GAME #88, BOSTON RED SOX AT TAMPA BAY RAYS

[Bear]

RED SOX V RAYS

SATURDAY, JULY 8, 2017, 4 PM AT TROPICANA FIELD

TV:  NESN, MLBN, (OUT-OF-MARKET ONLY) FOX SPORTS SUN

BOSTON, ( 50-37)......................................................................................TAMPA (45-43)

BOSTON:

RICK PORCELLO, RHP, 4-10, 5.01 ERA, 102K

Porcello didn't pick up the win on Monday in Texas, but he held the Rangers
in check for most of the night before Craig Kimbrel's blown save.  However, Porcello
has given up at least three earned runs in seven consecutive starts.

TAMPA:

ALEX COBB, RHP, 6-6, 4.011 ERA 73K

Early O's homers hurt Cobb in his last start Sunday at Baltimore, but he managed
to give the Rays 6 1/3 frames.  While looking to find his changeup, he's been effective
using fastball-changeup.  He's 1-0 with a 5.56 ERA in two starts vs Boston in '17.

Porcello, Cobb to jockey for AL East positioning

Connor Mount

A pair of righties who have endured some trying moments in 2017, Alex Cobb (6-6, 4.01) and Rick Porcello (4-10, 5.01), will meet up at Tropicana Field on Saturday.

Porcello, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, leads the Majors with 10 losses and 141 hits allowed. However, Red Sox manager John Farrell said he saw improvement from Porcello in his last outing against Texas.

Carlos Gomez homered off Porcello in the seventh inning, "but given the way he had gone through the first six innings, just the two hits allowed, he was in good shape," Farrell said after Boston's win. "That was one of the better games that he's pitched in a while."

Porcello has remained durable despite allowing at least three earned runs in each of his last seven starts. He has lasted at least six innings in 15 consecutive starts, the longest active streak in the Majors.

Cobb, meanwhile, has spent the first half trying to regain feel for a changeup that was his best pitch prior to 2015 Tommy John surgery. He described the first half as "a battle."

"The thing I hate to hear and really got tired of hearing the most was, 'Way to … grind it out out there,'" Cobb said. "I remember telling somebody I'm sick of grinding. I just want nice, comfortable one-two-three innings, turn that into a quality outing, and almost feel effortless walking off the mound."

Cobb was plenty comfortable two starts ago against Pittsburgh, when he carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning. His last time out, against Baltimore, was more difficult, as the Orioles scored three runs on Cobb in five innings.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS GAME

• Porcello's Cy Young campaign was built upon soft contact, but batters have stung his pitches this year. Balls in play have been classified as "hard-hit" 43.4 percent of the time off Porcello, the most among qualified pitchers. That's up from 30 percent last season.

• A handful of Rays have hit Porcello well in their careers. Evan Longoria, Steven Souza Jr., Logan Morrison and Corey Dickerson carry lifetime batting averages of .295 or greater against Porcello, in 20 or more at-bats against the right-hander.

• Porcello is Boston's lone right-handed starter in four games this series, which will be a welcome sight for Morrison. The Rays' first baseman has 20 homers off righties, 4th-most in the Majors. His OPS of 1.001 against righties is 12th-best.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170707241009770/porcello-cobb-to-jockey-for-al-east-positioning/?game_pk=491406

[Bear]

Xander is back:

Betts RF,
Pedroia 2B,
Bogaerts SS,
Moreland 1B,
Ramirez DH,
Benintendi CF,
Young LF,
Leon C,
Lin 3B,

Porcello RHP.

[Rob from Mass]

Sounds like X will be back at SS this afternoon

[ipot]

Good news on XB. 

Porcello needs to step up.  He's not out of the doghouse yet for me.

[SeaBeachFred]

Good news on XB. 

Porcello needs to step up.  He's not out of the doghouse yet for me.

Yes, he needs to step up big today and get us a "W" or he'll remain in your doghouse and in the rest of ours as well.

[Bill-806]

Sounds like X will be back at SS this afternoon

  Lets see how his aches & pains are today.....

[Rob from Mass]

Damn spankees get 3 in bottom 9 to win it.

[markj]

 Could get ugly here.

[markj]

Limited damage.

[markj]

Noffense is back.

[Bill-806]

  No offense again ...... Not good !!

[Rob from Mass]

Noffense is back.

So unpredictable  it's crazy.

[Rob from Mass]

Porcello throwing best all season and no frigging  help from the bats.

[markj]

Cobb ain't throwing bad either. Credit where credit is due.

[Rob from Mass]

Yeah but Cobb jad been at least decent coming in .Rick not so good with his 5 plus era coming in.