#ryan braiser

[twins2994]

Dodgers Double Up Twins 4-2.

Dodgers 4 Twins 2 W-Paxton (2-0) L-Jackson (0-1) SV-Phillips (4)

The Minnesota Twins got a much needed reset with a rainout on Sunday. The team returned to action against the Dodgers tonight. The Dodgers were ready from the start as Mookie Betts led-off the first with a walk. Shohei Ohtani doubled and Freddie Freeman hit a sac fly to center. The Twins would answer in the third as Austin Martin drew a one-out walk. Manny Margot belted a James Paxton cutter out to left for a two-run homer to put Minnesota on top. Bailey Ober ran with it through five solid innings. The Dodgers would rally in the sixth with a Shohei Ohtani lead-off double. Freddie Freeman singled and Will Smith hit a run-scoring single to right. This tied the game at two after six frames. Los Angeles would flex their muscles in the seventh when James Outman lined a Jay Jackson slider out to deep right field. The ball kept carrying for a solo home run to put the Dodgers on top. With two outs, Shohei Ohtani knocked a Jay Jackson slider out to left for a solo blast. This put the Dodgers up by two as we sang the seventh inning stretch. Ryan Braiser and Daniel Hudson each threw up a scoreless inning to set-up Evan Phillips, who closed the door with a 1-2-3 ninth. The Dodgers picked up the win in the series opener.

-Final Thoughts- Bailey Ober looked much better in his second start. He went five strong innings and allowed a run on three hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. Steven Okert gave up a run in the sixth, Jay Jackson gave up a pair of homers in the seventh, and Griffin Jax put up a zero in the eighth. Kody Funderburk fanned two in a scoreless ninth. Manny Margot had two of the team's three hits. The Twins hit 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position and left two men on base. Tomorrow, Tyler Glasnow faces Louie Varland in Game 2.

-Chris Kreibich-

[redsoxfenwaypark]

Sweep of the A’s

6.5.22

[pedroias]

UPDATED LIST ON WHICH RED SOX PLAYERS ARE AND AREN’T GOING TO THE WHITE HOUSE

Who is going:

Brock Holt

Nathan Eovaldi

Matt Barnes

Ryan Braiser

J.D. Martinez

Rick Porcello

Heath Hembree

Chris Sale

Mitch Moreland

Brian Johnson

Steve Pearce

Brandon Workman

Steven Wright

Who isn’t going:

Mookie Betts

Jackie Bradley Jr.

Xander Bogaerts

Alex Cora

Rafael Devers

Sandy Leon

David Price

Christian Vazquez

Hector Velazquez

[xoxostephanie11]

[24sene]

Ryan Braiser Leads Red Sox Relievers With Six Saves So Far This Season

[garrettrulefivewhitlock]

Ok I have to go shower real quick so I just want to say *Keegan-Michael Key voice* if one of y’all blows this game, the whole team is gonna feel my wrath

[jodyedgarus]

The 5 Players Who Could Determine The World Series

When you think of the World Series, you probably picture stars: Derek Jeter, Manny Ramirez, Randy Johnson and the like. But lesser-known players also play pivotal roles in late October: David Freese, Mike Lowell and David Eckstein have each been named World Series MVP in the past 15 years. Whoever wins the Fall Classic starting tonight between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers will need contributions from stars and role players alike. Here are five players — some stars, some not — who are poised to help determine the World Series.

David Price

The Boston Red Sox lefty and long-time regular-season ace has a chance to change his postseason reputation. He can shed one label, that of playoff choker, and add another: World Series hero. Price had never won a postseason start, winless in his first 11 starts with a 6.16 ERA, until he shut out a vaunted Astros lineup over six innings in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series. Price tried something different in that game that could be a road map going forward: He leaned on his change-up.

Price threw 93 pitches in Game 5, and 39 were change-ups — a usage rate of 41.9 percent. The pitch generated 12 swinging strikes and 13 foul balls. This was dramatically different from Price’s Game 2 start against the Astros, when only nine of his 80 pitches were change-ups. Price has never leaned on the changeup in any of his 289 career regular-season starts more than he did in Game 5. It was an excellent pitch for the left-hander in 2015 and 2016, but Price began to favor his cutter more the past two seasons. Perhaps trading cutters for change-ups is the formula to end his personal postseason curse.

