Tag Archives: David Price

Red Sox Starters

Red Sox Vs. Marlins Preview

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Although this series is only two games, this could prove to be the spark this team needs after their sweep at the hands of the Rays.

While this series might not be a marquee match up, this Marlins team boasts the lowest scoring offense while allowing the second most runs in the National League. The Red Sox swept this club earlier this season and have a 2-0 record this season against them.

The Marlins have a disastrous 53-79 record. While they are clearly in a rebuild, they are trending upward, with series splits against the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees. In total they have won five of their last nine games.

The pitching matchups should be intriguing. Game one sees Brian Johnson ( 6-4, 4.33 era) against the electric Jose Urena ( 4-12, 4.50 era) Johnson did not last long against the Indians, lasting 4.1 innings while allowing 3 earned runs off 5 hits and 1 walk. He mustered up 1 strikeout.

Urena on the other hand pitched amazing his last start. He played a complete game against the Nationals, only giving up 1 earned run on 2 hits and 2 walks. He also struck out 4 hitters. Urena managed to stir up some controversy over plunking future stud Ronald Acuna Jr. in the first at bat of the game.

Game two sees Pitching phenom David Price ( 14-6 3.50 era) against Trevor Richards ( 3-7 4.23 era) Price was lights out against Cleveland. He lasted 8 innings of work with 0 earned runs, striking out 7 while only giving up 3 hits. Richards lasted 5.1 innings against the Yankees only giving up 2 earned runs on 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out 9 batters.

Player to watch for: J.T Realmuto

He has clearly been the best player for the Marlins all season long. After wanting to be traded last winter, building his stock this year only heightens his demands. He has become a strong trade candidate for this offseason.

Be prepared to see some of the brighter aspects of this Marlins team come out and ready to perform.

How the Red Sox are Solving their Injury Problems

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With a fair amount of talent currently on the disabled list, how is this team filling the absences? How are these “role players” preforming under the pressure of expectations from Boston fans and media?

In recent weeks the Red Sox have placed numerous everyday players on the disabled list. The versatility of the bench was questioned, and put to the test. How have these players preformed? What will their roles look like once these players come back from injury at full strength?

The starting rotation

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It’s no secret that the starting rotation has taken a beating this season. Despite the pile of injuries it seems like they are pitching better than ever. With Cy Young candidate Chris Sale back on the 10 day disabled list with shoulder inflammation, one man has truly risen to the occasion. Haters rejoice to none other than David Price.

He has been chewed up, spit out, pummeled, and completely shammed by the Boston media and “fans” (bandwagoners we know who you are). In his last 7 starts, he sports a 5-0 record with an incredible 1.50 ERA with 7 walks and 48 strikeouts to mold a 0.88 whip. For a pitcher that everyone likes to use as their punching bag, he’s finally shutting them all up. Once Sale comes back expect him to be the number 2 starter in the rotation.

Another starting pitcher that seems to have been unnoticed is Eduardo Rodriguez. After being on the dl for a while due to an ankle injury. Rodriguez has finally made a few rehab starts. He made a rehab start against the New Hampshire Fisher cats on Monday. He threw 63 pitches (39 for strikes) in four shutout innings, including 8 strikeouts.

A huge contributor in his absence is Brian Johnson. Although his last start was a rocky one, over his last 7 he sports a 3-1 record, with a 4.01 ERA to go along with 11 walks, 33 strikeouts in 33.2 innings pitched. While his numbers don’t justify just how well he has performed in the rotation, expect to see him in a Hector Velazquez role once E-rod comes back.

Infield questions??

With Ian Kinsler being reactivated last Friday, the team had some backups in store. Brock Holt and Eduardo Nunez have stepped up big this season. Holt is hitting a modest .265 with 3 homers and 32 rbi’s in 86 games this season. in his  52 starts coming at second base, he has zero errors (1 all season). He is the definition of a true utility player. He has been one of the few shining stars in that position with Dustin Pedroia still fighting his nagging knee injury.

