Shipping Up To Boston - MLB 19 The Show Boston Red Sox Franchise

[TheJoker12]

Red Sox Reset: Sox slip up as competition gets tougher



It wasn't a horrible week for the Red Sox. They picked up three wins against two of the best teams in the American League, and were able to split a tough four-game series against the Yankees in the Bronx. But they have to feel like they left a few wins on the table.

In the first two games against Cleveland at Fenway, the Sox were able to get to Mike Clevinger and Shane Bieber, but couldn't touch the Indians bullpen. In Cleveland's 5-2 and 6-3 back-to-back wins, their bullpen threw 10 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball. The Sox actually took a 3-0 lead on Tuesday, but their failure to add on runs and a shaky bullpen saw them blow it late in the game. They also failed to hold on to a 7-6 lead Sunday night against the Yankees.

Which leads to the next point - the bullpen is a mess.

Ryan Brasier took two losses this week while Tyler Thornburg was also roughed up on a couple of outings. In fact, in the Red Sox four losses this week, the bullpen gave up 14 runs and 20 hits in 14 innings of work while also walking nine batters.

Brasier and Thornburg have been outstanding this season, but they've been overworked. In the first three games of the Yankees series, they totalled 6 2/3 innings of work and were touched for three runs. Leading 7-6 in the 7th on Sunday night against the Yankees, Alex Cora went back to his 1-2 punch once again and was scorched. Thornburg gave up three hits and a run while Brasier was smoked by Gary Sanchez for a three-run home run which put the Yankees in front for good.

The Sox don't have enough pitchers on the staff they can trust. That's what it comes down to. Carson Smith was hit hard once again on Friday and was finally sent down to Pawtucket to work through his mechanics (Hector Velazquez was recalled). Heath Hembree has been okay, but he's issued 12 walks in 24 1/3 innings. Neither Brian Johnson nor Bobby Poyner inspire much confidence - in fact, lefties are hitting over .400 against Johnson and Poyner has issued more walks than strike outs in his nine games so far.

With several pitchers at AAA off to strong starts, it may be time for a shakeup in the bullpen.

The week in review

Cleveland Indians at Boston Red Sox
May 27, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cleveland (30-22)	2	0	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	5	9	0
Boston (32-22)	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	7	0
W: Clevinger (5-4) L: Price (4-6) S: Hand (19)

Cleveland Indians at Boston Red Sox
May 28, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cleveland (31-22)	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	3	6	11	0
Boston (32-23)	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	6	1
W: Otero (4-2) L: Brasier (2-3) S: Hand (20)

Cleveland Indians at Boston Red Sox
May 29, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cleveland (32-22)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	1
Boston (32-24)	0	2	1	3	4	0	2	0	x	12	12	0
W: Sale (7-1) L: Plutko (0-1)

Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
May 30, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston (33-24)	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	4	8	8	1
New York (39-17)	0	0	0	0	2	0	3	0	0	5	11	0
W: Thornburg (1-0) L: Chapman (1-1) S: Barnes (16)

Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
May 31, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston (34-24)	0	0	1	0	0	2	0	0	1	4	8	1
New York (39-18)	0	1	0	3	0	1	2	1	x	8	12	1
W: Montgomery (7-2) L: Eovaldi (5-4)

Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
Jun 1, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston (34-25)	1	0	3	0	2	2	0	0	0	8	12	0
New York (40-18)	3	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	4	12	0
W: Thornburg (2-0) L: Happ (5-2)

Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
Jun 2, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston (35-25)	0	0	0	0	4	2	1	0	0	7	10	2
New York (40-19)	1	0	3	1	0	1	1	4	x	11	17	2
W: Kahnle (4-1) L: Brasier (2-4)

Three up
1. The Red Sox-Yankees rivalry: The teams have played six games against each other so far. Both teams have won three. The Sox have scored 40 runs. The Yankees have scored 41 runs. The win on Sunday night means the Yankees will maintain their 6.5 game lead over the Red Sox, but this division race is far from over. The teams will meet again for the first time at Fenway for another quick two-game set at the end of June, but we have our eyes set on September 6th - the first night of a four-game series at Fenway which could decide the division.

2. Jackie Bradley Jr.: Red Sox fans and management hoped the 2018 playoffs were a sign of things to come for JBJ, and it looks like it was. Bradley Jr. had a big week, picking up seven hits and two home runs while driving in five and scoring six himself. He also stole two bases and struck out only once. He is now hitting .299 on the season with nine big flies as he looks to repeat his offensive outburst in 2016 when he finished the year with 26 home runs and 87 RBI.

