GAME #153, BOSTON RED SOX AT CINCINNATI REDS

Started by Bear, September 22, 2017, 01:12:16 AM

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Bear

RED SOX V REDS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017, 7 PM AT GREAT AMERICAN BALL PARK

TV:  NESN, FS-O

BOSTON, (88-64)..............................................................................CINCINNATI, (66-87)

BOSTON:

RICK PORCELLO, RHP, 10-17, 4.46 ERA, 170 K

The righty is coming off a strong outing last time out, when he held the Rays to
five hits and one run (unearned) over 7 1/3 innings.  Though he's given up 35 homers
this season, Porcello hasn't allowed any in his last two starts.

CINCINNATI:

SAL ROMANO, RHP, 5-6, 4.07 ERA, 63 K

Romano has all but locked up a spot in the Red's 2018 rotation.  The 23-year-old
rookie shout out Pittsburgh for eight innings Saturday and has a 2.10 ERA over his last
six starts.

Benintendi excited to play at 'home' vs. Reds

Ian Browne

As the Red Sox head to their final road series of the regular season in hopes of getting closer to an American League East title, rookie left fielder Andrew Benintendi gets to experience the thrill of playing at home for the first time on Friday night.

Benintendi, who grew up a Reds fan while living 12 miles from Great American Ball Park, will enjoy all the comforts of home this weekend.

"It's going to be fun to sleep in my own bed, to see my dog," said Benintendi. "There will probably be too many people to count that are going to be there [at the games]."

The house Benintendi will sleep in is the same one his family has lived in since 2001.
When the series opens on Friday, there will be a cheering section of close to 1,000 people from Benintendi's hometown of Madeira, Ohio.

Two of Benintendi's uncles on his paternal side -- Bobby and Brian -- orchestrated the legion of supporters by buying a large block of tickets for the game.

"Everybody lives close to the stadium -- pretty much -- in my family, so it will be convenient for all of them to get there," Benintendi said. "I watched games growing up there as a kid and so did everybody else in my family, so it will be kind of cool to play on that field."

Andrew's dad, Chris, and his mother, Jill, will be in a smaller cheering section with both sets of grandparents.

"Everybody is pretty excited," said Chris Benintendi. "We're probably more excited than Andrew is, but he'll be glad to be home and you can imagine the whole family is pretty much coming in and a ton of friends. All the siblings, really, and the whole town of Madeira, where he went to school."

Aside from the Benintendi reunion, there is another feel-good subplot. Red Sox manager John Farrell's son Luke is a September callup for the Reds. It will be the first time the manager has competed against his son. Farrell attended Luke's Major League debut in Kansas City as a spectator on July 1. Luke Farrell has made four relief appearances for Cincinnati since being called up.

"There might be a little trash talk, why not?" Luke Farrell joked on Thursday.

Reds manager Bryan Price hoped he would get Luke into a game, which would be the first time a Major League player has played against a team managed by his father since 2004. The Cubs' Moises Alou played a Giants club managed by Felipe Alou.

"We may not have the luxury to do that if you're in first place by a game," Price said. "When you're not, it does provide you with some opportunities to hopefully have some special moments for their families."

The Red Sox hold a three-game lead in the AL East and clinched a postseason berth by virtue of the Angels' 6-5 loss to the Indians. At a minimum, Boston will play in the AL Wild Card Game on Tuesday, Oct. 3.

Right-hander Rick Porcello gets the nod in Game 1 for the Red Sox. He will be opposed by righty Sal Romano. This is the first matchup between Boston and Cincinnati since 2014.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS GAME

• Rookie Rafael Devers got Wednesday's game off, and the Red Sox hope the rest will help him emerge from his recent defensive slump. Devers has made errors in five straight games.

• Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton could play in games this weekend after he took batting practice the last couple of days. Hamilton was activated from the disabled list Wednesday after coming back from a fractured left thumb he sustained on Sept. 6.

• This is just the third time the Red Sox have played in Cincinnati since the epic 1975 World Series that the Reds won in seven games.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170920255287200/benintendi-excited-to-play-at-home-vs-reds/?game_pk=492389

Bear

#1
RESERVED

9


Red Sox v. Romano:

Bogaerts SS,
Pedroia 2B,
Benintendi LF,
Betts RF,
Moreland 1B,
Vázquez C,
Devers 3B,
Bradley Jr. CF,

Porcello RHP.

