i dreamed the red sox put me in center field, which is ridiculous for a number of reasons but the least important one and the one i keep coming back to is that i have never played outfield in my LIFE (i was a third baseman in softball and a second baseman in baseball,) but rob refsnyder was mad that i was getting the start so he took the field too so we had 4 outfielders out there and then a ball was hit in the air and you’d think with 4 outfielders, 3 of whom were actually qualified to be there and then also me, SOMEBODY would get to it but naw man it was total chaos out there, like tee ball shit, we were all running around like we had never seen a pop fly in our lives. it was so embarrassing we forfeited the game after and alex cora had to have a real stern talk with us.
Losing on a Sunday to the worst team in baseball (I should double check that but I'm pretty sure that's what the White Sox are) in a shambolic last inning shitshow then beat the shit out of one of the best teams baseball almost perfectly sums up the 2024 Red Sox for me. They are the biggest WTF team I've seen in years. You have to go pre-2004 for a Sox team this... weird. I can't think of who they remind me of - that's the sort of thing Chad Finn is great at coming up with. Anyway. It's wild. It's kept the year interesting in a hugely frustrating way. Hell of a way to start a series. plenty of bright sides.
Rob Refsnyder and Tyler O'Neill went back-to-back with dingers TWICE... in the third and in the eighth. Ref was 4-for-4 with five RBIs and two runs scored. He also took a walk. O'Neill was 3-for-5 with 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored. Between them responsible for 8 of the 12 Red Sox runs. Bravo.
Brayan Bello looked good again, though he did walk an awful lot of people. He went five and a third, giving up 2 runs on three hits and striking out five. He did also walk five. He issued more walks than the Red Sox took.
Ceddanne Rafaela had a night, going two-for-four and knocking in four runs. The arithmetical geniuses among you will have worked out that Rafa knocked in every Sox run that Ref and O'Neill didn't, which is very cool.
Danny Jansen had no hits and went 0-for-1 but scored two runs because he knows how to take a walk. In fact, he took two. And didn't strike out.
Raffy went 3-for-5 and scored two runs. He made an error but scoring two runs cancels that out easily for me. And the error didn't cost us a run.
We won!
We gained a game in the Wild Card even though I am definitely not paying too close attention to that!
If we win again we win the series and we don't do that often against the Orioles these days.
The Minnesota Twins have been on a roll during a twelve-game winning streak. All good things come to an end and the Red Sox put the Twins to the test today. The Twins struck first in the third inning as Ryan Jeffers smacked a Cooper Criswell fastball out to left for a solo homer. Minnesota had a one-run lead after three innings of play. The Red Sox would answer in the fourth as Jarren Duran led-off with a double to left. With one out, Rob Refsnyder lined a ball off Carlos Correa's glove and into left field for a run-scoring single. This tied the game at one and Boston got back to work in the fifth. Reese McGuire lined a one-out single to center. Cedanne Rafaela followed and belted a Joe Ryan fastball out to left for a two-run homer. The Sox had a two-run lead midway through the game. The bullpens settled things down until the late innings. The Red Sox quickly loaded the bases in the eighth and Vaughn Grissom plated a pair with a double to center. Dominic Smith knocked in two more with a double to left and the Red Sox lead grew to six. The Twins had a little life in them in the eighth. Max Kepler doubled with one out and Trevor Larnach singled him home. Boston bounced right back in the ninth as Jarred Duran tripled and Rafael Devers crushed a Jay Jackson slider out to right for a two-run homer. Kenley Jansen threw a scoreless ninth and the Red Sox snapped the Twins winning streak of twelve games.
-Final Thoughts- Joe Ryan had a decent day and didn't get much run support. He lasted six innings and allowed three runs on four hits with a walk and five strikeouts. Kody Funderburk gave up four runs in 1 1/3 innings with two strikeouts and Jay Jackson allowed two more runs and retired five men. Max Kepler, Trevor Larnach, and Carlos Santana had two hits each. The Twins hit 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left ten men on base. The Mariners come to town to open up a four-game series tomorrow night. Luis Castillo will face Simeon Woods Richardson in Game 1.
