Tag Archives: Red Sox

On This Day In Red Sox History: Nomar’s Birthday Bash

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Tuesday, July 23, 2002, the Devil Rays and Red Sox were set to play two at Fenway Park. The day happened to be fan favorite Nomar Garciaparra’s 29th birthday. Nomar and Manny Ramirez were both coming off two home run games in a loss the previous day. The Red Sox still stood at 57-39 on the season, 27 games ahead of the Devil Rays.

Red Sox Slip Out of the Gate

Tim Wakefield was on the mound for the Red Sox, making his first start in three weeks. Wakefield had mostly pitched out of the pen so far on the season to good success, coming in at 3-3 with a 2.99 ERA. He was opposed on the mound by Worcester, Massachusetts native Tanyon Sturtze. Sturtze was an unenviable 1-9 on the year despite an okay 4.39 ERA. Wakefield started out the game right, striking out Randy Winn swinging. However, he hit the second batter of the game, quickly demonstrating the fickle nature of his knuckleball. The next batter was Steve Cox, who was putting together a solid season. Cox took a 1-0 pitch out to right field for his 12th home run of the season, and just like that the Sox were behind 2-0.

Wakefield encountered some more troubles in the second; a single and a walk were followed by a passed ball and the Devil Rays had men on the corners with no one out. A fly ball brought home the runner from third and Tampa Bay’s lead grew to 3-0. Two batters later Randy Winn doubled home another run and it just didn’t seem to be Wakefield’s day. He got the next batter to lineout but trailed 4-0 after two.

Red Sox Offense Explodes

The Red Sox trailed 4-0 entering the home half of the third inning, but were sending the top of the order to the plate. With the count full, Johnny Damon homered off Sturtze to right to put the Sox on the board. Lou Merloni followed with a single to put a man aboard. Sturtze fell behind Nomar Garciaparra 3-0. Nomar may have surprised him when he jumped on a 3-0 pitch and homered to left. Two pitches later Manny Ramirez homered to the opposite field and the game was tied. The Red Sox had homered three times in four at-bats to kick off the third inning and it was 4-4.

A walk and an error put two more men aboard with one out for Trot Nixon. Nixon doubled to left to score one and the Red Sox suddenly had the lead. Wakefield’s catcher Doug Mirabelli followed with a double of his own to plate two more runs. The Red Sox had batted around and were still threatening. Johnny Damon, batting for the second time in the inning, lined a base hit to right-center to score Mirabelli and chase Sturtze from the ballgame.

Long man Brandon Backe replaced Sturtze, but he wouldn’t have any more success. After getting a pop out, he faced Nomar with a man aboard. Nomar jumped on the first pitch, as he so often did, and homered to left for his second two-run homer of the inning. The birthday boy had put the Sox ahead 10-4 in the third.

Nomar Hits a Birthday Slam

Wakefield settled in after the 10 run uprising, enjoying a 1-2-3 fourth inning with two strike outs. But the Sox weren’t so content with their six run lead. After back to back popups, the flood gates reopened. Trot Nixon followed a Jose Offerman single with a run scoring double. Doug Mirabelli then drove in Trot for the second straight inning with a base hit. A Johnny Damon double was followed by a walk to Lou Merloni. The bases were loaded and up strode the birthday boy. Nomar, with two home runs the previous inning, was up with the bases loaded, they had to pitch to him. On a 2-2 count Nomar deposited yet another baseball over the Green Monster for his third home run in two innings, a Major League record. The Red Sox now led 16-4 following the grand slam.

Sox Cruise to Victory

Tim Wakefield pitched three shutout following the rough start to go the necessary five for the win. Willie Banks replaced him and cruised through the Tampa Bay lineup. Banks allowed just two baserunners and needed only 39 pitches to finish off the game. He earned the save with his four shutout innings of relief, lowering his ERA to 2.84.

The Sox offense wasn’t quite done. The Red Sox scored two in the sixth, one on a double from Manny Ramirez. In the seventh, Trot Nixon homered off Travis Phelps to make it a 19-4 game. Close to 20, the Red Sox still had work to do. In the eighth, Johnny Damon singled followed by a walk to Lou Merloni to bring up Nomar with two men on. With a chance at a four home run game, Garciaparra flew out. However, Manny Ramirez wanted in on some more action. Manny homered to left for his second of the game, giving the Red Sox a 22-4 lead. When Banks cruised through the ninth, that was the final score.

