Tag Archives: Arizona Diamondbacks

RED SOX – DIAMONDBACKS SERIES PREVIEW

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With another tough series in the rear view mirror the Boston Red Sox head to Arizona. They have a three game slate scheduled to finish off their 11 game road trip.

PITCHING MATCHUPS/SCHEDULE (TV)

4/5 Rick Porcello vs. Zack Godley (R) 7:10pm NESN

4/6 David Price vs. Luke Weaver (R) 8:10pm NESN

4/7 Undecided vs. Merrill Kelly (R) 4:10pm NESN

NOTABLE NUMBERS

Rick Porcello comes into his second start of the season with a 13.5 ERA. Meanwhile, David Price has a 6.00 ERA after his first start. Porcello was unable to get out of the first innings against the Mariners. Price at least managed to go six innings, but gave up four earned runs, including three home runs in the process. The Red Sox desperately need two of their veteran pitchers to correct what has been a worrying opening week for the rotation.

The Arizona Diamondbacks offense is crushing it in 2019 so far. Prior to Wednesday’s games they ranked third in the majors in batting average, runs, home runs and slugging percentage. The 14 home runs the Diamondbacks have hit will be a particular concern for a Red Sox staff. The Sox pitchers have given up 17 home runs, which is last in the AL.

Offensively the Red Sox have been slow out of the gate, ranking 20th in on base percentage and 17th in both batting average and slugging percentage. So far they have relied on home runs to fuel their offense, hitting seven long balls to help them rank ninth in the majors in runs scored with 30.

J.D. Martinez returns to the face the team that helped propel him onto the national stage. In 62 games with the Diamondbacks in 2017, Martinez hit 29 home runs in 232 AB, with an incredible .741 slugging percentage. Hopefully he can find some form after a series in Oakland in which he has registered just three hits through his first three games.

The Red Sox will see a long time foe in Adam Jones in this series. Jones, who has three home runs for the Diamondbacks already this season, has a career .279 batting average with 28 home runs when facing the Red Sox. The only team he has hit more home runs against is the Toronto Blue Jays.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

The Rotation: There are a couple of fascinating rotation questions in this series. Firstly, who will the Red Sox choose to fill the final starting spot of the series? With Chris Sale likely to be saved for the home opener the Red Sox need a sixth starter to fill out their rotation for one start. They could call up someone from Triple-A, but there are no obvious candidates. The other option is that they could have a bullpen day to fill that spot. However, that depends on how much use the ‘pen gets in the opening two games.

The Red Sox will also be extremely keen to see the results when Price and Porcello take the mound this week. With Nathan Eovaldi struggling through two starts and Eduardo Rodriguez being shelled in his first start, at least one of these two needs to step up and provide some stability.

Hitting Depth: Xander Bogaerts returned to the lineup Wednesday, which will be a relief for the Sox. If Bogaerts had needed longer out of the lineup then there would have been some questions. Both Eduardo and Nunez and Brock Holt of struggled out of the gate, and the Red Sox may have considered activating Dustin Pedroia earlier than planned.

EXPECTATIONS

This has been an incredibly tough start for the Red Sox and frankly we just want to get them home now. Entering Wednesdays game they had a 2-5 record, and will enter the Diamondbacks series without a series win to their name. After 11 straight days they will also have Monday off to regroup, get home and prepare for the home opener. That doesn’t make winning this series any less important. However, if they can escape this series with even just a single win it is not the end of the world. 3-8 or 4-7 is not a disaster, especially with the Yankees also having stumbled out of the gate (2-4).

A series win would be great but if it doesn’t happen it is not the end of the world. This will be one of the toughest stretches of the season, and it is out of the way early. It may not have gone entirely to plan but the Red Sox can recover in the coming weeks.

Carson Smith: Bounce Back Season Or Back To The DL?

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While his start to the season has proved to be a rocky one at best, will he be able to turn it around?

For Carson Smith, his recovery from Tommy John surgery is over 2 years in the making. While landing himself on the disabled list yet again has stirred up some controversy. After leaving Monday’s 6-5 loss in the end of the 8th, he threw his glove during a tantrum which resulted the injury.

On Wednesday, Smith said in a statement: ” “I think my shoulder’s tired in general, just from pitching. I’ve thrown a lot lately and I think my arm was just tired.” Later that day, manager Alex Cora made a surprisingly different statement when asked about smith’s comments: “I don’t agree with it. On a daily basis we talk to pitchers and how they feel. If they don’t think they can pitch that day, we stay away from them.” He added, “It caught me by surprise. If he felt that way he should’ve told it to us or he should’ve mentioned it.”

While they handle the injury, the bullpen still has guys like Kimbrel,Kelly, and hopefully a bounce back week from guys such as : Johnson, and Hembree. While the bullpen hasn’t lived up to expectations, it’s still a long season. Combined, the bullpen sports a 6-4 record with a 3.63 combined ERA in just over 100 innings of relief work. While also tallying 121 strikeouts combined.

Smith is responsible for a 1-1 record with a 3.77 ERA through 14.1 innings pitched and striking out 18. After a fantastic showing in his Red Sox debut last season, the numbers haven’t matched up.

The latest update:

Smith was placed on the 10 day Dl as of yesterday. The team also recalling relief pitcher Bobby Poyner from AAA Pawtucket. Also completing the Deven Marerro trade by acquiring LHP Josh Taylor today as well. How both the team and Smith himself handles this situation remains to be seen. Soon enough, time will tell if Smith is bust or bounce back material.

 

National League West Division Predictions

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National League West Predictions

With the season approaching, I think it’s time to start dishing out my division predictions for 2018. I’ll go through each division looking at their pros and cons with my final standings at the end. So here we are starting off with the National League West.

