The Boston Red Sox Friday, May 25, 2018

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1 * The Boston Globe The Boston Red Sox Friday, May 25, 2018 An ugly start by Rick Porcello leads to an ugly loss for Red Sox Peter Abraham ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. Rick Porcello is not a frivolous sort. As a starting pitcher, he gets one game out of every five to change the fortunes of the Red Sox and that is something he takes seriously. On Thursday night, as his own mistakes and those of others mounted against the Tampa Bay Rays, Porcello appeared for a few seconds like he wanted to take the baseball and fire it through the dingy roof of Tropicana Field. Ultimately, Porcello could not finish four innings in what was an ugly 6-3 loss for the Sox that ended a four-game win streak. The frustration on his face was evident throughout the short time he was on the mound. That s part of it. I think I ve got to do a better job with whatever it is, stepping off, taking a deep breath and getting back on track, Porcello said. Porcello (6-2) allowed six runs, four earned, on eight hits and two walks over 3⅔ innings. It was the latest stumble in what has been a bad trend. Porcello was 5-0 with a 2.14 earned run average and 0.82 WHIP in his first seven starts. Opponents hit only.193 against him. In four starts since, the righthander is 1-2 with a 7.29 ERA and 1.86 WHIP. Opponents have hit.352. Thursday was Porcello s shortest start since July 29, 2015, a two-inning meltdown against the White Sox that led to his going on the disabled list for a month. Health is not an issue this time. Any time I ve struggled this year, it s been a result of falling behind hitters, Porcello said. That s what happened tonight. Got into some bad counts against guys, had to come in the zone with some pitches and you get hurt by that. His teammates were not much of an aid to Porcello. The tight strike zone of umpire Tom Hallion didn t help either. For the first time since May 16, J.D. Martinez started in left field for the Sox. The first inning offered proof that as an outfielder, he s quite a hitter. Denard Span led off with a fly ball to the gap that hung up long enough to be caught. But Martinez took a roundabout route to the ball and it went over his head for a double. Porcello walked C.J. Cron before Matt Duffy reached on an infield hit to load the bases. When Wilson Ramos tapped a ball back to the left side of the mound, Porcello went to the plate for what should have been a force. But Sandy Leon dropped the ball and Span scored.

2 Brad Miller s sacrifice fly to center made it 2-0. As Steven Wright started to warm up, Daniel Robertson singled to left field to load the bases. It was another play Martinez could have made but the ball fell in front of him. When Mallex Smith bounced a ball back to the mound, Porcello started a double play that ended the inning after 33 pitches. It somehow got worse in the second inning as Porcello threw 30 more pitches and the Rays scored three runs. With the bases loaded and two outs, Ramos grounded a single into right field to beat a shift that had him played up the middle. Two runs scored and Duffy went from first to third. Mookie Betts made a casual flip back to the infield and the low throw bounced away from Eduardo Nunez, who should have done more to keep the ball in front of him. Duffy scored on what was ruled an error on Betts. Porcello at that point appeared ready to spontaneously combust. Because Porcello pitches to contact, manager Alex Cora wants to take a closer look at how the Sox shift their infield defense when he s on the mound. We were talking about it, we probably have to make a little bit of an adjustment defensively with the alignments, Cora said. They re pulling the ball a little bit more. Rays starter Blake Snell (6-3) retired the first seven batters he faced, four by strikeout. He went on to throw six shutout innings. The 25-year-old lefthander has faced the Sox three times this season and allowed two runs over 19 innings and struck out 19. Down 6-1, the Sox scored twice in the ninth inning as Mitch Moreland homered and Rafael Devers had an RBI double with two outs. But Rays closer Alex Colome came out of the bullpen and retired Leon on a grounder to first. Cora had Andrew Benintendi, among others, on the bench. But Leon was 2 for 3 and 10 of his last 23 and Cora stayed with him. Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4 and struck out three times. He is hitless in his last 21 at-bats and 13 of 80 (.163) this month. Ramirez has not had an extra-base hit since May 12. Ramirez has hit second or third in every game he has played this season, something Cora may have to reconsider this weekend. It feels like there are 25 guys on the field, Ramirez said. My bat s on the DL. But I ve been through this before. I have to swing at strikes. The Rays announced a crowd of 12,468 for a series total of 33,304. Twelve individual games at Fenway Park this season have drawn more than that. The Sox took two of three on their brief road trip. They start a six-game homestand on Friday with Eduardo Rodriguez facing the Atlanta Braves. The one bit of good news was that Dustin Pedroia would come off the disabled list and be on the roster for the first time this season on Friday.

