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Boston Globe
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Red Sox rally but can't overcome Angels' six-run first inning
Angels leadoff hitter Zach Neto smashed a slider that bisected the plate at the top of the zone into the Monster Seats to commence the Angelic aggression. An eight-pitch walk to Nolan Schanuel, a single by Taylor Ward, and a run-scoring error on a groundball botched by third baseman Abraham Toro put the visitors ahead 2-0. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up After Fitts fell behind Mike Trout, 3-1, he opted for a four-seamer against the struggling star. The middle-middle location proved ill-advised, with Trout smashing it atop a platform behind the Monster Seats in left-center for a 454-foot, three-run homer that gave the Angels a 5-0 lead before they'd recorded a single out. Advertisement Fitts finally got his first out of the frame on his 32nd pitch. However, his 33rd offering left a pothole on Landsdowne Street after Jo Adell blasted a four-seamer for a solo homer that made it 6-0. Advertisement The three-homer yield was the first by a Red Sox pitcher in the first inning since Dana Kiecker got taken deep three times by the Tigers on May 26, 1991. It also marked the first time that a visiting team hit three homers in the first inning of a game at Fenway Park in the estimable venue's 114 seasons, according to star MLB researcher Sarah Langs. With Fitts — making just his second start since returning from a pectoral strain — at 39 pitches after a single inning of work, manager Alex Cora elected to lift him in favor of long reliever Hunter Dobbins. Fitts became just the ninth Red Sox starter this century, and the first since Rick Porcello in 2019, to allow at least six runs in a start of no more than one inning. The righthander's velocity was fine — he touched 98 m.p.h. — but his lack of swing-and-miss stuff left the Angels without fear of treading in the batter's box. Fitts elicited just two whiffs among his 39 offerings. Though the start was disastrous, Dobbins quickly stabilized the contest for the Sox. He kept the Angels scoreless for the next four frames, buying time for the Red Sox offense to awaken against Angels lefthander Tyler Anderson. The veteran — a right-lane driver who didn't throw a single pitch that cracked 90 mph — unbalanced the Sox through four innings in which he allowed just one run on back-to-back doubles by Jarren Duran and Rafael Devers in the third. But in the fifth, the Sox erupted in their third look at Anderson. Duran, who snapped an 0-for-17 stretch with his prior two-bagger, kicked off the rally with a one-out double to left-center, and after a Devers walk, advanced to third on a wild pitch. Rob Refsnyder (RBI single) and Carlos Narváez (RBI double) followed with run-scoring hits to chase Anderson after 4⅓ innings, and Romy Gonzalez greeted reliever Hunter Strickland by cuing an opposite-field, two-run double down the right-field line to make it 6-5. Advertisement The Angels regained a measure of separation in the top of the sixth, when Adell ambushed a first-pitch slider from Dobbins and launched it to left for his second homer of the game and a 7-5 lead. That was the only run allowed by the reliever in five bullpen-saving innings during which he struck out four and walked one. Alex Speier can be reached at
Chicago Tribune
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Ahead of Chicago White Sox series, Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal says a rebuild ‘crushes' a sports town
It wasn't all that long ago that the Chicago White Sox were expected to dominate the American League Central for years, while the Detroit Tigers were everyone's favorite punching bags. But a baseball team's fortunes can change relatively quickly, and heading into the four-game series this week at Rate Field, the Tigers had the best record in baseball at 39-21, while the Sox were on pace to lose 113 games, after their record-setting 121-loss season of 2024. You can spend days and weeks theorizing about the downfall of the Sox since their 2021 season, and if you're a Sox fan, you probably have. But the bottom line is that not all rebuilds are alike, and now the Sox are back in another one and hoping to emulate the Tigers' rebuild. Does Detroit's rise provide hope for the Sox? 'I'm optimistic about the changes we can make because of the people that we have and the plan that's been laid out,' Sox manager Will Venable replied before Monday's opener. 