Sun, 05/19/2013 - 8:04am — Anonymous

John Lackey

The offense carried the Red Sox in their 12-5 win over the Twins on Saturday, with Sox pitchers struggling with command and walking eight batters on the night. John Lackey will look to lead the club to a three-game sweep on Sunday afternoon, taking on left-hander Pedro Hernandez.

Lackey had an impressive start to 2013 despite suffering an injury that sidelined him for most of April. The Red Sox starter allowed six runs in his first 15 1/3 innings while striking out 16 batters. The righty’s last couple of starts haven’t gone quite as well, as he’s given up 13 runs in his last 16 1/3 innings (though only nine of those runs were earned). Lackey comes into his sixth start of the season with a 1-3 record and 4.05 ERA, receiving the loss in each of his last three outings.

It’s become evident that Lackey has had problems pitching out of the stretch this year. When there are runners on, opponents own a .372 batting average against Lackey, but they are batting only .221 when the bases are empty. That trend continued on Tuesday against the Rays. Lackey cruised through his first three innings with a small hiccup in the third, allowing a single to Jose Molina and a double to Yunel Escobar but getting out of the inning unscathed. Things fell apart in the bottom of the fourth, when Lackey gave up six hits. Five runs crossed the plate before all was said and done. It was the second start in a row in which one big inning led to four or more runs.

“We’re just going to go back to the work environment and keep on working a lot more from the stretch than the windup. He’ll be fine,” assured pitching coach Juan Nieves after Lackey’s last outing.

Pedro Hernandez

It’s worth mentioning that Lackey hasn’t had the best of luck in his previous few outings. A pop-up that Mike Napoli lost in the Tropicana Field ceiling (it was called a single, yet it would have been a routine play in most other circumstances) led to what would be the decisive two runs of the game on Tuesday night. A checked-swing double from Luke Scott to drive in the first two runs of the inning wasn’t hit hard at all. And back in his start against Minnesota on May 9, Lackey’s errant throw to second on a tailor-made double play ball opened the floodgates and led to four unearned runs, in a game the Sox would drop 5-3.

Hernandez has not been able to stifle the Red Sox in his two career starts against them. The left-hander gave up eight runs on 12 hits to Boston in his major league debut on July 18, 2012, his only appearance in the majors that year. His outing against the Sox during Minnesota’s visit to Fenway earlier this month didn’t go much better; he lasted only two innings, giving up six runs on seven hits, including a grand slam to Jonny Gomes in the bottom of the first inning. Hernandez avoided the loss, however, since the Twins managed a total of 15 runs in the game, but the starter’s ERA inflated to 5.96 from 3.92. The 24-year-old lefty owns a 2-0 record on the season in five starts and two relief appearances.

Red Sox vs. Hernandez (LHP)

Jacoby Ellsbury (5 plate appearances): .600 BA/.600 OBP/.800 SLG, 1 double, 1 strikeout

Pedro Ciriaco (3): .333/.333/.333

Will Middlebrooks (3): .333/.333/.333

David Ortiz (2): .000/.000/.000, 1 strikeout

Dustin Pedroia (2): 1.000/1.000/1.500, 1 double

Shane Victorino (2): 1.000/1.000/2.500, 1 home run, 1 RBI

Stephen Drew (1): 1.000/1.000/1.000, 1 RBI

Jonny Gomes (1): 1.000/1.000/4.000, 1 home run, 4 RBI

Jarrod Saltalamacchia (1): 1.000/1.000/2.000, 1 double

Mike Napoli has faced Hernandez once and walked. Mike Carp, Ryan Lavarnway and Daniel Nava have not faced Hernandez.

Twins vs. Lackey (RHP)

Justin Morneau (38): .257/.316/.371, 1 home run, 1 double, 5 RBI, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts

Joe Mauer (28): .407/.429/.630, 2 home runs, 4 RBI, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts

Josh Willingham (6): .000/.000/.000, 2 strikeouts

Jamey Carroll (4): .000/.000/.000, 1 strikeout

Brian Dozier (4): .000/.000/.000, 2 strikeouts

Oswaldo Arcia (3): .667/.667/2.333, 1 home run, 1 triple, 2 RBI

Ryan Doumit (3): .000/.000/.000, 1 RBI

Pedro Florimon (3): .333/.333/.333, 1 strikeout

Aaron Hicks (3): .333/.333/.667, 1 double, 1 RBI

Trevor Plouffe (2): .000/.000/.000

Eduardo Escobar, Chris Parmalee, and Wilkin Ramirez have not faced Lackey.

Blog Author: 
Katie Morrison

John Farrell's batting order clicked on all cylinders Saturday night. (AP)MINNEAPOLIS -- John Farrell and Torey Lovullo looked down toward the Twins' bullpen. They saw some stirring, within which Minnesota lefty reliever Brian Duensing had grabbed a ball and tossed it a few times.