Here’s a Price change-up against George Springer in Game 5, a pitch with excellent fading action:

And another bat-missing change-up against Carlos Correa:

There’s reason to believe that Price will continue to favor the pitch: Price doesn’t have a breaking ball he trusts, throwing his curveball on only 2.9 percent of his offerings this season. And a left-handed pitcher’s change-up darts away from right-handed batters, which could be effective against the Dodgers’ right-handed threats like Justin Turner, Manny Machado and Yasiel Puig. The Dodgers crush right-handed pitchers, so it’s imperative that Price and Chris Sale pitch well for the Red Sox. And with Sale’s velocity down after two second-half DL stints related to his shoulder, the Red Sox may need Price to be their ace. He might have the pitch and plan to do it.

Walker Buehler

While striking out 22 batters in 16 2/3 postseason innings — and allowing just 18 base runners — Buehler has shown his talent. He has also rewarded the Dodgers for taking a risk on him with the 24th overall pick in the 2015 draft despite knowing he had an elbow injury — one that would necessitate Tommy John surgery later that year. Buehler has had some poor luck and timing this postseason, given his 5.40 ERA in October. But the right-hander’s underlying skills are elite, including an excellent breaking ball — ranking 11th among all qualifying MLB curveballs in vertical movement and first in groundball-to-flyball ratio — and a fastball that has averaged 97.3 mph this postseason, ninth among all pitchers in October.

The Red Sox also tend to destroy right-handed pitching, ranking second in the majors in offensive efficiency against them behind only the Dodgers. And each team will begin the series with two left-handed starters. The Dodgers will start Clayton Kershaw in Game 1 against Sale and Hyun-Jin Ryu in Game 2 against Price. But right-handed arms are going to have to pitch, and they’ll pick up more innings in the mid- and late stages of the series. Buehler will start Game 3 — and he is as talented as any right-handed arm still pitching.

Matt Barnes

Bullpens matter more than ever before in the postseason. This October, relievers have accounted for 50.4 percent of total innings thrown, up from a record mark of 46.5 percent last postseason. (In 2010, the bullpen share was 32.3 percent). While these teams haven’t been bullpenning like the Brewers, their relievers still matter a great deal.

While Boston reliever Craig Kimbrel entered the playoffs with a reputation as one of the best closers of all time, he’s been supported by lesser-known names like Barnes and Ryan Brasier. Entering the World Series, Barnes and Braiser rank second and fourth in the playoff field in reliever Win Probability Added.1 Barnes struck out 14 batters per nine innings this season, but he also walked 4.5. If he can pitch like a relief ace for another week, he’ll give the Red Sox an edge.

Austin Barnes

The Dodgers’ regular-season backup catcher was one of the best part-time players in baseball in 2017, slashing .289/.408/.486 and measuring as an elite pitch framer. While Barnes struggled offensively in 2018, starting catcher Yasmani Grandal’s defensive problems in part prompted L.A. to start Barnes in five of the seven games of the National League Championship Series, including Game 7 against Milwaukee starter Jhoulys Chacin — despite the fact that Grandal typically gets the call against right-handed pitchers. (While both catchers grade as elite framers, Grandal ranks No. 1 this season, while Barnes ranks 13th.)

Barnes batted just .151 against right-handed pitchers this year with 48 weighted runs created plus.2 He’s more respectable against lefties (.246 average, 101 wRC+), and that should matter in Games 1 and 2 against Sale and Price. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts hasn’t announced his Game 1 lineup, but Barnes may need to provide an impact at the plate and behind it.

Mookie Betts

The possible, if not probable, AL MVP has had a quiet postseason to date, slashing .205/ .295/.282. Betts has yet to hit a postseason home run this year despite hitting a career-high 32 in the regular season — one in which he joined other undersized sluggers in learning how to pull the ball and tap into their power. But this series sets up well for Betts, who posted a 212 wRC+ against lefties, tops in the majors, and a .368 average against southpaws.

