Author Archives: @BigAl2793

Rafael Devers And Why He Should Be An All-Star

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The first half of the MLB season is officially history and the All-Star teams have been selected. For the Red Sox, J.D. Martinez and Mookie Betts have been selected onto the American League All-Star roster as reserves at D.H. and outfield, respectively. But what about Rafael Devers? Why isn’t he on the All-Star team? Well, I am about to defend why Devers should have been on the All-Star team.

His Average

Most of the time, you hear about Hall of Fame hitters having an average right around .300. Well, Devers is certainly exceeding Hall of Fame numbers. He is currently hitting .329 with the Red Sox in the first half of the 2019 season. That is good for second in the American League, behind the Yankees D.J. LeMahieu. Isn’t D.J. LeMahieu in the All-Star game? Last time I checked, yes indeed he is! Bottom line is that if you are hitting above .300 at the Major League level, you should be finding a way to get that player to the All-Star game. Oh and just for what it’s worth, Devers went 4-5 again last night against the Toronto Blue Jays.

His RBI Count

Not only is Rafael Devers hitting for average, but he is also knocking in runs left and right. It seems like whenever Devers is up, he has runners on base and they’re finding their way home. So far this season, Devers has 58 RBI’s. That is good for 8th in the American League, ahead of the likes of players such as Edwin Encarnacion, Gary Sanchez, and Alex Bregman just to name a few players. Oh and by the way, Sanchez and Bregman are All-Stars this year too! Whatever. At least Devers is knocking in runs for the Red Sox and can be a reason why they can turn things around in the second half of the season.

His Defense Improving

Now let me preface this by saying that I know Devers isn’t winning a Gold Glove any time soon. I get that, believe me. But think about this. Last season, Devers was one of the leaders in the entire MLB in errors at third base with 24 total. Last year, it was scary to see a ball hit in the direction of Devers. But now, he looks a lot more confident and smooth in the field. Sure, he has 12 errors in 78 games played at third base. But the thing is, a lot of those errors came early on in the season. He has since calmed down and made plays that he wouldn’t have come close to making last year. He is starting double plays with ease, he’s making tougher plays look much easier, etc. The bottom line is that Devers continues to improve his defense which is making him more of a complete player.

In Conclusion

Rafael Devers should be in the All-Star game, period. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Devers has earned the right to take a plane ride to Cleveland and be a part of the All-Star festivities as an American League All-Star. With the way he has swung the bat so far this season and with his defense constantly getting better, Devers should be there this year. But don’t fret Red Sox fans. Devers will have a few All-Star nods under his belt before we know it.

Takeaways From The Red Sox-Yankees London Series

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The Boston Red Sox took on the New York Yankees in a two game series played in London. Unfortunately for the Red Sox, they came away losing both games in the series, 17-13 and 12-8 respectively. The end result is obviously not what we wanted as Red Sox fans. But, there were some interesting tidbits picked up along the way. Let’s look at a few takeaways from the Red Sox and Yankees London Series.

Rafael Devers Continues To Hit Well

Rafael Devers continues to prove to everyone that he is for real at the plate. Devers is hitting .322 at the plate with 12 homeruns and 50 RBI’s so far this season. His hot bat continued in the London series. In the first game, Devers went 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored. In the second game, he went 1-5. Granted, the second game isn’t what we are used to seeing this season. But, everyone has an off game. The overall point is that Devers continues to swing the bat well. In a season where the Red Sox have stayed inconsistent, Devers has been a very consistent lineup piece.

Xander Bogaerts Continues To Prove He Should Have Been An All-Star

What more does the MLB have to see to finally put Xander Bogaerts on the American League All-Star team? This is still baffling to me personally. Bogaerts went into the London series and continued to put together a strong first half of 2019. He went 2-6 in the two games with 2 RBI’s. On the season, Bogaerts is hitting .299 with 16 homeruns and 57 RBI’s. He has also played a great shortstop this year. So again, what more does this man have to do to get a bid in the All-Star game? He continues to prove that the contract extension in the off-season was well worth it.