Ronald Acuña Jr. conecta su primer gran batazo del Spring Training. Los Bravos de Atlanta esperan que el de La Sabana pueda repetir su gran rendimiento para esta temporada 2024. Wilmer Flores, en dos entradas de labor, no dio tregua a los rivales que enfrentó. Dixon Machado lucha por un cupo los Astros.
Theoscar Mogollón González
El Spring Training sigue regalando buenos partidos a los fanáticos de las Grandes Ligas. Para la jornada de este jueves, los Bravos de Atlanta tuvieron una doble presentación casi en simultáneo, pero fue ante los Mellizos de Minnesota que Ronald Acuña Jr. sacó a relucir su poder con el bate.
En principio, el juego inició sin muchas complicaciones para ambos abridores, y no fue sino hasta el tercer episodio cuando la ofensiva del conjunto de Atlanta comenzó a despertarse. Allí, el de La Sabana logró conectar su primer imparable en estos entrenamientos primaverales, y de qué manera.
Eli White se embasó con un sencillo, pero tras un error del lanzador en intento de viraje avanzó hasta la intermedia. Acto seguido, Acuña Jr. no perdonó el primer lanzamiento y conectó una línea fuerte hacia el jardín central para un doble, lo que permitió la primera rayita del compromiso. Poco después fue puesto out en intento de robo.
Cabe agregar que el venezolano falló en su primer turno con rodado al campocorto y en el último con un elevadito al primera base para irse de 3-1. En la alta del sexto capítulo fue reemplazado por J.P. Martínez en el jardín derecho.
Con el de hoy fue apenas su tercer juego de Spring Training este año. En los dos anteriores, contra Orioles de Baltimore y Medias Rojas de Boston, falló en sus cuatro turnos. Hasta los momentos cuenta con un doble en siete visitas al plato.
Wilmer Flores calibra su brazalete
No hay beisbolista a estas alturas que no esté dando el 100% para impresionar a todos durante el Spring Training. Así tal cual está sucediendo con Wilmer De Jesús Flores, cuyo objetivo es demostrar en sus primeros entrenamientos primaverales que tiene el potencial necesario para ser parte del bullpen del equipo.
Para la jornada de este jueves, los Tigres de Detroit se midieron ante las Medias Rojas de Boston. Más allá de la derrota (5-2) que sufrieron, uno de los puntos más altos fue la presentación del carabobeño. Y es que en dos entradas de labor no dio tregua a los rivales que enfrentó.
[caption id="attachment_104645" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Wilmer Flores | Foto cortesía[/caption]
En la baja del quinto inning, Flores hizo acto de presencia tras reemplazar a Adam Wolf. Allí dominó a Rob Refsnyder con un ponche, a Connor Wong con una línea de out, y a Tyler Heineman con un elevado.
Ya en en el sexto, Tyler McDonough le conectó un sencillo, pero luego sacó de circulación a los tres siguientes bateadores de manera rápida: Alex Binela bateó rodado para out forzado, mientras que Tyler O'Neill y Matthew Lugo se poncharon tirándole.
Lo más resaltante de la actuación del venezolano fue que sus 13 lanzamientos estuvieron en la zona de strike, además que su recta promedió las 99.9 mph. Al final, de los siete rivales que enfrentó solo uno se le embasó y tres fueron liquidados por la vía del ponche.
De esta manera, Flores mejoró notablemente su presentación en comparación con su primera salida. El pasado 25 de febrero fue castigado por parte de los Rays de Tampa Bay en dos tercios de labor, con cuatro imparables y cuatro anotaciones. Apenas realizó ocho lanzamientos y abanicó a un contrario.
Veterano Dixon Machado busca cupo en Houston
[caption id="attachment_104646" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Dixon Machado. Foto: Astros[/caption]
Al mencionar a los Astros de Houston y hacer referencia a Venezuela, solo hay un nombre que se refleja en la mente de la mayoría de los fanáticos criollos; José Altuve. Pero resulta que no es el único que hace vida en la mencionada organización.
Hay un experimentado infielder
que forma parte de los siderales y sigue luchando por un cupo en el equipo de las Grandes Ligas y poder lograr su anhelado retorno al mejor beisbol del mundo. Se trata de Dixon Machado, un campocorto de 32 años de edad que es recordado por su paso con Leones del Caracas en la Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional (LVBP).