'Certainly there are a lot of teams, including the Tigers, that you can point to that have reestablished themselves and their organizational identity. 'I know people over there in that organization have done a great job. We're hoping to do the same thing over here.' The Sox continue to insist that things are getting better, despite the losing, based on the pitching prospects and closer games. Maybe. But with a game-time temperature of 84 degrees Monday, they could make a statement by playing well this week against the Tigers, who came in with 10 straight wins on the South Side dating back to Sept. 1, 2023. That was back when Tigers broadcaster Jason Benetti was still happily employed by the Sox, and not the man whose departure ignited the 'Curse of Benetti' rumors. Times change. But Detroit ace Tarik Skubal, who was on the 2022 Tigers team that lost 96 games, doesn't buy into the whole rebuild concept, even as it appears theirs worked. 'How do I say this the right way?' Skubal told me before the game. 'I don't really believe in the term 'rebuild,' to be honest. Our rebuild was supposed to be five years, and it started in 2017 or whatever. That means we were supposed to have already won by now, and we haven't. So I don't believe in the word.' Skubal, one of the main reasons for the Tigers' turnaround, won't pitch this series. The Tigers are holding him until next Friday in Detroit, the start of a three-game series against the Cubs, the hottest team in the National League. Chicago is currently in the Dark Ages when it comes to our professional sports teams, so I talked with Skubal about Detroit's sports renaissance, where the Lions are a Super Bowl contender, the Tigers are a World Series contender, and the Pistons made the playoffs in 2025. 'The Lions kind of led the way, and we had a pretty good season last year and the Pistons this year, and the Red Wings are doing their thing, too,' he said. 'They're on the brink of making a serious run to the playoffs. It's a fun time to be an athlete in Detroit. It's a great sports town. 'When you have a great sports town and you come out and say 'We're rebuilding,' it crushes that town. Now we've finally got the fans to buy back into us, and it took too long — eight years or whatever. 'It's tough for fans. When you're a diehard fan and your team is kind of openly saying we don't want to win, that's not what you want to hear. I play baseball, but I'm a fan of other teams — the (Phoenix) Suns and the Arizona Cardinals — and when a team comes out and openly says we're rebuilding, you don't want to hear that. 'As a Suns fan, we've been through tough times, but now we have an owner that wants to win as badly as the fans do. That's all you can ask for as a fan.' That owner would be Mat Ishbia, a billionaire who bought the Suns along with his brother, Justin Ishbia, a limited partner in the White Sox. Justin Ishbia is considered next in line to buy the Sox when Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, or more likely his sons, decide to sell the team. 'Mat has been great for the community,' said Skubal, who grew up in Arizona. 'Obviously the Suns' season was disappointing, but it's good to know they have a plan in place, and that's all you ask for.' Reinsdorf had a plan, too. It worked until he decided to ignore his general manager, Rick Hahn, and hired his friend, Tony La Russa, as manager over A.J. Hinch, who eventually went to the Tigers. La Russa won in 2021 and then watched things fall apart one year later, leading to Hahn's firing in 2023. Now it's up to GM Chris Getz to fix things, and Year Two looks a lot like Year One. The Sox desperately need Luis Robert Jr. to wake up so they can trade him, but the .180-hitting center fielder was back in the No. 7 hole for the second straight game. Did Venable talk to Robert about the move before he made it on Sunday in Baltimore? 'I didn't on this one,' Venable said. 'I didn't think it was that big of a deal. Just kind of two spots (down). I think if you sit back and look at it today, these are the guys in our lineup. We're going to put them in an order that gives us the best chance to win. It's a logical order to me and not one to me that I thought needed an explanation. I don't think Luis is going to look at it as a big deal. It certainly wasn't a big deal to me.' If Robert dropping down to hit seventh is no longer a big deal on the South Side, it's a sad reflection on the state of the team. Maybe an eight-year plan is looking a bit optimistic.