The other player who has made contributions at second is Eduardo Nunez. The 31-year-old has played 74 games at the position. With a .257 average, 7 homers, 38 rbi’s Nunez has been consistent this season. While he thrives more in the left side of the field, he has been a good player in the lineup. The team also has guys like Brandon Phillips and Tzu-Wei Lin in the minor leagues waiting for their shot.

Christian Vazquez has been working with Sox legend Jason Veritek while recovering from a pinky injury. In the meantime, Sandy Leon and Blake Swihart have played nicely. Leon gets the majority of reps behind the plate. While his offensive numbers are not worth mentioning, his defense stands out. He currently has a catchers ERA of 3.13 in 69 games behind the plate. Along the way he even received a personal endorsement from former CY Young winner Rick Porcello.

Blake Swihart hasn’t seen much time in the majors this season. Most appearances have come from pinch hitting. While he hasn’t been a huge factor this season, he still brings versatility if and when the team calls his name. Truly a team player.

How does this affect the team chemistry moving forward? Will this translate to a deep playoff run? Find out soon!

All stats referenced is from mlb.com.

Sox Split With Indians In Potential October Preview

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A few thoughts on the Red Sox series split with the Cleveland Indians right after I dig up my road trip fedora…

Man, that four-game set had an October feel, didn’t it? The Sox were able to roar back after dropping the first two games, including yesterday’s near-flawless 7-0 victory. It was the first meeting of the season between the two teams, and it wouldn’t surprise me if there’s a rematch in the postseason.

The Sox dropped the first game on Monday, after Rick Porcello allowed 3 HR (and 5 ER) over 7 innings. It’s been a weird season for the righthander out of Morristown, NJ. On one hand, it feels like he’s been far more consistent than in 2017 or 2015. On the other, his 4.14 ERA is more in line with those seasons than his 2016 Cy Young award-winning campaign. His August has made even less sense. He’s 2-2 over 4 starts this month, with a 4.67 ERA. But, opponents are only hitting .156 against him over that stretch. Go figure, right?

There’s one smoking gun here: Porcello can’t seem to keep the ball in the yard. Last season, he gave up a league-leading 38 round-trippers. This year, those struggles have resurfaced. Porcello has already given up 22 big flies in 2018, tying him for 12th in the majors. However, 8 of those have come over his last 5 outings, at a rate of 2.2 per 9 innings. For reference, Dylan Bundy‘s MLB-worst HR/9 is 2.19.

The Sox lost game two thanks to a stellar outing from Indians rookie Shane Bieber. Bieber shut down the best offense in baseball for 6 innings, before the Sox tagged him for 3 runs in the bottom of the 7th. It tied the longest losing streak of the season for Boston (3 games), and prompted plenty of “the Red Sox can’t beat a real team” social media activity from Indians fans (who conveniently ignore the trainwreck that is the non-Cleveland part of the AL Central standings) and Yankees fans (whose team is currently 11-10 in August).

Boston bounced back to even the series and escape with a split thanks to two total team efforts on Wednesday and Thursday. However, a pair of players deserve special mention. Xander Bogaerts and David Price.

Bogaerts went 6-19 across the four game series, collecting at least one hit in each contest. He also continued to rake with runners in scoring position, driving in 8 men. On Wednesday night, Bogey erased a 2-1 4th inning deficit by launching a slider onto the Mass Pike:

He followed that dinger up with another in the bottom of the 7th (this time to right-center), to increase the Sox lead to 5 runs:

Two weeks ago I wrote about how the biggest thing holding Bogaerts back from true superstardom is his tendency to trail off in the second half of the season. Since then, the Red Sox shortstop is batting .348/.411/.717, with 3 HR and 14 RBI. Seems like this is the year where he finally asserts himself down the stretch.

Price was masterful on Thursday afternoon, while the Sox plated 6 runs in the 5th en route to an easy win. The 32-year-old lefty posted 8 scoreless innings with 7 Ks, allowing only 3 hits and no walks. He capped it all off by blowing a fastball by Indians catcher Roberto Perez, a cherry on top of a shutout sundae:

https://twitter.com/takeyourbasepod/status/1032717906717671426

For all of the negative press Price has managed to get during his Red Sox career (some warranted, some less so), he’s been tough to criticize recently. He’s won 5 of his last 7 starts, a stretch where his ERA has decreased with each outing. Over those 7 starts, he’s 5-0 with a 1.50 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 48 innings. Opposing batters are only mustering a .200 batting average against him, and he’s throwing nearly 70% of his pitches for strikes. Price’s season ERA has dropped from 4.44 on July 7th to its current mark of 3.50…pretty good.

