The Sunday, August 19, 2018

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Fast start helps Red Sox away from Rays

Julian Benbow

The book on Rays starter Tyler Glasnow wasn’t necessarily a long read, but the Red Sox analytics team knew way more about the 24-year-old righthander than he knew about the Sox.

Glasnow only had three major league seasons, 59 appearances, and 20 starts under his belt when he took the mound at Fenway on Saturday night.

He had only made three starts in the after coming over from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a at the deadline for .

But he had a glaring Achilles’ heel: up to this point in his career, he hadn’t shown any overwhelming interest in keeping base runners in check.

“Just doing research,” said Sox first base , who also coordinates base running. “Anything you can find that might help you figure out if he’s going home or coming over [to the base]. That’s really all we do. We just try to find something, and if we find it, we try to exploit it.”

Runners had a 74 percent success rate against him. He had never picked off a runner in his career. The time it took for his 6-foot-8-inch frame to deliver the ball to the mound didn’t help matters.

So the Sox spent the first inning of their 5-2 win over the Rays seeing how many bases they could squeeze out of Glasnow.

“You do your homework and if you feel that there’s something going on that we can take advantage of, you do it,” said Sox .

Things started fine for Glasnow. He struck out to lead things off. Then and stroked back-to-back doubles to give the Sox a 1-0 lead.

Moreland was at second and J.D. Martinez was at the plate. On a 1-and-0 count, Cora gave Moreland the green light. Moreland had stolen one base already this season, which for the past seven years of his career had pretty much been the quota.

He had never stolen third. But swiping it from Glasnow was like taking a lollipop from Tommy Pickles’s mouth. Moreland was already three strides to the bag when Glasnow finished his follow-through.

“Mitch did a good job,” Cora said.

Martinez worked a walk to make it first and third. With a base open and at the plate, there was still room for the Sox to see how far they could push it.

Martinez knew from his pregame prep that the opportunity would be there. But he wouldn’t say what tipped him.

“Can’t tell you that, man,” Martinez said.

On another 1-and-0 count, Martinez took off for second. He had four stolen bases this season, two shy of his -season high.

“Feeling good,” Martinez said. “The legs are fresh.”

When Glasnow walked Bogaerts to load the bases, he reached for his rosin bag to try to gather himself.

When he walked Ian Kinsler on four pitches, allowing Moreland to trot home, Glasnow’s hollow-eyed stare got Rays manager Kevin Cash on the phone to get an arm ready in the bullpen.

Glasnow got to ground into what appeared to a play that could have ended the Sox’ experiment with minimal damage. But Rays first baseman Jake Bauers launched his throw into the outfield, allowing Martinez and Bogaerts to score and push the Sox’ lead to 4-0.

The Sox tried one more trick that ultimately got Glasnow off the hook. With runners on first and second and Sandy Leon at the plate, they tried a double steal.

Glasnow finally caught on and made a throw to third that nearly sailed over the head of Matt Duffy. The Rays third baseman tagged out Kinsler, who was hung up between second and third, then chased down Holt to end the inning.

“I don’t mind that one,” Cora said. “It looked bad, but it doesn’t matter. We’re still up two, we put pressure on him, and we scored four.”

The two stolen bases moved the Sox into a tie with the for the most in the majors this season (98). They’re 49-18 when they steal at least one base and 17-5 when they steal two or more. Even if the double steal didn’t work out the way they planned it, they could see the payoff.

“I don’t want to say we got greedy, but we just didn’t wait him out long enough on the ones where we did get picked off,” Goodwin said. “And those kinds of things happen when you’re being aggressive and trying to do some things to get yourself some runs on the board. But as far as the aggression, as far as the guys getting out there and running, obviously very pleased with how it’s gone this year.”

Martinez stretched the lead in the third inning with his major-league leading 38th homer of the season. He also pushed his major-league-leading RBI total to 106, 11 more than anyone else. But being so close to a career-high in steals made his eyes light up.

“For real? The career-high is six?” Martinez said. “I’ve got to get that. That might be the one I’m most proud of.”

With a four-run lead, Sox starter cruised, giving up two runs on five hits in seven innings while improving to 13-6.

He gave up a two-run homer to C.J. Cron in the sixth inning but was able to stretch his run of starts since the All-Star break with two or fewer runs allowed to five. He threw 72 of his 103 for strikes.

Glasnow managed to regroup from a difficult first frame and throw 6⅔ innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on three hits with four .

“That’s good stuff over there,” Cora said. “98-99 [m.p.h.]. It cuts. Good breaking ball. I got a phone call today from the Pirates staff, so I had a pretty good idea what we were going to see today, and [he’s] as advertised. His stuff is that good.”

But on the way to picking up their ninth win in their last 11 games, the Sox were able to pinpoint a weakness and turn it into runs. A huge part of the reason — and one of Cora’s recurring themes this season — is time spent poring over data and video and then the players’ ability to process the information and use it to yield tangible results.

“We just try to see it and we want to trust it and once the guys trust it and can apply it, that’s what makes these guys special,” Goodwin said. “Just to have those guys be able to see something and apply it and happen to have it work out, it definitely makes the research that much more special.”

Red Sox put back on DL after feeling discomfort

Julian Benbow

Not even a week after returning from a stint on the 10-day disabled list, Red Sox ace Chris Sale was placed on the DL once again Saturday (retroactive to Aug. 15) after the lingering effects of mild left shoulder inflammation cropped up between starts.

Sale threw five dominant scoreless innings Aug. 12 against the Orioles, piling up 12 strikeouts on just 68 pitches, and was set to start again Sunday. But in his throwing sessions between starts, he felt discomfort in his shoulder.

“When I started throwing again [between starts], it just kind of didn’t respond the way we wanted it to,” Sale said. “Didn’t really bounce back like we wanted it to. So just kind of adjust and map things out and see where it takes us.”

The obvious concern late in the season — with the Sox holding the best record in baseball and a 10½-game lead in the AL East entering Saturday — was how the injury would affect such an important piece of their rotation.

“Obviously terrible timing,” Sale said. “Not the most ideal situation. To be honest, it’s quite miserable for me. But at the same time, I’m not going to sit down and pout. I’m going to keep my chin up. I’m on the best team that’s ever walked the planet. I’ve got 15 guys that got my back and I appreciate that.”

Sale first went on the DL July 31 when he started to feel soreness after a stretch of starts. He was expected to miss just one start but ultimately missed two before returning against the Orioles.

In this instance, Sale said the pain wasn’t to the same extent it was initially, but it was enough for the Sox to decide to take extra precautions.

“I think it’s the smart move,” said manager Alex Cora. “This situation’s just a process — before the start, during the start, and after the start. It was taking him a while after the start and where we’re at right now, not only as an organization but with the individual, we have to take care of him.

“This guy’s very important to what we’re trying to accomplish and if he needs to skip one, two, three, whatever, we’re willing to do that. He’ll be back.”

Since he was hired last fall, Cora has been vigilant about protecting Sale’s health, limiting his pitches in and finding extra rest days over the course of the season.

“It’s more about the player, honestly,” Cora said. “We’ve been trying to take care of this guy since November and we’ll keep doing that.”

With a 12-4 record, 1.97 ERA, and 219 strikeouts, Sale has been very effective in his 23 starts this season.

At the same time, the Sox have a 10½-game lead over the Yankees in the AL East with 38 games left in the season.

If the race were closer, Sale said, he’d “probably” be on the mound.

“I would assume so,” he said. “It’s kind of hard to say given the situation we’re in. A lot of what-ifs in that scenario. But I feel like I could probably get out there if push came to shove.”

Sale said he understood the organization’s cautious approach but was still frustrated by having to sit out.

“We’ve still got a lot of season left, we don’t want to overlook that,” he said. “But at the same time, we want to able to kind of sprint across the finish line and not limp into it. So like I said, bad timing obviously.

“Everybody that knows me knows I’m not the biggest fan of what’s going on right now, but it is what it is. You deal with it, keep your chin up, put one foot in front of the other, and just keep grinding.”

Cora acknowledged that when he found out Sale’s injury had resurfaced, he was “a little bit scared, honestly.” But he was confident that the team was taking the proper steps to ensure another trip to the DL won’t be necessary.

“We do feel that where we’re at he’ll be fine,” Cora said. “When? We don’t know. There’s no timetable. We’re not going to put pressure on him to go back up there and perform. But for what this situation is, we’re comfortable with it.”

Filling in Who takes Sale’s spot in the rotation Sunday depends on how things played out Saturday. If Hector Velazquez wasn’t needed out of the bullpen — and he wasn’t in the 5-2 win — he’ll start Sunday.

Rick Porcello, , Brian Johnson, and David Price will be the probables for the Cleveland series. Then Cora will reevaluate his options.

Eduardo Rodriguez is set to begin a rehab assignment on Monday, but Cora was hesitant to say if he could return as early as next weekend in Tampa.

“I’m not saying there’s a chance he’ll pitch in Tampa, but we’ll see how it goes,” Cora said. “But we’ll stay with the same. We’re not going to move people up because of where we are right now.”

Staying power? When the Rays introduced the concept of an “opener” — a scheduled bullpen start — this season, the reception was that the idea was either revolutionary or ridiculous.

For Cora, the approach obviously poses unique challenges.

“It’s a difficult team to prepare for but you have a pretty good idea who’s going to come after the opener, so you go accordingly,” Cora said.

But he was hesitant to say the role of an “opener” has staying power beyond the Rays’ experiment this season, especially considering the Rays’ wealth of talented young arms, from Blake Snell to Tyler Glasnow to Jose De Leon to Yonny Chirinos.

“I don’t think so,” Cora said. “If you start looking at their program and who they have — you know, the trades and everything — next year their rotation is going to be a good one.

“Right now I’ve got my own team I’m dealing with, but there’s a comfort level with having those guys going six, seven innings from the get-go. I don’t see it happening. We’re still paying guys a lot of money to give you 200 innings. It’s very important.”

Lesson learned? Red Sox should have given Chris Sale more time

Nick Cafardo

Is this a realization by the Red Sox that maybe they shouldn’t be pitching Chris Sale when they don’t have to with a 10½-game lead? Or is this something to be concerned about? Two stints on the disabled list in 19 days. Normally, that’s not a good sign.

On Saturday, Sale said the inflammation in his left shoulder was not as bad as in his the first trip to the DL. But between starts the “normal soreness” he would usually feel was still more than “normal.” The Red Sox keep referring to it as “mild” inflammation, but mild inflammation normally doesn’t warrant two stints on the DL after one start in between.

While Sale had an MRI two weeks ago, he didn’t have one this time and it doesn’t appear that he will unless things start to go haywire with his shoulder. You couldn’t tell by the comments from manager Alex Cora or Sale whether increased caution will be exercised this time, though Cora insists that the medical staff believed he was ready to pitch Aug. 12. And it showed as Sale struck out 12 and 99 miles per hour on the radar gun in five innings (only 68 pitches) in his win over Baltimore.

Sale threw like reincarnated in that start. Sale commented how good he felt. But I asked him, isn’t the day after a good indication on how you really are? He agreed that it was. Sale said it wasn’t until he started throwing again that he noticed there was still soreness.

So even if we take this for what it is on the surface, two stints on the DL is more than “mild.” I understand that the inflammation itself isn’t that severe, but two stints on the DL in less than a month denotes a bit more than a “mild” condition, doesn’t it?

Sale said there might be a silver lining to all of this, but he can’t quite see it yet. The silver lining would be that he gets plenty of rest, that the Red Sox extend his time off so he’s ready for October. With this lead, the September games might be meaningless.

But if this mild tendinitis keeps rearing its head, this is awful news for the Red Sox. Sale is the one guy who must be healthy and productive for them to go anywhere in the playoffs. He must be the guy who pitches Game 1 of a Division Series, ALCS, or and gets his team off to a great start. He must pitch the critical middle game. He must pitch a Game 7. Suffice to say, there’s no more important player on this Red Sox team than Sale in the postseason. Yes, more important than Mookie Betts or J.D. Martinez.

Sale has pretty much said that if he were in those situations that he would likely try to pitch through it. He probably wouldn’t even have told anyone his arm was ailing. You could tell Sale was agitated about having to sit again. and were the two gutsiest pitchers I was ever around. They pitched through anything and everything. During the down years with the Red Sox, Clemens had tendinitis at least once a year and never missed a start. He had forearm strains, hamstring issues, groin strains, and never wanted to miss a start. There were times he had to succumb to it because it got so bad, but that was Clemens’s mentality. And it’s Sale’s mentality as well, but these days medical staffs really err on the side caution no matter the ailment.

This has been one extremely positive season for the Red Sox. The team mapped out a plan to keep Sale healthy. The Sox reduced his innings, his pitches, and occasionally gave him extra days off between starts. They did everything to reduce the stress on his shoulder. Has it worked? With his heavier workload last season, Sale never went on the DL. He did get fatigued after the All-Star break and wasn’t as effective as a result, but he didn’t have to miss time.

We were all wondering after he came back last Sunday, why not give him another week? What’s the hurry? We know Sale is competitive and he wants to be out there, but the Red Sox have an enormous lead in the AL East, so why not take August off, part of September, and we’ll see you in mid-September? Maybe that’s what we’ll get now. Maybe this put enough fear into the medical staff and Cora that now it’s best to err on the side of caution. Even if Sale took three weeks off, he’d have enough time to dial up for October. Unless there’s a 1978 or 2011 collapse on the way, he won’t really be needed until Oct. 5 at the earliest.

The Red Sox have been trying to get this dynamic duo of David Price and Sale working together, with splitting up the lefties, ever since they obtained Sale. Price got hurt last season and so it didn’t happen. Dave Dombrowski’s vision was that this group would be dominant in the postseason.

That’s still the goal. Price and Porcello are doing their part. If Sale is unable to be a part of that, what a blow to the Red Sox’ postseason chances. So the best thing the Sox can do now is when Sale looks ready to go again, tack on another week.

Let’s size up the Red Sox’ playoffs competition

Nick Cafardo

With a 10½-game lead in the American League East entering the weekend, it’s all about maintaining a big enough lead so the Red Sox can set their pitching rotation for the playoffs, and then take on whichever team emerges in the Division Series. It’s never too early to take a look at what may await the Red Sox in the postseason.

Of course, Saturday’s news that Chris Sale is going back on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation would certainly change the outlook for the Sox if it’s a persistent injury that spills into October.

One thing that pops up when asking baseball executives and scouts about the Red Sox is, can they win the bullpen battles in October? The Sox’ bullpen has been decent all season, but there have been instances when it has stumbled. Of course, with Sale (assuming he’s healthy), David Price, and Rick Porcello there’s a good chance the threesome can go deep enough into games to eliminate middle relief.

What are the strengths and areas of vulnerability for the playoff contenders?

Indians

It’s interesting that the Red Sox have not faced this potentially potent team until this coming week. The Indians are running away with the AL Central, but they have been a team that hasn’t clicked on all cylinders. But they might be timing this just right.

They were certainly vulnerable all season in the bullpen, but then president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti struck with two terrific acquisitions in San Diego lefthander Brad Hand and righthander Adam Cimber. Both have made a huge difference to the Indians’ bullpen depth, and with also back, the Indians’ bullpen may be as strong as it was a year ago.

Don’t let the numbers fool you. The Tribe were 14th in bullpen ERA (4.86), which is horrible. But the revamped pen is much better than the numbers indicate.

Where the numbers aren’t deceiving is with their starting rotation, which is second with a 3.33 ERA. They have a deep and very good staff. Trevor Bauer is currently on the DL, but the Indians’ large lead gives him plenty of time to recuperate and take his place as the co-ace with .

Offensively, two MVP candidates, Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor, are game-changing players that the Red Sox would have to be wary of.

Astros

The Red Sox split their first four games against the Astros, a true indication of how evenly matched these teams are. There are three games remaining between them and they should be telling.