J.D. Martinez Is Starting To Get Hot

One of the guys that gets the Red Sox offense going is J.D. Martinez. Martinez seemed to have found his consistent swing again in London as he was red hot in those two games. In game one, he went 3-5 with an RBI and a run scored. The next day in game two, he went 3-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Hopefully, this is a sign that J.D. Martinez will have a monster second half of the 2019 season.

The Red Sox Can Hit The Yankees Pitching

Keep in mind, it’s not like the Red Sox got creamed in both games. They lost 17-13 and 12-8 in the two games. For those keeping track at home, that’s 21 runs in 18 innings. If you have any pitching at all, you win that series. Everyone knows the Red Sox rotation on paper is a very strong one. The bullpen…that’s another story. But, if the Red Sox pitching can turn a corner, then they know they can keep up with the Yankees offensively.

In Conclusion

You can always take away a positive with losses and there are some good positives in these particular losses. The Red Sox seemed to have found their offense. Their pitching can be better, which is a good sign. Also, last time I checked; there is a whole second half of the season to play. Crazier things have happened, and this Red Sox team is very talented. Don’t be surprised if the Red Sox make a run in the second half of the season, with a few moves to help them along the way.

Red Sox-White Sox Series Recap

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Another series has come and gone for the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox played the Chicago White Sox in a three game series at Fenway Park before taking off to London to play the Yankees. Boston came away with a two out of three series win over the A.L. Central White Sox. Here is a recap of the whole series.

Monday Night: Red Sox 6 White Sox 5

The Red Sox found a way to win on Monday night. They survived game one of the series with a 6-5 win over the White Sox. Marco Hernandez was the hero as he hit an infield single to shortstop to drive home the game winning run. Eduardo Nunez and Andrew Benintendi led the way offensively for the Red Sox as they had two hits a piece.

On the pitching side, Eduardo Rodriguez got the start and pitched adequately. He finished the night throwing 6 and 1/3 innings while giving up six hits, five earned runs, two walks, and four strikeouts. The impressive part of this game was the bullpen. The bullpen combined to give up 0 earned runs while giving up two hits, two walks, and had six strikeouts in 2 and 2/3 innings. Credit to the Red Sox bullpen for getting the Red Sox the opening win of the series!

Tuesday Night: Red Sox 6 White Sox 3

In the second game of the three game series, the Red Sox found themselves as winners once again. They came away with a 6-3 over the White Sox in what was a convincing win. Offensively in this one, it was the Rafael Devers show. Devers finished the game going 4-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Xander Bogaerts had a two run homerun in this game as well.

David Price got the start in this one and he continued to dominate as he has the whole season. Price went 6 innings. He gave up two earned runs on eight hits while also compiling nine strikeouts on the night. The bullpen once again did a fantastic job closing this game out. The combination of Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier, and Brandon Workman gave up no runs, with two hits, one walk, and six strikeouts to their credit. This was another complete effort for the Red Sox to win game two of the series and ultimately win the series as well.

Wednesday Afternoon: White Sox 8 Red Sox 7

The Red Sox tried to finish off the sweep of the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday afternoon. Unfortunately, they fell just a little bit short. The Red Sox ended up losing the series finale by a score of 8-7. The White Sox were able to pull through, thanks to a Jose Abreu two run homerun off of Matt Barnes in the top of the ninth inning.

Offensively, the lineup was pretty balanced in this one. Rafael Devers had three more hits. Xander Bogaerts had two hits of his own, including a go ahead single in the bottom of the eighth inning to put the Red Sox up 7-6. J.D. Martinez, Michael Chavis, and Jackie Bradley Jr. also had two hits a piece during the game.

For the pitching staff, Chris Sale had the start in this one. He gave up five runs on six hits, while striking out 10. Steven Wright made his 2019 debut and had a strikeout in one inning of work. Matt Barnes was the losing pitcher in this one as he gave up two runs on three hits.

In Conclusion

The Red Sox should have realistically swept this series. But, two out of three is always successful. Now, the Red Sox get to play in London for an upcoming two game series against the Yankees. Salvage a split or even sweep of the brief series and come back to the states ready to close out the first half of the season on a positive note!

