May 22, 2019

G49: Red Sox 6, Blue Jays 5 (13)

Red Sox   - 002 000 110 001 1 - 6 10  0
Blue Jays - 000 100 111 001 0 - 5 11  0
Michael Chavis's tenth home run of the year, which came with one out in the top of 13th inning, was the difference on Wednesday night.

Mookie Betts had hit his eighth homer an inning earlier, but Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez went deep against Heath Hembree in the home half of the twelfth, to re-tie the game.

The usually reliable Marcus Walden gave up a run in the bottom of the ninth, a two-out single by Danny Jansen driving in Brandon Drury, who had doubled with one out. It should be noted, however, that Walden wriggled out of a bases-loaded-one-out jam in the tenth by striking out Freddy Galvis and getting Drury to fly to left.

Hembree also redeemed himself after blowing the save, retiring the Blue Jays in order in the thirteenth, striking out Galvis and Drury and getting Billy McKinney to fly to left.

Boston took a 2-0 lead in the third on RBI-singles from Mitch Moreland and Xander Bogaerts. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. got one run back with his fifth homer, off Rick Porcello (6-3-1-0-4, 80).

The Red Sox loaded the bases in the seventh on Jackie Bradley's double and walks to Andrew Benintendi and Betts. Moreland grounded out to second, but JBJ scored. Scoring with no one on and two outs is fantastic when the Red Sox do it and shitty when the opposition does it. Brandon Workman retired the first two Jays in the seventh, then gave up a single, double, and two walks to hand Toronto a run.

Rafael Devers and Justin Smoak both hit homers in the eighth.

MFY: Gleyber Torres has 12 home runs this year - and 10 of them have come against the Orioles. Gary "Ketchup Sock" Thorne of MASN did not feel like calling one of Torres's blasts. ... CC Sabathia's knee is "barking" and the portly portsider will likely be headed to the IL for the second time this season.
Rick Porcello / Aaron Sanchez
Benintendi, LF
Betts, RF
Moreland, 1B
Bogaerts, SS
Devers, 3B
Chavis, 2B
Vázquez, DH
Bradley, CF
León, C
Alex Cora, on speaking to plate umpire Alan Porter last night about Marcus Stroman possibly quick-pitching Michael Chavis in the fourth inning:
I was telling Alan, if he's going to get on our guys, get on him. It's the same thing with him every day. He competes a certain way and people don't like it. ... It seems like whenever a team comes in, somebody screams at him. I don't know, that's the way he acts.
Stroman responded this morning via Twitter:
Didn't know I had to cater to opposing teams to like me. Everyone messes with timing, deliveries and pitching mechanics these days. Everyone. Get over it. I'm going to keep that dawg mentality always. ... Cora probably still mad I chose to play for @USABaseball over Puerto Rico. Now it makes sense. Lol
MLB's Official Rules includes this comment re Rule 8.05(e):
A quick pitch is an illegal pitch. Umpires will judge a quick pitch as one delivered before the batter is reasonably set in the batter's box. With runners on base the penalty is a balk; with no runners on base, it is a ball. The quick pitch is dangerous and should not be permitted.
Did Stroman quick-pitch Chavis? He began his motion less than one second after Chavis's feet were set in the box.

Update: Before today's game, Cora offered a further explanation of what was going on, explaining he was upset at the plate umpire, not Stroman:
It wasn't even about the quick-pitch. People do that a lot. Nate Eovaldi, he quick pitches and he throws 99, 100. I wasn't actually complaining about the quick-pitch. I was actually telling the umpire because Stroman goes to Chavis and he talks to him and then somebody from the dugout is screaming at Stroman and Alan Porter right away jumps on our guy. ...

It's the Stro-show, you know? He's on the mound and he has his antics and he gets under people's skin and all of a sudden he pitches six innings. ... I said he competes a certain way. Some people like it and some people don't. ... Thank you again to the guys that wrote the headlines and now there's something going on here in Toronto. ...

He even tweeted that I am still mad he didn't pitch for Puerto Rico in the WBC. I had the best time of my life with that team and he wasn't part of it. Highlight of my career. He pitched six innings and he did an outstanding job for Team USA in the finals ... [A]ctually Nolan Arenado called me to tell me that he wasn't going to play for us. Stroman announced it at David [Ortiz's] tournament in the Dominican Republic. The next day I called him and said, "Marcus, I saw your decision and respect it. I wish you luck." He was like, "Hey Alex, let's get together. Let's do something for Puerto Rico." His mom is Puerto Rican. ... He had a choice and he pitched for the gold metal team. No big deal.

5 comments:

allan said...

Sean McAdam, Boston Sports Journal:

[I]f Thornburg's appearance for the Red Sox at SkyDome wasn't his last in a Red Sox uniform, it should be. ...

The outing was the sixth time in Thornburg's last seven appearances in which he's allowed at least one run and ninth in his last 11 in which he's been scored upon.

By the end of the inning, Thornburg's ERA for the season stood at 7.71. He's pitched just 18.2 innings this season, not enough to qualify among all pitchers, but if he were, he would be dead last among all major league pitchers.

In his 18.2 innings this season, Thornburg has allowed 21 hits and 10 walks. He's allowed 16 earned runs. ...

His velocity is fine — his fastball frequently hit 95 mph — but because he has no command of his secondary stuff, opposing hitters lay off those offerings and wait for his fastball, which they then treat like something offered up in batting practice. ...

Thornburg sits, mostly unused in the Red Sox bullpen, going days without so much as warming up. It's clear that he's not trusted in high-leverage spots, and as the numbers indicated, he's not capable of performing in low-leverage spots, either. ...

Some trades don't work out; this is obviously one of them.

allan said...

Yesterday:
Mets - 1 run in B9, walkoff win over Nationals
Cubs - 2 runs in B9, walkoff win over Phillies
Giants - 3 runs in B9, walkoff win over Atlanta

Jim said...

Oh shit, Gary Thorne. Don't remind me. I remember when we (in Canada) had to suffer through "MLB International" broadcasts and he was partnered with the immortal Rick Sutcliffe who was obviously heavily into the sauce back then. Thorne is even more annoying than Dave O'Brien.

allan said...

Thorne is even more annoying than Dave O'Brien.

Strong words. But I think you're right.

Thorne and Sutcliffe ... Could that be the worst two-man booth of all-time?

allan said...

"... when the ball clears the fence his immediate retreat to a more normal, if frustrated, speaking inflection and intonation is notable. ...Then, things get better as his professionalism dictates he go back to his broadcast voice to throw in his home run call of “goodbye. Home run.” Before he slips right back into an aggrieved and bemused parent, explaining the trials and tribulations of their offspring to anyone who will listen. It’s not just frustration but also astonishment, and the kind that is only brought on by the utterly inexplicable actions of a loved one causing you personal harm, just by living their lives. Something the Orioles do to Thorne on a regular basis ..."