The Astros have an obvious strength with their starting rotation, which entered the weekend with an AL- leading 3.05 ERA. Overall, the Astros have given up 393 runs, the fewest in the league. They also have the best bullpen ERA, 3.05. Their recent acquisition, closer Roberto Osuna, was seen as a red flag given his domestic violence suspension and anxiety issues. In four appearances since the trade that sent Ken Giles to Toronto, Osuna has allowed one run.

The Astros are fourth in the AL in runs (595), which is down from last season when they finished first in the majors with 896. They’ve had some injuries with Jose Altuve, George Springer, and Brian McCann being on the DL, but that offense should pick up when they return, though a recent five-homer game is a sign the offense may be ready to pound again. Where they’ve slumped a bit is in their production. They’ve hit 153 (238 last season, which was second to the Yankees), which is seventh in the AL. Their team batting average is .255, fourth in the AL, after they led the majors last season with a .282 mark. So compared to last season, the Astros are not the offensive juggernaut we saw a year ago.

Yankees

With the four-game sweep in early August, the Red Sox have won eight of the 13 games between the teams. There are six games remaining between them, and the Yankees would have to sweep to have any chance of catching the Red Sox in the standings. They do finish the season with three games at Fenway.

The Yankees are 13-14 against the Rays and Orioles this year, and were 27-26 against the AL East through Thursday. The Red Sox were 43-15. Nonetheless, the Yankees are a formidable foe who have had their share of injuries to overcome. Their vaunted lineup has been without sluggers and Gary Sanchez, and that has made this lineup much easier to navigate.

Despite the injuries and some pitching distress with a slumping Luis Severino and CC Sabathia on the DL with knee issues, they’ve been near the top of the league in most categories. They’ve allowed the fourth- fewest runs (486) and have an overall ERA of 3.70, which is third. They are vulnerable in the starting rotation with an ERA of 4.06, which is fifth overall. Their strength is the bullpen with a 3.20 ERA, second overall.

Despite their offensive injuries they’re second overall with 619 runs and have hit a major league-best 195 home runs. But their team batting average is sixth in the league at .252. All-time hits leader Pete Rose put it best when he told the New York Post during Hall of Fame weekend that the Yankees might be the best bashing team but the Red Sox are the best overall offense, able to hit for average and power.

Poor entered the weekend on a miserable 5-for-49 stretch as he’s hit that rookie wall.

Athletics

This is a team that has caused the Red Sox fits. The Sox are 2-4 against the A’s but haven’t played them since May 16. The A’s have since added starter Mike Fiers and relievers and . For some reason the Mariners failed to block Fiers on waivers and he fell to the A’s, who gladly made a deal with the Tigers.

The A’s don’t wow you in the stats department, but they are one of those teams that do everything well. They have a nice combination of youth and veterans, and a terrific manager in Bob Melvin, who brings it all together.

They are 10th in the AL in runs allowed (506), sixth in ERA (3.80), sixth in starters’ ERA (4.10), third in bullpen ERA (3.37), sixth in runs (571), seventh in batting average (.249), and fifth in homers (162). So nothing there really wows you, but they’re a hungry team, so they could pose a problem to the Yankees in that wild-card game if that’s what we’re looking at.

Their starters have been terrific of late — a sub-2.00 ERA in their last 14 games entering the weekend. Lefthander Brett Anderson has been terrific.

Mariners

The Mariners have to have a red-hot finish to overtake the A’s. They were having a very good season but fell off the map and allowed the A’s to catch them (Oakland was up by 2½ games entering the weekend). Seattle got Robinson Cano back after his 80-game PED suspension and he started at first base for the first time in his career this past week. The Mariners didn’t obtain a starting , which they needed, and yet, as we pointed out, allowed the A’s to deal for Fiers.

They played the Red Sox fairly tough, losing four of the seven games. They’ve had problems with their pitching. They’ve allowed 531 runs, which is eighth in the league. Their ERA is 4.10, which is eighth, and their starters’ ERA is 4.20, also eighth. Felix Hernandez was demoted to the bullpen in a dramatic move involving the iconic Mariner.

And the offense has been blah. They’ve scored only 509 runs, which is 10th in the league, but their team batting average (.257) is third. Power has also been an issue — their 138 long balls rank 10th.

The Red Sox have been off the charts in rankings, which explains them starting the weekend 50 games over .500. Their strengths are plentiful. Their hitters lead the majors in average (.270), slugging (.463), and OPS (.802). Their pitchers are second in ERA (3.49), second in runs allowed (454), and fourth in batting average (.232). But if there’s one vulnerable area it’s the bullpen, and even that is fourth with a 3.39 ERA.

But we’ve seen some warning signs there with erratic performances of late by and , and once in a while by . We’ve also seen an unexpected plus from . But can be trusted out of the pen as a lefthanded option? For the playoffs it would appear Eduardo Rodriguez and Nathan Eovaldi would compete for the No. 4 starter job with the loser, or the one who doesn’t match up well, going to the bullpen.

Apropos of nothing 1. We know NESN cameraman John Martin’s story — he is battling ALS. But his book, “Waiting for Greatness,” is about his experiences as a cameraman covering great and interesting stories in his distinguished career. Martin is a talented videographer who produced a great documentary on Alaska baseball. Lots of great stuff on his experiences and the talented people he worked with at NESN.

2. The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located in Milwaukee, just put out its All- American Girls League bobbleheads. They are on sale at the Hall of Fame and Museum online store. They were produced for each of the 15 AAGPBL teams that played from 1943-54.

3. Take a look at the Royals’ Lexington Legends Low A farm team. It’s loaded with prospects. There’s outfielder Seuly Matias with 31 homers, catcher MJ Melendez with 64 RBIs, outfielder Brewer Hicklen with 22 steals and a .294 average with 13 homers, and first baseman Nick Pratto with 10 homers and 48 RBIs. The Royals’ future looks pretty bright.

4. Former Red Sox center fielder Ellis Burks, who serves as a special assistant to San Francisco GM Bobby Evans, was also a protector during his three seasons with the Giants. ‘We had to police the clubhouse for Barry and I was the chief of police,” said Burks, who would often speak for Bonds when the temperamental superstar refused to talk to the media. Burks has kept in touch with Bonds over the years and was sorry he couldn’t attend the Bonds number retirement ceremony at AT&T Park last weekend. “He was well represented,” said Burks, who was out on assignment. “Hopefully someday he gets into the Hall of Fame.” Burks played with Bonds and Roger Clemens, both of whom find themselves in the same predicament over PED charges.

Updates on nine 1. J.T. Realmuto, C, Marlins — The Nationals have tried to obtain Realmuto a few times and will likely try again in the offseason. The Nationals have to be willing to part with a package that would include outfielder Victor Robles and others. The Marlins really value Realmuto, which is why they haven’t pulled the trigger on a deal. The Marlins will not trade him unless major talent comes in return. 2. Jonny Venters, LHP, Braves — The lefthanded reliever, who has endured three procedures, entered the weekend having thrown seven scoreless innings for the Braves since they acquired him from Tampa Bay. Venters, who was once Craig Kimbrel’s setup man in Atlanta, is truly a medical miracle. And while he’s not throwing the 98-99 miles per hour he once did, Venters gets people out with a 94-m.p.h. sinker that has a lot of movement. Probably would have been a good fit for the Red Sox given Sox vice president Frank Wren’s familiarity with him from the early Braves days.

3. , OF, Orioles — Orioles manager said recently he thought that Jones might agree to be traded before Aug. 31. Jones had turned down a trade to Philadelphia before the deadline, not feeling he was ready for it. Jones is currently on the bereavement list. The Phillies may still be interested. The Yankees are also mentioned quite often. Jones still has another $4 million on his deal, which could be a deterrent.

4. Jose Bautista, OF, Mets — It would seem that Bautista would be that good bat off the bench in the , and a possible outfield/DH platoon with someone in the AL. Bautista is still capable of running into one on occasion.

5. , OF, Blue Jays — Another great clubhouse guy who could be a strategic bat off the bench or a platoon for the Yankees, A’s, or maybe even the Indians. Granderson brings that natural leadership aspect to a team that’s been exhibited virtually everywhere he’s played. Toronto bench coach DeMarlo Hale said Granderson has been a tremendous leader.

6. , 3B, Blue Jays — In his Twitter posts, Donaldson has said he’s getting closer to a return, but the Jays will believe it when he shows up in Toronto. Time is running out to include Donaldson on a postseason roster. He must be traded by Aug. 31 for that to happen. Donaldson has missed 67 games because of calf tightness. The former AL MVP could be valuable if he can come back healthy. Would the Red Sox, for instance, be interested if struggles with a hamstring injury? Or the Yankees?

7. Jr., 3B, Blue Jays — Not a bad A start for Vlad Jr. In 51 at-bats, he has four homers, seven RBIs, a .353 average, and a 1.079 OPS. Guerrero will be Donaldson’s replacement next season and in the years to come (unless the Blue Jays’ brass doesn’t want the arbitration clock to start ticking early in 2019). Blue Jays fans are starving for something to be excited about. And Pedro Martinez’s godson does that.

8. Bronson Arroyo, RHP, retired — Arroyo “has been writing music and attending Pearl Jam concerts” in his retirement. The former Red Sox righthander says he occasionally shows up to the Reds’ clubhouse in Cincinnati and helps the clubhouse guys clean shoes and launder uniforms. No lie.

9. Casey Kelly, RHP, Giants — You wonder after all these years (he was the Red Sox’ No. 1 pick in the 2008 draft, 30th overall) if Kelly has finally arrived as a major league pitcher. Between injuries and unmet expectations, Kelly, who had to choose between and pitcher when he was drafted, was traded to San Diego along with Anthony Rizzo for Adrian Gonzalez on Dec. 6, 2010. Kelly went 10-9 with a 4.78 ERA for Triple A Sacramento and threw five scoreless innings in his Giants debut last Saturday.

Extra innings From the Bill Chuck files — “Last year, MLB set a record with 117 players with 20-plus homers. Through Wednesday, there were 45 this season. At an approximate equivalent point last season, there were 54 20- homer hitters.” . . . Also, “National League teams are hitting .248, their lowest batting average since they hit .248 in 1988 (which was the lowest since they hit .248 in 1972 and 1915).” . . . Happy birthday, Chris Capuano (40) and Gary Gaetti (60).

That Jackie Bradley catch? Here’s how he did it without getting hurt

Alex Speier

It takes one to know one?

Kevin Kiermaier of the Rays is a fantastic center fielder, a two-time Gold Glove winner who combines precise routes with tremendous speed and fearlessness to make fantastic plays on a regular basis.

Yet on Friday night at Fenway Park, Kiermaier was awestruck by a play made by his counterpart, Jackie Bradley Jr. In the top of the third inning of the Red Sox’ 7-3 victory, another Rays outfielder, Tommy Pham, ripped a liner over Bradley’s head and toward the center field wall, just to the right of the joint of the Green Monster and center.

Bradley raced back, leaped off his left leg on the edge of the warning track, extended to haul in the ball, landed in the middle of the warning track, then tumbled onto the dirt to slow his momentum before crashing into the wall. It was a remarkable display of body control, both to haul in the ball and to avoid injury.

“Tommy crushed it towards the left-center field gap. Had to get on my high horse to get to it. I think the most difficult part was figuring out which leg I was going to go off of, because I was running at full speed,” explained Bradley. “If you go back and look at it, after I made the catch, there was a slight second where I looked to see where I was and I knew that my best opportunity to get out of there unscathed was to get down to the ground so I peeked back, and I just tried to barrel-roll because if I tried to catch myself, I probably would have run into the wall full speed.”

The Rays offered a reaction mixed with respect and disbelief. Pham walked backward to the Rays dugout so he could watch the replay on the scoreboard and try to make sense of the act of thievery that had transpired.

Kiermaier, meanwhile, took to Twitter to express his respect for Bradley’s acrobatics.

Kevin Kiermaier ✔ @KKiermaier39 Hey @JackieBradleyJr i hate to see u rob my teammate T Pham an extra base hit but its hard to be mad at ya because that play was absolutely ridiculous. Good lawwwd jbj. #TipOfTheCap to that one my friend 10:24 PM - Aug 17, 2018

That tip of the cap seemed even more apt on Friday given a similar play on which Kiermaier could not track down a gapper to left-center. With two on and two outs in the first inning, Xander Bogaerts stayed on a 99 m.p.h. from Rays opener Ryan Stanek and drilled it to the track in left-center. It fell just beyond Kiermaier for a two-run triple.

Yet while Kiermaier didn’t make the play, Bradley suggested that his Tampa Bay counterpart’s elite defensive skills were nonetheless evident in the mere fact that he nearly tracked it down – while offering insight into the tremendous number of variables that a center fielder processes on a given play.

“[Kiermaier] was in the right-center field gap. The pitch that Bogie hit was off the plate away,” Bradley accurately observed. “For him to even get to the left-center field gap is very difficult. As an outfielder, you’re lined up behind the pitcher. You see the location. You see as the pitch is delivered that it’s heading towards the outside of the plate. Great instinctual players like Kiermaier are going to naturally go to his left because not many people are going to have success pulling the outside pitch. For Bogie to get around that and hit it towards the gap was pretty remarkable. [Kiermaier] took off and kind of put his head down, too, to get to a spot faster.”

The fact Kiermaier was in position to make the play pointed to his remarkable range and makeup speed. Yet he seemed to pull up at the end, perhaps out of concern for the same sort of bone-shaking collision with the wall that Bradley has proven so adept at avoiding. Yet Bradley had a different hypothesis about why his decorated defensive counterpart couldn’t pull in the ball at the end.

“I believe there was a little twilight at that particular time. That might have made it a little difficult for him to pick it up,” said Bradley. “He got there. He got there. It just kind of sailed over his head.”

Such detailed breakdowns of the variables involved in trying to track down a fly ball places a spotlight on the mutual appreciation that great outfielders have for their counterparts. For Bradley, there is a thrill involved in covering the same lawn as Kiermaier.

“I definitely enjoy [watching other center fielders]. You see who’s great and you see the things that you do and the things that they do, a lot of it correlates. That’s how you prepare, the jumps you get – we’re all unique in our own different way as well. I think that’s pretty cool to see the differences,” said Bradley. “I know [Kiermaier] is a great player and he has the Gold Glove. Any time somebody has a Gold Glove, he obviously deserved it. I just want to be able to join the company.”

* The Boston Herald

Major concern as Chris Sale goes back on DL

Michael Silverman

Both Chris Sale and the Red Sox had sunny outlooks on the cloud of doom and gloom that re-descended yesterday on the left-hander’s mildly irritated pitching shoulder.

For the sake of the glory of Sale’s career and this Red Sox season, let’s hope they’re right and that with yesterday’s return to the 10-day disabled list, he misses only a few starts before returning fresh as a daisy by October.

Let’s also acknowledge that this second setback in barely two weeks counts as a major concern.

Even with the Sox’ chipper quotient sky-high, that can’t mask the reality that their plan to protect and conserve Sale this season has gone awry.

That doesn’t mean the plan was a poor one. It just means that even the best-laid plans don’t have much of a chance when time and wear-and-tear catch up, as they always do, to even the best pitchers.

The Red Sox tried their best to protect Sale. Their noble effort is not over, but to date it was not enough — and nobody can quite say why it wasn’t.

“I think we took all the right steps but just kind of like, sometimes you’re going to run into situations like this,” said manager Alex Cora. “Just like with Steven (Wright) and with Dustin (Pedroia), although that’s a lot different because of the procedures they went through. But we can’t predict the future.

“It just happened, and we’ll see where we go. But like I said, if he misses one, two, three (starts), we’re OK. We’re fine. This is more about the player, honestly. We’ve been trying to take care of this guy since Nov. 2 or 3 and we will keep doing that.”

Sale was about as glum as he was back on July 31, when he held a trade-deadline day press conference to talk about that case of mild shoulder irritation. He said this time there is “a little bit less in the pain region and mobility range than last time, so that’s a good sign.” He spoke again about how he has the utmost faith in the club’s trainers and strength and conditioning coaches, and that he would do whatever they said he needed to do to get back as quickly as possible.