Además, el oriundo de San Cristóbal, Táchira, ha lucido las indumentarias de Tigres de Detroit y Gigantes de San Francisco en el show de la Gran Carpa. La última vez que vio acción en el máximo nivel fue en el 2022 con los de La Bahía, donde registró apenas tres indiscutibles, una carrera anotada, un boleto negociado y cinco ponches sufridos en 15 visitas al cajón de los bateadores, estableciendo un AVG de apenas .200.
En el Spring Training de este 2024 ha demostrado grandes cualidades ofensivas, añadidas a su impecable defensa, que le podrían brindar una nueva oportunidad en el circuito norteamericano. Ha acumulado cuatro sencillos, un pasaporte recibido y una base robada en seis turnos al bate, colocando su promedio en .667 con un sólido 1.381 de OPS.
Durante los entrenamientos primaverales del 2023 también se puso el uniforme de Houston para intentar hacerse con ese esperado cupo, pero no lo logró al batear solamente para .267 con ocho incogibles, cuatro rayitas fletadas, seis anotadas, cinco boletos y cuatro ponches sufridos tras presentarse en el plato en treinta ocasiones.
En otro sentido, tiene la competencia directamente con el parador en corto Jeremy Peña y el utility Mauricio Dubón, este último fue quien suplió a José Altuve en la contienda pasada tras sufrir varias lesiones.
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El Pepazo/Meridiano
Rafael Devers highlighted his three-hit performance with a two-run double to ignite a five-run fourth inning, lifting the surging Boston Red Sox to a 7-4 victory over the host Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday.
Jackson Mahomes gives Antonio Brown a run for his money | Worst of the Week
Boston’s Rob Refsnyder ripped a two-run double, Christian Arroyo had a two-run single and Reese McGuire added…
I am still struggling with the Jarren Duran thing. I'm glad he's suspended. As someone who has struggled with mental health issues I hope that the repercussions of his actions don't cause him to spiral down to that dark place again but that he learns that words hurt and playing on the stage he does requires him to not spout vitriol and bile. And learn not only is it not ok, but WHY it's not ok. And growing from there. He fucked up. I hope he learns more from it than "I shouldn't fuck up again". Because it's about more than that. Anyway. There was a baseball game on a Monday at Fenway and the Red Sox did the opposite of lose. Which means they won, which was a nice change of pace from the previous four games. Do I wish they'd done it more convincingly and without going to extras, only having to go to extras because they blew their lead? Kinda? Do I wish they hadn't struck out FIFTEEN TIMES (they did walk nine times... there were a LOT of walks in that game)? A little bit. But I'm not greedy, honest! Ok, maybe I'm a little greedy. Greedy or not, we won, and we needed the win, and it's great and there are, of course, bright sides.
Brayan Bello had a good start. Not just a quality start, but a good start. So good a start, he deserved the win. He gave up one run on four hits (and three walks) whilst striking out five over six innings. That is good. The bullpen needed a break and he did his best to give them one. Thanks Brayan.
Chris Martin (not the Colplay one) and Kenley Jansen were lights out when they needed to be. Bravo bullpen.
Mickey Gasper, New England native called up from the minors to replace the Suspended One, had a great at-bat and took a walk that led to the Sox winning the game. Welcome to the show, Mickey Gasper. Your moustache is almost as good as Romy Gonzalez's but not quite. Well. It's not really close tbh. Romy has the best 'tache.
Rob Refsnyder won the game, because that's the sort of thing he does, hitting a walk-off single to the wall to knock in the winning run in bottom of the 10th. He definitely earned his beer shower... Mmmmm... beer shower...
Raffy Devers didn't have a hit but he took a walk and scored a run... just sayin'.
Dom Smith, fresh off the mound from Sunday's nightmare, was 1-for-1 with a walk as well. Efficient, Dom. Thank you.
Sogard was 2-for-4 with a walk.
Ceddanne Rafaela had a hit and scored the winning run and didn't strike out. Scoring the winning run was pretty cool.
Enmanuel Valdez, back from the minors, pinch hit and knocked in the tying run (that was scored by expert moustachioed person, Romy Gonzalez).
That whole bottom the 10th was fucking wild. Go watch it.