GAME #29, BOSTON RED SOX AT MINNESOTA TWINS

[Bear]

RED SOX V TWINS

FRIDAY, MAY 5, 8:10PM AT TARGET FIELD

TV:  NESN, MLBN (OUT OF MARKET ONLY) FSNO

BOSTON (15-3)............................................................................MINNESOTA (14-12)

BOSTON:

EDUARDO RODRIGUEZ, LHP, 1-1, 2.70ERA, 31K

The lefty has dazzled in his last two starts, allowing one run over 12 innings,
while notching 16 strikeouts.  Opponents are hitting just .185 against Rodriguez
this season.

MINNESOTA:

PHIL HUGHES, RHP, 4-1, 5.06ERA, 17K

Hughes struggled a bit against the Royals last time out, but still picked up
the win.  The right-hander allowed four runs on 10 hits over 5 2/3 innings.

Hughes, Twins host Rodriguez, Red Sox

Rhett Bollinger

The Twins are off to a surprisingly strong start this season, but will get a test with the Red Sox coming to town for a three-game series that begins Friday night at Target Field. Veteran right-hander Phil Hughes gets the nod for Minnesota and will start opposite Red Sox lefty Eduardo Rodriguez.

Rodriguez could be on the verge of a breakout season, judging by his last two starts, in which he's allowed one earned run over 12 innings.

The Red Sox went 4-3 against the Twins last year, including winning two out of three at Target Field.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS GAME

• Hughes, who pitched with the Yankees from 2007-13, is plenty familiar with Boston, and is 6-9 with a career 5.36 ERA against the Red Sox. He's had trouble against second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who is a career .390/.419/.829 hitter against him, going 16-for-41 with five homers and 15 RBIs.

• Lifetime against the Twins, Rodriguez is 1-1 with a 3.71 ERA. But second baseman Brian Dozier has hit him hard, going 4-for-6 with two homers.

• Batters have put 21.7 percent of Hughes' pitches in play this season, tied for the 11th-highest rate in the Majors (minimum 300 pitches). They have averaged an exit velocity of 90.5 mph against him, third highest with a minimum of 50 batted balls. Those factors help explain why he has the fourth-highest rate of barrels allowed per plate appearance (10.3 percent).

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170504228278042/hughes-twins-host-rodriguez-red-sox/?game_pk=490530

[Bear]

Here are the lineups for Friday night’s Red Sox vs. Twins game.

RED SOX (15-13)

Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Andrew Benintendi, LF
Mookie Betts, RF
Hanley Ramirez, DH
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Mitch Moreland, 1B
Josh Rutledge, 3B
Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
Christian Vazquez, C
Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP (1-1, 2.70 ERA)

TWINS (14-12)
Brian Dozier, 2B
Joe Mauer, 1B
Miguel Sano, 3B
Robbie Grossman, RF
Max Kepler, CF
Eduardo Escobar, DH
Jason Castro, C
Jorge Polanco, SS
Eddie Rosario, LF
Phil Hughes, RHP (4-1, 5.06 ERA)

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2017/05/red-sox-vs-twins-lineups-eduardo-rodriguez-starts-in-series-opener/

[SeaBeachFred]

I sent away for the 2017 Red Sox Yearbook today (rather my wife did), but before you think that I did so in anticipation of a terrific 2017 season ahead let me put some new colors in your paintbox comrades.  No, I did it because there will be pictures in there from our 2016 season and that AL East Title we won.  I made a little room in my Red Sox room for that and hope to fill the area in because as sure as God made little green apples that is all I'm going to have  going for me in there this season because we are not getting crap this year.  The team is comatose, the leadership non-existent, a manager who has his head up his rectum and an owner, well, don't get me started on him.  Now we're on the road and if any of you are thinking a revival on this away-from-home trip you are either way over optimistic or a glutten for punishment.  A hopeful season of promise turning into cat shit as we speak.

And we all had better watch out for the Yankees because they are not going away.  They are playing the type of ball we should be playing if we had a team with balls and guts as the Yankees do.  Of course they have a decent manager while we have a dog shit one.  Today, trailing 2-0 in the top of the ninth with two out and two on, Gardner hit a three run homer and won the game for his team  Think our shitty team could do something like that?  I saw Dombrowski sitting in his box yesterday looking confused as hell.  Let me un-confuse you flunky man.  Tell Prune Face that to save this season you've decided to make a managing chance because this season hinges on it.  Right now we have a totally uninspired  gutless team with no direction, no leadership and no hope unless you bring the hammer down.

[Bear]

We never had a chance Fred.

[Bill-806]

  3rd base is a nightmare......  Thinking that they can hit thru the shift is the "NEW MODERN DAY DEFFINATION OF INSANITY" !!

[markj]

Typical Sox game. Digging a hole in the first inning.

[ipot]

Same crap again.  Game over in the 1st because the Sox will be incapable of producing 3 runs. 

[ipot]

Funniest line of the night.  Bases are juiced in the 7th with 2 outs and Rutledge batting:
O'Brien:  No place to put him.

How about back in the dugout?  Which actually happened. 0 runs.

[Schloicka]

Funniest line of the night.  Bases are juiced in the 7th with 2 outs and Rutledge batting:
O'Brien:  No place to put him.

How about back in the dugout?  Which actually happened. 0 runs.

He can sit next to the other 5-6 guys who aren't hitting.

[markj]

So many games of 2 runs or less already this season.

[markj]

Long game for such a low score.

[markj]

Wow, they tied it up.

[ipot]

How about that....they tie it up :o   Just like they drew it up.  Start scoring runs from the 7th inning on...

How about winning?

[ipot]

Funniest line of the night.  Bases are juiced in the 7th with 2 outs and Rutledge batting:
O'Brien:  No place to put him.

How about back in the dugout?  Which actually happened. 0 runs.

He can sit next to the other 5-6 guys who aren't hitting.

I would've said that for any of those 5-6 guys.  It's infectious in that dugout. 

[ipot]

Not Meatball's fault that this team can't put up runs. 

Farrell's Team 500.