While Betts’s bat has been cold thus far in the postseason, his glove remains consistently elite in right field. He tied Lorenzo Cain as the top outfield defender in baseball this season with 20 defensive runs saved. He made several excellent defensive plays in the ALCS, including one controversial near-catch of a home run. Fenway Park’s right field has unusual and awkward dimensions, and Betts’s experience there could give the Red Sox another small edge. Betts has not endured many extended cold streaks this year, and if he breaks out in the World Series, he could win two MVP titles this season.

Check out our latest MLB predictions.

from News About Sports https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-5-players-who-could-determine-the-world-series/

[twins2994]

Twins Bats Break Out To Even Series!

Twins 10 Red Sox 3 W-Ryan (4-0) L-Kluber (0-4) SV-Headrick (1)

The Minnesota Twins have slipped up a but during a three-game losing streak on this current road trip. The team looked to get back on track with Joe Ryan on the mound tonight in Boston. The Twins got to work early as Max Kepler led-off the first with a walk and Byron Buxton doubled to center. Trevor Larnach hit an RBI groundout to first and the Twins drew first blood. The next batter, Eddie Julien knocked a Corey Kluber cutter out to right for a two-run blast and the Twins had a three-run lead before the Red Sox grabbed a bat. The Twins got back to work in the third as Trevor Larnach walked and Eddie Julien was hit in the leg by a pitch. Jose Miranda delivered a one-out single to center, which plated a run and the Twins lead grew to four. The next batter, Joey Gallo smacked a Corey Kluber curveball out to right for a three-run homer. Minnesota had a touchdown lead through two and a half innings. The Red Sox quickly loaded up the bases in the third and Raimel Tapia hit an RBI groundout to short. Boston got back to work in the fifth as Jarren Duran led-off with a double to center and Enmanuel Valdez singled to left. Alex Verdugo hit into a double play, which plated a run to pull Boston with five after five frames. The Twins answered in the sixth as Max Kepler hit a ground-rule double and Byron Buxton drew  a walk. Trevor Larnach wacked a Ryan Braiser fastball out to center for a three-run homer and the Twins lead grew to 10-2. Kike Hernandez inched the Sox closer with a blast off a Joe Ryan curveball over the Green Monster. Joe Ryan finished off six solid innings and Brent Headrick sailed through two innings before hitting a wall in the ninth. Boston quickly loaded up the bases and Jarren Duran hit a sac fly to center. Headrick retired the next two batters to close out the save and the Twins evened the series at a game apiece tonight. 

-Final Thoughts- Joe Ryan had another solid outing for his fourth win. He went six innings and allowed three runs on six hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Ryan Headrick gave up a run over three innings with three strikeouts for the save. Eddie Julien had three hits and Joey Gallo notched two hits in his return. The Twins hit 4-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base. The team will close out the road trip tomorrow as Kenta Maeda faces Tanner Houck in the series finale. 

-Chris Kreibich-

[redsoxfenwaypark]

Also I already didn’t like Braiser but now I’m in the let’s DFA him like right now.

[redsoxfenwaypark]

WS Media Day

[redsoxfenwaypark]

Clinch night vibes

[twins2994]

Red Sox Hit Two Grand Slams To Even Series!

Red Sox 9 Astros 5 W-Eovaldi (3-0) L-Garcia (0-2) 