3. Eduardo Nunez: When Xander Bogaerts went down, the thought was that Eduardo Nunez would take over as the everyday shortstop. Extremely poor defense and a poor start at the plate prevented this, however, and the majority of the playing time has gone to Tzu-Wei Lin. Nunez has picked it up, however, and hit a massive three-run home run off Aroldis Chapman on Thursday that gave the Red Sox a huge come from behind victory.

Honourable Mention: Ho-hum, another start, another win for Chris Sale. Some may second guess Alex Cora's decision, or perhaps lack thereof, to adjust the rotation and get Sale a start against the Yankees, but he is set up to face the Rays next weekend and his six shutout innings on Thursday helped the Red Sox prevent being swept at home.

Three down
1. Starting pitching against the Yankees: It's easy to place blame on the bullpen, and there is certainly plenty of that to go around as outlined above, but the bottom line is that the Red Sox starters did not perform against the Yankees. Rick Porcello, Nathan Eovaldi, and David Price all failed to make it through five innings, while Eduardo Rodriguez lasted exactly five but allowed four home runs in doing so. Combined, the four starters allowed 30 hits and 16 runs in 18 innings of work. The fact that the Red Sox were able to win two of these games is a testament to some timely hitting, because the starters were simply not good enough.

2. Alex Cora: He adjusted the rotation by giving Hector Velazquez a spot start a week ago to ensure that Chris Sale would start against the Astros, but in doing so he bumped him out of a start against the Yankees. Beating the Astros is nice, but ultimately it doesn't matter if you finish ahead of them or not - it does matter against New York. Cora also went back to Thornburg and Brasier despite knowing both were completely out of gas on Sunday night and it cost him big time.

3. Eduardo Rodriguez keeping the ball in the park: Part of the reason Rodriguez has been so successful this season is his ability to keep the ball in the ballpark. That didn't happen this week. He was hit for a two-run home run in the 7th inning of Tuesday's game against Cleveland (with the Red Sox holding a 3-1 lead at the time), and allowed three dingers on Sunday against the Yankees.



Just wondering...
1. Who will the Red Sox target in the draft? It's no secret that the Red Sox are lagging in their minor league system. Part of that is because several of their prospects are now contributing members of the big league time (think Benintendi and Betts) and they traded several others to acquire players who helped them win the 2018 World Series. It doesn't help that Michael Chavis and Marcus Wilson, whom they picked up in the Blake Swihart trade, are both on the IL for the next few months. This is a crucial draft for the Red Sox to begin to restock their farm system.

2. Can the Red Sox finally put together a strong series against Tampa? The Sox have battled hard against the Yankees and have also taken it to the Astros so far, but they've struggled mightily against the Rays. Part of this is due to timing - the Sox were stuck in a dreadful slump when they ran into Tampa back in April, but a 1-5 record (including 0-3 at Fenway) is the main reason why they trail the Rays in the standings. In fact, take out those games and the Sox actually have a better record than Tampa (34-21 compared to 33-20). Next weekend is a great chance for the Red Sox to answer.

[TheJoker12]

Red Sox Roster Reset: Johnson, Poyner, and Brewer sent packing as Red Sox recall top pitching prospect



With every game an important one when it comes to the race in the AL East, the Red Sox made a trio of moves today to help shore up a languishing bullpen.

First, they removed Colten Brewer from the 40-man roster. The Red Sox acquired Brewer in a trade back in November, but he became the odd man out. The Sox hoped they could sneak him through waivers, but he was claimed by White Sox.

Next, they added Jenrry Mejia to the 40-man roster and called him up from AAA. Mejia was serving as Pawtucket's closer and led the team with an ERA of just 1.42 so far this season. Back in 2014, Mejia picked up 28 saves as the closer of the New York Mets, but numerous suspensions related to PED use has kept him out of the big leagues since 2015. To make room for Mejia, the team optioned the struggling Bobby Poyner to AAA.

Lastly, the team brought up the 22-year-old Darwinzon Hernandez from Pawtucket and sent down their other struggling left-hander, Brian Johnson. One of the top prospects in the Red Sox farm system, Hernandez was starting games at AAA but will move into a middle relief role with the big league club. However, with his success against left-handed hitters so far this season (zero home runs allowed and an average below .200), and with the recent demotions of Poyner and Johnson leaving him as the only left-handed pitcher in the bullpen, Hernandez may find himself in some high leverage situations sooner rather than later.

[TheJoker12]

Red Sox Draft Reset: Does Red Sox draft indicate Mookie is a goner?



Red Sox fans won't like hearing this, but the Sox may have just drafted Mookie Betts' replacement. Two of them, in fact.

