GAME #133, BOSTON RED SOX AT TORONTO BLUE JAYS

[Bear]

RED SOX V JAYS

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2017, 7 PM AT ROGERS CENTRE

TV:  NESN, SNET

BOSTON, (75-57).................................................................................TORONTO, (61-71)

BOSTON:

RICK PORCELLO, RHP, 8-15, 4.57 ERA, 153K

Porcello had one of his toughest starts Friday against the O'rioles, giving up
11 runs (4 earned) on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.  It broke the string of four straight
wins.  He has allowed a career-high 31 homers this season.

TORONTO:

J.A. HAPP, LHP, 6-10, 4.10 ERA, 108K

Happ was hit around by the Twins in his last start, but outside of a two-run
double that he left over the plate and some control issues that came and went,
the veteran left-hander mostly avoided hard contact.

Porcello aims to brush aside Blue Jays

Keegan Matheson

Red Sox right-hander Rick Porcello will take the mound on Wednesday night opposite the Blue Jay's J.A. Happ as Boston looks to sweep the three-game series and pad its lead atop the American League East heading into a key four-game series against the Yankees.

Porcello, who has a 4.57 ERA in 27 starts, is coming off a tough outing against the Orioles on Friday. The right-hander allowed 11 runs (four earned) on 10 hits over 4 2/3 innings. It was the sixth time this season that Porcello has allowed 10 or more hits.

Home runs have also been an issue for Porcello this season. In the 10 starts he's made since July 1, Porcello has allowed 14 home runs over 64 1/3 innings and has nine multihomer games in 2017. He was great against the Blue Jays back on April 19, however, throwing seven innings with three unearned runs while striking out five.

Happ was really finding a groove after returning from the disabled list with elbow inflammation earlier in the season and had brought his ERA down to 3.63 as recently as Aug. 13. He's allowed five runs in back-to-back outings, however, against the Cubs and Twins. Prior to that, Happ had opened August with a string of three one-run performances.

Happ's 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings is well above his career average of 7.7, while his walk rate of 2.8 per nine innings is right in line with his 2016 numbers.

THREE THINGS TO WATCH FOR IN THIS GAME

• One standout change for Porcello between 2016 and '17 is the success he's had using his two-seam fastball. According to Statcast, hitters have been all over that pitch this season with a .339 average and .605 slugging percentage.

• The Blue Jays' streak of homering in nine consecutive games at Rogers Centre was snapped when they were shut out by the Sox on Tuesday.

• Porcello allowed two home runs to the Orioles in his last start, bringing his season total to a career-high 31. One of those, hit by Mark Trumbo, came on a pitch well above the strike zone. In fact, at 4.35 feet off the ground, according to Statcast, it was the third-highest pitch hit for a homer over the past three seasons.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170829251257026/porcello-aims-to-brush-aside-blue-jays/?game_pk=492079

[Bear]

Red Sox:

Davis LF,
Nuñez 2B,
Benintendi CF,
Betts RF,
Bogaerts SS,
Devers 3B,
Ramirez 1B,
Young DH,
Vazquez C,

Porcello RHP

[SeaBeachFred]

RESERVED FOR LINEUP

Good God, let's hope this time we won't see Young in that lineup.  Bad enough Pukegaerts has to be in it.  And for the record, tomorrow when we face the Yankees it will be against CC, another lefty.  Is Farrell stupid enough to actually keep Moreland on the bench for three games.  Even he can't be that stupid......Well, I take that back.

[Bear]

Sorry Fred, Young made the list, DH again.

[Bill-806]

Red Sox:

Davis LF,
Nuñez 2B,
Benintendi CF,
Betts RF,
Bogaerts SS,
Devers 3B,
Ramirez 1B,
Young DH,
Vazquez C,

Porcello RHP

Not bad, considering the alternatives??   Young ?? Maybe he will get hot out of the eighth spot?? iono

[Bill-806]

Late August and the remaining games need to be WON to erase the "give-a-way's of April, May  & June. Yes, the position we find ourselves in is because we fell to the belief that the 162 games provides ample time to makeup for less than stella play....  What say you ??  Go SOX SWEEP tonight !! thumb_u

[ipot]

Young is not having a good season.  Oddly enough, he's below the Mendoza line against lefties.  And hitting about 40 points better against righties.  We brought him here for the opposite.  I like the guy; he filled in nicely last season. 

[SeaBeachFred]

Farrell was again is being stupidly stubborn with his insistence that Young is the guy to DH---He most certainly is not, and it ever occur to that brainless twit that Young is from Houston and the guy is no doubt worrying about his family's well being?  Knowing Farrell I don't think he has a clue.  So we risk getting Moreland stale by keeping him on the bench while Chris goes another 0 for 4 most likely and Pukegaerts joins him.  Why isn't DD on Farrell telling him to get straight.  This is lunacy on Farrell's part.  So we will have to chug on and hope Porcello rebounds from his miserable last start when he got hammered.  We need hitting today because we don;'t know hoe Rick is going to do and it doesn't help that we have two big stiffs in the lineup.  What might help is the fact that Cleveland did defeat the Yankees 2-1 in the first game to add another half-game to our lead and that is very good for us.  However, we must count on them winning a double-header in Yankee Stadium.  Yes, it could and might happen but we would be better served to win our game even though we're facing a better pitcher than we did last night and the smell from Young and Bogaerts can still be sniffed from Toronto to Boston.  Here's hoping for the best.

[Rob from Mass]

Tribe up 4-0 in the 2nd game after winning the 1st .
Sox with a win and Tribe sweep puts Sox up by 5.

[Bill-806]

Tribe up 4-0 in the 2nd game after winning the 1st .
Sox with a win and Tribe sweep puts Sox up by 5.

B I N G O  dat !!!

[ojdidit]

Tribe up 4-0 in the 2nd game after winning the 1st .
Sox with a win and Tribe sweep puts Sox up by 5.

Ah....I hate to break this BAD NEWS to you, Rob, but a Cleveland sweep and Sox win bumps it up to 5 and 1/2! thumb_u

[Schloicka]

Betts still not hitting worth a crap. Hit .243 in July and .232 so far in August.

[Schloicka]

Sox either up 5.5 games or 4.5 games depending on outcome of this game.

[longgame]

Yankees are rallying, but still behind in the bottom of the 9th.

Porcello looks like normal Porcello, some Ks, ground balls and a solo HR.  Sox look normal too - run into a batted ball for an out and otherwise stranding guys on base. 

This is a big game if they can win and the Indians hold on, coming in to NY knowing that even in the worst case they leave with a lead would be very good.  They just have to hit......

[longgame]

And theeeee Yankees Lose!

Now we have to win.