This Upcoming White Sox Series Is Huge For The Red Sox

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The Boston Red Sox are coming off of a rather disappointing series with the Toronto Blue Jays. They lost two out of three at home and continue to underachieve so far this 2019 season. But fear not Red Sox fans, there is still plenty of time left to get back into the divisional race! The Red Sox welcome the Chicago White Sox to Fenway Park for a three game series, starting today. But, what people do not realize is that this series is huge for the Red Sox for multiple reasons.

They Are Under .500 At Home Right Now

You read that correctly. The Red Sox currently sit under .500 at home, with an 18-19 record at Fenway Park. The obvious reason for this series being crucial is to get the Red Sox back to .500 or better at home. Red Sox fans know with this team that they play much better at home, historically. With the green monster at their disposal, they can use it for more extra base hits which will lead to more runs, which then leads to more wins. What a concept! But on a serious note, the Red Sox could use a sweep of the White Sox to get themselves back on track when they play at home.

They Have Most Of Their Top Starters For This Series

The Red Sox starters favor the White Sox starters throughout the whole series, with the exception of Lucas Giolito. The Red Sox get to see Giolito tonight while they counter with Eduardo Rodriguez. Rodriguez has done well lately as he has averaged seven innings in his past two starts. He is also 3-1 with a 4.00 ERA in six starts at Fenway this season. This season, Giolito has a 10-2 record with a 2.74 ERA. In other words, he’s a stud. It looks tough on paper for tonight, but it’s baseball; anything can happen in this game. The rest of the series, you have David Price and Chris Sale to close out the series. Price has been consistent throughout the season so far. Sale has found his form lately. However, he has not won a start at Fenway this season. Their better pitchers are throwing in this series. Therefore, the Red Sox should win at least two out of three.

The Red Sox Go To London Right After

After the White Sox series, the Red Sox hop on a plane to go to London to take on the Yankees for a two game set. Between the flight, time differences, and everything else in between, the Red Sox might not play their best games. That’s another reason why they need to play so well at Fenway these next three days. Win the series, get some momentum back, and do your best to split or even sweep the series against the Yankees. We know the Red Sox can do it, now they just have to execute.

In Conclusion

The Red Sox need a spark and this could be it. By beating the White Sox handily at Fenway, it can hopefully get them some momentum as the first half of the season winds down. The White Sox are not like the Yankees, Astros, or Indians. They are a team that the Red Sox should beat with relative ease. Don’t mess around and go get this series win!

Red Sox-Twins Series Recap

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The Boston Red Sox had quite the task these past three games. They played a Minnesota Twins team that has surprised many people this season. They are leading the American League Central by nine games. Red Sox fans were hoping that they could win this series against the Twins and turn a corner. They did just that as they took two out of three from the Twins. Let’s take a look back at the series, game by game.

Game 1: Red Sox 2 Twins 0

The Red Sox came into Target Field on Monday night looking to get off on the right foot. They did just that with a 2-0 victory. Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi started the inning with back to back hits before J.D. Martinez stepped to the plate. Martinez hit an RBI single to left field to drive home Mookie Betts for a 1-0 Sox lead.

The game would stay that way as both offenses would be shut down through the next seven innings. However, that changed in the ninth inning. With a runner on second and two outs, Xander Bogaerts hit a double to right center field. That put the Red Sox up 2-0 as that would conclude the scoring for the night.

While the offense was fairly quiet, Rick Porcello was the star of the night. He threw seven innings while giving up four hits, one walk, and eight strikeouts. Porcello came out and held one of the better offenses in baseball in check. It was a great start for him and for the Red Sox in this series.

Game 2: Twins 4 Red Sox 3 (17 Innings)

This one didn’t end up as great as the first one, as the Red Sox lost in 17 innings. There were some good highlights for the Red Sox in this one however. Rafael Devers had a go ahead homerun in the top of the seventh inning to keep up his hot first half of the 2019 season. Jackie Bradley Jr. just so happened to make another phenomenal catch in the seventh inning to keep a 2-1 lead at the time. Oh yeah, and Christian Vazquez picked off a runner at third base, so that was pretty cool!