He came back last Sunday in Baltimore and was brilliant: Five scoreless innings in which he allowed one hit, struck out 12 and walked nobody.

He was on track to pitch today, with the double bonus of two off days on the schedule that would give him even a better chance to pitch deeper and maybe even better than last time.

But, as Sale said, his shoulder “just didn’t bounce back. It wasn’t really responding the way we wanted it to and, given kind of where we are, it was kind of the right call to give it some rest and stay on top of it.”

Sale said he’s “quite miserable” about his situation, but that he would not pout around “the best team that’s ever walked the planet.”

But he was as helpless as the team was in grasping how and why this happened.

“Unfortunately, it’s just one of those things — it’s time,” said Sale. “You run into some things like this, not only in baseball and in sports but in life. There’s probably a silver lining. I haven’t found that yet, but I will.

“I’m going to do what I need to do and hopefully jog out to that mound sooner rather than later.”

The club did not administer an MRI on Sale’s shoulder the first time he got hurt because, as Red Sox president and CEO Dave Dombrowski said then, “not necessary — it’s clear cut.”

It’s still clear cut. Sale said he still has strength and stability in his shoulder. Thus, no need for an MRI.

“He’s been going through a lot of tests and we’re very comfortable with the results,” said Cora. “If it doesn’t go the way we feel it’s going to go, then we’ll do something else.”

So, for now, no MRI and no change in treatment from last time.

The Red Sox will give Sale and his shoulder all the rest that’s needed. They thought he had enough rest last time, but despite the performance in Baltimore, they were off on their estimate.

They’ll try to get the timing just right this time.

Red Sox notebook: David Price righty on the money vs. Rays

Michael Silverman

On a day when the Red Sox took a serious hit to their rotation with the return of left-handed ace Chris Sale to the disabled list, David Price softened the blow with a strong start in a 5-2 victory over the at Fenway Park.

Price was sharp, particularly with command of his fastball, finishing with eight strikeouts and five hits allowed over his seven innings. The only blemish came in the sixth inning when he gave up a massive two- run homer to C.J. Cron.

Price refused to concede to feeling more pressure now with Sale again out of the picture.

“I’m making, $32 million?” said Price, who was close but actually is due to earn $30 million for this season. “It don’t matter. They don’t change what I’m doing. I’ve got enough pressure on me.”

Price pitched out of a first-inning jam, stranding two runners with no outs, and then saw his teammates put up four runs on Tampa Bay starter Tyler Glasnow in the bottom of the first.

From there, Price began to dominate, mowing down Tampa Bay batters. Six of his strikeouts came with the batter staring at strike three.

Price credited command of his fastball on the inner half of the plate, and then his backdoor cutter on the outer half as the secret to his recent success.

The Red Sox have won his last seven starts and he is 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA in his five starts since the All- Star break.

“Just getting back to myself — I definitely changed a lot of stuff up here the first two and a half years and to just be able to get back to the pitcher that Boston signed, it’s about time,” said Price. “It makes it a lot easier to go out there and try to execute pitches knowing that you have your full repertoire, you’ve used that and you’ve proved that and it’s in the back of their minds. I got away from that, I got kind of one- dimensional, really making pitches on one side of the plate. And to go back out there and dominate both sides of the plate the way that I have it’s been long overdue.”

Manager Alex Cora was impressed.

“Excellent again — fastball command, good , a lot of strikeouts looking with that two seamer in to righties — he’s been good, man,” said Cora. “He’s been good for us. We expect him to go deep into games and give us a chance to win and he’s been doing that.”

Cora too was not biting on the idea that the team is operating at a deficit.

“We do feel like on a nightly basis, we’ve got someone capable of going deep into the games and giving us a chance to win, regardless,” said Cora. “That’s a good feeling, when you come to the ballpark and regardless of who is on the mound, you’re like, ‘Hey, they’re going to give us a chance to win.’ We know what we can do offensively but we also know what we can do as a pitching staff and they’ve been great the whole season.”

PRICE A FAN OF J.D.

J.D. Martinez hit his big league-leading 38th home run in the third inning.

“Wow — 38 homers, hitting (.333), still (13) points behind the average leader in Mookie (Betts), 100-plus RBI, he makes everybody better not just by being in the box, but by making the hitters before him better,” said Price. “It’s pregame, it’s with his preparation, it’s what he does in hitters meetings. When he speaks, those guys listen. I don’t know. I really think Mookie Betts will win MVP of all of baseball and J.D. should win MVP for the Red Sox because of what he’s brought to this team. It’s not just the homers, the average, the RBI, he makes everybody better.”

With his first-inning walk last night, Martinez extended his on-base streak at Fenway Park to 51 games. He is three games away from matching Joe Foy for the second-longest streak, which occurred in 1966. Ted Williams holds the record, reaching base 69 games in a row in 1941.

SOX KEEP ON SIZZLING

The Red Sox have won seven of their last eight games, 32 of their last 39. They are now 45-15 against AL teams, and 44-15 at home. Their 88 wins are their most ever through 124 games. Their plus-218 run differential is their highest through 124 games in franchise history.

They have now scored five or ore runs a major-league best 73 times, with a 63-10 (.863) record in those games. . . .

The Red Sox scored their first four runs off of Glasnow in the first inning. Glasnow walked three batters in a row, the third being Ian Kinsler with the bases loaded. Before Kinsler’s , two Red Sox stole a base, first Moreland of third and then Martinez of second.

Brock Holt hit a sharp ground ball to first baseman Jake Bauers, who attempted a throw to second for the force that sailed into the outfield allowing two runners to score.

When the next batter was up, Kinsler got caught stealing in between second and third. Holt then inexplicably did not immediately run to second and was instead tagged out in between first and second. . . .

The game featured shaky defense and running on both sides with Tommy Pham getting doubled off second base when he strayed too far from there on a fly ball to left field. . . .

In the first inning, Carlos Gomez advanced to third on a pop fly to first base because third baseman Holt neglected to cover the base on the fly ball.

Holt did, however, make a standout defensive play in the third, when he bare-handed a and made an off-balance throw to first to get the speedy Gomez.

Oakland A’s lurk as dangerous foe vs. Red Sox

Michael Silverman

Fear the A’s.

Sure, the Astros are a deep threat, and let’s not entirely discount the Yankees, the Indians, maybe even the Mariners, as in the way of the Red Sox reaching the World Series.

But if there’s one team in particular that should give them the most perplexing pause as a possible postseason foe, it’s the team that, for the moment, is most likely to be their first foe come playoff time.

It’s the only team the Red Sox have lost a season series to, going 2-4, including a Sean Manaea no-hitter. (And that happened before the A’s got hot.)

As hot as the Red Sox have been virtually the entire season, Oakland has matched them step for step the last two months. From June 16 to their weekend series, each are 38-13.

For the Red Sox, that extended their lead in the AL East to double digits, and to the point where the Yankees have little chance — 4.1 percent, according to — of avoiding the wild-card game.

For the A’s, they’ve surpassed the Mariners for the second wild-card spot and sat within three games of the Yankees for the first. If they sweep Houston this weekend, they’ll leap the reigning world champions atop the AL West.

Alex Cora looked and sounded genuinely impressed after the A’s won two out of three at Fenway back in mid-May. This was the team, remember, that ended the 17-2 season-opening run with that series loss in Oakland. And the Fenway series knocked the Red Sox out of sole possession of first place in the East for their longest stretch — three games — to date.

“We haven’t been able to put them away,” said Cora, a manager who expends a great deal of time and energy devising attack plan on enemies. “They’re going and it seems like they’re turning a corner. Whatever they’re doing over there is pretty good.”

When the A’s left Boston, they were still a month away from getting really good, but there’s been little stopping them since.

Before the trading deadline, they picked up starter Mike Fiers and three relievers: Jeurys Familia, Fernando Rodney and Shawn Kelley. Their bullpen was already good, but its 2.55 ERA since July 3 is best in the league. The Red Sox, who wanted to but could not improve their bullpen by July 31, have seen their relievers post a 3.86 ERA since the All-Star break.

Oakland’s closer Blake Treinen has been better than Craig Kimbrel, who allowed runs in six of his last eight outings entering the weekend. Treinen had not allowed a run in 25 of his last 27 appearances, and the A’s (at 50-0) are the only team not to lose a game when leading after seven innings.

The Sox cannot complain about their own rotation, but Oakland’s had a 1.84 ERA in the prior 14 games before Friday. Slugger Khris Davis has 13 home runs since the All-Star break to J.D. Martinez’ nine.

Speaking of Martinez, he has zero home runs in 14 games and 55 plate appearances at Oakland Coliseum, with a .118/.182/.196 slash line. Mookie Betts isn’t much better: Zero homers and a .180/.250/.220 line in 12 Oakland games. Xander Bogaerts is homerless and hitting .174.

Newcomer Ian Kinsler played in Oakland a lot with Texas, but he has only four homers there in 68 games, and has slashed .207/.266/.315.

One bright note in this swamp: Mitch Moreland has hit 15 of his 20 home runs against Oakland in Oakland, and he’s a .282/345/.590 hitter there.

The A’s host the Yankees in two weeks, seeking revenge for losing two out of three games in May, when each team scored 18 runs off the other.

Besides the Red Sox, the A’s went 4-2 against the Indians. They will play the Astros one more time after this weekend, traveling to Houston next week. Perhaps those games will help force an Astros-Yankees wild-card game, with the winner getting the best-in-the-AL Red Sox and the A’s lining up against the Indians in the Division Series.

The above scenario may sound like a longshot, but stranger things have happened. And that could be the scenario the Red Sox want to root for the most.

More to move than baseball

One day, somebody will untangle the complex set of circumstances that link the PawSox’ pending move to Worcester to Rhode Island’s ill-fated decision to issue $75 million in bonds to Curt Schilling’s gaming company in 2010.

Two years later, 38 Studios went bankrupt. Through lawsuits and settlements, the state’s recovered approximately 70 percent of its taxpayers’ contributions, but the entire episode left the state decidedly leery about associating with private entities having anything to do with pro baseball. The PawSox’ relationship with the city and the state has always been exemplary and an undeniable asset, but the 38 Studios episode very likely worked against the club’s ask for financial support from the state for building a new stadium.

Credit to Worcester for swooping in and taking advantage of the turmoil, with the fallout and finger- pointing in Rhode Island expected to last for a long time.

The World Series that Schilling helped bring to the Red Sox in 2004 marked the beginning of his never- dull New England phase. He was never better on the mound here than he was in 2004, and four years later he was out of the game and beginning his career as a businessman, TV analyst, chicken farmer and conservative commentator. His legacy as a savior and zeal for gaming captured the hearts, versus the minds, of Rhode Island’s legislators and created a big old mess — for Schilling, for the state of Rhode Island and especially for the former employees of 38 Studios.

Larry Lucchino heads the PawSox now, and has been hard at work with both the Rhode Island and Massachusetts political bodies to bring the Triple-A affiliate into a new era. As former president and CEO of the Red Sox, he was deeply involved in baseball operations in 2003 when Theo Epstein traded for Schilling from the Diamondbacks.

Little did he or any of us know the chain of events Schilling’s arrival would bring both to the Red Sox franchise and the New England business landscape.

Six years after Schilling’s company went kaput, Rhode Island is in another baseball-related mess. The first did not directly cause the second, but to label it as a mere coincidence is a blatant balk.

Triple the fun

Perhaps a couple of readers recall reading about or were there in Brooklyn on June 3, 1912, when the Dodgers turned a triple play against the Reds. Play-by-play specifics are unavailable, but the box score says the triple play was started by shortstop Bert Tooley, who threw to catcher Otto Miller (force at home), who threw to third baseman Red Smith, who stepped on third for the force there before throwing the ball back to Miller, who was backing up the play somewhere on the basepaths. Miller threw the ball to John Hummel, who either stepped on second base or tagged out the runner from first.

Why, you’re asking, are you reading an imagined replay of a triple play from 106 years ago? Because on Thursday, the Rangers turned a triple play that marked the first time since that Dodgers-Reds game where the batter did not make one of the three outs.

The Angels loaded the bases in the fourth inning, when fill-in third baseman fielded a sharply hit grounder. Lead runner Taylor Ward thought the ball was caught and trotted back to third base. Profar had already stepped on third for the force there but Ward, rather inexplicably, lost his balance and stepped off the bag. Profar tagged him for the second out, then threw to second baseman . Odor stepped on second for the force there, but just in case his math was off, he ran towards the base- runner from first to try to apply the unnecessary tag.

According to ESPN, it was just the third 5-4 triple play since 1961.

The Red Sox have turned 30 triple plays, the last one on Aug. 15 last year: Third baseman Rafael Devers to second baseman Eduardo Nunez to first baseman Mitch Moreland.

Electric travel

As bad as traffic can get around Fenway Park on game days, it’s no Los Angeles, where Tesla founder Elon Musk is making a play for Dodgers business. Specifically, Musk’s The Boring Company announced plans to build a 3.4 mile long tunnel from East Hollywood to Dodger Stadium.

High-speed electric vehicles will ferry fans one way in four minutes, with the cost per one-way trip projected to be $1. At peak capacity, the transit system could move 2,800 people — or 5 percent of the stadium’s capacity.

The tunnel reportedly will take only 14 months to build.

Traffic to and from Dodger Stadium is intense. Fans are notorious late-arrivers, and traffic jams after the game can last for hours.

* The Providence Journal

Red Sox 5, Rays 2: Price strong again as Boston rides quick start to victory

Bill Koch

BOSTON — It was a tale of two halves in the first inning Saturday night at Fenway Park.

The Rays squandered their chance to take an early lead. The Red Sox made the most of theirs.

For those among the sellout crowd of 36,654 who might have arrived late, most of the action had already taken place. Boston was on its way to a 5-2 victory over Tampa Bay behind an opportunistic offense and a strong outing from David Price.

Mitch Moreland ripped an RBI double, Ian Kinsler drew a walk to force in a run and two more batters scored on an as the Red Sox built a 4-0 lead. Boston was on its way to a 60th win of the season when scoring first, a 63rd when scoring five or more runs and a 70th when hitting at least one home run. That round-tripper came courtesy of J.D. Martinez in the third, a laser into the Red Sox bullpen in right-center field.

Price (13-6, 3.69) took care of the rest, making just one mistake in the sixth. C.J. Cron jumped on a first- pitch cut-fastball and lost it in the general direction of Kenmore Square, a 464-foot two-run homer. Otherwise, Price handcuffed the Rays over seven strong innings.

“It makes it a lot easier to go out there and execute pitches knowing that you have your full repertoire,” said Price, who struck out eight and walked two. “You’ve used that and you’ve proved it, so you know it’s in the back of their minds.”

Price set the tone for the evening by escaping a jam in the first. Carlos Gomez reached on an error and Matt Duffy singled through the left side, putting two aboard with nobody out. Jake Bauers popped to first, Tommy Pham struck out and Cron bounced back to Price to begin a string of 10 straight retired by the left- hander.

“He’s been good for us,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We expect him to go deep into games and give us a chance to win, and he’s been doing that.”

Tampa Bay starter Tyler Glasnow wasn’t as fortunate. Andrew Benintendi grounded a double inside the bag at third and Moreland follow by smoking a liner to the alley in right, making it 1-0. Martinez, Xander Bogaerts and Kinsler — on four pitches — drew consecutive walks to double the lead, as Glasnow threw 14 of his first 20 pitches for balls.

This was a point where Glasnow could have used some help from his defense. Brock Holt’s bouncer to Bauers at first was thrown into left field, with a potential transformed into an error that gave the Red Sox a four-run cushion.

“That’s always a boost,” Price said. “To put up a zero in the first and then have your offense put up four in that bottom half, that makes things a lot easier out there for the pitcher. It puts defenders at ease.”

Glasnow, a hard-throwing right-hander, settled in to retire 16 of the final 17 batters he faced. His lone blemish in that span was against Martinez with two outs in the third, as the Boston slugger connected on a 3-and-2 fastball and pounded it. It was the league-leading 38th home run of the season for Martinez and his 106th RBI.