3 It ll be great to have him back, Ramirez said. We have a good team and now we re getting better. Where should Dustin Pedroia bat when he returns? Nick Cafardo ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. Dustin Pedroia completed his second straight game at second base for Triple A Pawtucket on Thursday and is about to be recalled and make his 2018 Red Sox debut. So, where should manager Alex Cora bat him in the order? Does Pedroia return to his No. 2 spot behind Mookie Betts? Does he start off hitting down in the order, say fifth or sixth? Does Cora move him around and try to find that perfect spot? Should he hit seventh, so the bottom of the order, which has struggled this season, is enhanced? Lots of possibilities. Cora is leaving this a mystery, but he did acknowledge, I m leaving Mookie and [Andrew Benintendi] 1-2. He also said he might vary where Pedroia hits. Sorry, Alex, but I still like Pedroia in the No. 2 hole. Bat Pedroia second against lefties and drop Benintendi to fifth, and bat Benintendi second against righties with Pedroia fifth. So, you d have a lineup against lefties of Betts, Pedroia, J.D. Martinez, Hanley Ramirez, Benintendi, Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, Christian Vazquez, and Jackie Bradley Jr. And against righties of Betts, Benintendi, Ramirez, Martinez/Mitch Moreland, Pedroia, Bogaerts, Devers, Vazquez/Sandy Leon, and Bradley. The addition of Pedroia should also improve the second base defense, which has been suspect with Eduardo Nunez. It enables Cora to rest Devers against tough lefties and use Nunez at third base, where he seems to be more comfortable. And Pedroia obviously adds leadership. The Sox record, which entering Thursday was the best in the majors at 34-15, would indicate they haven t missed Pedroia much, but you might also look at it that they might have avoided their recent.500 stretch had they had him. Maybe he would have meant a couple of games in the standings. Maybe they d be up by three or four games over the Yankees at this point. Who can tell? But you can clearly see that there were balls that got through the infield that Pedroia would have gotten to. We ll see where his range is after major knee surgery, but even if it s slightly diminished, it s got to be better than Nunez s. What s been amazing is that Pedroia has stuck to his rehab program. In past years, he tended to accelerate things on his own. He knew this was a serious surgery and he needed to follow directions. And he did. There were times when the Red Sox needed to hold him back, and Pedroia didn t put up a fight. He probably felt he could have played in the majors before this weekend, but he didn t fight it. With Pedroia on board, Cora now feels he s going to be able to use Nunez more in the role that was intended for him. He can plug him in at third, he can still use him at second when Pedroia needs time off, which will likely be more than ever before. And so we come back to where Pedroia should hit in the order. It s perhaps right to assume he may start lower in the order. Would Cora bat him ninth to create a setup man for Betts in the leadoff spot? Betts, as a

4 leadoff batter, entered Thursday with 66 plate appearances with runners on, and he was hitting.339 with an OPS of 1.123, including 19 hits, 12 for extra bases. Cora wasn t sharing his thoughts, but he said he pretty much knew. I want to sit down with [Pedroia], said Cora. He doesn t have a problem with it. He wants to contribute. Cora said Pedroia left him an emotional message, telling him, I ll do anything for you. I ll play wherever and whenever. One thing is for sure, Cora added, our lineup is going to be longer and our bench is going to be better. We can match up with anybody. Cora acknowledged he probably won t hit him in the same spot all the time. I ll probably vary him, Cora said. I m going to stick with Mookie and Benny 1-2. Besides that, we ll see. I do feel like with Xander, he s going to put the ball in play with men in scoring position. He won t strike out. Now that he s healthy he can drive the ball. He ll have traffic in the lineup ahead of him. Cora is not concerned that Pedroia didn t hit well on his rehab assignment. Including going 0 for 3 Thursday afternoon, he was 1 for 17. If he was 10 for 15, people would say that s Triple A pitching. He s saving his hits for Fenway, Cora said. The atmosphere, the information, and ability to make adjustments is not as easy when you go on a rehab assignment. He ll be fine. Without Pedroia, the Red Sox have the best record in baseball. So how much have they really missed him? Would they indeed have been a couple of games or so better? That s the goal with him healthy, Cora said. I saw firsthand how he grinded it out on one leg. He s healthy now. We re going to see the player we all know. We know what a presence he is when he s healthy offensively and defensively. Teammates seem thrilled that Pedroia is returning. It s probably been a little quiet without him. Get ready for some noise, no matter where he hits in the lineup. Win-now trades depleted Red Sox farm system, but upcoming draft offers new hope Alex Speier At a time when the Red Sox farm system is in a state of depletion, the significance of the draft which runs from June 4-6 is potentially enormous. Either the team will hit on a couple of eventual standouts or, if the Sox encounter disappointing returns, the process of reloading will be drawn out further. The Red Sox have faced such circumstances before. When the current ownership group took control of the team in 2002, the farm system had been thinned by repeated win-now trades and a series of early-round draft picks who did not pan out. In 2002, though the Sox lacked a first-round pick, their first selection served as a cornerstone to the creation of a scouting and player development machine. Second-rounder Jon Lester eventually became a Red Sox star, a key member of two World Series teams. But when Theo Epstein took over as the general manager in November 2002, he oversaw a series of drafts where the Sox drew heavily on college talent with their early picks. It wasn t coincidental: With so few prospects who would serve as legitimate big league depth, Epstein and his scouting directors (David Chadd

