that was a mistake.”

Chicago enjoyed an 11-run lead in the top of the ninth inning at Target Field on Monday when Mercedes dug in against Willians Astudillo. He slugged a 47-mph lollipop to deep left-center for a solo homer in what wound up as a 16-4 final. La Russa was asked postgame about Mercedes swinging in that spot — violating one of the game’s unspoken codes — and promised internal discipline.

“He made a mistake,” La Russa said. “There's a consequence he'll have to endure within the family.”

The White Sox enjoyed a two-run lead the following night in the top of the seventh when Mercedes batted with one out. Tyler Duffey sent a fastball behind his knees and was ejected along with Twins manager . La Russa was asked after a 5-4 loss what he thought of Minnesota’s actions in that situation.

“I'm suspicious when someone throws at someone's head,” La Russa said. “I didn't have a problem with how the Twins handled that.”

Lance Lynn and Tim Anderson were among the Chicago players who spoke out defending Mercedes. Lynn is a 10-year veteran who was in the Cardinals' system and debuted during La Russa’s final season with St. Louis in 2011. La Russa proceeded to publicly rebuke Lynn for his comments.

“Lance has a locker,” La Russa said. “I have an office. I don’t agree.”

La Russa was a member of the Red Sox front office when Cora was hired for the first time in November 2017. The two enjoyed private dinners together during road trips and La Russa often went to Cora with advice about how to navigate his way through his early stages on the job. La Russa is a three-time World Series champion as a manager who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.

“The whole thing that probably makes it worse is the back-and-forth between the players and the manager,” Cora said. “That’s a hard one to deal with. Just watching from afar, I’m glad that I’m here.

“We don’t have to deal with that situation right now. I’ll leave it at that.”

Chicago’s hiring of La Russa after a decade off the bench shocked the baseball world. The 76-year-old had not publicly expressed a desire to return. White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, having fired La Russa early in the 1986 season, was widely seen as making a last attempt to right an old personal wrong.

The Red Sox dealt Chicago an 11-4 loss on April 19 and forced the White Sox to use a pair of position players over the final two innings. Mercedes and Danny Mendick each took the ball for three outs at Fenway Park and Boston added a single run in the bottom of the seventh. stole second base against Mercedes in a six-run game and J.D. Martinez eventually singled in Kiké Hernandez.

“Do we have to stop playing because we’re up [six]? It’s complicated," Cora said.

"I think it’s a lot different compared to back in the day. You didn’t see so many position players pitching. That’s something that’s a lot different.

“We’ve got 14 pitchers. If we have to use a position player, it has to be in a very, very bad spot.

* MassLive.com

Alex Verdugo, J.D. Martinez hit back-to-back homers in 5-run first inning as Boston Red Sox beat Blue Jays, 7-3

Chris Cotillo

After being held scoreless for seven innings by Hyun Jin Ryu on Tuesday, the Red Sox took their frustrations out on Blue Jays starter Ross Stripling with a big first inning Wednesday night.

Boston had six hits -- including back-to-back home runs by Alex Verdugo and J.D. Martinez -- and scored five runs in the first inning en route to a 7-3 win over Toronto. The Sox’ first five batters all scored, giving starter Garrett Richards a sizable cushion before he even stepped on the mound.

Kiké Hernández led off the game with a double before Verdugo crushed a two-run shot to right field for his sixth homer of the year. Martinez hit an opposite-field solo shot four pitches later; Christian Vázquez (RBI groundout) and Bobby Dalbec (RBI double) each tacked on to the lead and made it 5-0.

Richards, who entered with a 2.16 ERA in his previous four starts, ran into a bit of trouble in the bottom of the first, allowing the first four batters to reach -- and Jr. to make it 5-1 with an RBI double -- before settling down and getting out of the inning. To lead off the second, Hernández crushed an offering from his Stripling -- his former Dodgers teammate -- to put Boston up, 6-1.

Richards faced little resistance for most of the night and lasted 6 ⅔ innings, allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out five in the win. The righty was replaced by Garrett Whitlock after surrendering a two-out single in the seventh; Marcus Semien welcomed Whitlock to the game with a two-run homer to make it 6- 3.

Vázquez hit Boston’s fourth homer of the night with one out in the eighth, smoking a Jeremy Beasley fastball over the left field fence to extend the lead to 7-3. The homer was the first for Vázquez since April 7; the catcher had gone 126 plate appearances between homers after hitting one in consecutive games on April 6 and 7.

Adam Ottavino and each tossed scoreless innings to close out the win, which snapped a two- game losing streak. The Red Sox improved to 26-18 and kept their lead in the American League East; the Rays are one game back while the Blue Jays and Yankees are each 1 ½ games behind Boston.

Pivetta up next

Right-hander Nick Pivetta (5-0, 3.16 ERA) will look to keep his strong start to the season going in Thursday’s series finale with lefty (5-2, 4.29 ERA) scheduled to start for Toronto. First pitch is scheduled for 7:37 p.m.

Boston Red Sox notebook: Christian Vázquez breaks six-week homerless streak; Hunter Renfroe has Gold Glove goals in mind

Chris Cotillo

Six games into the season, Red Sox catcher Christian Vázquez appeared to be on the verge of a power surge. Vázquez homered twice in the span of 16 hours against the Rays, hitting a game-tying shot in the ninth inning of Boston’s win on May 6 and adding a two-run homer in a blowout win the next day.

But since then, the power has been shut off for Vázquez. Entering his eighth-inning at-bat against Blue Jays reliever Jeremy Beasley on Wednesday night, the catcher -- who hit 30 home runs in 185 games over the last two years -- had not left the yard in 126 plate appearances. He broke his streak with a towering shot to left field that gave the Sox an insurance run late in a 7-3 win.

The homer -- just Vázquez’s third of the year -- came one night after he crushed a 100.8 mph, 349-foot flyout at windy TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla.

“Don’t get caught up on the homers. The homers will happen,” said manager Alex Cora. “He put a good swing in there. It was a line drive that just kept going. He can do that. Yesterday, he had a 3-2 count, stayed on a breaking ball and hit it hard. Hopefully, this is the beginning of something good for him.”

Vázquez got off to a torrid start (.458 average, 1.333 OPS) through seven games but had been in a prolonged entering Wednesday’s action. In 31 games from April 10 to May 18, the backstop hit .208 (22-for-107) with a .492 OPS and just three extra-base hits (all doubles).

“He’s working the count, he’s getting into hitters count, but he’s expanding a little bit,” Cora said. “He’ll get in trouble there. That (homer) was good to see.”

Vázquez’s home run pushed Boston’s lead from three runs to four and allowed Cora to go to lefty Josh Taylor instead of closer Matt Barnes in the ninth inning.

“It was a big home run right there, a big run for us. In these conditions, every run counts,” Cora said.

Renfroe has Gold Glove goals

One of the biggest surprises of the season for the Red Sox has been the defense of Hunter Renfroe, who has emerged as an elite right fielder. The former Padre and Ray has consistently wowed teammates and fans with his play, including a couple highlight-reel worthy outfield assists in the last week.

Renfroe, known as a power hitter in San Diego, believes his defensive abilities have gone underrated throughout his career.

“I hope so. I take a lot of pride in my defense,” he said. “Always have and I’m always looking forward to getting better.”

Renfroe recalled how during exit meetings after his rookie year in 2017, Padres coaches told him that they believed his defense needed to improve as his career continued. Inspired by the play of teammates Jon Jay and Will Venable (who is now Boston’s bench coach), Renfroe took the coaches’ advice to heart and began to focus on his glove work.

A Gold Glove quickly became a career goal.

“I told people in ’18 or ’19, I’d much rather win a Gold Glove than a Silver Slugger award,” Renfroe said. “Obviously, both of them would be great but one of my things is that I feel like a Gold Glove is helping your teammates a lot more than a Silver Slugger.”

Renfroe said his spectacular outfield assist against the Athletics a week ago -- which drew comparisons from teammates Eduardo Rodriguez and Xander Bogaerts -- ranks among the top three throws of his carer.

“I’ve made some good throws,” Renfroe said. “I’ve definitely thrown harder throws. But that’s probably top three, maybe two.”

Bush making an impact

Cora has enjoyed his first year working with pitching coach Dave Bush, who was hired as pitching coach after the 2019 season. Cora actually hired Bush to the position but had to wait a year to work him after being let go last January and re-hired in November.

Cora has been particularly impressed with how Bush has handled the team’s five starters, all of whom have very different styles from one another. Righty Garrett Richards, in particular, has cited Bush as a major factor in his recent turnaround.

“He has been really good about simplifying stuff. Big communicator,” Cora said. “This is not an easy staff.”

Before being hired as the pitching coach, Bush worked in a variety of capacities for the Sox, including as a pitching development analyst and minor-league pitching coordinator (performance). Cora got to know Bush and respect his work throughout his first stint as manager.

“He did a good job for us a few years ago helping in the minor leagues and whenever he came up here,” Cora said. “He’s doing an amazing job.”

Cora mum on Mercedes controversy

Cora, who enjoys a close relationship with White Sox manager (and former Red Sox consultant) Tony La Russa played coy when asked for his feelings on the Yermín Mercedes-Willians Astudillo controversy from earlier in the week.

With Chicago, leading 15-4, in the ninth inning Monday night, Mercedes swung at a 3-0 pitch from Astudillo -- a position player forced into mop-up duty -- and crushed it for a home run. La Russa has repeatedly called Mercedes out for what he perceived as a lack of sportsmanship and there appears to be a growing rift between the Hall of Famer and some of his players over the topic.

Cora wouldn’t choose a side, only vowing that the Red Sox would “keep it in the clubhouse” if such an issue arose.

“I just hope I don’t have to use a position player this season,” Cora said. “We’ll keep it at that.”

Why Boston Red Sox’s Garrett Richards, in 8th major-league season, thinks he’s finally becoming a ‘complete pitcher’

Chris Cotillo

Different numbers tell different stories when it comes to describing the amount of experience Red Sox starter Garrett Richards has in the majors. The righty turns 33 in a week and has more than eight years of service time, so he has been around a while. But due to injuries, he has only thrown 853 innings -- far fewer than a healthy eight-year veteran would have.