Boston Globe
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Who's on first? It appears it won't be Kristian Campbell in the near future
'It's nothing we're planning on doing [in games] now,' Cora said of having Campbell play first. Campbell, who won AL Rookie of the Month honors in April after hitting .301/.407/.495, entered Monday hitting .140/.187/.174 since the beginning of May. Was there any chance Campbell's introduction to a new position contributed to his struggles? Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'Hopefully. I hope [having him not work at first base] works today. I'll be like, 'Hey, blame me [for his struggles],' ' said Cora. 'But I think there's more than that.' Advertisement Cora pointed to the fact that Campbell's offensive struggles started before he began doing pregame work at first base on May 16. His groundball rate spiked and his walk rate cratered in early May. But Cora characterized Campbell's struggles as normal rookie growing pains. 'We still believe in the swing, we still believe in the character,' said Cora. 'Obviously, we're going to go through stretches like this. And I lived it before with Jarren [ Duran ], with [ Triston ] Casas , with Dustin Pedroia . … So [we] just try to help him out and keep the confidence up. Just remind him that he's still a good player, regardless of what the numbers said so far this season.' Advertisement Gonzalez, who was hitting .308/.362/.423 when he landed on the injured list, was in line to serve as the primary Sox first baseman when Triston Casas sustained his season-ending injury. But now the allocation of playing time has been redrawn, with Toro (.310/.310/.534) expected to get most of the starts against righties. Gonzalez was simply happy to return rather than bemoaning a missed chance at playing time. 'I'm obviously super ecstatic to be back with the boys, just being able to contribute in any way,' Gonzalez said. With Gonzalez activated, Nate Eaton was optioned to Triple A Worcester. Devers takes grounders For the first time in a month, Rafael Devers was seen taking pregame infield grounders. He did so on the left side of the infield. Anything to that? 'I didn't know,' Cora said of his designated hitter donning a glove Jansen returns Kenley Jansen , who had 56 saves for the Red Sox from 2023-24, returned to Fenway with the Angels. 'I got the chance to put [a Sox] uniform on for two years. These fans are awesome; that's one thing I can I say.' Jansen said. 'Yeah, we didn't go to the playoffs, but I had a blast to play here.' Jansen, 37, hopes to play another few seasons. 'My goal is to get to 40,' he said. 'It's a game that I love and I still love doing it.' … The Angels placed third baseman Yoán Moncada (right knee inflammation) and righthander Robert Stephenson (biceps inflammation) on the IL and recalled outfielder Matthew Lugo and lefthander Sam Aldegheri . Advertisement Lugo, 24, was a second-round pick by the Red Sox in 2019. He was one of four prospects traded to the Angels last July for reliever Luis Garcia . 'This was not how I expected to get to Fenway Park for a game, but I'll take it,' said Lugo. Crawford steps up workload Kutter Crawford (right knee) is up to four simulated innings in live batting practice sessions, and is scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment this week. He'll be stretched out as a starter, Cora said … Tanner Houck is throwing on flat ground, but there's no timetable for him to throw off a mound. … Masataka Yoshida is now throwing at 75 feet … Sox minor league catcher/first baseman Brooks Brannon was named Minor League Baseball's High-A player of the week after going 11 for 21 with a .524/.524/1.048 line with two homers and six extra-base hits for the Greenville Drive … Monday was Lou Gehrig Day across MLB, with players, managers, coaches, and umpires wearing a '4' decal on their uniforms in an effort to raise awareness and provide research funds to combat ALS. Prior to Monday's game at Fenway, the Red Sox recognized families from across New England affected by the disease. Alex Speier can be reached at
Boston Globe
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Game 62: Angels at Red Sox lineups and notes
