GAME #12, TAMPA BAY RAYS AT BOSTON RED SOX

[Bear]

RAYS V RED SOX

SUNDAY, APRIL 15, 2017, 1:35 PM AT FENWAY PARK

TV:  NESN, MLBN, FOX SPORTS SUN

TAMPA BAY, 6-6..............................................................................BOSTON, 6-5

TAMPA:

ALEX COBB, RHP, 1-1, 3.46 ERA, 11K

Cobb made his second start of 2017 on Monday at Yankee Stadium and
took a loss after allowing five runs (4 earned) on six hits and a walk while
striking out 7 in 7 1/3 innings.  He is 3-1 with a 2.28 ERA in four career
starts at Fenway Park.

BOSTON:

DREW POMERANZ, LHP, 1-0, 1.50 ERA, 6K

The lefty had a strong start off the disable list, allowing four hits and one run over 6-plus
innings in a win over the Orioles.  Pomeranz has pitched well vs. the Rays in his career, going
2-1 with a 2.31 ERA in five outings, four of them starts.

Cobb back at Fenway to face Pomeranz, Sox

Craig Forde

The Rays were in Boston prior to Alex Cobb's first start back from Tommy John surgery last September, and he rejoined the team there after being out for nearly a year and a half.

In his return to Fenway Park this weekend, the Rays' right-hander began to take account of the road he has traveled since that point, knowing that his ongoing journey to return to 100 percent is one that is closer than he could have ever imagined on his last trip through.

Sunday's game against the Red Sox will mark Cobb's first action at Fenway since Sept. 23, 2014, when he held the Sox to just one run on five hits and two walks over seven innings.

"When I came back and I was in this locker room last year, it was like the beginning stages," Cobb said. "I didn't realize how far of a journey I'd have to go. I think that's nice that I didn't realize, because it would have been defeating for me mentally. ... Hopefully we're closer to the end of that than I was back then. You're always still working on getting better."

Cobb will be opposed by Drew Pomeranz, who was solid in his first outing of the season on Tuesday, when he picked up the win over Baltimore after allowing just one run on four hits and a walk in six innings.

Pomeranz has enjoyed some success over Tampa Bay. In five outings versus the Rays, he has a 2-1 mark with a 2.31 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 27 strikeouts over 20 innings.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS GAME

• Sox leadoff man Dustin Pedroia is hitting just .238 (5-for-21) with no extra-base hits off Cobb in his career.

• In nine starts versus Boston, Cobb is 3-3 with a 3.46 ERA. And in four of those starts that have come at Fenway, he is 3-1 with a 2.28 ERA.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170415224522052/cobb-back-at-fenway-to-face-pomeranz-sox/?game_pk=490283

[Bear]

Here are the lineups:

RED SOX (6-5)

.......................................RAYS (6-6)

Pedroia 2B................   Souza RF
Benintendi CF............   Kiermaier CF
Betts RF.....................   Longoria DH
Ramirez DH................   Miller 2B
Moreland 1B...............   Weeks 1B
Bogaerts SS...............   Dickerson LF
Sandoval 3B.................   Robertson 3B
Young LF   .......................Sucre C
Vazquez C.......................   Beckham SS

Pitching: LHP Drew Pomeranz (1-0, 1.50).

Pitching: RHP Alex Cobb (1-1, 3.46).


Game time: 1:35 p.m.

TV/Radio: NESN / WEEI.

Red Sox vs. Cobb: Pedroia 5-21, Moreland 3-11, Young 1-8, Betts 1-6, Ramirez 1-5, Vazquez 2-4, Bogaerts 2-3, Holt 1-3.

Rays vs. Pomeranz: Miller 6-13, Longoria 1-9, Kiermaier 1-9, Dickerson 0-8, Morrison 1-6, Souza 1-5, Weeks 0-5, Beckham 1-2, Norris 0-3, Bourjos 0-2, Sucre 0-1.

Stat of the Day: The Sox have played eight one-run games against the Rays since the start of last season and 30 since 2012.

Pedroia streaking: If you’re wondering why Dustin Pedroia’s 11-game hitting streak to start the season seems to be flying below the radar, here’s your answer: He’s done it before. Three times to be exact. He did it in 2010, 2013, and 2016. If you’re looking for another Pedroia streak, he’s got a hit in each of his last nine games against the Rays.

Pomeranz building: Coming off striking out six in six innings against the Orioles last week to pick up a win in his first start of the season, Pomeranz is facing a team he’s had some success against. In five career appearances (four starts) against the Rays, Pomeranz is 2-1 with a 2.31 ERA. He racked up 11 strikeouts in a six-inning effort against the Rays last August and in three starts against them last season he never allowed more than three runs.

Other notes: The Rays are 1-4 on the road this year. They’ve lost four of their last five after starting 5-2 … Nearly two years removed from Tommy John surgery, Alex Cobb got a confidence boost when he held the Yankees to one run on four hits in 5 2/3 innings to pick up the win in his first start of the season. But he hit a bump when he faced the Yankees again last Monday. He went 7 1/3 innings and struck out seven, but gave up five runs (four earned) on six hits, not confident enough yet to rely on his changeup. He’s pitched well in the four career trips he’s made to Fenway, going 3-1 with a 2.28 ERA and 16 strikeouts … Mitch Moreland is 14 for his last 30 with nine doubles and a homer … Xander Bogaerts is 9 for his last 16 … Mookie Betts still hasn’t struck out since last September, a streak of 114 regular-season plate appearances.

Song of the Day: “Church” by Outkast.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2017/04/16/game-rays-red-sox-lineups-and-pregame-notes/78c3WsMur0Z7BSZZj24aFP/story.html

[Bill-806]

  Give us a shake up of that lineup, PLEASE  !!!!  Go SOX !! thumb_u

[Rob from Mass]

  Give us a shake up of that lineup, PLEASE  !!!!  Go SOX !! thumb_u

Hey BILL how about you putting in your version of a lineup so we can see exactly what you are trying to say
ENTER BELOW

[Bear]

Panda still in the lineup. rofl

[Rob from Mass]

Panda still in the lineup. rofl

Stupid!!!

[ipot]

Panda still in the lineup. rofl

Ouch. 

[Rob from Mass]

Interesting tidbit. Mookie has not struck out in his last 114 plate appearances.

[markj]

Well this one is starting out well. Not. Already down 3-0 and we're still not out of the 1st inning.

[ipot]

This whole new strategy of the starting pitcher imploding in the 1st inning forcing a pop gun offense to try to come back is very interesting to say the least.  Where did Farrell dream this up?

[Schloicka]

Think Benintendi should of caught the fly ball. He didn't get back. He just glided after it. It hit the bottom of wall. Was tough but he made it tougher.

[Rob from Mass]

Beni is a LONG way from being close to JBJ.

[ipot]

Moreland so far so good.

[ipot]

GIDP by XB.....

[elktonnick]

Ben clearly displayed that ball. IMHO.