GAME #9, PITTSBURGH PIRATES AT BOSTON RED SOX

[Bear]

PIRATES V RED SOX

THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017, 2:05 PM AT FENWAY PARK

TV:  NESN, ROOTPT, MLBN

PITTSBURGH, 3-5.............................................................................BOSTON, 4-4

PITTSBURGH:

CHAD KUHL, RHP, 1-0, 3.60 ERA, 5K

Kuhl won despite not being his best Saturday, walking six batters (2 intentional)
and hitting another as he allowed 5 hits over 5 innings.  Kuhl will start the
rescheduled game at Fenway where he was scheduled to pitch last Thursday.

BOSTON:

EDUARDO RODRIGUEZ, LHP, 0-1, 7.50 ERA, 5K

Rodriguez will make his season debut start after a shaky debut
vs the Tigers in which he allowed four runs--including two homers--and
walked three in five innings.

Pirates, Red Sox set for makeup on Thursday

Adam Berry

A week after they were initially scheduled to square off, Pirates right-hander Chad Kuhl and Red Sox lefty Eduardo Rodriguez will meet Thursday afternoon at Fenway Park at 2:05 p.m. ET.

Thursday's one-off game between the Bucs and Sox is a makeup game for their opening series finale, which was postponed due to rain hours before it was set to start. The scheduled starting pitchers remain the same, and both would like to redeem themselves after shaky season debuts.

Kuhl walked six batters, two of them intentionally, and hit another while allowing five hits. He beat the Braves on Saturday at PNC Park without his best sinker, holding them to three runs (two earned) over five innings. Last week, the 24-year-old expected to have plenty of friends and family in attendance at Fenway Park after making the 5-6 hour drive from his native Delaware.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, will make his first home start of the season. He allowed four runs and two homers while walking three over five innings against the Tigers on Saturday. The lefty is 6-6 with a 4.77 ERA in 21 career starts at Fenway Park.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS GAME

• In 2015, Pablo Sandoval ranked fourth in MLB in total swing rate (58.8 percent -- minimum 1,500 pitches seen) and led the Majors in swing rate on out-of-zone pitches (49.9 percent, minimum 1,000 out-of-zone pitches seen)

Entering Wednesday, the Red Sox's third baseman was swinging at even more pitches overall this year (60.5 percent swing rate), but, interestingly, he was swinging much less at pitches out of the zone (33.1 percent).

• This will be a short trip for the Pirates, who flew into Boston after a 7:05 p.m. ET start at PNC Park on Wednesday night. The Bucs will head from Boston to Chicago immediately after the game to prepare for a 1:20 p.m. CT opener against the Cubs on Friday at Wrigley Field.

• Rodriguez needs to pitch better at Fenway than he did last season, when he went 0-4 with a 6.02 ERA in nine home starts. In 2015, Rodriguez was much better in Boston, going 6-2 with a 3.95 ERA.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170412223904436/pirates-red-sox-set-for-makeup-on-thursday/?game_pk=490143

[Bear]

GAME #9 LINEUP

RED SOX (4-4)

Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Andrew Benintendi, CF
Mookie Betts, RF
Hanley Ramirez, DH Mitch Moreland, 1B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Marco Hernandez, 3B
Christian Vazquez, C
Brock Holt, LF

Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP (0-1, 7.20 ERA)

PIRATES (3-5)

Jordy Mercer, SS
Starling Marte, CF
Andrew McCutchen, RF
Gregory Polanco, LF
David Freese, DH
Josh Harrison, 3B
Josh Bell, 1B
Phil Gosselin, 2B
Chris Stewart, C
Chad Kuhl, RHP (1-0, 3.60 ERA)

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2017/04/red-sox-vs-pirates-lineup-pablo-sandoval-chris-young-get-day-off/

[Rob from Mass]

Moreland continues to be a double machine as he plunks one off the CF wall for #8

[longgame]

Nice of the Sox to spot them only 2 runs in the first inning.  These kind of starts remind me of the bad old days when we'd get behind early and fall apart, but at least this team doesn't appear to be like that, at least not yet.

Sandoval I guess is getting off the old day game after a night game I guess.  The guy finally hits something so Farrell sits him down. 

At least they got one back in the second.  Let's hope they get it going soon.

[Rob from Mass]

Sox catchers have thrown out the 1st 5 would be base stealers to start the 2017 season.
Another reason why Swihart is at AAA.

[Rob from Mass]

Sox come back with 3 in bottom 8 to win 4-3. Vazquez throws out another runner to atone for a bad throw resulting in a run earlier.

[Rob from Mass]

This team  I see will drive the fans nuts at times but one thing is for sure they don`t QUIT.

[Rob from Mass]

Barnes doing a helluva good job in the setup role .

[SeaBeachFred]

After this comeback win we host the Rays to start playing American League teams again, but the question still must be asked.......WHEN WILL THIS TEAM START SUSTAINING A WINNING STREAK? I was impressed with Hanley and Xander coming through in the clutch and almost went nuts watching that inning in the restaurant's bar.  Fortunately Kimbrel didn't get into a head of trouble even though he didn't have a clean inning again.

