Tag Archives: Red Sox

J.D. Martinez Is Proving His Worth

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The city of Boston is all too familiar with big name players failing to meet expectations. Just look at guys like Daisuke, Pablo Sandoval, or Carl Crawford to name a few. The pressure of playing in Boston isn’t for everyone, but J.D. Martinez is looking good.

 

AN OFFENSIVE DYNAMO

Manager Alex Cora has slotted Martinez in the clean-up spot all season, and it seems to be paying off. His 32 hits through 97 at-bats accumulates to a .330 average, which is good for fourth on the team. Martinez is also leading the Sox with 22 RBI’s. This puts him on pace for 143 by the end of the season.  He won’t keep this rate up, but it’s exactly what you want to see out of your cleanup hitter.

He’s been driving in runs, but power is his biggest asset.  Martinez is second on the team with five home runs, but it’s only April.  He’s a righty at the plate and he’ll send plenty of balls over the Green monster as the season progresses.  He’s coming off a career high 45 home run season, and should be able to take full advantage of Fenway Park.  This is an area where the Red Sox desperately need help, finishing 27th in the league last season.

Martinez also puts up consistent batting averages.  He’s hit over .300 in each of the last two seasons and three times in his seven-year career.  Eduardo Nunez was the team’s only .300 hitter in 2017, so Martinez will add some depth on that front as well.

MARTINEZ IS FILLING THE VOID

There will be high expectations during his first year in Boston, but so far J.D. is living up to the hype.  He’s a solid all-around hitter and will fill plenty of gaps in the Red Sox lineup.  It looks like this might be a golden acquisition for the Sox.

On This Day In Red Sox History: Ted Williams Day

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April 30, 1952 was proclaimed “Ted Williams Day.” Williams had been recalled to active military duty and this was to be his final game before reporting to Willow Grove Naval Reserve Base. The Red Sox held an on field celebration for Teddy Ballgame and gave him a car as a gift.

Tigers vs Red Sox

The 2-8 Tigers visited Fenway Park to face the 9-2 Red Sox on “Ted Williams Day.” The Red Sox sent their ace to the mound, Mel Parnell, who had won 61 games over the previous three seasons. He was opposed by Virgil Trucks of the Tigers, who was an All-Star in 1949 and won 19 games. At first, the game was a pitcher’s duel.

The Tigers got two men in scoring position in the top half of the first, but failed to score. Dom DiMaggio was the Red Sox leadoff hitter, the only remaining member aside from Ted Williams of the group of friends. DiMaggio started things off with a hit to center and proceeded to steal second base. However, DiMaggio was erased on a fielder’s choice. Ted Williams singled in his first at-bat on his day, but the Red Sox failed to score in the first.

The Tigers threatened in the top of the third, getting men on the corners with one out. Bud Souchock hit a line drive that was caught by Ted Lepcio at second base. Lepcio then threw to first to double up the runner who was too far off the base and end the threat.

The Scoring Begins

The Tigers finally got to Parnell in the fifth inning. A single and a walk had two men on with one out and the Tigers best hitter, George Kell, coming up. Kell doubled to left to score the game’s first run. Parnell struck out Vic Wertz and then got a lineout off the bat of Johnny Groth to get out of the jam with no further damage.

Facing their first deficit, the Red Sox bat awakened in the bottom of the inning. Ted Lepcio doubled to left. Catcher Sammy White followed that up with a single and the Sox had men on the corners with no one out. Mel Parnell hit one out in front of the plate which catcher Matt Batts pounced on. Batts had a play at first but threw the ball away, allowing both Sox runners to come around and score. Parnell wound up all the way on third base on the play and the Sox had a 2-1 lead. Dom DiMaggio followed with a base hit to give the Red Sox a 3-1 lead. The Sox would get a couple more runners but the scoring was over.

The Tigers got a lead-off walk from George Kell in the 7th. After retiring the next batter, Parnell allowed a home run to Vic Wertz to tie the game at three. The Tigers got two more hits before Ike Delock replaced Parnell to finish out the inning. Parnell allowed three runs over six and two-thirds innings.