Wrapping It Up

The Red Sox had several members with huge performances, but Nomar took center stage. With three home runs and eight runs batted in, Nomar had possibly the finest birthday performance ever. He also tied a record by hitting five home runs over a two game span. This, coupled with Manny Ramirez’ four home runs over the same two games made the teammates the first pair of teammates to combine for nine home runs over two games. Nomar had also hit three home runs and driven in 10 runs on May 10, 1999, making him the fourth Red Sox ever to have multiple three homer games. He joined Ted Williams, Jim Rice and Mo Vaughn in accomplishing this. Nomar and Mo were the only two to have done them both at Fenway Park.

On top of Nomar Garciaparra and Manny Ramirez’ big nights, Johnny Damon and Trot Nixon both collected four hits and homered. Damon scored four runs while Trot drove in three runs and scored three. The Red Sox had 19 hits and seven walks on their way to the 22-4 victory. Watch video of Nomar’s monster performance here.

 

Featured picture from the Boston Globe.

Find me on Twitter: @thefrizz87.

Sox Optimistic Following Tyler Thornburg’s Rough Outing

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After allowing three earned runs in the sixth inning during Saturday night’s 5-0 loss to the Detroit Tigers, right-hander Tyler Thornburg’s ERA rose to 10.38 in five games since making his long-awaited debut with the team on July 6.

The big blow off Thornburg was a two-run shot by light-hitting Jose Iglesias, who drove in four of Detroit’s five runs. The homer was Iglesias’ third of the year, and third overall against his former team.

A Decent Start

Prior to Saturday, Thornburg was coming off consecutive scoreless appearances after allowing a single run in each of his first two outings. Additionally, Thornburg’s allowed at least one hit in all five games he’s pitched. He is still looking for that clean inning.

It was certainly not the start Thornburg and fans were hoping for.

Working Out The Kinks

Despite Thornburg’s rocky start to the season after missing all of 2017, the Red Sox are optimistic he’ll turn things around. Following Saturday night’s loss, team coaches Dana LeVangie and Craig Bjornson studied video of Thornburg during the game. They compared it to video of him during his breakout 2016 campaign with the Milwaukee Brewers.

According to MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith, LeVangie and Bjornson identified a mechanical flaw with Thornburg. Manager Alex Cora chimed in, saying he’s hopeful it’ll be “the last hurdle” for Thornburg to overcome in his road back from thoracic outlet sydrome surgery.

Prior to Sunday’s series finale, Thornburg was working to correct the flaw with LeVangie and Bjornson.

Help Is On The Way

Assuming Thornburg fixes the problem, it should be nothing but good news for the Red Sox. The bullpen has gone through a stretch of unreliability as of late, and an effective Thornburg can no doubt help fix that situation.

W2W4: Post All-Star Break Edition (@greg_habeeb)

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We’ve officially entered the sports abyss. You know, that 48-hour black hole following the MLB All-Star Game where there are no sports to be found. The World Cup is over. There are no baseball games in sight. NFL training camp is still a ways off. Hell, even the NBA’s Summer League has concluded.

In these dire times, all we can do is lock ourselves in our rooms, and look ahead to what the second half of the Major League season might bring.

Red Sox fans are surely hoping for more of the same. Boston won an MLB record 68 games prior to the break, and hold a 4.5 game lead over the Yankees for first place in the AL East. There should be plenty of intrigue over the season’s final two and a half months. Here are a few key themes for Sox fans to keep an eye on for 2018’s stretch run:

Will Dave Dombrowski Make a Move?

The trade deadline is looming. The Red Sox may be on pace for 112 wins, but they have their share of holes. Three starting pitchers (Drew Pomeranz, Steven Wright, and Eduardo Rodriguez) are on the disabled list. The bullpen, beyond Craig Kimbrel, is “good enough to get by” at best and “heart-attack inducing” the rest of the time. 2nd and 3rd base have been well below average offensively, and a train-wreck defensively (at least when Rafael Devers and Eduardo Nunez have been in the lineup). The catcher position has been underwhelming as well, though the Sox aren’t alone there.

In short, there’s reason to believe that Boston may try to make an upgrade over the next couple of weeks. The Red Sox have been rumored to be interested in a high-caliber reliever. The Orioles’ Zach Britton could be on the table, and is one big name to watch. Boston has also shown interest in former Yankee Nathan Eovaldi. An augmentation to the pitching staff seems most likely, though whether it’s a major get like Britton or a stopgap solution like Eovaldi remains to be seen. However, don’t sleep on a boost to the lineup as well (The Royals’ Mike Moustakas or Whit Merrifield, anyone?). When you have a first half like the Red Sox did, a big swing is almost always in the works.

