GAME #42, BOSTON RED SOX AT OAKLAND A'S

[Bear]

RED SOX V A'S

SATURDAY, MAY 20, 2017, 4PM AT OAKLAND COLISEUM

TV:  NESN, NBCSCA

BOSTON, ( 21-20).................................................................................OAKLAND, (19-23)

BOSTON:

DREW POMERANZ, LHP, 3-3, 5.29 ERA, 39K

Pomeranz left his last outing after three innings with tightness in his left triceps,
but is on track to make his next start against one of his former teams, the Oakland
Athletics.  Pomeranz pitched for the A's in 2014-15, going 10-10 with a 3.08 ERA.

OAKLAND:

SEAN MANAEA, LHP, 1-3, 5.52 ERA, 34K

Manaea returned from the disabled list (shoulder strain) on Monday, allowing four
runs in five innings in Seattle.  The lefty issued five walks in his first two innings, before
settling down and retiring his final ten batters in a row.

Manaea, Pomeranz set for battle of lefties

Alex Espinoza

Lefties Sean Manaea and Drew Pomeranz are set to take the mound on Saturday afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum, for the third contest of a four-game set between the A's and the Red Sox.

Manaea will be making his second start for Oakland since returning from a stint on the 10-day disabled list with a shoulder strain. Pomeranz is slated to pitch against the A's for the first time since they shipped him to San Diego in a December 2015 trade that landed them first baseman Yonder Alonso.

The Red Sox will be sure to keep a close eye on Pomeranz, who exited his last outing after just three innings due to left triceps tightness.

"He really hasn't started an inning above 100 pitches in any of the starts he's had here," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "I would say we're ready for that to be the same tomorrow."

Pomeranz is 3-3 with a 5.29 ERA in seven starts, and he was gone before the fifth inning in three of them.

Manaea allowed only two hits and struck out seven Mariners in five innings on Monday in his return from the DL, but he walked five, gave up a Nelson Cruz homer and was charged with four runs in a loss. He's 1-3 with a 5.52 ERA this season.
THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT THIS GAME

• A's reliever John Axford (right shoulder) could be reinstated from the DL on Saturday and be available to make his season debut. Axford, 34, posted a 3.97 ERA in 68 contests as a key setup man for Oakland last season.

• Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts has put the ball in play on about 56 percent of his swings this season. Of the nearly 200 hitters who have taken at least 200 swings, he's the only one above 52 percent in that category.

• Oakland third baseman Trevor Plouffe enters Saturday's contest riding a 10-game hitting streak, the longest for any A's hitter this season.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/20170520231235038/manaea-pomeranz-set-for-battle-of-lefties/?game_pk=490734

[Bear]

Red Sox v. Manaea:

Betts RF,
Pedroia 2B,
Bogaerts SS,
Ramirez DH,
Young LF,
Benintendi CF,
Rutledge 1B,
Vazquez C,
Marrero 3B,

Pomeranz LHP

[Bill-806]

  GOOD, that's how to shake up that lineup !! thumb_u

[SeaBeachFred]

  GOOD, that's how to shake up that lineup !! thumb_u

Marrero?? Is someone nuts?  The guy absolutely stinks as a hitter.  We are giving the A's four easy outs which leaves us with 23.  Not that great of a shake-up.

[markj]

Vazquez blows a throw to first and allows a run. Almost two. He needs to think before he throws. Of course if Pom-pom would stop walking batters....

[elktonnick]

They got no one else who can play third!!

Another mental error.  May I suggest to Drew Pomerantz that he get into the game.  He is brain dead.

[ojdidit]

Pomeranz is painful to watch.  Even when he is "on" he appears sloppy. 100 pitches in 4 innings.

[elktonnick]

Pomeranz is painful to watch.  Even when he is "on" he appears sloppy. 100 pitches in 4 innings.

That's why he reminds of Buccholtz.  He seems to  beas delicate as a Faberge egg.  He has a tendency to lose focus and easily get out of whack.  Farrell did the right thing by taking him out after 4 innings. Maybe this will finally dawn on Pomerantz that he isn't playing in San Diego and he needs to get his head in the game.

[elktonnick]

Pomerantz and Farrell appeared to have words.  Can't blame Farrell on this one.  Pomerantz has no one to blame but himself.

[markj]

Pomeranz is useless. Can't even get through half a game. He needs to come with his own bullpen.

This game is going south fast. Sox will be lucky to finish this road trip at 3-3.

[elktonnick]

I am getting a little sick of hearing how wonderful the Sox bullpen is.  The A's are hitting batting practice moon shots off these guys.

[markj]

More batting practice shots. Embarrassing.

[markj]

TC and Remy are screwing around in the booth. That's when you know the game is over.

[markj]

Time to take advantage of the nice evening we're having and head out for a bike ride. No sense wasting time watching this.

[elktonnick]

The shots of the Red Sox dugout speaks volumes.  They looked like strangers on a train no talking or looking at each other.