“A lot of people were talking about Fenway and J.D. like they didn’t match because of the dimensions,” Cora said. “That swing plays in any ballpark in the big leagues.”

Price weaved out of two more trouble spots before turning things over to the bullpen. Joey Wendle’s liner to the warning track in left turned into a 7-4 double play, ending the fourth, and Duffy flew to deep center to strand a pair in the fifth. Price has now allowed two earned runs or less in each of his last five starts and 12 of his last 17.

“Getting back to myself,” Price said. “I’ve definitely changed a lot of stuff up here the first two-and-a-half years. To get back to the pitcher Boston signed, it’s about time.”

Paying the price for taking the PawSox for granted

Bill Reynolds

The Pawtucket Red Sox began here in the spring of 1970 as a Double-A team, back when the Vietnam War seemingly had cut the country in half, back when an embattled Richard Nixon was in the White House, protestors were in the streets, and it too often seemed as if an entire generation of young people was asking where all the flowers had gone.

In retrospect, if you were trying to establish a minor-league baseball team in a city where the old mills seemed like monuments to a gone-forever era, it probably never was going to be easy.

The Cleveland Indians had had an Eastern League team here for a couple of years in the ’60s. Then, in 1970 came the Red Sox affiliates and they have been here for nearly a half-century. So many Red Sox players have come through the city and have Pawtucket on their resumés.

Go right down the list:

Carlton Fisk.

Wade Boggs.

Roger Clemens.

Jim Rice.

Nomar Garciaparra.

Mo Vaughn.

You get the point.

This made us different from so many other places in New England, the sense that we had a stake in the Red Sox in ways that other places outside of Boston did not. That was no insignificant thing, not in a state that all but lives and dies with the professional teams in neighboring Massachusetts.

There’s probably no doubt we’ve taken it for granted through the years, for it was just the way it was. Every year there were more prospects here in Pawtucket, just an hour away from the bright lights, the big money, and stardust of Fenway, the field of dreams so close they must have often seemed as though they could reach out and grab it.

Until reality showed up on the doorstep on Friday with the news the PawSox will be moving to Worcester, as if all the years and all the memories and all the history can be put in the back of one big travel van and be sent up Route 146 to Worcester.

Pawtucket?

Just another place in the rear-view mirror.

So who’s to blame?

Where to begin?

Larry Lucchino, the longtime Red Sox president who is now the PawSox chairman, said the other day that it’s better to go “somewhere where you are wanted, not where there is controversy and opposition.″

No big surprise. He was speaking to a packed ballroom of civic boosters in Worcester on Friday, selling the dream, the PawSox now just a team he used to love. There’s no question he’s good at it, the same pitch he once used to make about the PawSox.

So what happened here?

Call it a full Rhode Island.

From the politicians who were late on the pitch, to many of us who said why go see the PawSox this summer when we can go next next summer, to the innumerable fans who fall asleep on the couch every night watching the Red Sox but who couldn’t find McCoy if you gave them a guide dog, there’s a lot of blame to go around. No one ever said selling minor league baseball is easy, not with the Red Sox only 40 miles up the road and on TV every night.

The bottom line?

McCoy is in the late innings now, the shadows across the infield getting longer.

And two years from now the PawSox will be just a team we used to love, just a team that used to own a piece of our heart, but now it’s all memories.

Bang the drum slowly.

Red Sox Journal: Bogaerts continues to torment Rays

Bill Koch

BOSTON — Based on his 2018 numbers, Xander Bogaerts playing against the Rays is akin to waving a red cape in front of an angry bull.

The Red Sox shortstop has shown no mercy with Tampa Bay in the opposing dugout this season, a reign of terror that continued on Friday night in a 7-3 win.

Bogaerts pounded out a pair of doubles and a two-run triple, as Boston rallied from a quick 3-0 deficit with startling ease. He entered Saturday night’s middle game of the weekend series with a .408/.444/.796 slash line against the Rays in 13 contests, including 14 of his 55 extra-base hits.

“I usually try to get something really good to hit,” Bogaerts said. “I understand that pitchers do make mistakes.”

That patient approach benefited Bogaerts in his first at-bat on Friday. Power right-hander Ryne Stanek threw a 2-and-2 down and away to Bogaerts, a pitch that started in the strike zone and broke off the outside corner. It was designed to induce a swing and miss, and a would have ended the inning.

Instead, Bogaerts was able to lay off. He ran the count full and pounced on the next pitch, a fastball at 99 mph up and away, hammering it to deep left center. The Red Sox had cut their early deficit to 3-2 and were on their way to yet another victory.

“We talked about it a few days ago,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “I think he walked a few times — two or three times in one game — and when that happens it’s just a matter of time. That means that you’re staying in the zone. You’re not chasing pitches.”

Entering Saturday night’s game, Bogaerts had racked up 30 RBI over his last 33 games, crushing the ball with runners in this season to the tune of a 1.215 OPS. Only seven of his 17 home runs have been of the solo variety, part of a dictated approach by Cora and his staff during spring training.

“Offensively, we like this guy,” Cora said on Friday. “We like the .275 (average) and driving the ball all over the place. Today was a great day for OPS for him.”

Liking tradition

Stanek worked just one inning for the Rays on Friday, functioning as their starter in a reverse bullpen game.

Yonny Chirinos came on for six innings of relief, functioning as a in name only. Tampa Bay is likely to use the same strategy on Sunday, with no starter listed opposite Boston’s Hector Velazquez.

“We knew who was coming in,” Cora said. “We knew that he goes five. It’s a difficult team to prepare for, but you have a pretty good idea of who’s going to come after the opener. You go accordingly.”

Cora has said previously he prefers to keep starters and relievers in traditional roles. He reaffirmed that position on Saturday.

“I don’t see it,” Cora said. “I don’t see it happening. You’re still paying guys a lot of money to give you 200 innings, and it’s very important.”

Rotation set

Cora is hopeful Velazquez can provide more than the 2 2/3 innings he turned in on Aug. 11 at Baltimore.

The right-hander started the nightcap in a doubleheader sweep of the Orioles, as the Red Sox held on for a 6-4 victory. Boston’s bullpen recorded 19 outs for the second time in as many days, also doing so in Friday’s 19-12 win when Nathan Eovaldi hit early trouble.

The Red Sox will remain on turn through their four-game series with the Indians this week. Rick Porcello, Eovaldi, Brian Johnson and David Price draw the starting assignments Monday through Thursday. Cora has yet to name a candidate to start on Friday opening a three-game series at the Rays.

“Eduardo (Rodriguez) is pitching on Monday,” Cora said, referencing the left-hander’s expected rehab appearance with Double-A Portland. “I’m not saying there’s a chance he’ll pitch in Tampa, but we’ll see how it goes. We’ll stay the same. We’re not going to move people up because of where we’re at right now.”

Rodriguez has been sidelined since July with a right ankle injury. He threw 47 pitches in a simulated game on Wednesday in Philadelphia and will carry a scoreless string of 19 innings entering his next Boston appearance.

* MassLive.com

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora doesn't believe use of 'opener' will be long-term trend in baseball

Chris Cotillo

BOSTON -- In two of the three games between the Red Sox and Rays this weekend, the Sox will face an "opener"-- a reliever who will start the game and go one inning for Tampa Bay before a long man replaces him. Reliever Ryne Stanek got the start Friday night before being piggybacked by Yonny Chirinos and the Rays still haven't named a starter for Sunday afternoon.

This presents a unique challenge for opposing hitters as they prepare to face Tampa Bay.

"It's a difficult team to prepare for, said Red Sox manager Alex Cora, but you have a pretty good idea who's going to come after the opener."

For Friday's game, Cora knew Chirinos would piggyback Stanek and planned his lineup accordingly, starting Eduardo Nunez at third base largely due to righties' reverse splits against Chirinos. Still, he thinks the unorthodox setup could mess with the evolution of a hitter's approach throughout a game.

"We've been talking about how to approach this," Cora said. "Do you treat the opener like a reliever, like a guy who's coming in the eighth or ninth? Or are you patient? I don't know."

Cora is impressed with how the Rays have managed the "opener" system all year and is always quick to praise Tampa Bay's way of handling pitchers in general. He believes that while the Rays' specific personnel this year is suited for their setup, their rotation will be strong enough next year to let the club be more traditional. He doesn't believe that the use of an "opener" will become a long-term trend across the league.

"I don't see it," Cora said. "You're still paying guys a lot of money to give you 200 innings."

Cora has managed a couple of games using an similar setup this year, with Hector Velazquez starting out of necessity and only pitching a couple of innings. He doesn't seem likely to try it out long-term.

"In Baltimore, that game when Hector started, I was like, 'wow this is tough. This is really tough,'" Cora said. "There's a comfort level with having [starters] go six or seven innings from the get-go."

Worcester Red Sox owners want Polar Park to feature a high-tech fan experience in 2021

Matt Vautour

The images on display at Friday's announcement that the Pawtucket Red Sox are relocating to Worcester, look like a classic old-time ballpark. It has a brick exterior, exposed steel beams and the hotel behind left field even calls to mind Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

But when Larry Lucchino, the Pawtucket Red Sox chairmen, who'll fill the same role in Worcester, talked about the park, he stressed the word "innovative" when describing what he expected Polar Park to be when it opens in 2021.

Lucchino said members of the PawSox have already had discussions with Worcester Polytechnic Institute faculty about ways to make Polar Park a cutting edge facility.

"We want this to be state of the art in respect to high technology," Lucchino said. "The design process is just beginning. We've been working with WPI in Worcester already because they have an interest in this kind of thing. We'll see what kind of ideas they have."

The park design will reunite Lucchino, Pawtucket Red Sox President Dr. Charles Steinberg and architect Janet Marie Smith, who worked together to build Camden Yards, and Petco Park in San Diego and redesign Fenway Park. The field dimensions will mirror those of Fenway, to aid in player development, but the overall park will be unique.

Steinberg said they'll adopt a similar process to what they did in previous spots and invite fans into the process. In Baltimore they were Fan Plans. In San Diego they were California Dreaming sessions. Catchy name for Worcester is still to be determined.

"When we built Camden Yards, we led the league in women's restrooms. We had more restrooms, larger restrooms, cleaner restrooms, a shelf for your purse because we listened to the fans," Steinberg said. "When we were just beginning to think about what became Oriole Park at Camden Yards, one of the themes we talked about was taking yourself through the entire fan experience."

Steinberg laid out a possible scenario in the near future.

"You can buy your ticket online now. You can print them at home or have it on your phone like an airline ticket. What if you go like this on your phone (pantomiming pressing buttons) and it reserves your parking space for you, tells you where it is and and tells you the route to your specific space like MapQuest. Now you park your car. We knew you were coming. Mom with her 6-year-old and 8-year-old are getting out of the car, there is an ambassador of the club waiting to welcome you and give the kids treats. Now you're enhancing the fan experience."

"You have someone 75 or 92 years old. What's the best way for them to have a wonderful experience," Steinberg continued. "You take these human experiences and see what is the technological visions that are on the drawing board now. Can you hit a button and your nachos pop up from the floor underneath. These are the things you can explore. It's a terrifically creative time. The technology goes hand in hand."

Brock Holt's barehanded play comes in first game at 3B for Boston Red Sox in more than a year (video)

Christopher Smith

BOSTON -- Brock Holt on Saturday appeared in his first game at third base since July 24, 2017.

He also played in only nine games (eight starts) at third all of last year.

But you wouldn't have known it by the barehanded play he made during the third inning. It came after some confusion covering the third base bag on Jake Bauers' infield pop-up during the first inning.

The Red Sox won 5-2 over the Rays at Fenway Park.

Carlos Gomez tried to bunt with one out in the third. Holt charged in, grabbed it with his right hand and fired a strong, off-balance throw to record the inning's second out.

"That's not an easy play, especially with Carlos," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "You never know with Carlos. It's 4-0. He might swing for the fences or he might try to bunt. His reaction was great, created an angle and made a great throw to first base."

David Price, who pitched 7 strong innings to improve to 13-6 with a 3.69 ERA, said pretty much the same thing as Cora.

"You never know what Carlos is going to do," Price said. "He's hit 30 home runs in seasons. He takes really big swings. And for him to lay down a really good bunt and for Brock to react the way that he did, that was very special. I appreciate that."

Cora said both Holt and Eduardo Nunez will split time at third base with Rafael Devers (hamstring) on the disabled list.

Boston Red Sox lefty David Price: 'I'm making $32 million. I have enough pressure on me'

Chris Cotillo

BOSTON -- With Red Sox ace Chris Sale on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation for the second time in a month, David Price was asked Saturday night if he felt more pressure in Sale's absence.

"I'm making $32 million," Price said. "It don't matter. It don't change what I'm doing. I have enough pressure on me."

Price is actually only making $30 million of the seven-year, $217 million deal he signed with Boston, but the point remains. With a financial commitment like that, he better perform for the Red Sox.

And he has recently, posting a 1.55 ERA in five starts since the All-Star break and posting a stretch of six good outings, dating back to early July. His seven-inning, two-run performance against the Rays in a 5-2 win Saturday night was the latest example.

Price vowed to go back to the drawing board after his disastrous start July 2 at and it looks like he has. He's had hitters consistently off-balance in this six-start stretch, citing a better pitch mix as a major factor.

"It makes it a lot easier to go out there and execute pitches knowing you have your full repertoire and you've used that and proved it," Price said. "It's in the back of the hitters' minds. I got away from that, being one-dimensional and making pitches on one side of the plate. To go back out there and dominate the way that I have... it's been long overdue."

Price doesn't have to be an ace on a Red Sox staff that has Sale, the favorite to win the AL this season alongside former Cy Young winner Rick Porcello. But he'll be an extremely important contributor on a team that has aspirations of going deep in October.

"[I'm] getting back to myself," Price said. "I definitely changed a lot of stuff up here the first two and a half years. Just to be able to get back to being the pitcher that Boston signed, it's about time."

Four-run first inning powers Boston Red Sox to 5-2 win over Rays on Saturday

Chris Cotillo

BOSTON -- The Red Sox scored four times in the first inning and never looked back in a 5-2 win over the Rays at Fenway Park on Saturday night.

Back-to-back doubles from Andrew Benintendi and Mitch Moreland opened the scoring before Rays starter Tyler Glasnow walked in a run and the Sox scored two on a Jake Bauers throwing error to take a 4-0 lead. J.D. Martinez hit his 38th home run of the season in the third inning to make it 5-0.

Rays designated hitter C.J. Cron hit a 464-ft. homer over the Green Monster to cut the lead to 5-2 in the sixth. Ryan Brasier and Craig Kimbrel relieved David Price and held the Rays scoreless to preserve the victory.

Price had his sixth strong outing in a row for the Sox, going seven innings and allowing two earned runs on five hits while recording eight strikeouts. The lefty lowered his ERA to 3.69 on the year while picking up his 13th win of the year.

Boston clinched the series win over Tampa Bay after winning 7-3 on Friday night. The clubs will play the finale here at 1:05 p.m. Sunday.

Red Sox offense quiet despite win

Boston had just four hits on the night, with Benintendi getting two of them with a double in the first and single in the eighth. Glasnow was strong in his first start against the Sox since being traded to the Rays on July 31, allowing four earned runs in 6.2 innings.

Bad baserunning costs Sox with double play in first

Boston could've extended its lead even more in the first if it weren't for a bizarre double play in which Ian Kinsler and Brock Holt were both caught stealing. Glasnow saw Kinsler running to third and picked him off with a throw to Matt Duffy, who then threw to Joey Wendle, who tagged out Holt.

Velazquez likely to start tomorrow

With Chris Sale back on the disabled list, the Red Sox are likely to have a bullpen game of sorts in the series finale Sunday. Righty Hector Velazquez, who didn't pitch Saturday night out of the bullpen, is the likely candidate to get the start for Boston.

The Sox could've shifted Rick Porcello to Sunday, keeping him on regular rest, but instead decided to keep him starting in the opening game of a four-game set with the Indians on Monday.