Richards’ talent has always been there, dating back to his best years with the Angels in 2014 and 2015, but injuries have cost him the opportunity to learn how to pitch at baseball’s highest level. Now fully healthy, more than 2 ½ years removed from Tommy John surgery, the righty finally believes he’s getting that chance.

Richards’ outing Wednesday night against the Blue Jays wasn’t the prettiest, as he allowed seven hits and walked five batters in 6 ⅔ innings. But, given a five-run lead before he even took the mound in the first inning, he battled all night, getting the win as the Red Sox beat Toronto, 7-3.

“It was a good battle day,” Richards said. “I didn’t necessarily feel like I had my best stuff but was able to make it work.”

The start was the kind of outing Richards might not have had in previous years, though he feels the knowledge he has gained in his first year with the Red Sox has put him in a position to succeed. Working closely with pitching coach Dave Bush, Richards has bounced back from a brutal start to the season and has posted a 2.27 ERA in 31 ⅔ innings over his last five starts.

“I’m kind of growing into a complete pitcher, I guess you would say,” Richards said. “Be able to compete on days you don’t have the best stuff. Recognizing situations, recognizing counts, reading swings. These are some things that take reps and take you getting burned a few times before you realize it. It has been a learning period of time and I think we’re trending in the right direction so I’m stoked about that.”

Injuries limited Richards to fewer than 77 innings in each season from 2016 to 2019, and even a fully healthy season in 2020 presented a limited workload (51 ⅓ innings) due to the shortened season. In 14 appearances (10 starts), Richards posted a 4.03 ERA and struck out 46 batters in what ended up being an audition for the Red Sox, who guaranteed him $10 million as a free agent this winter.

“We identified a few pitchers throughout the off-season and he was on top of the list,” said manager Alex Cora. “We know the stuff. Obviously, last year, it seemed like he was finding himself coming from surgery. It was just a matter of time. We felt that way.

“We trusted the player, we decided to move on (him) and now he’s here and he’s doing an outstanding job,” Cora said.

Two of Richards’ first four outings were brutal, and after the second implosion -- in which he walked six Jays in a loss on April 27 -- it appeared there was a chance his leash was getting short. At that time, Richards and Bush went back to the drawing board and began to focus on simplifying the righty’s delivery, making it more vertical and allowing for a more consistent release point. The results have been immediate.

“Obviously, I didn’t start the season off the way I wanted to or anybody wanted me to,” Richards said. “Just getting back to a simple delivery that would allow me to throw strikes and get back in the zone, I think kind of simplified things for me not only physically but mentally. I’m very much locked in one pitch at a time right now.”

Richards has found success by throwing more curveballs, elevating his fastball and throwing a cutter on his arm side, which is a departure from the past. By taking his turn every fifth day, he has been able to work out kinks in his game that were impossible to fix while he was sidelined.

“I’m doing some things this year that I never really opened up as far as my arsenal or how I go about pitching, which kind of sucks but at the same time I’m excited about moving it into that next level,” Richards said.

Richards’ recent success has lowered his ERA to 3.72 and the Red Sox have won four of his past five outings. Slowly but surely, the righty has become a consistent force in Boston’s rotation.

“Sometimes you try to make big adjustments, and for him, it was the other way around,” Cora said. “It was simplifying the windup, being more in a straight line to the plate and throwing more competitive pitches. He has done that and he is going deep into games. He was one pitch away from giving us seven today. We’re very pleased with the way he’s throwing the ball.”

Boston Red Sox lineup: Hunter Renfroe has day off vs. Blue Jays on Wednesday; Franchy Cordero in left

Christopher Smith

Franchy Cordero, who has not played since Saturday, will return to the Boston Red Sox lineup Wednesday against Blue Jays right-handed starter Ross Stripling (0-2 record, 5.91 ERA).

Hunter Renfroe will have the day off despite having a homer in his career against Stripling who has not faced Boston this year.

The Red Sox and Blue Jays will play at 7:37 p.m. in Dunedin, Fla. Toronto took the first game of the three- game series 8-0 on Tuesday. The game is on NESN+ because the Boston Bruins are playing their playoff game against the Washington Capitals on NESN.

Cordero is 1-for-5 in his career vs. Stripling.

Xander Bogaerts is 1-for-4 with a homer against the righty.

Right-hander Garrett Richards will start for the Red Sox. He lost to the Blue Jays on April 21 at Fenway Park, allowing four runs, four hits and six walks while striking out two in 4 ⅔ innings.

Richards is 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA (25 innings, six earned runs), 26 strikeouts and 5 walks over his past four starts.

Blue Jays hitters have not faced Richards much. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is 2-for-2 with a double against him. Marcus Semien (3-for-15) has faced the righty most often.

Boston Red Sox lineup:

1. Kiké Hernández CF

2. Alex Verdugo RF

3. J.D. Martinez DH

4. Xander Bogaerts SS

5. Rafael Devers 3B

6. Christian Vázquez C

7. Marwin Gonzalez 2B

8. Bobby Dalbec 1B

9. Franchy Cordero LF

Pitching matchup: RHP Garrett Richards (3-2, 3.89 ERA) vs. RHP Ross Stripling (0-2, 5.91 ERA)

Boston Red Sox pitching prospect Thaddeus Ward has forearm strain; Eduard Bazardo has lat strain after exiting Worcester’s game Tuesday

Christopher Smith

Red Sox starting pitching prospect Thaddeus Ward has been sidelined with a forearm strain. Reliever Eduard Bazardo — who left Worcester’s game Tuesday night during the ninth inning after throwing just five pitches — has been diagnosed with a lat strain.

The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier was the first to report the specific injuries.

Minor league starting pitching prospects Tanner Houck (sore flexor muscle) and Connor Seabold (elbow inflammation) already were sidelined. Seabold is back in Fort Myers.

Baseball America ranks Ward the No. 10 prospect in Boston’s system. The 24-year-old righty last pitched Thursday for Double-A Portland. He has allowed five earned runs in 8 innings (5.63 ERA). He has allowed 11 hits and five walks while striking out 11.

The 2018 fifth-round draft pick enjoyed a breakout season in 2019. Ward posted a 2.14 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and .198 batting average against in 25 starts (13 with Low-A Greenville, 12 with High-A Salem) during 2019. He averaged 11.2 strikeouts and 4.1 walks per nine innings.

He throws a two-seam fastball, four-seamer, cutter, curveball and changeup.

Bazardo, a 25-year-old righty, has pitched 3 scoreless innings in two outings for Boston this year. He features a mid-90s fastball and elite spin on his breaking ball.

* The Worcester Telegram

Slugging WooSox first baseman Josh Ockimey has the stroke for Polar Park

Bill Ballou

WORCESTER — This is the eighth minor league season for WooSox first baseman Josh Ockimey, and if time isn’t on his side, history is.

In 2019, his first full season in Triple A and his last season, period, until this year, Ockimey hit 25 home runs to lead the . Since 1937, when Boston first got into Triple-A development seriously, only 28 of its prospects have hit 25 or more home runs in a season, Ockimey being the 28th.

Of the other 27, 26 played in the major leagues either with Boston or another big-league team. Ockimey, a left-handed batter, is in good company and would like to become major leaguer No. 27.

“It’s my dream, it’s my dream,” he said of reaching the majors. “I’m willing to do whatever I have to to make that happen.”

With the scheduled shortened to 120 games, Ockimey may have a hard time getting to 25 home runs for a second straight season. One thing in his favor is Polar Park’s homey dimensions in right field. Both of his homers this season have left the park that way. Also, both have been off left-handed pitching.

“Looking how this park plays,” Ockimey said, “it’s really going to fly to center and right. Myself, I can’t get too pull happy, just stay up the middle, put on clean swings and look for hard contact.”

Ockimey had a dreadful start to the season. He went 0 for 10 with eight strikeouts in Worcester’s first three games in Trenton and overall was 1 for 18 with 13 strikeouts in the series. “Honestly, I felt like when we opened up,” he said, “I let it get to me. I was tuned in too much ... felt like I was fighting uphill throughout my swing.”

He was batting .056 headed back to Worcester and improved that average to .182 on the Syracuse part of the homestead. That included a five-game hitting streak in Ockimey’s first five appearances in his home park.

The 25-homer list includes several names familiar to Red Sox fans, some not so familiar. Two of the most familiar are in the Hall of Fame, Ted Williams and .

Williams was actually the first Sox farmhand to break the 25-homer barrier. He did it as a 19-year-old at Minneapolis in 1938. His 43 home runs that season are still a Red Sox Triple-A record. He won the American Association Triple Crown with a .366 average and 142 RBIs.

One more note — he struck out just 27 times in more than 600 plate appearances.

After that, it only happened three times in the next 42 years. First baseman Jerry Witte hit 29 for Louisville in ’48, outfielder Bill Renna hit 29 for San Francisco in ’57 and first baseman Tony Horton hit 26 for Dick Williams in Toronto in 1966.

Rice was next with a Triple Crown season for Pawtucket in 1974. He had 25 home runs, 93 RBIs and batted .337. After that, the 25-home seasons happened regularly for the PawSox, although there were only two after 2008 — Ockimey in 2019 and Bryce Brentz (31) in 2017.

Only two players have had back-to-back seasons with at least 25 home runs, Glenn Murray in 1994-95 and Izzy Alcantara in 2000-01. Sam Bowen, Boston’s all-time leader in Triple-A home runs, also did it twice, but not in consecutive years. Bowen hit 28 in 1979, 27 in 1981.

Ockimey’s .204 average in 2019 is the lowest by a 25-homer guy, Williams’ the highest. Jonathan Van Every’s 157 strikeouts in 2008, when he hit 26 home runs, are the most in that category.

Williams, Rice, Horton, Rudy Pemberton, Sam Horn, Alcantara, and also hit .300 or better in their 25-homer seasons. Williams, Renna (105) and Pat Dodson (102 in 1986) are the only ones with 100 or more RBIs.

