RED SOX V RAYS
THURSDAY, JULY 6, 2017, 7 PM AT TROPICANA FIELD
TV: NESN, MLBN, (OUT-OF-MARKET ONLY) FOX SPORTS SUN
BOSTON, (49-36)....................................................................................TAMPA BAY (44-42)
BOSTON:
CHRIS SALE, LHP, 11-3, 2.61 ERA, 16 K
Sale is coming off what might be his sharpest outing of the season. He held Toronto
scoreless and allowed four hits in seven innings; striking out 11. He's reached double-
digit strikeouts 11 times this year.
TAMPA BAY:
JACOB FARIA, RHP, 3-0, 2.23 ERA, 35K
Faria has 35 strikeouts, 5 walks and 5 quality starts in the first 5 outings of his career.
Since the start of 2013, just two other pitchers have begun their careers with five consecutive
quality starts.
Rays to host first-place Sox to wrap up first half
Scott Chasen
Rays manager Kevin Cash knew things would be tight in the American League -- maybe just not at the level it's been so far.
"In our division alone, it seems like every week somebody's jumping somebody or going back," Cash said. "In the [AL] East, I think you anticipated it from the get-go. Some of these other teams are playing really well, and that's kind of jumbled everything up as far as the Wild Cards go."
So as the Rays enter their final series before the All-Star break, a four-game set against the division-leading Red Sox at Tropicana Field, they'll be looking to further close the gap.
Jacob Faria (3-0, 2.23 ERA) will get the ball for the Rays in Thursday's opener. The righty has gotten off to a strong start in his Major League career, going 3-0 with a 2.23 ERA while becoming only the third pitcher since 2013 to begin his career with five consecutive quality starts. In those outings, the right-hander has 35 strikeouts to five walks.
Opposing Faria will be Red Sox lefty Chris Sale, who is coming off one of his sharpest outings of the season.
Against Toronto on Saturday, Sale (11-3, 2.61 ERA) threw seven scoreless innings, striking out 11 while walking only one. The outing marked Sale's third this year without allowing a run, as well as the 11th time he's tallied double-digit strikeouts.
He became the sixth pitcher in history to have as many as 11 starts with double-digit strikeouts prior to the All-Star Game.
Sale has won each of his last three starts and 10 of his last 11. He's allowed just five earned runs in his past 29 2/3 innings, and Boston is 13-4 during his starts this year, having won seven of Sale's last eight starts.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS GAME
• The Red Sox and Rays have already clashed for two series this year, and the results have been mixed. The Red Sox took three of four from the Rays from April 14-17, but lost two of three from May 12-14.
• Left-handed batters are 7-for-30 (.233) with a .491 OPS against Faria, and his approach against them clearly has focused on going away. Just 5.8 percent of Faria's pitches to lefties have hit the inner third of the strike zone or been off the plate inside, the lowest rate for any right-handed starter (minimum 100 pitches).
• Sale leads the Majors with 166 strikeouts. The only Red Sox pitcher to lead MLB in whiffs at the All-Star break is Roger Clemens, who did it in 1988 (186 K's) and 1991 (123 K's).
http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170705240583364/rays-to-host-first-place-sox-to-wrap-up-first-half/?game_pk=491381
First of 4 at TB:
Betts RF,
Pedroia 2B,
Bogaerts SS,
Moreland 1B,
Ramirez DH,
Benintendi LF,
Bradley Jr. CF,
Leon C,
Lin 3B,
Sale LHP
I take the Rays VERY seriously.
This Faria looks darn good, esp. against lefties. Expect to see Chris Young in the lineup, who's been pretty reliable.
I believe you are correct Ipot, a difficult game to win, imho.
Quote from: ipot on July 06, 2017, 11:55:06 AM
I take the Rays VERY seriously.
This Faria looks darn good, esp. against lefties. Expect to see Chris Young in the lineup, who's been pretty reliable.
I looked up his splits and this could be a real tough matchup.
.191 BA VS rhb
.233 BA vs lhb
Hope Xander is ok. Looked very painful. 2 left on already.
Quote from: markj on July 06, 2017, 06:20:58 PM
Hope Xander is ok. Looked very painful. 2 left on already.
Plus now Marrero is hitting 3rd in place of Xman. Hope he does something positive.
Dumb throw by JBJ to 1st trying to double up the runner. Sale picked him up though.
Quote from: Schloicka on July 06, 2017, 06:44:58 PM
Dumb throw by JBJ to 1st trying to double up the runner. Sale picked him up though.