Ted Williams Plays the Hero

With the game tied, Dom DiMaggio led off the seventh reaching on an error. Jimmy Piersall flew out to bring Ted Williams to the plate. This could possibly be his final at-bat before heading back to war. For that matter, no one knew what might happen over there; this could be the final at-bat of the great Ted Williams’ career. Facing Dizzy Trout, Williams hit one deep to right field and over the wall for the go-ahead two-run homer. That homer would also prove to be the game winner, as Ike Delock shut the Tigers down for the rest of the game to pick up the victory. Ted Williams, ever having the knack for heroics, hit the game-winning home run in his final at-bat before heading off to Korea.

Ted Williams

Williams would go on to fly 39 combat missions in Korea. His plane was shot several times, and he had to make an emergency landing in a burning aircraft another time. He could have easily never made it home and had that home run be the final at-bat of his career. As things turned out, he still homered in the final at-bat of his career; it just came eight years later.

When Williams returned from Korea he was 35 years old and hadn’t played baseball in over a year. Not only that, he had fought a war! There were doubts that he would be any good once he returned. Of course, he proved those doubters wrong. In 91 at-bats during the 1953 season, Ted Williams batted .407 and hit 13 home runs! There is a reason he is the greatest hitter who ever lived.

Capt. Howard A. Anderson Jr., looked on as Williams signed papers at the Naval Air Station in Willow Grove, Pa.

 

 

Featured picture from MLB.com

On This Day in Red Sox History: Baseball Is Back!

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On April 26, 1995, baseball returned to Boston. The strike was finally over and there was to be baseball again at Fenway Park. The prior season had been cut short due to the strike in August. In addition, the new season was getting a late start, causing a very long winter for baseball fans. On this day however, baseball was back and the Red Sox were playing host to the Twins to begin a new season.

A New Team

The Red Sox brought a new look team with them following the strike. The Butch Hobson era was mercifully over, as the team finished under .500 all three seasons with him at the helm. In came former Rangers manager Kevin Kennedy to take his place. In the starting lineup on Opening Day, the Sox featured four brand new players. Luis Alicea was the leadoff hitter in his first game with the club. Mark Whiten was in the lineup as was new catcher Mike Macfarlane. The most notable addition to the lineup however was the designated hitter, Jose Canseco. Canseco was coming off a 31 home run season despite the shortened year. He had been acquired from Texas for center fielder Otis Nixon and prospect Luis Ortiz and was expected to add some thump to the lineup alongside Mo Vaughn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Season Gets Underway

With Roger Clemens beginning the season on the disabled list, the Red Sox sent Aaron Sele to the mound for the opener. Sele was looked to as the de facto ace after having gone 15-9 with a 3.35 ERA over his first two seasons. He was opposed on the mound by Scott Erickson, despite the fact Erickson had lost 30 games over the past two seasons with an ERA above 5.00.

A Jose Canseco single in his first Red Sox at-bat highlighted a scoreless first inning. Sele cruised through the second with three ground ball outs. In the bottom half, another newcomer (Mark Whiten) started the inning with a base hit. A passed ball advanced him to second and Mike Greenwell promptly drove him across the plate with a single to score the Red Sox first run of the new season.

The Red Sox threatened in the third when John Valentin tripled. However, Jose Canseco popped out to end the inning with a chance to give his new fans something to cheer about. The Sox got two more on base in the fourth yet failed to score. Meanwhile, Aaron Sele was dealing, allowing just the walk to the opening batter of the game through four innings.

Aaron Sele autographing baseballs for kids. (Boston.com)

Red Sox Take Charge

Sele allowed his first hit leading off the fifth, but retired the next three batters to conclude his day with two baserunners allowed over five shutout innings. In the bottom half of the inning, Luis Alicea got aboard with his first Red Sox base hit. After a Jose Canseco walk, Mo Vaughn hit a line drive to right-center that got down for a hit and scored Alicea. The Red Sox led 2-0 after five.

After prospect Frankie Rodriguez set the Twins down in order on eight pitches, the Red Sox bats went to work. Carl Willis (the future pitching coach of the Red Sox) replaced Mark Guthrie with one out and walked Mike Macfarlane. Tim Naehring bunted him over to second to get a man in scoring position with two outs; then the rally began. The nine-hole hitter, Lee Tinsley, came through with a run scoring single to center. After he stole second, Willis issued back-to-back walks to Luis Alicea and John Valentin. The bases were loaded with the big bats coming up. Jose Canseco lined one into center field to score two and the Sox were ahead 5-0.