I have to be honest, I was surprised when Eric Hosmer decided to sign with the San Diego Padres. Leaving Kansas City, where he was idolized as their ideal franchise player, was honestly a bold move by Hosmer. He left Kansas City to become the new golden boy of the Padres. Sorry Wil Myers. Signing Hosmer for an eight year deal is not only a great addition for San Diego, but the NL West as a whole.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers are heavily favored to once again win the division with basically everyone returning, with the exception of Darvish. They bring back a young ball club lead by the likes of Corey Seager, Yasiel Puig, and reigning ROY Cody Bellinger. Their rotation once again is led by Clayton Kershaw, who is expected to be dominant once again, while reigning NL Reliever of the Year Kenley Jansen takes the helm of the bullpen.

Arizona Diamondbacks

J.D. Martinez signing with Boston was not a huge hit for the Diamondbacks. Arizona is ready to compete for another postseason berth in 2018. The rotation of Zack Greinke, Robby Ray, Taijuan Walker, Patrick Corbin, and Zack Godley will be a key component toward the team’s overall success. Archie Bradley is currently looking to contend as the team’s closer role along with Brad Boxberger and Yoshihisa Hirano. The signing of Alex Avila strengthens their catching core, while Goldschmidt and Lamb will continue to add intimidation in their lineup.

Colorado Rockies

Colorado is also looking to get another taste of the postseason in 2018. After signing CarGO to a one-year deal, the Rockies seem to be aiming to continuing to maintain power within the lineup along with Arenado, Story, and LeMahieu. The concern with the team once again will be pitching. Hopefully the team can boost their rotation before the deadline, but don’t hold your breath.

San Francisco Giants

With the additions of McCutchen and Longoria, the Giants are looking to bounce back at the top of the division after suffering a disappointing 2017. The two newcomers will definitely bring a spark to the lineup, which includes returners Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford and Hunter Pence. Mad Bum, Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija will anchor the staff with a strong bullpen led by Mark Melancon and Hunter Strickland. Simply put, don’t sleep on San Fran in 2018.

San Diego Padres

Finally with San Diego, there’s really not much to say. Signing Hosmer, however, is a huge step forward for the ball club. The fact they posses the #1 farm system in baseball doesn’t hurt either. Freddy Galvis and Wil Myers are looking to stay consistent this season in attempting to spark the offense. The return of Chase Headley brings a familiar face to the ball club and Carter Capps is looking to continue as the anchor out of the bullpen. Don’t expect the Padres to make much noise this season, but they are going in the right direction.

Final Standing Prediction

  1. Los Angeles Dodgers
  2. San Francisco Giants
  3. Colorado Rockies
  4. Arizona Diamondbacks
  5. San Diego Padres

What to Do with Blake Swihart?

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“See my smile? It feels good.”- Blake Swihart after smacking an RBI triple.

Blake Swihart has been, one of the hottest players in Spring Training so far for the Red Sox. While there have only been a handful of games, Swihart shines in every opportunity this spring. First and foremost, I am a Blake Swihart guy. I see him hitting the ball all over Fenway Park, and have seen him blast balls out of McCoy Stadium. However, Swihart being a catcher for the Red Sox no longer seems possible. That being said, I believe there are many other ways in which Blake could contribute to the team.

Ultimate Utility Man

This may be a little redundant with the signing of Eduardo Nunez, but Swihart could take this role and run with it. Swihart is out of options and is looking for any sort of playing time he can get.  With questions surrounding Brock Holt and Marco Hernández, who is in need of further shoulder surgery, the Red Sox will be looking for someone to bail them out with injured players or those in need of a day off.

Blake Swihart played 13 games in the outfield in 2016. While this ended up with an injury, that experience is incredibly valuable. Blake played shortstop in high school, and is getting looks in at second base. It is not hard for catchers to convert to first base. This covers the majority of positions the Red Sox are in need of depth this season. While it is unlikely Swihart will reach the levels of 2014-2015 Brock Holt utility man, nonetheless Swihart could be an incredible player for Alex Cora to call upon to fill in any role.

Trade Him

Blake Swihart Thumbnail photo via Reinhold Matay/USA TODAY Sports Images Read more at: https://nesn.com/2015/09/torey-lovullo-returns-to-toronto-as-red-sox-interim-manager-video/

Sep 12, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart (left) and interim manager Torey Lovullo (right) talk during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Blake Swihart was one of the many Red Sox players to thrive under Torey Lovullo while he was the interim manager of the Red Sox in the late part of the 2015 season. During the 2015 season, Swihart swung a decent bat with a .274 average, 31 RBIs, and just five home runs. However, one thing to look at is his numbers after Lovullo took over in the second half of the season. In that time Swihart raked with a .354/.415/.490/.905 slash line. The Red Sox letting Lovullo go is something that will always bother me. He could bring things out of his players that other managers just cannot do. If Swihart does move, this would be the time to do it, his value is the highest it can be, and he is out of options. A trade with the Diamondbacks might help both sides.

Although Arizona just signed veteran catcher Alex Avila to a two year deal, he is prone to injuries. Not to mention the Diamondbacks are in need of a utility player, especially one the 2017 National League Manager of the Year knows and likes. The Red Sox could land 23 year-old Tyler Mark in the deal. Arizona took Mark in the 6th round of the MLB Draft from Concordia. There Mark was the single-season save leader. Arizona attempted to convert him into a starter. This started off slowly, so he returned to the bullpen. Many believe that he now has a better feel and command for his pitches and could become a Major League regular.

 

Cover image courtesy of NBC Sports.