There have been only two switch-hitters with 25-plus, (26) in 1996 and Morgan Burkhart (25) in 2001. A couple of other names familiar to Red Sox fans are Butch Hobson, who managed both Pawtucket and Boston and hit 25 home runs in 1976; Phil Plantier, 33 in 1990 with 148 strikeouts; and catcher Kelly Shoppach, 26 in 2005.

Pemberton hit 27 home runs for Pawtucket in 1996, then was called up to Boston in September where he became the Red Sox’ most recent .500 hitter. It wasn’t a 1-for-1 game, either. He was 21 for 42 (.512), then hit .238 to begin the 1997 season, was sent down and never played in the majors again.

Horn, here at Polar Park for the ceremonies last week, had a fabulous year in 1987. He hit 30 home runs in just 94 games at Pawtucket before getting called up to Boston. Then he hit 14 more in 46 games for a total of 44 for the season.

The one player on the list who never made the majors is Dave Koza, a first baseman who hit 27 home runs in 1979. Koza is a fairly familiar name as the PawSox player who drove in Marty Barrett with the winning run in the Longest Game in 1981. He is also the only player on the list who batted right, but threw left.

Ockimey is in good company as he tries to join the 27 big-leaguers on the list. It’s a short season, but Polar Park has a short right field, so maybe he can make it happen.

* RedSox.com

Sox burst out of gate, hang on to first

Ian Browne

The Red Sox are enjoying their surprise stint at the top of the American League East so much that they don’t want it to end any time soon.

However, it would have ended on Wednesday night with a loss to the Blue Jays. But Boston didn’t come close to letting that happen.

Instead, the Sox protected their first-place turf with an impressive early outburst in which the first five batters of the game belted hits en route to a 7-3 victory at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla.

Red-hot starting pitcher Garrett Richards was staked to a 5-0 lead before he even threw a pitch.

It was an impressive answer to the Jays drubbing the Sox, 8-0, in Tuesday’s opener of this three-game series.

“That’s part of our mindset as far as, ‘Win today. Worry about today, and we’ll get to tomorrow [later],’" said Richards. “The guys are just really locked in individually and as a whole. It’s really fun to be a part of, to be honest with you. We could get blown out last night and show up today and everybody thinks we’re going to win by 10. It’s a mindset. It’s an attitude. I think we’re in a good place right now.”

Make it 40 consecutive days that manager Alex Cora’s upstart squad -- predicted by most prognosticators to finish fourth in the division this season -- has been in sole possession of first.

“It’s important to win the series, and we have a chance to win it,” said Cora. “Not too many people thought we would be in first place for X amount of days during the season. That’s for other people to think about. Our thoughts are to give ourselves a chance to win the series. Now we do.”

Sometimes, that top spot in the standings has felt very tenuous, such as Wednesday, when the Red Sox took the field with a half-game lead over Toronto.

But just when the Red Sox seem like they are about to slip, they tend to tighten their grip.

“We have a really good team,” said Richards. “I think a lot of us have been saying that since the beginning, even in Spring Training when everybody kind of had us [written] off or said, ‘Hey, they’re not going to be that good.’ Before I even signed here, I looked at the roster, and you know, it was a no-brainer for me. This is a great team, we jell really well together.

“I’m having a lot of fun playing baseball, we’re having a lot of fun playing baseball. Obviously winning solves a lot of things, but this team very much just shows up every single day ready to win.”

Kiké Hernández (single), Alex Verdugo (homer), J.D. Martinez (homer), Xander Bogaerts (single) and Rafael Devers (double) came out firing in that first, and Jays righty Ross Stripling didn’t seem to even know what hit him.

It was the first time since Aug. 7, 2005, that the Red Sox have opened the first inning with five straight hits, and the fourth time in the 2000s they’ve accomplished that feat. Cora was the starting for Boston in that 2005 game.

As for the events of Wednesday, the offense added homers by Hernández and Christian Vázquez later in the night.

But after the first inning, the night was mostly about Richards, who had another strong outing, scattering seven hits and two runs while striking out five and inducing three double-play grounders over 6 2/3 innings.

“Overall a good game,” said Cora. “Garrett was amazing. It's not easy to pitch here. If I'm a pitcher and I see that first inning, yeah, I'm happy with the five runs, but you see the conditions and you're like, 'I'd better keep the ball down.'”

When Richards started the season by going 0-2 with a 6.48 ERA in his first four starts, it was easy to second-guess Boston for signing him to a one-year, $10 million contract with a 2022 option back in February.

Now, it feels more like the contract could wind up being a bargain. In his past five starts, Richards is 4-0 with a 2.27 ERA.

Notes: Renfroe's dazzling D; Santana on cusp

Ian Browne

If Hunter Renfroe’s most known skill is his ability to hit a long way, his best skill is his defense.

Perhaps now that Renfroe is playing for a high-profile team in the Red Sox, he will finally earn the recognition he deserves as one of the best outfielders in the game.

“I hope so. I take a lot of pride in my defense,” said Renfroe. “Always have. Always look forward to getting better.”

Renfroe’s cannon arm was on full display May 12 at Fenway Park, when he made a 92-mph throw from right-center field to third base to nail the A's Matt Chapman trying to stretch a double into a triple. It was a bit of a “wow” moment for the fans at Fenway.

Where does that throw rank of all the ones Renfroe has made?

“I definitely think it’s probably top three. I’ve made some good throws. I definitely made harder throws, but definitely top three, probably [top] two,” said Renfroe.

While playing half of his games at Fenway Park, Renfroe has already proven he can handle perhaps the toughest right field in the game for defenders.

Renfroe entered the day tied for the MLB lead in outfield assists with five and third in defensive runs saved with seven.

If he keeps that pace up, perhaps he will win his first Gold Glove Award. Is that a goal of his?

“For sure,” said Renfroe. “I told people, I think it was in ‘18 or ‘19, I told them I’d much rather win a Gold Glove than a Silver Slugger award. Obviously both of them would be great, but one of my things is, I feel like a Gold Glove is helping your teammates a lot more than that Silver Slugger is as far as pitching-wise. I think pitchers really tip their hat to us if we’re making great plays for them.”

After struggling defensively in his rookie year with the Padres in 2017, Renfroe was determined to make necessary improvements.

“And I went into the exit meeting just talking about my defensive abilities and what I could do, and I took that to heart. I really wanted to go out there and prove to everybody that I’m a plus-plus defender. I keep working at it,” said Renfroe.

Coming attraction: Danny Santana

It should come as no surprise if veteran infielder/outfielder Danny Santana arrives in Boston’s clubhouse in the next few days.

Santana, who was delayed in starting the season due to a severe right foot infection, has sizzled at the plate (.423/.467/.846) in seven Minor League games, the last four of which have been with Triple-A Worcester.

With the Red Sox struggling to get consistent production at left field, second base and first base, the versatile defender could give the club a boost. Santana smashed 28 homers for the Rangers two years ago before missing most of 2020 due to injuries.

“We know how he’s playing,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “I really don’t know when his opt-out is, I really don’t know that situation, but he’s done a good job. We can’t hide that. It’s a guy that we liked from the get-go, and he’s done an amazing job. He’s healthy, so we’ll see where it takes us.”

Cora lauds Bush

Though Cora picked Dave Bush to be his new pitching coach following the 2019 season, he didn’t get a chance to start their working relationship until this season. Cora was not with the Red Sox in 2020 but was re-hired by the club last November.

The starting rotation has performed above expectations this season. In the past 21 games, Boston's starters have a 3.49 ERA.

Bush has obviously played a role in that success.

“He’s been really good about simplifying stuff. Good communicator. This is not an easy staff, right?” said Cora. “I think the combination between him and [assistant pitching coach Kevin Walker] and [game planning coordinator] Jason [Varitek], in different ways, they have contributed to the success of this pitching staff.

“But going back to Bushy, he did a good job for us a few years ago, helping in the Minor Leagues and whenever he came up here. He’s doing an amazing job. I think it’s more about simplifying stuff.”

* WEEI.com

Why Wednesday night’s win was a big one for Red Sox

Ryan Hannable

The Red Sox entered Wednesday being in first place in the American League East for 39 straight days and they will wake up on Thursday with that number being extended to 40.

With the Blue Jays winning six of their last seven games, they had the chance to overtake the Red Sox at the top of the AL East standings with a win Wednesday, but they never had a chance.

The Red Sox started the game with five straight hits, led 5-0 after the first inning and never looked back in their 7-3 win over the Blue Jays in Dunedin, Florida.

While it’s only the middle of May and falling a half game out of first place wouldn’t have been the worst thing in the world, it keeps the momentum going and shows the 2021 Red Sox are a strong bunch.

After a tough loss Sunday and an off-day Monday, the Red Sox were shutout by the Blue Jays Tuesday, but they made sure early on that a third straight loss would not be happening.

"It’s important to win the series and we have a chance to win it," manager Alex Cora said to reporters. "Not too many people thought we would be X amount of days in first place during the season. That’s for other people to think about. Our thoughts are, this gives us a chance to win the series. Now we do."

The five-run first inning included back-to-back home runs from Alex Verdugo and J.D. Martinez, as the team finished with four overall in the game.

One of those came off the bat of Kiké Hernandez, who returned from the injured list Tuesday. Not only did he homer, he paced the offense by going 3-for-5 with two runs scored.

Another reason why the game was so big was it showed it’s now time to take Garrett Richards seriously as a member of the Red Sox rotation.

The right-hander picked up his fourth win of the season, as he went 6 2/3 innings allowing two runs on seven hits, while striking out five. He did walk four, which will be something he looks to clean up for his next outing.

Ever since allowing six runs in two innings in his first outing of the year against the Orioles, he has a 2.72 ERA over his last seven starts.

It’s time Richards be taken seriously as one of the best pitchers in the rotation.

"He’s been working hard since the first day in spring training," Cora said. "He and Bushy (pitching coach Dave Bush) have a great relationship. I think the lingo now is the same. Like I said before the game, sometimes you try to make big adjustments. With him, it was the other way around. It was simplify your windup, be more a straight line to the plate, and throw more competitive pitches. He’s done that. He’s going deep into the games. He was one pitch away from giving us seven today. We’re very pleased with the way he’s throwing the ball. He feels good. His stuff at the end was crisp, was good. Just get ready for the next one."