Bill-806

OK, holiday is ovaaa,  lets get back at it !! thumb_u rofl

Bear

Boston Red Sox vs. Cincinnati Reds: NESN TV schedule


Friday, Sept. 22, 7:10 p.m.
Pitching matchup: RHP Rick Porcello (10-17, 4.46) vs. RHP Sal Romano (5-6, 4.07)
TV: NESN

Saturday, Sept. 23, 4:10 p.m.
Pitching matchup: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (5-6, 4.15) vs. RHP Robert Stephenson (5-5, 5.01)
TV: NESN, MLB Network

Sunday, Sept. 24, 1:10 p.m.
Pitching matchup: RHP Doug Fister (5-8, 4.86) vs. RHP Jackson Stephens (2-0, 4.80)
TV: NESN



SeaBeachFred

#4
Quote from: Bill-806 on September 22, 2017, 07:12:53 AM
OK, holiday is ovaaa,  lets get back at it !! thumb_u rofl

Please guys, don't take the Reds lightly because there is no pressure on them and they will play relaxed while we are battling for a division title in a close race in the AL East.  I think in this series we are going to have to hit better than we have because we don't know what really to expect from Rick, Eduardo and Doug as all three have been wildly inconsistent this season, and we shouldn't count on the Blue Jays helping us even though they have a better chance of taking a game from the Yankees than pathetic Minnesota ever could.  We have to keep moving the train along and just keep winning because that would take care of things without worrying what the Yankees or their opponents are doing.

Rob from Mass


Red Sox at Reds Series Preview

A look ahead to the weekend’s series in Cincinnati
by Matt_Collins@MattRyCollins  Sep 22, 2017, 10:30am EDT

David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

The opponent in one sentence
The Reds are reaching the end of a long season that is smack in the middle of a long rebuild that this season has been defined as one of baseball’s worst pitching staffs.

Record
66-87

Trend
Up, relatively speaking. The Reds are coming off a series in which they were swept by the Cardinals, so they certainly aren’t on a crazy hot streak or anything like that. However, they did sweep the Pirates before that and had won five of their previous seven games. That makes them .500 over their last ten games, and for them that is playing over their heads.

Pitching Matchups
9/22: Rick Porcello vs. Sal Romano, 7:10 PM ET

Porcello controls his own destiny as to whether or not he will get a postseason start and, if he makes it, where he’ll slot into a playoff rotation. The good news is that he’s been a bit better of late, and he’s coming off arguably his best outing of the year. The lineup he’ll be facing on Friday isn’t the most intimidating he’ll ever see, but it will be a nice test for whether or not he can piece together two consecutive strong starts and get on a legitimate hot streak.

Romano is a 23-year-old rookie who made his major-league debut back in April. That debut was a one-game stint, but he came back up in early July and has been up ever since. Though he hasn’t gotten many headlines, the rookie has been impressive in his first run through the majors. The righty has been particularly strong of late, posting a 2.09 ERA over his last eight starts with 29 strikeouts and 11 walks over 38 2⁄3 innings of work. Romano is largely a two-pitch pitcher with a mid-to-high-90s fastball and a slider.


9/23: Eduardo Rodriguez vs. Robert Stephenson, 4:10 PM ET


Much like Porcello, Rodriguez has a couple starts left to try and solidify himself as the third best starter in the Red Sox rotation. He’s been a little more consistent of late than Porcello and he’s also had higher highs in 2017, so one would imagine he has the inside track in the battle between the two. However, a couple of bad starts can change that. He’ll have to stay consistent, and efficient, in this start against the Reds.

Stephenson is a former top prospect who made his major-league debut last year and has been up in the majors for much of this season. He’s in the rotation right now, but he’s spent the year bouncing between the starter role and the bullpen. He’s an interesting young arm, and at 24 years old he has plenty of room for growth. On the one hand, he has a solid base on which to build considering he has legitimate swing and miss stuff and is striking out ten batter per nine innings. On the other hand, his command has some serious lapses and it results in a ton of walks and fairly significant home run problems. He’s kept the ball in the yard of late, though, with only one home run allowed in August and a 2.52 ERA in that time despite the control issues still being there. Stephenson throws a mid-90s fastball to go with a changeup, a slider and a curveball.

9/24: Doug Fister vs. Jackson Stephens, 1:10 PM ET

Fister has had a pretty significant fall from grace of late, and if we’re being honest we probably should have seen this coming. Many of you did, though I will admit to having some rose-colored glasses on. I didn’t expect him to continue to be an ace, but the implosions in each of his last two starts have been discouraging to say the least. At this point I’d have to think he’s on the outside of the playoff roster looking in, though there is still a little time to change that. If he dominates in Cincinnati, things could change. Maybe.

The Red Sox will face yet another young pitcher on Sunday, their third of the series. Stephens is the least experienced of the bunch as the 23-year-old rookie has just five career appearances under his belt with just two of them being starts. His first start came back in July for a spot start and he looked impressive striking out eight over five innings. His last start was his last outing earlier this week, and he allowed five runs and only lasted 3 2⁄3 innings. The righty doesn’t really have any standout qualities and was never really much of a prospect. Stephens features a mid-90s four-seamer, a mid-90s two-seamer, a slider and a curveball.

Old Friends
Bronson Arroyo is the lone old friend on the Reds roster, but he’s a fairly significant one. The pitcher hasn’t made much of an impact on the league in recent years, but he is, of course, the last member of the 2004 Red Sox that is still hanging around. He’s spent much of this season on the disabled list and, based on how he’s spoken of late this will likely be his last year in the league. This will be our last chance to relive that 2004 World Series with an active player, so let’s cherish that opportunity.