Chris Sale injury: Boston Red Sox ace 'not at all' concerned, didn't bounce back as anticipated after last start

Christopher Smith

BOSTON -- Ace Chris Sale is back on the 10-day disabled list with left shoulder inflammation. The Red Sox again are calling it a "mild" case.

The Red Sox lefty said he's not concerned, but no timetable for his return is in place.

"Not at all," Sale said. "I know where we're at. I know the necessary steps to get to where we want to go."

He said he has a little less pain and more range of motion than he did when the Red Sox placed him on the disabled list July 31 with the same injury.

"When I started throwing again (after Sunday's start), it just kind of didn't respond the way we wanted it to," Sale said. "It didn't really bounce back like we wanted to. So just kind of adjust and kind of map things out and see where it takes us."

Red Sox manager Alex Cora added, "It was taking him a while after the start. We know where we're at right now not only as an organization but with the individual. We have to take care of him. This guy's very important to what we're trying to accomplish. And if he needs to skip one, two, three (starts), we're willing to do that. He feels better than the last time we put him on the DL. So he'll get his rest, he'll go through treatment. We'll go from there."

Sale said there's not much he can do right now but rest. He has undergone some strength tests. No MRI is expected.

"I've responded well to all of those, which is a good sign," Sale said. "I have strength in there, stability."

Sale has made 23 starts and thrown 146 innings. He leads the league in ERA (1.97), strikeouts (219), strikeouts per nine innings (13.5), ERA+ (222), FIP (1.96) and WHIP (0.85).

"To be honest, it's quite miserable for me," Sale said. "But at the same time, I'm not going to sit around and pout. I'm going to keep my chin up. I'm on the best team that ever walked the planet."

Chris Sale injury: Boston Red Sox placed on DL with shoulder inflammation

Chris Cotillo

BOSTON -- The Red Sox placed lefty Chris Sale on the 10-day disabled list with left shoulder inflammation, the club announced Saturday. The move is retroactive to Aug. 15.

Righty Brandon Workman was called up from Pawtucket.

Sale spent almost two weeks on the disabled list earlier this month with shoulder inflammation and came back for one start last Sunday in Baltimore. He looked great in that one outing, striking out 12 batters in five innings before being pulled as he approached his pitch count of 75.

It's unclear if Sale will miss more than the required 10 days with his current injury, though the second recurrence of the inflammation is obviously not a good sign for Boston. The Sox will be sure to exercise caution in getting Sale back before October.

* The Lawrence Eagle Tribune

Chris Sale isn't sweating second trip to the DL

Chris Mason

BOSTON — The Ferrari is heading back to the shop.

For the second time in three weeks, Chris Sale was placed on the 10-day disabled list with inflammation in his throwing shoulder.

Sale made one start before its recurrence — a dominant outing that saw him strike out 12 of 16 Orioles he faced — but didn't rebound the way he wanted to.

Though he's frustrated to be heading back to the DL, the ace said the shoulder doesn't feel as inflamed as it did back on July 31, when he was sidelined for the first time.

“It’s definitely less than it was last time," Sale said. "Just didn’t bounce back, it wasn’t really responding the way we wanted it to and, given kind of where we are, it was kind of the right call to give it some rest and stay on top of it."

So how concerned it he?

“Not at all," Sale replied.

Given their hefty AL East lead, the Red Sox are opting to proceed cautiously. The goal from spring training his been building a sustainable Sale that can contribute in October. Pushing the envelope with a double- digit divisional lead makes little sense.

"We want to be able to kind of sprint across the finish line, not limp into it," Sale said. " Bad timing obviously. Anybody who knows me knows I’m not the biggest fan of what’s going on right now but it is what it is. You deal with it, keep your chin up, put one foot in front of the other and just keep grinding.”

In a closer playoff race, Sale expects he'd still be pitching.

“Probably, I would assume so," the ace said. "It’s kind of hard to say given the situation we’re in. A lot of what if’s in that scenario. I feel like I could probably get out there if push came to shove.”

That being said, Alex Cora has vowed to give the lefty as long as he needs.

"We have to take care of him," Cora said. "This guy is very important for what we’re trying to accomplish, and if he needs to skip one, two, three, whatever, we’re willing to do that. He’ll be back. Like he said, he feels better than the last time we put him on the DL. So, he’ll get his rest, he’ll go through treatment, and we’ll go from there.”

Sale has been phenomenal thus far in 2018.

A Cy Young front-runner, the lefty is 12-4 with a 1.97 ERA. Sale has struck out an American League best 219 batters, and opponents are hitting .175 against him.

Throwing the ball so well, the DL is the last place he wants to be, but Sale can still take solace in the unprecedented success his team is having.

"To be honest, quite miserable for me," Sale said. "At the same time, I’m not going to sit around and pout. I've got to keep my chin up. I’m on the best team that’s ever walked the planet.”

Red Sox ace Chris Sale is headed back to the DL with shoulder inflammation

Chris Mason

BOSTON — Sunday was supposed to be a Sale Day at Fenway Park.

That won't be happening.

The Red Sox ace is headed back to the disabled list with left shoulder inflammation, his second DL stint in three weeks.

Sale returned for one start — a dominant outing where he struck out 12 of 16 Orioles — before being shelved again.

More to come...

* The Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Red Sox place Chris Sale back on disabled list with sore shoulder

Bill Doyle

BOSTON — Chris Sale insists his shoulder isn’t as sore as the last time he was placed on the disabled list and that with time his shoulder should be fine.

The most dominant pitcher in the American League isn’t worried that he was placed back on the DL on Saturday retroactive to Wednesday, but should Red Sox fans be concerned? The next few weeks should answer that question.

The 6-foot-6, 180-pound southpaw was first placed on the DL on July 31 with mild left shoulder inflammation and he missed two starts before returning to pitch last Sunday in a 4-1 victory at Baltimore. In five innings, he was brilliant, allowing only one hit and no runs while walking none and fanning 12. He threw only 68 pitches while extending his scoreless streak to 28 innings.

“When I started throwing again,” he said in the Sox clubhouse before Saturday night’s game against Tampa Bay, “it really didn’t respond the way we wanted it to. It didn’t really bounce back like we wanted to.”

Sale, 29, said he could have continued to pitch if the Sox were involved in a tight race for the division title, but with a 10-1/2-game lead, the team decided to play it safe and place him on the 10-day DL. Sale said he’s not too concerned.

“Not very,” he said. “I know it’s kind of the same thing we had last time, a little bit less in the pain region and the mobility range than last time so that’s a good sign. We’ll just keep chugging along.”

Sox manager Alex Cora said he wasn’t worried that Sale’s shoulder will act up again later in the season.

“Hopefully, it doesn’t,” he said. “We felt that the last time that he was going to be fine and now it took him awhile after the start, but the way he’s talking, the way he feels, the way Brad (Pearson, Sox trainer) feels about it and the medical staff. We’ll take our time when he comes back. He’s going to be fine, that’s how I feel. I trust our medical staff, I trust the player and I do feel he’s going to be fine.”

Sale, the American League in the last two All-Star Games, has a 12-4 record, leads the league with a 1.97 ERA and is tied for the AL lead in strikeouts with Houston’s Gerritt Cole with 219. He also leads the major leagues in opponent batting average (.175) and strikeouts per nine innings (13.50). Over his last seven starts, Sale has walked only six and fanned 79.

Sale had been scheduled to pitch on Sunday against Tampa Bay on six days rest, but Cora said Hector Velazquez would start instead as long as he wasn’t needed in relief on Saturday night. Reliever Brandon Workman was called up from Pawtucket to take Sale’s spot on the roster.

Sale said the treatment won’t change from the last time he was on the DL.

“Just time,” he said. “It stinks right now where we’re at this point in the season. With inflammation there’s only so much you can do. Rest, as of now. It stinks. I don’t really want to be sitting on the sidelines, especially this time of year with the situation we’re in.”

There is no timetable for Sale’s return. The Sox simply want him right for the playoffs.

“This guy is very important,” Cora said, “to what we’re trying to accomplish and if he needs to skip one, two, three (starts), whatever, we’re willing to do that. He’ll be back. Like he said, he feels better than the last time we put him on the DL. So he’ll get his rest, he’ll go through treatment and we’ll go from there.”

In his seven seasons with the White Sox, Sale was placed on the DL only twice and just once for an arm injury. In 2014, he missed more than a month with a flexor muscle strain in his left arm. He never had a shoulder problem before the past few weeks.

“Obviously terrible timing, not exactly the most ideal situation,” Sale said. “To be honest quite miserable for me. But, at the same time, I’m not going to sit around and pout. I’m going to keep my chin up. I’m on the best team that ever walked the planet. I’ve good teammates that have my back and I appreciate that.”

PawSox move to Worcester started with Gene Zabinski’s postcard campaign

Bill Ballou

WORCESTER — For decades, this has been described as a blue-collar city, as if that were something to be embarrassed about.

Friday, that blue-collar work ethic brought one of the most revered franchises in minor league baseball, the Pawtucket Red Sox, to the city’s Canal District. That would not have happened without the people in the blue collars.

In the end, Worcester simply outworked Rhode Island, according to PawSox Chairman Larry Lucchino. Despite what started out as long odds, people here just rolled up their sleeves and went to work crafting an offer that wound up being one the team could not refuse, in contrast to Rhode Island’s, which was one it could not accept.

A telling moment during the City Hall announcement was when Lucchino, bound for Cooperstown in due time, stopped in the middle of his speech to walk over to Gene Zabinski and shake his hand.

President of the Canal District Alliance, Zabinski was a great high school basketball player, a member of the St. Mary’s High team that won the New England championship in 1964. A retired carpenter whose Canal District home was razed when Interstate 290 was built, Zabinski is not headed for any Halls of Fame.

But the Worcester Red Sox would not exist if not for his postcards.

Zabinski and his wife, Donna, came up with the postcards idea right after hearing that the PawSox were looking for alternative homes if they could not make things work in Rhode Island. So they worked the sidewalks of Worcester, hour after hour on their feet, and wound up getting what Lucchino called “the now-famous 10,000 postcards” in the mail to McCoy Stadium.

Zabinski had absolutely no dog in the ballpark fight. He did not work in baseball, he did not own Canal District property, he now lives in Sutton — he had nothing tangible to gain from the Pawtucket Red Sox becoming the Worcester Red Sox.

Tangible, though, isn’t everything.

“I wanted to see my old neighborhood, the one that I was born in, rejuvenated,” Zabinski said Friday afternoon at the Lock 50 restaurant, back in the old neighborhood he grew up in.

“I wanted to see it come back. I grew up here, I saw it in its heyday before 290 was here, I saw it decline, and this was an opportunity to rejuvenate the old neighborhood.”

Zabinski was reading the Telegram & Gazette three years ago when he came across a story about the Pawtucket Red Sox and their stadium issues.

“I thought to myself,” he said, “how about bringing them to our empty lot at the Wyman-Gordon site? I talked to my wife about it and she suggested a letter-writing campaign.”

They compromised on the postcards because, Zabinski reasoned, most people just won’t take the time to write a letter.

The postcards worked wonderfully.

“I was absolutely surprised,” he said of the response. “When I first received the first order of postcards — I ordered 5,000 cards — it was very scary to look at. I bundled them into packets of 50 and gave them all to my (Canal District Alliance) board members and saw the looks on their faces and they were all thinking, ‘Great — I’ve got to hunt down 50 people to get a signature?’

“At that point, I figured — I’m in trouble, I’ll be lucky if I get a couple of hundred cards.”

He and his wife got 5,000 signed, then ordered 5,000 more.

“At that point,” Zabinski said, “I had people lined up to sign cards because word got around.”

Eventually, the Zabinskis made a visit to McCoy Stadium, unannounced. He introduced himself and was met by general manager Dan Rea, who then introduced him to team president Dr. Charles Steinberg saying, “This is the guy who sent the postcards.”

The Zabinskis were not the only blue-collar workers who helped Worcester win the day. There was Worcester firefighter Steve Mita, who has an abiding interest in urban planning. When Mita heard the PawSox had an inkling they might want to move here, he began the process of turning theory into reality with conceptualizations of what the potential for development was in the Canal District and how it might look.

With Mita’s help, the potential move became a “We can do this” moment. Like the Zabinskis, Mita had nothing to gain from a new ballpark. He wasn’t going to get a job in the front office. He didn’t own property in the Canal District.

He just wanted to make Worcester a better place for everyone.

Even before that there were Rich Lundin and Darryl Hunt — hockey fans who got people to sign a petition to tell the AHL’s Cleveland Barons they would be better off in Worcester after the city lost the IceCats.

The Barons became the Sharks, and Cliff Rucker took his family to Sharks games. Without the Sharks, maybe there is no Cliff Rucker and no Railers. When the PawSox started looking more deeply into Worcester — due diligence in the legal term — they were struck by the economic and cultural momentum generated by Rucker’s investments in downtown.

Without Rucker, maybe the PawSox don’t wind up on Madison Street. And like Zabinski and Mita, Lundin and Hunt had nothing at stake in keeping hockey in the city except to make it a better place to live.

In the hours after Friday’s press conference in City Hall, Gene Zabinski and his wife — surrounded by well-wishers at Lock 50 — reflected on their part in the remarkable story of how the Pawtucket Red Sox landed in the Canal District.

“From my perspective,” Gene Zabinski said, “the postcards were just the kindling that started the fire, so I’m not taking credit for bringing the PawSox here.”

“You know,” Donna Zabinski said, “Gene already had his 15 minutes of fame once before with the basketball team, and here he is again. But when we’re done here, we’ll go home and he’ll just be Gene again.”

That was only partially true. The Zabinskis went home, for sure, but he will never just be Gene again, and Worcester will never just be Worcester again.

* The Portland Press Herald

Red Sox face test in coming weeks against possible playoff foes

Kevin Thomas

As the suspense of the American League East race fades with Boston steaming ahead, we focus on other events worth watching.

Monday is a good example.

At Fenway Park, another playoff contender comes to town, with the Cleveland Indians visiting.

And at Hadlock Field, a key part of the Red Sox rotation might be walking to the mound, as Eduardo Rodriguez continues his journey back from an injured ankle.

Meanwhile, keep a check on the team’s health; not only Rodriguez’s ankle but Chris Sales’ shoulder, Rafael Devers’ hamstring and Christian Vazquez’s finger.

As for the Indians, they’re the only team Boston has yet to face. Terry Francona’s gang was 70-52 after Saturday’s loss to Baltimore. The Indians play four games in Fenway and the Red Sox visit Cleveland for three more on Sept. 21-23.

Not only are these games a possible preview of the American League Championship Series but a good test for the Red Sox, who are feasting on lesser teams.

Boston, 87-36 before Saturday night’s game, is crushing most noncontenders – 14-2 against Baltimore, 12- 4 vs. Toronto, and a combined 19-2 against Texas, Kansas City, Miami and the Angels. The only blip for now is a 1-2 record against the lowly White Sox.

Now look at the Red Sox against American League contenders: 4-3 vs. Seattle, 2-2 vs. Houston, 2-4 vs. Oakland and 8-5 against the Yankees. Boston still has six games left with New York, three against Houston, and of course the bunch against Cleveland.

The Indians play in the terrible AL Central but aren’t to be overlooked. Boston is first in the AL in runs; Cleveland is third. Boston is third in starters’ ERA (3.56); Cleveland is second (3.30). The bullpen has been a problem in Cleveland, but the team traded for Brad Hand, then got Andrew Miller off the disabled list two weeks ago. Starters Carlos Carrasco and Corey Kluber are both 15-6. Trevor Bauer (12-6) is on the disabled list with a stress fracture in his right foot but is due back for the postseason.

Cleveland is expected to throw Kluber on Monday, Shane Bieber (6-2) on Tuesday and Carrasco on Wednesday.

These are not must-win games for Boston but the challenge is obvious. A contender is coming to town. How will the Red Sox respond?

RODRIGUEZ FIGURES to make a rehab appearance this week and initial reports had Rodriguez pitching in Portland on Monday, when Triple-A Pawtucket has a day off. As of Saturday afternoon, the team hadn’t made an announcement.