So while it was just a regular May road game against a division opponent, down the road this could be viewed as an tone-setting win for the remainder of the season

Alex Cora on OMF explains benefits to top prospect Jarren Duran staying in Triple-A

Ryan Hannable

One of the Red Sox' top prospects, outfielder Jarren Duran is off to a great start this season with Triple-A Worcester.

In just 50 at-bats, he has five home runs and nine RBI. Some might look at that and the Red Sox' situation in the outfield and want to promote the 24-year-old.

Appearing on Ordway, Merloni & Fauria Wednesday, Red Sox manager Alex Cora explained why staying patient is the right way to go because of what he will learn in the minor leagues.

“More repetitions in center field, more repetitions in the outfield, plate discipline, putting the ball in play in certain situations, become a better base-runner," Cora said when asked what more Duran can do. "There’s a lot of stuff that goes on. Get hot and then struggle and see how he reacts when you struggle because at one point at the big league level you’re going to go 0-for-25. And are you able to do that? That is part of plate development.

"He competed back home in Puerto Rico, but that’s not even close to what he’s competing [against] now — game-planning against him. There’s a lot of stuff that goes on, but he is getting better. He’s working hard. He’s a good player. He is a guy we believe is going to be a solid big-league player and he’s going to do his job, but at the same time we have to be patient.”

Duran is the No. 3 ranked Red Sox prospect by MLB.com.

* NBC Sports Boston

Meet Kaleb Ort, the other prospect the Sox stole from Yankees

John Tomase

Garrett Whitlock might not be the only treasure the Boston Red Sox plundered from the this winter. Manager Alex Cora would like to thank them for Kaleb Ort, too.

If you've haven't heard of Ort, don't be surprised if that soon changes. The 29-year-old right-hander joined the Red Sox in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft from the same Yankees system that gave them Whitlock in the regular Rule 5.

All Ort has done since is record four saves while striking out nine and walking none in six innings at Triple-A Worcester, catching the eye of Cora and even inspiring him to place a call to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.

"Actually, when we went to New York I gave Cash a call and said, 'Man, those two guys are amazing. Thank you,'" Cora said. "Jokingly, I said, 'Thank you.'"

With the Red Sox bullpen desperately in need of reliable arms, Ort may soon get a look. The 6-foot-4, 240- pounder features an upper-90s fastball, and more importantly, he is showing signs of harnessing his command. He opened eyes in Fort Myers and has continued to do so with the WooSox.

"He's a guy that got my attention in spring training, just like Garrett," Cora said. "Great citizen in the clubhouse, in the weight room, in the training room. He's a good one. His stuff plays. I really liked what I saw. Velocity got better in spring training. He was throwing the ball well down there. He's a guy that we're looking at, obviously, for the right reasons. We're very excited what he's doing, what he did in spring training, and what he can do probably in the future."

Ort hasn't followed a traditional path to the cusp of the big leagues. He went undrafted out of Aquinas College after blowing out his elbow as a senior, and he was pitching for the Joliet Slammers of the independent when the Yankees signed him at age 25 in 2017.

He didn't reach Triple-A until 2019, but over his three seasons in the Yankees system, Ort showed an ability to record strikeouts (12.7 per nine innings) that was counterbalanced by a vexing lack of command (5.2 walks per nine).

That pattern continued in spring training, where he struck out eight and walked four in six innings, allowing just one run, but he has tightened things up at Worcester.

"The guy that's really stood out to me is Kaleb Ort," WooSox pitching coach Paul Abbott said recently. "He's taken the closer role and has run with it. He's come in and slammed the door without really any threat of a hiccup at all. He's throwing strikes, he's aggressive -- he's been impressive."

Maybe impressive enough to land in Boston and join Whitlock, another former Yankees farmhand, in the Red Sox bullpen.

* BostonSportsJournal.com

Final: Red Sox 7, Blue Jays 3

Sean McAdam

The Red Sox jumped out to a quick five-run lead in the first inning and throttled the Toronto Blue Jays, 7-3 to maintain their tenuous hold on first place in the American League East.

The Sox banged out four homers -- three in the first two innings -- while Garrett Richards kept the Jays at bay, allowing just two runs over 6.2 innings for his fourth win.

Kike Hernandez had three hits and three other members of the starting lineup had two hits each as the Red Sox rebounded from a one-sided defeat Tuesday night.

WHO: Red Sox (25-18) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (23-17) WHEN: 7:37 p.m. WHERE: TD Ballpark, Dunedin, Fla. SERIES TO DATE: TOR 1-0 SEASON SERIES TO DATE: TOR 2-1 STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Garrett Richards (3-2, 3.89) vs. RHP Ross Stripling (0-2, 5.91) TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM 93.7

LINEUPS

RED SOX

Hernandez CF Verdugo RF Martinez DH Bogaertrs SS Devers 3B Vazquez C Gonzalez 2B Dalbec 1B Cordero LF

BLUE JAYS

Semien 2B Bichette SS Guerrero Jr. 1B Hernandez RF Grichuk DH Gurriel Jr. LF Biggio 3B Davis CF McGuire C

IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:

B8: Good bounce-back inning from , who allows an single and nothing else in a quick inning.

T8: For the first time in a month and a half, Christian Vazquez has left the yard as the Sox get one of the runs right back.

B7: Garrett Whitlock, in relief, misfires on a fastball, catching too much of the inner half and Semien lines it out to left field for a two-run shot. Suddenly, the lead isn't so comfortable.

B7: Working into the seventh inning for the third time in his last five starts, Richards is finishing strong, with two quick strikeouts and a fastball still registering in the mid-90s.

T6: Nice, quick stroke by Franchy Cordero, who ropes a double to right with one in the sixth for his first hit tonight.

B4: Richards is pitching like a man with a five-run lead -- attacking the strike zone and challenging hitters. He's faced one over the minimum since the first inning.

T4: Stripling has gotten into a far better groove, having retired the last seven since the Hernandez homer to lead off the second.

T2: Kike Hernandez becomes the second Red Sox player to homer off former teammate Stripling, who gets an inviting 89 mph fastball on the inner half and wallops it out to LF. Three homers in the first 10 at-bats for the Sox.

B1: Garrett Richards gifted with a 5-0 lead before he took the mound, but hasn't retired Toronto hitter though four plate appearances -- two walks and two doubles.

B1: Jays do the Red Sox a favor by running into an out. Marcus Semien makes too big a turn at third and is cut down on a relay throw.

T1: The hit parade continues in the first for the Sox as a double to left from Rafael Devers, a groundout behind second by Christian Vazquez and a double to right-center from Bobby Dalbec produces two more runs. Sox are obviously focused on going the other way and taking advantage of the conditions at TD Ballpark.

T1:Red Sox strike quickly. First, Alex Verdugo jumps on a fastball from former teammate Ross Stripling and smokes it out to right for a two-run shot. That's followed immediately by a solo shot to right-center by J.D. Martinez, who homers after a 12-game drought.

WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox have lost two in a row and four of the last seven, but still occupy first place in the AL East....The Sox own a .667 winning percentage (12-6) on the road which is tied for the best in the majors (also OAK, 12-6)...The Sox also rank fifth in the AL and eighth in the majors in road ERA (3.70)...Last night represented the Red Sox' first shutout loss since Opening Day and also marked just the third time all season that they lost a game by five or more runs...: In the last two games, the Red Sox have allowed 14 runs over the last two games after a stretch of seven straight games in which they allowed no more than four in any one game...The Sox are seventh in the AL and 14th in the majors in ERA (3.91),....Red Sox starters have thrown at least five innings in each of the club’s last 11 games, their longest streak of the season....In seven of their last 11 games, Sox starters have gone at least six innings...Red Sox starters have thrown five or more innings in 36 games this season, tied with the Dodgers for most in the majors...Sox starters have not allowed more than one homer in any of their last 25 games...The Red Sox are out-homering opponents 53-31..That plus 22 is the largest difference in the AL and second-largest in the majors. Only St. Louis (plus-26) has a bigger homer differential....The Red Sox are 6-7 against the Blue Jays since the start of last season....and nine of the last 13 meetings have been decided by one or two runs...The Red Sox lead the majors in doubles (95), extra-base hits (151), and (.440)...They rank third in runs (217) and OPS (.763). The Sox have 26 HR in their last 17 games...Marcus Semien is 3-for-15 lifetime against Garrett Richards and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is 2-for-2...Xander Bogaerts is 1-for-4 with a homer in his career against Ross Stripling....JD Martinez has gone a dozen games without a homer while Christian Vazquez hasn't homered since April 7, some 30 games back.

NOTES:

* Christian Arroyo (hand contusion) took batting practice today and plans to do so again Thursday in Worcester, after which he's set to begin a brief rehab assignment at Triple A.

* All signs continue to point to Danny Santana likely joining the club from Triple A Worcester, perhaps as soon as Friday when the Sox begin an interleague series in Philadelphia.

* Alex Cora said the team is debating whether to change the balance between pitchers and position players on the major league roster. The Sox have gone with 12 position players and 14 pitchers since the start of the season. But the starting pitchers' ability to go deeper, coupled with a more off-days in the coming weeks, could allow a re-set of the roster, where the Sox could go with 13 each.

* Cora deliberately avoided offering his opinion on the controversy generated by White Sox manager Tony La Russa, who was highly critical of his rookie outfielder Yermin Mercedes for swinging at a 3-and-0 pitch with the White Sox up big and facing a position player on the mound. Asked if he would instruct his hitters to avoid swinging in a similar situation, Cora chuckled and said: "We'll keep that in the clubhouse. That's the most important thing.''

BSJ Game Report: Red Sox 7, Blue Jays 3 -- Sox race to early lead, retain first place

Sean McAdam

All you need to know, in quickie form. about the Red Sox' win over the Blue Jays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight.

