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Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Minor Lines 7/13: Kyle Harrison throws shutout*
If you had told me on Father's Day following the Rafael Devers trade that the Red Sox would hold a playoff spot, and not even the participatory final one (thanks Rob Manfred) after a ten-game-win streak, I wouldn't have believed you. It doesn't even matter if six of those games were against very beatable teams and if half of the other four were privy to Kevin Cash out Alex Cora-ing Alex Cora by turning to his bullpen entirely too early. The team has leaned on guys I was writing about in these very Minor Lines just several short weeks ago. It makes the mind wonder, on a night where the Red Sox selected perhaps the most big league-ready guy in the entire player pool at 15, Kyson Witherspoon, who might be the next player to shoot through this system coming from these Minor Lines headlines to a box score near you, or I guess near Fenway. Could it be Hayden Mullins, who's collecting quality starts across the organization like infinity stones? Could it be Yoelin Cespedes, who's now the farm's sixth ranked prospect and who cleared two doubles on Sunday? How about Blaze Jordan, who interestingly is playing some third even with last week's leadoff hitter Nate Eaton in the lineup? I don't have a crystal ball, so I don't know... with respect to Bradley Nowell, I don't even practice Santeria and I certainly have never had a million dollars. But man, this Red Sox pitching staff looks SUBLIME (come on, you knew that pun was coming) heading into the break... as do MOST of the guys on the mound across the organization. So let's get into it! Worcester: W, 2-0 (F/6) (BOX SCORE) Kyle Harrison went 3 2⁄3 before a half hour delay threatened his scoreless start (not that he would have gotten the decision, anyway, as it took him 92 pitches to record those 11 outs), but the whole game kept the Red Wings (Nationals AAA) in a drought even if the rain in Rochester eventually called the remainder of it off. Harrison's four hits were the only ones Rochester got in the abbreviated contest. Worcester's offense wasn't much to right home about, as they lacked an extra-base hit and went scoreless in six attempts with runners in scoring position, and one of their only two runs was scored via a fielder's choice double play ball, but it was enough to win. They are now two games above .500 going into the All-Star break. Portland: W, 5-1 (BOX SCORE) The difference-maker in this game was a zero-outs, bases loaded two-RBI double by Marvin Alcantara to score both Ehrhard brothers and make the score 3-0, a deficit impossible for Hartford (Rockies AA) to climb out from. But, again, that wouldn't have led to a win if the starting pitcher didn't have the day he had. And, speaking of Hayden Mullins, he's had a lot of great days in Portland this year. In 40 innings since being called up from Greenville, Mullins has had 43 strikeouts and a 1.03 WHIP. He's captured his third win in such time as he added 6 1⁄3 innings of one-hit ball. The 24-year-old lefty can prove to be a hot commodity whether it be in the trade market or just a good asset for the farm to have with a couple more starts like Sunday. Greenville: PPD, Make-Up Day TBD This one got to the top of the third before the rain got to be too much to continue. The Drive burn a Blake Aita start, an occasion that has normally been valuable viewing for Greenville since his promotion from Salem, but he actually was down 2-1 after 2 1/3. This game will likely be completed in two weeks, albeit in Winston-Salem (White Sox High-A), as Greenville is done hosting the Dash this season. Salem: L, 4-5 (BOX SCORE) The lone losers on Sunday thanks to the rain that postponed the aforementioned Greenville game, Salem found themselves victims of a poor start. No one after Joey Gartrell allowed so much as a runner on second, but they didn't have to. Not even 6 doubles combined from three Salem batters (Starlin Nunez, Yoelin Cespdes, and Frederik Jiminez) could propel the Sox over the Braves' A affiliate, the Augusta Green Jackets. Sure, the 2-for-20 Salem put up amongst 12 strikeouts and 14 stranded men probably had something to do with the squandered, well, not just lead, but game, but it just goes to show the volatility of a good offensive game. If the runs aren't scored at the right time, it's all for naught! Have a happy Home Run Derby Monday! More from One Big Question: Will Carson Smith be a second-half weapon? The Red Sox PECOTA projections, by the numbers Red Sox players' PECOTA comps Red Sox sign Mike Olt, add to third base depth One Big Question: Can Robby Scott grab the second left-handed reliever spot?