5 in 2003 and 04, Jason McLeod starting shortly after the 2004 draft) focused the top picks on college players from I don t have the exact numbers. I m no draft history expert, said McLeod, now the Cubs senior VP of player development and amateur scouting. [But] I think that the college player has provided more return on investment. For the Sox, at a time when they had significant advantages in their scouting process, they were the first team to have their scouts take video of players, they grew their scouting staff significantly relatively to industry peers, and they had far more detailed statistical information on college players than most teams. In that environment, the Sox hit on a number of college players. They landed Jonathan Papelbon (Mississippi State) in the fourth round in In 2004, when the team lacked a first-rounder, they were focused on finding a high-probability big leaguer in the second round. Their decision to choose Dustin Pedroia (Arizona State) over catcher Kurt Suzuki altered the franchise. Jacoby Ellsbury (Oregon State), Clay Buchholz (Angelina Junior College), and Jed Lowrie (Stanford) followed in A system that had seemed barren became fertile in short order. More recently, Andrew Benintendi (Arkansas) and Jackie Bradley Jr. (South Carolina) represented earlyround college picks who quickly emerged as big league contributors. The Sox have had their share of college busts (Craig Hansen in 2005; the 2010 class of Kolbrin Vitek and Bryce Brentz), but half of the 20 college players they ve taken in the first or supplemental first round (or, in the case of Pedroia, second round with their top pick) have become positive big league contributors. The same can t be said about the team s top high school selections. Since the selection of Lester in 2002, the team has taken 11 high schoolers in the first round. Many (Blake Swihart, Henry Owens, Michael Bowden, Casey Kelly, among others) had considerable trade value at one point, but of those 11, none has had a big league career that was worth 1.0 Wins Above Replacement. (The jury remains out on 2014 selections Michael Chavis and Michael Kopech, along with 2016 first-rounder Jay Groome.) So, does that suggest that, at a time when the Sox talent pool is thin, they should focus on college players in the upcoming draft with greater certainty now over the high schoolers with upside? I don t think so, said Red Sox VP of amateur scouting Mike Rikard. I think we ll continue to draft the most talented player with each pick, but take into consideration the risk factors that we talk a lot about. Typically, with the high school players, it s a little easier to rub the crystal ball and project on the upside, but there s obvious risk that comes along with that. College players are, in most cases, a little bit safer. I don t see us changing our draft strategy. It s been that way when the farm system is really strong and really deep and really good. We haven t changed our strategy in that situation. So, I don t anticipate us changing anything now that we may be in a little bit of a different state of our farm system. Put another way: Scouting directors have to decide whether they ll try to shoot for the moon or play it safe. The Sox have the No. 26 overall pick. If they think they have a shot at the next Mike Trout (No. 25 overall in 2009), albeit with risk that he ll never get past Double A, should they play it safe? After all, two of the best Sox draft picks of the past 15 years have been high schoolers. In 2007, the team nabbed Anthony Rizzo in the sixth round. In 2011, the team took Mookie Betts out of high school in the fifth round. Both have become superstars. Those guys have come from a little bit later in the draft where you kind of try to separate a little bit by having good scouts out in the field, said Rikard. Yet even early in the draft, the Sox feel that over the last 15 years it s become easier to make sound evaluations about high schoolers by virtue of the summer showcase circuit and wood-bat leagues in which it s possible to scout prep standouts against comparable competition.

6 Even so, there s no doubt that there s a far greater chance that a player selected out of high school will never see the big leagues. Regardless of the state of a system, scouting directors are willing to live with that risk if they believe in the potential payoff. There are going to be a lot of players where you write reports that say, If he hits on all these variables, he could be this... But the history of the draft will tell you that that guy is probably not getting to Double A, said McLeod. We re still going to try to thread the needle of upside and certainty. You never want to feel like you re giving up what could be a Mookie Betts type of potential or an Ellsbury type of potential to take a guy who s going to play in the big leagues understanding how hard it is to draft major league players. It s threading that needle of upside and certainty. Red Sox first round/first overall* picks, * In 2002 and 2004, the Red Sox did not have a first-round pick. In both years, their top pick (Jon Lester out of high school in 2002 and Dustin Pedroia out of college in 2004) is included. Amateur Pool College High School Number taken Big leaguers 19 6 Average WAR WAR > SOURCE: Baseball-Reference.com Three up In High A Salem, 2016 second-rounder C.J. Chatham has a six-game hitting streak (.435/.480/.739) and has also returned to the field to play shortstop. In 12 games in the Carolina League, he s hitting.333/.373/.521. Also in High A Salem, 2017 third-rounder Brett Netzer has a 12-game hitting streak and a strong.348/.408/.500 line in May that has helped him recover from a rough first month and pushed his season line to.305/.357/.397. The 21-year-old second baseman is one of the better pure hitters in the system. Righthander Kutter Crawford continues to make a compelling case to be promoted from Single A Greenville to High A Salem. The 22-year-old struck out nine and walked one over six shutout innings in his most recent start for the Drive, lowering his ERA to 1.70, with 11.5 strikeouts and 2.5 walks per nine innings. Righties are hitting.195/.215/.221 with 27 strikeouts and two walks against him. Three down First baseman/outfielder Sam Travis has been striking out at an alarming rate since returning to Triple A Pawtucket from an intercostal strain. He is 3 for 34 (.088/.111/.235) with 18 strikeouts in 36 plate appearances, and has struck out at least once in 14 straight games. En route to a.222/.284/.333 line for the season, Travis continues to show some of the same significant splits (.203/.263/.290 vs. righties;.267/.333/.433 vs. lefties) that raised questions last year about whether he will handle righthanders well enough to emerge as an everyday player. Though righthander Jake Thompson, 23, had the longest outing (6⅓ innings) of his pro career Thursday, he continued to deliver inconsistent results in his first full pro season in High A Salem, allowing five runs to raise his ERA to Lefties are hitting a robust.289/.337/.511 against him. Outfielder Cole Brannen was sent to extended spring training after he hit just.157/.246/.205 in 32 games in Single A Greenville. He ll try to reestablish himself with the Lowell Spinners when their season begins next month. Dustin Pedroia ready to rejoin Red Sox Peter Abraham