Betts has been a sensation for the Red Sox since joining the team back in 2014 and playing his first full season in 2015. In just five full seasons, he's won an MVP, three Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, and been named an All-Star three times. But since word came out that he turned down a $200 million extension, the only thing on fans' minds has been whether or not he will be a goner following the 2020 season.

The draft did nothing to calm those nerves.

The Red Sox selected two right fielders with their first two picks, both of whom could be on the team sooner rather than later. With a potentially messy arbitration coming up, there is a real chance that next season could be Betts' last in Boston - and the Red Sox are preparing themselves for that possibility, whether the fans like it or not.

Draft Picks

Cameron Loomis
Loomis hopes to become the first German-born player since Tom McCarthy to appear in a Red Sox uniform. Loomis' glove is good enough that he could start in the outfield tomorrow, and he's blazing fast - all the makings of a leadoff hitter (sound familiar...?) He's also a switch-hitter, and while the potential is there for Loomis to hit for both power and average, he has a way to go in both areas. Although many scouts have projected that he is at least two or three years away from the majors, both Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi made significant contributions to the Red Sox when they were 22 years old.



Jason Montes
The Sox doubled down on their outfield by selecting a second right fielder with their second pick - Jason Montes from the Dominican Republic. Although he's just 18, Montes could make the team next year - he's that good. Another speedster on the basepaths, Montes also has a great glove, arm, and range in the outfield. He also hits left-handed pitching surprisingly well considering he bats from the left side. He has all the makings of becoming a 30-30 player...just like Mookie in 2018.



Mariano Balladares
It may take Sox fans a few years to warm up to a player named Mariano, but this kid can play. Another strong fielder (notice a trend here?), Balladares doesn't offer a whole lot at the plate when it comes to power, but he can put the bat on the ball. And he can run - fast. With Dustin Pedroia coming to the end of his career, the Sox need to begin developing a second baseman, and Balladares has the chance to be that guy.



Will McCarthy
According to sources, the Sox actually wanted to take McCarthy in the second round but couldn't pass up a chance to draft Montes. A reliever by trade, McCarthy really only has three pitches - a cutter, changeup, and curveball - but scouts believe his cutter is major league ready. McCarthy can paint both corners with his cutter, and uses his curveball as his punch out pitch. It's no secret the Red Sox bullpen has had its fair share of issues this season, so McCarthy has a chance to make some noise with the big league club as early as next season.



Johan Velez
Another Latin-American player joins the Red Sox 2019 draft class, and this boy can throw. Hard. Velez has four pitches but mainly relies on his 4-seam fastball and slider to get batters out. He can be a bit wild at times - but has nasty stuff that can make him incredibly difficult to hit when he's on.



Pierre Bordick
Like Velez, Bordick can also sling it and mainly relies on his 4-seam fastball and slider as well. Bordick could eventually become a starter, although many scouts project him to be a late-inning guy and even potentially a closer at some point. His control can be an issue, but when he does find the zone he's nearly impossible to hit.



Andy Sadler
A true project by every definition of the word, the Dutch-born Sadler stands at 6'5 and possess a nasty 12-6 curveball. His velocity is jus average, however, and when he doesn't have a feel for the curve he can be susceptible to the long ball. The 19-year-old is at least three years away from contributing at the big league level.



Red Sox Prospect Update
With the addition of several new prospects to the Red Sox farm system, let's take a quick look at how some of the other guys are doing at the AAA and AA level.

1. 3B Michael Chavis: It hasn't been a great season for Chavis. He started on a tear at AAA, picking up two home runs and 17 RBI to go along with a .364 average in just 88 at-bats, earning himself a call up to the majors when Xander Bogaerts went down. His 3-27 spell earned him a ticket back to Pawtucket where he proceeded to tear his calf, and has been on the IL ever since. Chavis should return by the end of June and will look to salvage his year in the second half.

2. 3B Bobby Dalbec: Many thought Dalbec would get the call up to AAA when Chavis went down, but the Sox have elected to keep him at AA where he is currently hitting .305. Dalbec is proving to be a threat at the plate and on the bases, blasting seven home runs and six stolen bases so far through the first two months of the season.

3. P Darwinzon Hernandez: Hernandez has finally earned his shot with the big-league club, and in two appearances has done his job - albeit a little bit messily. He's picked up two holds already, although he has allowed three hits in just 1 2/3 innings.

4. P Jay Groome: Groome has not had a great start to 2019 - he currently sits at 0-3 with a 4.96 ERA. He's walked more batters (13) than he's struck out (12) and his WHIP is nearly 2.00. One positive note - he hasn't allowed a home run yet.