[Schloicka]

After this comeback win we head to Toronto to start playing American League teams again, but the question still must be asked.......WHEN WILL THIS TEAM START SUSTAINING A WINNING STREAK? I was impressed with Hanley and Xander coming through in the clutch and almost went nuts watching that inning in the restaurant's bar.  Fortunately Kimbrel didn't get into a head of trouble even though he didn't have a clean inning again.

Not sure why your worried about having a winning streak. I'm happy to be at 5-4 with the flu problems and other things that have happened this spring. Would it be great to be at 7-2 or something like that? Sure but it's to early to get worked up worrying about winning streaks. Let's get the starting lineup on the field for a dozen games or so before we worry.

[Pumpsie Green]

Meanwhile, aside from Steven Wright, the pitching overall has been great. Our RP rank 4th in the league in ERA and that is without two key members. Despite all the illnesses and missed games the team is 8th in runs scored; that should improve. Once Price, Thornburg, and Smith get back, if no one else is seriously injured, this should be a fun team to watch.

[SeaBeachFred]

After this comeback win we head to Toronto to start playing American League teams again, but the question still must be asked.......WHEN WILL THIS TEAM START SUSTAINING A WINNING STREAK? I was impressed with Hanley and Xander coming through in the clutch and almost went nuts watching that inning in the restaurant's bar.  Fortunately Kimbrel didn't get into a head of trouble even though he didn't have a clean inning again.

Not sure why your worried about having a winning streak. I'm happy to be at 5-4 with the flu problems and other things that have happened this spring. Would it be great to be at 7-2 or something like that? Sure but it's to early to get worked up worrying about winning streaks. Let's get the starting lineup on the field for a dozen games or so before we worry.

I'm worried because our problems seem to have been self inflicted.  Nothing was done to combat the flu breakout that occurred in Florida.  No one was inoculated and the clubhouse wasn't fumigated.  Yet other teams were more proactive than we were.  I didn't hear of the Yankees, Rays or Jays having flu problems, and in two pitched games the team has gotten Chris Sale one damn run.  Fact is, I'm not worried as much as I'm concerned.  IMHO we seem to be leaderless out there and judging from what I'm seeing each player seems to be looking for someone else to take charge.  Perhaps you're right though George.  We just about have our lineup back now and we throw Porcello and Sale in the first two games of the next series.  Let's see if we can win those two games so I can have my three game winning streak-------something we all want and I feel necessary that we get.

[ipot]

Meanwhile, aside from Steven Wright, the pitching overall has been great. Our RP rank 4th in the league in ERA and that is without two key members. Despite all the illnesses and missed games the team is 8th in runs scored; that should improve. Once Price, Thornburg, and Smith get back, if no one else is seriously injured, this should be a fun team to watch.

^^^
This. 
And I'd like to see them start scoring runs in early innings like last year, esp. with the improved rotation. Sale could definitely use some early run support so he can coast through this season.

[Bill-806]

After this comeback win we head to Toronto to start playing American League teams again, but the question still must be asked.......WHEN WILL THIS TEAM START SUSTAINING A WINNING STREAK? I was impressed with Hanley and Xander coming through in the clutch and almost went nuts watching that inning in the restaurant's bar.  Fortunately Kimbrel didn't get into a head of trouble even though he didn't have a clean inning again.

Not sure why your worried about having a winning streak. I'm happy to be at 5-4 with the flu problems and other things that have happened this spring. Would it be great to be at 7-2 or something like that? Sure but it's to early to get worked up worrying about winning streaks. Let's get the starting lineup on the field for a dozen games or so before we worry.

I'm worried because our problems seem to have been self inflicted.  Nothing was done to combat the flu breakout that occurred in Florida.  No one was inoculated and the clubhouse wasn't fumigated.  Yet other teams were more proactive than we were.  I didn't hear of the Yankees, Rays or Jays having flu problems, and in two pitched games the team has gotten Chris Sale one damn run.  Fact is, I'm not worried as much as I'm concerned.  IMHO we seem to be leaderless out there and judging from what I'm seeing each player seems to be looking for someone else to take charge.  Perhaps you're right though George.  We just about have our lineup back now and we throw Porcello and Sale in the first two games of the next series.  Let's see if we can win those two games so I can have my three game winning streak-------something we all want and I feel necessary that we get.

B I N G O  dat  !!!

[longgame]

Buck Showalter pointed out the other day that all clubs were dealing with a flu issue but the Sox' problems have been far more heavily reported.  But, clearly having all of those guys out would hurt the club.  They're still not at full strength with Price and Bradley out.

So far they dominated the Pirates (that's a 3 game winning streak, punctuated by a week!).  Struggled on the road with a depleted team against the Tigers and split with the Orioles who have been beating everyone else.

The only thing the Sox need to do is get the bats going at this point and all will fall into place.  Good chance to do that with 4 with the Rays.