With Mo Vaughn due up the Twins went to the left-handed Vince Horsman. That decision did not fare any better than the one to go to Willis. Big Mo doubled off the lefty to score both Valentin and Canseco. A walk to Mark Whiten was followed by another RBI hit for Mike Greenwell and Horsman’s day was over without recording an out. Mo Sanford hit Mike Macfarlane with a pitch to load the bases back up. Tim Naehring then hit a ball that was stopped by Scott Leius, but he had no play to make. The infield hit scored another run and the Sox had a 7 run sixth inning.

Red Sox Win First Game Big Following Strike

The rest of the game was rather uneventful with the Sox having a big lead. The Twins only got one more hit against three different pitchers. Mike Greenwell ended up collecting his fourth hit of the game, finished Opening Day 4-5 with 2 runs batted in. The pairing of Jose Canseco and Mo Vaughn in the middle of the order got off to a good start, with Mo Vaughn driving in three and Canseco bringing home two. They would end up flip-flopping spots in the lineup after just a few games, with Vaughn batting third and Canseco batting cleanup for most of the next two seasons. Baseball was back, and the Red Sox had a 9-0 win to start the season.

1995 Red Sox team photo (Bostonredsox.com)

 

Feature picture from WCVB TV

Jackie Bradley Jr. Is What the Red Sox Need

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“He cannot hit!”  “Send him down.”  Blah, blah, blah.  When discussing Jackie Bradley Jr. and what he means to the Red Sox, these are the responses I get.  However, I disagree.  Jackie Bradley Jr. is doing exactly what the Red Sox need him to do.  Jackie Bradley Jr. is currently hitting .225 with two homeruns and six runs batted in.  If his average climbs to the .240-.250 range for the season, that is all we need.

Defensive Wizard

In case you are living under a rock, Jackie Bradley Jr. is already making jaw-dropping plays.  His spectacular catch against the Marlins is pretty much forgotten because of the catch he made against the Orioles.

Watch the catch here:

I mean, this ball is about a millionth of a centimeter from touching the ground, and JBJ swoops in and catches it.  The fact that Jackie Bradley Jr. was not a finalist for a Golden Glove last season is a joke.  If you search “Jackie Bradley Jr. Catch”, about thirty different shocking plays will pop up.  JBJ takes so many runs away from opposing teams.  In addition to Craig Kimbrel, David Price and Chris Sale, all owe him a debt of gratitude.  The hits he takes away from teams more than makes up for his (sometimes) disappointing bat.  However, by no means is Jackie Bradley Jr. a slouch at the plate.

Hitting

Is Jackie Bradley Jr. the best hitter on the Red Sox? No.  Is he an instant out?  Absolutely not.  JBJ can drive the ball.  When he gets a hold of one, it flies off his bat.  His numbers from the 2016 campaign are outstanding.  A .267 average, 26 homeruns, and 87 RBIs.  Many players only dream of achieving these stats.  Not to mention an All-Star selection and a 29-game hitting streak mixed in? Wow.  As a matter of fact, JBJ is one of only five Red Sox players to hit a homerun onto Eutaw Street at Camden Yards.  Only 89 dingers have reached Eutaw Street.  Jackie joins David Ortiz, who hit two, Mo Vaughn, Carl Everett, and Troy O’Leary. Not bad company to be in.

If Jackie Bradley Jr. keeps playing the way he is, there is no reason not to keep him in Boston long term.  With Scott Boras as his agent, he might look to get his client overpaid.  However, JBJ is a smart guy.  Despite this, I hope to see him manning center field for years to come.

#AllthewaywithJBJ

 

Follow Matt McGurn on twitter: @MickGurn

Why Mookie Betts Is Poised for a Huge 2018

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Mookie Betts is arguably the best hitter in baseball right now. He is seeing the ball so well and smoking it. He massacred the Yankees’ pitching staff, raking in a grand slam in a 14-1 win. Mookie is also off the heels of a four home run series against the Angels. The man is insane.

Betts currently leads the MLB in AVG (.366). Obviously this won’t be sustainable for an entire season, but it’s a damn good start. Consequently, it could be a sign of even better things to come for Betts. Mookie is doing damage early, and if he can continue, the Red Sox are going to be very dangerous this season.