5. SS C.J. Chatham: Chatham is off to a strong start at the plate with 27 runs scored and 21 RBI already this season for the Portland Sea Dogs. The Red Sox would like to see him raise his average (.251) and improve his defense (six errors), but Chatham will likely join the AAA Pawtucket team in the near future.

[TheJoker12]

Red Sox Reset: Sale injury puts damper on a week with two walk-off wins for the Sox



The Sox did what they were supposed to do against the Royals. A team that entered the series already 15 games below .500, Kansas City put up a decent effort in all three games but came up short in each one.

But that wasn't the focus for this week.

No, instead, it was a match-up with Boston's nemesis to this point - the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays came into the series four games up on Boston with a 5-1 head-to-head record, including a sweep in Fenway the last time these teams met back in April. Friday night looked like more of the same - David Price was rocked once again and lasted only four innings while the Red Sox hitters left 17 (!) men on base and couldn't get a single hit with runners in scoring position.

The weekend told a different story.

Although neither win was convincing, the Red Sox showed some impressive resilience. In both games they held leads in the later innings only to watch them slip away - once because Alex Cora stuck with Eduardo Rodriguez one hitter too long, and once because Matt Barnes hung a curveball at the worst possible time. A weaker, softer team may have folded - but not these Sox. Both times the Red Sox rallied in the bottom of the ninth, led by role players - Eduardo Nunez and Jackie Bradley Jr. on Saturday night and Steve Pearce and Dustin Pedroia on Sunday afternoon. The two wins moved the Sox to just three games back of Tampa for second in the division.

But did it come at a cost?

On Sunday, Chris Sale was rolling - sure, he had given up six hits in less than four innings, including one that left the ballpark, but he had already struck out eight hitters and appeared to be overpowering the Rays batters.

Until he wasn't.

Sale called for the trainer and was immediately lifted from the game with what the Sox are calling shoulder fatigue. Although he hasn't been placed on the IL, and Alex Cora is confident that he will make his next start, this has to be a huge concern for the Red Sox based on what happened last year.

Sale is having a Cy Young caliber season - so far he is 8-1 with 115 strikeouts and only 26 walks in 90 2/3 innings. Of his 14 starts, 11 have been quality starts. The other Sox starters are just 20-19 combined. If Sale is out for any prolonged period of time, it could be a huge problem for this Red Sox team that has been overly dependant on their ace to this point.

The week in review

Boston Red Sox at Kansas City Royals
Jun 4, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston (36-26)	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	2	0	5	12	0
Kansas City (22-37)	0	0	0	2	0	0	1	0	0	3	8	0
W: Sale (8-1) L: McCarthy (0-2) S: Barnes (17)

Boston Red Sox at Kansas City Royals
Jun 5, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston (37-26)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	3	5	0
Kansas City (22-38)	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	11	0
W: Porcello (5-4) L: Diekman (1-2) S: Barnes (18)

Boston Red Sox at Kansas City Royals
Jun 6, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston (38-26)	0	0	0	1	0	4	2	0	0	7	8	0
Kansas City (22-39)	1	1	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	4	12	0
W: Eovaldi (6-4) L: Duffy (1-2) S: Barnes (19)

Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox
Jun 7, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Tampa Bay (41-21)	0	2	0	2	0	2	0	0	0	6	13	2
Boston (38-26)	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	8	0
W: Chirinos (7-4) L: Price (4-7)

Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox
Jun 8, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Tampa Bay (42-21)	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	3	9	1
Boston (38-27)	0	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	1	4	11	2
W: Hernandez (1-0) L: Stanek (2-3)

Tampa Bay Rays at Boston Red Sox
Jun 9, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Tampa Bay (42-22)	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	10	0
Boston (39-27)	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	1	3	7	1
W: Barnes (1-1) L: Beeks (1-3)

Three up
1. Dustin Pedroia: It hasn't been the easiest of transitions for the former AL MVP. After missing almost all of last season due to injury, Pedroia has been reduced to a role player - he's been limited to 47 games so far and only 157 at-bats. Cora's goal has been to keep him fresh, however, and it seems to be working. Although the power isn't there (just two home runs and five doubles so far), he is hitting .299 and has driven in 16 runs so far. On Sunday he got his biggest RBI of the year. Stepping into the box with two out and a runner on third in the bottom of the ninth, Pedroia clobbered a pitch off the Green Monster to give the Sox their second consecutive walk-off victory.