If Rodriguez comes back to his pre-injury form, it will be quite a boost for Boston and give Manager Alex Cora more options with his staff. Before Rodriguez hurt his right ankle while covering first base on July 14, he was riding a 19-inning scoreless streak.

Rodriguez could slide into the No. 4 slot in the rotation behind Sale – assuming his latest DL stint is only a precaution – Rick Porcello and David Price. Newly acquired right-hander Nathan Eovaldi would be a strong No. 5 starter. His bullpen experience is limited but that high 90’s fastball should work well in relief.

Dominant pitching is a premium in the playoffs (not exactly breaking news), and Rodriguez adds to the depth – which may mean less reliance on others (re: Drew Pomeranz and his 6.34 ERA).

OTHER INJURIES will be concerning if they become more problematic than expected – especially Sale and his “mild” shoulder inflammation. Sale said the shoulder is less sore than the last time he hit the DL (July 28 to Aug. 12) and he could pitch now if the team was in a tight division race.

Also recently returning to the DL was Devers and his balky hamstring. It’s not a bad idea to make sure Devers is closer to 100 percent. It’s also not a bad idea for Devers to get some rehab games, seeing that he’s batting .215 in his last 15 games.

Vazquez had surgery for a broken pinkie last month. He likely will return in September when a counter roster move doesn’t have to be made because rosters can be expanded next month.

The question is what role Vazquez will have. He was only batting .213 when he went on the DL on July 8. Sandy Leon is batting only .212 but judging by the pitchers’ praise of his game-calling, appears to have cemented the No. 1 job. And , since getting more playing time, is batting .333 (14 for 42) in July and August.

WHILE THE Red Sox keep winning, there will be talk of breaking the franchise record for wins (105 in 1912) or winning percentage (.691, also in 1912, in a 154-game schedule). Winning 112 games would be a .691 percentage.

It’s nice to talk about it but the obvious prize comes in late October. Winning a lot of games is not everything if you don’t win the last one (re: the 2007 New England Patriots).

* RedSox.com

Price shows ace form as he dominates Rays

Ian Browne

BOSTON -- David Price looks primed and ready to play the role of ace while Chris Sale is again on the disabled list.

The lefty continued his recently strong run with an impressive, seven-inning performance that led the scorching-hot Red Sox to a 5-2 victory over the Rays on Saturday night at Fenway Park.

J.D. Martinez helped support Price's effort by belting his MLB-leading 38th homer of the season, a solo shot to right-center in the bottom of the third.

But the story in this one was Price. In his last six starts, he is 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA.

"Excellent again," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "Fastball command, good changeup, a lot of strikeouts looking with that two seamer in to righties. He's been good, man. He's been good for us. We expect him to go deep into games and give us a chance to win and he's been doing that."

Truth of the matter is, Price has been an ace for much of his career, so filling the shoes of Sale shouldn't be as daunting a task for him as it would be for others.

"I'm making, $32 million? It doesn't matter," said Price. "That doesn't change what I'm doing. I've got enough pressure on me."

The Sox got Price an early lead with four runs in the bottom of the first and Price knew what to do with it. He allowed five hits and two runs, walking two and striking out eight.

"That's what great pitchers do," said Cora. "You get the lead, and you go deep into the game, flip it to the bullpen and get the W."

The key for Price during this run has been his pitch mix. That was again on display in this one, as he threw 61 , 22 , 19 cutters and one curve.

"It makes it a lot easier to go out there and try to execute pitches knowing that you have your full repertoire and you've proved that and it's in the back of their minds," said Price. "I got away from that [earlier in the season], I got kind of one-dimensional, really making pitches on one side of the plate. And to go back out there and dominate both sides of the plate the way that I have, it's been long overdue."

Meanwhile, the 88-36 Red Sox are simply on fire. They've won 17 out of 20 and 32 of 38 and hold a 10 1/2-game lead over the Yankees in the American League East.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Red Sox run, run, run: The Red Sox unnerved Rays starter Tyler Glasnow with their baserunning in that four-run first.

Mitch Moreland smoked an RBI double and then stole third without even drawing a throw.

Later in the inning, Martinez stole second easily. Moreland and Martinez aren't exactly known for their speed, but the Red Sox continue to have opposing starters scouted well. When Glasnow finally figured out what the Red Sox were doing later in the inning, he caught Ian Kinsler between second and third, and Brock Holt was also caught between first and second for a double play that ended the first.

"You do your homework and if you feel there's something going on that we can take advantage of, we do it," said Cora. "Mitch took off. He did a good job. And J.D., yeah. And then he made an adjustment and he got us. At that point, it's gonna happen. I don't mind that one. It looked bad, but it doesn't matter. We stole two, we put pressure on him and we scored four."

SOUND SMART The Red Sox are the fourth team since 1961 to win as many as 88 of the first 123 games, joining the '98 Yankees, '01 Mariners and '17 Dodgers.

YOU GOTTA SEE THIS Saturday marked the first time this season Holt started a game at third base. But he looked like a natural when he made a tremendous play on a bunt by Carlos Gomez and was falling down as he fired to first for the second out in the top of the third.

"That's not an easy play. Especially with Carlos. You never know with Carlos. It's 4-0, he might swing for the fences, or he might try to bunt. His reaction was great. He created an angle and made a great throw to first base," said Cora.

HE SAID IT "Wow. He has 38 homers, hitting .330, 100-plus RBIs. He makes everybody better not just by being in the box, but by making the hitters before him better. It's pre-game, it's with his preparation, it's what he does in hitter's meetings. When he speaks those guys listen. I really think Mookie Betts will win MVP of all of baseball and J.D. should win MVP for the Red Sox because of what he's brought to this team. It's not just the homers, the average, the RBIs but he makes everybody better." -- Price on the impact of Martinez.

UP NEXT With Sale back on the disabled list due to left shoulder inflammation, righty Hector Velazquez will fill in with a spot start in what will essentially be a bullpen game for the Red Sox. Velazquez, who isn't stretched out, threw 41 pitches while starting Game 2 of a doubleheader last weekend in Baltimore. This will be Velazquez's fifth start of the season. He is 2-0 with a 3.31 ERA in the previous four.

Martinez back alone atop HR leaderboard

Ian Browne

BOSTON -- J.D. Martinez struck again with his power stroke for the Red Sox on Saturday night at Fenway Park, belting MLB-leading No. 38 over the home bullpen in right-center in a 5-2 victory over the Rays. The solo shot in the bottom of the third vaulted Martinez past Indians slugger Jose Ramirez for the lead.

Fenway fans will be in for a treat from Monday through Thursday, when Martinez and Ramirez play head- to-head for the first time this season.

With the Red Sox in possession of a 4-0 lead, Martinez added to it when he clocked a 96.6-mph fastball from Rays righty Tyler Glasnow a projected distance of 396 feet.

Martinez also extended his MLB lead in RBIs, to 106.

Of course, the production numbers are just part of what Martinez has meant to the Red Sox this season.

"Wow," said Red Sox lefty David Price, who got the win on Saturday. "To have 38 homers, and hitting [.333] and 100-plus RBIs, and he makes everybody better not just by being in the box, but by making the hitters before him better.

"It's pre-game, it's with his preparation, it's what he does in hitter's meetings. When he speaks, those guys listen. I really think Mookie Betts will win MVP of all of baseball and J.D. should win MVP for the Red Sox because of what he's brought to this team. It's not just the homers, the average, the RBI; he makes everybody better."

Martinez has been an absolute machine at Fenway, where he's reached base in 51 straight games, the third- longest streak ever at the venue in a single season, trailing only Ted Williams (69 games in 1941) and Joe Foy (54 games in '66).

"Yeah, a lot of people were talking about Fenway and J.D. -- like they didn't match because of the dimensions," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "That swing plays in any ballpark in the big leagues. I know in April he crushed a few balls to right field, but the weather didn't help out. When it's hot and humid here, the ball flies. His stroke to right center is actually perfect for this ballpark."

Ailing shoulder sends Sale back to DL

Ian Browne

BOSTON -- With the Red Sox getting ready to power through the final six weeks of what is likely to be their best regular season ever, the last thing ace Chris Sale wants to do is miss any more starts.

But a recurring bout of mild left shoulder inflammation left the Cy Young contender with no choice but to go back on the 10-day disabled list on Saturday afternoon. His DL stint is retroactive to Wednesday.

Sale returns to the DL less than a week after he came off it. He missed the first two weeks of August with inflammation in his pitching shoulder, but was dominant in his return last Sunday -- holding the Orioles to one hit and striking out 12 in five scoreless frames.

"Just a little bit more of the same [feeling in the shoulder from] the last episode we had," said Sale. "Just trying to stay on top of things and get it better."

In a corresponding roster move, Boston recalled right-hander Brandon Workman from Triple-A Pawtucket. The Red Sox have not yet named a replacement for Sale's scheduled start on Sunday against the Rays at Fenway Park but manager Alex Cora indicated it will be a bullpen-type of game, with Hector Velazquez a top candidate to be the "opener."

"I think it's a smart move," Cora said of putting Sale back on the DL. "In these situations, there's a process. Before the start, during the start and after the start. It was taking him a while after the start, and where we're at right now -- not only as an organization, but [for him] as an individual -- we have to take care of him. This guy is very important for what we're trying to accomplish, and if he needs to skip one, two, three, whatever, we're willing to do that. He'll be back. Like he said, he feels better than the last time we put him on the DL. So, he'll get his rest, he'll go through treatment, and we'll go from there."

As for Sale, one of the fiercest competitors in the game, he is just trying to stay upbeat. The Red Sox went into Saturday night's game with an 87-36 record and a 10 1/2-game lead in the American League East.

"To be honest, [this is] quite miserable for me," Sale said. "At the same time, I'm not going to sit around and pout but keep my chin up. I'm on the best team that's ever walked the planet. I've got good teammates that have my back and I appreciate that."

How concerned is Sale?

"Not very," Sale said. "I know it's kind of the same thing we had last time. A little bit less in the pain region and mobility range than last time so that's a good sign. Just keep chugging along. It's definitely less [discomfort] than it was last time. Like I said, just didn't bounce back, it wasn't really responding the way we wanted it to and, given kind of where we are, it was kind of the right call to give it some rest and stay on top of it.

"You don't want to try to play catch-up during a time like this so, like I said, obviously terrible timing, not exactly the most ideal situation."

Sale, 29, is in the midst of a Cy Young-caliber campaign -- with a 12-4 record and an American League- leading 1.97 ERA through 23 starts. He's riding a 28-inning scoreless streak, and his run of 68 consecutive innings without allowing a home run is the longest in the Majors this season.

The seven-time All-Star, now in his second season with the Red Sox, also leads the Majors in opponents' batting average (.175), opponents' OPS (.518), WHIP (0.85) and strikeouts per nine innings (13.50).

In Sale's return to action last Sunday in Baltimore, there was no indication that anything was wrong with his shoulder. But when he ramped back up in the ensuing days, he felt something.

"When I started throwing again, [my shoulder] just kind of didn't respond the way we wanted it to," said Sale. "[It] didn't really bounce back the way we wanted it to. [We'll] just kind of adjust and kind of map things out and see where it takes us."

For Boston and its ace, doing well in playoffs is still the most important thing.

"Yeah, no doubt," said Sale. "We've still got a lot of season left. We don't want to overlook that. At the same time, we want to be able to kind of sprint across the finish line -- not limp into it. Like I said, [it's] bad timing, obviously. Anybody who knows me knows I'm not the biggest fan of what's going on right now, but it is what it is. You deal with it, keep your chin up, put one foot in front of the other and just keep grinding."

Without Sale, the Red Sox have a rotation of David Price, Rick Porcello, Nathan Eovaldi and Brian Johnson. Eduardo Rodriguez could be back in the near future to give the team a fifth starter until Sale gets back. Rodriguez will start a Minor League rehab assignment for Double-A Portland on Monday.

"When he comes back, he's going to be fine," Cora said of Sale. "That's how we feel. I trust our medical staff. I trust the player. And I do feel he's going to come back."

* WEEI.com

David Price picked a good time to become an ace

Rob Bradford

Following the Red Sox' 5-2 win over the Rays, David Price had some quotes of interest. (For a complete recap of the Sox' win, click here.)

Question: What has been the difference in your turnaround?

Answer: "I made adjustments."

Question: What kind of adjustments?

Answer: "I'm not going to tell you. You go back and watch film. I'm not going to do your job for you, I'm sorry. You don't do mine so go home, do yours."

Alrighty then ...

We did go back to watch the film and what here is what we saw: An ace. That's really all that matters at this point.

The alterations Price has made since that July 1 debacle in the Bronx have already been documented. The Boston Globe's Alex Speier broke down some the changes in an Aug. 4 article. Dana LeVangie also explained to WEEI.com that a big difference has been the pitcher teaming up with catcher Sandy Leon. (In six games with Leon, the lefty has a 1.71 ERA.)

But we've seen adjustments before from Price, with the results coming and going. This seems more permanent. And it such a development couldn't come at a better time for the Red Sox.

"Just getting back to myself," he said. "I definitely changed a lot of stuff up here the first two and a half years and to just be able to get back to the pitcher that Boston signed. It's about time."

Yes. It was perhaps the most succinct and meaningful sentence uttered by Price since his arrival.

There is a reason the Red Sox signed Price to this $217 million deal. It was because they needed an ace, something that left hadn't been on the roster since Jon Lester's departure. And when Price wasn't the guy that first year in Boston, the Sox needed to go find another one, which they successfully managed with the acquisition of Chris Sale.

Now there is doubt when it comes to Sale. While the pitcher and his team are downplaying the mild shoulder issue that put the lefty on the disabled list for a second time, the benefit of the doubt when it comes to absolutely knowing this won't be an issue when it counts the most has left the building. Rest or no rest, we simply don't know what lays ahead for Sale.

This is where Price comes in.

After his seven-inning, two-run outing against Tampa Bay Price is 3-0 with a 1.35 in his five starts since the All-Star break. During that time, only three starters (Trevor Williams, , Carlos Carrasco) have been better ERA-wise.

And perhaps most importantly, when he has pitched the Red Sox usually win. Alex Cora's team has won each of the starter's last seven appearances, and 15 of his most recent 17. Price has started 18 team wins this season, only behind Luis Severino (19) and tied for second with Houston's (18).

"I think with David, I don’t know what the stat is, but I think bases loaded, they’re hitting one-something against him (actually 0-for-8 with two walks). Same with men in scoring position. He bears down," Cora said. "He’s been great but the numbers kind of like back him out in that situation. That’s what great pitchers do. You get the lead, and you go deep into the game, flip it to the bullpen and get the W."

"I'm making, $32 million? It don't matter," Price said. "They don't change what I'm doing. I've got enough pressure on me."

Price is right, and so far he's handling in just the manner the Red Sox need him to.

Chris Sale on DL stint: 'I really don't want to be sitting on the sidelines, especially this time of year'

John Tomase

So much for nothing to see here.

The quickest path to derailing the juggernaut known as the 2018 Red Sox passes directly through the left shoulder of ace Chris Sale, and on Saturday that collective gulp you heard was the sound of Sale being placed on the 10-day disabled list for the second time this month because of mild shoulder inflammation.

"When I started throwing again, it just kind of didn't respond the way we wanted it to," Sale told reporters at Fenway Park. "Didn't really bounce back the way we wanted it to. Just kind of adjust and kind of map things out and see where it takes us."

Sale missed two weeks in early August with the first iteration of the injury, which both he and the team assured us would only cause him to miss a start. The Red Sox sat him for two out of an abundance of caution, and Sale returned on Aug. 12 with a dominating five innings against the Orioles, allowing one hit and striking out 12.

Unfortunately, he didn't feel as well between starts as he had hoped, and so now he's back in rest mode.

"Just time," Sale said. "Unfortunately it stinks right now where we're at in this point of the season. With inflammation, there's only so much you can do and rest, as of now. It stinks. I don't really want to be sitting on the sidelines, especially this time of year, the situation we're in."