HEADLINES

Offense erupts early: It didn't take long for the Red Sox to get going Wednesday night. The first five hitters reached base and all five eventually came around to score as the Sox staked out a quick 5-0 lead. Included in that eruption were two homers from the first three batters -- a two-run shot by Alex Verdugo and a solo shot from J.D. Martinez. In a small ballpark with gusty winds sometimes carrying the ball, it seemed no lead was , but the outburst provided the Sox with a comfortable cushion right from the start and from there, they managed to keep adding on. A leadoff homer by Kike Hernandez -- making it three homers from the night's first 10 plate appearances -- balanced out a run the Jays got back in the bottom of the first. The Sox didn't score again until the eighth when Christian Vazquez went deep to left for the fourth Boston homer of the night. Having fallen behind early in the series opener, the Sox had successfully -- and quickly -- turned the tables on Toronto.

Richards keeps rolling: Red Sox starter Garrett Richards fell one out shy of giving the Sox seven full innings for the third time in his last five starts, but it was hard to complain about his night even if he wasn't always as sharp as he's been in recent outings. Richards issued four walks -- the most he's had since walking six Blue Jays earlier this season, requiring some under-the-hood work with pitching coach Dave Bush -- and also had two wild pitches, but he limited the damage throughout. After a somewhat rocky first that required him to throw 23 pitches, Richards did what you're supposed to do when your teammates supply you with a multi-run lead -- throw strikes, challenge hitters and get your guys back in the dugout. From the second through the sixth, he never had an inning in which he faced more than four hitters, getting some help from three double plays.

TURNING POINT

After the Red Sox put up five runs in the top of the first, the Jays countered with some offense of their own in the bottom of the inning. Marcus Semien drew a walk and when Bo Bichette drilled a double to right center, it appeared as though the Jays were going to have two runners in scoring position with no out and were intent on making this a crazy slugfest. But on Bichette's double, Semien inexplicably made a big turn at third base -- against the wishes of third base coach -- he gave the Sox an opening. Marwin Gonzalez fired a throw behind the runner, who scampered back to the bag, but not in time. Semien had committed the cardinal sin of making the first out at third base and also stalled Toronto's momentum just when it appeared they were ready to counter-punch with the Sox.

TWO UP

Alex Verdugo: Verdugo was mired in a slump until last week, but has really broken through in his last few games. He clubbed a long homer to right two batters into the game and later added a single.

Kike Hernandez: Hernandez had a single, double and homer while scoring two runs and knocking in another. He has four hits in two games since coming off an IL stint.

ONE DOWN

Marwin Gonzalez: On a night in which nearly everyone contributed offensively, Gonzalez was the only member of the starting lineup to not collect a hit.

QUOTE OF NOTE

"Anytime they're going to give you free outs like that, it's huge. That's on them, but we'll gladly take it.'' Garrett Richards on a critical baserunning error by Toronto's Marcus Semien in the first inning.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING:

* The home run by Christian Vazquez in the eighth inning was his first since April 7, 30 games ago.

* The Sox have hit 30 homers in their last 18 games. the most in the American League in that span.

* The Sox have also hit multiple homers in five of their last six games.

* Bobby Dalbec stroked his fourth double in his last 10 games.

* J.D. Martinez ended a 10-game homerless streak in the first inning.

UP NEXT

The Red Sox and Blue Jays wrap up their series in Dunedin Thursday night at 7:37 p.m. with RHP Nick Pivetta (5-0, 3.16) vs. LHP Steven Matz (4.29).

Sox showing signs of resilience

Sean McAdam

The season is not yet two full months old, so it is clearly too early to bestow any superlatives on the 2021 Red Sox just yet. Memorial Day weekend represents the baseball calendar's first true signpost and that remains a good 10 days away.

There is still the long summer, the trade deadline and then the sprint to the finish. All these markers will test the Red Sox in ways they -- or we -- can't yet imagine. They could still fall apart on some lengthy road trip or fall prey to a string of injuries and very quickly, what they've done in the first seven weeks of the season could be made insignificant.

They could still turn out to be one more team which got out of the blocks well, only to demonstrate they didn't have what was necessary for the long run.

But with every chunk that comes off the schedule, with every series that gets played, these Red Sox demonstrate some toughness. They prove -- for however small the sample size to date -- that they can get back up again after being knocked down. And whether that point is being ,made in May or September, it's a nice trait for a club to have.

On Wednesday night, in a makeshift ballpark northwest of Tampa, playing the nomadic Toronto Blue Jays, the Red Sox made another one of those statements. They had been beaten up 8-0 in the series opener Tuesday, blanked for the first time in 42 games, all the way back to Opening Day. But on Wednesday, there would be no hangover, no licking of the wounds.

That much was made obvious in the first inning when the first five Red Sox reached base and eventually scored. Scarred from the night before? Humbled by the hard-charging Jays, who began the night a mere half-game behind them in the claustrophobic AL East standings? Think again.

These Red Sox don't scare easy.

"This team,'' said starter Garrett Richards, "just shows up every day, ready to win. Yesterday's over and done with. Tomorrow, we'll (deal with) tomorrow. But worry about today, today. That's kind of our mindset.''

They raced to that 5-0 lead, tacked on another run in the sixth and, though they didn't score again until the eighth, managed to keep their foot on the gas.

They have had two three-game losing streaks this season. They dropped the opening series at home, subjected themselves to local ridicule and promptly won the next nine to quell the panic and dismiss the skeptics.

They lost three straight earlier this month, too, dropping the last game of a road trip to Texas and the first two on the homestand in Oakland. Then, they ripped off three wins in a row to balance things out.

Another loss Wednesday night would have meant another three-game losing streak. Even more ominously, another setback to the Jays would have dislodged the Sox from first place, a pole position they've occupied, uninterrupted, since April 11, smack in the middle of that nine-game run in mid-April.

Given how closely matched the top four teams in the division are, it's likely there will be lead changes between now and the end of the season. But on Wednesday, though manager Alex Cora chuckled at the question, it seemed like it meant something to them to hold onto first -- to prove a point, though, likely not to themselves.

For a team that hasn't been awarded anything, for a team that finished with third-worst record in the game last season, a brash confidence has already emerged.

"We've got a very good team,'' declared Richards. "A lot of us have been saying that since the beginning, even in spring training when everybody has us written off (and said) we're not going to be that good. This is a great team. We jell really well together. I've been in the big leagues a little while, but it's rare when a team comes together this tight, this early in the season.

"The guys are just really locked in -- individually and as a whole. It's really fun to be a part of, honestly. We could get blown out last night and everybody shows up today thinking we're going to win by 10. It's an attitude. I think we're in a good place right now.''

Reminded that this group hasn't been together very long, Richards countered that there are plenty of players who have already won championships. There's the core of the 2018 team that remains -- Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, Christian Vazquez, J.D. Martinez, , Matt Barnes -- and a handful of imports who have won elsewhere, including Kike Hernandez and Marwin Gonzalez.

That exposure to a winning environment "goes a long way,'' Richards said. "There's never any panic mode. That's the difference between guys who expect to win and know how to win and guys who hope to win and have the ability to win.''

There will be additional tests to his theory. But for now, by steering clear of long losing streaks and holding off challengers to their spot atop the division, the Red Sox are making their own point.

* The Athletic

Even for the first-place Red Sox, roster adjustments seem to be coming soon

Chad Jennings

At this time three years ago, Hanley Ramirez was still an everyday player for the Red Sox. His offensive numbers were fading quickly, but manager Alex Cora kept hitting him second or third basically every day. He was the No. 2 hitter on May 24, 2018, and then he was designated for assignment the very next day.

Up to that point, Cora had given no indication Ramirez was on thin ice. But it turned out, his leash was exactly 50 games long. By Game 51, Cora and the Red Sox were ready to try something else: more playing time for , actual at-bats for , and a month later, the trade for eventual World Series MVP .

It’s worth remembering Ramirez’s sudden departure, because Game 50 of the current Red Sox season is next Friday, and Cora’s roster might be once again on the verge of meaningful change. His chosen setup relievers have been inconsistent, leadoff man Kiké Hernández has a .308 on-base percentage, and Franchy Cordero has been arguably the worst hitter in baseball. Meanwhile, second baseman Christian Arroyo is about to begin a minor-league rehab assignment, veteran utilityman Danny Santana is performing well in Triple A, and the upcoming schedule suggests an extra bench player might be more valuable than the extra reliever the Red Sox have carried all season.

“There’s conversations ongoing right now,” Cora said before Wednesday’s 7-3 win against the Blue Jays. “Philly (for) interleague play (this weekend), and Monday and Thursday off (next week). We’ll talk about it. One of the things we feel very comfortable (about) is having that extra pitcher, right, because of the rotation, but the way they’re going, it gets that conversation going. We’ll see.”

The Red Sox are still a first-place team, and they came out swinging with a five-run first inning against the second-place Blue Jays on Wednesday. That lead held up through another strong start by Garrett Richards. Four different Red Sox homered. But that doesn’t mean the Red Sox couldn’t use a few tweaks.

Cora’s been a big-league manager only two previous seasons, but in each of them, he’s made a meaningful change roughly 50 games into the year. In 2018, it was cutting ties with Ramirez — who had started 44 of 50 games up to that point — and in 2019 it was dropping in the . Cora stuck with his spring training decision to hit Benintendi leadoff almost every day for 55 games, but in Game 56, Mookie Betts was batting first and Cora never looked back. Benintendi had homered and doubled off Shane Bieber the day before, so his move wasn’t a reactionary decision. Cora simply felt it was time to make the change.

As the Red Sox approach the 50-game threshold, they too have some adjustments to consider.

1. Adding Danny Santana

Signed to a minor-league deal in spring training, but quickly shut down with a foot infection, Santana is a 30-year-old switch hitter who can play basically any position and had an .857 OPS with the Rangers in 2019. That season is an outlier — his career OPS is 140 points lower — but it’s enough to make Santana an intriguing alternative in left field (where he could be an offensive upgrade) or off the bench (where he would fit Cora’s mix-and-match style). Santana has homered in two of his past three Triple-A games, had two more hits Wednesday night and reportedly could opt out soon.