7 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. Second baseman Dustin Pedroia is set to rejoin the Red Sox seven long months after undergoing extensive surgery on his left knee. Manager Alex Cora said Pedroia would be activated off the disabled list when the Sox open a homestand against the Atlanta Braves. His first start will be Friday or Saturday. Adding a four-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner to the lineup should make the first-place Red Sox an even better team. We ll see. We know how passionate he is, the quality of the at-bats, defensively what he brings, Cora said Thursday before the Sox played the Tampa Bay Rays. When healthy, he s one of the best second basemen in the big leagues. I m looking forward to having him in the lineup. I think his energy is going to help; not only on the field but off the field. Pedroia was 0 for 3 and played seven innings at second base for Triple A Pawtucket on Thursday. He played five games over 11 days for the PawSox on a rehabilitation assignment none for more than seven innings and was 1 for 17 with three walks and three strikeouts. But the Sox feel Pedroia is ready for the majors. If he was 10 for 15, people would be saying it was Triple A pitching, Cora said. It doesn t matter... he ll be fine. Packed house at home, the lights on, he ll show up. What mattered most to the Sox was how Pedroia moved defensively, and he passed those tests. Turning double plays, moving to his left, no hesitation, Cora said. That Pedroia played an 11:05 a.m. game on Thursday in Pawtucket after playing Wednesday night also helped convince the decision makers he was physically sound. But Pedroia will still get frequent days off. The 34-year-old is signed through 2021 and saw the cartilage restoration surgery as his best chance to remain productive. The Sox will not unnecessarily push him. In Pedroia s absence, Red Sox second basemen have hit.241 with a.630 OPS. But defense has been even more of an issue. The Sox are minus-8 in defensive runs saved, tied with the Mets for the worst in the majors at the position. Eduardo Nunez has started 40 of the 50 games. He will return to a utility role with Pedroia coming back. He likes that, moving around, Cora said. He s at ease that he doesn t have to grind it out at second the whole time now. He can move around and the real Eduardo Nunez will come out. Cora said a corresponding roster move would not be announced until Friday. But Nunez and Brock Holt are safe based on how Cora spoke about his plans to use them off the bench. It is expected the Red Sox will trade third-string catcher Blake Swihart or designate him for assignment with the intention of then trading him. Cora and Pedroia were teammates from and remain close friends. Everybody knows about our relationship, Cora said. This is a day I ve been looking forward to. To have him active and ready to contribute, it s going to be fun to see. Brave new world

8 The three-game series against Atlanta is unexpectedly interesting. The Braves, who haven t had a winning record since 2013, are 29-19, and lead the National League East. Through Wednesday, they were second in the NL in runs per game (5.12) and first with 37 stolen bases. They also have a strong bullpen. The Braves are on the road. Brockton native Sean Newcomb is scheduled to start for Atlanta on Saturday. He is 4-0 with a 0.36 ERA and 0.76 WHIP in four starts this month. The 24-year-old Newcomb was a star at Middleboro High before going on to play at the University of Hartford. He was the 15th overall pick of the 2014 draft by the Angels then traded to the Braves in Newcomb is 5-1 with a 2.39 ERA in nine starts this season. He will be facing the Red Sox for the first time in his career. Velazquez returns The Red Sox activated Hector Velazquez off the disabled list. He had been out since May 14 with what was said to be a lower-back strain. Lefthander Bobby Poyner was optioned to Pawtucket. Poyner has been with the Sox three times this season and allowed two runs on 12 hits over 9⅔ innings with nine strikeouts and one walk... Righthanded reliever Tyler Thornburg is lined up to pitch Friday for Pawtucket. He has pitched in nine minor league games on his rehab assignment. Over seven innings, Thornburg has allowed four earned runs on seven hits with seven walks and nine strikeouts. Thornburg s 30-day assignment can run through Tuesday. At that point the Sox would have to activate him or return him to the disabled list... Third base coach Carlos Febles took a tumble in the dugout on Wednesday when he went to sit down and missed the bench because he was motioning to a fielder. Unidentified and clearly unsympathetic players used tape to create a chalk outline in the dugout of where he fell. It s been a rough year for Febles, who also got punched in the head during the April 11 brawl with the Yankees. * The Boston Herald Rick Porcello, defense disappoint in ugly series-ending loss to Rays Michael Silverman ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. If you re looking for a silver lining to the Red Sox 6-3 loss to the Rays last night, just stop. Slovenly fielding, a woeful start from Rick Porcello, an anemic offense and an overall indifferent effort added up to a series-ending loss that also kept them from sweeping a Rays team they had effectively outplayed in two prior close victories. The Red Sox still are in first place in the AL East, but their lead slipped to one game over the idle Yankees. As off as Porcello (32 3 innings, six runs, four earned, two walks, two strikeouts) was, that s how on Rays starter Blake Snell was, holding the Sox scoreless in his six innings. The Red Sox are now 5-6 against left-handed starters this season. Snell did not allow a hit until one out into the third and he did not put on another baserunner until he walked Xander Bogaerts to lead off the fifth. He eliminated Bogaerts with a double play ball, and after allowing two more baserunners, he got out of his only jam with a strikeout of Jackie Bradley Jr.