It's a short homestand for the Sox, who will have Thursday off before facing the Yankees in a three-game series in New York beginning Friday. Advertisement Richard Fitts will get the nod for the Sox in Monday's opener. The Angels will counter with 35-year-old lefty Tyler Anderson. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Here is a preview. Lineups ANGELS (26-32): TBA Pitching: LHP Tyler Anderson (2-2, 3.39 ERA) RED SOX (29-32): TBA Pitching: RHP Richard Fitts (0-2, 2.70 ERA) Time: 7:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Angels vs. Fitts: Has not faced any LA Angels batters Red Sox vs. Anderson: Rafael Devers 3-7, Jarren Duran 0-4, Nate Eaton 0-5, David Hamilton 0-2, Ceddanne Rafaela 0-2, Rob Refsnyder 3-5, Trevor Story 2-4, Abraham Toro 0-3, Connor Wong 2-6 Stat of the day: Devers led MLB with 33 RBI in May, becoming the sixth player in franchise history to record at least 30 RBI and a .465 OBP or better in a calendar month. Advertisement Notes: Fitts is making his fifth start this season and the first of his career against the Angels. … Devers slashed .356/.468/.606/1.074 in 28 games in May with 14 runs scored, five doubles, and seven home runs. … Abraham Toro has held on to his spot in the lineup at first base after going 6-for-11 in the series in Atlanta. … Jarren Duran is hitless in his last 16 at-bats, dropping his OPS to .718. … Mike Trout is back in the lineup for the Angels. The three-time MVP missed almost a full month with a bone bruise on his left knee. … Anderson is 1-1 with a 5.30 career ERA. He has not won since April 18, but pitched well his last time out, allowing just two runs (one earned) in six innings in a loss to the Yankees last Tuesday. Material from Field Level Media was used in this report. Follow Andrew Mahoney
Boston Globe
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Brennan Bernardino is always on call for the Red Sox, and other thoughts
How does a pitcher do that? 'For me, it's not wasting pitches,' Bernardino said. 'I try to save my bullets, even when I'm just playing catch because those throws add up over time.' Bernardino also has condensed his warm-up routine to six or seven pitches at times. 'I prefer to throw more than that, but I can be ready after maybe six,' he said. 'A few heaters and a breaking ball and I'm ready to go.' Advertisement Bernardino averages a modest 91 miles per hour with his two-seam fastball, and his 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings are the lowest of his career. But opposing hitters are 8 for 58 (.138) against his curveball, changeup, and cutter. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'Mix pitches, keep the hitter off-balance, and play the game of baseball,' Bernardino said. 'I don't try to complicate it too much.' Bernardino has learned a few tips from watching 'One of the hardest workers I have ever seen,' he said. 'To be 37 and throwing as hard as he does and as well as he does, it's amazing. He's strong and flexible. He's very routine-oriented.' A few other observations on the Red Sox: Advertisement ⋅ Current Red Sox ownership has yet to fire a manager during the season. Bobby Valentine all but burned the place down in 2012 and the Sox waited until the day after the season They ⋅ Maybe the Sox should start waiting more than a few games before giving prospects long-term contracts. Ceddanne Rafaela is an excellent defensive outfielder, but he has a .650 OPS since he agreed to His idea of a good pitch to swing at is one that doesn't bounce. Craig Breslow called Rafaela a 'cornerstone' at the time. He might be a bench player once Roman Anthony takes over an outfield spot. Kristian Campbell hadn't even played his first series in the majors before the Sox gave him Campbell had a terrific April, then was Brayan Bello didn't get Until proved otherwise, he's no better than a No. 4 starter on a contending team. Advertisement ⋅ Garrett Crochet has allowed two home runs on the first pitch he has thrown in a game this season. One was Crochet starts every game with a fastball and has been ambushed twice. The Sox lost both of those games by one run. 'First pitch of the game, I'm going to throw a fastball. Everybody knows that. I'm never not going to do that,' Crochet said. 'The guy next game could clip me on another first-pitch heater, and I'd be OK with that.' Everybody knows that and you'll keep doing it? And you're OK if you give up more leadoff home runs? Ronald Acuña Jr., Oneil Cruz, Shohei Ohtani, and Fernando Tatis Jr. are among the leadoff hitters Crochet could face this season. The matchup with Acuña could come on Sunday. Just a thought: Grooving hitters like that a fastball might not be the best plan. ⋅ The Red Sox were a .500 team with Alex Bregman playing at an All-Star level. It could get ugly without him for what is expected to be It won't help this season, but perhaps there is a long-term upside. Bregman can opt out of his contract for next season and become a free agent, or he could stay with the Red Sox for $40 million. If Bregman only plays 100 or so games, staying might be a better play than going back into free agency coming off a major injury and entering his age-32 season. ⋅ Per Baseball Reference, Marcelo Mayer was the Advertisement It's amazing that every big leaguer in history wouldn't come close to filling Fenway Park. ⋅ The Sox went into the weekend 381-386 in the regular season since they traded Mookie Betts and have played 11 postseason games. The Dodgers are 493-272 and have played 53. Sometimes, you do get what you deserve. Peter Abraham can be reached at