“He’s done a good job. We can’t hide that,” Cora said. “It’s a guy that we liked from the get-go, and he’s done an amazing job. He’s healthy, so we’ll see where it takes us.”

2. Optioning Franchy Cordero

Cordero has been the Red Sox regular left fielder against right-handed pitchers, and he was in the lineup against Ross Stripling on Wednesday. He hit a ball 109 mph in his first at-bat, but it was an out, which was fitting. Cordero has obvious tools but terrible numbers. His 23 wRC+ (which measures offensive production) coming into Wednesday’s game was the lowest of 257 major-league players with at least 90 plate appearances (he did hit a 115 mph double later in the game). Cordero has options remaining and could be sent down to Triple A if the Red Sox want him to work through his struggles in Worcester.

3. Christian Arroyo’s return

Recovering from a hand injury, Arroyo took batting practice the past two days and, according to Cora, could begin a rehab assignment in the coming days. When he returns, Arroyo could replace Cordero (if the Red Sox feel they have enough options in the outfield) or (if the Red Sox don’t see enough available playing time to keep him on the roster), or Arroyo could replace a pitcher (if the Red Sox decide to go back to a standard eight-man bullpen).

4. Dropping a reliever

Out of spring training, the Red Sox made the unusual decision to carry nine relief pitchers and only three bench players. Their positional versatility allowed it, and the extra arm eased workload concerns in the rotation. But Phillips Valdez once went 11 days without pitching in a game. He also had a six-game stretch without pitching. Austin Brice and Josh Taylor each have gone six days and five days between appearances. At times, that bullpen has felt like overkill.

The Red Sox might want a full bench Friday, Saturday and Sunday when they play in a park (where pinch hitters and double switches come into play). They also have off days coming Monday and Thursday, which should limit workload concerns.

If they do add a hitter, whom would they remove from the pen? Taylor’s numbers are bad, but he’s pitched well the past three weeks. Valdez has been rarely used, but his numbers are excellent. The best choice might be out-of-options Brice, who has a 6.94 ERA. Designating Brice for assignment could open a 40- man spot for Cordero.

5. Adjusting pitching depth

The Red Sox have used only two Triple-A pitchers this season (starter Tanner Houck and reliever Eduard Bazardo) and now both are hurt. Colten Brewer and Brandon Brennan — both relievers — are now the only healthy Triple-A pitchers on the 40-man roster. Already, the Red Sox seem to be preparing long relievers Garrett Whitlock and for potential spot starts down the road (both went three innings and 50-plus pitches in their most recent outings), and Cora made clear this week that Worcester closer Kaleb Ort — a minor-league Rule 5 pick — has pitched his way onto the radar with no earned runs, no walks and nine strikeouts through six outings.

“His stuff plays,” Cora said. “I really liked what I saw (in spring training). Velocity got better. … He’s a guy that we’re looking at, obviously, for the right reasons.”

6. Role change considerations

Kiké Hernández was a triple short of the cycle Wednesday, so perhaps he’s about to take off, but he had only a .297 on-base percentage in his previous 31 games as the Red Sox . That’s not ideal. Problem is, the Red Sox don’t have a great alternative (Cora likes the way Alex Verdugo lengthens the balances of the lineup in the No. 2 hole). Similarly, in the late innings, the Red Sox can’t be satisfied with the inconsistency of Adam Ottavino and Darwinzon Hernandez, but again, what are the alternatives? Could Cora tinker with Valdéz, Whitlock or in higher leverage spots?

7. Temptation of Jarren Duran

It’s probably too early for this, but it’s also impossible to ignore: Duran has been impressive in Triple A. He went 0-for-4 on Wednesday, but he has five home runs and a .365 on-base percentage through 14 games. It might not be in the next week or two, but at this pace, Duran looks like a reasonable outfield alternative by the end of the summer.

How the Red Sox starting rotation has carried the load so far this season

Peter Gammons

We may well have never seen pitching like this, not even in the last year of the 15-inch mound and the historic seasons of Bob Gibson and Luis Tiant. Days after Corbin Burnes set a record by starting the season striking out 58 batters before his first walk, Gerrit Cole surpassed him on Monday by striking out 61 before his first walk. Jacob deGrom has an 0.68 ERA with 65 strikeouts, seven walks and three earned runs allowed in six starts, and when the Ides of May rolled around the offense was so strained that somewhere George Brett is suggesting that this is The Season of Mario Mendoza.

But in the spring weeks, the season has been like sailing off Maine’s Machias Seal Island, in fog that hides the exposed shoals and rocks and islets between the Gulf of Maine and Canada’s Bay of Fundy. The Padres and Dodgers were picked by many to be two of the five best teams this season, and last weekend between them had 19 pitchers on the injured list. The Rays, who spent the winter planning how they’d employ their deep warehouse of talented young pitchers in a season 2.7 times longer than last year’s, had 10 on the IL. Two of the expected top five college pitchers in the July draft — and maybe more — have had their seasons and eventual careers changed by Tommy John surgery.

“I think everyone is trying to figure out where we’re going and how to get there over the long season,” says Red Sox pitching coach Dave Bush, a man who lives in Maine and thus knows plenty about fog. Last weekend, the Red Sox starters had pitched at least to the sixth inning in 32 of their first 40 games and had thrown 59.8 percent of the team’s innings, which held the bullpen in place. That also means that Nathan Eovaldi, Garrett Richards and Nick Pivetta were all on pace to throw more innings than they’ve compiled in years, while Eduardo Rodríguez is on a pace to go from no innings in 2020 to somewhere north of 150 in a season he began sidelined with a post-spring training tired arm.

“By the time we get to August, depth of starters is going to be a major part of how everyone runs after Labor Day,” Dave Roberts had predicted, long before his Dodgers lost Dustin May and several relievers. I polled 10 pitching coaches on the number of starters necessary to get to the postseason, and the virtually unanimous over-under was 10.

DeGrom has already had two stints on the sidelines, and Mets people realize that if he’s going to go out there throwing pedal-to-the-metal 100-plus mph every start and be great in October, he may have to take an occasional rest stop, the way the Red Sox would try to give Pedro Martínez extra time around the All-Star Game. “I think every organization is carefully monitoring how their young pitchers and starting depth in the minors get (used),” says Bush.”We’re going to need them in August and later in the season. Most of them have limited innings histories, so we have to make certain they’re strong, healthy and able to pitch as well as they can.”

“In other words,” says one American League general manager, “no one is going to want a young pitcher starting the season in the minors to be up over 75 or 80 innings come the first of August. This is the season of critical time and health management.” By then the shoals, rocks and islets will be visible, and the fuel lines in Vinalhaven long.

When Alex Cora was rehired as the Red Sox manager, he and Chaim Bloom talked about the linkage, totality and culture that goes into successful a organization. Before Cora had to step down before the 2020 season because of the cheating scandal, he had made it clear that he wanted Jason Varitek on the Red Sox staff, for his mind, presence and game preparation skills. The intent was to bring together the players, coaches, analytics department and scouting, building an understanding based on respect and a common goal: to win.

“The more communication there is on every level, the better. It goes from the top down. There can be a full group association in which everyone respects, ‘What do you think?’ and spends the time to develop relationships,” Varitek said.

Cora played with Varitek, and knows he was perhaps the single most respected person on the 2004 and 2007 champions. He, like some of history’s great — Johnny Bench, , Brad Ausmus, Ted Simmons — understood that that position demands a certain selflessness, and has a primary goal of creating conviction in the pitchers. It’s actually fun these days to listen to Varitek talk about the growth and emergence of Christian Vázquez, his improvement as a receiver, and most importantly, his relationship with pitchers.

Then Bush and Kevin Walker work with the pitchers. By the time they reached the fourth game of last weekend’s series with the Angels, Red Sox starters had pitched a minimum of five innings in 33 of their 41 games. When they shut out the Angels in the 41st game, their starters had gone six innings in five straight games. In 2020, their starters were 13-22, with a 5.34 ERA; this season they have a 4.00 ERA, and, perhaps most important, their starters had thrown 60 percent of the team’s innings; last season, that number was 46.9 percent.

“Only the Yankees can maintain their bullpen all season,” says an AL East GM. “They are the best, they are the deepest. Everyone else has to protect their relievers with their starters throwing innings.”

Through Sunday, the White Sox (62.5 percent), A’s (62), Indians (61) and Red Sox (60) were the only starting staffs that had thrown a higher percentage of their teams’ innings than the Yankees (59). The Padres’ (50) starters have the lowest percentage, which is something to watch come August, followed by the Blue Jays (52) and Rays (52). We’ve come to wonder if the Rays have a secret lab underneath The Dome where they create relief pitchers.

The winningest Red Sox pitcher in 2019 was Rodríguez, who, because of heart-related complications from COVID-19, was forced to sit out the entire 2020 season. Martín Pérez and Eovaldi were the only starters to throw as many as 45 innings. Chris Sale had undergone Tommy John surgery at the end of March and was not going to be available until the second half of the 2021 season.

Bloom had acquired Pivetta from the Phillies, along with pitcher Connor Seabold, for and Heath Hembree at the trade deadline, and Pivetta had come to Boston in September for two strong starts. Former first-round draft choice Tanner Houck moved in from the alternate site and made three strong starts.

But part of Bloom’s long-term job was to get the Red Sox under the luxury tax trigger, reset their tax obligations, restore their place in the draft order and their pool money levels for domestic and international signings. Eovaldi, who had actually made considerable progress in 2020, was already signed at $17 million. Pérez was re-signed for $5 million, and Garrett Richards — who hadn’t thrown more than 100 innings since 2015 — was signed for $10 million. Rodríguez re-signed at $8.3 million. The projected five-man rotation was to make $41 million, or just $5 million more than Cole is earning in his second year of a 10- year free agency deal with the Yankees.

When he works with pitchers, “There are no set schedules,” Bush explained. “It depends on the individual, the last game, the next opponent. Everything depends on the pitcher himself.” Varitek, on his role in game preparation of all things that fall under the run prevention file, repeats, “never forget — it’s all about the player.”