With Chris Sale on the shelf for the time being, the Sox have needed their $30+ million man to step up. He’s done that and more over the last month and a half.

The Red Sox won’t see Cleveland again until Sept. 21, another matchup that will have a decidedly October vibe, as well as October implications. If that series is anything like this one, it’ll be appointment viewing for both sides.

Red Sox Predicted Playoff Roster

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With the MLB Playoff races still heating up, the Red Sox are guaranteed a spot in the hunt for October.  Who will be on the playoff roster?

While there are 40 games still to be played, the hunt for October glory has already crossed the minds of fans nationwide.  The postseason roster will look very similar to the active roster, but there will be some shake ups in my predictions.

Starting rotation:

1. Chris Sale: The Cy Young award candidate will be the ace of this team in the playoffs. While he has had more rest under new manager Alec Cora, fans hope to see a different Chris Sale than this time last season.

2. Rick Porcello: Probably one of the most underrated players on this team, the former Cy Young award winner has had a phenomenal year. He has had an excellent command of his sinker, and forced more groundball outs than last year.

3. David Price: Although Price has had zero success as a starter in the playoffs throughout his career, this year seems different. Price has been more efficient, and a overall better pitcher than in recent memory.

4.   Nathan Eovaldi: Although he has never been a prime time starting pitcher, he has proven to the Red Sox organization that he is ready to take on a big role throughout the duration of the playoffs. If he can even pitch as well as he has in his first 2 starts, don’t sleep on him.

Bullpen:

Although the bullpen has been under performing lately, they still have more depth than a lot of teams in the league.

Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree, Tyler Thornburg, Ryan Brasier, Joe Kelly, Hector Velasquez, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Craig Kimbrel ( closer).  

These guys have solidified their roles in the bullpen. It would be hard to imagine the team calling up someone from the minors to fill in, besides an injury or two, towards the end of the regular season.

Infield:

(Catchers) Christian Vasquez, Sandy Leon. ( First Base) Mitch Moreland, Steve Pearce. (Second base) Ian Kinsler, Brock Holt, Eduardo Nunez, Blake Swihart. ( Third Base) Rafael Devers, ( same utility guys from second and shortstop.) ( Shortstop) Xander Bogaerts. 

Designated Hitter:

J.d Martinez, ( Pearce and Moreland as rotates) 

Outfield:

Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr, ( Martinez.) 

As previously stated, my prediction looks similar to the current roster (besides a couple of minor tweaks.) What are your thoughts? Comment or simply tweet me @kyle_porch. Follow me and bostonsportsextra to stay in the news with the most up-to-date coverage.

Can The Red Sox Get To 116 Wins?

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While the Red Sox have an unprecedented 85-35 win loss record, can they catch up to a record only two teams have ever achieved before?

116 wins, something only two teams have ever won that many games in a single season. The 2001 Seattle Mariners and the 1906 Chicago Cubs. The only difference… the 1906 Cubs played 152 games that year. This 2018 Red Sox team currently holds a .708 win percentage, however, there are still 42 games to be played.

The path to 116

With 42 games left in the regular season, the Red Sox would have to go 31-11 to finish the season. With 7 games against the Indians, 6 against the Yankees, and 3 against the defending champs as the hard part of the remaining schedule. Can this team achieve a .739 winning percentage during the last stretch? It’s definitely up for debate.

Who can help?

The numerous games with teams such as the Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, and Toronto Blue Jays should be a promising sign, as long as they don’t lose easy games. Although there will be more frequent rest periods, ( including innings limits for starters), Alex Cora will still manage this team to be more competitive and hungry than the game before.

With MVP candidates Mookie Betts and J.D Martinez still staying hot at the plate, is there any wonder to how this team became so amazing? We cannot forget to mention David Price, Xander Bogaerts, Chris Sale, and all of the other guys who keep this team competitive. This team really has adapted the New England Patriot way of next guy up mentality. They way Boston sports has evolved into team equality has been astonishing to see.