9 Snell went six scoreless innings, allowing three hits while striking out eight. Due to a Rays throwing error, the Red Sox did manage to avoid a shutout with a run in the seventh, while Mitch Moreland (home run) and Rafael Devers (RBI double) added a spark in the ninth. The Rays hit parade and Red Sox clown show began pretty much at the same time. The first batter Porcello faced, Denard Span, hit a double to left field on which J.D. Martinez took an indirect route. Porcello loaded the bases on a walk and infield single, bringing up Wilson Ramos. The catcher hit a ball right at Porcello, who had time to throw to the plate for the force play on Span. The throw was low but catchable. Catcher Sandy Leon, however, did not make that catch, and the first Rays run scored. After a sacrifice fly, Porcello and Leon did combine on a well-executed double play to end the inning with the Rays ahead, 2-0. The second inning was more bad news and errors. An infield single and walk put two runners on with two outs, before Porcello hit a batter to heighten the high leverage situation. Up again was Ramos, who laced a single to right field. Two runners scored on the hit but right fielder Mookie Betts throw to cutoff man Eduardo Nunez was a little low. Nunez could not handle it and as the ball rolled away, Matt Duffy alertly kept on running for the third run of the play. Porcello actually had a inning in the third but he could not repeat the magic in the fourth. After a oneout single and a steal by Span, Duffy hit a two-out RBI single to up the Rays lead to 6-0. One single later, Porcello was done for the night after 92 pitches. Red Sox notebook: Dustin Pedroia returns to lineup Friday or Saturday vs. Braves Michael Silverman ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. The Red Sox will activate Dustin Pedroia tonight at Fenway Park for the homestand opener. Whether or not he will be in the lineup against the Braves remains to be seen, but if not, he will start tomorrow. The Sox will not make an announcement on a corresponding move until sometime today, no doubt waiting until at least after last night s game in case there was an injury. What the move will be remains speculation, but Eduardo Nunez and Brock Holt appear safe, which leaves open the possibility that Blake Swihart could be designated for assignment as a precursor to a trade. Manager Alex Cora, close to Pedroia when the two were Sox teammates from , is looking forward to having him back. We know how passionate he is, the quality of at-bats, defensively, what he brings, Cora said before last night s 6-3 loss to Tampa Bay. When healthy, he s one of the best second basemen in the big leagues. Looking forward to having him in the lineup. I think his energy is going to help not only on the field but off the field, his leadership, and everybody knows about our relationship so I know people are going to bring it up. It s a day I ve been looking forward to and to have him active and ready to contribute is going to be fun to see.

10 Cora is not ready to reveal where he wants Pedroia to hit in the lineup but it will not be in his customary No. 2 spot as Cora said he will stick with Andrew Benintendi there. It sounds as if he will hit no higher than No. 6, but if Cora wants to keep left-hander Rafael Devers there, Pedroia could hit seventh. Cora said it won t be an issue. He doesn t have a problem with it from what I heard, said Cora. He wants to contribute. He texted me (Wednesday), this long text, he almost made me cry I ll do anything for you, hit whenever, play whenever, but one thing for sure our lineup is going to be as long and our bench is going to be better, we ve got more options now. When he doesn t play, when Nunie doesn t play, when Brock, and all those options, we can match up with anyone late in the game. Just minor details Pedroia had major left knee surgery as soon as the 2017 season was over, and from all reports he is moving fine. Cora is unconcerned Pedroia went 1-for-17 with Pawtucket in his rehab stint. No, I mean, if he was 10-for-15, people would be saying that s Triple-A pitching, said Cora. I do feel that, like he said, he was able to track pitches. I guess (yesterday) the at-bats were eight-pitch at-bats, seven-pitch at-bats, so he ll be fine. A packed house at home, the lights on, he ll show up, he ll be OK. Cora added another reason not to look into minor league rehab stints too closely. He saved his hits for Fenway, he ll be fine, said Cora. The atmosphere is a lot different, the information, being able to make adjustments is not as easy when you go on rehab assignments. It s kind of like see the ball and hit it. You don t have as much information about the pitchers, all the stuff you have here. He ll be fine. Cora said the club will be conservative with Pedroia, giving him plenty of rest, as well as the left side of the infield with Xander Bogaerts and Devers. Thorn-y situation Reliever Tyler Thornburg (shoulder) is still rehabbing with Pawtucket. Tyler s pitching (tonight), we ll see how it goes, said Cora. Everything that we re getting report-wise afterwards, he feels fine so he goes out there and competes again and then we go from there.... Somebody taped out an outline of a sprawled body on the floor of the dugout, along with the name Febles. It seems as if third base coach Carlos Febles has had a couple of spills lately. Yeah, he fell again (Wednesday). It was the seventh inning or eighth, he fell the other day, too, in Boston, said Cora. It s been a rough start of the season for him. He gets punched in the fight, fell the other day. He s day-to-day. He ll be fine. Every batter in the Red Sox lineup struck out at least once last night.... For the fourth time this season, the Red Sox defense committed two or more errors in one game. In his last four starts, Rick Porcello has given up 17 earned runs in 21 innings, raising his ERA from 2.14 to Cora did not want to pinch-hit for Sandy Leon with one on and the tying run in the on-deck circle. Leon grounded out to end it.

11 No, he s putting good at-bats, said Cora of Leon, who had two hits. The pinch-hitting is hard. (Alex) Colome is one of the best closers in the game. Andrew Benintendi on upswing, earns night off Michael Silverman ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. With left-handed starter Blake Snell getting the start for Tampa Bay, manager Alex Cora gave left fielder Andrew Benintendi the night off. Earlier this month, this might have been seen as a sign that Cora did not want to risk another weak night at the plate from Benintendi. But the young outfielder is trending in the right direction with the bat now, and the three walks he worked in four plate appearances here on Wednesday night were another indication of that. We re happy with the way his approach, his at-bats three walks (Wednesday), he s staying in the strike zone, which is great, and he s getting results, said Cora. Earlier this month, Benintendi was struggling. On May 4, his on-base percentage was a respectable.336 but his slugging percentage was at.376, and his OPS at.712. Before last night s game, those numbers were much better. His on-base was up to.367, while his slugging had gone all the way to.463 with an.830 OPS. Benintendi is not on fire yet by any means, but if the first month or so represented the entirety of his sophomore slump, the rest of his season could start to get pretty interesting if he keeps on improving. Think from the get-go, I felt especially the first few weeks, he wasn t expanding, it was just a matter that they attacked him differently, they were going away, away, away, said Cora. In spring training every pitch was up and in to him and he was driving the ball out of the ballpark. Then he comes here (in seasonopening series), that s a good pitching staff, they went away, away, away and up but he wasn t chasing. But then he didn t see results, his on-base percentage was a good one, but then he chased a little out of the zone, but now, it s a combination of both. That s why his numbers are on the rise. He s got a good swing going, and he s not chasing pitches, said Cora. That s good to see. * MassLive.com Ramirez (.708 OPS) not producing as Red Sox's No. 3 hitter, Cora should consider lineup change Christopher Smith Hanley Ramirez went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in the Red Sox's 6-3 loss to the Rays on Thursday. He went 0-for-11 with one walk and four strikeouts during the three-game series at Tropicana Field. He has gone hitless in his past 21 at-bats dating back to last Thursday. Ramirez started terrific, batting.330 with a.400 on-base percentage,.474 slugging percentage and.874 OPS in his first 25 games (110 plate appearances). Then came May.