Wasn't a bad throw. Just tried to occupy the same space as the runner. Would have been sweet if it had worked.
Marrero came through with the sac fly. 1-0 Sox.
I just turned it on. We fighting with Tampa again, or is the XB HBP a misc happening?
Quote from: markj on July 06, 2017, 06:49:33 PM
Quote from: Schloicka on July 06, 2017, 06:44:58 PM
Dumb throw by JBJ to 1st trying to double up the runner. Sale picked him up though.
Wasn't a bad throw. Just tried to occupy the same space as the runner. Would have been sweet if it had worked.
Was a good throw. Just was no reason to make it. Not very likely to get the guy out. Gave the runner 2 bases for no reason.
Quote from: MongoLikeSox on July 06, 2017, 07:01:36 PM
I just turned it on. We fighting with Tampa again, or is the XB HBP a misc happening?
Just a fastball in on the hands. Nothing malicious.
Where's our 20 hr guy? Seems everyone we play has one.
What happened to X?
Quote from: Rob from Mass on July 06, 2017, 07:05:14 PM
What happened to X?
Got hit on the hand his 1st time up with a fastball that ran inside.
Xander Bogaerts exits with hand injury
Rob Bradford
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Suddenly, making the All-Star team seems secondary for Xander Bogaerts.
The Red Sox shortstop exited Thursday night's game in the first inning with a right hand contusion after being hit by a Rays starting pitcher Jacob Faria pitch in the first inning. X-rays were negative, the team announced.
Bogaerts, who was struck in the side of his right hand with the 92 mph fastball, stayed in the game for the remainder of the inning, ultimately being stranded at first base. But when the Red Sox came out for the bottom half of the frame, Tzu-Wei Lin had slid over from third base to shortstop, with Deven Marrero coming on to play third.
The Red Sox starting shortstop had just returned after missing the final game of the series in Toronto, and the opener in Texas, with a groin injury. Bogaerts entered the four-game set with Tampa Bay hitting .308 with six homers and an .816 OPS.
Bogaerts finished second in the American League's Final Vote for the upcoming All-Star Game, placing behind the eventual winner, Kansas City third baseman Mike Moustakas.
http://www.weei.com/blogs/rob-bradford/xander-bogaerts-exits-hand-injury
Sale's era will take a small hit tonight. Can't be great every start. Still not totally bad.
Yikes!!!!! game ovah?
Don't win many with 1 run and hardly any hits no matter who's pitching. On to Friday.
Still 7-3 for their last 10. I'll give them this one as it's their first trip to The Dump this season. That has to be hard on anyone's system. Yanks didn't play today, so 3.5 games up. 2 up in the loss column.
Quote from: markj on July 06, 2017, 09:39:13 PM
Still 7-3 for their last 10. I'll give them this one as it's their first trip to The Dump this season. That has to be hard on anyone's system. Yanks didn't play today, so 3.5 games up. 2 up in the loss column.
Missed the game tonight as my wife and I spent the day with our daughter and grand kids-----went out to lunch, played with the dogs, and listened to some nice sounds. It sounded better than what I've been reading tonight. Looks like we forgot how to hit again and hope we're going into a drought because I think we've had more than our share of them and should be hitting with the weather warmed up. Sale can't win when his team hits crap as they did tonight, and the Rays look like they might be serious rivals for the AL East title along with the Yankees. Hope Bogey is ok even though he has looked like crapola warmed over of late. We had a six game winning streak and now have dropped two in a row. Let's not go into the ASB loking like a team on the slide.
Sale will have some bumps along the way.
It's the Zombie Bats who showed up again for the 2nd night in a row. ::)
These are the kind of games where the power outage is a real problem = I'm looking at you two, Hanley and JBJ >:(
Quote from: Schloicka on July 06, 2017, 07:02:50 PM
Quote from: MongoLikeSox on July 06, 2017, 07:01:36 PM
I just turned it on. We fighting with Tampa again, or is the XB HBP a misc happening?
Just a fastball in on the hands. Nothing malicious.
He got hit on the wrist because he had pulled his head away an did not see the ball coming for his hands... I know that the head comes first, but that hit was avoidable !!
T think the rest of the baseball world woke up this morning and are saying th same thing the Sox have known since early last year. This team is a very good team that knows how to play and pitch. Kind of like how when Tito and Maddon both employed common sense pitching strategies that we had been begging for all along fro JF and crew. It's all the rage this year. It's the "new" thing. I just don't know what game these guys are watching sometimes.