What are the odds?

While finding the exact odds are improbable, they do have some numbers on their side. Out of their remaining schedule, 24 of the games are at home,  while owning the leagues best home win loss record. The team has a 9-1 record throughout their last 10 games. They have never lost more than three games consecutively all season long.

No matter what happens a strong playoff run looks imminent. as long as the team comes out of the regular season as injury-less as possible, I and fellow members of Red Sox nation can sleep well at night.

What do you think?

Comment,share,tag,tweet,like, and follow to let us know what you think! Let your opinion be heard.

The Atmosphere At Fenway Is Better Than Ever

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I was in attendance with a packed house full of fans from both teams on Sunday’s 5-4 comeback win against the New York Yankees. The atmosphere was electric.

Both Masahiro Tanaka and David Price looked good in the beginning, which led to chatter from both fans. After Mookie Betts hit a solo shot over the monster in the 5th inning, Sox fans had plenty to celebrate. After the 4-run 7th inning, Yankee fans tried to get a ” Let’s go Yankees” chant. But, the Sox fans quickly overwhelmed them.

Late Game Emotions

The crowd got a little thinner after the 8th inning ended. The families with small children left early, as expected. By the time the top of the 9th ended, more red seats were open and empty. As the large group of fans watched with our rally caps, laughing at the New York fans with their Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez jerseys on, we witnessed yet again why you should never count this team out.

The stadium erupted throughout the bottom half of the inning, with Yankee fans jolted back down in their seats with anger, sadness, and disappointment. Someone once said, “Anything goes in extra innings.” The 10th inning did not disappoint. After the walk-off single other than Andrew Benintendi, the crown went nuts. It felt like the stadium was shaking. The adrenaline was pumping through everyone. The remaining Yankee fans left in flurries towards the gates.

A Memorable Walk Down Lansdowne

The victory walk around the park and the streets of Boston was great. The energy felt with hundreds of fans sharing the same emotions is something that will stick with me forever. This team is something special.

During the come from behind victory on Sunday night, the fans were more connected and in unity than they have been in quite some time.

Over the numerous amount of games that I’ve attended over the years, this one felt like a prelude to the World Series. Over the entire night, you could feel something special. This is what professional sports are all about. There was nothing political or anything else getting in the way – just an escape from the world we live in. Even if only for a couple of hours, the feeling was that no matter what Red Sox jerseys were being sported, the crowd was in unison.

The Red Sox Are On The Verge Of Ending The Yankees Season

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The Yankees came into Boston with a chance to close the gap in the A.L East. Instead, the Sox have stomped on the throat of the Yankees. For the second straight day, the Sox’ starting pitching shoved the bats down the throats of Yankees hitters. Boston now has a commanding 8.5 game lead heading into Sunday’s finale against New York. With the Yankees coming apart at the seams, it’s now time for the Sox to wrap up the division once and for all.

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David Price Has To Step Up

Everyone knows how much of a disaster David Price has been in Boston. None the less, the pressure falls on the shoulders of the soft left-hander. The Red Sox have absolutely dominated the Yankees in all assets of the game. Rick Porcello and Nathan Eovaldi both had excellent starts against the “potent” New York lineup. Porcello ignited Fenway Park on Friday night with a complete game one-hitter, retiring twenty-one straight Yankees. Eovaldi followed up Porcello’s excellent outing with an equally dominant performance going eight strong shutout innings. This sets Price up perfectly heading into Sunday Night baseball.

The Yankees hitters cannot seem to get out of their own way at the moment. With Judge hurt and Sanchez on the DL, Price is primed to finally have success against the Yankees as a member of the Red Sox. Price needs to show up and perform because he could wrap up the A.L East. Sweeping the Bronx Bombers out of Fenway without Chris Sale starting a single game would be astronomical for the moral of the Red Sox. Let’s watch and see if Price can give the Sox anything in a big spot.