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2017

2017 was a very disappointing season for Betts. He had a steady offensive decline coming off of an insane MVP caliber year in 2016. Many fans put the blame on the absence of David Ortiz, which put the pressure on Betts to carry the offense.

He was also flip-flopped in the batting order a few times by former manager John Farrell, which could have affected his thought process throughout the season. It’s more difficult to hit if you aren’t sure whether you’d be hitting leadoff, or batting cleanup.

Having a rough 2017 was obviously something that Mookie did not want to do, but the silver-lining is that it was a wake-up call. He needed to get better and make adjustments.

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THE ALEX CORA EFFECT

Earlier, I mentioned how Farrell had swapped Mookie around throughout the 2017 season. That’s something that Alex Cora is not all about. From the time he was hired as the Sox manager, he has made Betts’ position in the batting order clear.

Betts knowing every day that he will be batting leadoff is a very overlooked thing. This allows him to go up to the plate with the same thought process each game and just try to do his part. Although he has the ability to hit home runs, it is important for him to get on base early and use his speed to score.

Alex Cora is known for his communication with younger players, as he was the bench coach for the Astros. The presence of Cora will pay dividends for Betts, as we have already seen from Xander Bogaerts this season.

FINE TUNING

None other than David Ortiz. Of course it was the “Large Father”, as Betts likes to call him, to point out mechanical issues he noticed with Betts in 2017.

Betts said in Spring Training they sat down, and Ortiz pointed out that his stride was off, causing his stance to be too open. It’s hard to say that was the sole reason for the tough time that Betts had last year.

The start that Mookie Betts is having in 2018 is no fluke. This kid is the real deal. He is a true five-tool player, and there is no ceiling for him. He’s just getting started, and I don’t think there’s anything the rest of the league can do about it.

Red Sox – Toronto Blue Jays Preview

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The Boston Red Sox Are on to Toronto

Via Boston HeraldThe Boston Red Sox head to Toronto to begin a series with the Blue Jay’s tonight. The Red Sox open the series as favorites and look to retain first place in the American League East. The red-hot Red Sox started the season with a 17-2 record averaging, 6.48 runs per game. Then the bats were silenced in Oakland on Saturday and Sunday.

The Pitching Matchup Looks like a Win for the Red Sox

Apr 15, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale delivers a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY SportsRick Porcello will get the ball for the Red Sox tonight in the first game of the series. Porcello is 4-0 on the season and has not allowed an earned run in his last 13 innings. Going against Porcello is J.A. Happ, who has struck out 26 total batters. In Happ’s last three starts he’s 3-0 with a 4.67 ERA. Happ also has 26 strikeouts.

Eduardo Rodriguez will go against Aaron Sanchez on Wednesday night. In Rodriguez’s last three starts he’s 3-0 with a 3.45 ERA. Rodriguez has 20 strikeouts. In Sanchez’s last three starts he’s 1-1 with a 3.15 ERA and 13 strikeouts. The series finale on Thursday has Chris Sale going against Marco Estrada. In Chris Sale’s last three starts he’s 1-1 with a 2.50 ERA and 26 strikeouts. Estrada is 2-1 in his last three starts. He has a 6.00 ERA and 16 strikeouts.

Last season when Porcello pitched four times against the Blue Jays. In total, he had a 2.74 ERA with 23 strikeouts and six walks. Rodriguez made two starts and one relief appearance against the Toronto Blue Jays last season as well. He struck out 18 batters, gave up eight walks, and had a 3.65 ERA. The ace Chris Sale was great against the Blue Jays last season. Sale went over 27 innings with 43 strikeouts. Sale’s ERA was 1.67 and only allowed four walks.

The 17-4 Red Sox should win this series over Toronto. The Red Sox have hit five grand slams so far this season. Will we see anymore during this series? That remains to be unseen, however, this team is a lot more fun to watch than last season.

 

Red Sox Lose Their First Series

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Red Sox Couldn’t Hit Saturday and Sunday

Boston Red Sox’s Mookie Betts celebrates his home run with Andrew Benintendi, during the first inning of a baseball game against the Anaheim Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Thursday, April 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)The 17-4 Red Sox lost their first series of the season. The Red Sox went without a hit on Saturday for the first time since 1993. On Friday night, though, the Red Sox beat the Athletics 7-3. The Red Sox had 11 hits in the win and Oakland had ten. Drew Pomeranz took the mound and really didn’t pitch well Friday night, only pitching 3.2 innings. Pomeranz gave up three runs, walked two, and had seven strikeouts. Hector Velazquez pitched three innings, giving up just four hits and one strikeout.