Dr. Chris vs. Mr. Sale

The splits are staggering. By almost every metric, Chris Sale is worse in the second half of the season than he is in the first half. For his career, Sale is 69-26 with a 2.66 ERA before the All-Star break, and 32-36 with a 3.28 ERA after it. Last year was no different; after a dominant first half, he showed signs of mortality down the stretch. Everything came to a head in the postseason, when he allowed 9 runs on 13 hits in 9.2 innings over two appearances versus Houston.

Sale will once again be coming off a stellar first half (10-4, 2.23 ERA, 13.1 K/9). We’ll see if he can keep it rolling for the full 162 plus postseason, assuming the Sox make it that far.

Will Jackie Bradley Jr. Get Hot?

JBJ has been nothing short of frustrating this season at the dish. His .210/.297/.345 slash line doesn’t inspire much confidence. Neither does his less-than-robust 73 OPS+. Fortunately for Bradley, his typically excellent defense has managed to keep him in the lineup more often than not.

There are signs that a patented Bradley Jr. hot streak could be around the corner. His .265 BAPIP is its lowest since 2013, despite a career best 38.8 hard-hit percentage (and a career low 9.7 soft-hit percentage). JBJ also showed signs of life towards the end of the first half. In 18 games since June 24th, Bradley is hitting .323//377/.548 with a couple of HR and 15 RBI to boot.

JBJ truly just needs to be mediocre at the plate in order to justify his prescence in the lineup with the way he mans centerfield. However, he’s also capable of going on extreme hot streaks that can buoy an entire offense for a month. Assuming he times that streak right, it could determine the AL East race.

Can Mookie Betts Stay Hot?

Mike Trout is already an all-time great, and the best player in baseball. But Betts has been the top dog this season from the jump. His monster first half (.359/.448/.691 with 23 HR, 18 SB, and a 200 OPS+) has made him the clear AL MVP favorite so far. It has also almost completely erased an underwhelming 2017 season. Check this out:

2016: 158 G, 730 PA, .318/.363/.534, 31 HR, 26 SB, 133 OPS+

2017-18: 231 G, 1067 PA, .295/.379/.534, 33 HR/162, 31 SB/162, 137 OPS+

It truly does feel as though this season is a correction for 2017, and combining both puts him right in line with 2016’s MVP runner-up campaign. The Sox need him to keep that pace, and stay locked in. While the top 5 of the lineup is as formidable of a group as any (Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Xander Bogaerts, JD Martinez, Mitch Moreland), the bottom part has been suspect to say the least. Boston can’t afford much of a drop-off from their stars, especially Betts.

There’s plenty more to keep an eye on as the Red Sox make their way through the dog days of summer into the fall, of course. But don’t be surprised if these key points loom large through September and October.

Mookie Betts Deserves A Major Pay Day

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The Red Sox have the best record in baseball at the all-star break largely due to the MVP caliber play they have been getting from Mookie Betts. The Red Sox have been trying to sign Betts to a long-term extension for the past three years. However Betts has taken the Sox to the wall in every negotiation seemingly set on getting every last penny.  Rightfully so as Betts has proven how dynamic a player he can be.

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What To Expect

Betts has made it clear that he will be watching the free agent market this year. As both Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are expected to sign historic contracts. While Betts is not set to hit the open market until after the 2020 season. This years market will surely impact what the right fielder gets paid. Considering the Sox are actively trying to prevent Betts from ever sniffing free agency. However both sides have been stubborn throughout negotiations up to this point. With Mookie winning an arbitration case this past offseason that has him earning $10.5 million dollars instead of the $7.5 million that the Sox had originally offered.

In terms of his future contract the way the Sox have handled the situation up to this point is bound to have an impact. Betts is probably not to pleased that he had to take the team to arbitration over $3 million dollars. I would expect a contract of 10 Years $310 million dollars with an AAV of around $31 million a year. That puts him right below Mike Trout and presumably below Harper and Machado. Who are all viewed as more reliable players long-term. Mookie’s size will effect how much money he gets and will probably be the reason he will not be the highest paid player in baseball. Players his size tend to decline much quicker, just look at Dustin Pedroia. Although it’s a big check to cut, its one Mookie deserves.

BOSTON SPORTS EXTRA’S MLB AWARD PREDICTIONS (MIDSEASON EDITION)

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With the Major League Baseball season halfway over, our baseball writers have collaborated to make our award picks for the rest of the season. In this article we detail who will win the major awards for 2018; Most Valuable Player, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year for both leagues. This is a follow-up to our preseason predictions.

AMERICAN LEAGUE MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Scott Frizzell – At the start of the season I took Mike Trout, and the only reason to change my mind now would be due to the Angels record. Trout is the best player in baseball. Then again, this year Mookie Betts has been better so far and has to be the favorite at the break. My dark horse was Francisco Lindor, who is batting .291 with 25 home runs, so I’m feeling good about him too.