2. K/BB ratio vs Tampa: It was no secret coming into the series that the Rays had the Sox number - at least to this point. One of the more concerning trends over the first six games (of which the Sox lost five) was the so-so strikeout to walk ratio for the Red Sox pitchers. In six games, the Sox pitching staff struck out 50 batters and walked 19 in 52 innings - not horrible, by any means, but not great. That changed over the weekend. In 27 innings, the Sox pitchers struck out 37 batters (including 17 on Sunday) and waked just four. That's right, a K/BB ratio of 9/1. As a result, the Rays scored just 11 runs over the three-game series.

3. Eduardo Nunez' stolen base: Okay, it wasn't quite Dave Roberts in the 9th inning off Mariano Rivera, but don't diminish the importance of Nunez' stolen base in the bottom of the ninth on Saturday night. The Sox held a 3-0 lead but watched that slowly slip away and were on the verge of potentially losing their seventh game to Tampa when Nunez reached base with a two-out walk. He immediately took off for second and slid in safely. Two pitches later, Nunez scored on a single from JBJ. The Red Sox would rally again Sunday and now hold a two-game winning streak over a team that appeared to have their number.

Honourable Mention: A bunch this week. Andrew Benintendi nailing Mondesi at the plate in the ninth inning to preserve a win on Wednesday against Kansas City. Hector Velazquez stepping in Sunday to relieve an injured Chris Sale and throwing three scoreless innings. Darwinzon Hernandez picking up his first career win in the majors. And Jackie Bradley Jr. picking up four hits, including the game-winning hit, Saturday night against the Rays. Overall, a great week for this Red Sox team.

Three down
1. David Price: Price remains the biggest problem on this team, and it is becoming a problem. He was knocked around again on Friday, giving up seven hits and four runs in just four innings of work. He took his seventh loss of the year, and his ERA has ballooned to 5.12. Even more concerning is that he has given up 94 hits and 12 home runs in just 70 1/3 innings. Price has never...let me say that again, Price has NEVER allowed more hits than innings pitched during the regular season in his career. After a great playoff run in 2018, it's been disappointing to see him fall off like this - and one has to wonder how long Cora will let him work through it before he makes a change.

2. Matt Barnes' curveball: Barnes had a pretty good week overall, picking up three saves against the Royals. He tried for a fourth on Sunday against the Rays, but that quickly fell apart when he hung a 3-2 curveball to Andrew Velazquez who took him deep to tie the game at two. Even more frustrating - Velazquez is hitting just .213 on the year and had only one home run coming into the at-bat.

3. Tzu-Wei Lin: Lin has begun to lose playing time - in fact, he only received two starts this week. He had a very rough go on Friday - in his first three at-bats, he left six runners on base, four of which were in scoring position, and twice with less than two out. A single hit from Lin could have changed the course of that game and he wasn't able to deliver. On the year he has a .260 average but just a .289 on-base percentage and .356 slugging. More concerning, however, is his .950% fielding percentage, which has made Cora hesitant to give him starts as the competition gets tougher.



Just wondering...
1. Time to put the foot on the gas and not let up The Red Sox get a bit of a break now - they play four at home against Texas before hitting the road for three against Baltimore and three against Minnesota and ending with three at homes against Toronto. All of these teams are below .500 and Baltimore is especially awful. This is a great chance for the Sox to go on a run - anything below nine or ten wins would be disappointing.

2. Can we jump to the end of July? How's this for a stretch of games - three at Tampa, four vs New York and three vs Tampa at Fenway, and then three at New York. That 13 game stretch will likely define the 2019 season for the Red Sox, and boy is it going to be fun. The Red Sox should have Xander Bogaerts back for then, and knock on wood all three teams are relatively healthy so we can watch some great baseball.

[spursup]

Chris Sale has a lot of trouble staying healthy in The Show. Sucks to lose him.

Your season only seems to be on the upswing. Can't help but be thrilled with the Yankees playing as well as they are here though.

[TheJoker12]

Quote: Originally Posted by spursup

Chris Sale has a lot of trouble staying healthy in The Show. Sucks to lose him. Your season only seems to be on the upswing. Can't help but be thrilled with the Yankees playing as well as they are here though.

I think I dodged a bullet this time and he's going to be okay for his next start but definitely a concern.

The Yankees and Rays are both ridiculous. Haven't checked after this last series but I'm pretty sure the top three teams in the AL are Yankees-Rays-Red Sox.

Those 13 games at the end of July should be fun. Thanks for checking in!

[TheJoker12]

Red Sox Reset: Betts to Red Sox brass: "Not so fast"



The Red Sox management made some noise last week when they drafted not one, but two right fielders with their first two picks in the draft. Both Cameron Loomis and Jason Montes are five-tool players that project as solid major league starters at least with superstar potential.