No-Hit Red Sox

Via NBC Sports

On Saturday Chris Sale was pitching, so easy win right? Wrong. Sean Manaea pitched a no-hitter, striking out ten batters. Manaea said after the game that he didn’t realize he was pitching a no-hitter until the eighth inning. Manaea had been bad against Boston in his earlier three starts, going 1-2 with a 13.50 ERA. Hanley Ramirez Tweeted after the game saying “Congratulations Sean Manaea, you were really good tonight bro”. Chris Sale struck out ten batters, but gave up three runs on six hits and one walk in seven innings.

Sunday brought a question that maybe Alex Cora left David Price in too long in the eighth inning. Price had already thrown 90 pitches. The score was tied 1-1 and Price was facing Khris Davis. The first pitch Price threw to Davis crushed a three-run homer. Mookie Betts and Hanley Ramirez didn’t play on Sunday for rest, so the team had trouble with A’s pitcher Daniel Mengden. Red Sox didn’t really get the bats going until the seventh inning yesterday. Price stuck out six and threw 96 pitches.

The Toronto Blue Jays Are Next

Now the Red Sox had a day off and travel to Toronto to take on the Blue Jays. The Red Sox are 17-4 and are four games up on the Toronto Blue Jays, as well as 5.5 games up on the New York Yankees. There’s still a lot of baseball left it’s a long season, but so far this team has been great.

The 100 Year Anniversary of the 1918 World Series Red Sox

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Anniversary of the 1918 Red Sox

1918 was a year that was host to many pivotal moments in history. In November, World War I ended. It was also the year of the Spanish Flu breakout, that would ended up infecting approximately 500 million people around the world.

On a lighter note, however, 1918 saw the Boston Red Sox win the World Series against the Chicago Cubs in six games. The Red Sox finished the regular season with a 76-50 record, a .603 winning percentage.  The 1918 regular season was cut short because of the WWI “Work or Fight” order. This was the only World Series to be played entirely in September, as well as one of three Fall Classics to not feature a home run from either team. This also marked the first time the Star Spangled Banner was performed at a major league baseball game.

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Lineup

Jumping into the actual team itself, the most popular player from this team was obviously Babe Ruth. There was only one other Hall of Famer on this ball club, Harry Hooper. Hooper was a 30 year old right fielder in 1918, in which he batted .298 and had a .796 OPS. Ruth, on the other hand led the league in Slugging (.555) and OPS (.966).

Also, the 23 year old compiled a 2.22 ERA with a 13-7 record and a 1.046 WHIP. He was about as valuable to a team as a player could possibly be. Other noteworthy pitchers include Carl Mays, who pitched in 35 games compiling a 2.21 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, Sam Jones with a 2.25 ERA in 24 games pitched, and “Bullet” Joe Bush who in 36 games compiled a 2.11 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. In fact, as a team, the Sox achieved a 2.31 ERA. This could be attributed to the low scoring qualities teams had in the dead-ball era.

star-spangledbanner-1918

The Series

The first three games were played at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Ironically, Comiskey Park was the home of the White Sox for 80 years (1910-1990). It was the better choice of venue over Weeghman Park because it had a second deck for viewers and held twice as many people. The Sox took two out of three in as many consecutive days in Chicago, and then took the series to Fenway Park.

The Red Sox won two out of three in Fenway as well, resulting in a series win. Babe Ruth went 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA between Games 1 and 4. This would be the last time the Sox won a World Series until 2004, when the curse was finally broken. Also, this marked the last time the Sox won a World Series on their own field until 2013. Meanwhile, it took the Cubs another 98 years before they would go on to win their next World Series as well. If history truly repeats itself, this could be the last year the Red Sox could win a World Series before another 86 year drought.

Hopefully one comes sooner than that, of course.