12 He has batted only.163 (13-for-80) with a.200 OBP,.300 slugging percentage and.500 OPS this month (85 plate appearances). His season slash line has dipped to.254/.313/.395/.708. Ramirez batted second in the Red Sox lineup Thursday with Andrew Benintendi receiving the day off. He has batted third 38 times this season and second in the order six times. Manager Alex Cora should reconsider Ramirez's spot in the batting order. The first baseman/dh should be hitting sixth or seventh right now. Cora always could move Ramirez back if he gets hot again. The Red Sox can't afford to keep him at No. 3 in the batting order with an OPS of.708. Xander Bogaerts also has struggled quite a bit during May. But Bogaerts (.847 OPS) has the ability to fit in nicely as Boston's No. 3 hitter. He has thrived there in the past. Bogaerts has appeared in 247 games (245 starts) as a No. 3 hitter. He has slashed.315/.362/.457/.819 in 1,115 plate appearances there. Cora also should consider giving Mitch Moreland more starts at first base vs. right-handed pitchers at the expense of Ramirez. Ramirez has a.230/.293/.370/.664 line in 135 at-bats vs. righties. He has hit lefties at a.333/.378/.476/.854 clip in 42 at-bats. Ramirez and Moreland should be platooning at first base. Moreland is slashing.311/.390/.612/1.001 in 119 plate appearances. Ramirez needs 302 more plate appearances to vest his $22 million option for The Red Sox shouldn't be concerned with Ramirez reaching the required plate appearance to vest it as long as he's hitting well. Boston must focus on winning this year, not next year. If he helps the 2018 club win, then play him. But he isn't hitting well right now. The time has arrived for a lineup shakeup. Rick Porcello lasts only 3.2 innings as Red Sox's four-game winning streak ends; Moreland homers Christopher Smith Red Sox righty Rick Porcello lasted only 3 2/3 innings while Rays lefty Blake Snell threw a gem. Porcello gave up six runs, four earned runs, eight hits and two walks (one hit batter) while striking out two. The Red Sox lost 6-3 to Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field. Boston's four-game winning streak ended. Porcello began with a strenuous 33-pitch, two-run first inning and never found his rhythm. He threw 92 pitches (59 percent strikes). In only one start this season has he thrown a lower percentage of strikes. He threw 56 percent strikes May 9 at Yankee Stadium when New York scored five runs in 5 1/3 innings against him. Snell hurled 6 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out eight. The lefty has a 0.95 ERA (19 innings, two earned runs) in three starts vs. Boston this year. Mitch Moreland hit a solo homer in the ninth to cut the deficit to four. Rafael Devers' RBI double in the ninth cut the deficit to three runs.

13 Porcello's strike percentage per start in 2018: 1st start: 69 percent 2nd start: 70 percent 3rd start: 70 percent 4th start: 70 percent 5th start: 63 percent 6th start: 71 percent 7th start: 67 percent 8th start: 56 percent 9th start: 64 percent 10th start: 63 percent 11th start: 59 percent Red Sox defense doesn't help Porcello With the bases loaded and nobody out in the first inning, Rays' Wilson Ramos grounded back to Porcello. Porcello threw home to catcher Sandy Leon for the force-out but Leon failed to catch the ball. The first run of the game scored. Mookie Betts' throwing error on Ramos' bases-loaded single to right field during the second inning allowed Matt Duffy to score from first base. Leon is red hot with the bat Red Sox catcher Sandy Leon is (10-for batting average) with a homer, double, three RBIs, six runs, four walks and seven strikeouts during May. Leon is 0-for-8 in caught stealing attempts. But he entered today with a 2.78 catchers ERA. Christian Vazquez is 4-for-15 (27 percent) in caught stealing. He has a 3.84 catchers ERA. Boston Red Sox to activate Dustin Pedroia on Friday, what will be corresponding roster move? Christopher Smith The Red Sox will activate Dustin Pedroia from the disabled list tomorrow (Friday) when Boston hosts the Braves at Fenway Park, manager Alex Cora told reporters today. Cora said last week he wants Pedroia to play back-to-back, seven-inning games at second base on his rehab assignment before he returns. He said he'll be "at ease" when that happens. Pedroia today completed his second straight day of seven innings at second base for Triple-A Pawtucket. He went 0-for-3. He went 1-for-17 on the rehab assignment. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski obviously will need to open a roster spot. Brock Holt and Jackie Bradley Jr. both have minor league options remaining. Cora said this week on WEEI the Red Sox do not plan to option the struggling Bradley to Pawtucket. Blake Swihart's agent has asked for a trade. But the Red Sox want to receive the best return for Swihart and shouldn't rush to trade him.