We also know that Mookie Betts does not have a contract. He will likely go to arbitration at the end of this season and has hinted that he wants to test the free agency market in 2020. Put two and two together and it's clear to see that the Red Sox may be getting ready for life after Mookie.

But Betts isn't going out without a fight.

After a horrific start to the season (1-17 in the first series against Seattle and a .226 average at the end of April), Betts has once again become one of the best hitters in the league. He shredded the Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles this week, picking up 14 hits in 26 at-bats. He hit four home runs (including three in Tuesday's game) and scored six times.

On the season, Betts has raised his average to .293 and his OPS to .945, which is good for seventh in the league. He currently has a 2.9 WAR, which ranks 10th in the American League among all hitters, and he's raised his ISO to .276, not too far from his 2018 number.

As Betts goes so do the Red Sox - the team stumbled to a 15-16 record at the end of April, but have since gone on a 30-13 tear. It's no coincidence that during this team Betts has been equally as hot, both in the field and at the plate.

The Red Sox have to prepare for a time when Mookie is no longer roaming right field at Fenway - but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be doing everything they can to reach a long-term extension.

The week in review

Texas Rangers at Boston Red Sox
Jun 10, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Texas (28-36)	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	4	7	0
Boston (40-27)	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	2
W: Jurado (3-3) L: Mejia (0-1) S: Kelley (2)

Texas Rangers at Boston Red Sox
Jun 11, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Texas (29-36)	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	2	0	4	7	0
Boston (40-28)	1	0	0	1	0	6	3	0	x	11	13	0
W: Eovaldi (7-4) L: Minor (3-9)

Texas Rangers at Boston Red Sox
Jun 12, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Texas (29-37)	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	4	10	1
Boston (41-28)	0	3	0	0	0	0	1	2	x	6	11	0
W: Thornburg (3-0) L: Chavez (2-5) S: Barnes (20)

Texas Rangers at Boston Red Sox
Jun 13, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Texas (29-38)	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	2	0	4	9	0
Boston (42-28)	0	2	0	2	0	1	2	0	x	7	14	0
W: Rodriguez (6-4) L: Miller (2-6) S: Barnes (21)

Boston Red Sox at Baltimore Orioles
Jun 14, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston (43-28)	0	0	4	2	0	0	1	0	0	7	11	1
Baltimore (20-50)	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	7	0
W: Sale (9-1) L: Cashner (1-4) S: Velazquez (1)

Boston Red Sox at Baltimore Orioles
Jun 15, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston (44-28)	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	3	9	0
Baltimore (20-51)	0	3	0	0	0	0	2	0	x	5	9	1
W: Yacabonis (2-4) L: Porcello (5-5) S: Givens (14)

Boston Red Sox at Baltimore Orioles
Jun 16, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston (44-29)	1	0	0	6	0	0	0	5	0	12	12	0
Baltimore (21-5)	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	2	0	5	10	0
W: Eovaldi (8-4) L: Bundy (4-10)

Three up
1. Sandy Leon: Coming into this season, Sandy Leon had never hit a grand slam in 29 career at-bats. He has hit three this season, and two this past week. The veteran catcher began the season in AAA but with numerous injuries at the catcher position has become Boston's everyday guy, and he's responded with solid defense and surprising contributions at the plate - he's hitting a respectable .250 with six home runs and 26 RBI.

2. Nathan Eovaldi: After battling through a tough May, Eovaldi has seemingly turned a corner in June, and picked up two wins this past week with two solid if not spectacular starts. Eovaldi did give up seven runs total, but threw 14 1/3 innings and allowed just 12 hits and only four walks. On the season, his WHIP is still concerning - it sits at 1.42 - but he's given the team 86 2/3 innings and a FIP of 3.78. Eovaldi is never going to be confused with a staff ace, but he's become a reliable number three/four guy - and we know his mentality and heart are second to none on the team.

3. Steve Pearce and Mitch Moreland: Neither Steve Pearce or Mitch Moreland are going to be confused with Freddie Freeman or Paul Goldschmidt anytime soon, but both players are beginning to turn it around. Moreland picked up seven hits this week, including a home run, while Pearce contributed three runs scored, a stolen base, and walked four times. Moreland has raised his average to .233 while Pearce is now hitting .247 with an OBP of .369. The nine combined home runs is disappointing, and the Red Sox may still be in the market for a first basemen come the trade deadline, but it is an improvement.