@ELJGON

Giancarlo Stanton Can’t Handle the Pressure of New York

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It wasn’t long ago that Red Sox Nation was collectively brought to its hands and knees, begging for Giancarlo Stanton. He has the power that the Sox need, and one can only imagine the damage he’d do at Fenway Park.  He hit 59 home runs last season in Miami, which could translate to 70+ in Boston. It could’ve been a great fit, but this selling point wasn’t enough.  Following in the footsteps of Alex Rodriguez, Stanton is now a New York Yankee.  Missing out on Stanton is tough, but he isn’t looking like the $25,000,000 man he’s made out to be.

DISSECTING THE NUMBERS

Through 20 games and 91 plate appearances, Stanton has racked up a grand total of 15 hits. This accumulates to a .185 batting average, and his home run production doesn’t made him look any better. He has four home runs on the season, which puts him on pace for 32 by year’s end. This would be a 46% decrease from his total a year ago. It’s not a good look for the reigning home run champion.  He has the potential to tear the cover off the ball, but it isn’t happening yet in New York.  Hitting for power is his forte, so this is surely frustrating for the Yankees.

Stanton’s stats at home are particularly atrocious.  As if things could get even worse, he has a dismal .100 average in front of his home fans.  This is the last thing that the Yankees envisioned, but going 0 for 5 and 0 for 7 in the same week isn’t going to help the numbers.  The strikeouts are also an issue.  He’s currently averaging 1.6 strikeouts per game with a total of 32 K’s.  This is way up from his 1.05 strikeouts per game through eight years in Miami.  He really just seems out of sync from the player he’s been his whole career.

These aren’t numbers you’d expect out of Stanton, but he just seems uncomfortable all around.  Striking out five times is in two separate games is unprecedented for a player of this caliber.   This just goes to show how much he’s in his own head.  His confidence is at rock bottom, and this isn’t helping anything.

ADAPTING TO THE CULTURE

If Stanton were to continue on this trajectory, he would finish his first season in New York hitting .185 with 32 home runs, 97 RBI’s, and 259 strikeouts.  This isn’t what the Yankees are paying him to do.  He is yet to earn a dime of his $25,000,000 salary, and the fans are letting him hear it.  He’s been consistently showered with boos and as a result his production has declined even more.  This is all part of playing in a New York, and Stanton needs to learn how to block out the noise.

The Yankees have a passionate fan base and Stanton needs to produce to get on their good side.  If you don’t play up to your capabilities, the fans will be tough on you.  It’s that simple.  The same thing applies to Boston and the other major sports cities around the country.  Nobody gets a free pass because of who they once were.  You’re only as good as your last game, and Stanton is starting to figure that out.  Things might be different once he gives the fans a real reason to cheer.  Until then, he just has to roll with the punches.

He’ll snap out of it eventually, but Stanton has yet to prove than he can handle playing in a bigger market.

Do the Red Sox Have an Identity?

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The Red Sox Are Better and More Confident

USA TODAY SportsThe 15-2 Boston Red Sox have the best record in franchise history. Not only that, but the Red Sox have hit four grand slams this season and are on pace for 38. The Major League record for grand slams in a season is 14.  So far this season the Red Sox have had 176 hits, 22 home runs, and 101 RBI’s. Yes it’s early, but it’s clear that the Red Sox didn’t want to play for John Farrell last season. They’ve found an identity with Alex Cora connecting with them.

The only pitcher on the team with a loss is David Price. Alex Cora told Tony Massarotti on 98.5 The Sports Hub that he never knew Price couldn’t pitch well in cold weather, or even about his condition. Price did pitch well Tuesday night, but the Red Sox also hit the ball well too. It was also 60 degrees so Price’s fingers wouldn’t get numb for being too cold. The only two Red Sox losses so far are from Opening Day and David Price being taken out because of the cold temperature.

Alex Cora Is off to a Great Start

Cora is the first rookie manager to start at 15-2, but he credits the players. Cora said after last nights game, “It’s a credit to them, I just put the lineup in. The coaches are helping out, putting them in a spot to be successful. They’re using the information to their advantage. In the end, they’re the ones hitting fastballs out of the ballpark and playing good defense and throwing the ball over the plate. All the credit goes to them.”

Cora also said after last nights game, “I know how good they are. But it’s just something about them that makes you feel confident. You show up every day to work and you enjoy it. I’m having a blast with them, not only in the dugout but in the clubhouse. It’s fun to be around them.” The Red Sox keep this up it will be a fun and exciting season.