ROB BRADFORD

BIO | ARCHIVE | FULL COUNT BLOG


Sun, 05/19/2013 - 12:37am — Rob Bradford

MINNEAPOLIS — It had never happened to John Farrell before. The Red Sox manager hadn’t ever gone to the mound and allowed a pitcher to talk him into staying in a game.

But that’s exactly what happened Saturday night.

Sun, 05/19/2013 - 12:34am — Anonymous

Ryan Dempster

MINNEAPOLIS — It had never happened to John Farrell before. The Red Sox manager hadn’t ever gone to the mound and allowed a pitcher to talk him into staying in a game.

But that’s exactly what happened Saturday night.

With Ryan Dempster sitting at 122 pitches (four more than any Red Sox pitcher had thrown in a single game this season), the Red Sox clinging to a three-run lead with two outs in the fifth inning and Minnesota’s Jamey Carroll coming up, Farrell strolled to the mound for what appeared to be the execution of a pitching change.

But Dempster told his manager he had enough left to get that inning’s final out. That was good enough for Farrell.

“Well, he kind of talked his way into it,” said Farrell of Dempster after the Red Sox’ 12-5 win over Minnesota. “In hindsight, probably should have made the move at the time, but still, it’s a veteran guy who was fine physically in terms of his arm, he didn’t feel anything. But trying to get him the last out of the fifth to give him a chance to win.”

Five pitches later, Carroll rifled a single into right, scoring Pedro Florimon and bringing up the potential game-tying run to the plate in the form of Joe Mauer. That would be it for Dempster, whose pitch total was the highest since Sept. 13, 2011, and marked just the second time since 2001 he had reached such heights.

“Well, [pitching coach] Juan [Nieves] and I were talking about the fact I make a trip to the mound and don’t make a pitching change, that’s a rarity,” Farrell said. “You want to give the guy every opportunity to record a win but at that point the game was in jeopardy as well as the high number of pitches. It’s a delicate balance but at some point that decision had to be made.”

“He just asked me if I had enough in the tank to get the last hitter. I did. I made a good pitch,” said Dempster, who threw four sliders and a splitter to Carroll. “Jamey went out and hit a pitch a foot off the plate down around the other batter’s box. He threw his bat at it and hats off to him. I made a pitch there and it wasn’t quite good enough.”

The end result was a frustrating, 4 2/3-inning outing in which the starter allowed five runs on eight hits and six walks.

“I just couldn’t throw it where I wanted to throw it,” said Dempster of his fastball. “I kept missing away with it, missing up with it, missing off the plate with it. I didn’t really have any of my pitches tonight. That’s frustrating when you’re out there and can’t throw your fastball where you want, can’t throw your split where you want and can’t throw your slider where you want. Just have to work on it between starts and get them next time.”

Neither Farrell nor Dempster thought that extra rest would be needed despite the elevated pitch count. The last time he totaled as many pitches, the righty did bounce back to turn in two solid outings (13 innings, 4 runs).

“I’m a pretty good judge of my body. I’m going to do what I need to get ready,” the pitcher said. He added, “I was tired. But you’ve just got to go out there and recover. Recovery days are huge.”

Blog Author: 
Rob Bradford
Sun, 05/19/2013 - 12:13am — Anonymous
John Farrell postgame press conference

[0:00:48] ... second inning in my -- And still worked around a number of base runners but and this guy just got on the ran out of gas and for us. Well you -- talk -- Grant Thornton ...
[0:01:55] ... at the time a big play universal comes any he's got a bases loaded situation Pedroia makes a -- of have a basket catch them right field line -- and throws strike in and fortunately. Ryan ...
[0:02:57] ... be prepared for. His next start when we get back off the road trip so. At this point on it has been motivated. Well. One hour talking about the fact that I make it for the ...





Sun, 05/19/2013 - 12:12am — Anonymous
John Farrell postgame press conference

[0:00:35] ... know I had a hard time repeating his fastball down in the strike zone is has put that away from -- times but. You're in the fifth inning even despite the inconsistencies with them but he found a way to navigate through some things a big strike out there in the second inning in my power. -- still worked around a number of base runners but and this -- just got me ran out of gas and for us. Well you can't talk -- Grant Thornton in ...
[0:01:55] ... at the time a big play Russell comes any he's got a bases loaded situation Pedroia makes a heck of have a basket catch them right field line and turns and throws -- strike in and ...




Sun, 05/19/2013 - 12:01am — Anonymous
Joe Castiglione and Dave O'Brien talked to David Ortiz after the Red Sox beat the Twins 12-5. Big Papi said that team chemistry is great, that the new guys see the Sox way of doing things.

[0:00:28] ... that that lasted men and you're never gonna come out of the strike zone but it looked like you wanted to do some serious damage maybe for the third home run was it in your mind ...