Matt O’Halloran – Mike Trout was my preseason pick with Jose Altuve being the runner-up. I am now changing my pick to Mookie Betts as the MVP with Trout as the runner-up. Betts has a higher batting average, OPS, and two fewer home runs despite playing in 19 fewer games. Also, Betts’ team is 38 games above 500 and the Angels will not come close to making the playoffs.

Kyle Porch – Betts is still lighting it up this season. There are very few reasons he shouldn’t be MVP.

Justin Gonzalez – Original Pick: Mike Trout, New Pick: Mookie Betts

This is tough for me to change but having Mike Trout as my answer for 2018 AL MVP is not a bad thing what so ever. However, the numbers that Mookie Betts is putting up are unreal. He has a mind-boggling 202 wRC+, .359/.448/.691 slash line with 23 homers and 51 RBIs. Mind you, he has 20 fewer games played than Mike Trout. All in all, Betts is having a historic season and he deserves to beat Trout this year for the award.

Jun 1, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts (50) celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles after at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-259846 ORIG FILE ID: 20160601_ajw_gb3_093.jpg

 

NATIONAL LEAGUE MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Scott Frizzell – Well, my Bryce Harper pick has proven to be garbage. Christian Yelich as a dark horse is having a good year, but certainly no threat for MVP. Right now, Jesus Aguilar of the Brewers has a serious argument for first half MVP, and yet his inclusion in the All-Star Game somehow came down to the final vote

Matt O’Halloran – Arenado was my preseason pick with Corey Seager being my runner-up. Seager was decent stats but has only played in 26 games. I am sticking with Arenado at MVP, with Jesus Aguilar being the runner-up. The third baseman is hitting .312 with 24 home runs and a .395 OBP. Both players are on teams that will come close to making the playoffs, so no significant gap there.

Kyle Porch – Bryce Harper. After picking Arenado in the beginning, I realized Harper is going to tear it up in the second half.

Justin Gonzalez – Original Pick: Bryce Harper, New Pick: Nolan Arenado

This is an easier change from my original pick. Basically, Harper could go on a tear for the rest of the season and still not win the MVP award. He’s batting an abysmal .213 on the season and has a 1.5 fWAR for the first half; Not good. Instead, I will go with Colorado Rockies phenom Nolan Arenado. 23 homers, 68 RBIs, 145 wRC+ along with his stellar defense is hard to beat. Best of all, his BABIP of .335 says that he will more or less sustain this level of performance for the rest of the season, barring injury.

AMERICAN LEAGUE CY YOUNG AWARD

Scott Frizzell – I like going with sleeper picks for Cy Young, but going with the usual candidates this year would have been better. Lance McCullers is having a good season at 10-4 with a 3.77 ERA and 9.5 K/9 after a poor final start before the break. James Paxton was my dark horse, he has thrown a no-hitter and struck out 11.7 batters per nine innings on the year. Both are good, but neither will win the award.

Matt O’Halloran – My preseason pick was Verlander taking home the award with Sale being the runner-up. I am going with the same players but flip the order. Sale has a 2.23 ERA while Verlander’s is 2.29. Sale has struck out 16 more batters in 8.2 fewer innings. I am a bit worried about Sale because of his performance in August and September, but Cora seems to have managed him well over the season.

Kyle Porch – Chris Sale. Leading the al in strikeouts again, Sale is still dominant. End of story.

Justin Gonzalez – Original Pick: Chris Sale

I’ll be sticking with the best pitcher in the AL as of right now, and it’s easy to see why. He has some ridiculous numbers this season (2.23 ERA, 4.9 WAR, 188 strikeouts, .90 WHIP) and best of all, the Red Sox are starting to score some runs for the guy. It’s a combination that makes opposing teams crumble.

NATIONAL LEAGUE CY YOUNG AWARD

Scott Frizzell – I took Noah Syndergaard, who hasn’t pitched a ton. I feel very good about my dark horse candidate though, Aaron Nola. Nola has continued his second-half breakout from last season into this year, going 12-3 with a 2.30 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and over a strikeout per inning. He is arguably the Cy Young of the first half.

Matt O’Halloran – My Clayton Kershaw preseason pick is a dud. He has good numbers, but injuries have caused him to only throw 75.2 innings. Max Scherzer as a runner-up is looking good, but I am now going with Jacob DeGrom to win the Cy Young. His jaw-dropping 1.68 ERA should guarantee him this award, however trade rumors could mess that up.

Kyle Porch – Max Scherzer is on the rise. Kershaw hasn’t been his normal self.