Bush studies the condensed video each game, “to make sure what I thought I saw from the bench happened.” He and a pitcher will discuss the pitcher’s thoughts, what he saw, how he felt, what he took from the performance. “Then,” says Bush, “we begin processing for the next start.”

On a side day, they concentrate on the quality of each pitch, the curveball spin, the fastball command. There are no black-and-white innings or formulas. “Every inning can be different, it can be 35 pitches, then seven, then 30,” says Bush. “The stress level is always different. How a pitcher feels that particular game is important. All the pitches are important. Hitters can’t hit everything, so that approach is extremely important.”

When Eovaldi was traded to Boston in 2018, he was essentially a fastball-cutter pitcher whose velocity could touch 100 mph. He maintains his velocity and uses his four-seamer 43 percent of the time, but this season he has used his curveball 19.4 percent of the time and reduced the cutter to 13.5 percent, slider to 12.3 percent and split to 11 percent. The curveball has been very effective in slowing hitters down, laying them back for the 97-100 mph fastball. The split gives them a look at the bottom of the zone. One opposing team’s scout says, “He’s clearly worked really hard to make himself a very different pitcher.”

The emphasis from Bush and the pitching staff is that the work is a partnership. Richards’ first two starts were messy. On April 21, he walked six in 4 2/3 innings. Bush and Richards talked out his delivery. “There was too much going on,” Richards says. They went to a shortened delivery that prevented him from drifting towards the first-base side, and worked on being more direct to the plate. “Garrett has three well-above- average pitches,” Bush says, and in a recent stretch of four starts totaling 25 innings and six earned runs, he threw his curveball for strikes to slow hitters off his 95.6 mph fastball as well as his slider.

When Pivetta came over from the Phillies, he was, as one Philadelphia official says, “badly in need of a start over.” It began at Boston’s alternate site. The first things Pivetta was asked were, “What do you want to be? What do you think you are as a pitcher?” He has focused on the top and the bottom of the strike zone. He had early-season issues with fastball command and getting ahead of hitters, but in 10 starts in a Boston uniform dating back to September, he is 7-0, with a 2.91 ERA, and the club was 9-1 in those starts.

“He’s working hard on trying to build that trust of how it plays and where it plays and why it does,” says Varitek, who coordinates the pitcher-catcher-analytics-defenders meetings. “It hasn’t been easy for him. He’s getting more and more confident with it.”

Pivetta struggled in Philadelphia, as the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier noted, with throwing up in the zone. From the time he arrived at the alternate site last August, Pivetta was told to pitch the way he wanted to pitch, and he now is building confidence in pitching up and down; interestingly, his best analytical success has been at the top of the zone, perhaps a testament to his re-established self-confidence. “Pitchers,” says Varitek, “are human.”

Rodríguez had to delay his first 2021 start while building back his velocity, but has thrown a mix depending on the opponent: changeup/four-seamer, cutter, sinker, slider. “E-Rod will probably evolve as the season progresses because he’s got all those pitches, he has confidence in them and he works to each game and its situations,” says Bush. Dating back to 2018, the Red Sox are 54-12 in his starts. Cora had a significant role in his development into a 19-game winner in 2019, a season in which he got his team to the eighth inning nine times.

Thus far, Rodríguez has thrown his changeup 27.7 percent of the time, his four-seamer 27.9 percent. In 2017, prior to Cora’s arrival, he threw his fastball 61.2 percent of the time; in 2019, he threw it 38.9 percent of the time. “Pitchers adapt,” says Bush. Indeed. Pérez threw 58.7 percent fastballs in 2017, 42.3 percent in 2019 and 30 percent this season, when one combines two- and four-seamers.

This is the trend throughout the game, because as much as this might be a summit season in terms of pitching, hitters are beginning to retrain themselves to hit pitches up in the zone. For instance, in the April game in which Pivetta got the win against deGrom, both Xander Bogaerts and Vázquez got up on 100 mph fastballs, hit a double and single and produced the game’s only run. Through May 12, Clayton Kershaw had thrown 62.8 percent breaking balls, Shane Bieber 57.1 percent, Joe Musgrove 48.8 percent, Jameson Taillon 47.9 percent.

Then, watching the John Means and no-hitters, one club executive said, “the number of hitters who swung over their was ridiculous. I believe what’s happening is that so many hitters are so hung up on launch angle that the changeups and splits are becoming dominant pitches.” Indeed, thanks to MLB’s Mike Petriello and Baseball Savant, we learn that in 2019, 2020 and 2021, usage of changeups and splits have set ascending records.

With Pivetta, the Red Sox also received Seabold, whose best pitch is a dead-fish changeup that runs down and away from left-handed batters, similar to the one Juan Marichal threw in 1974 at the end of his career. “If Seabold comes up or the last six or eight weeks, he may be really good because major league hitters won’t have experienced that pitch and they have games where there’s a lot of swinging over it,” said a Red Sox executive who travels with the team.

When Boston’s Worcester Triple-A team opened its season at home May 11, Seabold and Houck were on the disabled list. It was reported that after spring training, each had experienced minor arm soreness, though it was not expected to be serious. But Boston is going to need at least three more starters come the two- month stretch drive. One could be Sale, but there seems to be no speculation yet about when he might come back. Between a neck issue, COVID and another unidentified issue, he has barely started throwing off a mound. “We don’t know when he could be back,” says one club official. “We hope he will be able to return, and can help either as a starter or even in a piggyback role.” Many with the team hope he will throw his changeup, which in 2018 had his highest swing-and-miss rate, but Sale is so focused and competitive that no one knows what he’ll throw.

The question has been raised as to whether it’s possible the club is trying to avoid running up Houck’s and Seabold’s innings in the minors when the team will probably need them in the majors. “The 2021 innings are one of the biggest question marks in baseball this season,” says an AL West general manager. “Frankly, I’m scared to even think about what some of the matchups may be come late August. Teams can talk about young power arms they can bring up, but a lot of these young pitchers didn’t pitch in competitive games in 2021. A lot of them have never thrown 100 innings, much less 162.”

In the meantime, while the Yankee bullpen has among the game’s best, Bush, Varitek and the Red Sox are working through theirs. Getting Matt Barnes more direct to the plate and concentrating on his four-seamer has made him the American League saves leader since last Aug. 21. Barnes has struck out nearly 50 percent of the batters he’s faced. His four-seam spin rate is the highest in the game.

“It isn’t easy to find times when relievers can work on things and make adjustments,” says Bush, who was a renowned closer at Wake Forest and Chatham before becoming a starter in the Toronto organization. “We try. They do a lot of throwing with one another to experiment, but every night there’s usually a chance they might have to pitch.”

Rule 5 pick Garrett Whitlock has been a very successful long man in his first season above Double A, and in another year he could be a starter possibility. Adam Ottavino has been the most frequent eighth-inning setup man, but Cora seems ready to use Japanese split master Hirokazu Sawamura in that role. They’re trying to get hard-throwing lefties Darwinzon Hernandez and Josh Taylor to throw strikes. Then there’s Phillips Valdez, a 29-year-old waiver claim hitters can’t figure out. He throws 65 percent changeups, which dive enough so that in the first six weeks of the season he had one of the lowest exit velocities in the league, had allowed but one extra-base hit and, according to Baseball Savant, not one barrel. “When we were in Baltimore, he’s cruising along throwing a 92 mph sinker and that changeup, and all of a sudden he starts throwing sliders. No one knew he had one. It actually works compared to the changeup,” said the Red Sox executive.

Phillips Valdez. John Means. Clayton Kershaw. Gerrit Cole. Jacob deGrom. It is fair to believe that perhaps the biggest reason that this is the greatest era of pitching is how pitchers learn and study and evolve, and as we get into the eighth week of the season, we know that the last teams standing come November will be those teams whose pitchers turn, turn, turn themselves into whole staffs better than they were on the Ides of May.

* Associated Press

Verdugo, Martinez power 5-run 1st, Red Sox top Blue Jays 7-3

DUNEDIN, Fla. (AP) — Alex Verdugo and J.D. Martinez hit back-to-back homers during a five-run first inning, Garrett Richards won his fourth straight decision and the Boston Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-3 on Wednesday night.

Kiké Hernández and Christian Vázquez also went deep for the Red Sox, who are 13-6 on the road. Boston has outhomered its opponents 57-32.

“We had good at-bats from the get-go,” manager Alex Cora said. “We hit line drives. When we do that we also hit a lot of home runs.”

Toronto, which lost for only the second time in eight games, got a two-run homer from Marcus Semien. A victory would have moved the Blue Jays past Boston into first place in the AL East.

Verdugo hit a two-run drive and Martinez ended a 12-game homerless drought with an opposite-field shot to right as the first five batters reached safely against Ross Stripling (0-2). Bobby Dalbec also drove in a run on a double to right.

“I hope I have to do it every single time I pitch,” a smiling Richards said about waiting to take the mound as his teammates built a big early lead. “It’s always nice when the boys score runs in the first inning. It allows you to just go out and pitch, fill up the zone.”

Boston’s right-handed batters emphasized hitting the ball to right field during batting practice as the wind continued a recent trend of briskly blowing in, especially in the early innings, from left field at TD Ballpark.

Richards (4-2) allowed two runs, seven hits and four walks with five strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings. The right-hander induced three double-play grounders.

“Garrett was amazing,” Cora said. “It’s not easy to pitch here. If I’m a pitcher and I see the first inning, I’m happy with the five runs, but you see the conditions here. You’re like, `I’ve got to keep the ball down.’”

Hernández drove a second-inning solo homer through the breeze to left to put Boston ahead 6-1. He had three hits, coming within a triple of the cycle.

Semien’s homer off Garrett Whitlock pulled Toronto to 6-3 in the seventh.

Vázquez hit a solo shot in the eighth.

The first four Toronto batters reached base safely against Richards but the Blue Jays scored just once in the first inning on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s double. Semien drew a leadoff walk but overran third on Bo Bichette’s double and was thrown trying to return to the base.