14 * The Pawtucket Times Pedroia exits Pawtucket Brendan McGair PAWTUCKET Dustin Pedroia was in the on-deck circle when Rusney Castillo flew out to center field to end the seventh inning. Seven innings was once again the body of work turned in by Pedroia, who quickly showered and vacated the McCoy Stadium grounds long before the final out was recorded in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre s 3-1 victory on Thursday afternoon. Pedroia went hitless in three at-bats and is now 1-for-14 with three strikeouts and three walks in five rehab games with Pawtucket. He said he felt really good and checked out fine, said PawSox manager Kevin Boles after his club dropped its second straight contest to the RailRiders. He s happy with how he s doing. Pedroia wasn t around to talk about Thursday s performance, which defensively included a nice pivot to his left to nail the lead runner at second base in the first inning. Save for a few game-worn hats, his locker inside the PawSox clubhouse was completely cleaned out. Before Thursday night s game in Tampa Bay, Red Sox manager Alex Cora told the media that Pedroia will be activated on Friday. Pedroia never appeared in three straight games for Pawtucket, so it will be interesting to see if Boston gives him a day off tonight before writing his name in the lineup tomorrow. We ll see what the next step is. Let Boston handle that, PawSox manager Kevin Boles said before Cora s announcement. Perhaps Pedroia is saving all his base hits for Boston. Granted the sample size is relatively small, but it would have been nice to see him hit into a loud out and put the ball in play so he could run the bases. Pedroia did reach via fielder s choice in the sixth inning, but he didn t advance as Mike Olt struck out to end the frame. Pedroia grounded into a double play in the first inning and bounced to third base in the fourth, which came on a 3-2 pitch. It s a different level. We ve had rehabbers who haven t performed but they ve been healthy and done a solid job once they re back in the big leagues, Boles said. He was a little jumpy and out in front at the plate, but he did work some counts while he was here. That s just part of it. Hopefully that timing will get down soon. There was one defensive sequence in the third inning where Pedroia and PawSox right fielder Aneury Tavarez got their signals crossed. Pedroia initially called for the shallow pop-up by Scranton s Billy Fleming but was waived off by Tavarez. The ball fell between both Pawtucket players and was ruled a base hit. *** There was a strange sequence in the top of the fifth inning as Boles made a pitching change with a full count on the RailRiders Brandon Drury and a runner on second base. Boles thought that Pawtucket starter Justin Haley had issued ball four and admitted afterwards that he lost track of the count.

15 The skipper signaled to the bullpen as soon as bounced out of the dugout and quickly released he had made an ultra-rare mistake. He stayed on the mound for a few extra seconds before Kyle Martin could begin his warm-up tosses. Boles said he apologized to Haley, who took the loss after allowing two runs on five hits in 4.2 innings, and the entire team. That s a complete screw-up. It s something that can t happen but it happened first time in 20 years but it doesn t make it right. It s wrong and 100 percent my fault, Boles said. I ll get over it, but it was a bad day. Martin fanned the flames by striking out Drury on a changeup. He was credited with the strikeout. Had Martin issued ball four, Haley would have been charged with the walk. It was unusual and a funky situation, but I was ready. You re always taught to be ready, said Martin, who struck out five in 2.2 innings and allowed one run on four hits. It s one of those things where adrenaline kicks in and takes over. Said Boles, He was thrown off right out of the gate because of me, but he executed. Nice job. *** EXTRA BASES: PawSox reliever Ty Buttrey rebounded from needing 32 pitches to record just one out on Monday to tossing two scoreless and hitless innings on Thursday. The hard-throwing right-hander walked one and struck out two. He looked pretty good, Boles said. Sam Travis struck out three times on Thursday and is now in the midst of a 4-for-52 slump over his last 14 games (five games before his DL stint and nine games since coming off). We re facing quality arms, but he s expanding the zone. We ve seen Sam where he s had better strike-zone management. He just needs to calm down and the hits will come. Thursday s attendance which included students from Woonsocket s Leo Savoie Elementary School and Central Falls Ella Risk Elementary School, was 5,500. Marcus Walden (0-2, 5.79) will be on the mound for Pawtucket on Friday night (7:05 p.m. first pitch) for the first of five games in four days against Lehigh Valley. * RedSox.com Errors costly on night Porcello not sharp Ian Browne ST. PETERSBURG -- Through the course of a long season, even the best teams have a clunker or two, and they come without warning. The Red Sox had one on Thursday night at Tropicana Field, taking a 6-3 loss to the Rays in the finale of a three-game series after they won the first two. The defense made a collection of misplays in the first two innings. And on a night Rick Porcello struggled, the Red Sox paid the price. "I wasn't sharp at all," Porcello said. "I think -- and it's probably true of any starting pitcher or any pitcher in general, you know -- any time I've struggled this year, it's been a result of falling behind hitters. It happened tonight. I got into some bad counts against guys, started coming in the zone with some pitches, and you get hurt by that." After going 5-0 with a 2.14 ERA in his first seven starts, Porcello is 1-2 with a 7.29 ERA his last four.