Justin Gonzalez – Original Pick: Clayton Kershaw, New Pick: Jacob DeGrom

Clayton Kershaw has not been the dominant pitcher we all knew him as. He has had issues staying healthy and as a result, only started 13 games this season. Granted, he can pick it up in the second half but Jacob DeGrom is just having a Kershaw type of season. Posting a first-half ERA of 1.68 to go along with a WHIP of 0.97 and an xFIP of 2.73 to support his sustainability, it is now officially his award to lose. The most interesting thing about this whole thing will be the number of wins he ends up with. As we all know, wins do not solely reflect a pitcher’s season or skills but he can’t help the fact that he is pitching for one of the worst offenses in the league. I have faith that voters will see through this and give him the award, rightfully so.

Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire

AMERICAN LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Scott Frizzell – My pick of Willie Calhoun isn’t coming to fruition as he has spent most of the season in the minor leagues. Calhoun has been hot of late but who knows when a call-up may occur. Gleyber Torres is the front-runner at the moment.

Kyle Porch – Shohei Ohtani, even though he can’t pitch the rest of the season. He can still light it up offensively as a DH.

Justin Gonzalez – Original Pick: Eloy Jimenez, New Pick: Gleyber Torres

Gleyber Torres has been on an amazing pace since he got called up from the minors. Posting a .294/.350/.555 slash line in 63 games is impressive. Imagine being a rookie and doing that and you have a superstar in the making on your hands. He shows all the attributes to be an extremely successful player in the majors and I am pretty excited to see what kind of player he turns into down the road.
Matt O’Halloran- I did not make preseason ROY picks, but I will go with Yankees slugger Gleyber Torres now. He has 15 home runs and 42 RBI’s in just 42 games. Ohtani is my runner-up pick, but injuries and his schedule are the reasons why I would not vote for him.

 

NATIONAL LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Scott Frizzell – Ronald Acuna has been okay, but not what many expected yet. He is very young though and holding his own. Currently, he is behind several in the race, most notably Juan Soto, but I am not ready to concede the pick. Acuna could still win this award with a big second half.

Kyle Porch – Ronald Acuna has been a bit of a letdown, but look for him to make a run in the second half.

Justin Gonzalez –  Original Pick: J.P. Crawford, New Pick: Juan Soto

This was harder than you may realize. The Marlins also have a contender for rookie of the year named Brian Anderson. Both players are having terrific seasons but Soto’s is a bit better. With a rookie leading 151 wRC+ figure, he looks to be the clear-cut winner, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Anderson gave him a run for his money. All in all, I’ll bet on Soto.

Matthew O’Halloran-  Juan Soto is my pick to win it, with Ronald Acuna being the runner-up. They’ve had polar opposite seasons with Acuna being a letdown and Soto coming from out of nowhere. Soto has two more home runs and his batting average is 52 points higher.   

 

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@TheFrizz87, 

@porchie16

@ELJGON 

Top 10 Red Sox All-Stars in Franchise History (Players 5-1) (@ELJGON)

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Yesterday it was announced that Chris Sale will be starting for the AL team and will be joined by his teammates Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez in the starting lineup. Of course, Mitch Moreland and Craig Kimbrel will likely make an appearance as well, but there is no doubt that the Boston Red Sox are well represented in this seasons Mid-Summer Classic. My first installment of this list, which consisted of the top ten through six ranked all franchise All-Stars had some great names on it. However, we are getting to the top five All-Stars in Red Sox history.

5-1999-all-star-game

5. Pedro Martinez (98, 99, 00, 02)

Originally I thought Joe Cronin belonged in this spot. However, I spent some time thinking and this is the right choice. Everyone knows Martinez as one of the most dominant pitchers to ever live and made a living out of making batters look silly. However, in 1999, he did something spectacular. Sure, he started the All-Star game as many pitchers typically do. This instance is more about the way he started it. He struck out five out of six batters faced over two innings. Those batters were Barry Larkin, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, and Jeff Bagwell. In what is considered one of the best All-Star Game performances of all-time. He also won the ASG MVP after that game. When talking about franchise All-Stars, Pedro must be mentioned.

bobby-doerr-hall-of-fame-second-baseman-boston-red-sox

4. Bobby Doerr (41, 42, 43, 44, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 88**)

All-time Red Sox second baseman Bobby Doerr was no stranger to the All Star Game, having started in five of them for the AL. The Red Sox purchased Doerr for $75,000 in 1935 and started for the team when he was 19 years old. A lifetime batter of .288 with 2042 hits, Doerr spent all 14 seasons of his career with the Red Sox. Doerr most likely would have been an All-Star in 1945, but he opted to join the Army instead. After serving his country he returned to the club in 1946 and, despite a dip in batting average, drove in 116 runs. Bobby Doerr sadly passed away at the age of 99 on November 14th 2017, but his legend will be remembered always.