CBS News
10 hours ago
- Sport
- CBS News
The Red Sox offense has disappeared again
All the good feelings about the Boston Red Sox and their 10-game win streak ahead of the All-Star break is fading. The team has now lost four of five out of the break, and its offense has gone quiet once again. Boston mustered just one run off four hits in Tuesday night's 4-1 loss to the Phillies in Philadelphia, as Christopher Sanchez went the distance and struck out 12 to improve to 9-2 on the season. The defeat comes off the heels of a 3-2, 10-inning loss Monday night when Red Sox batters struck out 16 times against Philly ace Zack Wheeler and a quartet of relievers. Yeah, it's been a lot tougher for the Boston bats against competition that isn't the Nationals or Rockies. Red Sox manager Alex Cora understands his team ran into a pair of stud pitchers in Wheeler and Sanchez, but if Boston has designs to make noise in October, they're going to need to hit good pitching to get there. "Two of the best pitchers in the big leagues. That's the reason they're good. If we want to play in October, we have to find a way to hit those guys," said Cora. It's been a wake-up call for the Boston offense, and the Red Sox will try to avoid a sweep Wednesday night when Lucas Giolito (6-2, 3.59 ERA) goes against Philadelphia lefty Jesus Luzardo (8-5, 4.29 ERA). Luzardo has been up and down all year and allowed four runs (off two homers) over 4.2 innings to the Angels his last time out, so the Red Sox should be able to do something against the southpaw. Boston remains a half-game up on the Tampa Bay Rays for the final Wild Card spot in the American League. But as the loses -- and strikeouts -- rack up out of the break, the luster from the team's 10-game win streak has almost completely faded. Boston's offensive woes have not been limited to the team's two games against excellent Philly starters. The Red Sox also scored two or fewer runs twice against the Chicago Cubs, making it four of their five games since the break. They're hitting a dreadful .194 and have scored a measly 10 runs. Six of those runs came over a two-inning span in Sunday's win over the Cubs. Boston hitters also haven't had many productive outs since returning. The Red Sox could open a wind farm right now, leading the majors with 55 strikeouts over their five games since the break. Rookie struggles were expected out of 21-year-old Roman Anthony, but he looks lost at the plate right now. In his 19 at-bats since the break, Anthony has struck out 12 times. He's just 1-for-9 with eight strikeouts in two games against the Phillies. The rookie isn't the only one fanning at a high clip though. Romy Gonzalez has struck out eight times in his last 13 at-bats, as has catcher Carlos Narváez. Unfortunately for Narváez, he's not only struggling at the plate, but behind it as well. Another day, another odd and costly catcher's interference call against the Red Sox. While Monday night's interference gave the Phillies a walk-off win, Tuesday night's came in the first inning. Both were charged to Narváez, who leads the majors with five on the season. Tuesday night's interference was much different than Monday night's though. With Richard Fitts on the mound and runners on second and third and two outs for Philadelphia, Phillies star Bryce Harper broke from third to attempt a straight steal of home. Fitts fired his pitch home and Narváez put down a tag, but his worst nightmare played out again. Instead of a bang-bang play to end the inning, home plate umpire Edwin Jimenez immediately called Narváez for catcher's interference because he came out of his crouch over the plate. (The call was confirmed after a review.) Per the MLB rule book, catchers cannot step on or in front of the plate without the ball when a runner tries to score from third on a steal. The play was more on Fitts -- who paid zero attention to Harper on third -- than Narváez, who was simply trying to make a play and protect himself with Harper barreling toward him. But catcher's interference calls have been common with Boston, with the Red Sox leading the majors with eight infractions this season. "Just weird, man," Cora said. "Two nights in a row. Stuff I've never seen in my life. It is what it is. It's a rule. They checked with New York. They applied the rule. We have to move on."
New York Times
11 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
How are the Brewers doing this? Lessons from a win streak that could matter in October
The Milwaukee Brewers have come a long way since March 31. That day, they woke up winless after their first four games, visions of torpedo bats keeping them up at night, and on the receiving end of the worst opening series ever in terms of run differential. Thirty-two runs in the hole, projections said they had a 20 percent chance of making the playoffs and were likely to be an under .500 team. Advertisement On Tuesday night, their 11-game win streak was snapped in a 1-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners, leaving them tied for MLB's best record at 60-41 next to the Chicago Cubs. Still, what a difference a couple of months can make. Writ large, this is a prototypical Brewers team that excels at run prevention and struggles to slug. That stuff is still true of this team. Look at their ranks in key offensive stats and you'll see an old-school spray the ball and run team — they put balls in play, yes, but not with authority. Going into play last night, the Brewers' lineup ranked: Their patron saint might as well be second baseman Brice Turang, who has 18 steals, a mid-.300s OBP and will barely hit more than 10 homers this year. He's a true Brewer, not only because of what he does at the plate and the base paths, but also because he's an excellent defender — no teammate of his has played 500 innings in the field and put up a negative defensive value, according to Statcast. That's part of why Milwaukee has been so good at preventing runs, but it's not the whole reason. This staff has a top-five ERA and has some newly (and usually cheaply) acquired pitchers who are out-performing their career numbers. It's remarkable when you take a look: Pitching coach Chris Hook deserves a lot of credit, but this has to be seen as a sign of organizational good health — it takes good analysts, scouts and executives to pull this off at scale. The Brewers do this all the time — in the last five years, they've beaten their projected runs allowed … four times. And the other year, they pretty much performed exactly as projected. They consistently have above-average stuff and