Sat, 05/18/2013 - 11:59pm — Anonymous
Joe Castiglione and Dave O'Brien talked to David Ortiz after the Red Sox beat the Twins 12-5. Big Papi said that team chemistry is great, that the new guys see the Sox way of doing things.

[0:00:28] ... that that lasted men and you're never gonna come out of the strike zone but it looked like you wanted to do some serious damage maybe for the third home run was it in your mind ...



Sat, 05/18/2013 - 11:05pm — Rob Bradford

MINNEAPOLIS — David Ortiz is at it again.

The Red Sox designated hitter almost single-handedly carried his team to an 12-5 win over the Twins Saturday night at Target Field, with Ortiz claiming the 40th multi-home run game of his career via a pair of blasts. It marked the fourth time in Ortiz’ career he has claimed six RBIs, having last accomplished the feat Aug. 12, 2008.

It was the fourth straight win for the Red Sox.

Sat, 05/18/2013 - 11:04pm — Anonymous

David Ortiz

MINNEAPOLIS — David Ortiz is at it again.

The Red Sox designated hitter almost single-handedly carried his team to an 12-5 win over the Twins Saturday night at Target Field, with Ortiz claiming the 40th multi-home run game of his career via a pair of blasts. It marked the fourth time in Ortiz’ career he has claimed six RBIs, having last accomplished the feat Aug. 12, 2008.

In the 21 games he has notched at least one hit (out of 24), Ortiz is hitting .420, and is 9-for-19 on the current road trip. At Target Field, the DH is hitting .500 (19-for-38) with five home runs.

Also helping the Sox’ offensive onslaught was Daniel Nava, whose seventh-inning, two-run helped cap a game-changing four-run frame for the Sox. The outfielder joined Will Middlebrooks, Dustin Pedroia and Ortiz as members of the Red Sox claim multi-hit games.

The were moments of discomfort for the Red Sox, especially in the fifth inning when Ryan Dempster couldn’t manage to get the final out of the frame before being removed for Clayton Mortensen. Red Sox manager John Farrell left the starter in for 127 pitches (the second-most he had thrown since 2001), having had to watch the Twins bring the potential go-ahead run to the plate.

Here is what went right (and wrong) in the Red Sox’ 26th win of the season:

WHAT WENT RIGHT

Ortiz got the Red Sox on the board right away in the first inning, launching a three-run homer well up into the right field seats with one out. It was Ortiz’ fourth home run at Target Field in 41 plate appearances. The blast scored Jacoby Ellsbury (single) and Pedroia (walk).

Ortiz accounted for the Sox’ second run, as well, ripping a single into right field to score Jonny Gome in the third. Gomes had drawn a one-out walk, which was followed by Pedroia’s infield single. The hit allowed for a 4-1 Red Sox lead.

With runners on second and third with one out in the second, Aaron Hicks hit a slow ground ball just inside the bag at third base. Middlebrooks managed to back-hand the ball and fire home to catcher Ryan Lavarnway. The Red Sox proceeded to execute a nifty 5-2-6-1 putout after a brief rundown, keeping runners at first and second.

Pedroia extended the Red Sox’ lead to three runs with an RBI double in the fifth, scoring Gomes. The second baseman is now 7-for13 with runners in scoring position and nobody out this season.

The Red Sox extended their lead to 7-2 in the fifth thanks to Daniel Nava’s sacrifice fly and a run-scoring single out of Lavanrway. For Nava, it was his 12th RBI in 17 plate appearances when facing a righty with a man on third.

With the bases loaded, one out and the Red Sox leading by two in the sixth, Aaron Hicks lofted a shallow fly ball into right field. Pedroia not only went back to make a basket catch, but whirled around and fired a strike to Lavarnway in time to get Ryan Doumit trying to tag up. (Lavarnway absorbed a fairly sizable collision in completing the double play.)

Napoli, who had drawn just 11 walks this season, claimed three free passes for the first time as a Red Sox. It was a feat he managed four times in 2012 on the way to earning 56 walks for the season.

WHAT WENT WRONG

Immediately after seemingly getting out of a jam in the second inning with the 5-2-6-1 double play, Pedro Florimon came right back and singled in the hosts first run. Florimon now has hits in four of the five games he has seen Boston pitching this season. Minnesota did strand a pair in the inning when Dempster fanned Joe Mauer.

The Twins cut the Red Sox’ lead to 4-2 in the fourth when Justin Morneau singled in Mauer. Dempster was able to get out of the inning without any further damage, but had already thrown 97 pitches through four.

The fifth was a disaster for Dempster and the Sox, with the righty quickly running out of gas even before Jamey Carroll sent the pitcher to the showers with five-pitch at-bat, culminating in an RBI single. The good news for Dempster and the Red Sox is the last time he threw as many as 127 pitches (in 2011) he came back with two strong outings (4 runs, 13 innings). The pitch total was the most by a starter who didn’t make it through five innings since Carlos Zambrano (2004).

Blog Author: 
Rob Bradford