Quote from: MongoLikeSox on July 07, 2017, 07:28:47 AM
T think the rest of the baseball world woke up this morning and are saying th same thing the Sox have known since early last year. This team is a very good team that knows how to play and pitch. Kind of like how when Tito and Maddon both employed common sense pitching strategies that we had been begging for all along fro JF and crew. It's all the rage this year. It's the "new" thing. I just don't know what game these guys are watching sometimes.
B T W, Franconna remains in the hospital, whats up with that ?? iono
Quote from: Bill-806 on July 07, 2017, 08:51:48 AM
Quote from: MongoLikeSox on July 07, 2017, 07:28:47 AM
T think the rest of the baseball world woke up this morning and are saying th same thing the Sox have known since early last year. This team is a very good team that knows how to play and pitch. Kind of like how when Tito and Maddon both employed common sense pitching strategies that we had been begging for all along fro JF and crew. It's all the rage this year. It's the "new" thing. I just don't know what game these guys are watching sometimes.
B T W, Franconna remains in the hospital, whats up with that ?? iono
Man, I'm keeping everything crossed that I can about that. last I lookd it was still unknown.
Quote from: MongoLikeSox on July 07, 2017, 07:28:47 AM
T think the rest of the baseball world woke up this morning and are saying th same thing the Sox have known since early last year. This team is a very good team that knows how to play and pitch. Kind of like how when Tito and Maddon both employed common sense pitching strategies that we had been begging for all along fro JF and crew. It's all the rage this year. It's the "new" thing. I just don't know what game these guys are watching sometimes.
I'm on board with that assessment, mongo. The pitching has been sound, the biggest factor in our W/L record this year. (With the exception of Porcello, who seems to have lost his location for much of the year). It's because of the SP and an MVP-like job from a thin bullpen that has carried the team in wake of lack of timely hitting and the loss of power. If/when this team can finally get around to putting up runs
early more consistently AND get some power to come around in a HR-happy league, it's on a pretty good road to an AL title.
Quote from: SeaBeachFred on July 06, 2017, 09:52:44 PM
Quote from: markj on July 06, 2017, 09:39:13 PM
Still 7-3 for their last 10. I'll give them this one as it's their first trip to The Dump this season. That has to be hard on anyone's system. Yanks didn't play today, so 3.5 games up. 2 up in the loss column.
Missed the game tonight as my wife and I spent the day with our daughter and grand kids-----went out to lunch, played with the dogs, and listened to some nice sounds. It sounded better than what I've been reading tonight. Looks like we forgot how to hit again and hope we're going into a drought because I think we've had more than our share of them and should be hitting with the weather warmed up. Sale can't win when his team hits crap as they did tonight, and the Rays look like they might be serious rivals for the AL East title along with the Yankees. Hope Bogey is ok even though he has looked like crapola warmed over of late. We had a six game winning streak and now have dropped two in a row. Let's not go into the ASB loking like a team on the slide.
That's my biggest fear, Fred---that we end the first half on a slide. Because if we do, with God as my judge Farrell will allow that 'culture of losing' to creep right back in. Mark my words.
On the side---glad X isn't hurt too badly, and best wishes to Tito for a full and quick recovery.
Quote from: Muggah on July 07, 2017, 02:02:06 PM
Quote from: SeaBeachFred on July 06, 2017, 09:52:44 PM
Quote from: markj on July 06, 2017, 09:39:13 PM
Still 7-3 for their last 10. I'll give them this one as it's their first trip to The Dump this season. That has to be hard on anyone's system. Yanks didn't play today, so 3.5 games up. 2 up in the loss column.
Missed the game tonight as my wife and I spent the day with our daughter and grand kids-----went out to lunch, played with the dogs, and listened to some nice sounds. It sounded better than what I've been reading tonight. Looks like we forgot how to hit again and hope we're going into a drought because I think we've had more than our share of them and should be hitting with the weather warmed up. Sale can't win when his team hits crap as they did tonight, and the Rays look like they might be serious rivals for the AL East title along with the Yankees. Hope Bogey is ok even though he has looked like crapola warmed over of late. We had a six game winning streak and now have dropped two in a row. Let's not go into the ASB loking like a team on the slide.
That's my biggest fear, Fred---that we end the first half on a slide. Because if we do, with God as my judge Farrell will allow that 'culture of losing' to creep right back in. Mark my words.