Notable Hitters
Joey Votto just might be the best hitter in baseball, and if he’s not he’s certainly in the conversation. The dude is just a robot at the plate as he does everything well and in the most consistent way possible. He has absurd plate discipline, legitimately plus power and possibly the best bat-to-ball skills in the league. He’s going to give Red Sox pitchers some trouble, is what I’m saying.


Zack Cozart might sound familiar to you as a potential third base trade target from July. That never came to fruition, largely because he got hurt right before the deadline. He’s back and healthy now, and he’s experienced a breakout year in which he’s improved across the board at the plate. Oh, and he’s a plus shortstop, too.

Billy Hamilton is not a very good hitter, but he’s still one of the funnest players in the league. When he gets on base no one is even close to him as a threat on the bases and he’s also in the conversation for best defensive center fielder in baseball. He hasn’t been playing lately, but he could be back for this series.

Jesse Winker is an exciting rookie outfielder with great contact skills, good patience and surprising power in his major-league debut season.

Scooter Gennett has been one of the faces of the power outburst around the league this year and is enjoying a breakout season that’s included a four-homer game.

Eugenio Suarez doesn’t get enough love but is a solid power hitter who plays a good third base and has added some needed patience to his game at the plate.

Adam Duvall doesn’t walk much and strikes out a whole bunch, but he also has significant power.

Tucker Barnhart is a solid hitting catcher who relies on his approach at the plate to create his production.

Scott Schebler is a lot like Duvall except with slightly better plate discipline and worse defense in the outfield

Bullpen Snapshot
Raisel Iglesias might be the best closer in baseball that nobody talks about. After trying him out as a starter for a couple years to start his career he’s been in the bullpen all year in 2017. He’s been fantastic in this role racking up a ton of strikeouts, keeping the ball in the yard and limiting walks enough to get by. He probably won’t try starting again any time soon.


Michael Lorenzen is another converted starter who doesn’t have the high ceiling that Igleisas possesses but has a big groundball tendency that helps limit major damage.

Kevin Shackelford has some command issues in his first year in the majors but he has some strikeout stuff that could bode well for his future.

Wandy Peralta is the top lefty in the Reds bullpen and he relies more on weak contact than strikeout stuff.

Injuries
Devin Mesoraco has never been able to stay healthy in his career and his most recent injury was a foot injury that could keep him out for the rest of the year.

Anthony Desclafani has been out all year with an elbow injury and isn’t expected to return in 2017.

Brandon Finnegan has only been able to make four starts this year in what was supposed to be an important developmental season and he’s not likely to make another.

Scott Feldman went down with a knee injury last month and it resulted in season-ending surgery.

Drew Storen went down with an elbow injury just a couple weeks ago and will have to undergo Tommy John surgery.

Nick Travieso never got a chance to pitch this year after an elbow injury shut him down for the season.

Austin Brice has been up and down as a reliever all year before going down with a lat injury in August.

Arroyo is also hurt, as discussed above.

Weather Forecast
It’s looking like it should be a really nice weekend in Ohio, with temperatures getting into the 90s and the skies staying clear.
p
https://www.overthemonster.com/2017/9/22/16347696/red-sox-reds-series-preview


Unlike our Sox, this Red team has a bunch of thumpers that can put runs on the board in a hurry. While the Sox need 4-5 hits a few BBs and the other team mistakesthat give away runs to help them out.

ipot

Quote from: SeaBeachFred on September 22, 2017, 10:46:50 AM
Quote from: Bill-806 on September 22, 2017, 07:12:53 AM
OK, holiday is ovaaa,  lets get back at it !! thumb_u rofl

Please guys, don't take the Reds lightly because there is no pressure on them and they will play relaxed while we are battling for a division title in a close race in the AL East.  I think in this series we are going to have to hit better than we have because we don't know what really to expect from Rick, Eduardo and Doug as all three have been wildly inconsistent this season, and we shouldn't count on the Blue Jays helping us even though they have a better chance of taking a game from the Yankees than pathetic Minnesota ever could.  We have to keep moving the show along and just keep winning because that would take care of things without worrying what the Yankees or their opponents are doing.

Hear, hear!  Absolutely.  No rest for the weary.  The Reds are still in the MLB last time I checked.  And they've managed 60 or so wins.  Enough to take them seriously enough.
"Baseball is simple. All you do is sit on your butt, spit tobacco and nod at the stupid things your manager says."
--Bill 'Spaceman' Lee

longgame

Just found out that Charlotte, NC is part of Cincinnati's home territory!  This is a new one.  We are usually stuck on Orioles games and even though Baltimore is actually slightly further away (both are about 340 miles from here), at least people used to cheer Washington teams before we had teams in Charlotte and before that Atlanta.  But there is no connection here to Cincinnati other than being a place people moved away from.

So far being patient and working this guy.

markj


markj

At least they got one run out of a bases-loaded/no-outs situation.

markj

Geez. Way to go, Porcello. Nothing like a big early hole.

markj


Schloicka

Devers with the 3 run hr to make up for his base running gaffe.

Rob from Mass


markj

Let's see how Price looks. I'm surprised JF didn't give Porcello a shot at the win.