also locate well — 'throw good stuff in the zone,' as Tobias Myers said in the spring — and do so with pitchers who didn't cost a lot to acquire. Advertisement Of course, regression could be coming for a staff like this, especially when you consider that over the last two weeks, they've produced an ERA under three as a team. You can say that of any team during a glorious streak. Any win streak takes a certain amount of luck to go with the talent to pull it off. But is there something happening during this streak that could be more important for the Brewers? On the pitching side, this was a team that was scrambling for starters at one point. Ten pitchers took the ball in the first inning in March and April, and three of them are no longer with the organization, with another three in the minor leagues. The emergence of Jacob Misiorowski and the return of Brandon Woodruff (who hasn't walked anyone since his return) have been huge for the pitching staff. The streak is, to a large extent, the result of the staff returning to form. On the hitting side, there might be a glimpse of something a little different, something that might help them overcome their difficulties in October so far. Teams that slug tend to win in the postseason, and while this team hasn't slugged all that well on the season as a whole, July is a different story. Their slugging is up to 16th, their Hard Hit rate is 14th and it's instructive to see who is hitting the ball harder in particular. The key names that stick out are William Contreras, Isaac Collins and Andrew Vaughn, for different reasons. Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich are the key power contributors on this team, and they've had some fluctuation, but they've also mostly produced. A healthy Rhys Hoskins will add pop, of course. But a lineup like this needs to field 'surprising pop' across the lineup if it wants to slug enough to win in October, and that's where Contreras, Collins and Vaughn could come in. Advertisement Only three players have lost more pop since last year than Contreras. He's been playing with a fractured finger that sounds pretty painful, but this could be a good sign. While the top-line results haven't shown him coming out of the slump just yet, this improvement in hard hit rate shows that he could still return to being the 20-homer hitter he's been the last three seasons. Collins is 28 years old and may not have a ton of ceiling left — he also showed little power at different stops in the minors — but he's also shown clear progression in his career. He hit fewer ground balls and hit the ball harder once he had an offseason with the Brewers between 2023 and 2024. Players with his current Hard Hit and Barrel rates last year hit an average of 15 homers — that's not nothing! Vaughn may be a role player, stepping in due to injuries, but he's always hit the ball hard — often on the ground and to the opposite field, where they haven't turned into slugging. With the Brewers, he's moved a couple inches closer to the plate and is getting the ball out in front just a bit more. If they can unlock the link between his good exit velos and better in-game power, he could improve the bottom of this lineup. The key to Brewers baseball has always been run prevention, achieved often through the intersection of good defense, a great bullpen and strong pitching coaching. If Milwaukee is going to extend this streak into postseason success, it'll still depend on Freddy Peralta, the resurgent Woodruff, the returning Nestor Cortes and, of course, the wunderkind Misiorowski, along with stud relievers Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe out of the pen. The infield will pick it, and the outfield will snag it. But in October, getting over the hump may require some thump. Chourio and Yelich need some help, and maybe somewhere between Collins, Vaughn, and — most likely, perhaps — Contreras, the hard hits that have been fueling this good run will presage the power production that separates the title contenders from the playoff hopefuls. (Top photo of Joey Ortiz: Alika Jenner / Getty Images)
Washington Post
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Valdez stretches winning streak to 10, Astros rally to beat Diamondbacks 3-1
PHOENIX — Framber Valdez pitched seven effective innings for his 10th straight win, Brice Matthews hit his third homer in two games and the Houston Astros rallied to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-1 on Tuesday night. Valdez (11-4) allowed a run and seven hits to match Detroit's Tarik Skubal for the majors' longest win streak this season.
Al Arabiya
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Valdez stretches winning streak to 10, Astros rally to beat Diamondbacks 3-1
Framber Valdez pitched seven effective innings for his 10th straight win, Brice Matthews hit his third homer in two games, and the Houston Astros rallied to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-1 on Tuesday night. Valdez (11-4) allowed a run and seven hits to match Detroit's Tarik Skubal for the major's longest win streak this season. Matthews hit his first two big league homers in Houston's 6-3 win Monday night and launched a two-run shot off Jake Woodford (0-1) in the eighth. Jose Altuve scored on a wild pitch to put Houston up 3-1 in the ninth. Diamondbacks starter Eduardo Rodriguez held the Astros in check before that, tossing 6 1/3 scoreless innings. Arizona loaded the bases in the ninth, but Bryan King struck out Blaze Alexander and induced Jose Herrera into a game-ending double play for his first save. Valdez was sharp before running into trouble in the sixth. Randal Grichuk led off with a double, Geraldo Perdomo dropped a bunt single, and Blaze Alexander followed with a run-scoring groundout. Valdez also worked out of a jam after giving up two leadoff singles in the eighth. Rodriguez worked through traffic most of the night, getting some help from his defense. Corbin Carroll made a sliding catch in center to rob Matthews of a hit in the second inning. Matthews lost another hit in the fourth when Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte flipped a slow roller with his glove on a play initially ruled a hit before being overturned. Key moment: Houston third baseman Mauricio Dubón threw out pinch runner Alek Thomas at the plate in the eighth with the Diamondbacks leading 1-0. Key stat: Valdez has not lost since May 2 against the Chicago White Sox. Up next: Arizona RHP Brandon Pfaadt (10-6, 4.82) will pitch the series finale on Wednesday. The Astros have yet to name a starter.