On the side---glad X isn't hurt too badly, and best wishes to Tito for a full and quick recovery.
Last year they couldn't find a way to win a game to get home field advantage down the stretch. But they did sweep the Rays in a 3 game series going into the break. I just worry that these guys look ahead and say "well only a couple of more days until a few days off, may as well just mail it in." They haven't taken BP in days because it's too hot. Come on and get your million dollar butts out and sweat (in the air conditioned Trop).
Maybe it was a good thing that they shunned BP in Texas. They scored 35 runs on 53 hits and took 3of 4 on the road in the heat.
Had they took BP they just may have worn themselves out and lost 3 of 4.
Had to argue with the offensive outburst without BP.
Quote from: longgame on July 07, 2017, 02:45:02 PM
Quote from: Muggah on July 07, 2017, 02:02:06 PM
Quote from: SeaBeachFred on July 06, 2017, 09:52:44 PM
Quote from: markj on July 06, 2017, 09:39:13 PM
Still 7-3 for their last 10. I'll give them this one as it's their first trip to The Dump this season. That has to be hard on anyone's system. Yanks didn't play today, so 3.5 games up. 2 up in the loss column.
Missed the game tonight as my wife and I spent the day with our daughter and grand kids-----went out to lunch, played with the dogs, and listened to some nice sounds. It sounded better than what I've been reading tonight. Looks like we forgot how to hit again and hope we're going into a drought because I think we've had more than our share of them and should be hitting with the weather warmed up. Sale can't win when his team hits crap as they did tonight, and the Rays look like they might be serious rivals for the AL East title along with the Yankees. Hope Bogey is ok even though he has looked like crapola warmed over of late. We had a six game winning streak and now have dropped two in a row. Let's not go into the ASB loking like a team on the slide.
That's my biggest fear, Fred---that we end the first half on a slide. Because if we do, with God as my judge Farrell will allow that 'culture of losing' to creep right back in. Mark my words.
On the side---glad X isn't hurt too badly, and best wishes to Tito for a full and quick recovery.
Last year they couldn't find a way to win a game to get home field advantage down the stretch. But they did sweep the Rays in a 3 game series going into the break. I just worry that these guys look ahead and say "well only a couple of more days until a few days off, may as well just mail it in." They haven't taken BP in days because it's too hot. Come on and get your million dollar butts out and sweat (in the air conditioned Trop).
Ted---Muggah had it right. IT'S THE CULTURE THAT IS DOMINANT IN RED SOX DOINGS THESE DAYS. Forget the winning streak for a moment......why aren't they taking any BP before the game, even a few swings? Tonight they play in dome; how hot can it be there with AC permeating the building? Farrell has done all he can to produce a soft and excuse ridden team that shows little responsibility for their inconsistent play and right now they need to toughen up. They are, IMHO, a very soft team. When things are going fine they exchange high fives and look lively. When they get in a hitting drought they seem to be perplexed and out of sorts. You don't win championship that way.
Quote from: ipot on July 07, 2017, 11:04:30 AM
Quote from: MongoLikeSox on July 07, 2017, 07:28:47 AM
T think the rest of the baseball world woke up this morning and are saying th same thing the Sox have known since early last year. This team is a very good team that knows how to play and pitch. Kind of like how when Tito and Maddon both employed common sense pitching strategies that we had been begging for all along fro JF and crew. It's all the rage this year. It's the "new" thing. I just don't know what game these guys are watching sometimes.
I'm on board with that assessment, mongo. The pitching has been sound, the biggest factor in our W/L record this year. (With the exception of Porcello, who seems to have lost his location for much of the year). It's because of the SP and an MVP-like job from a thin bullpen that has carried the team in wake of lack of timely hitting and the loss of power. If/when this team can finally get around to putting up runs early more consistently AND get some power to come around in a HR-happy league, it's on a pretty good road to an AL title.
All apologies for writing with ambiguity. The "this team" I was referring to was the Rays. I do feel the same way about the Sox, though. Knows how to play, pitching now this year, etc. But the Rays have played good ball recently, like a year and a half. Even the next night from this topic's game had a unending series of putting out fires. Good catches, double plays and an umpire who was not having his best moment saved our butts in what will look like an easy game in the box score.
If we don't give away any more farm, and if JH and company open their purse strings to keep our own, the Sox, Yanks and Rays are gonna provide some mighty fun baseball over the next few years.