ortiz-1st-base-06

3. David Ortiz (04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 10, 11, 12, 16)

What’s a Boston Red Sox top ten list without David Ortiz? Everyone knows the huggable slugger and Yankee killer that Ortiz became. He always had an overpowering presence when at the plate, regardless of who his opponent was. He meant more to Boston than almost any other player in the franchise’s history. Ortiz has one homer and a .294 average in all ten All-Star games, including seven starts. However, his most memorable moment came during his last All-Star game in 2016, when he was pulled out in the first inning to a standing ovation and salutations from all of his major league peers. He even had a friendly exchange with former Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, which makes all the more reason to get emotional.

1970 Topps Carl Yastrzemski AS MVP

2. Carl Yastrzemski (1963, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72,
73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 82, 83, 89**)

Yaz is probably second in everyone’s mind when it comes to best Sox players to ever live. The accolade is well deserved, as he had a lifetime batting average of .285 with 3419 hits and played all 23 seasons with the Red Sox. However, not many know of his All-Star Game heroics. Yaz hit his only ASG home run off Tom Seaver in 1975. He also robbed Johnny Bench of a home run in the 1969 All-Star Game and had a .294 average in 14 games. He represented the Red Sox almost as best as anybody else. Almost.

Ted Williams ALl Star

1. Ted Williams (1940, 41, 42, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)

Teddy Ballgame is the best hitter ever. His stats are mind-boggling (lifetime .344/.482/.634/.1.116), but these numbers carried over to the All-Star Game realm as well. Batting .304 with four home runs in 16 All-Star Games, he continued to make a name for not only himself, but for the Red Sox as well. In a roster that was just dripping in hall-of-fame talent such as Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio of the likes, he always stood out. Williams had a walk off home run in the 1941 All Star Game off of pitcher Claude Passeau of the Chicago Cubs. Adding to the fact that Williams also hit .406 the same season, this was just icing on the cake.

Williams would have probably had five home runs in All Star Games, but was robbed of a homer by Willie Mays in the 1955 affair. There was also the matchup against Rip Sewell in 1946, when batters would call his eephus pitch “nearly unhittable”. In true Ted Williams fashion, he ripped it out for a home run. Ted was truly one of the best to ever play the game year-round.

Italics = started ASG; ** = managed ASG

@ELJGON

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Grading Alex Cora In The First Half Of The Season (@stevea1127)

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Alex Cora Has The Attention Of His Players

BOSTON, MA – APRIL 7: Manager Alex Cora of the Boston Red Sox looks on during the first inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on April 7, 2018 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Alex Cora

The 68-win Boston Red Sox are going into the All-Star break with the best record in baseball. Most of the credit goes to the manager, Alex Cora. The former second baseman comes into his first year managing the Red Sox and has complete control of the clubhouse, despite the injuries that continue to stack up. The Red Sox have virtually the same team as last year, but the difference is so obviously the manager. John Farrell wasn’t connecting to his players like Alex Cora is right now. Cora has complete control of this team for the first half of the season and his players clearly respond to his managing style.

Red Sox Real Test Is In The Second Half Of The Season

Via MLB.com

Many people argue that the Red Sox haven’t played any real talent thus far. However, Cora has been the difference, and if they are able to fix the bullpen and maybe add an arm at the deadline, they should be well suited to compete with elite MLB talent down the stretch.

Cora is well liked by his players because he tells them everything before he tells the media. If something is wrong and he tells the media, Cora has already brought the issue up with that specific player. This managing style is in stark contrast with that of John Farrell, who didn’t have good communication with the media or his players.

Cora said last week that the All-Star break is needed and always comes at the right time. He also said it would be good to have the bullpen get some rest as well. Within the past few years, there seems to be lots of confidence with this team heading into the All-Star break. It’s well known that the second half isn’t as easy as the first half of the season. The Red Sox play the Yankees, Cleveland Indians, and the Houston Astros quite a bit down the stretch.

And The Final Grade Is…

September will be a tight race to the finish and a really big test for Alex Cora. It’s unlikely that they’ll have an epic collapse like in 2011, but it will a rollercoaster ride nonetheless. As we head into the All-Star break, Alex Cora deserves an “A” for the first half of the season not only because of the record but because he has the attention of his players and that’s of the utmost importance.

Xander Bogaerts’ Walk-Off Slam the First for Sox in Almost 18 Years (@MrMac91)

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On Saturday afternoon, shortstop Xander Bogaerts hit his third grand slam of the season. It came in the bottom of the 10th to give Boston a 6-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Bogaerts’ slam was his second huge hit in the game. Previously he hit a leadoff double to begin the bottom of the ninth to set the stage for Jackie Bradley Jr.’s game-tying double two pitches later. Closer Craig Kimbrel then came on to pitch a scoreless tenth inning to earn the win.