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Boston Hitters Must Stay Sharp

After the beatdown the Sox gave New York the past three days, it would be easy to take the Yankees lightly. No matter the outcome of the finale on Sunday, the Red Sox weekend is a success; but still, the Sox have to show up and put the pinstripes down once and for all. With Tanaka on the hill, the Sox lineup has to come out of the gates hot. If they can get a lead on New York, then its all but over. This once prominent Yankees team is now on the verge of spiraling into their fourth straight loss. Time to send New York packing with their hopes of a championship crushed.

Predictions For The Second Half For The Red Sox

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After an astonishingly great first half that gave the Red Sox a 68-30 record to go along with a 4.5 game lead over New York, what can we expect during the second half of the year?

After a well needed all star break, the remaining 64 games are approaching fast. As the team looks to keep their lead over the rival Yankees, here are some predictions for this second half.

Red Sox win their division.

While the race will be heated up, this back and fourth race will come down to versatility. Something New York doesn’t have a whole lot of. If they expect to have a solid run during the postseason, expect them to make moves for starting pitching. If the Sox can target a solid relief pitcher for cheap, it only increases their versatility even more.

Sox get three pitchers over 15 wins.

Chris sale, Rick Porcello, and David Price all get at least 15 wins on the season. With the offense scorching runs on almost anyone, this gives the pitchers a great deal of confidence to shut down opponents with ease. Of course, everyone has a bad game or cold streak, but this seems the most plausible with the staff on the roster.

Mookie Betts finally wins MVP.

Barring anything he cannot control, Betts finally gets his most valuable player nod. As he displayed throughout the first half, he has the ability to do anything he wants to whoever he wants to, no questions asked. He has more games this season 4-4 at the plate than 0-4 at the plate…. that’s impressive. Yes J.D Martinez has a great case to win the award too, but Mookie’s defensive abilities makes him that much more inciting.

Red sox win the world series.

As most of Red Sox nation says this every year, it’s very doable this year. The team chemistry is electric, manager Alex Cora is doing a phenomenal job at the helm, and the team is firing on all cylinders. There are always obstacles to overcome during the MLB Playoffs, as for this year, the Boston Red Sox are not a Cinderella team, but more a team that’s hungry for October Glory.

Red Sox Interested in Nathan Eovaldi

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It’s July, which means only one thing: Trade SZN. The Red Sox made their fair share of roster moves in June, including signing former All-Star 2B Brandon Phillips to a minor league contract and trading for Steve Pearce. However, Dave Dombrowski has never been shy about shuffling pieces around the board (and across the league), so it’s unlikely the Sox are done tweaking their roster for the summer.

The next shoe to drop could be a move for starting pitching help. The Red Sox were among several teams in attendance for current Rays’ starter Nathan Eovaldi‘s start on Monday, per MLB.com’s Bill Chastain.

Sox fans will remember Eovaldi best during his stint with the Yankees from 2015-16. During that two-year stretch, Eovaldi was 23-11 with a 4.45 ERA and 1.39 WHIP. He missed all of last season after undergoing his second Tommy John’s surgery in August 2016. Eovaldi could represent a low-risk/low-cost rental for teams in need of pitching depth down the stretch.

The Problem

Boston fits that mold perfectly. Chris Sale has been dominant and Rick Porcello has been both consistent and dependable. David Price has shown a tendency to mix strong stretches with complete meltdowns. He is also only a year removed from his own injury issues. Eduardo Rodriguez seems to have righted the ship with Wednesday’s virtuoso performance in Washington. He’s also notoriously inconsistent, and has gone deeper than the 6th inning only twice in his 17 starts this year. Drew Pomeranz and Steven Wright are currently on the disabled list.

Both Wright and Pomeranz are close to returning. Wright is expected back by the All-Star break, and Pomeranz made his first rehab start this week. However, Wright’s knee issues are becoming chronic, and Pomeranz allowed four HRs in Monday’s rehab start. Neither qualify as reliable back-of-the-rotation options.

The Solution

That’s where Eovaldi fits in. He’s posted a 3.92 ERA across seven starts so far this season, with career highs in K/9 (7.6) and K/BB (5.83) ratio. While he’s benefited from good batted ball luck, he’s also had poor home run luck. Opponents are only batting .211 on balls in play, and he’s stranded 79.6% of his runners. However, Eovaldi’s HR/FB rate (21.4%) is higher than ever. In other words, look for both of those numbers to even out a bit as the sample size grows.