16 "It's baseball. That's pitching," said Porcello. "You're going to have ebbs and flows over the course of the season, and you've got to make the necessary adjustments and get back on track." On many nights, the high-powered offense could keep Boston in a game like this. But Rays lefty Blake Snell (six shutout innings, three hits, eight K's) was brilliant. Down, 6-1, Boston mounted its first significant rally in the ninth. Mitch Moreland led off with a solo shot to right. With the Red Sox down to their last strike, Rafael Devers drilled an RBI double, forcing the Rays to go to closer Alex Colome, who earned the save. It could have been a different night if not for Porcello's tough start, as Boston fell behind, 6-0, after four innings. Porcello (6-2, 3.74 ERA) gave up eight hits and six runs (four earned) over 3 2/3 innings, throwing a whopping 92 pitches in that span. The sinkerballer threw 33 pitches in a two-run first inning, as left fielder J.D. Martinez misplayed a leadoff double by Denard Span and a lined single by Daniel Robertson. According to Statcast, there was a catch probability of 50 percent on the Span hit and 95 percent on the hit by Robertson. Catcher Sandy Leon added to the mess, dropping a throw to the plate on what would have been a forceout, allowing Wilson Ramos to score the Rays' first run. "The first inning was what it was, but there was absolutely no reason to go out there and have a long second inning," Porcello said. "I got out of the first inning, honestly, pretty lucky for them to only score two runs and then after that, it's time to get back on track and bear down. I had a long second inning, too, and just didn't get it going. It's on me. I've got to do better than that." With the bases loaded and two outs in the second, Porcello gave up a full-count single to Ramos that was going to score two runs anyway. But a third run wound up scoring when cutoff man Eduardo Nunez dropped a low throw by right fielder Mookie Betts. It was Betts who wound up being charged with the error. "I mean, Sandy locked himself up, he'll tell you. Instead of like a first baseman, he was there with the wrong foot and didn't have the freedom to adjust to the throw," said manager Alex Cora. "The throw by Mookie short-hops Nunez. He has to make a better throw, but at the same time, Nunie has to do a better job reading it. Either go get it or move back. It wasn't one of our best defensive efforts." Despite the defeat, the Red Sox head home leading the Yankees by one game in the American League East and in possession of baseball's top record (34-16). MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Moreland's homer in the ninth was his seventh of the season in just 103 at-bats. With Moreland contributing just about every time he plays, and Hanley Ramirez without a hit in his last 21 at-bats, perhaps Cora will make some adjustments with the alignment at first base, at least for the short term. "We'll see. He put good at-bats together," Cora said of Moreland. "As you guys know, we try to get him atbats somehow, someway. We like what we see from Jackie [Bradley Jr.] right now, he's putting good atbats together, he's hitting the ball solid, fouling balls off. It would be hard for me right now to take him out of the lineup because of the rhythm, and it seems like what we're working on before the game is paying off. We'll see. We'll figure it out. We'll find at-bats for Mitch." SOUND SMART The Red Sox are starting to get some offense from catcher Leon, who is getting more playing time. Leon has reached base multiple times in his last four starts and has a five-game hitting streak. Over that span, he is 7-for-16. Christian Vazquez, Boston's other catcher, has been in a season-long slump.

17 HE SAID IT "It all comes down to plate discipline. It's just about being disciplined, staying off the edges, looking for pitches over the middle of the plate, don't chase hits, that's the bottom line. The hits will come, but it starts with the process.... Sometimes it's hard for them to accept it. They hit the ball hard, and they want results but no, no, you've got to be disciplined enough to stay within the plan, look for pitches in the middle of the zone. If they don't come at you, take your walks. Right now it's about discipline." -- Cora, on what is ailing Ramirez MITEL REPLAY OF THE DAY The Rays tried to extend their lead in the bottom of the sixth when Matt Duffy attempted to score from second on a grounder. Red Sox first baseman Moreland fired home, and Duffy was initially ruled safe, But after the Red Sox challenged, the replay official ruled that Leon tagged Duffy's right leg before Duffy touched home. UP NEXT The Red Sox will activate veteran second baseman Dustin Pedroia from the disabled list on Friday, and he may start the 7:10 p.m. ET opener of a three-game series at Fenway Park. Left fielder Andrew Benintendi, who got a night off Thursday, will be back in the lineup. Lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (4-1, 4.13 ERA) will start, and he'll be opposed by Braves righty Julio Teheran (4-1, 4.17 ERA). Pedroia to come off disabled list today Ian Browne ST. PETERSBURG -- Already in first place in the American League East and owners of the best record in baseball, the Red Sox will get an additional boost on Friday, when veteran second baseman Dustin Pedroia is activated from the disabled list. According to manager Alex Cora, Pedroia will be in the starting lineup either Friday or Saturday at Fenway Park, where the Red Sox are hosting the Braves for a three-game series this weekend. The 34-year-old Pedroia was limited to 105 games in 2017 and underwent surgery on his left knee following the season to restore cartilage. "We know how passionate he is, the quality of at-bats he will give us and defensively, what he brings," said Cora. "When healthy, he's one of the best second basemen in the big leagues. I'm looking forward to having him in the lineup. I think his energy is going to help not only on the field but off the field with his leadership. "And everybody knows about our relationship, so I know people are going to bring it up. It's a day I've been looking forward to, and to have him active and ready to contribute is going to be fun to see." Cora said that the Red Sox will wait until Friday to announce the corresponding roster move, but Pedroia's return could spell the end in Boston for catcher Blake Swihart, who was drafted by the organization in Provided that everyone else on the roster is healthy, the most logical move for the Red Sox to make on Friday would be to either trade Swihart or designate him for assignment. At the moment, Swihart is the 25th man on the roster, and an insurance policy behind catchers Christian Vazquez and Sandy Leon. Out of Minor League options, Swihart has started just four of the first 50 games of the season, and all at designated hitter. He has caught two innings while also playing four at first base and 19 in left field. When a player's contract is designated for assignment -- often abbreviated "DFA" -- that player is immediately removed from his club's 40-man roster, and 25-man roster if he was on that as well. Within