With the win, the Red Sox improved their MLB-best record to 67-30.

The walk-off shot was Boston’s ninth grand slam of the season, which ties the Cincinnati Reds for the most in baseball. It’s also Bogaerts’ third this year. In 2017, the Red Sox were unable to muster even one grand slam.

This was Boston’s first walk-off grand slam since August 14, 2000, when Rico Brogna smashed one against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Bogaerts, 25, continues to rake this year as he enters Sunday’s first-half finale with a .284/.355/.529 slash line. He also has 15 homers and 62 RBIs, which is impressive considering he was out for three weeks in April.

On This Day In Red Sox History: July 15, 2005 (@TheFrizz87)

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On Friday, July 15, 2005, the Red Sox and Yankees met for the second of a four game series at Fenway Park. This was the first series after the All-Star break and the Yankees had taken the first game to move within 1.5 games of the Sox for first place in the East. Through nine games, the Red Sox had gone 5-4 in their season series. Among the wins was a 17-1 victory at Yankee Stadium in late May.

Taking the Field

The Red Sox sent former Yankee David Wells to the mound. Wells was in his first season with Boston and just a year removed from his second stint with the Yankees. He had pitched twice versus New York already on the season, going 1-1. For New York, newcomer Tim Redding would take the hill. The Yankees had just acquired Redding along with Darrell May from the Padres for Paul Quantrill. Redding was 0-5 with an unsightly 9.10 ERA while pitching in the National League West.

Wells cruised through the top half of the first, striking out Derek Jeter and Robinson Canon before getting Gary Sheffield to fly out. Johnny Damon was the Red Sox leadoff hitter and singled to right to open up the home half of the first. Edgar Renteria walked before Tim Redding surprisingly struck out David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez back-to-back. With two outs, Trot Nixon doubled home both Damon and Renteria to put the Red Sox on the board first. After a Kevin Millar walk, Jason Varitek doubled and the Red Sox were ahead 3-0.

Sox Chase Redding

After another 1-2-3 inning for Wells, the Red Sox offense went back to work. Mark Bellhorn and Johnny Damon walked followed by a single by Edgar Renteria to load the bases. Just like that, Redding’s night was over, as was his Yankees career. Redding never threw another pitch for the Yankees, getting just three outs. In came Darrell May, their other recent acquisition from the Padres. The left-hander fared a little better, if only marginally so. A run came home on a fielder’s choice. Manny Ramirez followed with a double to left to score the Red Sox fifth run of the night. Trot Nixon, in the play of the night, hit a fly ball to center that seemed to tail some. Melky Cabrera, coming in for the play missed the ball as it glanced off his glove. Trot kept running as the ball rolled well past Cabrera and came around to score with a three-run inside-the-park home run! The Red Sox were up 8-0 and it was only the second inning. Tim Redding allowed six runs while only recording three outs in his only appearance for the Yankees.

Melky Cabrera misses Trot Nixon’s fly ball, leading to an inside-the-park home run.

Red Sox Chase Another Yankee Acquisition

The Red Sox got another run in the third when Edgar Renteria drove home Johnny Damon. In the top of the 4th, the Yankees got their first hit off their old buddy on a ground ball into center by Robinson Cano. After a wild pitch moved him to second, Gary Sheffield drove him home with another hit. Wells would get Alex Rodriguez to hit into a double play and Hideki Matsui to ground out to end the inning. The Yankees had scored a run, good for them.

In the bottom of the inning, the Sox got two men on via walk with two outs. Bill Mueller doubled to left to drive home Kevin Millar with the Sox’ 10th run. After another walk, Johnny Damon doubled home two more runs to chase Darrell May from the game. May had equaled Tim Redding’s six runs allowed, although at least he had gotten eight batters out to Redding’s three. This was May’s second outing as a Yankee, having allowed seven runs six days prior against the Indians. Just like Redding, this would be his final outing with the Yankees. The Yankees two recent trade acquisitions pitched a combined three games for the Yankees, allowing 19 runs over eight innings. May never pitched in the big leagues again.

A Grand Slam

The Yankees found some semblance of competency with Jason Anderson, who enjoyed a 1-2-3 fifth inning after recording the final out of the fourth. Meanwhile, David Wells kept cruising along, allowing just one hit between the fifth and sixth.