Eovaldi’s stuff has remained consistent in his return as well. He still throws gas (avg. four-seam velocity of 97 mph). He’s also mixed in a cutter more frequently than ever. In 2016, only 7.3% of Eovaldi’s pitches were classified as such. That number has climbed all the way up to 25.3% this season. That could partially explain his luck on balls in play. An improved cut-fastball is limiting how much solid contact opposing batters are able to make.

Granted, none of these numbers are exactly eye-popping. But, they are representative of a solid fifth starter who provides depth at the end of the rotation. Eovaldi would come with his own question marks as well; he missed the start of this season with elbow and rib injuries. However, if the price is right, he could be a nice piece to help get the Sox through the dog days of summer.

Should David Price’s Big Stage Woes Cause Panic?

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Sunday night gave the David Price doubters all the fuel they needed to spit off every reason why he is not worth the big investment. I wonder how many times that has been used in Price articles? I’ve found myself as Price’s last line of defense when it comes to most conversations about the lefty. It does seem that when it comes to the big stage, Price does get a bit rattled. Here, we will make the case of both sides and evaluate where we stand.

 

Why to Panic

Let’s start off by pushing away the blow-hard Boston media perception of Price that has festered since his arrival. The theory is that he is not a good clubhouse leader and has a bad attitude or anything involving Fortnite.  A lot of the young guys in the clubhouse look up to Price, even players who are no longer on their team.

Fingers should be pointed at factual, unfortunate statistics for Price. After this career-high eight spot put up by the Yankees, Price’s totals against the Bombers went to a 2-6 with an 8.43 ERA. Price gave the Yankees and Aaron Hicks (3 HRs) possibly the best night of their July on the first night.

Now Price has jacked up his ERA to a 4.28. Less than desired from the $217M dollar man. And in the days after this Yankees start, it is hard to forget the fact that Price has yet to claim that post-season win. If we are truly bringing his attitude into play as well, David Price does not seem like the happy man who will keep committed to this contract when faced with an opt out. It has never seemed like Price’s statistical timeline has matched up with the rest of the team, so maybe sound the alarm.

 

Why Not to Panic

I vaguely remember a pitcher for the Red Sox who mightily struggled against the Yankees on the road. Years ago, a small Dominican man with a red glove was put into a mental pretzel in the Bronx. It’s very easy to get lost in the mayhem of New York baseball, especially when you are seen as the prey. IN NO WAY AM I CLAIMING DAVID PRICE IS EQUAL TO THE QUALITY OF PEDRO MARTINEZ. But if we are analyzing Boston greats, even the cream of the crop struggled with the New York Yankees, and even in the postseason at times. He won’t call them his daddy, but Price is certainly aware of the situation at hand.

“I’ve faced these guys a lot of times,” said Price. “Been in this division for a long period of time. I’ve faced the Yankees many times. It’s time for me to kind of go back to that drawing board and kind of reinvent myself against these guys.” -MLB.com

It’s clear that as the games go on, the pressure for Price to outshine the Yankees will be there. There are several check marks Boston fans have placed on Price in order for his lucrative contract to benefit them. One of which being consistent quality performances against New York. What I’m concerned with is the quality of David Price that was there before this New York start. Since May 17(disregarding Sunday’s start) Price was premium quality compared to the rest of the roster. Price had a 2.65 ERA, a 6-1 win-loss record, and a 3.27 FIP. This David Price would be nice to get back post this July 1st massacre.

My Conclusion

Personally, I have never had permanent doubt when it comes to David Price. Whether or not we should be paying him for this kind of quality is not in the fans’ control. Personally, I was swayed by postseason Price last year. The fire that was in that version of this pitcher is something that will come out in a divisional series against the Yankees. Rather than a no as meaningful series in the month of July.

 

 

I believe either side has a valid argument. But when it comes down to it  Price has produced quality statistics this season. For some people, the Price will never be right. What do you think?