The game ended with a Max Kepler single to walk it off in the 17th inning. Kepler also hit a homerun in the bottom of the 13th inning to tie the game 3-3. Brian Johnson suffered the loss on the mound. He gave up three hits, one walk, and one run in 1/3 of an inning pitched.

Even though the Red Sox lost this one, there were a lot of good things to highlight. Ryan Brasier and Matt Barnes threw scoreless innings. Benintendi, Brock Hot, and Devers each had three hits in the game as well. Plus, remember that it took the Twins 17 innings to beat the Red Sox. So, take that for what it’s worth.

Game 3: Red Sox 9 Twins 4

In game three, the Red Sox offense showed up. They scored nine runs and were able to come away with a 9-4 win. Eduardo Rodriguez had a gusty performance in this one. He pitched seven innings, gave up four runs, surrendered three walks while striking out nine batters. This wasn’t his best by any means, but it was good enough for the win. Rodriguez wasn’t the only one making contributions toward the Sox win last night. Xander Bogaerts had another milestone in his career, as he hit his 200th career double.

The Sox have won seven of their last eight. They also earned a series win, on the road, against a very good Twins team. Winning two out of three games is good in any series. For this Red Sox team, beating the Twins two out of three is a great sign for a lackluster 2019 season thus far.


This was a good sign for the Sox. They proved they can beat a good team on the road. Now, they can hopefully keep that momentum up with Toronto coming to town. There were many contributions from a lot of different players, which is the sign of a good team. Could the Red Sox have finally turned a corner? Stay tuned to find out!

Chris Sale Is Back!

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Chris Sale is without a doubt one of the best pitchers in the MLB. If he wasn’t as good as advertised, the Boston Red Sox would not have gone out of their way to trade for the left-handed pitcher back in the 2016-2017 off-season. The Red Sox made out well with Sale, as he has led them both on and off the field. Of course, no pitcher is going to be dominant every start for the duration of his career.

Sale struggled early on in the month of April. It looked like his fastball velocity was a bit down compared to years past. He struggled to get hitters to chase his slider. It just didn’t look like the Chris Sale Red Sox fans were so used to seeing. But things have changed recently and for the better!

May and June have been much better months for the Red Sox Ace. In the last month Sale is 2-2, but he has a 2.12 ERA in that span. When your starting pitcher is giving up 2-3 runs a game, you take that every single time. You start to feel confident every time Sale takes the mound from this point forward, and that the offense will back him up.

Chris Sale And The 10 Strikeout Game

The most important statistic that stands out is the amount of 10 strikeout games Chris Sale has lately. Think of it this way: striking out 10 batters in 6 innings of work has Sale striking out 55% of the hitters he faces in an MLB game. That is pretty scary to think about.


The Run Support Factor

I mean, eight starts of having at least 10 strikeouts or more in any given game? Those are video game numbers! Remember what I mentioned earlier about Sale struggling to get swings and misses on his slider? It looks like he rediscovered the pitch, because you can’t strikeout every hitter in the MLB with just a fastball. Sale dominating and throwing games of 10 strikeouts or more also helps the bullpen rest.

Another thing we have to consider is the run support factor. Sale has really turned it on for the Red Sox, even when the offense has a few off nights. Here’s a fun statistic for everyone to look at:


In the six starts that Pete Abraham breaks down here, Sale throws 41 total innings while giving up nine total runs. In the top half of the statistics shown above, three of those starts resulted in Sale giving up one run. This man has made some big adjustments. They are truly showing as Sale looks to be regaining his Cy Young caliber form. Keep in mind, this was before the Baltimore start. In that Baltimore start, he went six innings while giving up six hits, two earned runs, one walk, and 10 strikeouts.

In Conclusion

It is very simple if you are a Red Sox fan. You need for Chris Sale to continue to improve and go back to being the Chris Sale that the rest of the league fears. Bring that Sale back regularly and the Red Sox will be closer to first than we all realize. For any fan that said Chris Sale wasn’t worth the money in April, I hope you were paying close attention in May and so for in June.

After it is all said and done, there is one conclusion we can all come to: Chris Sale is officially BACK! Let the tour to a repeat continue.