Anderson did not seem up for another inning of work however. Kevin Millar led off with a double before Anderson walked Varitek. Alex Cora then pinch-hit for Bill Mueller and singled to load the bases. Anderson actually got two outs after that without allowing a run to come in. Close to getting out of the jam, Anderson walked Edgar Renteria to bring home the Red Sox’ 13th run of the game. That was the end of Anderson’s night. With David Ortiz due up, the Yankees brought in long-time lefty specialist Buddy Groom. With two outs and the bases loaded, Ortiz took an 0-1 offering from Groom deep to right and over the fence for a grand slam. So much for the lefty specialist, the Red Sox now led 17-1.

David Ortiz follows through on his grand slam off pitcher Buddy Groom in the sixth inning at Fenway Park on July 15, 2005. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Yankees Get Embarrassed

The rest of the game was uneventful. Buddy Groom wound up pitching a shutout seventh after allowing the grand slam. For the Red Sox, David Wells went seven innings allowing just one run to improve to 7-5 on the season. John Halama had a perfect eighth followed by Geremi Gonzalez bringing home the huge victory with a perfect ninth. For the second time on the season, the Red Sox had beaten the Yankees by a score of 17-1. Trot Nixon and David Ortiz both drove in five runs on the day, with Nixon hitting the inside-the-park home run and Ortiz the grand slam.

Revisiting Potential Risers in Red Sox Farm System (@TheFrizz87)

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In January, I wrote an article highlighting some Red Sox minor leaguers who might be able to make a leap in prospect rankings with a good season. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like any of them will crack Baseball America’s top 100 next season. In fact, with what has happened with Jay Groome and Michael Chavis this year, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see no Red Sox farm hands make the rankings for 2019. That doesn’t mean all is lost though, some of these guys are still performing well.

The Pitchers

Bryan Mata 

Mata is the Red Sox lone representative in the Futures Game. However, there have still been concerns with his season. Mata was known for being a well-polished pitcher for his age, having excellent command of his pitches despite being just 18 years old. Instead, Mata has walked 57 batters in 71 innings pitched this season, leading to a WHIP of 1.59. Despite the uncharacteristic amount of walks, Mata has been able to keep his ERA down, posting a 3.42 ERA in high-A to this point. Although it’s discouraging to see his control regress, it is encouraging to see him keep teams off the scoreboard still. At just 19 years old, he has a lot of development left and could easily get his control back to where it needs to be.

Tanner Houck

Houck has not made the strides he needed to make this year. The Red Sox first round pick last year is 4-11 with a 5.14 ERA for the season. His control needs to improve and he still could use the help of developing a better third pitch. Houck can reach the upper-90’s and has a good slider, but not much beyond that. He showed some potential when he threw six no-hit innings on June 14th. His good games have been too few and far between though. Houck might ultimately wind up being tried in the bullpen in the future if he doesn’t turn things around. His fastball and slider combination might play up better in the pen and get him to the Major Leagues.

Mike Shawaryn

Shawaryn has mostly put up the same numbers in AA this year as he has always put up. The main difference is a little bit of a decrease in strike outs at the higher level, but not an alarming drop-off. He has pitched to a 3.65 ERA this season with an excellent 1.10 WHIP. He still does strike out batters too, just not over a strike out per inning anymore. Shawaryn has struck out 85 batters over 93.2 innings pitched. It looks like he will continue to increase his amount of innings pitched while still being effective, a good progress in his development.

The Hitters

Josh Ockimey at the plate for the Sea Dogs.

Josh Ockimey

In January, I wrote that Ockimey was a three “true outcome” hitter, and that hasn’t changed in Portland this season. It is encouraging to see his power continue to develop while also maintaining his patience at the plate. In a game I went to in May, Ockimey hit a blast to right that was just to the right of a light tower. After striking out in his second at-bat, I correctly predicted a walk in his third at-bat. On the season, Ockimey has batted .265 with 12 home runs in AA. He has struck out 86 times in 249 at-bats, but has also drawn 50 walks, leading to an excellent .385 on-base percentage. So far he is putting up the best season of his minor league career.

Bobby Dalbec

Dalbec was someone who needed a bounceback season to restore his prospect status; boy has he done that of late. Dalbec has been on fire, posting multiple hits five times in the last ten games. Twice in that span he has banged out four base hits. Dalbec also has a multi-homer game and six home runs total in that 10 game span. With the red hot streak, Dalbec has raised his season average to a respectable .257. He has 21 home runs in A-ball, a number not many reach down in that level. He also draws a good amount of walks, giving him a nice .369 OBP to go along with his excellent .561 slugging percentage. The downside to Dalbec is the amount of swing and miss in his game, striking out 110 times in the first half of the season. It would be interesting to see how he fares if the Red Sox move him up to Portland in the second half.