Sale's importance to the Red Sox can't be overstated. The Cy Young favorite is 12-4 with a league-leading 1.97 ERA and 219 strikeouts. The goal now is ensuring he's healthy and at full strength come October.

"We've still got a lot of season left," Sale said. "We don't want to overlook that. At the same time, we want to be able to kind of sprint across the finish line, not limp into it. Like I said, bad timing obviously. Anybody who knows me knows I'm not the biggest fan of what's going on right now, but it is what it is. You deal with it, keep your chin up, put one foot in front of the other and just keep grinding."

There's no timetable on Sale's return.

"We have to take care of him," manager Alex Cora told reporters. "This guy is very important for what we're trying to accomplish, and if he needs to skip one, two, three, whatever, we're willing to do that. He'll be back. Like he said, he feels better than the last time we put him on the DL. So, he'll get his rest, he'll go through treatment, and we'll go from there."

* NESN.com

Red Sox Wrap: David Price Solid, J.D. Martinez Homers In 5-2 Win Over Rays

Logan Mullen

A busy first inning allowed the Boston Red Sox to cruise throughout most of Saturday night.

After putting up a four-spot in the opening frame, Boston rolled to a 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park, securing the series victory in the middle contest of the three-game set.

J.D. Martinez smacked his 38th homer of the year, while David Price delivered a solid outing and upped his record on the season to 13-6.

With the win, the Red Sox climb to 88-36, while the Rays fall to 62-61.

Here’s how it all went down:

GAME IN A WORD Comfortable.

Though hectic at some points, Saturday’s result hardly was in doubt throughout most of the game.

ON THE BUMP — As has been the case for quite some time now, Price was sharp on the hill, allowing two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and two walks over seven innings of work.

The first inning was a bit bumpy for the left-hander, as he allowed runners to reach first and second to the frame on a fielding error and single. But he buckled down and got the next three hitters to end the inning unscathed.

Things went smoother from there, as the southpaw tossed 1-2-3 innings in the second and third. He allowed runners to reach in the fourth and fifth, but none of them got past second base.

The only damage Price allowed came in the sixth, as C.J. Cron smacked a one-on, one-out first-pitch dinger over the Green Monster, cutting Boston’s lead to 5-2.

After allowing a leadoff double in the seventh, Price got the next three hitters out to end the inning and his night.

— Ryan Brasier pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning.

— Craig Kimbrel closed the door with a 1-2-3 ninth.

IN THE BATTER’S BOX — A chaotic first inning yielded the bulk of Boston’s runs. Andrew Benintendi hit a one-out double and scored during the next at-bat when Mitch Moreland drilled a double of his own. Martinez and Xander Bogaerts then worked walks, loading the bases. With Ian Kinsler up, Rays starter Tyler Glasnow issued his third straight walk, bringing in Moreland to make it 2-0.

It looked like the Rays would get out of the inning when Brock Holt hit a chopper to first, but Jake Bauers made a throwing error to second trying to turn a double play, allowing Holt to reach safely and two runners to score.

During the next at-bat, Tampa turned a bizarre double play, catching Kinsler stealing at third, then getting Holt hung up between first and second.

— Up 4-0 in the third, Martinez extended the lead with a solo shot to center.

— Benintendi led the Red Sox with two hits.

— Moreland and Martinez each had one hit.

— All other Red Sox batters went hitless.

TWEET OF THE DAY Always good to see Holt flashing his Gold Glove-caliber leather.

UP NEXT The Red Sox and Rays will finish their three-game set Sunday afternoon. Hector Velazquez is set to get the ball for Boston. First pitch from Fenway Park is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET.

* BostonSportsJournal.com

BSJ Game Report: Red Sox 5, Rays 2 – Four-run first is plenty for Price

Sean Sweeney

HEADLINES

Sox erupt for four in the first: It’s the only crooked number the Red Sox put up Saturday night. A pair of one-out doubles by Andrew Benintendi and Mitch Moreland put the Sox up 1-0, before Tampa Bay starter Tyler Glasnow (0-1) ended up walking the next three hitters, two of which came on four-straight balls with the walk to Ian Kinsler bringing Moreland in. But then a grounder off the bat of Brock Holt saw a poor throw by first baseman Jake Bauers, which allowed two runs.

J.D. homers, but the bats go silent after that: With two outs in the bottom of the third, J.D. Martinez struck for his 38th homer, belting a 3-2 Glasnow pitch into Williamsburg to round out the Boston scoring. That’s because the Red Sox couldn’t solve Glasnow from then on out, who settled into a groove and managed to retire the next 12 hitters before giving way to Adam Kolarek in the bottom in the seventh. Kolarek kept that going until Benintendi singled with two outs in the bottom of the eighth.

Brasier, Kimbrel close the door: After 103 pitches through seven, David Price’s (13-6) night was done, and he gave way to the new Mr. Reliable in Ryan Brasier, who needed nine pitches to retire the Rays in order in the eighth. Then, Craig Kimbrel came in for the save, his 37th, on 11 pitches.

TWO UP

David Price: This is what battlers do, ladies and gentlemen: Price went to five three-ball counts, and four full counts; three 20-plus pitch frames for the southpaw. And yeah, he gave up a two-run blast by C.J. Crom that reached the other side of Lansdowne for his only mistake of the night. But when good ol’ No. 24 needed that out pitch, he delivered. Price scattered five Tampa hits, fanned eight, seven of ‘em looking, walked two, and certainly kept the Rays off-balance for a majority of the contest.

JD Martinez: Just Dingers went yahhhd again, his solo shot with two out in the third landing in the Red Sox bullpen to give him a league-leading 38 homers for the season. He also scored in the four-run first to help give Price a cushion headed into the second.

TWO DOWN

Boston’s approach at the plate: Four hits? Four measly hits? That’s all? You take that first inning away as well as Martinez’s homer in the third, and that’s a one-hitter. None of Boston’s four hits were cheap, but Glasnow (6.2, four K’s, three walks) wasn’t exactly overpowering Saturday night. After Martinez’s blast, Glasnow and Kolarek retired 15 in a row before Benintendi’s base hit through the right side of the infield in the home half of the eighth.

Another baserunning blunder: The Red Sox could have more than just four runs on the first inning but they, get this, got doubled off the bases without the ball being hit into play. How, do you ask? Well, with one out and Xander Bogaerts on second and Brock Holt on first, the Red Sox called for a double steal but Glasnow wised up, stepped off the rubber and threw to third to get Bogaerts hung up. Instead of continuing to second to keep a runner in scoring position with two outs, Holt started back toward first and, as Bogaerts was tagged out, Holt was caught in no-man’s land as well and basically waived the white flag. I know, it makes no sense, but here’s the video…

TAKE THAT SWEENS MAY REGRET

See directly above. Yeah, sure. You can have a night off like this, especially when Xander Bogaerts had three big hits on Friday night. But you don’t want to lose too much hitting momentum, especially against the flailing Rays.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“Our hitters were very patient at first. Kinda waited Glasnow out, got a couple runs from him, but he bounced back. The type of outing that he had are the ones that earn respect from your teammates and your peers.” – David Price

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

The Red Sox’ magic number is now at 29.

Boston is now 52 games over .500.

The Crom blast was Price’s first allowed homer in 31.1 innings.

Boston also has a 2.32 ERA in its last seven games.

Two steals by Moreland and Martinez gave the Speed Boys 98 thefts in ’18. Boston and Cleveland have a tie for the Major League lead.

Price is now 5-4 against the team that drafted him.

UP NEXT

The Red Sox close out the three-game set Sunday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. against these same Rays, with Hector Velasquez (7-0, 2.77 ERA) taking the ball vs. TBA for the Rays. Upstairs, it’ll be Sean McAdam back in the conductor’s chair.

Another W with No. 24 on the hill … Is this the new David Price?

Sean Sweeney

BOSTON — When one looks at the body of work that David Price has put in so far this season, one really has to tip their cap toward No. 24.

I’m serious: Price is 13-6 so far with 142 strikeouts in 2018, and while he’s deflecting the thought of additional pressure given Chris Sale’s return to the disabled list Saturday — “I’m making $32 million. It don’t matter. It don’t change what I’m doing; I’ve got enough pressure on me,” he said in the locker room afterward — you have to think that the Red Sox’ No. 2 in the starting rotation is quietly looking forward to this stretch run. With his performances over the last six starts, including a perfect 3-0 since the All-Star break, it feels like he wants to silence the doubters of the last two-and-a-half seasons. He wants to truly earn his salary and get the ring that has evaded him throughout his career.

On Saturday night, he took another step toward that goal, gutting out a big W on the Fenway mound as the Red Sox won his seventh-straight start and improved to 15-2 in his past 17.

Some of the numbers against the Rays might not be too impressive: Price went to five three-ball counts, a couple of times consecutively to put himself in a bit of a bind against a weak-hitting Rays team; and granted, he wasn’t exactly too efficient, with three 20-pitch frames.

But when he needed that out pitch — boy, he gave it.

The other numbers he had against the Rays were impressive. Price blew eight hitters away, seven of which he caught looking. He also scattered five hits in his seven innings, walking two.

“I threw my fastball well, I made some good pitches on the outside part of the plate, my backdoor cutter, and when we really needed that fastball into right-handed hitters, we executed. That was good to see. They were all strikes, that’s good when you’re getting hitters to take pitches in the strike zone,” Price said in self- assessment.

And in the first inning, he got out of a little jam thanks to the pitch-calling of catcher Sandy Leon, who called a solid game for the southpaw.

“He did a great job,” Leon said. “All of his pitches, getting ahead in the count, working the corners. He did a really good job.

“Today, he was painting the corners on both sides. Outside, inside, he threw that pitch and there was nothing they could do.”

With runners on first and third and one out, Price punched out Tommy Pham (two of Price’s eight strikeouts) with a healthy inside fastball, before he went full to C.J. Crom. Crom, who would later belt Price’s only mistake to the parking lot across Lansdowne, would ground weakly back to Price to strand the runners, and to send the Red Sox into the bottom half of the first breathing a sigh of relief.

Of course, Boston capitalized on the fact Tampa starter Tyler Glasnow had difficulty locating (three- straight walks; did someone forget where the zone was?), and managed to pop him for a massive crooked number.

“It’s always a boost,” said Price, wearing a Vanderbilt pullover as he addressed the media. “To put up a zero in the first and have your offense put up four in that bottom half, it makes things a lot easier out there for the pitcher. It puts defenders at ease and to go out there in that second inning … it makes everything easier.”

Price would end up cruising through the next three hitters, pitching with a lead Boston wouldn’t relinquish. But with two outs and two runners on in the fifth (a hit and a hit batsman), he managed to shake the errant plunking aside and got Matt Duffy to fly out to Jackie Bradley Jr. in center to retire the side.

Nah, I don’t think the pressure — something that may be all in his head — phased him one bit Saturday.

Price admitted to making adjustments over his last few starts, even though he was pretty obstinate when asked what those were — “I made adjustments; I’m not going to tell you. You can go back and watch film. I’m not going to do your job for you, you don’t do mine.” — and it looks like whatever it was has turned him into the pitcher he wanted to be when the Red Sox signed him after the 2015 season.

“I’m getting back to myself. I’ve changed a lot of stuff up from the first two and a half years,” he said. “It’s about time.”

Leon wasn’t telling us what those adjustments were, either.

“I just call the game, you know,” he said. “Like I said, the last five or six starts, he’s been really good with all four pitches. In the big leagues, you have to get ahead of hitters.”

And he did that: of the 29 hitters he faced Saturday, 10 saw first-pitch balls. That means 18 were first-pitch strikes or contact. And sure, he would end up going to the aforementioned three-ball counts.

Two of them were K’s. One was a fly out to Andrew Benintendi in left, leading to a double play — which erased another three-ball victim, Pham.

All in all, not a bad piece of pitching for someone who likes to rile Red Sox fans up.

Again… Price is 13-6. He hasn’t pitched bad — and given the circumstances, Boston needs him to be consistent for the rest of this season.

He has a few more starts to go.

Final: Red Sox 5, Rays 2 — Bats sluggish, but Price guts it out

Sean Sweeney

WHO: Tampa Bay Rays (62-60) at Red Sox (87-36) WHERE: Fenway Park WHEN: 7:10 p.m. TV/RADIO: NESN/93.7 FM/Am 1490 (Spanish) STARTING PITCHING: LHP David Price (12-6, 3.75) vs. RHP Tyler Glasnow (0-0, 2.25 in AL) WHAT’S UP: The Red Sox are 28-3 with Sandy Leon in the battery. … The Sox are 30-2 when Jackie Bradley Jr. records at least one RBI. … Boston needs to go 19-20 the rest of the way to break the franchise’s single-season mark for wins (105) in a season. … With the Yankees’ 11-6 win over Toronto earlier today, the Sox currently have a 10-game lead in the division. … Boston has won each of David Price‘s last six starts and are 14-2 in his last 16. He has a 1.03 ERA since the All-Star break, which is the lowest in the American League. He’s also allowed two runs or fewer in each of his four starts since the break. … Price is 4-4 with a 3.32 ERA in 13 appearances (12 starts) against his former team, including four scoreless outings in his last seven starts. … In the last two games, the Rays have scored a combined five runs in the first inning and one run after that. … The Rays are 4-10 against the Red Sox this season (2-5 at home, 2-5 on the road). Seven of the 14 games have been decided by one run (1-6) and nine have been decided by two runs or fewer (2-7). Last night’s loss clinched a third consecutive losing series against the Red Sox for the first time since 2005-07. … Glasnow is the fifth pitcher in club history standing 6’8” or taller, according to Baseball Reference, following Jeff Niemann (6’9”), Adam Russell (6’8”), Mark Hendrickson (6’9”) and Billy Taylor (6’8”). … Glasnow, acquired from the Pirates for Chris Archer, is the first pitcher in club history to begin his Rays career with three consecutive starts of 2 hits or fewer and 1 run or fewer

Mid first: Gomez reached on a Bogaerts throwing error, before Duffy singles through the left side. Bauers then pops into an infield fly situation, Moreland catches it. After Gomez takes third, Price then gets Pham to admire a called third strike for out No. 2. Price then gets Cron to ground back to him on a full count pitch, the third ball a questionable one. 21 pitches for Price. Rays 0, Red Sox coming to bat.

End first: Betts chases a high fastball for a K, before Benintendi rips a stand-up double into the left-field corner. Moreland then clobbers the first pitch he sees for a double off the base of the bullpen wall, and Benintendi scores. Moreland then steals third before Martinez walks. Martinez then gets a huge jump and steals second on 1-0. Bogaerts then walks on four to load the bases, before Glasnow walks Kinsler on four. 2-0 with Moreland scoring. Wood already warming for Tampa. Holt appears to ground into a 3-4, but the first baseman throws it wild and two runs score. Holt credited for one RBI, and reached on a fielder’s choice. It’s 4-0 now. And then Glasnow gets out of it by catching Kinsler between second and third, and Holt is nabbed, too. 4-0 Sox through one.

Mid second: 1-2-3 inning on nine pitches for Price. He’s at 30.

End second: Leon fans, and so does JBJ. Betts then flies out to right. 1-2-3 inning, a much better inning for Glasnow.

Mid third: Perez K’s with an offspeed pitch at the belt. Gomez then tries to bunt, but he can’t get by Holt, who throws off-balance to get him. Then Price pulls the string and gets Duffy to admire called third strike.

Freddie Lynn in attendance, and the Fenway Fandom gives him a rousing reception.

End third: Benintendi pops to second, before Moreland swings and misses at strike three. Glasnow looks to be settling in, but he grooves a full count pitch at the knees, and Martinez pounds it all the way into Williamsburg for his 38th home run of the season. Bogaerts then grounds to third, and that’s the inning. 5-0 Sox after three full here in the Fens.

Mid fourth: Price fans Bauers for his fourth K of the night, before Pham walks. Cron moves him to second with a base hit through the left side. Wendle then flies out to left, WTP, but with the runners both taking off thinking that had The Wall written all over it, JBJ fires to Kinsler at second to double up Pham. F7-4 on the double play.