Three down
1. Andrew Benintendi: The Red Sox leadoff hitter is struggling - big time. While he has driven in six runs in June, his average has dropped by 20 points and he is slugging just .344 on the season. Amazingly, the Red Sox scored 47 runs this week despite the fact that Benintendi went just 2-25. It may be worthwhile for Alex Cora to move him down in the order until he finds his stroke again.

2. Stolen base success rate: Since their slow start at the plate to begin the season, the Red Sox have been much more aggressive on the basepaths. It hasn't always worked. Boston ranks 24th in the league with 31 caught stealing attempts which is the same amount of times they were caught stealing last season. Last year the team had a success rate of 80% while this year it has fallen to 64%. This past week the team was gunned down trying to steal second five times, with Betts being caught twice to give him a league-leading ten on the season.

3. Jenrry Mejia: The recently promoted Mejia took the loss on Monday against the Rangers when he surrendered three runs in the seventh inning. Mejia has struck out 13 batters in just six innings of work so far, but has surrendered runs in three of his four appearances to this point.



Just wondering...
1. What is the game plan with Chris Sale? The Sox seemed to have dodged a bullet with Sale, as their ace made his regularly scheduled start against Baltimore on Friday night. Sale looked good - striking out nine batters - but lasted just five innings before being pulled, despite the fact that his pitch count was just 81. It was likely just a precaution, and the Red Sox have every reason to play it safe, but it is a situation worth monitoring going forwards.

2. When will Xander Bogaerts return? The Red Sox activated Bogaerts from the IL this week and sent Tzu-Wei Lin back to AAA. Lin did a decent job filling in for Bogaerts (although his .948 fielding percentage was not ideal), but it's no question that getting X back will be huge. He likely won't join the team in Minnesota, but look for him to make his first start against the Jays Friday night at Fenway.

3. Can the Orioles be relegated? Seriously, what a joke of an organization. The Orioles were a disaster last year, and they proceeded to trade anyone of any value, which has only made them worse. Their 21-52 is the worst in the majors by a long mark, and they are already 26.5 games behind the Yankees in the division (and 23.5 behind the Red Sox).

[TheJoker12]

Red Sox Reset: Sox let two slip away late against the Jays to cap frustrating week



The city of Boston was feeling pretty good Friday night. The team had just belted out 16 hits and, despite only scoring six runs, beat the Jays in the first game of their three game series. The win moved the Sox to just 2.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East with a two-game series looming next weekend.

Alas, the good feelings did not last. The Sox blew both games on the weekend, allowing the Jays to score go ahead runs in the eighth inning both times. In both games they got the leadoff man to second base in the bottom of the ninth but left him there, unable to tie the game.

Overall, a 3-3 week won't sink this team - it is disappointing, however, because the Sox were only a few hits or pitches away from sweeping both the Twins and the Jays. On Wednesday, Chris Sale took a shutout and 1-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning but allowed a grand slam and another solo shot. A late Red Sox rally came up just short in the ninth when J.D. Martinez struck out with runners on first and second.

But it's the two games on the weekend that will linger in the Sox players' minds for at least a few days. Ryan Brasier took his fifth loss of the season when he allowed a home run to Jays catcher Luke Maile, who is hitting just .197 on the season with an OPS of .503. In one word - unacceptable.

On Sunday, the Sox had the bases loaded and nobody out in the bottom of the seventh but could only push across one run. Still, this gave the team a 3-2 lead going into the eighth inning. Alex Cora decided to stay with David Price, who proceeded to hit the first batter. Cora decided to bring in Tyler Thornburg this time, who wasn't any better than Brasier the night before as he allowed the tying run and winning run to score.

In both games, the question has to be asked - where was Matt Barnes? Sure, it was only the eighth inning, and Saturday's game was tied. But what is the point saving your best pitcher when you may never get to use him?

The back-to-back losses were the first by the Red Sox since May 27th and May 28th, and pushed the team back to 4.5 games out of first once again. The team will look to rebound against a surprisingly tough Chicago White Sox team (42-35 on the season) before the Yankees come to Fenway for a short two-game weekend series.