The Houston Astros outlasted the Red Sox last night to take Game 1 of the American League Championship Series. Today, the Red Sox tried to even the series in Houston. Kyle Schwarber got the day started off right with a double to right in the first. Luis Garcia walked Rafael Devers and Alex Verdugo to load up the bases with two outs. JD Martinez followed and crushed a Luis Garcia fastball out to right for a grand slam. The Red Sox quickly loaded the bases in the second inning. Rafael Devers blasted a Jake Odorizzi cutter out to right for another grand slam. This doubled the Boston lead to eight after two innings of play. Kike Hernandez stayed hot in the fourth when he took Jake Odorizzi deep for a solo homer. The Red Sox extended their lead to nine and Nathan Eovaldi sailed through three shutout innings. Yordan Alvarez started a fourth inning rally with a two-out walk. Carlos Correa lined a single to right and Kyle Tucker doubled to left, which scored a run. Yuli Gurriel drove in a pair with a base hit to right and the Astros were within six runs. Meanwhile, Nathan Eovaldi finished off 5 1/3 innings and gave up three runs. Adam Ottavino got gout of the sixth and Garrett Whitlock threw two scoreless innings. The Astros continued to hit in the ninth against Darwinzon Hernandez. Yuli Gurriel smacked a Hernandez fastball out to left for a solo homer. With two outs, Jason Castro hammered a a fastball out to center for a solo blast. This pulled the Astros within four, but time was running out. Ryan Braiser got Jose Altuve out to end the ballgame and the series was evened up at a game apiece. 

-Final Thoughts- Nathan Eovaldi threw another great game this postseason. He went 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on five hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Luis Garcia gave up five runs over an inning-plus of work then exited with an injury. Jake Odorizzi was forced to come in and did a fine job eating up innings. He went four innings and struck out five, while giving up four runs. Kike Hernandez, Xander Bogaerts, Alex Verdugo, and JD Martinez had two hits each for the Sox. Boston hit 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position and Houston hit 2-for-3 in the same situations. Tomorrow will be a travel off day and Jose Urquidy will start for the Astros on Monday night in Boston. The Red Sox haven’t announced a starter for Game 3 yet. 

-Chris Kreibich-

[garrettrulefivewhitlock]

In a turn of events that surprised absolutely no one, Ryan Braiser lost us the game

[garrettrulefivewhitlock]

Sanchez strikes out and here comes Ryan Braiser with the steel chair!

[xoxostephanie11]

[twins2994]

Eduardo Rodriguez Shuts Down Twins.

Twins 2 Red Sox 6 W-Rodriguez (17-5) L-Berrios (11-8) SV-Workman (11)

The Boston Red Sox haven’t had much go right in the starting rotation in 2019. Chris Sale, David Price, and Rick Porcello have struggled throughout they year, but Eduardo Rodriguez has been a bright spot. Tonight, he looked for win number seventeen against the Twins. The Red Sox gave him some early run support in the first inning. Mookie Betts drilled a first-pitch fastball out to left for a solo home run. This put the Sox up 1-0 after an inning of play. Boston went back to work in the second inning. Christian Vazquez singled with one out and Jackie Bradley Jr. walked. The next batter, Mookie Betts smacked a Jose Berrios curveball out to left-center for a three-run blast. The Sox now had a four-run lead after two frames. Meanwhile, Eduardo Rodriguez threw six shutout innings and the Boston offense got him more run support in the bottom of the sixth. Brock Holt led-off the inning with a single and Mitch Moreland walked. Christian Vazquez hit an RBI double to left and the Sox led 5-0. Later in the inning, Mookie Betts delivered a run-scoring single to left to give Boston a six-run edge. Eduardo Rodriguez finished off seven shutout innings and Ryan Brasier came on for the eighth. Nelson Cruz greeted him with a single to left. The next batter, Eddie Rosario blasted a Ryan Braiser fastball out to right for a two-run shot. This pulled the Twins within four runs after eight frames. The Twins didn’t go away quietly in the ninth. Mitch Garver and Luis Arraez walked with one out and Alex Cora went with Brandon Workman for the last two outs. He got Nelson Cruz to hit into a game-ending double play and the Sox evened the series at a game apiece. 

-Final Thoughts- Jose Berrios wasn’t too sharp tonight, but Mookie Betts ambushed him early in counts. He went five innings and allowed six runs on eight hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Ryne Harper retired the only man he faced, Cody Stashak had 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and Brusdar Graterol had a scoreless ninth. Eddie Rosario, Miguel Sano, and CJ Cron led the team with two hits each. The Twins hit 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left ten men on base. Sam Dyson flew back to Minneapolis because his shoulder is barking again. It’s a shame because he has been a solid reliever for the team when healthy. Tomorrow, Martin Perez faces Nathan Eovaldi in the rubber game. 

-Chris Kreibich-