Stripling gave up six runs and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

“His command hasn’t been there,” Toronto manager said. “It’s not easy when you’re struggling to regroup, but again, when you have the stuff to be good, there’s always a chance. It’s tough to go back to the drawing board, but you have to.”

RUNNING AHEAD

Red Sox LHP Eduardo Rodriguez ran the bases in preparation for a scheduled interleague start Sunday at Philadelphia. He is 0 for 20 at the plate, including 10 strikeouts, with three sacrifice bunts and one run scored.

MINOR MATTERS

RHP , taken 11th overall in the 2019 draft by Toronto, allowed one run and struck out 10 for Triple-A Buffalo against Worcester. His ERA through three starts is 0.50.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: INF Christian Arroyo (bruised left hand) is nearing the start of a minor league rehab assignment. … INF/OF Danny Santana (right foot infection) could soon be an option to be called up from Triple-A Worcester.

Blue Jays: RHP Anthony Castro (right forearm strain) had a live batting practice session. When he rejoins the team could be determined Thursday.

UP NEXT

Boston RHP Nick Pivetta (5-0) and Blue Jays LHP Steven Matz (5-2) are the scheduled starters in the series finale Thursday night.

* The New York Times

As Velocity Increases, So Does Danger to Batters

Tyler Kepner

For two decades with the Houston Astros, Craig Biggio was a human magnet for five-ounce missiles wrapped in cowhide. Nobody alive has been hit by more pitches than Biggio, who somehow made it to Cooperstown, N.Y., with all his bones intact.

Now 55 years old, Biggio is a baseball dad; his son, Cavan, is the Toronto Blue Jays’ third baseman. Cavan, 24, wears a helmet with an extension that covers his jaw, to his father’s relief. With more batters being hit by pitches than ever before, modern players need all the protection they can get.

“Ever since he wore it, I was like, that’s great, I’m happy for him that he’s comfortable with it and he can see out of it, because it’s only going to protect you — and all it takes is one pitch, that’s all,” Biggio said this week. “I mean, Dickie Thon — it was one pitch. He was the A-Rod of that generation before he got hit in the eye.”

Every hitter takes the risk of being victimized like Thon, a young for Houston who never made another All-Star team after a fastball shattered his orbital bone in 1984. The latest harrowing reminder came on Monday in Atlanta, when the Mets’ sustained multiple nasal fractures after a Jacob Webb fastball drilled him in the face.

The sight of Pillar writhing on the dirt, with blood pouring from his nose, reverberated around the game.

“My family was here and they heard me scream when he got hit,” said Phillies Manager , who was watching on a day off.

“I just think with the velocity that is going on with pitchers today, and them pitching up, the ball sometimes takes off a little bit more because of the spin rate up there. I think we worry about up and down more than we do command to the corners.”

Girardi, whose right fielder, Bryce Harper, was hit in the face by Genesis Cabrera in St. Louis last month, said hitters often have to start their swings earlier to up to fastballs.

“I think it’s as dangerous now as it’s ever been,” he said, “and it’s concerning to me.”

With injuries rising overall after last year’s abbreviated season, baseball hardly needs further reason to worry about players being sidelined. But the numbers on hit batters over the last two seasons combined are troubling: In more than 3,000 games through Tuesday, batters had been hit by pitches 1,384 times, an average of 0.46 per game. No season between 1899 and 2017 had a rate as high as 0.4, but baseball has averaged at least that many in each of the last four years.

If that sort of factoid seems vaguely familiar, add it to the list in a season of extremes. The major league batting average is .236, which would be a record low, and the league strikeout rate — 8.97 per game — would be a record high.

Average fastball velocity is also at a peak, with the average of 93.4 miles an hour being the highest in the 20 years Fangraphs has tracked radar-gun readings. Fastball usage, meanwhile, has dipped to just over 50 percent, with technology helping pitchers design more effective off-speed offerings.

So while pitchers fire fewer fastballs, the ones they do throw can inflict more damage, especially when they are not as refined.

“It’s a pretty simple answer: I think velocity has become the primary factor in determining whether a guy can pitch at the highest level of baseball, as opposed to pitchability,” said Pillar, who was placed on the injured list Tuesday and will need plastic surgery on his nose.

“You’re seeing more and more guys that throw hard and teams are hoping that they could develop pitchability and control and a secondary pitch. You’re not seeing as many guys that throw in the lower 90s or 90 that have very high pitchability with multiple pitches to get guys out.”

Rosters had more room than ever last year for strong but erratic arms, with teams starting the season with 30 active players before settling at 28. Even at the current limit of 26, rosters usually have at least 13 pitchers. That leaves space for players developed as Pillar described — throw hard, find a passable off- speed pitch and head to the big leagues.

If those types of pitchers help a team win, Girardi acknowledged, teams will continue to promote them from the minors. But with more and more batters being plunked, Girardi has been warming to one of the more radical changes baseball will institute this summer in the independent Atlantic League.

“It was the first time I thought that maybe moving the mound back was a good idea,” he said. “I really never thought that, because I started thinking, ‘A guy that’s been throwing a curveball 60 feet 6 inches, now you’re asking him to throw it a foot or two further, how’s that going to change him and how long’s that going to mess him up?’ But I started thinking: ‘Would the hit by pitches go down if the mound was further back?’ I really don’t know.”

Hitters, too, are partly to blame for the trend. The ’ batters are leading the American League in hit-by-pitches for the third year in a row — mostly, Manager said, because two of their players, Mark Canha and Ramon Laureano, stand so close to the plate.

“You really very rarely see what you think are intentional hit by pitches,” Melvin said. “And I think teams are just pitching more inside because a lot of guys are on the plate a little bit more, trying to take away the outside corner, make that more middle. And I don’t know that the command with guys these days is as good as it was in the past, either.”

As a player in the 1980s and ’90s, Melvin was the antithesis of Craig Biggio; he was hit by a pitch just once in more than 2,000 plate appearances. (“Which means nobody was really too worried about me,” said Melvin, who hit .233 for his career.) Biggio was a much more accomplished hitter and pitchers knew he could beat them inside.

“I stood on top of the plate because my weakness was the outside half of the plate, so I could hit you inside all day long, it didn’t matter,” said Biggio, who was hit by 285 pitches, two behind the record-holder, Hughie Jennings, who played mostly in the 1800s. “If you threw it middle-in, I’m good, but if you threw it middle-away, that’s where I was weaker. So I stood on top of the plate and I understood that also, from being a catcher, you’re going to get hit and that’s part of the game.”

It is, but it’s a much bigger part of the game than it was when Biggio arrived. In 1989, Biggio’s first full season, teams averaged just .19 hit batters per game. That means the rate has more than doubled for his son’s generation.

“The strike zone is definitely a lot higher now; it might have been a little bit wider back in the day,” Biggio said. “Now if you’ve got a power arm and you can throw it up in the zone, maybe you don’t have to be as accurate, just hit the top of the zone and get the strikeout — and then every now and then you’re hitting guys.”

Incredibly, none of the pitches that hit Biggio forced him to the disabled list. He even stayed in the game after his worst beaning: a fastball to the cheek from the ’ Geremi Gonzalez in 1997.

But Biggio will never forget the sensation, and will always be grateful for his luck.

“It felt like getting hit in the face with a sledgehammer,” he said. “You count your blessings every time you can get up and walk to first base and keep playing.”

* The New York Daily News

Boston Red Sox say ‘Miss You’ to Jennifer Lopez amidst A-Rod split

Brandon Sapienza

The Boston Red Sox are swinging for the fences in their attempt to get Jennifer Lopez back.

In a TikTok video addressed to Lopez with the caption, “Miss you, J-Lo,” the Red Sox showed video of Lopez at a game while her ex-fiancé Alex Rodriguez broadcast for Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN. The video was also paired along with the instrumental version of the song “Never Forget You” by Zara Larsson.

“To the girl on the Monster for Sunday Night Baseball in 2019,” the Red Sox wrote in their video. “Come back soon. We miss you.”

The message from the storied baseball franchises is ironic considering Lopez grew up in the Bronx where their rival Yankees play, and Rodriguez played for the Yankees for over a decade. Lopez’s ex Ben Affleck, who was seen with the 51-year-old singer once again is also a big fan of the Red Sox.

* The New York Post

Boston Red Sox post Jennifer Lopez tribute after Ben Affleck reunion

Jaclyn Hendricks

Jennifer Lopez may be from a block deep in Yankees territory — but that didn’t stop the Boston Red Sox from showing some love for the Bronx-born singer.

The Beantown team — which just happens to be rumored beau Ben Affleck’s favorite — made their affection for J.Lo clear in a new TikTok video, which showed her hanging out at a 2019 Red Sox game that she attended with ex-fiancé Alex Rodriguez.

“Miss you, @J-Lo #redsox #neverforgetyou #jlo #fenway,” the team captioned the clip, which featured Lopez hanging with mascot Wally the Green Monster in July of that year.

Lopez watched the Sox play the , while Rodriguez — who was one of Red Sox Nation’s most hated rivals when he played for the Yankees — was in the broadcast booth commentating on the action for ESPN.

Page Six exclusively reported in March that Lopez and Rodriguez had broken up.

The pair later claimed to be working on their relationship, but ultimately called it quits a month later.

More recently, Lopez has rekindled her old feelings for former boyfriend Affleck, and even had a mountain getaway at an exclusive resort in Montana with him two weekends ago.

“We have realized we are better as friends and look forward to remaining so,” J.Lo and A-Rod they said to the “Today” show. “We will continue to work together and support each other on our shared businesses and projects. We wish the best for each other and each other’s children.”

In the wake of the split, Lopez, 51, performed the Red Sox anthem “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond at Global Citizen’s “Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World,” as a tribute to her mom earlier this month.

Following her performance, Affleck, 48, appeared at the concert in a segment, according to sources.

The second coming of “Bennifer” has continued to heat up, with an insider telling Us Weekly last Friday, “They are taking it slowly, but things are moving in a romantic direction.”

Lopez and Affleck got engaged in 2002 and called it quits two years later. Affleck had presented Lopez with a pink diamond engagement ring worth more than $1 million.