The week in review

Boston Red Sox at Minnesota Twins
Jun 17, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston (45-29)	0	0	2	0	3	0	2	0	0	7	14	0
Minnesota (33-37)	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	2
W: Price (5-7) L: Moya (0-2)

Boston Red Sox at Minnesota Twins
Jun 18, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston (46-29)	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	1	0	4	8	0
Minnesota (33-38)	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	3	8	0
W: Mejia (1-1) L: Stewart (0-4) S: Barnes (22)

Boston Red Sox at Minnesota Twins
Jun 19, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston (47-29)	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	4	0	5	9	1
Minnesota (33-39)	0	0	0	0	0	5	1	1	x	7	7	0
W: Berrios (5-3) L: Sale (9-2) S: Rogers (14)

Toronto Blue Jays at Boston Red Sox
Jun 21, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Toronto (32-43)	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	3	10	0
Boston (47-30)	1	0	0	1	3	0	1	0	x	6	16	1
W: Porcello (6-5) L: Stroman (6-4) S: Barnes (23)

Toronto Blue Jays at Boston Red Sox
Jun 22, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Toronto (32-44)	0	0	0	2	1	2	0	1	0	6	11	2
Boston (48-30)	0	0	0	2	0	3	0	0	0	5	13	1
W: Pannone (2-1) L: Brasier (2-5) S: Giles (18)

Toronto Blue Jays at Boston Red Sox
Jun 23, 2019	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Toronto (33-44)	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	4	7	0
Boston (48-31)	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	3	8	0
W: Tepera (1-3) L: Thornburg (3-1) S: Giles (19)

Three up
1. David Price: It finally looks like David Price has decided to start pitching in 2019. The lefty was nasty on Monday night against the Twins, going the distance while allowing just one run and five hits. He was just as good against the Jays on the weekend despite taking the no-decision. In his last two starts, he has thrown 16 innings and allowed only four runs. More impressively, however, is his 18 strikeouts against ZERO walks. In fact, in his last three starts, Price has struck out 27 batters in just 22 innings of work.

2. Xander Bogaerts: It was a great sight seeing number two back manning the shortstop position for the Red Sox. Although Bogaerts did make an error on Friday night, he quickly settled down and helped turn several double plays over the weekend. Hitting fifth in the lineup, he went 5-14, scored three runs and stole a base. It will take some time for him to get back up to speed completely, but there's no question that this is a much better team now that he's back from injury.

3. Andrew Benintendi: Does Alex Cora read this column? Last week we suggested moving Benintendi down in the order as the young outfielder was marred in a brutal slump at the plate. Surprise, surprise - Monday night, he was hitting sixth. Benintendi remained in the sixth spot in the order the rest of the week, and responded by pounding out nine hits (five for extra bases), scoring three runs and driving in three more. Cora wants Benintendi to hit leadoff, and he will likely end up back there sooner rather than later, but right now it's enough to see him swinging the bat effectively once again.

Three down
1. The home run ball: More specifically, the Red Sox pitchers' inability to keep the ball in the park. The Sox staff was hammered for 11 home runs this past week, including surrendering four in a game on two different occasions. The team still ranks in the top ten in the league in home runs allowed (78 total), but this is an area to watch closely over the next few weeks. Chris Sale, in particular, has struggled - his 18 home runs allowed ranks second worst in the majors.

2. Alex Cora's getaway lineup: The loss to the Twins on Wednesday is especially frustrating because Cora decided to sit Andrew Benintendi, Mookie Betts, and Rafael Devers. As a result, the team had only one run and five hits in the first seven innings. Obviously Cora saw this as a chance to get some of his regulars an extra days rest with the off day coming right after, but this was a game the Sox could have won and considering they lost twice on the weekend, leaves the manager open to some second guessing.

3. Infield defense consistency: This remains an enigma for the 2019 Boston Red Sox. On one play the infield turns a ridiculous double play - on the next, they boot a routine ground ball or airmail a throw. Regardless of who plays where, the combination of Devers, Lin, Holt, Nunez, Bogaerts, and Pedroia have made 34 errors so far this season and have been far too inconsistent.



Just wondering...
1. The grand slams have continued Last season the Red Sox got on a roll with the bases loaded, blasting several grand slams. That trend has continued this year. We touched on Sandy Leon blasting two last week - this week, it was Mookie Betts coming off the bench to hammer one on Wednesday's game against the Twins.

2. Avoid the trap! All eyes are on Saturday June 28th and Sunday June 29th as the Yankees come to town for a two-game series. But first, the Sox will welcome the other Sox. Boston took three of four from Chicago back in early May, but the White Sox have continued to play well and are within striking distance in the American League Central. The Red Sox need to make sure they take at least two of three before facing New York.

3. Will Cora adjust the rotation? Eduardo Rodriguez and Chris Sale will get the first two games against the Chicago White Sox, but due to an oddity in the schedule (Boston has back-to-back off days on the 27th and 28th), they could return to start both games against the Yankees on the weekend on regular rest. As of right now it would be Nathan Eovaldi taking the mound Saturday and David Price on Sunday - we'll see if Cora decides to make a change.