March 15, 2015

Red Sox Rundown - Spring Notes


With Boston almost halfway through the Grapefruit League sked, they have come back to Earth and are currently on a mini 2 game slide. A loss to the Pirates yesterday at Jet Blue Park put the Sawx at 7-4 going into today's game against Philly. Pittsburgh returned the favor, rebounding from a 5-1 loss at the venerable McKechnie Field in Bradenton which is currently the oldest spring venue still in operation.

 After losing their first two games of the spring, Boston reeled off 7 straight wins before loses to New York on Friday and the Pirates. We may have gotten a preview of what this lineup can bring to the table offensively as they should be fun to watch. Farrell says they now have a "quick strike offense" and with a 2014 lineup that placed 12th in the AL in extra base hit percentage, this is a welcome sight! Both Papi and Panda collected their first homers of the spring in the 5-1 on Thursday.
Also featured in this game was another impressive performance by Eduardo Rodriguez. "E-Rod" has pitched 5.2 innings this spring and has not allowed a run while striking out 7. Buchholz was the starter in this one and got roughed up a bit giving up 4 hits and a run but he has had a strong spring so far as that has been the only run in 6 innings of work.

 The starters were unveiled at Jet Blue against the Yankees, but they were silenced only producing 2 runs before many of them were pulled in a 5-3 loss. The leather was being flashed in this one by both Pedey and the red hot Mookie Betts.

Mookie Betts is making a strong case to be the leadoff hitter on the lineup card when Boston opens against Philadelphia on April 6th. Betts was 2-3 in the loss with a run scored and is now hitting .400. Starter Rick Porcello left inherited runners aboard and was charged with 2 ER in 3 IP, but he had 3 Ks. Travis Shaw also continues to make some noise going 2-2 in this one and has looked good against lefty pitching. Shaw is hitting at a .538 clip and clubbed 21 homers and 78 RBI between Double A Portland and Triple A Pawtucket in 2014. One wonders if he will ease fears of the upcoming departure of Mike Napoli who's in the last year of a three year deal.

 Speaking of Mike Napoli he demonstrated the power of a good night's sleep drilling two homers in the loss to Pittsburgh yesterday. Nap's career was threatened due to a sleep apnea disorder but it seems all systems are go after successful off-season surgery. Allen Craig is slowly starting to account for himself with a 2-3 day. Fangraphs tells us if Craig puts the ball in the air, he will return to form > http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-pitchers-will-tell-us-about-allen-craig/ , On the mound, Koji Uehara continued to struggle with location and was hit hard. I'm still baffled at the fact  that Boston extended him when they were cleaning house in 2014 due to his age. Youngster Henry Owens tossed three scoreless innings but did walk three batters.

 Boston announced the signing of 19 year old Cuban phenom Yoan Moncada this past week and the future certainly looks bright. Moncada will begin his tenure in the Boston farm system as a second baseman but has also played 3B and OF. He hopes to land in Boston for 2016 but realizes it may take longer. This winter, maybe one of Sandoval's Christmas gifts will be a first baseman's glove? With talented names such as Johnson, Owens, Rodriguez, Swihart, Margot, Chavis, Devers, Marrero, Cecchini, and Guerra down on the farm Boston has the opportunity to refrain from the high priced free agency to fill gaps or parlay some of these players in trades for known MLB ability.
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