End fourth: 1-2-3 frame.

Mid fifth: Price gets Adames looking, K No. 5. Kiermaier grounds to short. Perez singles before Gomez is plunked, two on, two out. But Duffy flies out to JBJ in center, and that’s the inning. Halfway home.

End fifth: Red Sox go 1-2-3.

Mid sixth: Price walked Bauers to lead off the inning. He goes full to Pham (fifth three-ball count, fourth full count), but he gets him looking, but Crom turns on the next pitch and drives it over everything and onto Lansdowne. It’s his 23rd homer. Two pitches later, Wendle flies out to JBJ. Adames then grounds out to short, and that’s the inning. 5-2 Red Sox after 5 1/2 in the Fens.

End sixth: Another 1-2-3 inning. Sox haven’t had a baserunner since Martinez’s solo homer.

Mid seventh: Kiermaier reaches on a double into the left field corner, and it looks like Hembree is warming. Price fans Perez looking for his seventh K of the night, the second time he has been caught admiring the third strike. He then K’s Gomez looking on a fastball right down Broadway with pitch No. 99. And then Duffy lines softly to Moreland for the final out. Stretch time in the Back Bay.

End seventh: Kinsler flies to left, Holt pops to third, and that’s it for Glasnow who throws 6.2 innings, scatters three hits, four earned runs, four K’s. Adam Kolarek in. He fans Sandy Leon on four pitches. Ryan Brasier coming in to pitch for the Sox.

Mid eighth: Bauers grounds to short, but it looked like he may have beat the throw… Tampa challenges, and he’s out. Brasier then fans Pham. He then gets Crom to keep it in the yard, Betts chasing it down after running a mile.

End eighth: With Kimbrel and freshly-recalled Workman warming, JBJ grounds to second, Betts grounds to short, before Benintendi singles through the right-hand side. Moreland grounds out, and here comes Kimbrel.

Mid ninth: Kimbrel gets Wendle to ground to short, K’s Adames, and gets Kiermaier to fly out to left. Crank up Dirty Water, that’s the ballgame.

LINEUPS

Tampa Bay

Carlos Gomez RF Matt Duff 3B Jake Bauers 1B Tommy Pham LF CJ Cron DH Joey Wendle 2B Willy Adames SS Kevin Kiermaier CF Michael Perez C

RED SOX

Mookie Betts CF Andrew Benintendi LF Mitch Moreland 1B JD Martinez DH Xander Bogaerts SS Ian Kinsler 2B Brock Holt 3B Sandy Leon C Jackie Bradley Jr CF

Red Sox put Chris Sale on DL again with shoulder inflammation

Sean Sweeney

BOSTON — Six days after his brilliant start against Baltimore, the Red Sox today returned ace Chris Sale to the 10-day disabled list with mild left shoulder inflammation, retroactive to Wednesday, August 15.

To fill Sale’s spot on the 25-man roster, the club recalled right-hander Brandon Workman from Triple-A Pawtucket.

While the Red Sox have not officially named a start for tomorrow’s series finale (1:05 p.m.) against Tampa Bay, Red Sox manager Alex Cora suggested that Hector Velasquez, should he not pitch in Saturday night’s tilt at Fenway, will get the ball.

Cora did not anticipate any additional changes to the starting rotation, which would see Rick Porcello start against Cleveland Monday night, followed by Nathan Eovaldi, Brian Johnson, and tonight’s starter, David Price, in that order through Thursday.

There is also no timetable for Sale’s return to the rotation.

“I think it’s a smart move,” Cora told reporters before the game, referencing this second DL stint for the lanky lefty. “In this situation, there’s a process: before the start, during the start, and after the start. It was taking (Sale) a while after the start, and where we are right now, not only as an organization but as an individual, we have to take care of him. This guy’s very important to what we’re trying to accomplish, and if he has to skip one, two, three, whatever (starts), we’re willing to do that.

“He’ll be back, like he said; he feels better than the last time we put him on the DL. So he’ll get his rest, he’ll get his treatment, and we’ll go from there.”

During last Sunday’s 4-1 win over the Orioles, Sale threw five one-hit innings, fanning 12 hitters on 68 pitches, 48 of which for strikes. He touched 99 miles per hour on the radar gun several times, and averaged 97 for his 16-hitter outing.

Cora noted that the inflammation “isn’t like the first time,” and that the team won’t use different treatment options.

“When we went into the office, I was a little bit scared, to be honest, but he’ll be back,” Cora said. “He threw the ball well (Sunday) for five innings, velocity was good, which is always good. Repeating the delivery, keeping his arm slot was consistent. He doesn’t feel right, right now, he didn’t recover the way we wanted him to recover and the way he wants to recover.”

Sale joins two other pitchers — Steven Wright and Eduardo Rodriguez — on the DL for the time being.

BSJ Analysis

This isn’t the news Red Sox Nation wants to hear, but take heed: the Sox are still 51 games over .500. If the training staff needs to baby him and preserve his arm for the next few weeks, then fine. Do that. The Sox won’t lose too much ground, especially with the way the pitching and defense has been going all season.

Cora also said that there are no current plans to move anyone else up to take Sale’s place in the rotation, and that determination would be made later in the week. He’s optimistic, and not worrying about Sale’s shoulder acting up in the postseason, which is still six weeks away from now.

“We’re not there yet,” he told a reporter. “Hopefully it doesn’t.”

* The Tampa Bay Times

Rays journal: Tyler Glasnow settles down to pitch well in loss

Marc Topkin

BOSTON — RHP Tyler Glasnow looked so bad as he struggled through a 28-pitch first inning of the Rays' 5-2 loss to Boston that he knew enough to not look out to the bullpen, which was in action.

But after allowing four runs — on two doubles, three straight walks, two uncontested steals and a Jake Bauers throwing error — Glasnow settled in and worked impressively into the seventh.

The only other blip was allowing J.D. Martinez's majors-most 38th homer in the third, then Glasnow retired his final 12 batters, and 17 of his last 18 overall.

In his fourth outing since being acquired from the Pirates in the Chris Archer deal, Glasnow worked a career-high 62/3, allowing three hits and three walks, striking out four with only his fastball reliable, throwing 94 pitches (50 strikes).

In defeat, that was something of a victory.

"I just kind of realized this is what I had today and just go out and compete as hard as I can and get out of that fix-it mode. I went out after the first and did what I had to do,'' Glasnow said. "In Pittsburgh things like that would happen and I wasn't able to go out and complete the day so I'm definitely happy with going back out after the first and getting through 62/3.''

Manager Kevin Cash found the rebound "very encouraging."

"Really proud of the performance,'' he said. "For a young pitcher trying to establish himself and get built up to be a starter that would have been an easy one to knock yourself out of it, get through three innings and be done.''

The first could have been worse, as the Rays caught two runners trying to steal on the same play to end it.

The early deficit proved to be too much for the Rays (62-61), however, as they were shut down by former ace David Price, who worked strong seven innings, allowing just two runs on a massive 464-foot homer by C.J. Cron well over the Green Monster, his 23rd.

"It felt pretty good,'' Cron said. "It was one of the only mistakes Price made all night and I was able to put a good swing on it. I hit it pretty well.''

Familiar setting

LHP Jalen Beeks spent four-plus years working his way through the Red Sox system and made two one- day cameos appearances for them this season before being traded to the Rays July 25, and he's looking forward for the chance to face them today, slated to pitch in relief. "Just the competitiveness in me, I want to pitch here again, especially this year,'' he said. "I'm just happy to be in the big leagues obviously, but it's pretty cool I might get the opportunity to face them so quickly after (the trade). So I'm excited.''

Special K

CF Kevin Kiermaier was so impressed by Red Sox counterpart Jackie Bradley Jr.'s running catch Friday that he tweeted his compliments and then Saturday endorsed him for the Gold Glove. "He's one of the few that does it all out there, and that's part of the reason why he's my favorite,'' Kiermaier said. "I was hoping to run across and tell him, 'Hey, they need to give you the Gold right now.' Because he deserves it. I hope this is his year.''

Kiermaier also explained why he didn't make what would have been a similarly spectacular catch in left- center earlier in the game on what instead became a two-run triple: basically that he didn't want to go full bore into the unforgiving unpadded wall.

"I didn't over-run it, I didn't mis-jump it, at the last second I chose to let off, and that's why it looked the way it did,'' he said. "I told (pitcher Ryne) Stanek, I'm sorry, I went for that as best as I could. But when you're going into the Green Monster like that full speed, and I would have had to jump out and up, that wall is undefeated. And it will be undefeated as long as this park is going. I had to look out for my body right there. There's not a whole of times that I do that. And I'm not afraid. But that's one where you're asking to get seriously hurt.''

Medical matters: Sucre, Nuno

C Jesus Sucre said his sore right wrist "felt way better" and he was expecting to return to the lineup today for the first time since hurting it on a swing Tuesday. … Though LHP Vidal Nuno (hamstring) wasn't sharp in his first rehab game Friday, he felt fine and is likely to make several more.

Number of the day

464 feet, per StatCast, on C.J. Cron's sixth-inning homer well over the Green Monster. He tied — of all people — J.P. Arencibia for longest by a Ray in the StatCast era (since 2015).

Miscellany

• OF Carlos Gomez was hit by a pitch for the majors-most and career high 20th time.

• The Rays decided in the eighth inning Saturday to have RHP Diego Castillo serve as today's opener in front of Jalen Beeks. With LHP Chris Sale (shoulder) going on the DL, the Sox will start RHP Hector Velazquez.

• Facing Price Saturday was the 14th game of the season against a former Rays starter. They are 6-8; going 4-0 vs. Alex Cobb (Orioles), 1-0 vs. Jason Hammel (Royals), 0-1 vs. Matt Moore (Rangers), 0-1 vs. (Twins), 0-2 vs. James Shields (White Sox) and 1-4 vs. Price.

• With OF Mallex Smith getting a scheduled off-day, Cash made an unusual decision by moving Gomez to leadoff despite his 1-for-23 career showing vs. Price.

* Associated Press

Price goes 7, Martinez hits 38th HR; Red Sox beat Rays 5-2

BOSTON -- David Price believes he's finally become the pitcher the Boston Red Sox were looking for when they signed him.

Price pitched seven solid innings, J.D. Martinez hit his major league-leading 38th homer after Boston jumped to a quick lead and the Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-2 on Saturday night for their 17th victory in 20 games.

Signed to a seven-year, $217 million deal before 2016, the lefty feels as if he's finally paying off.

"Getting back to myself. I definitely changed a lot of stuff up here the last 2 1/2 years," he said. "To be able to get back to the pitcher that Boston signed, it's about time."

Price (13-6) gave up two runs on five hits, striking out eight, walking two and hitting a batter. He is 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA in his five starts since the All-Star break.

With ace lefty Chris Sale going on the 10-day disabled list Saturday for the second time in nearly three weeks, Price doesn't see any additional pressure to fill the void.

"I'm making $32 million," Price said. "It don't change what I'm doing. I've got enough pressure on me."

And he's responded.

"We expect him to go deep into games and give us a chance to win and he's been doing that," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.

Mitch Moreland added an RBI double during Boston's four-run first inning. The Red Sox, who own the majors' best record, improved to a season-high 52 games over .500 and maintained their 10 1/2-game lead over the second-place in the AL East.

C.J. Cron hit a two-run homer for the Rays. Tampa Bay fell to 4-11 against Boston this season.

Tyler Glasnow (0-1), making his fourth start since being acquired from Pittsburgh at the non-wavier trading deadline, gave up five runs, four earned, and three hits. He walked three and struck out four in 6 2/3 innings.

"Very encouraging. The first inning was such a fluke for him, for all of us. Just a lot of odd things," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "His strike-throwing kind of eluded him for whatever reason, but he's got to take a lot of positives from that outing."

The Red Sox took advantage of Glasnow's wildness to jump ahead 4-0 in the first. Moreland's RBI double made it 1-0 before Martinez and Xander Bogaerts walked to load the bases. The righty then walked Ian Kinsler, forcing in a run.

First baseman Jake Bauers then fired Brock Holt's grounder into left field attempting a force at second and two runs scored, making it 4-0.

"Just came in, didn't feel that great from warmups to the first inning," Glasnow said. "Just kind of realized that this is what I had today and I needed to just go out and compete as hard as I can and get out of that fix- it mode."

In the third, Martinez homered into Boston's bullpen.

Cron's homer cleared the Green Monster and left Fenway Park completely in the sixth.

Craig Kimbrel got the final three outs for his 37th save.

HEADS UP

Tampa Bay's Carlos Gomez advanced to third when it was left uncovered on a popup that was caught between first and the plate in the first inning.

"That was probably my part to go cover third base right there and I didn't do that," Price said.

NOT HEADS UP

With Kinsler on second and Holt on first in the first, Kinsler got caught trying to steal third too quickly when Glasnow stepped off and got him in a rundown. Holt was unsure where to go, standing between first and second before he was tagged out in a rundown for an inning-ending double play.

Three innings later, Tampa Bay's Tommy Pham was doubled off second on a fly ball to the left-field warning track.

FRIENDLY FENWAY

The Red Sox improved their home record to a majors' best 44-15.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rays: C Jesus Sucre missed his fourth straight game with a sore right wrist.

Red Sox: Sale was placed on the DL with mild inflammation in his left shoulder. "It's definitely less than it was last time," Sale said. . LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (DL since July 15, sprained right ankle) is scheduled to make a rehab start on Monday.

UP NEXT

Rays: Cash said after the game that RHP Diego Castillo (3-2, 3.63 ERA) would start Sunday's series finale.

Red Sox: RHP Hector Velazquez (7-0, 2.77) will take Sale's turn.

Red Sox put ace Chris Sale back on DL with shoulder inflammation

BOSTON -- Chris Sale understands that it is a perfect time for the Boston Red Sox to be cautious with his troublesome shoulder.

He's just frustrated that he's back on the disabled list.

Boston returned the ace lefty to the 10-day disabled list Saturday after just one healthy start. Sale was on the DL earlier this month with what the team called mild shoulder inflammation.

Last Sunday, he was activated against the and struck out 12 in five shutout innings, which extended his scoreless innings streak to 28. He is 12-4 with an AL-leading 1.97 ERA and 6-0 with a 0.20 ERA in his past seven starts.

"It's definitely less than it was last time," he said while standing in the middle of the clubhouse before Boston's scheduled game against Tampa Bay. "It didn't bounce back, wasn't really responding the way we wanted it to. Given kind of where we are, it was kind of right call to give it some rest and stay on top of it. You don't want to be playing catch-up during a time like this."

With Boston holding a big lead in the AL East and the best record in the majors, Sale will get some rest for what the team hopes will be a long postseason run.

"Obviously terrible timing, not exactly the most ideal situation. To be honest, quite miserable for me. But at the same time, I'm not going to sit around and pout," he said. "I'm going to keep my chin up. I'm on the best team that ever walked the planet. I've good teammates that have my back, and I appreciate that."

Manager Alex Cora said the team wasn't about to take any chances.

"I think it's a smart move," he said. "This guy is very important to what we're trying to accomplish, and if he needs to skip one, two, three [starts], whatever, we're willing to do that. He'll be back. Like he said, he feels better than the last time we put him on the DL, so he'll get his rest, he'll go through treatment, and we'll go from there."

The 29-year-old Sale is a top contender for the AL Cy Young Award, but he understands the need to be patient. He said the treatments seem to be working.

"We've done some strength stuff, some stretching, obviously treatment and stuff like that. It's responding well to all of those, which is a good sign," he said. "I have strength in there, stability. Like I said, it's just time waiting for that inflammation to get out."

The move Saturday was retroactive to Wednesday. To fill Sale's roster spot, the Red Sox recalled righty Brandon Workman from Triple-A Pawtucket. It's his third stint with the team this season. The reliever is 2- 0 with a 2.59 ERA in 26 appearances.

Sale was first put on the DL on July 31.